End of Year Parties!

Thursday was a crazy day for all of us!  Reese had his class party from 11:30-1:30pm and Abby had her party from 1:30-3:30!  Wow-Weee I was tired:)
Every year the kindergarten class has a Splash Day which is perfect since it's normally 90+ degrees out!
Reese was so excited and is SO ready to be in 1st grade!  He told me he wanted me to home school him but I think after a summer with me and Abby he might want to see some of his friends at school:)
We'll see how it goes..ha!
Anyway I got some great pictures of him playing with his friends.  He spent most of the time at the shaving cream table...he LOVED putting it all over his body!
After Reese was done I headed over to Abby's class for their Luau party.  They had lots of fun games in the yard then headed inside to make fruit kabobs and trail mix (a "healthy" food party...sometimes they get junk food but not very often--ugh that bugs me!) But thats another story for another day:)
Abby had fun but I think all the kids got too hot and they wanted to jump in the kiddie pools with the Kindergarteners! I didn't blame them!  I ended up getting a HUGE farmers "burn" it was pretty hilarious!
Enjoy the pictures....we are SO happy it's summer!
We actually just got back from being at the Lake all day with some friends!  Let summer begin!  So fun!

The beginning of the end:)

Thank you for your help Maddox!

Watch out Mommy!

Covered!!!

Mix of face paint and shaving cream....awesome:)

Friends!

Over/Under Relay --Abby's class

Party! Party!:)

The Beauty that is Italy!

These pictures are just too cool not too share...so beautiful!
I am posting a few slideshows/web albums for those of you that might want to see more Italy pictures.
(mainly my Mom and Dad;)

2011 Europe Flowers Etc

Europe Food

Greg put this album together....it's all pictures of food or us eating...His favorite:)

2011 Europe Food

From Florence to Venice, Italy Slideshow

This slideshow begins the morning we left Florence then ends in Venice.  I will post a Florence one next:)

My Dad

I wanted to do a quick update on my Dad.
He is home now and has been for the past 4 weeks or so.  I talked with him today and he is getting stronger, slower that he would like but HE IS GETTING BETTER! That's all that matters in the long run! He is now walking on the treadmill 8 minutes 4-5 times a day and is doing all his own phyiscal therapy.  He is also walking with a cane and is able to walk without some too!  Yay Dad!
It is a gonna be a long road ahead but if anyone can do it it's my him!  He is super discipled and I know he is itching to get better FAST!  Please continue to pray for him to gain strength.  He is having some issues with his heart staying in rhythm which is making him very tired.  The doctors are working on getting his  Coumadin levels right so they can hopefully get it fixed soon.
I am very proud of him and am EXTREMELY thankful he is alive.  Every time I get to talk to him and hear his voice I am so extremely grateful!  I love him so much! It has been a tough road but I know the Lord has great things in store!

I'm proud of you Dad!!!!!

Thank you to all of you that supported me and my family through all of this...I know the Lord heard your prayers and we will so thankful for all of you!

*I can't remember if I posted on here what the finally diagnosis was on my Dad.
It was not valley fever.
Here is a post from the caring bridge that my Mom posted some time ago.

the pathology report came back and eliminated all of the infections it could have been like fungal, bacterial, etc. and determined that there were inconsistencies in the alveolar cells that were consistent with the drug Amiodarone he was taking that is toxic to your lungs.  He was taken off Amiodarone when we came back this time and has been on steroids and his lung xray have improved.  They say that it may take as long as a year, but that they should continue to improve and there is a good possibility that he will get back almost full function of his lungs by the end of a year.  

Praise the LORD!  I am just so grateful they figured it out before we lost him.  What a blessing!

Paris Sildeshow

Since we have so many pictures I wanted to make some slideshows so if anyone cares to see our pictures they can.
Enter at your own risk:)
Enjoy!

Pesto Pasta

This was my first attempt at making pesto and it turned out AMAZING!  I shocked myself;)
Italian food is so easy to make....a little bit of this a little bit of that and voila....there ya go:)  Pure goodness!

Celebration of Authors!

All year Reese has been writing stories at school and today Greg and I went to his classroom to hear him read them.  He's a great story-teller:)

They are very cute and creative...very creative stories, he's such a funny kid.

We were able to get him on video reading one of them....enjoy!

Merry Christmas to Us!

Look what we got today!!!!

Yep it's our package from Italy!  We got some much yummy food--yay!
 (we bought a bunch of food at the local market in Florence on our food tour and shipped it home:)

Here's what was in the box:
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar (the best you have ever tasted--guaranteed;)
Italian Coffee (kinda like espresso)
Fresh noodles (5 packages:)
Truffle honey...yep thats right TRUFFLE!!!
Fig Jelly--you put it on parmagino
Mushroom and Truffle spread
Biscotti
3 types of cheeses (Parmagino and 2 kinds of pecorino)
Garlic flower spread
Pistachio orange Nougat (Italian dessert, the nougat kinda tastes like marshmallow)

So yes it was a good day at the Stamps:)
I totally understand if you wanna come over and eat at our house...come on over!!!:)

P.S. Don't come if you can't appreciate good fine food....we will not waste our food on just anyone;) Ha!

We will be having LOTS of pasta in our house for the next few months:)

CHEESE!!!!
a very happy boy!

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

The best balsamic vinegar EVER!!!  It's like syrup.
 (which is a good thing...no it's not sweet like syrup just the consistency of syrup;)

Reese's Triple!

Reese had a triple tonight in his game.  I got it on tape...kinda:/  I kinda cut off the end where he gets to third so just imagine he ran all the way...sorry!  My bad!




Here's where he runs from third into home...shoot, I can't believe I cut off the end!  Boo!!

Abby's Spring Piano Recital

Abby had her spring piano recital last night and man oh man was she excited.  She knew her song backwards and forwards and couldn't wait until 7pm!  I got a video of her performance so you gotta check out how well she did.  After everyone performed Mrs. Weaver handed out trophies.  You would have thought Abby got an Olympic medal...she was so cute.  Her brother and cousins get trophies all the time and I think she was very proud to have earned one for piano all by herself:)  

She told me before bed, "Mom. I now have a trophy for piano, soccer, basketball and t-ball!"  I love to see her so excited:)  Way to go Abby...great job!

The song she played was Penguins at Play.  She picked it out for her Granny in Kansas City:)  (she loves penguins) 

Abby and the other 1st graders getting their trophies

Mrs. Weaver bragging on Abby

Landry, Reese and Charlie chillin' out watching the recital.  They are nuts together:)

After Abby got done she came back to sit with the boys....they love her so much!

Abby's friend Hannon came to see her play.  Hannon has been a friend of the Stamps family for years.
It was so sweet of him to come!

Everyone admiring the trophy

Look at that smile....so sweet!

Abby and her friend Emma

Abby and Mrs. Weaver, her piano teacher.

Happy Birthday to Greg!

While we were in Europe Greg turned 33.  He is now an old man like me....I mean, well you get what I mean:)

 I really wanted to still do something special but knew we would have to wait until we got back.  When asked what he would like to do he picked the Rangers game...surprised?  I wasn't:)  We also went to the Diamond Club (dinner buffet at the Ballpark) before the game to make it extra special.  It was GOOD!  

So good in fact that we all went back many times for more!  

The night was a success.  The Rangers WON and there were fireworks after....just for Greg;)  Ok not just for him but I liked to think it was.

Well Babe, thanks for being patient for your birthday cerebration....you are loved beyond measure.

You're the best husband and Father a girl could have...or even dream of.  Love you.

you'd think we had eaten enough in Europe huh?:)
That was then....this is now. Ha!

She got Dr. Pepper....very special night.

this picture looks weird but he was just so very excited about a hot
dog wrapped in bacon...I had to document it;)

Checking out the field

Go Rangers!

Best shot I could get of the fireworks...its hard with an iPhone! 

Birthday fireworks!

Overnight Train

We took a night train from Venice to Paris so we could save time on the long ride. We left at about 8pm and arrive in Paris the next morning at 9am. We got a private room with bunks and a little sink. It started getting claustrophobic after a while. We were able to escape the room for a little while to eat in the dining car. Supposedly we went through Switzerland but it was at 2am or something like that so we didn't see anything. Here are some shots of dinner and in our room...





Nice view of Italy


Eating for the experience not the taste!


Night night...thank you Dramamine:)


Trying to get clean with no shower:/

Paris, France

Paris, France
Way bigger than any other place we have visited this trip
I think it's funny how many people I have seen walking down the street with a baguette in their hand
Even the dogs look foreign
Way more chill in France
I think there is a Starbucks here!
Miss the comforts of home
You never know how much you will be charged when you sit down at a cafe. They charge double to sit down sometimes
Paris has a modern feel
Staying in the Rue Cler neighborhood
Very very cute






There are pastries in ever corner-my favorite!
I wonder how many I can eat before I head home???
I have realized on this trip that there are a lot of things that I love to eat that I never do...I need to change that.
Paris is a beautiful city. We could move our family here for sure!



It blows my mind as we learn more about the second world war that if my grandpa would have died on the beach of Normandy I would not be alive.
After using a public restroom for almost 2 weeks I'm just gonna put this out there: if you pee on the toilet seat just clean it off before you leave -geez how hard is that??? Oh and having to pay 1 euro to go to the bathroom is bunk and it's super bunk if theres NO toilet paper!!
I've quite enjoyed talking in different accents for fun- today is british (I think I am annoying Greg;)
FYI don't go thru the door of hell... yikes!! This is at the Rodin Museum garden...


Also at the gardens was this guy thinking with the Eiffel tower behind him...


Here's a better shot...



You can find a taxi easier here
I think the kids would love Paris
Abby would LOVE all the crepe stands all over- I do too:)


The crepe jockey...


Segways are appalling...why????
I would rather walk 700 miles in the desert than ride one of those around Paris - call me vain if you want I don't mind
Ok maybe not the desert but you get the point;)
They are really into ringing bells over here- Italy and France
Had Starbucks....that was a treat! Been having strong cappuccinos in Italy I'm not that avid a coffee drinker
The Notre Dame was impressive. Didn't go in but walked all around it










Sainte Chaplle was fantastic. The outside doesn't do it justice! Stain glass was breath taking-it's a must see
I think I want a stain glass in my house...Dad I think you can help me here-- I'll help you teach me:)






Paris is big! Very spread out but worth every step!
Riding in a Mercedes taxi- déclassé:)
Need a shower.
Could get into hotel room until now
Everyone is wearing hose black/nude with their shorts and skirts...did I miss something?
Drove past the arch de triumphe on VE day - what a great day to be in France. We also went by there at night. Here's Becky being triumphant...



We also went up the Eiffel tower. We went up while it was still light and it got dark while we were up there.









From directly below the tower...


Shot from the first level...



View from the top...





Glo in the dark Becky...








Greg had the shortest bday ever (April 30th flew into Roma lost 7 hours)
Today (mothers day) we fly home to Dallas-longest mothers day ever for me:)