Lovin' the Sun

For some reason, this winter felt especially long and dreary. So as spring has come upon us, we are heading out into the sunshine every chance we get. Our children love to run around outside and we love how tired they are when we come home. One of our favorite weekend activities is going down to San Mateo to visit Auntie Steffie and Dave. They have a wonderful back yard where the kids can run around freely and we can hang out and have some margaritas! We headed down there yesterday afternoon and has such a wonderful time. My sister had decided to pick up our old hula hoops from my mom's house. My mother actually kept our original hula hoops. All of us decided to give it a whirl and found ourselves laughing on the floor. Watching Dave and Brian attempt the hula hoop is even difficult to describe. Tears were rolling down my face from the laughter and it felt amazing. My mother and I had a contest at one point. Sofia and Luca tried so hard to hula hoop but could not quite get the hip motion down. I, on the other hand, had it down. I was trying all my old tricks. Girl can still shake it! We had such a great time and so did the kids. I wish we would get together every weekend, but every body gets busy in our busy lives. The simplicity of family, good food, and some fun makes for a perfect afternoon. I hope that we continue to make time for impromptu family gatherings so the my kids continue to experience that pure love and joy that comes from family. There is a connection that we can only truly experience within our family; one that is rooted in history and spirit.
I grew up with a great sense of family, fostered by my parents and my grandparents. I spent a lot of time with my Nonna and Nonno and learned so much about my heritage. I would never have lived in Italy, had the connection with my Italian relatives, or learned the language if I did not have my Nonna's encouragement. She sent me to Italy by my self at 18 to spend time with some of my relatives and I began to learn the language. Then, Brian and I lived there for a year which only deepened my connection to my heritage. Brian and I have been back several times and often discuss the possibility of living there some time with our family. Now that I am a citizen (along with Sofia and Luca), we can actually begin to entertain the idea. I want Sofia, Luca, and Silvio to feel connected to their heritage not only because we gave them Italian names, but because it is an integral part of our lives. I know that spending time together as a family is part of connecting to our Italian culture. The simple time we spend together gives our children a fundamental sense of identity and connection. So, I am excited as we head into spring and summer and we can continue to revel in the sun and each other.