Hi to Ohio

You know what they say...there's nothing cuter than a baby in uniform!

Ayden loves to mimic everything anybody does, including dressing up like Daddy.

So, Patrick officially survived and actually excelled at Officers Training, and we are now moved and settled in Ohio. My Mom and I came up a week early to find a place and get acclimated. Patrick joined us and immediately started work. All is going well so far, and we are really glad to be out of a hotel, out of boxes, and back into a routine. We have been enjoying beautiful lower humidity and cooler summer weather. This area is very pretty with rolling hills and tons of trees which will make for an amazing Fall, something we haven't seen in 4 years. The people are super friendly and the ward is great. There are 80 kids under the age of 2, and we are into the second over flow each week. There is a nice new outside mall with live music and fountains for the kids to play in. We found a delicious Mexican place, so I guess we are set.

Found a great condo that is bigger with a garage...critical for those snowy months!

Ayden was the only one enjoying the unpacking.

New jammies from Nana

Is the bear getting smaller?

(3 wks and 7 mnths)

16 months

She just loves to roll around on this bear to feel the soft fur on her skin.

Pompeii

Pompeii is the most extraordinary place!

The Roman Forum is great because of its history but requires much imagination. Pompeii is an ancient city literally frozen (or ashed) in time. It blows my mind that people lived so well so long ago and that it still stands today.

In 79 AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupted with lava flowing faster than 100 mph towards Pompeii only 4 miles away. The volcano actually was one big mountain before it literally blew its top off. This picture is the Pompeii Forum (main square).

Patrick is standing in a basilica that was 2 stories tall located just off the Forum.

Another building off the Forum with intact frescoes. Also displayed are the casts of the people of Pompeii. The lava/ash mix literally froze the people in their last moment of life.

Close up of a Pompeian. Those are actually his teeth and skull preserved.

Pompeii had plumbing and running water. On various street corners, fountains still put out drinkable water just like in 79 AD.

Patrick standing in a bath house. This was the hot tub room. Note the grooves in the ceiling allowing the water drops from the steam to roll down the walls instead of drop on the people. Smart idea!

A "fast food" joint. Bowls were placed in the holes which were filled with warm water to keep the food hot.

The bakery and mills. The tour guide said when they excavated there were over 80 loaves of bread in the oven. They were so well preserved they were able to determine the ingredients!

And if all that wasn't enough to make you realize people actually lived here...there are the ruts in the road caused by the frequent comings and goings of the carts. The stones were placed in the road at intersections to let people cross the roads without leaving the raised sidewalks. The sidewalks were raised to keep the people out of the poopy streets and dry from water and rain.

Famous mosaic in the entrance of a house. Reads: Beware of the Dog.

Another fresco in a Pompeian home.

Part of the restoration effort is to restore the local agriculture as well. These are vineyards with the arena in the background.

A view of the city from the current ground level. It is a pretty big place.

When I was here 15 years ago with Zach, he went crazy in this place. Back then there weren't ropes and fences like there are now to keep you out of places. So, Zach took that as the freedom to explore without limits. He found this building randomly on the outskirts of town. Inside is an extremely dangerous staircase leading down to the sewer system which he proceeded to run around in all day, popping up in random places around the city. This sounded cool to Patrick and he wanted to find it so maybe he could do the same. After taking one look at the stairs (or what remains of them) he said Zach is crazy and that was it. I just can't believe we found it again.

Naples

Naples...what to say about Naples.

This was my first and last trip to Naples. I wish I could say the ole' "Glad I went once but don't have to do that again," but that is not the case. Thankfully, we were only here one day and we saw just about everything.

This is "main" street. Yes, this is a very busy two way street! Naples was a disgustingly dirty and scary city. There was literally trash everywhere and graffiti on every possible surface. It was so sad to see how the people obviously don't respect their surroundings at all. We tried walking along the water front street but couldn't even see the water because there were billboards blocking the view. It made me appreciate the beauty of the Italy we'd already seen.

The highlight for sure was the pizza! All the tour books talked about how the pizza in Naples was different and delicious. It was fantastic; I almost ate this entire thing. The crust was thin but soft and those clumps of cheese on top were a delight!

The main reason to visit Naples was to see the Archeological museum. It holds many of the sculptures, frescoes, and artifacts excavated from the Caracalla Baths and Pompeii. Unfortunately, that part of the museum was closed that day, but we weren't told that prior to paying the $30 admission.

This is the original statue of Hercules from the Caracalla Baths. His physique reminded me a lot of Patrick. :0)

This bust spoke to Patrick and must be a Reilly relative judging by his large head.

Another "street."

The inside of the cathedral in Naples.

This is the old castle that used to protect the city. It stands on a tiny island connected to the shore by this bridge.

This is the new castle built up on a hill overlooking the harbor. During the Renaissance, they added the very odd looking arch.

This is another church but a weird mix of St. Peter's and the Pantheon. Doesn't quite work.

Finally, a view of the water! Mt. Vesuvius in the background...more about that in the Pompeii post.