Positano!

for the rest of our stay in positano, we took one day to explore the entire amalfi coast by scooter.  this day was one of our favorites. (it tied with a day in santorini, greece where we rented a four wheeler and explored the entire island). we were able to see all of the cliff hanging cities and really get a feel for southern italian culture. to make the day even better, it lightly rained all afternoon and into the evening giving it a romantic touch. i was also in heaven riding on the back of a scooter with daron. it reminded me of our dating days in utah and the endless hours we spent riding his scooter from college.

while we were exploring we found this picturesque cove that lies between positano and amalfi. i saw this exact cove in a travel book a year before and totally fantasized about seeing this place. i about died when daron and i stumbled upon it. 

travel dream come true!

^wore these shoes every single day of our trip.

they were the only ones i packed.

i was so nervous about shoes 

but these babies held up great.

^the lemons!! 

they are mouth-watering and as big as your head!

that night, daron and i had the chance to eat dinner at a restaurant called la tagliata. it came as a recommendation from our host at the b & b mamma rosa (the bed and breakfast we stayed at). 

our accomodations were actually located in a city called montepertuso, which lies above positano a little more snug in the mountains. the tagliata is within walking distance of the mamma rosa and is truly the most wonderful and incredible restaurant me and daron have ever been too. at one point, during our dinner, we just started cracking up because we couldn't believe how amazing everything was. the ambiance is perfect, the view is stunning, and their crew does every detail right. like many restaurants we experienced in positano, there is no menu to accomodate the constantly changing ingredients due to everything coming from gardens. waiters hardly ask you any questions. they just confidently bring you each course until the end. i couldn't believe how it felt to eat such fresh food. we ate plate after plate and i felt light as feather as we were walking out. 

it. was. awesome!

thanks to a very large group of people having a big italian reunion, we enjoyed free entertainment after our meal. an italian woman with a gorgeous voice serenaded us in romantic, italian tunes, while people danced, cheered and clapped the night away. this is going to sound really weird but at some point during the dancing and the cheering and the clapping and the overwhleming amount of joy that filled that restaurant, daron looked at me and saw that i was about to start crying. poor guy got an incredibly concerned look on his face and asked, "are you going to start crying!?" i told him yes. and then i told him why.

i forget for some reason that i have quite a bit of italian blood in me. the whole time we were in italy i almost felt like i was home, like there was a part of me that's always been there. and that night at dinner i kept having this thought that my italian ancestors were close and they were so happy i was there. i could feel them. and it made me so happy to experience the culture of my heritage i almost popped a tear.

^our only pictures from that awesome night.

our last day was spent exploring and spending the day at the local's beach swimming, kayaking, sleeping, and eating the biggest nutella gelato of the entire trip! 

^this wouldn't be a true positano post without mentioning

the thousands (literally) of steps  you walk down to get down to the beach.

thankfully, daron and i were smart and took the bus back up!

^i want this in my backyard one day. one day!

^this was after i ate 2 huuuggge scoops. 

^the 500 steps to our b&b

unfortunately there was no getting out of these!

that night we had a quiet dinner in at the bed and breakfast we stayed at. angelo was our host and he was so friendly. i told daron when we come back to positano someday ;) i would love to call him up to play a pick up game of soccer. he runs the bed and breakfast with his sister while his mom does the cooking. our last dinner was a yummy traditional italian home cooked meal by the mom. i catch myself still thinking about her bruschetta...

next time:

daron and i would both love to do some hiking. as i mentioned, i only brought one pair of shoes to help the packing stay light. we didn't realize what a hiking place positano was until we got there or else i would have brought some shoes!

i would have liked to have experienced dinner on the sand close to the heart of positano.

and also, i wish i had wayyyyyyy more of the 2 euro lemon slushies they sell around the town. no one talked about these lemon slushy things! they were so refreshing. the perfect treat after a sun kissed day on the beach. 

dear positano,

until we meet again.

love, daron and db

utah land

me and my little carter bug have been in utah for the past week. my awesome sister flew up with carter on sunday so i could make the 9 hour drive sans carter. i was so bored during the drive but i'd pick boredom over trying not to lose my sanity trying to entertain a 1-year old strapped in a car seat for 9 hours. 

if i thought carter would miss me, i was sorely mistaken. my sister has 5 children and they are definitely more fun than me. i walked through the door of her home to find carter like this with his cousin berlynn.

we have really made the most of our time up here. 
our first night, we stayed at a gorgeous cabin in sundance and were able to enjoy the amazing stars and fresh air the mountains bring.

then it was time for the first of the two weddings we will be attending while we are here.

carter high fived the beautiful bride. he's always been a great high fiver.

i took a picture trying to act like i was hugging my long lost husband who won't meet up with me and carter until wednesday.

then i decided he was probably a little taller than my shoulder so i needed to take another picture.

i got to catch up with some really great friends the night of the wedding. i am so grateful for every second i get to spend with these people. if only we could see each other more!

we also got to spend time with our one cousin from daron's side, anderson. 

and i got to be at the airport when my cousin walked off the plane after serving an 18-month mission in austrailia! i loved this moment. 

we've had lots of cuddle time with carter's cousins that we so, so miss.

and i've taken lots of "carter and mom" selfies where i say "smile for dad!"

oh... and these two...

what to say about these two...
the post i once wrote about these two titled "double the trouble. double the love." proves to be more and more true.

^best candid moment of the week

can you say caught red handed!?

this picture is to remind me how hard sleeping is on vacation. thanks to late flights and too much fun, it took us a good 3 days to feel normal.

there is this awesome "castle park" near my sister's house, we have already spent two days here tiring out the little ones.

 ^this photo is a new personal favorite of mine

i asked carter to give savi a kiss.

he had a different thing in mind...

^tenderly getting the wood chips out of his hair

goof ball...

even though i lived in utah, i forgot what it was like to see temples everywhere all the time.
my heart skips a beat every time i see one. 

this week has been wonderful.
it's been so fun to lounge, watch movies with my nephew and nieces, eat our weight in pretzels dipped in yogurt (a favorite treat around here) and actually read a book. 

cheers to another week in the beehive state.