Wow!

After 10 days of being here in Italy, I'm finally having the opportunity to write a post - sorry for the delay but it's been an absolute whirlwind of activity  here!  First, let me begin by saying that the house is "meravigliosa" - stunning and beautiful.  It far exceeds what we had been seeing in occasional pictures sent to us over the past two years.  We spent the first week trying to get settled in and on a frenetic buying spree to get basics for the house.  During that time, Lidia caught a pretty nasty cold, so she layed low for a few days and is now doing just fine.  I spent most of the time running around buying household items and trying to get internet access set-up, which was an absolute nightmare.  I've never appreciated AT&T until this week!!  We have limited access only though, as installing DSL at the house is quite costly so that might be something to consider next year.  We've ordered our couch and ceiling lights,  and tomorrow our washer/dryer arrives (yay!).  We're also getting screens installed on the windows as the mosquitos love, love, love Lidia.  Rachel, Greg, and Sierra arrived on Wednesday evening and have been settling in.  Our outings the past two days have centered on shopping for house items, and Sierra had her first visit to an IKEA, in Brescia.  Today we are heading to Citta Alta in Bergamo to show her something other than a supermarket or shopping area.  We were warned about cooler temperatures here and that warning has proven true.  Last week we had a few sunny days, otherwise this week it's been cloudy and drizzly.  Tonight we are going to Trescore for "Festa dell'Uva" (festival of the grapes) with my cousins Bepi and Mari - should be fun as long as the weather cooperates.  Tomorrow we are thinking of a trip to Lovere and around Lago d'Iseo, again depending on the predicted rain.  Tuesday we leave for a 3-day trip to Lisbon where we know the weather is sunnier and warmer.  I will post pictures of the house, hopefully by tomorrow!