Lizzy and Lily went to FSY this year! It was our stake’s off year but some slots opened up and they were excited to go!The Tanners did the drop off at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. We did the pick up:
We went to Denny’s restaurant in DeLand for some breakfast:
They saw some kids there from FSY of course.
They were exhausted!
In the evening we went to a play at the Hippodrome theater and Lizzy was asked to do a TV interview about the performing arts in our area. As a theater kid this was right up her alley!
We never did get to see the TV interview but she did a great job!
We went to the top of the parking garage on the UF Campus to see their fireworks display. It stated raining while we waited so we had to hold up in the truck for a little while until it stopped raining:
The rain stopped before the fireworks started so we went back outside and relaxed in the bed of the truck:
We were missing Lizzy because she was still at Youth Conference.
The fireworks were so good:
7/04/24
Happy 4th of July! We started off the day with our church family for the annual pancake breakfast. We had a nice time visiting with our church family and friends and we were excited to have the Araques join us too!
Later we went to Alachua, Fl for their fireworkswhich is touted as “The largest small town fireworks display in America”!
Cold treats on a hot day:
They had live music and vendors and a thousand + people!:
The Happy Couple :
The crowds were getting bigger by the minute,
So we headed back to the truck to watch the fireworks. We waited in the truck bed in the dark:
We decided to have some family fun on the tennis court!Mom and Dad against us first:
Rachel and Mom vs. Dad and Lizzy next:
We decided to take it inside to the racquetball/handball courts:
The game gets a little more intense inside!
Later that evening we had a neighborhood visitor:
He was very friendly and enjoyed lots of pets and quite a bit of food too:
Mom later found out that he is a neighborhood Tom Cat named Lion who is and indoor/outdoor cat and likes to make his way around the neighborhood for pets and treats.
Lizzy had almost no time to rest from vacation before Youth Conference! Mom drove Lizzy, Lily, Zach and Sawyerout to camp:
Brother Johanson met us at the parking lot to help transport all the stuff to the cabins.Zach was in charge of keeping it all on the cart!Lizzy and Lily were more than happy to just walk.
It is really hot here in Florida. Good luckand have fun!
We got a hotel and went right to bed because we had a 6am flight.
6/18/24
Two full days of travel is rough!
Flying over the Alps. Flight from Verona to Frankfurt 1.5 hours:
The food is surprisingly good!
We were all able to sit together on the Condo Airlines 7.5 hour flight. We have one more flight after this from JFK to Orlando. Then we shuttle to the car and drive home:
6/19/24
Luna was so happy to see us and we were very happy to see her even at 2:30am!:
Beck Family Vacation: Italy! Day Eight in the Dolomites/Alps/Auronzo, Italy.Today is Father’s Day and the girls made a special breakfast of scrambled eggs with black truffles, fruit and pastries!
We also gave Sullivan Father’s Day cards and gifts.
Then we held a little family church of sorts with spiritual thoughts and scriptures. It was a beautiful day so we headed out and enjoyed several different excursions. First we walked to the Santuario Romano Del Monte Calvario, an outdoor memorial garden walk less than a mile from our Airbnb. There were crosses along the trail with depictions of Jesus:
The wildflowers were everywhere!
The slugs here are different:
The top of the climb:
Beautiful views at the top:
The wildflowers were so pretty!!
Look at the flower she blew floating over her head:
After the sanctuary we drove to Monte Tudaio, a mountain with World War II relics and bunkers:
It was quite a climb up to the bunkers:
A WWII Bunker:
We were able to go inside and explore the bunkers:
European cave spider:
A stationary bicycle!:
We had the whole place to ourselves:
It was a pretty walk back:
Then we drove to an Archaeological Naturalistic Park that had a beautiful lake:
A great place to relax!:
Finally we drove another 10 minutes to the Tibetan Suspension Bridge.
There was quite a walk to get to it:
Mom loves bridges!
Waterfalls below the bridge:
A little side trail:
One last walk over the bridge:
It was a beautiful and very enjoyable last day in the Alps:
Tomorrow we drive back to Verona and prepare for two full days of travel back to the states.
Beck Family Vacation: Italy! Day Seven Dolomites/Alps/Auronzo, Italy.
Dad caught mom’s cold so we slept in and took it a little easy today. Of course we stopped at the bakery for breakfast and bread for later. Then we drove 30 minutes to Lago Di Landro, a pretty lake:
Ready for an easy hike:
We followed a 3 mile trail around the lake. We of course had some adventures along the way. Rachel was trying to teach Lizzy the Wizard of Oz skip.
I think she’s got it!
Making our way around the lake. The lake was a beautiful blue-green color and the mountains in the background were so pretty.
Flowers everywhere and several of the make a wish kind (more on that later):
We had to jump across flooding on the trail quite a few times:
Leaping Lizzy!
Even on a cloudy day it’s beautiful!:
Alpine Clamatis:
Any guesses on her wish?:
It’s funny . . .
They both wished for a Taco Bell!
Valeriana everywhere along the trail:
A relaxing hike is nice too:
Lots of Barberry too:
Another leap across the water:
Of course Lizzy must climb something!:
The actress is far from scared:
The other side of the lake:
Uh oh, major flooding across the trail:
We made our own detour on the brushy ledge:
She said she was playing Moses, except there was absolutely no parting of the water we had to work for this crossing:
We watched some swans and other fowl swimming in the lake:
Nap time:
Getting smarter every second with Dad’s glasses:
Lizzy wasn’t done resting so she caught a ride:
The water in Italy is so clear!:
We are on the other end of the lake:
Not much farther:
Back at the lake:
End trail pic:
After the hike we went back to the Airbnb and Sullivan took a nap while the girls all went off shopping around town. Of course we had some Gelato; perhaps the last of of trip (we’ll see ).Dinner was also an experience because of our lack of understanding of the Italian language:
Beck Family Vacation: Italy. Day Six in the Dolomites/Alps/Auronzo, Italy.
This morning we stopped at a bakery and got pastries for breakfast and some delicious bread we will have later for lunch along the hike. We drove 45 minutes to our hike in the Tre Crime Di Lavaredo Nature Park on the Tre Crime Trail (Three Peaks Trail). We got to the park at 9am and we had to wait about 15 minutes in a car line to the entrance fee station (30 euros per car!). There were a lot of people planning to hike this trail!
A little chilly but the sun is out.
We decided to go counterclockwise based on research we did on the trail conditions and also less people. The views at the start were beautiful!
The weather was only a little chilly and the sun was even out. Thee were views of the mountains from every direction:
Oh how things changed!! Snow = Snowball Fights:
It’s on!:
And on . . .
And on. They never give up!
It is warming up into a pretty day:
The hike then turned into hiking mostly along ledges:
We were hoping the low clouds will burn off throughout the day so we can get a better view of the three peaks:
More snow and clouds as we climb higher:
Another snowball fight broke out:
Look at the views or the snowball fight, your choice here:
The water in the pond is crystal clear!:
Lizzy went wading in the freezing cold water!:
A beautiful backdrop for her!
Making our way around the mountains and over some little streams. There was a restaurant up here too!:
We kept hiking through:
The hike was pretty steep:
A nice little flat section:
That’s our trail:
Out of nowhere this happened! It was lightly raining and the trail went so high the snow got deeper. It was quite slippery with snow, slush and a little ice too:
We hit the mother load!:
The artist inspired:
It’s raining again:
This white winged snow finch stopped by to say hello:
Rachel might just be praying for this hike to end:
It might be trying to clear up again:
We think that water in the far distance might be the reservoir by our Airbnb (?):
End of hike pic. We survived!We had a lot of fun, some misery, and we completed this incredible 6 mile hike together!
Dad’s hoodie elastic has imprinted his head perhaps permanently. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if this is his new look from now on:
: 
). Dinner was also an experience because of our lack of understanding of the Italian language:
