Veteran's Day- Guest post- By Courtney

Veterans Day is coming up on November 11th and many people are getting ready for a day off. This federal holiday is celebrated across the country, but sadly many do not understand the significance of this day or what can be done to celebrate. Veterans Day was originally called “Armistice Day” and was created on November 11th, 1918. On this day, at 11am, the United States signed a peace armistice with Germany that signified the end of World War 1. President Woodrow Wilson declared the day a holiday in 1919, and Congress made the day an official federal holiday in 1938. Since then, the day has been changed from “Armistice Day” to be called “Veterans Day,” and it includes the celebration of all veterans of the United States Armed Forces since World War 1. The day is set apart as a time to celebrate and give thanks to our veterans and troops for the service they provide. Veterans Day is different from Memorial Day, as it is a day of celebration, and Memorial Day is a day of remembrance of those who have died in the service of our country. A Day of Honor Veterans Day is special in that it doesn’t focus on the death and sacrifice of those who have perished while protecting our freedom. Veterans Day is a day of peace and happiness. It is a time to celebrate those who have given so much to our country. Because it is a day of celebration, there are usually lots of things going on that you can participate in. Here are a few ways to celebrate this year: 1. Parades – Attending a parade in your city or town in a fun and free way to get involved in your community and meet those from your area who have served. This is a great way for you to spend time with your family and help them understand the importance of Veterans Day and learn about the sacrifices that people make to protect our freedom. Kids will enjoy the parade floats and music too! 2. Volunteer – Many VA hospital and rehabilitation locations welcome volunteers who are willing to come and spend time visiting with those who are recovering from injuries or who need medical attention. Additionally, many homeless shelters work with homeless Veterans who are unable to care for themselves. Volunteering at one of these locations is a great way to show your support and thanks for all the veterans have done. 3. Family – Spending time with your family and enjoying the freedom that has been earned is a good way to show thanks. Many families have one or more veterans or service members in them and spending time with these men and women and thanking them is a good way to show appreciation. It is impossible to repay the men and women who sacrifice for our freedom, but by participating in local activities and showing our thanks is a great way to let them know we are grateful and that we care. This Veterans Day, do more than sleep in and go thank those in your community who have helped protect the freedom that we enjoy. Courtney writes about VA news for MilitaryVALoan.com, a resource center where veterans can learn about their VA benefits and save money on their VA home loans with low rate refinances like the VA IRRRL

Eggplant Yumminess

There is no other name to give this side dish we made tonight.

We picked these beauties out of our garden last night.




Then tonight we decided to make another side to go with our Mushroom medley.


4 eggplants sliced evenly
place them in large pan
drizzle with olive oil
Instead of soaking with olive oil we added a little water to the pan as well
Saute until they are just about done
Add your favorite Sauce. We used a local italian sauce.
Heat thoroughly

And Ta-Da! DELICIOUS!

Mushroom Medley

This was absolutely delish!

2lbs mushrooms

italian seasoning

1 cup olive oil

3 tbs balsamic vinger

de-stem your mushrooms and slice them in half. Place in casserole dish

Drizzle with olive oil

Sprinkle liberally with italian seasoning

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar

Stir until coated well.

Bake in oven at 350` for about 20 minutes or until done.

AMAZING!

Best life experience

We went on the largest zip line in Europe this past Saturday. It was amazing to say the least.

Me

Dan

Timmy (my brother in law)

View from one of the platforms

Castle we found on the way

Europe's Largest Zipline

And You can see the YouTube video HERE

Roma!

For Memorial Day weekend we decided to take a trip to Rome!!!

This was the first time we ventured on an overnight trip here. I know how scary the hotels are so I was very nervous. We couldn't find a hotel with a single room to fit our family, so we opted to stay 10 minutes outside of Rome in a cottage. Best choice we've ever made! It was super cute. Perfect size and there was (unknown at time of booking) a bedrock themed kids restaurant directly across the way. We stayed for 3 days. What a blast! None of the kids complained as we had them walking... and walking... and walking.

We saw the Colosseum, pantheon, trevi fountain, roman forum, and even THE POPE!

Just a short 5 hour trip from our house

The cool restaurant.

Court yard at our cottage

On the Metro

roman forum

Gelato on the street

Pantheon

Trevi fountain

Inside the pantheon

The Pope blessing the crowd in St. Peter's square

Guess where...

We went for a mini vacation?

I can wait to share our experience

Cascata, Varone

Today for mothers day we ventured out to a waterfall. A cavern carved out for more then 20,000 years, the waterfall comes from Lake Tonne. Drops 100 meters. Beautiful place!

*Mothers day was bad... Really bad!!! The waterfall was pretty but the day over all was not good, Shall explain that tomorrow as it's already very late and today was a long day.*

Lake Garda North

The Large waterfall

Villa Sceriman

Otherwise known as Vo' around Vicenza.

A local winery located 30ish minutes from post.

Many great wines. And perfect atmosphere. Even children are welcome!

Our stash :)

Adleboden, Switzerland

Myself and 8 other adults accompanied my girls scouts, 31 girls, to Adleboden switzerland. We visited Our Chalet, one of the world centers for 3 days. Amazing place!

The rainbow in the Chalet yard after the worst wind storm since 1962

One view from the Chalet

Another View

The italian/swiss boarder

Lake Como, Where George Clooney has a home

Meet my new babies

We got two new family members. Bianca and Cassio. Named after the characters from Othello. We were trying to stick to the italian theme. They are 6 1/2 weeks old

Cassio

Bianca

She looks evil here, she really isn't. I hid them in my purse and took them to dan's work hahah!