Throwback Thursday: A Family Reunion in Italy

This weekend, I will be heading back home to Denver for my Dad's birthday (the big 6-0). I'm very excited to see my family again, and be back in Colorado, even if it's just for a couple days. Living so far away makes you really cherish the moments you have with your family, especially since there are fewer and fewer every year.

With this idea of family in mind, I'm including some pictures from a reunion we had in Italy back in 2008. My friends and I were traveling through Europe on our post-college trip, and met up with my parents, grandparents, brother and his two friends, my aunt, uncle and cousins at a villa in Tuscany, where we spent a wonderful week touring the vineyards and small towns of the region. We took a cooking class in Siena, where we learned to make simple, traditional Italian fare; we hiked around the villa and relaxed by the pool; we enjoyed day trips to towns like Montepulciano and Pienza; and spent a full day in Florence touring the Uffizi Gallery, Il Duomo, Piazza de Signoria and Galleria dell' Accademia, home to the famous David sculpture.

It was an incredible trip and I love that I was able to spend it with my family. I hope we can have another reunion like this someday soon, but for now, I'll just reminisce with these pictures.