Home Sweet Home

We made it home safe and sound at 1:15 this morning, Tuesday August 12. It was a very long drive, but eventful. Many of you have been asking if the trip is over and yes, we are back home, but the road trippin' siblings like to think of life as a permanent road trip. You don't always know what is ahead or where you are going. Sometimes you need to make pitstops and there are always those annoying drivers, but the joy is in the journey. Life is an adventure, and if you aren't living your life that way, now is the time to start.

There will be more pictures to come. So keep checking out the road trippin' siblings blog. More pictures and road trip highlights are in the works. Thanks for sticking with us as we traveled around the USA and sharing in the journey.

3 double beds?!

This post is dedicated to the "stuff that didn't make it in the blog while on the road trip." The night before the reunion we met up with our parents and stayed in the only, and i do mean only hotel available near Cooperstown, NY. We weren't aware that the Alberti Family Reunion wasn't the only monumentus event taking place that weekend. Cooperstown, NY was also the site of a baseball tournament in which it's participants occupied every hotel in the surrounding area.

So we ended up in a one of a kind room that contained three double beds. This room wasn't exactly what you would call 5 star class, but none of us complained. We graciously brought our luggage in and found our bed. I, Ashley, had my area all set up and my family called it the "nest". They called my area the nest because none of my belongings were directly touching anything. I don't like germs and hotels are swarming with them, I was happy to have my sleeping bag in the car, (i brought it just in case, and for moments like this). Brandon pointed out that the pictures above each bed were exactly alike. Mom saved the day with beach towels and shower shoes. Dad was the hero who paid for dinner and breakfast and helped lighten the mood.

Sitting here at home as I type this I am very much looking forward to sleeping in my own queen bed. But I will never forget being in the three double bed room with the three people that matter the most. It was a moment I will remember fondly, even more so now that I am about to go to sleep in my own bed.

Above you will see the picture of the famous room with 3 double beds and a picture of the road trippin' siblings at it's finest. I am holding Lysole sanitizer which I keep in my purse.

Brandon's Pics

on the road again...

ash and i are somewhere in the state of new york. we are in a rush to get back onto the road sothis is going to be a short blog entry. I (brandon) started my morning out with a breakfast along with the staff of camp wonderland... eww. ashley waited until we were on the road to eat a bagle. we just heard a woman in line at mcdonalds singing "i shot the sheriff" (WOW!!) i had the responsiblity to do flag raising in front of the entire camp. it was nice to be in the company of old friends. ash and i had a blast in the town of sharon, but we are happy to be on our way back to the pleasant penninsula..

Cousins Road Trip

The pics say it all!

Cousins Road Trip

I am blogging from Aunt Dar's. The cousins all joined in for the 4th leg of the trip. And let me tell you we had the best trip. This video tells it all!

Road Trip Stowaways

The cousins join the trip as we head to Boston!

We are FAMILY....

How do you spell fun?

I wonder who thought of the idea for family reunions? I mean really, why would you want to gather and eat lunch with people you don't know and take half a billion pictures with people you've never seen?

I don't know the answer to this but I do know that family reunions are important to people. People who share memories from childhood. People who share names. People who know too much. People who show for the free food. And people like us who didn't have a choice in coming.

Today was a memorable day in my life. I was able to meet my mother's side of the family. You may know this she is Italian and this means very loud gatherings and lots and lots of good food. It also means she knows the importance of family and cherishing the moments you have together.

Today, one very important person was missing from the reunion. And I'm not referring to Uncle Bill who walked off and was missing for about an hour. I am referring to my grandother, Adele Falvo. She became a christian when she was 29 years old. She shared a love for family. Grandma Adele died 30 years ago. I like to think she is looking down from heaven and is smiling. I never had the chance to meet her, but I can feel her presence here today. It is a sunny and beautiful afternoon. The most imortant people in the world are around me and I realize I am truly blessed.

This post goes out to the people who made the family reunion so much fun: Aunt Dar, Uncle Rob, Lindsay, Brad, Uncle Jeff, Aunt Shiela, Mom, Dad and Brandon. To Grandma Adele who couldn't be here: We live each day like it's the last, cherishing every moment with the ones we love.

Photos From The Road

Small Town USA

uh-oh

Too much time in a car + lack of sleep + not eating lunch = the first road trip argument.

"Mr. Technology"

This post is dedicated to Grama and Grampa. Spending time with them has been such a blessing. Seeing the love they have for each other gave me chills. They understand the importance of love, laughter and being present in the moment. The phone rang and it was a friend who recently lost her husband. They patiently talked to the friend and encouraged her. This concersation reminded me of the importance of friends. Our grandparents minister daily to each other as well as others. This is what our call as christians is to minister to others.

Last night after dinner we enjoyed a few moments on the back porch while the sun set. Back porches are special places. Back porches are where you can sit and reflect on the day. They are where families reconnect and memories are made. A great memory was made last night. In our "back porch moment" last night we discovered that Grampa was ahead of us youngens, he had a GPS before we even did. Last night we compared GPS and helped each other figure out the tricks of the trade.

As the sun set we moved inside for coffee and the best peanut butter pie I have ever tasted. It melts in your mouth, not in your hands. The conversations around the table revelaed a great thing. We didn't know that Mr. Technology was in our midst. Our grampa not only has a GPS, he is more than computer savy. He has been providing technical support to friends and churchmembers. Not only here in their summer home, but also in Florida in their winter home. Grampa provides troubleshooting and has since been crowned "Mr.Technology." He also knows what Facebook is and how to access it. Amazing!

Today we head out to New York...

More to come...

To Grandmother's house we go....

Tonight we blog from Warren, PA. We are at Grandma and Grandpa's house and enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the Rod & Gun Club at Lakewood, conversation and storytelling. Let me tell you...have we got some good stories about your friends and mine, David and Kevin Bowser. Yes, that's right, that would be my father and uncle. I'm sure someday my parents will be sitting around with their grandchildren telling funny stories about me and my brother. Some of which may be about this very road trip. But for tonight it's all laughs and giggles from Warren, PA.

Gotta love a good story!

And Brandon Wakes...

alright, Brrandon here, i'm not exactly sure where we are in ohio, i just woke up at a rest stop in rural ohio. ashley has just stepped away from the table, leaving her hoity-toity mocha flavored coffee drink (mmmm....) we are on our way warren PA, it will be good to see grand ma and grand pa!! it has been a while since we've been to warren, so it will be nice to hang out with our grand parents. Ohio has been nice, as was indiana. the concert was GREAT! dmb played a song called halloween, which i know no one out there has heard, but they have played the song less than five times in the last five years.. and the manner it was played was very special. i'm REALLY glad that cheech and i went to the show! this trip has been alot of fun so far.. OH OH OH the state fair! GEE wilikers! there was everything there! cows, horses, pigs... indianapolis was a good idea (trip within a triP)...