Two Worlds

(l. to r.) Francesca, Alex, Rosaria, and Mamma Regina are soaked from a wet and wild ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom. © Photo courtesy of Di Meglio family

My mom Regina, my friend Alex, and I spent last weekend at my sister’s place in Florida livin’ it up. (To view photos from the weekend, click on the “Girls Weekend 2010” photo album.) We did the girlie girl thing with pedicures, soaked up sun in the baby pool (yes, a baby pool), went on rides at Disney World, did some shopping, and ate anything we wanted. The weekend, which was a much-needed distraction and lots of fun did include two men – my brother John and my sister’s dog Shilo, both of whom provided ample entertainment (from brother John giving his three-month-old daughter a bath to Shilo jumping onto the table to eat a zucchini pancake). There was girl’s night out with all of us, my sister-in-law Jaci, and baby Maria for dinner at Kouzzina. And there was many a World Cup disappointment. Let’s not even talk about that. Besides, delicious clams and pretzel bread made everything all better. Love and miss you all now!

Rosaria is the center of a Bella (l.) and Shilo (r.) sandwich. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Bella is part beagle and part basset hound and all love. Shilo is pure beagle and pure joy. They are the dogs of my brother and sister respectively — and they are great additions to our family. After spending the weekend with them in Florida, I miss having a dog around the house. That’s why today I focused on the benefits of adopting a pet on the Newlyweds blog that I write for About.com. Check it out and leave a comment. Don’t those cute faces make you want a pet yesterday? (For more photos of Bella and Shilo, visit the “Family Dogs” photo album.)

(From l. to r.) Francesca, Antonio, Rosaria, Mr. John, and Jaci at the entrance of EPCOT in Florida. © Photo courtesy of Disney's PhotoPass

Anyone who reads my blog — or knows me — is aware that Disney World in Orlando, Fla. is one of my favorite places on Earth. My brother used to work there and my sister and sister-in-law still work there. But for me Disney is still one of the best tourist spots. You feel like a kid again — and it brings back delicious memories of the annual vacations my family took there when I was younger. I grab every opportunity to return. Now, when I visit Mickey, I get to visit my siblings, too. (For pictures from this latest trip to Disney, visit the “Disney World 2009” photo album.)

In 2009, Disney was all about celebrations. People got in for free on their birthdays, and you could wear buttons indicating what you were celebrating — from anniversaries to honeymoons. Some of the restaurants would offer you special surprises for your anniversary, such as cupcakes or chocolate-covered strawberries. Disney also offered exceptional vacation packages that included 40 percent off meals if you purchased the dining package. I jumped at the chance to go on this vacation with the deluxe dining plan for our first anniversary. We headed there in mid December, and it was a dream, except for two days of bad weather and Antonio’s cold. We stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort, which was romantic and lovely but out of the way. It required a 20- to 30-minute bus ride to get to the parks. Our favorite restaurant was California Grill, which is atop the Contemporary Resort. We were able to see the “Wishes” fireworks show at Magic Kingdom from the California Grill’s terrace. Spectacular!

Francesca and Rosaria anticipate the luau at the Polynesian Resort at Disney World in Florida in December 2009. © Photo by Antonio Gerenini

My mother wished for a baby born on Christmas Day. She was so fertile that she could actually plan her conception to the day. The point was to convince my grandparents, who live in Long Island, to come to New Jersey for Christmas. Instead, my grandparents went to visit my uncle in Florida and missed the birth of Rosaria. And Rosaria didn’t want to share Jesus’ birthday, so she arrived 18 minutes after midnight, which meant she was born on Dec. 26 and she screwed up mamma’s plans. Regardless, while Italians celebrate the feast of Saint Stefeno (Steven) on Dec. 26, the Di Meglio’s celebrate Rosaria. Happy birthday little sister! We miss you and we love you!

Antonio Gerenini and Rosaria get ready for the luau at the Polynesian Resort at Disney World in Florida in December 2009. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Francesca and Antonio in a cave at Xel-ha, an ecological park in Mexico's Mayan Riviera. © Photo courtesy of the Gerenini family

My husband Antonio and I had two weddings, so we had two honeymoons — the first was a quick weekend trip to Florida’s Walt Disney World and the second was a week-long getaway to Mexico’s Mayan Riviera. I could really use a vacation right about now, and I was feeling nostalgic for Mexico this morning. So, I decided to make happy honeymoons the subject of my latest About.com Nelywed’s blog. Visit the blog, see another photo from our trip in February 2009, and leave a comment on the About blog. I can’t wait to see what you have to say.