Aurelio's 70th Birthday!

Buon giorno!
I hope everyone is doing well back in the states. I've gotten some e-mails from folks requesting to know more about my host family, the town, classes, food, what I do, etc. I promise I will get to all that eventually. There is so much to explain and describe, and I want you to keep reading! So, on days where I don't have much to say about what I've done, I'll choose a topic and tell you more about that. But today, I have to tell you about the party we had last night at my host family's house.
I stay with la famiglia Ferrari (although they don't have anything to do with the car company). And yesterday, Aurelio, the host father, turned 70! Sidenote: He looks only 60. So there was a huge party at the house, and it was loads of fun. For those of you who have seen the first Lord of the Rings movie, it reminded me of the scene where Bilbo Baggins has his birthday party.
The Ferraris invited over about 35 people, mainly family. The party happened on the terrace, which is actually enclosed, and has a separate kitchen. I'm amazed we all fit into the terrace as it's only the size of a normal living room back in the states.
Aurelio and Angela, my host mother, had been cooking since Sunday to get ready. And there was so much food, and it was all amazing. Everyone was incredibly nice, and a few people even ventured to speak to us (some in English, some in Italian). Sidenote: Right now there are four of us staying with the Ferraris, so at least I have some company when I don't understand what's being said.
So we all ate a bunch. Don't ask me what I ate. I usually don't know what I'm eating; I just know it's good! The whole place was loud and fun, and we had a huge cake that was also excellent. There was also the obligatory kid who was misbehaving the whole time and always trying to be in pictures, help with the cake, blow out the candles, etc. It wasn't much different from a large American family reunion, except for the language.
When Aurelio blew out the candles (they only put on 7), they set off firecrackers and sparklers from a window in the terrace. They had actually placed the sparklers in some plants, so I'm quite amazed the whole place didn't catch fire!
One thing that did amaze me was that they played lots of music, and most of it was American! And they all knew the words too. It was a bit odd to see a bunch of Italians singing along getting into Cindy Lauper, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, and the Beach Boys!
There weren't people dancing really, but it was fun to watch Aurelio open some of his presents and just enjoy the company of his family. The party didn't end until about midnight (it didn't start until 9 p.m. actually), and I have to say I don't think we would ever have such a huge party on a weeknight in America. But it was fun.
I apologize for the lack of pictures right now. Apparently on blogspot, I can upload photos, but they are placed in the blog, instead of in a separate album, which I don't think I like. Furthermore, it takes forever to upload. So, I will most likely end up only putting a few photos up here, and directing you to another Web site where you can see lots of photos if you like. That is something I will have to work on later in the week.
That is all for now! Ciao!