Spain Continued...

September 16: My favorite place with my favorite people

We spent the day in Sevilla, the city we lived in my early teenage years. We spent a few hours in the Plaza de Espana (which was featured in one of the Star Wars movies). Grace loved imagining she was a princess walking around and enjoying the beautiful "palace." Being in such a beautiful place that is so dear to my heart with my sweet babies and wonderful husband, my heart could not be more full. The day also included a horse carriage ride, exploring the Parque Maria Luisa, delicious paella, feeding pigeons and a flamenco show. Truly a perfect day.

September 17: Baila, Baila, Baila

After the Flamenco show the night before in Sevilla, Grace was beyond excited when we showed up for breakfast at our daily coffee bar to find that the waitress had bought her flamenco dancing shoes. Grace was so excited! We were so touched by Macarena's generosity! Part of the fun of of traveling in Spain with kids was seeing the difference in attitude towards children! It was so refreshing. Even Grace noticed and made comments about how everyone in Spain liked her and that everyone called her "guapa" (beautiful).

September 18: A blessed day indeed

Sunday morning we made the 2ish hour drive up to Sevilla to go to Iglesia Horeb Sevilla. I had gone to church with the pastor, Miguel Angel, when we lived in Spain years ago. When we got there, to our surprise we found out it was a baptism Sunday. Not only that, but Miguel Angel's daughter, Eunice, was being baptized. The church was PACKED (standing room only and a bunch of people were standing). It was such a blessing on so many levels. As a PK (and mother of two PK's) seeing a Pastor baptize his teenage daughter is always a treat. Also, I babysat Eunice before she turned 2, so seeing her all grown up and wanting to follow God was so encouraging. Being in a room full of Spanish people praising the Lord in a Spanish church that is growing and reaching it's surrounding community (in a country that is SO unreached) my heart was so full of joy!! And lastly, the icing on the cake: there was a church pot luck. I LOVE church pot lucks!! Not only was the food amazing, but it gave me time to get caught up with some friends. God is so good!

September 19: Reckless abandon of a child jumping in the ocean

My Aunt Marcy says that you should pursue life with the "reckless abandon of a child chasing a duck." It has always made me smile becuase of the clear mental picture it conjures up. I think I am going to change it though. I think I want to pursue life like Grace jumping in the waves. Full of pure, joyful excitement, not a care in the world, she was so cute to watch! She jumped in and out of the waves, singing and dancing her VBS songs for about an hour. Finally Gunnar took her out and she "body surfed" (kinda). She was SO happy and having so much fun. I was so full of joy watching her on two levels. 1) Only a few months ago she was TERRIFIED of the water at the beach and wouldn't go near it. I love it when she is able to conquer her fears!! 2)We were on the same beach I grew up on. I had such a happy childhood and loved it when my dad would take us to the beach, which he did often. Watching Grace play in that same ocean, talking incessantly, it was like watching a video clip from my childhood. It brought back a flood of super happy memories.

September 20: Hometown

On our last full day in Spain we spent the morning walking around downtown Rota. It doesn't take that long as it is a pretty small town, but having spent a large part of my childhood living in that town, there are so many wonderful memories! This street is classic old Rota. I am convinced no matter how old I get, these little narrow streets will always hold a piece of my heart.

September 21: Home again, home again, jiggedy jig

The finally travel day arrived. Grace and I were a little sad to be heading home, we had such a fun trip. It went pretty well, Ellie took a nap at the beginning of the trip and then proceeded to make friends with everyone else in our section. She scored snacks and people playing and coloring with her. By the time we got to LAX, three people came up to kiss her good bye. I love Spaniards! Grace managed to stay awake until the very end when she fell asleep right before we had to get off the airplane. Poor kid. She was pretty miserable in LAX as we waited for our stroller to be found (which was an ordeal in and of itself.).

Italy and Spain part 2

As promised here are a few pictures from the next few days of our trip.

September 10: City View

We spent most of the morning relaxing and hanging around the house. In the evening, we went out with Andrea to a point over looking the city of Florence. It was beautiful and a great way to get perspective on all we had seen the day before. After that we went to the grocery store, where I didn't take pictures but we had a ton of fun. Gunnar and I love grocery stores in other countries!

September 11: A God of the nations

We were so blessed to spend Sunday Logos Church in Italy. I think there is something so special about the cross language/cultural worship service. It gives such a appreciation for the greatness of Gods. He hears ALL of our prayers ALL the time in and ALL the forms they make take! I also love how so much of what is awesome about church is communicated without words. The love and spirit of worship can be felt even when the words are not understood

September 12: San something or other

I cannot remember the name of this place, but it was my favorite place we visited while in Italy. Unique, ancient, charming, incredibly beautiful. It was the perfect way to close out our time in that country. The Giorgi girls enjoyed learning to use my camera, so I ended up with a TON of pictures from there. This one is my favorite, especially with Eva in the background. :) I can't wait to share more pictures from here when I have more time. Also, fun fact: as far as I know this is the first picture EVER of Gunnar and I kissing.

September 13: Another day, another airplane

We woke up early and headed out to the Pissa airport. At this point, at our fourth different airport, third different country in a week, the kids are seasoned traveler. We were sad to say goodbye to our friends and Italy, but were happy to head back Spain.

September 14:To market to market

We spent the morning at the open air market. I could do all my shopping like this. The people, fresh air, yelling venders...ahh, so much fun!! Grace and I had fun finding and buying shoes for all us girls. We told Grace she needed to be super sneaky and not let anyone know she was an American (becuase it doubles the prices and makes you a huge pick pocket target). So she had fun being quiet (and using her small Spanish vocabulary). I am not sure we fooled anyone, but it was fun. :

September 15: Royal Andalusian Equestrian School

We spent the morning seeing the horse show featuring the Andalusian horses. The girls both LOVED it. Ellie kept squealing and pointing and saying "horse, horse." Gunnar has a horse ridding background and was super impressed with the high level of skill and horsemanship. I had been when I was a little girl with my grandpa, so it was a great trip down memory lane for me

Spain trip (First 5 days)

I know I am way overdue to blog. But, well, I am so behind on life in general there is no point in apologizing anymore. But here is the first kind of sneak preview to our Spain/Italy trip. The first 5 days anyways. I thought sharing my "Picture of the day" would give you an update that will last until I have time (someday) to post the rest of the pictures. I will post the picture of the day for the rest of our trip in the next few days and then when at some point I have more time I'll finish up the rest.

September 5: We're off!!

Grace was so excited to get on her first airplane ride since she was 9 months. Her bag was packed and she waited with excitement. The plane ride did not disappoint. She loved the excitement, her new airplane treats and did AWESOME! Both her and Ellie slept on the plane which made the 11 hours pass uneventfully.

September 6: Spain at last!

After literally carrying girls and bags while RUNNING through the Madrid airport, we boarded our flight and finally landed in Jerez. The small Jerez airport hadn't changed much in the 15 years since I had last flown there. We were so excited to finally be there! We spent the afternoon getting settled in and acclimated to our beach condo, dinner in my hometown and finally to bed after a long two days!

September 7: What we have been waiting for

In her first morning in Spain, we were able to introduce Grace to the wonder of Cola-Cao. Gunnar was able to reacquaint himself with a Cafe con Leche, so pretty much we were happy campers all around. Although we hadn't really slept the night before (thanks, jetlag!) we were so excited to be in Spain and had a wonderful relaxing day!

September 8: Elizabeth's new best friend

Within hours of getting to Italy, our dear friend Susan found the way to endear herself to Ellie. Yes, that is gellato and yes, Elizabeth was a fan. A HUGE fan. She scarfed it down super quickly, all the while looking around making sure no one was going to take it away from her. Ahh, we could get used to this Italian tradition!

September 9: Birthday Sightseeing

We spent Gunnar's birthday walking around Florence. We all had a great time hanging out with our friends and seeing the sights of this beautiful city. The day ended with delicious pizza and cappuccino. What could be better?

July week 5

July 25: VBS is off to a hopping good start!

Aside from a small learning curve, the first day of VBS went off well. Grace and her friend Lilah enjoyed racing around the track on the bouncy balls. I think a good time was had by all!
July 26: The many looks of VBS

One of the fun things about VBS is dressing up every day. Last year was easy, becuase I dressed as a cowgirl every day. This year, with the New York theme I had to be a bit more imaginative. So I was a tourist, singer, firefighter, police woman and a diner waitress. Grace's favorite, of course was the fancy dress that she thought looked "part princess, part ballerina, and part bride." Which in Grace language is the highest complement known to man.
July 27: Good friends and good attendance

This was my favorite picture from VBS that day. Not only do I love that our good friends from Mongolia were in town. But look at all those kids!! And this was only the preschool group! I was so blessed by the attendance this year. I think God is doing good things at Valley Baptist, and I am so thankful!
July 28: VBS day 4

Grandma and Grandpa came up for VBS. My mom loves VBS, so it must run in the family, as my girls and I are all big VBS fans as well. Ellie enjoyed the extra grandma time. My parents also made us lunch so by the time we got home from cleaning up and after VBS prayer time, lunch was waiting on the table. Talk about a great day!
July 29: Going out with a splash!

For the last day of VBS we had a jello pit tug of war! The littlest group only got their feet wet (they would drop the rope as soon as they got too close). But the bigger kids got pretty messy. It was a fun way to end a fun week.
July 30: A glass of milk for the little lady

What do you do the Saturday after VBS when your sweet little one wakes up ready for the day at 5:30 in the morning? Why family Starbucks run, of course! I am not a coffee or caffeine person, but desperate times call for desperate measures. After my latte, I came home and was SUPER productive, well, at least until the caffeine high wore off.
July 31: Sneaky, sneaky

At the church BBQ we looked over to see Elizabeth and her friend Lilah sneaking treats. They were sitting in the big gazebo with guilty looks on their faces. Good one, girls, good one.

July week 4

July 18: Coloring buddies

I love that Elizabeth is getting old enough that the girls can hang out and do stuff together. Although it may mean that wiping marker off the floor (and table and their legs and arms and anything else that gets too close) is a daily occurrence, it never fails to bless my heart to see them both diligently bowed over their artwork!

July 19: Orange Castle

There is something special about being a kid. You can take ordinary orange peels stack them up and pretend it is a castle made out of oranges. Having Grace around is a constant reminder of the fun I would miss out on if I lived in an all (or mostly) adult world where orange peels were immediately discarded and put in the trash. I mean, sure, my table is often sticky, but that really is a small price to pay for the twinkle in her eye as she explains to me yet another complex scenario she has thought up in her head!
July 20: Best errand ever!

I had to pick up a hat from In-N-Out (for a costume), so I HAD to go to In-N-Out. Of course I felt bad getting a hat without ordering food too! The girls (for some unknown reason) aren't big hamburger fans. So I enjoyed a animal style burger while they enjoyed their hats and stickers. Talk about the best errand ever!!
July 21: Grandma's jewelry box

Before dinner with Gunnar's mom we had a little girl time. Trying on earrings, necklaces, hair bows, and bracelets....you name it, she has it! The girls both were in heaven surrounded by so much "bling"!
July 22: "Meeting" Uncle Bart, Aunt Khet and Cousin Clara

I love technology! The girls got to "meet" their Uncle and his family that live in Cambodia. I love that technology makes it possible to know someone from the other side of the world. Cousin Clara is 3 months old and so adorable, we all enjoyed seeing her (and her parents, too of course)
July 23: And I would like them at the kitchen table...

We read "Green eggs and Ham" before our dinner to help us get in the mood. I think it helped our eggs taste better, or maybe that was just the green food coloring and the excitement! :)
July 24: Not quite the land of Canaan

Our grape harvest has been looking pretty good this year. We planted our grapes from cuttings from my dad's grapes that he got from cutting from the grapes at my grandparents house. And although it didn't take two grown men to carry them (one little girl was more than enough) it was exciting to eat them. I think all that waiting for the fruit to be ready makes it all the yummier!

July week 3

July 11: Library Day = Happy Day

A day at the library is a good day indeed.
July 12: Art Party!!

My sister Maria and Michael Sanchez came up for the afternoon and we had a fabulous time coloring with makers and sorting rocks. Yes, we know how to throw a fun party.July 13: My hearts treasure

Grace and I have been experimenting with different hairstyles. I found a blog with a bunch of ideas and we have been trying them out. I love having girls!
July 14: Hurry with the picture mom, I can tell Grace is having more fun!

We spent the evening at the beach because Gunnar had a speaking engagement. The weather and sunset were perfect. One of those evenings when you realize why Southern California Real Estate is so expensive!
July 15: Take us out to the ball game

We had a wonderful time at the Chapel/Valley Baptist baseball night. As always I didn't pay attention to the game, but had a great time hanging out with everyone there!
July 16: Coloring buddies

I love that Elizabeth is getting old enough that the girls can hang out and do stuff together. Although it may mean that wiping marker off the floor (and table and their legs and arms and anything else that gets too close) is a daily occurrence, it never fails to bless my heart to see them both diligently bowed over their artwork!

July 17: Somebody has to keep that bench warm

Cutest bench warmer ever at the church softball game. :)

July week 2

July 4: Happy Birthday America!

We spent a wonderful 4th of July at our friends the Yost. It was a warm Valley Center summer day and the kids enjoyed playing in the kiddie pool and blowing bubbles while Gunnar and the guys played horse shoes.

July 5: Surprise Lunch Date

Due to a slight scheduling error, we ended up on a surprise date. We were at one of our very favorite restaurants in the world, Mario's of La Mesa. Less than a block walking distance from where we used to live, we would walk over there and eat often when we lived there. When I was pregnant with Grace especially, I was In LOVE with their salsa. It was such a treat and fun afternoon!
June 6: BFF's

We celebrated Grace's friend Lilah's 5th with cupcakes after Bible study. These two are good friends and so cute together.They have very similar personalities so it seems like they are either best friends or at each others throats. You really can't get much cuter than these two though, especially when we looked over at Bible study to see them snuggling.
July 7: Baby Bubble

Gunnar and I went out for a lunch appointment so the girls spent the afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's. By the time we got back they were dirty and tired but had obviously had a lot of fun. We hung around long enough for some extra bubble time with Grandpa before we headed home...and straight to bed!
July 8: Bye-bye, Bye-bye

Elizabeth's most recent favorite word is "bye-bye." I am not sure if it has something to do with her slightly anti-social personality or if it is just fun and repetitive thing to say. Either way, she looks for any excuse to say it, including hiding herself in her daddy's closet.
July 9: Such a good daddy

Since I was a bit under the weather, Gunnar took the girls with him to run errands (and to check out the new Costco). They made a pit stop at the house between stops and I watched the girls in the car while Gunnar ran into the house. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband who takes such good care of me, especially when I am sick.
July 10: Little Bunny foo-foo

There is a rabbit that has been frequenting our front yard. The girls love watching him as he nibbles on the fruit that has fallen from our trees. Grace has named him "Cottontail" and he (or she) provides the perfect before bed entertainment!