Spain--part 1

There is really too much detail to go into or that anyone would care about, but here are the highlights

We traveled all over Northern Spain from West to East.

We took countless planes every couple of days.  We rode a bullet train--yes the kind that crashed last week; we rode a bus every day; and we took a boat ride.  I think that covers transportation.

We drank A LOT of wine.  I mean a lot.  I have no idea how much.  There was always someone refilling your glass at lunch and dinner plus all the tastings.

We ate the best food.  If you like seafood it was a dream trip.  If you hate seafood or are a vegetarian it would have been miserable.  We ate the Spanish delicacies like barnacles and baby eel.  I like the barnacles but hated the eel.  The eel are whole.  We had them fried.  I so did not want to try them.  I ate one, and about gagged.  I also tried sardines and roe for the first time.  The sardine was good the way it was--I hate roe.  The texture is disgusting to me. I hated the popping feel.

It is absolutely beautiful country.  The north has diverse countryside and the people in each area are very unique and proud.  They identify with their region more than their country.  For instance Barcelonians are Catalonians before Spanish.  Those from the northwest are Gallicians before Spanish. They even have their own languages.  Very strange.  Spain has crazy unemployment.  It is really better to just draw the unemployment than work in some areas.  It is very clean overall.

The following photos are from our time in Gallicia.  We were in Sanxenxo, a small beach resort town and the outlying areas. You could pretty much see the Bay at all times in this region.  This is where we stayed for 2 nights.  We had a view of the ocean from our room.  I need to get a pic off Scott's phone for that.  We visited the Martin Codax Winery there.  They treated us like VIPs.  We had a fun dinner on their property the last night, where they treated us to a fun ceremony that stems from their Celtic heritage.  Yes I said Celtic--not Spanish.  We got to grab fire--let's say I was not so good.  I made them all laugh b/c I couldn't figure it out.  I wish I had taken photos of it. The last 3 photos are from Santiago. We visited Santiago right before we left the region.  It is the largest town in Gallicia. This was once considered the end of the world from the West.  As in Christopher Columbus thought there was more.  It is a beautiful area.  My pictures don't really do it justice of course.  They grow Albarino grapes here in case you are wondering!

The following are Santiago--Thousands of people enter Santiago on foot each day for El Camino--the pilgrimage.  Catholics believe (b/c the Vatican says) that St. James is buried there--but there is no actual burial site--so who knows.  

This was once a hospital for all the pilgrims. It is now a 5 star hotel. It was built by Isabella--again with Christopher Columbus, I know!

Signs of the Camino

The Cathedral for all the pilgrims

C turns 5

This was the most thrown together party.  Thankfully C didn't mind.  He didn't really have any friends he wanted to invite, so we ended up just having family, and at the last minute (as in 24 hr before) moving it up a day to combine with 4th of July.  I think I am more let down by the smallness of it than C.  He seemed to enjoy the lack of craziness that have been his last 3 parties.  He liked feeling special, and that was enough.

tank cake i made--the only request C really had

More summer fun

zoo time with Cobbs and Snyders--We have an almost identical picture of the boys holding hands at the zoo the year before.  Such sweet memories.

Our free ride on the carousel during free hour at the zoo

trying on his Barcelona jersey

Another pic of the tank cake--it kind of looks like a Koopa trooper from Super Mario Bros.

His door the night before the big day.  We had army men everywhere for him to find as well

Little Miss E

The girl can get those toes

Slacking

Wow...I just realized I hadn't read blogs--unless I caught it on FB in over 2 months.  That is sad.  I think i got 90% caught up--at least with the Cliff's Notes.  I have been terrible about posting pics b/c it isn't convenient on here like the ol FB or instagram.

So here's a few random photos and a quick recap of last 2 months.  The end of May was a blur--C got to spend time with his cousins and my parents in Memphis. Then June was full of camps for Mr. C to keep him occupied during those hard moments of the first 3 months of little Miss E.  We got to see the Lauers.  Huge excitement.  Then onto July we got to see the Cobbs--again tons of excitement.  Both visits were just too short.  July has been crazy. We did a combined 4th of July celebration/C's 5th bday since we were headed to Spain 2 days later, missing C's actual bday.  I will do a separate post on both birthday and Spain.  Now July has been a super fuzzy blur after returning from Spain.  I feel like I have accomplished nothing, and now summer is over.

At some point this little boy became a big boy!  Sniff

this little one rolled past 3 months

an early bday present the morning of the 4th

getting ready for fireworks--doesn't she look like a sailor?

the grossest/funniest firework: Dookie Dog

Me with E and G (sweet cousin of E's)

Showing off his firework collection

So tired from the party

Ready for the fireworks and enjoying a snack while we wait for the festivities in Chesterfield

Struggling

A little bit of honesty and whining. I don't think many people read this blog anymore, so it feels a bit more like a diary.

Note--to my friends in St. Louis--this is no dig against any of you.  Just an outpouring of how I am feeling right now.  I really am thankful for you all.  Just wish we could be closer.

Since moving back to St. Louis I have struggled finding friends.  I have some friends from before, and I really and truly enjoy them.  I just haven't found my niche.  I tried MOPS, I have been doing our church's Bible Study for women-3 semesters of it, I joined a Moms' group-that disbanded, and I've helped at C's preschool, and I belong to a reading group. I have met friends in my reading group, but apart from them-who I only see at those meetings, I have made ZERO new friends.  I certainly have friends that I could count on to help in a pinch or that would be there to support us, but not the type of close friendships I desire.  It is very discouraging and feels very lonely.  I think it is hardest b/c I left our last location with A LOT of friends, and a real sense of where I fit in our community.  Living in St. Louis is hard b/c everyone is spread out--the main reason I think my discussion group hasn't produced deep friendship--it is geographically impossible to just get together at the spur of the moment.  Everything has to be planned out so much b/c babysitters are harder to secure and we are not close in distance.  I don't mean to discount the friendships I do have here at all b/c I am thankful to have met the new ones and rekindled the old, but frankly we don't see much of each other.   It is the same for Scott, but I don't think it bothers him b/c he socializes as a part of his job.  Me, I talk to a 4 year old and a baby all day. People are so busy.  I am busy.  It just seems so hard.   We have 4 couples that we see somewhat regularly--like do something 3-4 times a year.  Thankfully two of the couples go to our church and live close, so we do see see them more regularly at church. I feel this impacts Colin as well.  He has not developed friendships either.  He enjoys playing with the kids of my few friends, but he doesn't see them much.  We asked him if he had anyone he wanted to invite to his bday party, and he only named family.  This is sad to me--maybe it is just his age or personality, but I am sad he doesn't think he has friends.  It felt a lot like this the last time we lived here and in Columbia.  Maybe I just miss my friends.  I long for that 1 or 2 or 3 really close friends that you see regularly.  That you see something out, so you just have to call/text them about it.  I know that type of relationship takes time and patience, but it is hard to see that type forming here b/c people are so established in their commitments or friendships with others already.  We have been back a year, and I'm not sure how to move forward.  How much more do I keep trying?  It is hard with a baby to have that ability to go and spend the time with someone necessary to create that type of friendship.

So in summary, I feel very lonely here.  It is very nice to be closer to family--that is a huge blessing and upside, but I miss my peeps from Bloomington/Normal. Maybe it just isn't the season in our lives to have friendships like that.  Maybe it is a time for focusing more on our family.  Not really sure.

Soccer time

C has enjoyed playing outdoor soccer this spring, but the rain has messed up a lot, so he hasn't been able to play a whole lot.

Here are some shots from warm-ups.  He loves to play goalie.