España: Beach Time!

The best part about where we are staying in Spain is that it is steps away from the beach.  Of course, the weather is not always predictable this time of year, but we did get a few mornings where it reached the mid to high 60's.

Sandcastles are a must at the beach!  Kari (our southern California beach girl) is really good at building these.

Natasha was happy digging in the sand for hours.

Anna Claire digging away.

Dad with Mariah and Anna Claire testing the water.  It was cold!

I just sat like a giant beached whale and relaxed while watching this scene.

Dad and Tyler jumping from the waves.

Natasha likes to hang every chance she gets.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is Rob's birthday.  Happy Birthday to a wonderful husband and father!  What better way to spend a birthday than biking and playing on the beach in Spain?  Because we weren't at home, Rob didn't get a fancy cake this year.  But we found a yummy chocolate cake at the little grocery store below our apartment.

España: Guadalest

Yesterday we drove from Granada up the Costa Blanca to the little beach town of Calpe.  We stayed here last year and it's the perfect place for Rob to bike (between work calls).  We stay at the Hotel SolyMar in a modern 3-bedroom apartment right next to the beach.  It works out perfectly for us!

The Beach at Calpe with its big rock.

Today is Rob's birthday.  We decided to meet him for lunch (after his bikeride) in the scenic town of Guadalest.  They had a darling dollhouse museum at the base of the climb to the castle.  The kids loved the part with all the miniature houses and electric train, as you can see here!

Natasha can't get away from the train.

 The view from the top of Guadalest.

 Here is the Guadalest castle.  Yet another beautiful castle in Spain!

Natasha and Mariah peeking through the rock tunnel that leas to the town.

España: Granada

We spent today exploring the city of Granada.  Fortunately our hotel allowed us to walk everywhere.  In 1492, not only did Columbus sail the ocean blue, but King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel finally conquered the Moors.  They built a beautiful cathedral here to remind all that "Christianity conquered". Right next to the cathedral is a little chapel where Ferdinand and Isabel were buried.  Our kids were fascinated by them because of their role in discovering the New World.

Anna Cathedral in front of the cathedral.

Mariah striking a pose.

The Spanish dancer girls.

Tyler wanted to join in the fun too!  He is King Ferdinand (Fernando).

Anna Claire on a walk through town.

Tyler.

A view of the Alhambra from below.  The outside of the building is not as impressive as the inside.

We wanted to walk around the Albaicin (Old Moorish) section of town.  However, Rob noticed several drug deals going on and it was getting dark, so we decided against it.  I noticed this sign there and had to chuckle.  This says, "Thanks for the help.  Before: tranquility, closeness, security. After: anxiety, isolation, insecurity. SOS Albaicin." Clearly they are hoping to clean up the streets.

A tired family after a long day.  

España: The Alhambra

We are enjoying life in sunny, warm España right now.  Rob went down to southern Spain for a week and we just joined him.  We were too cheap to pay the enormous checked bag fee on Easy Jet, so I brought carry-ons for all the kids.  This turned into a nightmare as Kari and I tried to maneuver around the Geneva airport and its multiple stairs and escalators.  But we finally made it -- despite Natasha and Tyler escaping through the border control without any adult supervision!  

Our rental car is huge -- a 9-seat Opel Vivaro.  It definitely fits all 7 of us plus Rob's bike, but it is not fun to maneuver the manual shift.  We immediately drove to Granada to see the Alhambra.  Just seeing this, I think, was worth the entire trip.

 Tyler checking out some of the buildings and happy to be outside!

 Hi family!

 Cuckoo!

 Natasha in front of King Charles V's palace.

Natasha doing ablutions.  I like this tradition.

 The view of the old Moorish quarter of Granada.

Spirals.

Mommy and Anna at the reflecting pool.

It's hard to get everyone to participate in photos -- hair pulling, tongue sticking and Natasha has just run away.

The decor was magnificent.

Tyler is a bit tired of all the touring.

The 12-lion fountain.

Mariah the royal princess.

The ceilings and walls were covered with Arabic script and decor giving a "celestial" feeling to many of the rooms.

 Mariah and Anna Claire with a view of the Alhambra in the background.  Adios!

Love, Love, Love

The past couple years we have tried to spice up the month of February by creating a "Heart Attack." I cut out loads of paper hearts and everyone writes what they "love" about others on them.  It makes a nice Family Home Evening activity.  I leave extra hearts so that people can add to it throughout the month.  The kids love looking at it and finding out what has been said about them.

Our Heart Attack.

 Valentine's Day is not complete without our heart cake.  This year Rob was gone for Valentine's Day so it became a kids love day.  (Rob and I did get to spend last weekend at a getaway in Evian-Les-Bains.  We ate a fantastic French Savoyard dinner Friday night and headed to some fantastic baths -- Lavey-les-Bains -- in Switzerland on Saturday morning.)

 Anna Claire giving a "gift of love" by reading to the kids.

Balloon Festival

We had hoped to go see the night balloons at the Chateau d'Oex hot air balloon festival this year so we packed the kids up in their snow gear and braved the snowstorm through mountain passes.  Once we arrived, however, we discovered that the show was canceled due to the snow.  The kids didn't mind, though, they just turned the hilltop into a sledding run!

Still happy. . .

 Mariah and Natasha tumbling down the hill.

At least they were able to see the living quarters of the balloon that went around the world.

There was one hot air balloon demo still operating (without the balloon).

Hop on Pop

All my kids have adored the Dr. Seuss book "Hop on Pop".  But they like it best when they actually get to do it!

Once there was a snowman. . .

It snowed again today so Tyler and I went out and rolled a big snowman.  The snow in Switzerland actually sticks so well that rolling a snowman pulls up the snow to the grass.  Growing up in Utah, I always had trouble even packing snowballs because the snow was so dry.  Of course, that's what makes it the greatest ski snow on earth!  One day while skiing in France over Christmas, we stepped out onto fresh snow and I thought that my skis needed waxing.  The stuff was soooo sticky!

Tyler and his snowman.  Yes, the hat is a bit feminine, but his head was so big that we had to switch it out for Mariah's hoodie.

Happy Birthday Tyler!

Tyler's birthday is now here.  We celebrated with Tyler's first big party.  I tried to minimize by hosting it at the bouncy castle place that my kids love.  It was easy.  All I had to do was bring a cake and snacks and all the entertainment was there.  What a relief!  Tyler's two neighbor friends, Robbie and Tyler, joined us along with our Nyon neighbor, Diogo, and lots of friends from church.

Originally I had planned to make a complex dinosaur cake for Tyler.  But then he told me he wanted a construction cake.  It was so much easier to make this.  Just take a chocolate cake, cut a hole in it and pile the leftover cake on top, then pour crushed oreos over the hole.  I bought a construction set and put the digger on top of the cae.  I used Toblerone pieces to make the construction cones and frosted them with orange royal icing -- but these were more complex than I had originally thought.

 Ever the enthusiastic Mariah!

Tyler with his little sister Natasha. 

Jakob, one of Mariah's and Tyler's friends. 

Tyler's friend Yumi was having a birthday party at the same time, so they blew out the candles together.

Lots of party fun!

Happy Birthday Mariah!

Our little Mariah is 6 years old.  I can't believe how quickly time has gone.  She is growing up too fast! Mariah wanted a "Brodie" cake -- a cake that looks like her grandparents' Westie.  I was a little intimidated to do such a cake, but I found a sample of a Scottie cake online so I just transformed it into a Westie.  Here it is!  

We did not do a party for Mariah this year.  (I alternate years with the kids and Tyler and Mariah are on different years so I don't get overwhelmed in the month of January.)  But we took all the kids to a fun bouncy castle place which they love.  Mariah did not get the real dog that she has been begging for.  No pets for now -- I already have to clean up after my kids, I'm not cleaning up after a dog.  But she did  get one of those barking, walking, tailwagging mechanical dogs and she seems happy with that!

 Mariah, we love you!

 The kids are ready to eat the cake!

Sisters.