January - March 2014 Highlights

Without further ado ...

The girls are both in ballet these days and they LOVE it!  We are looking forward to their end of year show coming up in June.

Can you believe that these were taken at the beginning of February?  We've had some really nice beach days already this year.

 Carnestoltes parade (Carnival)!

This year I got in on the fun -- and boy was it FUN!  This year it was a sports theme.  The kids were all basketball hoops.  I dressed up as an 80's exercise fanatic with a bunch of the other parents from Aine's class.  Can't wait for next year.

 We've gotten in some great hikes.  The monastery in the backgroud is 800 years old.

 Post hike grub: churros and chocolate well earned.

We've also had a couple of calcotadas (onion eating parties/barbeques) in the last month.  During one we did with my colleagues (they usually take place at big country houses in the countryside) we stopped at another super old monastery and the square that it's on was just amazing ...

 ...from both angles.

Time to eat those onions -- a onion just really shouldn't be allowed to taste so good.  There was also plenty of wine and yes, we've gotten pretty good with the purron (video to prove it coming soon -- I hope).

Our next calcotada was this past weekend with Aine's class.  We did our Oregon and Ireland friends and family proud.  It was a rainy enough day that we thought we would have to cancel but then some of the grandparents in class offered up their country house as an alternative location, which was AMAZING!  Above, calcots cooking -- YUM!

 James opening up more delicious wine, there's always plenty to go around.

 Aoife getting ready to dig in (there's a bib and hand wipes in that bag).

My turn to eat the calcots, note my ash covered fingers and the sauce dripping down my cheek, hence the bib and hand wipes.

The kids playing despite the rain (and yes, this was just another part of the property -- there was also a pool, a large chicken coup and dog run, a large game room and bodega, and the patio with fireplace where we cooked the calcots).

The first babes of Aine's crew turned 5 in January, February and March.  Wow!

 Always a pinata at these things!

With lots of goodies to enjoy, including Groucho Marx glasses!

 And one final picture of the loves of our lives (inside the monastery this time).

These are just a few highlights.  There's been SO much going on recently.  We can hardly keep up, truth be told.  Thank goodness for all the blessings life has offered us, most of all for each other, we are grateful.

Love, love, love.