Foto Friday...reclaiming my mojos

Hello there! It truly has been way too long. You may have noticed or not, but whichever the case I'd like to make my way back into your lives. There are so many reasons for not posting a good majority of this year. The major reason being a lack of time, an increase in work (which is a problem to have), too much of real life happening, but then again when isn't that going to be the case. but there were others. My creative mojos- writing, crafting, picture-taking, baking, had all been hijacked! How? I hate to admit it but mostly by my own demons of insecurities, fear, true lack of interest, but there were others.  I just couldn't muster up the ability to get anything going.

I guess I felt that it didn't really matter what I had to say, no one cares what I've been doing, and that it wasn't worth my time to put myself out there anymore. I felt creatively stunted for sure. On the other hand, I was pressuring myself to get out there, but instead I think my mind instinctively knew I needed a break. I've sat back and just let things happen. I've mentioned before that I usually do my best work when I kind of let it happen, so in turn, I've been sitting back waiting for the "right time" for my mojos to come back. Waiting for my mind to spark, for my crafty fingers to itch, for my eyes and ears to gather information, and for my heart to desire and put stuff out there for me to take interest in.

 So I've been listening and it seems that the first mojo that wants to surface is picture taking. My fingers and eyes have been itching to get back my photography mojo. Its not like I haven't been taking any picture, but I do more so now on my phone because of the sheer ease. I really began to miss the feel of a big formal camera and that it takes to make it work to get a picture you want. I have not touched my dslr in almost a year and just a week ago, I picked it back up again.

They're not perfect, nor did I expect them to be but it was just fun to do. Katarina made it very easy for me to do because she was having just as much fun getting the camera's attention.


I'm not sure where this mojo will take me. I'm just going to continue to listen and try and do and put it out there for anybody who might be interested. My heart be damned.

Europe- Our Highlights and some Must Sees and Do's...

Any and all touristy cities anywhere in the world have its must see locations. However, in planning our trip like this to Europe, with very little time in each city, we had to get picky about which 'must see' sites we would be able to see.  Again, the free walking tours we took really were the most efficient ways to get in as many of these as possible in short amount of time. I think we actually did a pretty good job in getting in quite a few in the following cities:

Valencia:    The City of Arts of Sciences, Oceanografic
Madrid:      Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace
Rome:         The Colosseum, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Vatican City
France:       Notre Dame, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower
Edinburgh: Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Mile
Dublin:       Temple Bar, St. Patricks Cathedral
London:      Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, Big Ben

And there was so much more. However, there were highlights in each of these cities that were unique to our trip that I wanted to share. A lot of the special memories we made had to do with not just the sites we saw, but the people we shared it with and the discoveries we made together. Its times like those that can't be planned or predicted and yet so grateful when they just work out nicely.  Many of these highlights could easily turn into 'Must do's' in your own way.


VALENCIA, SPAIN

In Valencia we spent just a little under 24 hours so time was of the essence. But the highlight in itself was being with Christian and having him take us around to see major parts of the city. We wanted to see as much of what he had grown to love, the parts of the city that became his backdrop and his home for the last 9 months. It was so great to see just how much of a local he had become. I think we very quickly got a feel for the amazing environment he got to live in during that time. We will always be grateful to Valencia for having been so good to our boy, and look forward to having him return one day.

MADRID

We had a couple of highlights here. We spent our first day there with my cousin Carolina and her husband, Jorge, who currently live in northern Spain and came down to Madrid to meet up with us.
It was great to spend time with them, but the fun part was them taking us around Madrid, not bar hopping, but food hopping. They explained that the Spanish have a very set meal culture and it is not uncommon for most Spaniards to have at least 6 set meals per day- Breakfast, Mid morning, Lunch, Your after Siesta, Supper, and Dinner apparently is around 9pm. So in addition to showing us around, we walked, sat, ate and drank, then walked, sat, ate and drank a few more times at the quaintest little food markets and parks tasting and experiencing a little bit of that Spanish culture. That is something that Christian had been exposed to, but not something Jerry and I would probably have ever done on our own. We don't experiment much so that was soooo much fun! Food hopping anywhere in Europe is a must do!

A second highlight for us was definitely getting to see the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium of Madrid's soccer team, the Real Madrid. This team has become Christian's favorite football soccer team (by default ours too) and to see him react like a little kid in a candy shop was just fantastic. We didn't take a tour of the stadium, but we did, by some clever asking, get to go into the ritzy Real Cafe that sits at the bottom floor of the stadium with with wall to wall windows to check out the stadium for 3 euros each! Done deal! Best couple hours spent as we each had a drink, got to hang out, relax and gaze out at this beautiful stadium and watched them prepare the greens. A fantastic afternoon for sure.


ROME
Aside from Rome's beautiful sites, the highlight for us was the food, especially the pizza. Real Italian pizza, calzones and fresh bruschetta of which we had more than a couple of times, and each time at a different authentic location. We had fun finding these cute little restaurants and feeling like we were locals.  Each one delicious in there own way.

FRANCE

When in France, do as the French?...One of my dreams turned reality of going to Paris was to be able to have a picnic somewhere with a warm, fresh baguette in hand, meats, cheese and a bottle of wine. So our first day in the city, we set out to do just that. We had prepared in the morning by taking a few pre-bought items, but once we finished our Paris walking tour just in front of the Louvre gardens, we walked around to find the perfect baguette. Both Chris and I relished the walk back with baguettes in hand, and found a spot right in front of this beautiful fountain and made ourselves comfortable, and had ourselves a very "French" picnic.  It was one of the funnest things we could have done, and it gave us some time to really take in our Paris surroundings.  A must do in our opinion!

Another highlight in France was visiting the beautiful city of Montmarte Sacre Coeur.
 A historical city 300 meters of above Paris. There is this beautiful all white church of Sacre Couer at the center of it all, and the old Parisian city is one of my personal highlights. We had arrived just in time to hear a full mass, all in French along with a choir of very traditional nuns in  black and white habits. The moment that touched me the most though, was at the sign of the peace at which time I received more than one "Peace be with you" in a variety of languages...French, German, Filipino, and a few more I may not have recognized.  I was overcome with emotion and gratitude as I thought, where else but in France could you get such an international moment like that? A very special memory indeed. If not just for the church, but the city itself is a MUST SEE!

SCOTLAND
Scotland was a highlight in itself for many reasons- One because we actually got to visit 3 different cities with one stop- Dundee, St. Andrews and Edinburgh. And two because once again we got to spend it with family. My other cousin Natalia, (sister of Carolina from Madrid no less), her husband, Leo, and 2 her little boys happen to be living in the city of Dundee on a work relocation project for almost the last 2 years, and we were so lucky to have been able to catch up with them on the tail end of their stay in Scotland. They were gracious enough to let us stay at their house and showed us around Dundee and St. Andrews in some cold but uncharacteristically sunny weather- It was perfect.

Spanish Tapas in Scotland?!! Once again once of the highlights involves food and drink. Natalie and Leo took us out on the town in Dundee that evening and we hung out at a bar for drinks before dinner (something we don't ever do) and then took us to a popular Spanish restaurant for some real, traditional tapas...in Scotland! Go figure, but it was as authentic as if we would have been back in Spain. Such a popular place that Natalie had to make reservations a month prior to our arrival! So snazzy and this dinner was an event in itself. Every course was brought out and explained in Spanish (by a true Spaniard) as to what each course was and what region of Spain these tapas would most likely come from...WOW!! We enjoyed every minute and very bite of such a variety of dishes of the what...5+ courses we had? Soo much food! Chris really experimented and tasted pretty much everything. It was incredible as were some of the flavors we (Jerry and I) once again would have never ventured out to try if it weren't for such exposure. Yes, we are creatures of habit, but we soo appreciated them for expanding our culinary horizons. Spanish tapas...a must do anywhere you can get it.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

Edinburgh was a city I was truly looking forward to visiting, not just because its so beautiful, but because of its ties to J.K. Rowling, and the whole Harry Potter Franchise. Yes, I know I'm an HP nerd, in a big way, and this was the beginning of my geeking out opportunities. Chris and Jerry had been warned.  So one of the highlight of this walking tour was in fact seeing street signs and all the little areas that the tour guide pointed out that truly did have something to do with JKR and where she got her inspirations for HP.  We visited Greyfriars Kirkyard (one of the most haunted graveyards in the world) in which we saw the original orphanage that was the basis for the school of Hogwarts because it really was separated into 4 houses, the tombstones of people buried with some of the proper names of some very popular HP characters such as Tom Riddle, McGonagall, Scrimgeour, and some others. He also pointed out the very cafe in which she wrote her story which is now a cafe called Spoon and another cafe that calls itself the original cafe the White Elephant cafe...who knows, but it was all really cool! 

DUBLIN, IRELAND

I actually forgot to post pictures on FB of our day in Dublin because it had come and gone so quick, but they weren't any less special. Dublin was a city we added to our trip because Chris had actually already spent time there and had fallen in love with this city and he really wanted us to get to love it too, so we did. In less than 24 hours we took it on with a walking tour and then Chris as our guide. We saw Dublin Castle, Trinity College, strolled down Temple Bar and Liffey River and stopped to watch street bands. Here once again, we we had a chance to meet up with family. Our brother in law, Bobby, happened to arrive in Dublin on the same day we did for a work trip and we met up for a quick conversation, lunch, and a silly picture to commemorate the visit.

One of the biggest highlights was going to the Guinness Storehouse. Omg, so much fun! Jerry and I are not big on drinking and beer is not one of my favorites either, but this brewery's self guided tour is so unique and well done that it has something for everyone. It is a beautiful circular building of about 7 stories and the tour takes you through each of these floors to learn about the Guinness making process, the ingredients, the storage process, the making of the barrels, and they even teach how to pour your own pint that you can then take to the rooftop bar that has a 360 degree view of Dublin...Incredible. We were even blessed with the view of a real Irish rainbow...the luck of the Irish was with us that day. Dublin was definitely worth the stop.

And last but not least...

LONDON, ENGLAND!!

This is a difficult one, as most of you can imagine. London has been on my bucket list to visit as far back as I can remember. I've always said that the day I would go to London would be the day I could die happy. Well I guess I can, but I think I will extend that until I can go back a second, maybe even a third time? It was just wonderful so to pick some of the highlights is very difficult. For me, everything from the tube, to the adorable telephone booths and taxis, the historical sites, to hearing people with that wonderful accent was a highlight for me. I loved it all really! But a couple of things did stand out:

The Changing of the Guard 

Most people watch the changing of the guard from Buckingham Palace. We, however, were lucky enough to be able to witness it during our London walking tour in what I would consider a little better way thanks to our tour guide, Charlotte, She knew exactly where the Royal Guard would be and when, and got us positioned literally right in front of them to witness their pomp and circumstance up close. I couldn't have been more excited to be in London than in that moment. Soo fantastic!!

The Globe Theater

I've mentioned the Globe already on FB, but I will mention it again and again when I can because it was that great of an experience. A complete highlight and a must do in London! You won't regret it. It truly was such a special night for us and an experience we will never forget. The theater in itself is Shakespeare brought back to life and to be in a stage like that immediately puts you in a different time and place and it makes you feel like you are a part of the play you're watching. We have never seen A Midnight's Summer Dream, but it is now one of our favorites. The actors gave this play a modern twist in several ways, and their commitment to their characters was just amazing. The singing, the dancing, the interaction was just electric. Soo much so that Jerry and Chris gave up leaving at intermission to watch a soccer game to stay to finish it off. That is saying something!

So there you are, some of the most memorable moments of our trip. I hope I didn't bombard you with too much, but there could have been many more but these were some on the top of the list. And I share them with you because sharing is caring. Some of these highlights had been suggestions made to us by others we know and I'm so glad they had told us about them. Recommendations are very valuable and they ultimately made a difference in our experience in Europe. So I hope that somehow I enticed you to visit, see or do one or a few of the things to make your trip special. On the flip side of that, there were definitely things we did not get a chance to do, but I am keeping notes for our next visit.  I would love to know what places and things you've done differently and exciting so I can add them to my list as well. The travel tips are next. Until next time!!

Our trip to Europe...was it just a dream?

 Its been about 4 weeks since we got back from our trip and I have yet been able to completely wrap my head around the fact that after soo many months of planning, we’ve already came and went. I am still processing all that we saw and did in those 15 amazing days. Not a day goes by where I don’t remember or miss a particular city, or day dream about being back in each of those cities to the point of it making me emotional. The pictures I've already posted are just a preview to the camera roll I’ve had running through my head since getting home. Its taken me this long to even be able to begin writing about it because I’m not sure that I will be able to put this experience into words, but I am going to try.

People have asked me how it went and there are just not enough words to describe it all. It was truly a dream come true and that we were able to share that with Christian, made it all that much more special. The only thing missing was honestly being able to do this along with Danny and Mikey as well, but it just wasn’t possible for many reasons, and now it actually gives us a reason to go back hopefully sooner than later. I also want to take this chance to personally Thank my Mom, Jerry's parents and my brother and sister-n-law for helping us watch our boys while we were gone. We couldn't have done this trip without their willingness to take over for the 15 days, and the time and love they gave Danny and Mikey to make it easier for them is forever appreciated.

I think I will start off by saying that this trip, aside from being a dream come true, was a blessing from beginning to end. The sheer fact of having Chris studying abroad in Spain and London for his freshman year, was the opportunity, the gift, he gave us in return to travel to Europe in the first place. How could we not take this chance to go?  We had to! Soo many things fell into place also- the timing of the trip with our work schedules, the lodging we found, deals, airfares, packing, etc...including the fact that we were able to see and spend time with cousins in Madrid and Scotland, and a brother in law in Dublin...just incredible! The timing for all of this was just undeniably meant to be. 

We also truly did a lot of planning and early enough that it worked to our advantage. The planning we did alone is another blog post to come as it became crucial to being able to do this trip as efficiently and within a reasonable budget as possible. As I have mentioned on other trips, every trip we take is done on a budget or else we just can't do it. So I learned soo much in the process of planning a big trip like this that I feel like I have some useful tips and suggestions for any family out there that travel on budgets as well and might think a trip to Europe is out of the question. Now I know that it just takes some time, patience, lots of research, planning and breaking down your trip into doable parts, both financially and mentally. 

Christian’s school schedule gave us 15 days to move him and travel from the FSU Valencia study center to FSU London study Center, where he will be until August. So then the question became where would we travel to, how long in each city, etc?  Would we do just a few cities and stay longer or get in as many cities as possible? Many people suggested we were doing too much, but the fact that we don’t really know when the next time we will be back, we had to to take the chance to get as much in as possible. And honestly, as hectic and crazy it seemed at the time, I don't know that we would have done it any differently. So after much arranging and rearranging of calendars, flights, hotels and whatever else, we had picked our flight path: 

 

LAX to JFK to Madrid to Valencia

Valencia (1 day)

Madrid (2 days)

Rome (1.5 days)

Paris, (almost 2 days)

Edinburgh/Dundee, Scotland (2 days)

Dublin (24 hours)

London (3days)

LAX

8 cities, 1 train,  9 flights, 15 days...CRAZINESS!!

Never having been to Europe, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but Christian had already done his share of traveling. So he was definitely more prepared and we depended a lot more on him to help us navigate through the traveling challenges if any. He had done his best in warning of the possibility of burn-out, the reality of travel costs (for Jerry's sake), and that we were going to have to patient and just kind of go with the flow to prevent as much stress as possible. That part was the hardest for me, but more on that later.

We began our adventure in Valencia, where we so happily reunited with Christian. It honestly took me a couple of hours to really wrap my head around the fact that we were across the world in EUROPE! Omg! Let's just say that after being awake and traveling for 24+ hours, exhaustion and reality set in and my emotions hit me. It was soo surreal! I was sure I had to be dreaming...but I wasn't. I think that's how I felt off and on during the entirety our trip. Every new city/site gave us one or more of those 'WOW' moments. Jerry would keep reminding me..."You know that we're in, insert city here, right?" Yes, I knew, but all I could I could do is shake my head and close my eyes to soak it in each time. I will never forget that feeling.

Our Observations about Europe

We realized that although each city was different in its own way, they also had many similarities between them . So it might make it easier to describe our experience via some of the observations we made along the way.

The people

I don't know if it was just a case of 'the grass is always greener' but everybody was just so 'European'. Even the riff-raff on the streets seemed to be more, dare I say, 'cool?' I guess I'll chalk that up to travelers excitement. But seriously, for the most part the people we met and came into contact with with were remarkably nice and welcoming of us American's and were willing to help us when we needed it. Scotland in particular, had some of the nicest people ever!! Our French AirBnb host, Olivier, was the nicest Frenchman we could have ever met. It was refreshing to see that certain country stereo types were really non-existent. We also noticed just how many different cultures are living in Europe...a melting pot in its own right. Just awesome.

Languages/Lingo

Obviously each country had its own language and/or dialect for Spanish, French, Italian, English. However, it was so interesting to Jerry to see just how much lingo each country had and how it was used and how much. For example, in Spain, the word "Vale" could be heard all most too much and was used to say "Cool" or "Right on," "Yes" or even "Thank you." In Italy the word "Prego" did the same job, as "Cheers" did in Scotland/England and of course "Bonjour/Merci" in France. So of course when Jerry finally got used to using any particular lingo he would end up using it in the wrong country, lol. He's a wisecracker that one.

Also, for the first time, I can honestly say I felt a language barrier. In France I had a hard time remembering to say "Bonjour" at the beginning of each of my sentences. Christian had warned us that proper interaction with the French people was very important in getting a proper response for help. He was absolutely correct as I experienced a few times myself, so we let Chris take the lead in speaking for us most of the time, and he did such a great job with that. I was very impressed with him. I also thought it was fascinating to see how these different cultures were speaking with native accents. For example, In Dublin we had an Asian cafe owner speaking with us an Irish accent. Go figure! Soo interesting!!

Public Transportation
I cannot say enough about the public transportation in Europe.... WE LOVED IT!! I could write all day about this. I truly believe that Europe's public transportation system is amazing! No matter the city, be it the Metro/bus/underground lines...its the way to go! Some city systems took a little more time getting used to and we did catch the wrong one on occasion, but in general, it all just works soo systematically that it just made traveling from point A to point B a breeze. And as long as took proper precautions like keeping our belongings in front of us and closed to avoid pickpockets, we felt safe to ride it anytime of the day.  Depending on the city, it also allowed us to be able to look for lodging sometimes just outside the city center to make it more affordable. For example, in France, we stayed in the business district about a 30-40 minute drive outside of the city, but because they have an express train line, we would get into the city center in about 9 minutes. Soo convenient and it made all the difference for us.

Currency
Jerry being the money guy was challenged with European currency game. We knew that the Euro was the currency of choice for most of Europe including Dublin, Ireleand, but in the UK (Scotland and England it was the British pound.  We had to be mentally diligiant in remembering to switch between currencies. Going from Scotland to Dublin and then back to London in the UK became pretty tricky especially because the Euro and the Pound exchange at a fairly different rate. So I in particular had to keep reminding myself that 15£ was NOT $15 it really translated to being over $21. A big difference when trying to figure out the right amount.

Walking in Europe

I'm not sure if its because we live in California, but our tourist attractions are just too spread apart. One of the nice things of these European cities is that that the major tourist sites are all relatively in the same area or within walking distance from each other. Grant it even then, we walked A LOT!!! Our phone health app calculated that in the 15 days we were there we walked about 140+ miles! With our highest step count day being in France, clocking in at 15 miles. Crazy! Other than the metro we never took a cab and chose to walk when we could. We also took many walking tours that allowed us to take in a particular group of sites in each city in a matter of 2 hours each. . Exhausting, but it was worth every step. We realized the more we walked the more we discovered about each city. It was the best way to find those quaint little streets we wouldn't have seen otherwise.


The Architecture

One of Jerry's observations was that every European city could pretty much look like each other.  That by putting these three pictures together, you really wouldn't be able to tell that these 3 streets were from 3 different countries (Valencia, Paris, Edinburgh). Not that that was a bad thing, but it became clear that there was a definite influence of Romanesque and other cultural architectures in one or more of the countries we visited. We saw Greek, Egyptian and Gothic architecture throughout as well.  All of these influences have shaped and given Europe that special aura its known for and the one we go looking for and miss after we leave it. Its just wonderful.

Historical Ties
One of the many things we truly truly appreciated throughout this trip was the amount of history and historical ties involved in everything these cities had to offer.

We took free walking tours in each of these cities through SANDEMAN's New Europe tours company which is what bridged each city visit from being just a pretty tourist attraction to truly connecting its history to where and what we were seeing everyday. We got a history lesson and a scenic tour at the same time and we loved every minute of them. Fascinating information!

Each tour guide had their own set of stories and way helping us appreciate each city in their own way, and made each city experience that much more meaningful.  James was our tour guide in Dublin. He made this tour particularly memorable. Not only was born and raised in Dublin, but his personal ancestors had served a big part in Dublin's military history. He was enthusiastic and the pride he felt for his country was evident in the way he would tell every story. He taught us how to say "Sai Mila Folta" or "Welcome" in Gaelic, he even had us singing folk songs about Molly Malone. It was hard not to leave loving Dublin with a tour like that.

The truth is there is soo much more I could tell you about what we observed, but its hard to fully describe everything we saw, felt, and experienced. We can only hope that everyone at some point has the opportunity to travel to Europe and have their own European experience. There is nothing like it.  Its funny because I'm sure that Europeans feel the same way about coming to America and I had one person tell us how lucky we were to be from California, but we could have debated that back and forth all day as to who was truly the luckiest. Its all relative really, but we were happy to be in their space for a little bit.

We fell in love with something different from every amazing city we visited and I will be sharing some of those highlights later. We had someone tell us that once you go to Europe it just gets into your soul..and dang it they're so right!! We have been bitten with the bug and we totally long to back soo badly! We are soo grateful for how everything went for us- the weather was great, we saw more than we could have imagined, our flights were smooth, our Airbnb/hotel stays were absolutely phenomenal so we truly had a once in a lifetime experience. And yet there is soo much more to see, and so we need to go back...We HAVE to go back!

So this is being 45...

So I just turned 45, and I am happy to be here. Some people may have a hard time with their age, but I can honestly say I can own it. I don't feel the need to shy away from my age because lets face it-
It is what it is! Instead I am grateful to have these years under my belt, and its always a good chance to reflect and be honest with this reality.  I really don't know what this number means in the scope of the big picture, but thankfully, my age has always truly just been a number.

However, 45 came with a few extra things...

New emotions mixed in with some old,

New anxieties and some laid to rest,

Confidence built for somethings, but some walls built up for others

Feelings of strength and yet feeling my most vulnerable

More independence and yet feeling the most connected to home

Skills gained and brain power renewed

Full of love and pride for all that's been accomplished

Celebrations and living through the eyes of another

Full of gratitude for all our blessings

Reflections on the last year, and wondering about the next 5 towards 50

Physically, 45 even came with...

Some body changes. I'd like to say some good, but nope- let's just say they're changes

Much more blurriness and the constant need for 4 eyes

Some extra warmth when I should be cooled off, and vice versa

The need to stretch on a daily basis or out comes the heating pad

The ability to shed a few extra tears more so than usual at ANY moment...Yes, lovely

Its an interesting age. I just got here, but I'll be figuring it out.

Only the next year will tell how it will be.

But for now and for me... This is being 45.

Faith...My One Little Word 2016

Most of you know that I pick a word (or a phrase) every year to base my year's intentions on, and this year was no different. I always look forward to the process of either picking it or having it pick me.

My phrase last year, letting go, served me very well from the beginning to the end of 2015. I felt connected to it all the time, and honestly as a parent, I think this is one of those phrases that will forever linger along with me as I deal with life situations. Therefore, I really felt like it went hand in hand that 'Faith' would be the word I would naturally transition to. 

"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” 

Simply put, the biblical definition of faith is “trusting in something you cannot explicitly prove.”

In letting go I had to learn to hold on hard to my faith. My faith in God and faith in the universe that all would be ok in any situation we faced together. I feel like I've always had a strong faith, but in all honesty, there are always moments where my faith tends to waiver out of shear fear.  I have had to learn how to  redirect those fears and hand them over to my faith...not always the easiest thing for me to do. Having said that though, my faith has also grown immensely and I've learned to trust and feel comfortable within my faith.

The picture above is my Instagram post of the day when I knew Faith would be my One Little Word for 2016.  It practically slapped me in the face as it picked me in the most obvious of ways. This picture was taken of boat being towed by car that was stopped ahead of us at a very random stoplight the day that we got the call from Chris (we knew would come one day) telling us that he was going to start traveling on his own. 'Dear God, oh no, here we go,' I thought. 

Long story short, in a failed attempt to be strong and positive about Christian's travel plans, I began to fill my head with doubt and tears full of fear began to spill as we drove. Already praying for comfort with my head down, and Jerry holding my hand in reassurance, we came to a halt at a light. As I raised my head in reaction to stopping, what is the only thing that catches my eye??  This cute little yellow boat's name- nothing other than... FAITH!! 

What??!! Omg. I immediately knew that was meant for me. The tears stopped, my heart jumped, and I excitedly told Jerry to look at the name and he agreed.  The message just couldn't have been louder to me than that- A boat, named Faith, that in itself being so symbolic. So I said out loud to myself-  'Yes, ok. I get it Captain. Loud and clear! Thank you!

It was His way of telling me to believe, to understand that He knows where/how He is guiding me, to trust, to have faith in Him. I need this word more now than I ever have. The letting go has continued and is only getting harder so this is not just my word for the year, but it will be need to be the corner stone of my existence, my saving grace to keep going in spite of my fears and doubts and worries.

And aside from its spiritual context, this word also has a lot more meaning to me. Its about having faith in many other areas of my life:

Faith in Jerry/my boys
Faith in our marriage
Faith in our parenting
Faith in me   
Faith in my abilities to work, to do my job and do it well
Faith in my creative capabilities, my writing, my talents
Faith that my family and I are where we are supposed to be
Faith in that I will find a place in a bigger picture one day and succeed
Faith in that I have people, who love, support and believe in me and who I am
Faith that I am enough

I'm so grateful for this word and the way it came to me so clearly. For me, faith is all of this put together and definitely "the assurance in all things hoped for."

Have you found your word for 2016 yet or has it found you?

From my little corner to yours...have a great day!

Cheers to a New Year...

Its been a wonderfully busy year of many different adventures for all of  us.

2015 will definitely be a year to remember and thought of in a special way.

We are beyond grateful for all the special memories,
 experiences and opportunities we've been given,

 and we pray for the best in all that may be in store.

Looking forward to next year...its in the works to be just as exciting.
Wishing you all the same and more!

Cheers to 2016

From my little corner to yours...

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Baby boy # 3 is turning 13...

I can't believe that the last of our boys is turning 13 today. Mikey becoming teen is the beginning of another chapter for him and the end of another chapter for us as parents. No more little boys (at all), just a household full of teenagers now. Where did the time go? One of those moments full of mixed emotions of some sadness, joy and pride.

 
Mikey might be our youngest, but he's also the one that completes our family puzzle, our bookend of personality and that final piece that makes up this Camacho clan. He brings so much light and spirit to our family that we wouldn't have it any other way.













 Mikey is our artist, the creative one. He is good at doing a little bit of everything. He is resourceful and can make something out of nothing. He is creative in the kitchen, in his playing, but his artwork amazes us every time. You can tell it comes from inside him, he has great visual perspective, and loves attention to detail. However proud of his work, he is his own worst critic so he keeps challenging himself to get better. It is one the things I love about him. We love his artwork and encourage this talent anyway we can, and can't wait to see what he does with them in high school and the years to come.

He's our consummate entertainer. He does a little acting, singing, and now he's dancing. Ha, I finally got a dancer! Having grown up in the Colombian culture, dancing is a big deal but my boys including Jerry can instrumentally hear/play notes beautifully but dancing is not necessarily their forte. Mikey however, is the one that got and actually enjoys this dancing gene. He's got rhythm in his groove and can feel the music in his body, and loves to express himself any chance he gets. He had been teaching himself some routines by watching videos, but he will be taking some hip hop classes next year to help him with improve his moves. 







Mikey is our enthusiastic one, the sometimes mischievous one, sometimes the louder than we'd like him to be one with a voice getting deeper by the minute, but with a wonderful spirit full of good intent in all he does.


    

                    
He is our patient and kind one too. He is a good friend to everyone and a helper in class. He is very is tolerant and so very patient with all kids which explains why they gravitate to him no matter where he is. He has a natural ability to understand those kids who need a little bit more help or who just need someone to hang out with.







Mikey is all about comfort (very much like his dad). Getting 'dressed up' is not top on his to do list, and hey matching his colors and plaids is just not always that important, lol. But now that he is a little older, there is always that rare occasion where he shows a little flair for style.










Our Mikey has a beautiful smile, a big laugh, but a bigger heart. He feels deeply but is the most subtle with his emotions. He puts himself out there completely in his own way, even it means risking getting hurt. He has been Danny's saving grace, and has a soft spot for his oldest brother. He loves being with all his family as much as he likes being around his friends, and he still loves holding my hand. How can a mom complain, right?

Mikey is all of these things and so much more. And we love him for being All of it.

This guy has always had the key to our hearts. 

Happy 13th Birthday baby boy!! 

We're so proud of the young man you are becoming. 

May your teenage years be blessed, full of growth and adventure

and always guided by God.

We Love You Mikey!

What is giving you life right now??

I went to a special taping of an upcoming Oprah Super Soul Saturday event in September and so grateful for the chance to go. This event came a week after Chris left for Spain and a few days after I lost my part time job of 8 years! It wasn't that easiest week for me, so this event couldn't have come at a better time. I spent that day with special people at my side attentively listening to the amazing guest speakers Oprah had put together for us- Brene Brown, Elizabeth Gilbert, Michael Beckwith and some other new favorites for sure. They each had a different and inspiring theme to talk about but which all resonated with me one way or another. Some of those themes included:

• Living your life with Intention- Oprah
• Marble Jar Friendships, vulnerability and what BRAVING really means- Brene Brown
• The Science of Happiness- Its a choice people
• How following your curiosity will lead you to your passion- Elizabeth Gilbert
• How failure is just information to change your course- Oprah's wise words

And there were so many other motivational themes of self awareness to swallow up and process...and so many necessary for me to hear at this time in my life.

I was ready and took notes in this special little book I had received from the Oprah website a few years back. I had never used it waiting for the right moment and this was it. So each speaker had its page as I transcribed every possible word I could that I wanted to remember. 

I have been trying to process and take all this information since that day and find a way to implement it in to my present life. I have also since that day, been 'TVOing' Oprah's show "Super Soul Sundays" in which she talks to other motivational people. And I was so inspired to take notes at the live event that I am now also taking notes as I watch these shows to continue to take in any information I can use to help me live a wholehearted life.

One of her Super Soul Sunday guests was Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor. An American Episcopal priest, professor, author and theologian. She spoke on many things regarding spirituality and what it means to her but she also spoke on embracing your darkness. Your darkness could be anything to you, as big or as little of a situation or state of being you might be in. This concept peaked my interest especially because she mentioned how much we are socialized to avoid darkness in our life. She felt that when we embrace those "dark moments in our life we need to take 3 breaths and learn to sit in this darkness" because these are the moments in which we can learn the most about ourselves. The dark doesn't necessarily have to be bad.  Talk about a change in perspective...Wow!

Anyways, so I started to think- I could have always considered this time in my life a possible moment of darkness- my first born is out of the house, an empty nest beginning, and I was also now looking for a new job- Uggh!  However, as she said that I realized that these are the moments in which I have already began to embrace to learn and grow from.

She asked the viewers at one point a question that inspired me to write this post:
"What is giving you life right now?? and What is saving you at this moment?"

I have to say that as I heard her ask the question, I felt like it was directed right at me and I immediately began to write my answers:

The things that are giving me life right now are:

• Finding a way to send Chris away to school and to Spain is giving me life. I know that we're not supposed to necessarily live through our kids, but hey, I can't deny that yes I am and it fills my heart. I may not be there with him to him experience any of it, but just knowing that we are giving him that chance to experience people, places and things that we never had a chance to do gives me immense life. It really is giving me purpose to live and work really hard and in turn to enjoy and appreciate my own life.

• Finding (or re-finding) my career path. Its funny how things work. I was lucky enough to have been able to work from home for the past 8 years, but it was time to move on and the universe knew it. So it closed my doors in one area and its proving to be opening up a few more for me in areas I hadn't even thought of pursuing until now.  In the last few month I've found a few new opportunities to get back into the accounting field which is what I actually graduated in. I've found a few freelance positions as a bookkeeper and I've jumped in head first and I'm loving it.  

•  Working again is actually giving me a chance to get fully reacquainted with my accounting education and skills that have laid somewhat untapped for the last few years and at the same time expand my knowledge as technology has become an integral part of the accounting process these days. Its giving me life because with each passing day I am regaining confidence in my capabilities and skills and its helping me to "Dare Greatly" by pursuing some new ventures that I would have never considered if I didn't try and put myself out there like this.   I'm very excited!

• The chance to feel comfortable in truly trusting God. It has not been easy to let go and let God when it comes to giving my boys wings and independence. But having no choice but to hand that faith over has been a big lesson for me the last few months. I am learning to be more comfortable in my faith and more importantly feeling very grateful for that trust in God that has been the cornerstone to how I've been able to deal with all these changes. 

 In regards to "what is saving my life at the moment?"

• Working outside of the home- Again, I have a new purpose and something to keep me busy, mentally active and even grateful for the tiredness its producing, and something to look forward to doing. I realize now that I was getting a little too comfortable working from home and wasting more time than being productive.
• Slowing down- Its kind of an oxymoron, but now that I am actually a bit busier because of work, I have actually had to slow down in others to plan out our days, our lunches, dinners, grocery shopping, etc. It in turn has somehow given me more energy and time to do a few other things because I have to make every minute of free time count- aka.a lot of multi-tasking and it still feels crazy sometimes, but I'm getting things done. Its amazing to see how your home life figures itself out just when you think it will be out of control.
• My friendships - All my friendships lately, especially the ones who are going through similar changes, have truly been there for me right now to hear me out, to understand my tears, to encourage and support me when I need that the most. They've made for some quality coffee times together!!
• My family- I can't begin to express just how much Jerry and my boys are my rock right now. When I miss Chris the most, feel sad or the most tired they're the ones who are there to lift me and feed my soul and keep me going.

Anyway, its been a few months and I haven't really had a chance to write, but I felt like I had to get this down for me to remember. The last few months have been emotionally and spiritually impactful all in their own good way and its a point in time in our lives I will never forget. I feel like these last few months have come with their own sense of smell, touch and feelings and have produced their own group of memories to recall in the future. I truly appreciated the way Rev. Barbara Brown helped me change my perspective that night. I feel like I've been able to make a moment of possible darkness" into a moment of much "light" and that has felt like its own kind of accomplishment for me.

Have yourselves a wonderful weekend.

The reality of letting go...

Its been about week and a half since we dropped off Christian at LAX.  I don't know how, but we found the strength to see him off, to physically let him go, and not actually lose it.  It was hard and there were tears but they were full of pride and so much love. It is his turn to start his life's journey at school and in this case in Spain, and we can't hold him back. We definitely forfeited the privilege of traveling with him and going through the craziness of shopping to get him settled into a dorm at FSU this time around. But instead we made the choice to help pack him up into 2 bags to go experience college in an extraordinary manner in the hopes that the fruits of our labor will be in this adventure to celebrate and enjoy along with him.

I was sweetly texted and messaged by friends and family throughout the day letting us know that they were with us in spirit knowing how hard it would be let Chris go, and we so appreciated feeling supported by all the good vibes and blessings being sent Chris's way. They all let us know it was going to be ok. And it was.

I have to say that I was surprised that as hard as it was at the airport, Jerry and I came home and talked about how much peace we felt and how happy we actually were about it all. Like in the company of all other parents and friends dropping off their kids this year, we felt like we did our job. For the last 18 years, this is what we have worked for, right? We did it! We have been getting ready for this day through every possible experience in life and in school that we could have given him. All of that to prepare him for this day. To prepare US for this day.



So as we reflected, it was kind of hard to be sad about it really. If anything, all we could truly feel is extremely grateful that we were able to give him this opportunity somehow. But how to stop from missing him was now the question.  I was holding up pretty well until the dust settled over the last weekend and the tears showed up as the novelty of "we sent our kid off to college, hooray!" became "Holy Crap! We sent our kid off to college!!!...in Spain!"

What the HECK did we do??!!

I'm getting pretty good at asking and answering my own life questions lately I think. Its helpful when I have to take a step back from panic to talk myself out of it with some common sense reality and logic. Its works most of the time, but if not then Jerry's there to help me through it.
So to answer that lovely question? For one, we did what we would have wanted to do back in our own college days but never got the chance to do. Second, we knew that given all the options this was the best fit for Christian and what he wanted for his future...so we took this opportunity, and now he'll be living it, and we're nothing but excited for him!

As a family, the reality of letting go has been as normal as could be expected I'm sure...

We all miss him! How can we not? Again, we are handling it as well as possible, but seeing the love his younger brothers have for Chris expressed through their heartfelt prayers to keep him safe, and sleeping in his bed to feel close to him can make some days harder than others :') 

Every conversation, skype session and text is cherished and looked forward to. However, although the technology is there to keep us connected, we're finding it necessary to hold back (at least a little) to find a way to give him his space and help relieve him of feeling homesick as much as possible. 

We are celebrating every discovery and experience with him. His stories, his pictures and blog posts produce some of our biggest smiles and happy hearts.    
 
As a mom, I'm find myself worried about something new every other day. Is he sleeping ok or enough? Does he need anything? Is he eating ok, enough or at all? He says he is, but is he really?? Is he just saying that or is he going without something he could have here at home? Ugghh...all the things that can kill a mom's spirit in 2 seconds flat, but I guess all other "top ramen/mac-n-cheese" eating kids have made it through college ok. So yes mom, Its part of the process. He will figure this out too.

At home, we are also figuring out our new normal. Like sleeping with our cell phones nearby, converting time to Spain time every time we look at the clock. To remembering that I am making one less lunch, not necessarily needing to go in his room for laundry, or even remembering to ask for a table for 4 instead of 5 when we go out! Its habit what can I say...we'll always be 5 right? ;)

As parents its 1 down and 2 to go. Danny and Mikey are growing up too. They're needing their own guidance and encouragement to grow and gain their own sense of individuality during this time apart. Chris's going away for college will be a great inspiration to them, but they will find what works best for them when the time comes. For now it will be about continuing to cherish them, who they are and our time with them as life continues to fly by.

Ultimately, this will always be Christian's home, our boys' home, but we've been told by many parents before us that they will become 'visitors' in our home. Kind of sad? Yes! But isn't it a problem we want to have? Its what we want for your kids right? For them to become independent and self sufficient and yet still be there for them to give them a reason to want to come home and visit.

The reality of letting go?...It is what it is for now and will be what it will be in the future. We have officially sent our first born off to school..Hooray! With God's help, Chris will be back in December for the holidays and then leave again, come home in the summer and leave again. Also part of our new normal for the next 4 years to come. It doesn't mean we're supposed to like it or get used to it but its what's supposed to happen. The truth is, we are embracing this reality with every inch of our heart and soul with joy, love and lots of faith.

From my little corner to yours...have a blessed week.

Frank Sinatra's 100th Birthday @ the Hollywood Bowl...

A trip to the Hollywood Bowl is always a special one. To be honest the Hollywood Bowl is a fairly new experience for me. Believe it or not, the first time I went to to the Hollywood Bowl was just 2 years ago for a Juanes concert and it was amazing. I couldn't believe I hadn't experienced it before, but I swore I'd go again and I have.

I've learned quickly that a night at the Hollywood Bowl includes anything from dining al fresco before the concert or choosing to take your own picnic basket full of whatever your heart desires...wine, food, dessert and dining at your seats during the concert. You can totally get comfortable as you wine and dine while you get entertained by your favorite artist. A perfect night every time.



For the last 2 years I've been able to post and share with all of you the Hollywood Bowl's Summer Concert Schedule (Thanks to Allied Hispanic) and I hope its been a reminder and incentive for all of you to go out and see a summer show.  Last year I was given the opportunity to see the Grease Sing Along. That was amazing fun. To see all kinds of people dressed up as the movie characters and to sing along to one of my favorite movies was a night to remember.





This year we picked the Frank Sinatra 100th Birthday celebration to go to last Wednesday evening. We had been to a Frank Sinatra themed party earlier last month and it was so much fun. His music is just so wonderfully classic that what a better place to listen to his music once again but live.

Concerts are usually a thing we share with Christian who is our music guy, but this time we wanted to share and expose Danny and Mikey to some amazing music and invited them to be our dates and they accepted. It was a night to broaden their musical horizons and their cultural experiences as well. It was their first time at the Bowl and I know it won't be there last, but they had a really good time.

Frank's tribute was a series of songs that came from all areas of his classical catalog and were sung by some amazing singers and accompanied by The Count Basie Orchestra who have all had some kind of playing history back in the day with Frank Sinatra. Special guests included Kurt Elling (below), Carmen Brandford (the Girl of Impenima), Seu Jorge, and even Seth MacFarlane who was just wonderful! I think the boys were secretly hoping to hear "Stewie" sing a Sinatra song or two, but that didn't quite happen this time ;) What they did get to hear though, were many more songs they recognized than they expected. Songs they've heard in modern form in some of their favorite movies, never realizing they actually belonged to Frank Sinatra. A cool way for them to connect the old with a lot of their new.





All in all, it was a wonderful tribute to "Old Blue Eyes" and we were so happy to have been there and be able to share it with our boys. I hope they'll remember that it was a special night for us with them and we know there are more to come for us at the Hollywood Bowl.

What will you be seeing at the Bowl next?

This summer has been...

Different. Just like everything else this year...just a little different. We didn't have anything major set for summer, no special vacation plans, no big budgets for anything with college tuition starting to roll out, and yet I feel it has been one of the best summers we've had for many different reasons. A lot of what we've done has happened on a whim, on short notice invitations, or because timing just happened to work out nicely. It honestly just seems like stars have aligned this summer to put even the smallest situations together to make them into very special moments for all of us and I'm just grateful for all of them.

 Ever since school got out, this summer has been about...

Special get togethers- Our first special get together was Christians graduation party. It was a special night with family and friends who came to celebrate his wonderful accomplishment. As always, I tried to make it special with as many homemade grad decorations possible, as well as making his cake which I always enjoy doing. It was a special night.  We went to a 60th b-day Sinatra themed party for a special friend that included a Sinatra like performer and some great food. And along with our other Colombian friends we gave a very special going away party for our dear friend Lina who moved to Miami with her family. We had a great 4th of July together, we have an upcoming family reunion in San Diego, and we've had a few memorable dinners in honor of Christian's going away thanks to some special family friends.  ;) 

Family visits- Since the beginning of June we've had different family members from Miami, North Carolina and even Colombia, come visit us in LA. Some of their visits overlapped so that made it that much more interesting and busy. My aunt and uncle from NC were here the longest and it was soo nice to have them around to spend time with us and the boys (which they really haven't seen since they were little), and the fact that they are HUGE soccer fans made watching the Americas Cup soccer finals with them so much more fun. I haven't seen my cousin Melba since I was 16 years old in Colombia and it was great to see her again and see how well she's done for herself.  My brother had a bbq at his house and we had a great time catching up. Then my cousin Juan came into LA for a friend's wedding, but had one day to be able to spend with us and we totally made the most of the time we had.

Cooking- Aside from getting him ready to do his own laundry and many other solo things, he is getting himself ready for college by learning how to cook. Not just "noodles," but good food, homemade food he's been used to. I've been teaching him some of my recipes, and he has discovered his own and he's even been cooking with his friend, Luke, a future chef himself, so he's going to school pretty prepared to defend himself in the kitchen. He has a passion for it, sets up his own cooking environment (including salsa music to put him in the mood) and he is actually pretty good. I have even been able to entrust him to cook a full dinner for Jer and the boys when I haven't been able to. I will miss that when he's at school, but it makes me proud to know that we have a second cook in the house.


(Re)Discovering LA-  I feel like this summer we have been able to (re)discover Los Angeles in a way we've never ventured to do so before, considering that we have lived here all our lives.  Having my cousin in town asking to see some trending breweries as opposed to doing something touristy, I realized how much we really don't go out and panicked at the thought of us being boring hosts on the one day we had with him. With the help of my brother, we ended up at hitting up 2 different types of craft beer restaurants in two different parts of town including the hipster town of Silverlake. It was an incredible day for me as I felt like the tourist myself.  I felt like my eyes were opened to all the amazing things our city has to offer. We've visited more new places/restaurants in just a few weeks than I ever have including LACMA, Bar 20 lounge on Sunset, a friends house in Malibu Canyon, the top of Point Dume, and Santa Monica pier and even Huntington Beach which I haven't been to in years and all new for the boys.

Universal Studios- The boys and I along with one of their friends got passes last year and they were going to expire at the end of June so I made it my goal to make sure we take advantage of them and that we did.  I saw the advantage of getting passes especially to an amusement park that is so close to home. It was also so nice just to be able to go for a few hours, get on all the rides and then be able to go home. We did something different each time we went and actually got to see the Fast and the Furious Ride on our last visit. We seemed to be able to get the most out of our time there. We are hoping to get passes next year when the Harry Potter world opens up!!



(Speaking of...) the Metro system. Mikey and I took the metro one day to Universal to avoid parking and traffic and Mikey and I loved the adventure. It was such an easy way to get to any place...so convenient and fun. Not only have Mikey and I taken the metro, but Christian has also been preparing himself (and us) to be able to handle taking the Metro system in Europe when he's at school. He has taken the metro on a few day excursions with his friends all the way to Olvera Street, the Music Center in downtown LA for dance lessons, and Hollywood Blvd.  The metro might be commonplace for many, but its new for us and we need to know that he can figure out this form of transportation, efficiently and safely here so he can figure it out there without us.

Bonding time for Jerry and the boys- Jerry doesn't always get the chance to spend as much time with the boys as he'd like to due to his work and long hours, let alone individually. But this summer has given Jerry the well deserved time and opportunity to go on individual weekend trips with 2 of the boys so far, Mikey and Chris, and get some amazing quality time with each of them.  Mikey's best friend invited him and Jerry to his guys birthday weekend up in a cabin by Kern river doing some really fun things- riding bikes, scavenger hunts, bonfires, smores, swimming and even some "BINGO!" They had a blast together and as a group, but Jerry said the part that made it all worth it for him was the 3.5 hour ride up to the ranch that opened up some wonderful conversations with his youngest son that he's never had before. Love, love, love!  With Christian, he went along with him out to Florida State University for Chris' college orientation and Jerry couldn't have been more excited. Most people know that FSU is Jerry's favorite college football team/school! So his love for this school came to a complete circle the day that Chris had accepted to attend here, and then to actually get to visit the school together for the first time...forget it! Both shared that feeling of awe for the campus, that student pride for Chris, and the pride of being an FSU dad for Jerry. A wonderful trip for both of them. And don't worry...Jerry is planning a weekend for him and Danny as we speak. Its coming soon and they too will have a blast together.

So the truth is, this summer has been special and different just by sheer virtue that its the last full summer we all have with Chris before he goes off to school in Spain and begins his own life, his own new adventure as an adult. Uggh...that hurt to say. Anyway, it is what it is, so we are taking advantage of every moment we have with him alone and together as a family, and he is taking advantage to enjoy time with as many of his own good friends too. Its a special time and memories are being made all around and once again, I couldn't me more grateful. And to be able to have it all documented for us to look back on...priceless.

I hope you're all having an amazing summer too and from my little corner to yours...Thanks for stopping by!