Back to life...back to reality

Our only family picture (good thing because I barely remember Brian being on the trip). I'm pretty sure that's not the Moby wrap way but it worked and Beck was content. Notice the one glove, this was early in the trip but he definitely only came home with one glove.

Yes we are back and yes it has taken me 6 days to post something. I think I have finally adjusted to the Arizona time zone and for the most part the kids have too but geez this 5:00AM business is getting old...thank God for Starbucks!!! We had a wonderful time in Spain. Luckily we all made it there and only did my parents, kids and I arrive a day later than expected. We met Uncle Jeff, Aunt Lala and Brian in Malaga and drove to Ronda, Sevilla, Merida, Cordoba & Madrid. Spain is beautiful and a much different tour this time around (since the last time it was my friend and I who backpacked there for a couple weeks in college). Taking the kids was awesome but as those of you who have/had kids know that plans never seems to go as planned. Basically it takes you twice as long to get anywhere and when you do get there you go twice as fast. I swear we went to one palace, waited in line for 30+ minutes at our scheduled tour time and the minute we get inside Kendal says, "I have to go to the bathroom" (of course she didn't have to go the first time I asked her as we waited in line). Now these palaces do not exactly have bathrooms available for the public so I have to pretty much run through the entire palace to get to the end to go back to the beginning where there was 1 bathroom for the entire grounds all without an accident on the way. I have absolutely no idea what was in that palace (since you can only go in one time) but the pictures were beautiful and everyone else seemed to have enjoyed it. I have to laugh when I look back because the entire trip was filled with moments like these but of course that's life with kids and it would be waaay too boring without them!

One final note...my parents were AMAZING!!! They took the nightmare flight there and back with me and the kids and they kept Beckett every night in their room so the kids wouldn't wake each other up (that means getting up 1-2 times at night to feed him). They fully deserve the nickname as surrogates parents to Kendal and Beckett and I'm sure they need a vacation from the vacation.

Here's just a taste of the pics, it was late when I was adding them last night so who knows what you'll get.


Kendal is holding up her presents from the 3 Kings. In Spain children don't get presents (or if they do it's just a few) from Santa but they get them from the 3 Kings and this happens on January 6th, the day we left.

An amazing church in Cordoba. The architecture and paintings had influences from the Romans, the Christians and the Muslims, I have never seen anything quite like it.


While not attending to Kendal this was pretty much how we rolled.

Roman Aqua ducks (still completely in tact)

The carriage ride in Cordoba...of course we had to do this!

Flamingo dancing (they sure like those polkadots).

New Years night, Jeff's new friends. Me, some random people, Jeff and Lara.

Daddy, Beckett, Kendal and Grandpa. Again, 1 glove.

Daddy and a very tired Kendal. Uncle Jeff and Aunt Lala in the background.

The bellmen (stripes required).