Viva Espana

 Spain: Last I set foot in this beautiful country, I was 24 years old: adventurous, independent, curious, and soaking up the world like a sponge. 15 years later, happy to say i still have those qualities with me, I find myself lucky enough to revisit the country which is responsible for contributing to a portion of my DNA, and therefore a portion of mis hijos chiquitos' DNA tambien. Espana! Me encanta! 

What made this trip extra special with sugar on top was my mama got to join us for a bit. 9 amazing days spent in Barcelona with  her and my little buddies, exploring parts of the city that are so beautiful, so special. (Meanwhile, Pete was scaling the crevasses of Chamonix with his brother.)
 Then Mama headed home and my three boys and I headed off to explore Costa Brava and the wine regions of Catalan. Could it be the company I was with that made it that much more...More? Most certainly. After all, it's my men we are talking about here. But, whether I'm 24 or...a bit past that, oh how I love me some Spain!  

My Baby Meets the Mighty Segrada

My Mama

The Drink

Bari Gotica-A Walk Through our Neighborhood

Good ol' Christopher Columbus. Always ready to point the way home.

The International Language of Play

Villa Viniteca-I have died and gone to Spanish Heaven!

Still in Spanish Heaven

Iberico Ham-Tasting  (100 euro/kilo ya'll! It's butter!)

As I walked up to our apartment, I came 
home to this little balcony scene. This 
was our last night in Barcelona, and 
this moment, I'm sure will stick with 

me for a lifetime. Didn't take too long feel at home in this city. And let me tell you, the Spaniards looooove children! Do not let anyone else try to convince you that you are crazy to travel abroad with young kids (if you're going to Spain). My two little boys have never had so many head pats, cheek rubs, and offered so much candy/trinkets from complete strangers in their little lives. A little freaky at first, but I got used to it and grew to love it!

Home Sweet Home-Plaza del Pi

 Taller de Tapas (The Tapas Studio). A treat! Our balcony sat over the entrance to the tapas bar. Our big ancient wooden door with a crazy medieval lock-next to the potted plant. Home Sweet Home Our living had an amazing view to the Plaza del Pi below-a quaint little pedestrian square with the Cathedral del Pi taking center stage. Some of my favorite moments were chatting with my mom on our little balcony and watching the kids go crazy exploring and playing.

Our living room had an amazing view to the Plaza del Pi below-a quaint little pedestrian square with the Cathedral del Pi taking center stage. Some of my favorite moments were chatting with my mom on our little balcony and watching the kids go crazy exploring and playing.

Strollin' the Art Scene with CeeCee in Plaza del Pi

                                               

                                                    La Boqueria-Jet-lagged? Not a problem.
                                             Guzzle some watermelon juice
                                                                  while cruising the produce stands. Refreshment at its best!

When in Spain do as the Spaniards do. Stay up ridiculously late and have a good time! 

I was not kidding about that watermelon juice. It became our obsession...

...and so did sangria.

The Fountains of Mont Juic

An Afternoon with Gaudi at Park Guel

Oh, Happy Day! 

Time to do a little shopping in peace.

Seriously. What return flight?
Costa Brava-You are gorgeous!

Salvador Dali is alive and well and living in Costa Brava.

                                       Just another relaxing day at a Begur cafe.

A Medieval Stroll Through Pals

The man behind Pete has taken siesta time to a whole new level.
 He has been asleep at this cafe table for approximately 2 hours.
So envious!

 Thank God for Daddy...

...and cold beer

Lunch is served.
Seriously. How can you not go gaga over this place?!

Chillin' at the Botanical Garden
 (Former palace of an exiled czar. Exiled! So punk rock!)

Gazing at the Med

Kayaking the Med

Terrified of the Med!

One cool thing about Spain is instead of going to bed, kids just swim.

Another cool thing about Spain is should you overexert yourself when playing in the pool, there is always a cold glass of cava waiting in the background. 

Tarragona.
Old, yes. Well made, sure. But will it stand the test of time of Wy...

Tarragona Alleyways

Montserrat. 

Perched high up on a mountaintop, we found ourselves listening to a boys choir from Europe's oldest established choir school. Surreal!

Prayers of Montserrat

And More Prayers

Here are just few offerings to a certain Saint.
(Yes, those are prosthetic boobs-just right of center.)
What?
You gotta thank somebody for looking so good.

Sitges Carousel

Mi Familia at Segrada Familia-
They say construction should be completed in 50 years. (What's the rush?) That being said, the first Mass should be held in 2062. Come on modern medicine-get me to my 90s. I gotta witness this!

Sisters

Something about this Cathedral. I can not get enough of it!
My eyes actually welled up with tears as I stood in front of it. Makes me wish I had known Gaudi.

Although I never actually had the chance to sit down and enjoy the treats offered at this historic cafe,
it still remains an obsession of mine.

 A Walk Through a Modernista's Dream World

The Eixample (Barcelona)

Look Up

Something about fresh air and open space, just makes you want to hang out in your undies

 We thoroughly inspected Catalan. No leaf left unturned.

This is what five minutes of peace looks like.

OK. So the next time I say to myself, "I have pretty good balance" I'll take a look at these pics.
Keep that ego in check!

 Our LiLi Turns 1! 

It's a Spanish Style Birthday fully equipped with a cable car ride up MontJuic in Barcelona.

One Going on Twenty-One
Trouble!

This is what I look like when I am happily surrounded by my men!

After 3 weeks of sun, sangria, iberico ham, art, architecture, and that beautiful Spanish language, we are homebound.

After all that, it is officially siesta time!
Adios, Espana! Mi Amor!
Muchos Gracias!
Hasta que nos encontramos otra vez!

The Best Day Ever

Remember that amazing day? You were a kid, probably a little one. It was probably a warm, Southern California summer day and you couldn't sleep the night before, because your parents told you they were "taking you to Disneyland tomorrow!" You thought, "There is nothing better than this day!" Well, you were right, until you walked back through those ticket gates, a few decades older, with your little boy in tow, and watched those eyes light up, because he thought, "There is nothing better than this day!"

And guess what. He was right!

A Birthday Wish for Wy...

May you live, laugh, leap, love, and learn.

(And have a ridiculous  amount of fun doing it!)

A Cruise Up The Road

"The best way to honor the memory of someone is to live your life fully." A little advice from Henry Miller-pertinent to my life right about now. 

So-here I am. Living my life to the fullest.

Nothing like a trip up the coast to clear the mind.

Little Sister finished grad school, so we packed up the family caravan and made our way up the California coast. Our destination was the former stomping grounds of John Steinbeck.  

Oh,Monterey.

You are a beauty! Ever since our return, I've been brainstorming ways that we could relocate our brood up to that beautiful town.

I'll let you know what plans I come up with... 

I want to live in this picture!

 With the kids in Grandma's hands, we headed out to Restaurant 1883. All sorts of delish!

...and debauchery.(Welcome back to absinthe. It's gotten a heck of a lot fancier since my days in Czech.)

Hooray, little sister!

Is there anything more beautiful than the California coast? 

If you are ever in need of truly being at peace with the memory of someone, this is the place to come. 
Big Sur. Big Love.

Revisiting the place where it all started, Big Sur-where Pete laid it on the line and proposed. This time, we had some kiddies to share the beauty with. 

 And no family vacation is complete without a black eye. That's right, that's a shiner. My first! Pretty exciting! 

 Spending some time by the Big Sur River

Our Heart

I received some news today. News that hit like a ton of bricks. News that stopped me in my busy tracks. News that knocked me down. My family and I learned that the woman who has been a source of strength for us all- since the beginning of “us”- will not be around as long as we had all hoped she would be.


My brother and I were able to visit with her last Monday. She looked tired, lying in a bed that wasn't hers.  I wanted so badly to take her with me, bring her home. When we made eye contact, the first words out of her mouth were, "How have you been?" She is a woman who never offers less-regardless of the situation. 

For those of you who have had the opportunity to meet my Aunt Jennie, you will agree with me when I say-she is truly a woman of infinite hope, generous love, unimaginable strength, and unsurpassable beauty. The obstacles life has thrown in her direction are unfathomable to most of us. Lucky us. However, Aunt Jennie has the gift of turning life into opportunity to offer more love to the universe. More laughter at family gatherings. More phone calls to check on us and our babies. More patience. More tolerance. More words of kindness. More acceptance. More. Never less. 


She is and has been for a very long time, the matriarch of our family. She is a connection to my past, and to my culture. She keeps me grounded. She validates me. When both of my babies were born, she was one of the first people to call to check on me. Each year, on my birthday, she sends me a birthday card, with a little message written in Spanish. I look forward to reading it every year. This year, she sent it early. As I opened the white envelope, I couldn't help but think, this may be the last time I see Feliz Cumpleanos written out in her freeform cursive. 

She is a confidant to many of us, helping us through tough decisions-guiding us to a clearer perspective. Like my sister says, Aunt Jennie "is our heart.” And it is hard for a family to hear that they are about to loose their heart.

Aunt Jennie, believe me when I say, you have taught me so much as to what it truly means to be a woman, a wife, a mother, a sister, and a friend. 

Thank you for proving to me-again and again-that life is an opportunity. 


I love you. Know that you are today, and will be all the tomorrows that I will ever know-Our Heart.
  

(July 2011-Celebrating the upcoming birth of Liam.
One of our many happy times.)

Om

I just got back from a really great trip. My good friend, Kim, invited me to join her on a yoga retreat up in Napa. 
Napa? Really? Kind 

of hard to say no to that. It was a great weekend that started and ended in San Francisco,  some incredible yoga classes in Napa-oh-and the occasional glass of wine somewhere in the middle. 

I gotta say, no city apartments can top what you can find in San Francisco. This is just a snapshot of what Kim gets to wake up to every morning. Lucky!

Here's to 23 plus year of friendship.

Did I mention it is absolutely beautiful in Napa?

A Date

 One of our last afternoons in Chicago. Li and P stayed home, while Wy and I went on a date to our local coffee shop. I love spending time with this little man. 

No more coffee for you, young man. (I'm kidding.)