FAMILY TIME AT CARLTON LANDING...

 As our family grows more and more, vacations are starting to look a bit different!  We recently went on a trip with the whole family (8 adults, 2 toddlers) and decided to go to a nearby resort area at Lake Eufaula.  The idea for the long weekend was just to chill, enjoy each other's company, eat well, play games.  We went into the town of Eufaula to go out to eat twice - once at Captain Jack's, a floating restaurant, and also brunch on Sunday at Tulip & Table.  We drove around Eufaula looking at all their murals, too.  It's a nice little place!  Along with games, I came up with a few fun challenges for the group after the toddlers went to bed, and we had fun watching our adult kids do those. It was good to all be together!

Beautiful wildflowers

Play time!

Testing the water

Lego challenge:  See which couple could assemble the lego kit the quickest!

Puzzling

The weird food challenge:  Each couple got points for identifying, tasting and guessing where the weird food came from.  It was fun and interesting!

Our DIL made her own Blueberry birthday cake!

Butterfly

Can you look over there? 

The whole gang!

ORANGE BEACH STILL DELIGHTS...

Well, we MOSTLY love variety and new places when it comes to travel but we just spent a couple of weeks at Orange Beach, Alabama, again!  It's our winter go-to in February!  I think it's our 7th year?

At the east end of the beach by the Perdido Pass 

We haven't grown tired of it yet!  This year we did a few new things besides our usual walking on the beach and biking.  And the weather was amazing!  Only one cold day for the two weeks we were there.

We drove to Pensacola (about 30 min) and visited the lighthouse on the Naval Base - if you go you must bring proper ID to get on the base.  

We climbed to the top on this beautiful staircase.  At the base there was a keeper's house which is now a nice museum of history on the lighthouse.   

There are lots of Live Oaks there!  Can you see the lighthouse through the tree?

Close to the lighthouse, also on the Naval Base was the National Aviation Museum.  This is a presidential helicopter.  

We watched a movie about the Blue Angels and were so impressed with the training and precision it takes to fly one of those planes!  The whole museum was very interesting!

I discovered a new coffee shop I LOVED in Gulf Shores, about 15 min. away.  DH's grandpa name is Pappy, so of course I had to come again and bring him for a hot chocolate and enjoy their comfy atmosphere!

Being on the east end of the beach, we were close to the Perdido Pass bridge, which has a pedestrian walkway across it to Gulf State park.  We decided to give it a try!

On the bridge

A look at the Gulf State park (one of several beach ones) from the bridge!  We we walked about 6 miles this day, including all around the beach here.  

Near the bridge is a neat restaurant - The Gulf -  made out of shipping containers.  They have a great seating area with sandy beach, looking out at the ocean.  Great food, too!

We were there on Fat Tuesday, so watched the Orange Beach parade!  There are always lots of floats and they throw lots of Moon Pies and other goodies.  

Some of the goodies from the parade!

Another part of the trip we love is driving and listening to audio books, and stopping at new places along the way.  This time we listened to The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly and Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly.  Both books were really good.  We went through Nashville (DH had a business meeting) so one good lunch stop was a butcher shop/deli called Mr. P's in Hoover, AL and another was Priester's Pecans near Montgomery, AL, with great food and gift items.  They also had a viewing area to watch pecan processing. 

I'm always thankful for the chance to get away during the winter! 

CAMINO LESSONS: BACKPACK BURDENS...

 As we prepared to walk the Camino de Santiago, we took many, many walks. We called it training and it paid off in more ways than one! We wore the backpacks we planned to take with us. Then we started adding weight in our backpacks(some use a luggage transfer service on the Camino, but we preferred not to).  We worked up to 10 pounds and I realized how uncomfortable I was with just that added weight, the added burden on my back.  I started thinking how much easier it would be not to have the physical load.  And then it dawned on me, without my backpack I'd be miserable!  It carries my clothing, food, and necessities!  It sustains me!  It really is a BLESSING!

Day 1 on our Camino de Santiago, with my backpack of blessings.

What if the things we consider burdens in our everyday living we thought of as BLESSINGS? Our chores, work and obligations. Our spouses, parents, children, friends, co-workers occasionally feel like burdens.  They all have needs.  And it's not up to us to meet all of them. But where would we be without them?  And without work to do, would life have any real meaning? 

The Cruce de Ferro on the Camino Frances intrigues me.  It is a hilly place where an ancient cross is and stone "burdens" are brought and left by many pilgrims on the Camino.  I've read many stories of how meaningful this is for them.  And I realized if I were to bring a burden to lay down at the foot of the cross, it would be the BURDEN OF EXPECTATION.  Often times I'm very hard on myself with unrealistic expectations.  Instead of relying on God's mercy and grace I tend toward filling my life with too many works or visions of perfection.   

Before I even stepped foot on the pilgrim's path to Santiago de Compostela, I had already learned something!  My BURDENS are mostly BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE.  Mindfully walking through life, smiling along the way is a more pleasant way to look at my mental and physical load.  And God has equipped me to carry it and enjoy the journey.  

It reminds me of a devotional song with a catchy tune:  

Who's that walkin' down the road?  Carrying such a heavy load!

Sinner, lay your burden down, 'cause you're walking down Heaven's road!

Walkin' down Heaven's Road, you're gonna lay down that heavy load,

(Sweet) Jesus said He'd walk along with me (Praise God, glory hallelujah)

I'm singing all the way, I've got sunshine in every day,

Won't you come along and join me on that Heaven's road?

CAMINO LESSONS: GUIDANCE FOR OUR PATH...

 

   Scripture:  Psalm 119:105 Your Word is a lamp to my feet, a light to my path.

Several days of our Camino walk we were going longer distances, so we were sure to get an early start and be on the path by 7 a.m. That meant we were walking in darkness for a bit!  We walked about 5 km, or an hour, while watching the horizon lighten, the sun rising and the sleepy towns and villages waking up. We enjoyed it, as it was quiet and seemed we had the trail all to ourselves, but at the same time, it could be dangerous. During that first hour we needed a light for our feet on this unknown path.  We had one small headlamp between us, so we had to stick close together.  We stepped a little slower and more carefully, as injury could mean the end of our whole Camino!  It was a bit spooky as well, when we were under a tunnel of trees.  I felt a little like Red Riding Hood in the Dark Wood!  It seemed the trees might reach out and grab you.  Fortunately sharing the trail with my husband helped!  I specifically remember heading out of Melide, we immediately encountered a steep rocky path like some areas they call the "dragon's teeth."  Our senses were heightened and focused.  We were reliant on the light of the tiny headlamp for our safety and well-being.

The verse in Psalm 119 states plainly that God's Word is a lamp, a light for our path.  If we don't want to stumble through life -and who doesn't - we should rely on God's Word! Using God's Word as our guide we can navigate around obstacles and keep moving forward.  I'm reminded of another good verse from 2 Timothy 3:16, that reminds us God's word is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.  As we travel on our journey, let us rely on the light, God's Word. 

Passing a statue or monument just before sunrise

 

REINDEER GAMES AKA FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY...

 This is the year I'm hosting our extended family Christmas party!  My sis and I take turns and we have been doing a theme and games for a number of years, to take the emphasis off gifts.  We still do the Dirty Santa game, just not buying additional gifts for each other.  

My theme was Reindeer Games!  I asked everyone to wear reindeer gear, we had some great games and I made some special reindeer pops (dipped Oreos with added goodies to look like reindeer).  It turned out great!  Here's a few of our games:

My mother won the Best Costume prize with this cute sweatshirt she's actually had since 1988 - my sister painted it for her when painted shirts were popular!

We broke up into 4 teams for the games to make it move quickly and build comradery.  This was the Ornament Challenge.  They had 10 minutes to make an ornament given a bag of craft goodies with no instructions.  I judged them based on creativity.  It was a quiet game that everyone seemed to enjoy!

A cute one!

Creativity prize for the Christmas Spider!

Ring Toss on the Reindeer Antlers!  I bought this game at our local store and made more rings with pipe cleaners so all team members could toss at the same time.  It was a fun one!

Finally we did the Reindeer Hooves game that seems to be all over social media this year, scooping cotton balls with our cup "hooves." It wasn't that easy!

We finished off the evening singing Christmas songs, especially the reindeer ones, and playing Dirty Santa!  It was a fun party and I'm glad our family participates well.  :)

Reindeer Pops!

AFTER THE CAMINO...

 Our Camino de Santiago walk (6 days, 115km  from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela) was a great experience(see previous post)!  Now for the rest of our trip - recuperate and play! We weren't sure how much rest we would need, but it turned out we were energized.  In fact, since we had planned for a two week trip, I wish now that we had walked further, about 10 of those days.  But we had a plan and went with it.  We spent 2 nights and 2 1/2 days in Santiago, then went on a train back to Madrid where we spent several more nights and also had a day trip on a local bus to Segovia.  Here's the highlights:

SANTIAGO:  After walking into the city, we got our compostela certificates, ate at Meson de Cotolay on their patio (since we were in hiking gear) and went through the Pilgrim Museum.  The museum is free on Sundays for pilgrims.  We got checked in to our stay, Hostal San Clemente, just a block away.  It was charming and quiet.  On to get massages which we had pre-booked at Spazio.  It was a nice reward!  

Our room at Hostal San Clemente

Pretty courtyard

Pilgrim museum

We had booked a rooftop cathedral tour, which was all in Spanish, but still cool to be able to see the architecture up close.  The cathedral construction began in 1075!  Our ticket included the cathedral museum, so we also spent the morning there, looking at sculptures and art.  Our lunch was at a charming spot at the Garden Cafe in the Costa Vella hotel - a lovely oasis in the middle of the city! The afternoon was spent roaming, shopping and snacking!  We also visited inside the cathedral.  For dinner we had empanadas and ate them in Alameda Park near our stay.  

Roof of the cathedral tour

on the rooftop tour

churros with chocolate

statue of the Two Marias in Alameda Park

Garden cafe

The last day we visited the cathedral again to see the Portico of Glory by Mateo (paid admission).  It was the entrance at one time, but is now enclosed to protect it from the elements.  It is a magnificent piece of sculpture from 1100 of Jesus, James, Queen of Sheba, angels, prophets and apostles with arches to walk underneath.  A funny story I heard after we got home about this piece was that the Queen of Sheba's breasts were very large on the sculpture and at the time some thought it was sinful to have this on the church entrance.  Some time later they were amended, which other groups thought was bad to have done!  So the people of Arzua began shaping their cheese into a breast to honor her.  So maybe that is the origin of the Tetilla cheese?  A funny culture story, none the less!  After this we ate at Secreto where I had the best mocha latte so far, then we headed for our train to Madrid.   

One last victory pic!

Me with my Camino shell scarf and a Mocha latte!

MADRID:  After a 4 hour train trip, we arrived in Madrid and then had to get on the Metro to Atocha station.  It was nuts - so many people - but we managed.  Atocha station was in the heart of the city, right by the Bear and fruit tree statue.  We got checked in to Hostal Gonzalo (very basic but a nice host) and then got dinner nearby at Los Rotos, recommended by our host.  

Bear statue - symbol of Madrid

Our first full day in Madrid we walked a lot - saw Plaza Mayor, ate at the 100 year old Chocolateria San Gines churro place, shopped Casa Hernanz (espadrilles) and Taller Puntera (leather goods).  We headed for the Royal Palace but it was closed for an event, so went to the Royal Art Collection next door instead.  We enjoyed the art more than I thought we would - there were carriages and all kinds of collections of the royal family there.  We learned more about the Hapsburgs and Bourbon families of Spain.  

Plaza Mayor

Chocolateria San Gines

Some interesting stores

Our next day was a bus trip (about 75 min) to Segovia.  We planned on spending about 4 hours there, and I wish we had spent more!  We walked about 45 min. to the bus station and got cheap tickets for a round trip - this is a tip I learned from APOC or other bloggers - don't pay 45 Euro to go with a private company when you can catch the local bus for 12 Euro!  We enjoyed the smaller atmosphere of Segovia and it wasn't hard at all to find the Roman aqueduct, 167 arches long with no mortar holding it together!  The cathedral there was magnificent and we did the cathedral bell tower guided tour which was awesome!  We climbed 197 steps and also got to see the Bell Ringer's house halfway up the tower.  Very interesting!  Lastly, we walked to what looked like the end of town to the Alcazar palace.  Supposedly this palace is what inspired Walt Disney to make Cinderella castle.  Sadly we didn't have time to go inside but we enjoyed the outside of it.  Caught the 2:15 p.m. bus back and we napped on the bus then walked around Retiro Park nearby.  The Hubs found a pizza place he wanted to try, Pizzatecha, which turned out to be wonderful.  It was a fun day! 

Roman aqueduct in Segovia

Bell tower tour

Beautiful cathedral where we did the bell tower tour

Pizzatecha - Carbonara pizza :)

Our last day in Madrid we had booked a special tour with "Devour" tours.  It was a 4 1/2 hour tour of the Prado art museum and Botin lunch.  The Prado is similar to the Louvre, and it was wonderful to not have to wait in lines and have someone explain the significant pieces and history to us.  We then walked to the oldest restaurant in the world (according to Guiness) which is 300 years old.  Their specialty is suckling pig.  Our table of 10 split one pig and I got the "lucky" tail!  It was a fun experience.  We had gotten smart and booked tickets for the Royal Palace last night so we could be assured to get in and so we headed there after lunch.  It was beautiful and interesting with so many gorgeous rooms.  Probably the closest thing to Palace of Versailles that I've ever seen.  We were beat so we got hamburgers at Taberna Font for dinner, then had some gelato sitting on a bench in the middle of the city, just people watching.  It was a nice end to our trip.  

Goya, Spain's famous artist

Inside the Royal Palace

Our lunch at Botin - suckling pig!

So my review after being in Spain for the first time was a big thumbs up!  So much of the towns and cities we were in were very ancient feeling, some almost rustic.  Hundreds of years of history and very hospitable people.  Madrid was out least favorite; it reminded us of other big cities.  We loved Santiago and Segovia, though.  We are already planning our next Camino journey!!!