La Pedrera

We had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Barcelona for the kids' October school break.  We've been wanting (or rather, I have been wanting) to visit for a very long time.  Mark had been here several times for work, and this was a wonderful week of eating, wandering, exploring, running/walking, shopping, insert your own verb here.  Family time is a luxury and we've been blessed to experience it in some very cool places.  So, as architecture is one of Barcelona's many highlights, we begin with a walk down Passeig de Gràcia.  We strolled past many a modernista building and enjoyed the Casa Battló by the famed architect, Antoni Gaudi, with its colors, textures, and especially the balconies sculpted in the form of carnival masks.

Casa Batlló

Down the street, at la Pedrera, we wondered over the wavy, iron balconies.  Inside are apartments, a clothing store, a museum, an exhibition room, and of course, the obligatory gift shop!

La Pedrera rooftop view.  It's a park full of sculptures with chimneys that resemble medieval warriors and huge ventilator ducts twisted into bizarre organic forms (not to mention the great views)!  Do I sound like a tour guide?  Because I am quoting our Top 10 Barcelona guide in order to make this the best blog post ever.

L.P. atrium

More of Gaudi's funky design . . .

How about this?

Refugees from the UK descend

Gaudi's Masterpiece, la Sagrada Familia (rooftop L.P. view).  More on this later.

Marina ponders life in Barcelona

Nico just wants a nap

All's well that ends well in another beautiful L.P. foyer.  I loved the painted floral ceilings with lovely lit stairways and ornate staircases.  Special thanks to Stephanie Boyd who mercifully explained how to upload pictures much faster :)

Beautiful Box Hill

This weekend we've enjoyed listening to the wonderful messages of our church leaders during General Conference. It's been raining, a lot, so it was great conference weather. Sunday the kids were a little stir crazy from being inside all day, and in the afternoon something inspired happened . . . there was a break in the skies and the sun peeped through the clouds for a few hours. Mark decided to take us on a ride to Box Hill, an area set on the highest point in Surrey. He also rides his bike there, thus he wanted to show us his 'hood. It's a lovely place with some trails and a pretty lookout point. Of course, Mark forgot to tell us he wanted to walk around and failed to mention we would be doing more than standing at the scenic overlook.

Cue the mud! Ok, it was fun but all I could see was laundry piled here and there :) Did I mention Marina wore a skirt? Fashion victim at age 11.

Autumn is Bustin' Out All Over!

The thrill of finishing your first xc race!

Colorful marche stalls

The thrill of completing your first olympic triathlon!

Looking good on the course

Perigueux Marche (animals optional)

Marina's 11th Birthday

Cathedral de Perigueux

Wow, time flies when you're not a hardcore blogger! This post was originally to be titled June is Bustin' Out All Over (complete with a summary of said-month's/summer's highlights and as a shout-out to Susie), however, it was not to be. I did post a few pictures on facebook since it seems to be much easier for a lazy gal like me. I get discouraged with how long it takes to upload pictures on here. Is there an easier way? Why am I so techno challenged? This is why I should stick to my journal format. It's for the grandparents, I tell myself. Grandparents, are you out there? I have included a few photos from our quick trip to Perigueux for David Ramos' wedding (the weekend before school began).

So school is back in session and life marches on . . . we are also in the throes of autumn which means colder temperatures, wind and rain interspersed with sun. And football, volleyball, x country, music, seminary, churchy stuff, insert your own activities here, etc. Mark finished his first olympic triathlon which made us ALL very happy. He did a great job. Let's say the training alone causes one to be obsessed and stressed (which added to a crazy work schedule complicates life a bit). Now we're enjoyed watching the kids try new things and I am looking forward to attending Olivia's wedding soon in mid-October. It was strange not to "go home" to the U.S. for a few weeks this summer, and I am excited about doing some necessary and maybe not so necessary shopping. How much can I cram into two days, including the wedding and reception? Hah.

Spiritual Highs

#1 Footie Fan and birthday boy
IYS Baseball, very casual

Birthday Wishes

The Messi card, supreme birthday gift!

Looking good in white with Dad

I love to see the London Temple!

Emma with Grandpa H.

Tout p'tit, tout p'tit bluebells


So lucky to have Grandparents visit :)

Our Nico man turned 8 yrs. old in May, so that meant he was ready to become an official member of our (LDS) Church through baptism. He was very excited and prepared being the enthusiastic guy that he is! A woman named Natasha (from Latvia) was also baptized. Her husband joined the Church earlier in February, and they have a little boy who is two. It was a great day for them as we haven't had a family baptized into the Kingston Ward in a quite a while. What made it even more special was that Grandma and Grandpa Hamberlin were here to spend time with us before their Euro tour, so they were able to be a part of his day. Part of being a member means that he is now responsible for his choices/consequences, of which Nico remarked, "this is going to be so hard and it's only been a day!" He took the words right out of my mouth. Get used to it kid :) But if anyone can do it, Nico can.

Tintagel

Backtracking a bit as I forgot to post one of our spring break days. Here are a few pictures of our day at Tintagel, legendary birthplace (or conception location?) of mighty King Arthur. Imagine this breathtaking, cliffside mount dotted with a castle and its own village back in the day . . . it's quite the location! You have to take a little hike to reach the site, then ascend a few sets of stairs to the entrance. Once inside there are lots of great nooks and crannies as well as peaceful viewpoints of the sea. I may sound like a reality show contestant when I say this, but it was truly magical. My photos don't do it justice, however, it was probably the highlight of our trip to Cornwall. One of the coolest places we've visited in England.