Chipiona beach picnic and sea glass hunt

Easter is here, and with it the promise of hope, and spring! Winter has been challenging in Spain, because it is never THAT cold, but it is still chilly and windy and rainy enough to keep the kids inside many days at a time... or risk dealing with a month of coughing and runny noses. I tried to take them to the park whenever it was sunny, but there were enough rainy Saturdays to destroy some of our daytrip plans, and give me cabin fever. So when March brought some warmer weather, I took advantage and started making plans on weekdays after school with some other preschool moms. If we couldn't get a good day to go exploring with my husband, then by golly I would have some adventures on my own!
A few weeks ago, I finally made a visit to Chipiona, the town a few minutes North of Rota on the Atlantic coast. One of my friends is living in Chipiona, and we were able to walk to the beach from her house. So we packed some snacks for the kids, zipped up the jackets, and had a picnic on the beach!

The beach wind was a little chilly, and the water was even colder. For the first time, I managed to take all my children to the beach during the off-season without anyone getting their feet/clothes/hair wet. The older two were deterred by the reminder that they would have to walk back in wet clothes if they went into the water... but the baby just wanted to walk headlong into those waves! So I had to carry him, while the others enjoyed walking on the beach, looking for sea glass.

Sea glass is a new phenomena to me. At first I thought it was sand that had been struck by lightning and turned into glass, like in the movie "Sweet Home Alabama." It is still beautiful, but the origins are much less romantic. It is just pieces of old glass bottles that have been tossed in the waves until they are frosted and smooth. So pieces are typically brown, green, or clear. I wonder if we have less of it in America because glass bottles aren't allowed on most public beaches? They seem to be allowed here, and on some beaches you can find many pieces of sea glass. The kids had a great time looking for it, and I'm sure we will expand our collection this summer!

Chipiona is a unique town, with a similar style, but different flavor, from Rota. There are fewer Americans, since it is a little farther from base, so it feels more authentically Spanish, even though it is still a seaside resort town. We were not in the downtown area on the main paseo (boardwalk), but there is still a very nice boardwalk and beach on the north side of town. From here, you can see the Chipiona skyline, particularly the famous lighthouse. It is the tallest lighthouse in Spain and, I believe, the 3rd tallest in Europe! The beach was quiet and empty on a Monday afternoon in March, but it will be crowded with tourists from many countries when summer is here. So I want to learn my way around as much as I can before the busy summer season arrives.

We had a lovely afternoon, and even got to purchase some fresh hot bread from the panaderia (bakery) on the walk home, which the kids promptly devoured for their dinner. :-) We will certainly go back to Chipiona and enjoy some more beach picnics soon!

How to make Easter Resurrection rolls

Hello strangers. I know my blog has not been very interesting lately. During Lent I tried to focus on fewer electronic things, and more quality time with my family. So I have over a month of pictures that will be turned into blog posts soon. But I wanted to share this as soon as possible because it is a great Easter activity, and Easter is this Sunday!

Resurrection Rolls are an easy activity that is perfect for sharing the Easter story with young children. My children (ages 4, 3, and 1) go to church with us every week, so they are starting to learn some of the basics of our faith. However, they still ask all kinds of interesting questions about Easter, and no matter how often I remind them that it is for celebrating Jesus, they continually respond that they can't wait to get chicks (marshmallow Peeps). So I knew this activity would be something we would all enjoy.

To make Resurrection rolls, you only need:

tube of Pillsbury crescent rolls

large marshmallows (1 per roll)

melted butter (I used 1 Tbls. for 16 rolls)

cinnamon (I used 1-2 teaspoons)

book with the Easter Story

 Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, and reading the 1st part of the Easter story to your children. It can be from a children's Bible, or a condensed version from the Holy Bible. I found that my children pay much more attention when I read from a book rather than when I just talk and tell them a story. We read about Jesus's trial, crucifixion, and burial.

For each roll, take 1 marshmallow (which represents Jesus in His purity and innocence from sin) and roll it in melted butter, then cinnamon. These represent the embalming oil and spices used for the burial.

 Then wrap the spiced marshmallow in a triangle of crescent roll dough, making sure to seal all the edges. This represents the tomb, with the stone sealing the entrance. Once they were all wrapped, the kids said goodbye, just as Jesus's friends said farewell to Him, and we put them in the oven: 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

While they baked, we read the second part of the Easter story: the account of Sunday morning. I told the children this was the part with the surprise. Jesus was not in the tomb because He had risen from the dead! When the rolls came out of the oven, they were golden, and still had the same shape of the tomb. But the marshmallows had melted into sugar, so when the rolls are cracked open, they reveal... an empty tomb! Jesus has risen!

These are delicious as an afternoon snack, but they would also be good for breakfast, since they taste like cinnamon rolls. You could still see some white marshmallow bits oozing out of the corners of some of our rolls, but the kids told me those were the angels in the tomb, haha. They enjoyed making and eating them, and I hope you will enjoy them too!

Getting to know me

I have been thinking a lot about friendship because, well, I would like to make some new friends. It took me a year to make friends in Jacksonville, NC and they all turned out to be amazing people who helped me through 2 deployments and the births of my 2nd and 3rd children. I miss them all, and try to stay in touch... But realistically, I will be living in Spain for the next 3 years, and need to make friends here.
As extroverted as I am, I have a hard time opening up to people and getting to know them. It's not that I have many deep dark secrets. It's just that I don't know what people will think of me, and I believe most people are much more interesting than I am... So I just wait to be invited to things, and wait for someone to discover that I can actually be a pretty good friend. Once someone reaches out and acknowledges me, we're friends. I just don't know how to make that first move.
So, to speed that process along, here are some essential facts that all my friends will learn about me sooner or later. These are the same discussion-starting questions that I have been answering ad nauseum since we got here. This is who I am, take it or leave it. If we have something in common, let me know! If you want to hang out and ask me about something, please invite me!
- I have been married for 5 years, and have 3 children
- are we done having children? I don't know about permanently, but I know that 3 is plenty for now, and I am enjoying having a 'break' from pregnancy for a few years
- we are a Marine Corps family, and since marriage we have lived in Quantico, Camp Lejeune, and now Rota. Most days, I like our military life.
- I have been a stay at home mom since we moved to North Carolina, when my oldest was 8 months old. Then we just kept having children. So I earned my Masters, and now I am 'done' with education and trying to enjoy the kids' early years. Eventually I plan to go back to work, but my family will always come first.
- what kind of mom am I? Well, pro breast feeding, but no co sleeping. Steady routines, but upbeat energy and fun. Organized, but not always a clean house. I expect obedience, but I'm not the disciplinarian. I see myself mostly as their teacher: I have been educating myself my whole life, and now have to teach them everything from manners, to faith, to science, to morals. I read to them every day, take them to church, try to answer their questions, and try to keep calm. It's not easy, and there is currently more yelling than I would like, but we also have a lot of fun.
- I grew up on an apple farm on the Pennsylvania/ Maryland border. No, not Amish, just apples.
- I am the 2nd oldest of 5 children, so I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers
- I am Catholic, born and raised. I went to Catholic school all my life (including college!), and still take my whole family to church each Sunday. My husband converted to Catholicism after dating me for 3 years. It's a central part of who I am, how I think, and how I see the world... But I like to think I am open minded and not judgmental of people practicing other faiths, or Catholics who choose not to practice their faith.
- I am an overachiever, a list-maker, a 5-year planner, and someone who is constantly trying to improve myself.
- my undergrad majors were in English and Theology, with minors in Philosophy and French. I love to read, but don't get to do that much these days, unless you count audiobooks.
- I have a Masters in Business Administration, but haven't used it professionally yet.
- my former jobs include life guard, waitress, secretary, and Youth Minister.
- I spent a semester living in Paris, and learned to speak French almost fluently. I travelled to Spain once in high school, and my family had some exchange students. (None of this makes learning Spanish any easier!)
- I like to cook, sometimes with my husband. We enjoy hosting dinner parties, making appetizers, trying new recipes. I also like to bake, especially with 'help' from my children. I just prefer sharing the goodies with someone else, since we are kind of health conscious.
- I also like to work out, although it has only been a hobby for the last 2 years. I run, with or without my kids in the stroller. I go for bike rides pulling all 3 kids. I go to the family room at the gym. And sometimes I do videos at home. I love the new strength and energy I have discovered, and the fact that it has become so peaceful I can pray, or think, or listen to a book, while running. It's my 'alone time,' but I wouldn't mind some occasional company.
- I am currently weaning myself from a Diet Coke addiction. I drank more with each kid, until it got to 3 cans a day. I gave it up for Lent, and it's going pretty well... But not sure if I will start again after Easter!
- I also gave up chocolate for Lent. I love chocolate. I have not been a very pleasant person lately.
- pets: I always had dogs growing up, but we haven't gotten one because we keep having babies instead. We won't get a pet while in Spain because it is too expensive to transport them back to the States, and we would not abandon it here.
- I don't consider myself very crafty. I don't use Pinterest, do much home decorating, or do clever things with my kids. That's just not me, and I find it frustrating when I make attempts. But I can rally myself to host craft events and play dates, as long as other moms are helping me out!
- I enjoy photography. I took a class in high school, and another in college, but don't have a fancy camera anymore. I would love to get one and take better pictures of my children and our travels. I keep pretty good photo albums for the children, because they look through them often and talk about the people and places pictured, so it's my way of preserving these young memories for them.
- I'm funny! Once I get comfortable, my sarcastic zingers start coming out. I like making people laugh, and don't mind making fun of myself.
- I actually like my in-laws. They welcomed me from the beginning, and I love being part of their family.
- I like action movies more than romantic comedies. My favorite actor is Jason Statham. :-)
- I have come to like almost all kinds of wine. I used to stick with sweet whites, but Spain has opened my eyes to sangria, dry reds, and even sherry, which I am still trying to acquire a taste for. I don't drink beer, just don't like the taste.
- my husband was my first and only boyfriend. Neither of us has ever slept with anyone else. We dated for 7 years, and didn't have sex until marriage. We have never used birth control. Since Alex, we have successfully used Natural fertility charting methods to prevent pregnancy. I realize this all puts us in a 'special' category, but it has worked out very well, and I am proud of our choices.
- while in Spain, we plan to do some day trips, and maybe 1 big trip per year. But it is exhausting with our children, so we are not trying to set any records or compete with other families on base. We just want to have fun and make some good memories together.

I hope that gives you all a pretty good taste of who I am! I want to meet other ladies, moms or not, who can tolerate my kids for play dates, take me shopping, show me around town, enjoy coffee together, etc. I can't wait to get to know you a little better, too!