Visiting a Vineyard in Spain & Lunch With an Epic View

Nine years ago today, Eric and I said our vows surrounded by friends and family in the chapel of the church I grew up in. Shortly after, we made our way into the vintage Rolls Royce that we rented and headed to a winery where we had our wedding reception.

It still feels like yesterday that Coaty was just a puppy and we had him dressed in a little tux so that I could take pictures with him. I remember how hot the day ended up being, and on the way down to our reception, the air conditioner wasn't working in the classic car that we fell in love with. Eric and I decided to have fun with it and hung out the windows for some extra air and laughed as the passing cars beeped and shouted their congratulations to us. I remember trailing through the vines once we got to the winery to capture some moments of just us together. I remember getting a peek into our reception room before anyone else went in and it ended up being one of our favorite moments together of the whole day. Ahhh, such sweet love. Anyway, I shared more details and pictures about our big day here if you'd like to check out more. 

So back to that whole visiting a vineyard in Spain thing. When we recently went to Barcelona we decided one of the top things on our list was to visit a winery. Not many people call them wineries over there, and it seemed like the term, vineyard, was more preferred. I guess that's because the winery is really considered the inside area where they store the wine that's made, and the grounds are considered the vineyard. Eric did an amazing job at finding the perfect spot to have a little pre anniversary celebration which turned into one of our all time favorite things from any trip we've been on.

Bouquet d'alella is conveniently located about 20 minutes (depending on where you are staying) from Spain's popular Barcelona city and right outside of Montgat which happened to be our favorite beach area. When we drove up to the Bouquet d'alella we were greeted with fresh growing vines and mature ones ready to sprout their grapes later on towards the fall. A beautiful canvas of golden sandy soil and lush greenery surrounded us. As we looked around and admired the view surrounding us, we spotted the waves crashing off in the distance below. Eric and I just kept smiling at each other as we waited for our tour guide to make their way.

Our boys were in their glory as they spotted a bunch of lizards running through the vines and they were determined to try and catch one. Those lizards might as well have been our babysitters for the day because they kept them so occupied. The baby even napped in the stroller for a bit while Eric and I got to enjoy some quiet time together. It was as if everything aligned and God smiled down showing us it was ok to rest and take in His natural beauty.

The vineyard was considered small in relation to some others in Spain and produces about 24,000 bottles of wine each year. For us, it was the perfect size and ideal location to create such great memories. It's family owned, and the owners really give it a personal touch to make you feel so welcome and appreciated. They live on the property in a gorgeous farmhouse and even have a tower located on the grounds that can be dated back to the 13th century. We had a small tour where we learned about the process of their wine making, what they specialize in, and more about the history.

After the tour we were given hampers (what they call picnic baskets which I thought was the cutest thing) that held our lunch and a small little map explaining where we would be dining that afternoon. We walked just past the beautiful tower and up the hill to the most perfect location.

We thought the views when we first drove up were beautiful but this little spot might have blown everything else out of the water. It was tucked away from the house and felt like it was our own private little area designed just for us. We also loved that when you book the lunch it's specific for you (and possibly one other couple depending on the day) so that you can have a personal intimate experience. We were so thankful that we were the only ones there. We took our time, never felt rushed, we didn't have to worry if the boys were running around, and no one was watching over us making us feel like we were on a schedule.

We had the best time enjoying our fresh lunch that consisted of meats, cheeses, bread, fruit, soup, omelets, and of course delicious wine. They had coffee for us as well and it was so funny when we looked over and caught little nugget chugging the small glass of creamer. He had a mustache on his face and said, yum, that was good milk! Eric and I cracked up.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of him, but sometime you need to just live in the moment.

It was so much fun creating beautiful memories together and capturing some sweet moments. It also happened to be the day baby C turned 6 months, so it felt extra special to have several things to celebrate.

We finished off our wine and took in the scenery before we tried to round our boys up who were off with their heads under the vines, hands covered in dirt and still trying to catch those lizards. We might have had to bribe them with stopping off to get gelato later or else they would probably still be there and have a terrarium all setup by now. #boymomlife. Even though they didn't catch one (those things are super fast), if you ask them what their favorite part of visiting Spain was? They'll tell you it was finding and trying to catch lizards.

We purchased a few bottles of wine to bring with us and plan on popping one open tonight to reminisce about our wedding day and also this beautiful day we were able to experience. 

Honest Thoughts About Going From Two Kids To Three

One kid. Two kid. Three kids, so many kids. More recently both Eric and I have gotten so many questions about how is it transitioning from two kids to three. There were a lot of people that told us that going from two kids to three was a really easy transition. Maybe they are super parents of some sort, and I love hearing positive things from others, but it hasn't been as easy as many make it out to be. 

Now I completely understand that our situation is a bit different since our youngest son was born with a bi-lateral cleft lip and palate, but he is just as much a normal baby in every way possible minus some big feeding challenges and some other common cleft hurdles. Regardless if your little one is born with special needs, a colic baby, or a baby that is as sweet as can be, you are now out numbered (for a typical two parent household, single parents you all are the real MVPs) and with that comes new adjustments.   

We are almost four months deep into this parenting three kids gig and I finally feel like we are finding our groove again. Can I get an amen for parents getting their groove back. HA! Hmm, maybe that should be a new movie idea. Hollywood, I'm open for auditions. 

Of course this is all opinion based and it really depends on the temperaments and personalities of your kids. I happen to have a very strong-willed older son, a threenager who used to be my sweet child, and now a new born. Yes, your prayers are always appreciated. I'm also not naive and know this list will probably look very different in a few years when they grow out of certain stages and new ones come about. But for now, this fresh season of navigating life as a parent of three leaves me with these thoughts...

Not Enough Hands: 

I happen to think that whether you have one kid, three kids, or five kids (God bless my mom) you never have enough hands. They say it takes a village and that can be so true. When I had my first son I had this supermom mentality like I could handle it all and asking for help made me feel like I didn't have it under control. Let's fast forward to three kids and I crack up at that Luv's commercial where the mom hands her child over to mechanic. It's so true and relatable. I think like most things in life you get more comfortable as time goes on, you allow others to lend a helping hand, and baby wearing becomes so important. That's my secret right now to getting anything done. Having both hands free but still having those sweet snuggles for your little one is a great compromise. I wear my classic moby wrap almost every day, if not multiple times, and it makes such a different. I've also heard great things about a ring sling carriers but I haven't personally tried them yet.

Age Differences: 

right now I have three kids five and under with my first two being 22 months apart. At first that seemed crazy to us but the more I think about it the more I love it. Sure they have their crazy moments and get into their little tiffs. The other day I had to break them up because they were playing cats. What's that you say? I asked myself the same thing. All I know is it ended up in them scratching each other. Oh yes, fun times. Ok, cats aside, seeing them grow together and have built-in best friends makes my mama heart so happy. I pray that their relationships over time will grow and strength even more.

You'll Pray A lot:

speaking of prayer, I am a firm believer in the power of prayer and it seems like with each child I find myself praying even more for them. Maybe it's adding in another person to pray for but I end up praying for each of them, collectively, and for Eric and myself as parents. I also pray that God will place positive influences in their lives as they grow and give them a strong sense of right and wrong. This world can be a scary place and covering them in prayer before those critical teen years where peer pressure and tough decisions come into place can be so important. 

You Might Cry, You Might Laugh, You Might Do Both At The Same Time:

it's ok to feel emotional on this wild ride of motherhood. There are days where you'll feel like you got this and other times you are counting down the hours until bed time. Somehow in between all the craziness we always seem to find the joy in it because our kids are our greatest gifts.

It's Ok To Give Responsibilities:

if you caught my instagram (@beautifully_candid) you might have seen that I shared about some emotions I was feeling and how I unintentionally was putting a lot of responsibilities on my second son (I don't like to label him as the middle child) and had to remind myself that he's still only three. On the other hand, I also saw him flourish when we gave him and his older brother appropriate responsibilities. As much as transitioning from two kids to three is an adjustment for parents, it's also a big adjustments to your kids. This responsibility chart really helps to manage all of that and give them goals to work towards. We've done things like once they accomplish certain areas we'll do a big boys day and go to the movies, chuck e cheese, jump zone, things along those lines. They're also both great at lending a helping hand with the baby which makes me happy to see.

Life With Three Is Busy: 

we knew one thing for sure that adventuring into this parenting of three zone would without a doubt make life even busier. I kind of feel like that goes without saying, but I also want to be transparent here. You think you have an idea of how busy it can be but I'm not really sure anything fully prepares you until you have to go through the trenches. A is starting T-ball this year and little nugget wants to play soccer again. I'm already trying to figure out how we're going to manage it all. Like anything else in life you always find a way to make it all work.  

You Somehow Become An Expert: 

I think I first noticed it when we were in the hospital and the nurses would come in to check on you and asked if this was our first. Once they found out it was our third they were all like, oh yeah well you know what you're doing then. Even now if I go out somewhere with just the baby while the other two are in school, as soon as someone finds out it's my third they back down from offering any unsolicited advice and shake their head like yeahhh, you got this. It's kind of funny and also empowering at the same time because we do have this, as best as we can.

If you're on the fence with transitioning from two to three kids it's always best to go with what you feel is best for your family. It won't be easy (in my opinion) the days will feel long at times, you'll need to evaluate your living situation, financial situation, career, and the list goes on. But, if there is a passion in your heart to expand your family and you are worrying about if you can manage it all, you eventually find a way. Motherhood has a funny way of making even the craziest of days fill your heart with so much joy.

Life Lately

It feels like forever since I did much of an update around here. Skipping out on a few weeks of Friday favorites left some memories on the table that I wanted to document. I'm not even sure where to begin because life has been all over the place for us lately. There have been many moments filled with so much joy and happiness and then others that brought on some tears, stress, and a whole lot of chaos. Somehow in between a few deep belly laughs and trying to remember if all my kids ate before leaving the house (eek and the dog), we always find a way to work it out. 

So what's been going on lately? I'll share all of the randomness here...

1. Christmas: we got to spend Christmas in our new home. Even though it wasn't decorated how I would have liked (there's always next year) and there's still a lot to be furnished, we had 25 relatives over to celebrate this special time. It was also baby C's first Christmas which made it extra special. He also turned one month old and I can't believe how quickly that went by. It was so nice to have everyone together and we all had such a good time.

2. Bury the hatchet: if you caught my insta stories then you might have seen a group of us went axe throwing. My brother in-laws were in from Cali and my brother was in from Chicago, so it was the perfect time for a throw down. And guess what? Axe throwing was a lot of fun! I wasn't sure what to expect but it was a bit of an adrenalin rush. I would definitely go again.

3. Little C: where to start with my precious peanut. You guys, he is seriously like a piece of heaven. He is just the sweetest thing but it sure has been a little challenging. We knew there would be some hurdles to overcome before we are out of the woods with everything. I plan on doing a more detailed post about our cleft journey so far. But for now, he was fitted and we have his NAM in. The best way I can describe it is, that it's like a retainer. It's made out of the same material but instead of going over your teeth (since he doesn't have any yet) there are two little pieces that stick out (A and little nugget call them his saber teeth) that we have to put braces rubber bands around and tape them to the sides of his cheeks to hold it in place. It's supposed to help shape and position his nose area. He also has a dynacleft strip that goes across the top of his nose to start rotating his philtrum (the area of his upper lip. Look at me go with the medical terms ;) down. I feel like the tape makes things look more extensive than they need to, but it is what it is. I'm also reminding myself that this is to help him. In the long run it helps prep things before surgery and also can help decrease the amount of plastic surgery needed in the future. We need to change the tape every few days and we do give him a break from wearing it every now and then. 

Poor little guy has been dropping weight and we have been back and forth to the doctors so many times. I had been exclusively pumping for him (which I still am) but then we also tried adding in some formula. It seemed to help, but then it didn't. Long story short, we are trying a higher calorie formula and hoping that does the trick. On top of all of that, we were in the ER with him the other day because we were so freaked out by this big bulge in his stomach. Come to find out he has an inguinal hernia. I know it can be really common in babies but I just feel so bad that it's something else he has to deal with. We have an appointment with a surgeon to find out if he does need surgery or if it's something that can be monitored. If you could all keep him in your prayers I would really appreciate it. Other than that he is just the cutest thing and we are eating him up.

4. House update: if you watch my insta stories then you might have seen that I've been sharing some progress updates. It's nice to see things moving along and coming together. So many of you seem to enjoy seeing them too because they end up being my most viewed stories, ever. I finally have my counter tops in after not having them around for Christmas. We made do as best as we could. The amazing husband that I have used an extra box of flooring to give me a makeshift counter. It worked great for the time being and we joked around about why do we even need counters when we can make our own. I do enjoy seeing the quartz and having an easy wipe down, though. We still have a ton more to do but we are celebrating the baby steps. I plan on doing a lot more dedicated home renovation posts in the near future so hopefully that will be something you'll enjoy.

5. Exploring: aside from a lot of the craziness and not feeling like there are ever enough hours in a day, anyone want to come help me tackle this mountain of laundry staring at me? We are still finding ways to work in some fun for the boys. It has been tough to manage our time with them because C needs so much attention. Since we have a lot of property (well at least to us) now it's been great to just walk around and take it all in. Thankfully this winter hasn't been too bad for us (yet) and we've been able to get outside more than normal. I'm just hoping and praying it stays that way, and if so, I just might not complain about this time of year so much. How nice would that be?

6. New Year's: I shared earlier a little bit more about our new year's celebration and the word that we chose for the year. We had a fun low-key night at home with our crew that consisted of goofy party hats (that I'm still finding glitter from), a dance party, yummy treats, and even a milk and cookies toast.

Welcome 2019 And Word For The Year

Well here we are my friends, another year finished and a new one started. It's that broken record talking over here, but seriously, how quickly does time fly?

I am so thankful and feeling incredibly blessed that each year seems to be getting better than the last. We had a lot of changes, exciting times, and also some uncertain times throughout 2018. It's nice to look at 2019 with a fresh start and new approach.

If you've been following along for awhile (always a huge thank you to my loyal readers) then you know we love doing our 12pm kids noon countdown to the new year. We started this when A was tiny and we knew there was no way he was staying up until midnight. It's a fun way to kick off the day with them and have them join in on the celebrating. This year we even had a milk and cookies toast and ate all the non-healthy foods (pizza bites are hard to resist) before we changed our mindset over the next day. We have been loving all the hummus and fresh veggies. If you caught my instagram (@beautifully_candid) then you might have seen some of these. I also mentioned how every year we take pictures with numbers, it never fails and someone has one backwards. I've grown to love it and now I think every year there needs to be a backwards number in the mix.

Our new year looked a bit different this year. Eric and I usually go out with some of our closest friends, get dressed up, dance a lot, and ring in the new year together. While we would have loved to do that again this year, staying in with the boys and keeping it low-key was the best idea. A brunch with the girls on new year's day that turned into us chatting and catching up for five hours made up for us not being together the night before.

We aren't big on setting resolutions for the year. Most of the time I'm lucky if I remember what needs to be done for the day. With the season of life we're currently in, keeping a long list of things isn't a priority right now, and half of the times we are just trying to stay afloat. But, for the past few years we have been picking a word to focus on throughout the year. So much easier in my opinion to remember. Last year our word was, Trust. It was such a big one for us. Right at the end of the year, everything we had hoped for and set out for with that word came true.

This year we decided our word would be, Fearless. There's a song by Jasmine Murray called Fearless and some of the lyrics from the song say, "I wanna be fearless! No holding back, no backing down. Fearless! Because I believe you're with me now. Bring on the unknown, lead me and I'll go".

This song has always spoken to me, so when we were deciding on our word and it came on the radio it felt like it was meant to be. Last year I spent a lot of my time being worried and fearful. When we found out baby C was going to be born with a cleft lip and palate I let fear creep in way too many times. I should have been enjoying my pregnancy, taking more maternity photos, and allowing my mind and body to relax. Instead, I let my mind wander and fear take over. I know most people will say that's normal, and it is, but at the same time I don't want to live this new year in fear. We still have a lot of obstacles in the way with baby boy's surgeries and so many unknowns with that. In addition, the boys started a new school, Eric a new job, and we're tackling a major renovation. The last thing we want to do is live in fear. 

So instead, we're choosing to be fearless (as much as we possibly can). I know that the reality of it will be that we'll have days where we will falter. Those fearful moments might creep back in. But what we're planning on doing differently this year is, remembering what we're focusing on, trusting again in Him to guide us through every step, and standing firm in the face of fear. There's another song by Hillsong called, Not Today. In those moments we'll try to remember, let the devil know not today.

So 2019, we're embracing you. We're excited for all of the adventures, the memories to come, and growing from each new journey that unfolds. 

Christmas Trees and Holiday Favorites

Well hello there, friends! I probably sound like a broken record over here with all of the moving talk, but it's been a big thing for us, and packing up boxes and getting everything organized is no joke. I actually would be fine if we never do this again.

When I shared last week about our new house and property I couldn't wait to put this post together. After our family Christmas card goes out I always like to follow up with a back story about how we decided on the pictures and how it all came together.

I mentioned before that we wanted to wait to send out our cards until baby boy was here and we could take family pictures with him. I knew the perfect backdrop for our family this year. Even though we've done pictures in front of trees before, there was something special about these that I couldn't resist. They aren't just any old Christmas trees, nope, not this year. They're actually our Christmas trees! I'm still pinching myself that I get to look out my window and admire these beauties. We can't wait to plant even more and watch them grow. I'm thinking from this point on I have a feeling our cards will probably be in front them each year. I mean, how could you not, right?

It's a really pretty sight to look out our window and see them off in the distance and I can only imagine how pretty they will look all snow covered. Although, I am not rushing or wishing for that any time soon.

I have a feeling these trees will bring a lot of memories for us and make this special time of year even more magical. There are so many great things to love about this time of year that it's hard to narrow them all down. It's kind of like when it comes to Thanksgiving and we think about things that we're thankful for, the list could go on forever. But I'm going to talk about a few that popped into my mind, so here we go with some of my favorite things...

WHY WE CELEBRATE:

The presents and all the lights, and well, really everything about this time of year are so special. It's easy to get caught up in the commercial aspect of things and all the hustle and bustle. It's so important for us to center things and remember the birth of Jesus. One of the things I really love is before we open any gifts we read Luke chapter 2 and pray as a family. 

TOGETHERNESS: 

Since things are a bit different for us this year with not having all of our decorations out, we're really focusing on being together and enjoying our time. My brother came in from Chicago and Eric's brothers from San Diego, so it's been really nice having all of us together to celebrate. 

TRADITIONS:

I love traditions so much. It doesn't matter if it's keeping the ones that we have or starting new ones together. Our elf breakfast has been a big favorite and I'm hoping it's something we can enjoy for several more years to come. Each year we seem to be getting better at our gingerbread houses. Good thing for that. The last thing I need is a bunch of tantrums over crumbled gingerbread houses (I may be talking from experience with that). It's exciting to look forward to new traditions, like cutting down our own tree each year. 

EXCITEMENT:

One of the most rewarding things to be apart of is seeing the joy and excitement this time of year brings to my boys. There is something so magical about seeing the holidays through your children's eyes. You can't help but feel like a kid again and relive some of your childhood memories. 

MOVIES AND MUSIC:

It might sound cheesy but I enjoy turning on the radio and hearing Christmas music and catching some the classic movies on tv. No matter how many times we've seen them or heard them they bring a sense of excitement to this time of year. I also love hearing the boys sing along when we're driving in the car or snuggling up on the couch with them to watch movies that we also loved as kids. 

BRINGING IN THE NEW YEAR:

This is the first year we won't be going out with our friends and it's kind of bittersweet. My best friend and I have been celebrating new year's together since 2000, so the thought of not doing that this year seems so odd. We would absolutely love to, but it's so hard with baby boy only being a few weeks old. It will also be our first new year's in our new home so we're keeping it low-key this year and hopefully I can stay awake for it. We do want to make it special for the boys and we will be doing our 12pm kids countdown with them again. 

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a wonderful, blessed, healthy, and prosperous new year! I will be back to blogging more regularly after the new year.