FORTY FOUR YEARS!

Can you believe it? Friday was our 44th wedding anniversary! What made it even better was the fact that this couple right here, who's anniversary is just a couple of weeks from ours, was here to celebrate it with us. They have been here with us, right from the start, sharing in all our adventures. Some good, some not so good, but all better for having them here with us.

From our first meet-up in Bahrain as newlyweds...

through all the parties we threw together in Houston...

Toga! Toga! Toga!

My 30th Birthday Wake

through the celebration of our first Christmas with our two miracle babies and all the family adventures that followed...

 
to sending them off to college, seeing them all married, having to relearn how to have fun without them, and now discovering the joys of grandparenthood...

Paula and Tim have been right there with us, every step of the way.

Actually, we're getting pretty good at this "having fun without the kids" business. Here's hoping we have many more years in which to perfect this talent!

CASTLES IN THE AIR

On our last day in Lisbon, before moving on to Porto, we took a little side trip to the town of Sintra -- "a fairytale romantic city of castles, monuments, and palatial estates." Our first stop was the ruins of a mountaintop fortress built by the Moors in the 9th century.

The gardens were every bit as amazing as the ruins.

Mounds of Bleeding Heart

It was starting to rain by the time we got to this level, and the stone paths had become quite slippery, so I stopped and got a cup of hot tea instead of climbing to the tippy top. But not my crazy hubby! I think he regretted it later, but at least there were no injuries.

From there a bus took us to Pena Palace, a Romanticist summer retreat for the royal family, which King Ferdinand had built on the site of a monastery that was destroyed in the great earthquake. Well, the bus took us as close as it could get to the palace. Which wasn't actually all that close. Then there was quite a long hike, uphill all the way, in the pouring rain.

Although I was loathe to admit it at the time, it was probably worth having to spend the rest of the day in soggy clothes. Especially when we stumbled upon a delightful place near the train station, where we could have lunch before departing. Half of our group went into the more formal restaurant side, and the rest of us went next door to their wine bar.

All ended up pleased as punch with their choices!

NEW BITES TO TRY

The first thing on our to-do list last week was a trip to the hearing aid place in San Marcos, since poor Hubby handed one of his hearing aids over to a certain someone for safe keeping whilst in Portugal, and that certain someone managed to lose it! We normally go to Blacks Barbecue whenever we are over there, but since we had gorged on barbecue the day before at Calvin's birthday party, and still had leftovers, I tasked John with finding something new for us to try. He came up with this quaint little Mediterranean cafe called Nostimo.

Pretty tasty, I must say.

The following Friday, when we went back to pick up his two new hearing aids (of course they had discontinued his original models, so we couldn't just replace the one) we were planning to try the latest creation from the dynamic duo who brought San Marcos two kolache shops, Pie Society, and Zeligs.

Unfortunately, they were still in the middle of training their new staff, and wouldn't be open until the following week. We were so sad, since we had been salivating over that curry ever since reading about it in a magazine at the doctors office!

Then, just yesterday, we finally got around to trying Verde's Tacos -- the latest inhabitant of the little creekside joint that sits behind Cypress Falls Event Center here in Wimberley, where our daughter Lex got married.

When it comes to tacos, I guess I'm kind of old school traditional, and feel like I get a lot more for my money at my old stand-by, Mima's. However, if you're looking for atmosphere and a great summer hang out? Well, this place would be hard to beat!

THE COLORS AND PATTERNS OF PORTUGAL

One of the first things you are sure to notice upon your arrival in Portugal is the Calçada Portuguesa -- the black and white limestone mosaics covering the sidewalks and plazas. Each one unique, yet unifying.

Beautiful, but dangerous. For one thing, they can be very slippery when wet, and we had more than a few drizzly days. Also, there are so very many of these in Portugal that they just can't keep up with the repairs, and you are liable to twist an ankle stepping into a hole, if you don't pay attention. How women manage to traverse these in stilettos, I will never know.

Then there is all the beautiful tile work gracing many of their buildings, much of it dating back to the times when Portugal was occupied by the Moors.

Pieces Found For Sale At The Thieves Market

My very favorite colors and patterns, however, were found in the bits and pieces of Art Nouveau architecture that were sprinkled about.

All in all, a most beautiful country!

GUESS WHO?

Guess who turns three years old today? This cool dude, that's who!

Our baby just isn't a baby anymore. 

We had quite the celebration here yesterday, with all the cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. He's mighty happy that his cousins from Minnesota finally decided to move and join the rest of us down here in Texas!

Fabulous Cupcakes from Lexi's Good Buddy at Cake Monster in Georgetown

Yippee! They get to assemble something!

 

Not sure who had more fun with the Magnatiles -- Calvin,  his cousins, or Auntie Areej!

Doggie Doctor Calvin

What's even harder to believe than this baby being three years old? The fact that, in less that four months, we'll have another little goober's birthday to celebrate!