July 25, 2005
Catching Up...
Wow, what a month!
Let me start off by saying a little, "Happy Anniversary," to my blog! Two years ago yesterday, I started blogging! (Actually, that first entry is from Bryan because he was helping me install my blog and set it up.)
So, ever since we got back from Portugal, it feels kind of like we've been running a big race; At home and at work. Seeing that I'm far, far behind on sharing photos, I'll start by sharing some from Portugal and telling the tale of that trip. (Scroll down for Portugal photos. In future posts, I'll fill you all in on the rest of our month.)
The night before we left for Portugal, Monday night, Isaac came down with a virus and 101 degree fever. His doctor cleared him for travel and instructed us to have him checked by a doctor when we arrived.
We took Isaac to the emergency room in Portugal the night we arrived. (Portugal has social healthcare, so everyone, no matter how ill, goes to the emergency room instead of a normal doctor's office.) The doctor said that he was dehydrated, but that he didn't show any signs of ear infections or anything. They gave him a vapor treatment to hydrate him and prescribed a decongestant. I felt so sorry for him.
So the next two days, I stayed behind in the hotel with Isaac and everyone went sight seeing and stuff. We made friends with the housekeeping staff, who knew Isaac's name by the end of our stay, and we stared out the window at the beach. It was kind of nice to be alone with Isaac, relax, and listen to the ocean. I missed being with everyone, but when I sat back and looked at my situation, I was still on vacation and getting a lot of good bonding time with my son. And even though he was sick, I really enjoyed my one on one time with Isaac. : )
The day of the wedding, Saturday, Isaac was fever free! Just in time! The wedding was beautiful. The church was gorgeous and had a view of the ocean. It was amazing. A catholic ceremony in Portuguese is pretty similar to a catholic ceremony in the U.S. Everything is just in Portuguese, not English. Next came the reception. It was 12 hours long. Yes. 12 hours. It involved delicious multiple meals, a lot of drinks, and a ton of dancing. It was the longest, and one of the most fun, parties I've ever attended. The reception was held at a botanical gardens kind of place called, "the farm". It was full of lush tropical plants, gorgeous flowers, and fruit trees/vines. They also had swans and peacocks! It was beautiful.
The next day, we were all pooped, so we slept in and went to the beach.
On Monday, we visited the city of Porto and saw the cathedral, that is over 1000 years old, and walked down to the river that runs through the middle of the city. It was a beautiful day. Bryan filled me in on everything that they had already visited and seen that I had missed out on earlier on in the week. I was sad to know that we were leaving the next day.
I wish we would have had more time to spend in Europe. It was a trip of a lifetime. AND I gained a new brother!
Welcome (officially) to the family, Carlos! : ) You're a great fit!
On the flight to Europe:
At the emergency room in Portugal:
Bryan and I had a beer at the beach outside of our hotel while my mom and dad watched Isaac:
The hotel had a wash basin and some tubs for laundry. We used one of them as a baby bathtub:
Kristin & Carlos's Wedding Day:
Reese made friends with a little Portuguese girl. It was cute to see them learn how to communicate with each other without words. They started repeating each other and learning each other's language:
At "The Farm":
The (smushed) face series:
The Wedding Cake:
Mom & Dad:
At the end of the night, Reese and Isaac were pooped:
Also at the end of the night, Carlos's friends played a trick on him. They stripped him down to his underwear and made him dance the first dance again with Kristin. Apparently he knew it was coming because he had special boxers made with the U.S. flag on one side and the Portugal flag on the other:
The day after the wedding at the beach:
Sightseeing the day before we left:
On the way home:
It sure was a fun trip! You can tell we all had a good time by the smiles on our pictures!
Love, Momoxoxoxoxxooxxooxo
Posted by: Mom at July 26, 2005 03:06 PMGreat pictures, Caron! You all looked like you had a great time...even Issac, and sick at that. Only question is...where's the rest of the cake? Love you! Aunt Lini
Posted by: Aunt Lini at July 26, 2005 03:53 PMCar - It is so cool to hear your perspective of the trip. I am so glad that everyone enjoyed themselves and liked the wedding. It means so much to Carlos and I that you all made all the sacrifices you did to come to Portugal and be there for our big day. I love you! Love, Kristin
Posted by: Kristin at July 27, 2005 07:38 AMI just sat at my office desk and after read your nice description of your trip I don't feel like working anymore today, but plan another wedding in Portugal so we can repeat all the fun we had. I'm really happy that you enjoy your trip and had so much fun. I can't wait that we can all be back together.
Xoxoxo
Carlos