Surveying Sevilla

Sevilla, Spain is the closest major city to us.  It only takes us about an hour and a half to drive there and we also have options to take a bus or train there as well (we hope to travel there by train soon!).  Technically, we've already been to Sevilla with our multiple Costco runs and dropping off Noa's parents at the train station, but we hadn't even tasted a sliver of Sevilla's charm and culture yet.  We decided to take an afternoon to check out the Christmas markets there.

Driving to Sevilla was pretty simple, thanks to our handy GPS and we easily found parking downtown.  Right away we noticed one of the main attractions in the downtown: the horse and carriage rides!  There were tons of them riding by us and parked in front of the Cathedral.  We decided to forgo a ride so that we could enjoy one at a later date with friends.  Instead, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and enjoyed some cafe con leche (basically the Spanish coffee we always drink out here, it's espresso with milk and sometimes sugar).

Haha (or as they type in Spain, "jajaja"), Noa's name was written as "Nowa" on his cup (yes, we found a Starbucks.  I think there are actually three in Seville, so it's not too hard to find.

The funny thing about eating at any cafe in Europe is that you find yourself sitting at a table, maybe scrolling through your phone or chatting with a friend while looking across the street at something like this:

Gorgeous old buildings abound around us and it's funny to me that they become so commonplace after awhile.  It's also a bit bizarre when I see American icons becoming just as commonplace (at least in the cities):

We decided to walk around and try to find some of the Christmas markets we've heard about.  We'd take frequent stops to look at beautiful buildings or if something caught out eyes, like this passageway:

Ruby was curious, but stayed safely behind dad when we found this street performer:

These orange trees grow throughout the streets of Seville.  They are such a refreshing pop of color in the city! 

 We soon found a Nativity market with stand after stand displaying assorted Nativity pieces:

Then we wandered around outside of the Cathedral.  We popped in for a moment (there was actually a children's choir and orchestra performing), but didn't stay since we had a restless baby and there weren't full tours happening at the time.

Mila was obviously impressed by the ornate architecture.  :)

When we came across these "towers" of pointsettia plants in the square outside of the Cathedral, I grabbed the opportunity to get a photo with Rubes.  After about twenty takes of "now make a silly face.  Okay, this time a scary face.  Now, surprised," we finally got a cute, smiling one.  Oh, toddlers....always keeping us on our toes!

Team Juloa:

Soon, it was time to eat again.  We found a place that served Ruby-friendly food (read: pizza and spaghetti) and then walked back to the car.  We weren't prepared for what the evening brought: crowds.  Lots and lots of them.  It was as if the sun went down and everyone in Seville decided to come out.  It was the end of a holiday weekend for Spain, but we didn't anticipate the magnitude of the crowds.  I tried to take a picture to capture the craziness, but unfortunately it came out blurry:

This posed a challenge with our large stroller, but we were able to push through and make it back to the car eventually.  On the way back, I marveled at the outdoor lights, since Rota (and most Spanish towns) lack in outdoor Christmas decorations.

And here's one more shot of the Cathedral at night with the Nativity market close by:

Mila: 9 Months!

Mila turned 9 months during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  I ran into a glitch when I was getting ready for this photo shoot.  My portrait lens in not communicating with my camera, so I wasn't able to take the close-ups that I had hoped for.  Huge bummer!  The show must go on, so here is the best I could do without it and with some photos from my iPhone:

Age: 9 months

Weight: 18.5 pounds

Length: 28.35 inches long

Appearance: blond hair, brownish eyes, 8 teeth (4 on top, 4 on bottom)

Sleep: 2 - 3 naps during the day, starting to sleep longer stretches at night and typically needs 2 feedings (hopefully we can eliminate one of these feedings this month)

Eats: formula, baby food solids: pureed carrots, beans, peas, apples, sweet potatoes, bananas, squash, etc. HATES avocado, not yet eating chunkier food or pieces of food

Can: crawl (everywhere!), pull to a stand, clap (super cute, by the way), babble (Noa insists that "da-da" is her first word), put everything in her mouth, give eye contact, respond to her name, pick up small objects, try to imitate faces, and laughs a lot

I CANNOT get enough of her cheeks.  I think I kiss them at least 100 times a day.

During the day she plays a game where she'll crawl from one toy to another and proceed upon crawling to that toy, she'll stick it in her mouth.  She'll also find every little piece of lint or fuzz around the house (and proceed to put those in her mouth!), so I have to keep things swept and vacuumed or else she will find it!

I have a lot of pictures like the one below.  I'll get set up to take her picture and then she'll crawl away!  She is such an explorer and isn't afraid of adventure.

She'll also spend a lot of time crawling from one piece of furniture to another and pull herself up to a stand.  She gets such a kick out of this, especially if she is able to acquire a toy in the process.

Although she is now super mobile and always on-the-go, we are really enjoying this stage.  Mila is beginning to really understand the concept of sleeping long hours at night (we are hoping to get her to sleep THROUGH the night in the next month or two) and is napping on a more regular basis.  Generally she is very happy and she spends a lot of time watching her sister and exploring her world as best she can.  Even on some of the hardest days, Mila's smile can make the troubles melt away.

The Beginning of the Christmas Season

Now that we are into December, we have been busy preparing for Christmas and enjoying the Christmas season activities.  Normally, I go a little over the top with decorating for Christmas - after all, it is my favorite holiday - but, we had to limit the number of Christmas boxes we could bring with us.  We the "main" decorations up: the tree, Nativity scene, stockings, and a few extra things here and there.  I did have to order garland since it's really hard to find here.

And, yes, we've (and by "we" I mean Noa) built some fires in our fireplace.  Our house gets pretty chilly in the evenings and the fireplace is so cozy and warm.  I love it, although we were a little spoiled by our fireplace in Washington.  This one actually has to be monitored and attended to or else the fire goes out! 

This past week we checked out Rota's small Christmas market downtown.

Tonight's event was going on base to WMR's Winter Wonderland.  They provide food stands, crafts, "snow," train rides, and other fun kid activities.  We got there a little late due to the girls' napping schedule, but we did get there in time to see Santa's dramatic entrance…by helicopter!

First the elves dropped:

Then the helicopter made another pass and brought Santa down.  It was pretty fun to watch!

Then, hopped on a fire truck and made his way to the crowds and boy, was it crowded!

Could you find Santa in that crowd?  Anyway, we never got super close, but that's okay because we got some food after that and then headed into one of the hangers to see the holiday laser light show.

We didn't get to stay for the entire program, which included a list of stars (singers, actors) who were visiting for a USO tour, due to impending bedtimes.  But, our Christmas season is starting off with lots of fun activities. I know the rest of the month will be packed with things to do, but I'm glad we are finding time to enjoy some of that this month has to offer.