The South of France - Part 1 - Hendaye, France

Playing in the waves in Spain!

Taking a break looking for rocks on the beach.

Sophia being buried in the sand.

My little angel making a sand angel.

Mmm.. ice cream!

Fun in the sun in France!

Sisters

A day and a half after we returned to France from the US, my Mom and the kids and myself headed south to Hendaye, France, on the Atlantic Coast of France. I didn't really know what to expect but I envisioned a Myrtle Beach-like coastline and was quite mistaken. We traveled to where the Pyrenees Mountains meet the Atlantic Ocean with sandy coves tucked in and out of the cliffs and rocks. The ocean was crystal clear and the color of a sapphire with a bit of lime weaving through the waves. Surfers riddled the coast line along with sunbathers (sans swimsuit tops, at times) and adorable umbrellas and babies with buckets. Day after day we packed up and drove to the beach to take in the breathtaking views, play in the sand and ride the waves. One day we drove 30 minutes south to La Concha plage in San Sebastian, Spain. Love love love Spain! Not so much driving in Spain (with the crazy drivers and police men with bazookas) but the people were friendly and the beaches beautiful. We had a fabulous week in the South of France and Spain.

Lunch overlooking the ocean.... on the menu - moules frites (mussels and fries), shrimp (with the head!) and paella.

Mmm.. ice cream... again!

My body surfer.. I had so much fun playing in the waves with my little man. By the third day the water had finally warmed up to "not take your breath ALL away" degrees and we dove in and rode the waves.

It was so hard to get a real smile from her for the camera all week!

But definitely not from this little sassy one...

I swear I wasn't pinching her...

Meme and the girls...

I love these kids!!

Our maison in Hendaye, France. Au revoir!

Home Sweet Home

Emily Claire and Canon Jay chillin' in the race car shopping carts at Publix... ahhh, , Publix. I heart you! :) (And, I didn't fail to gushingly tell you that at the checkout line either.. that is what you get for small talking with your customers)

Uncle Freddie and sweet baby Reese - 9 months.

Emily Claire and her new best friend - Farley.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and emotions. Two weeks ago Freddie's dear grandfather passed away. I only knew him for 7 years and it was such an honor to have our paths cross. He served in the National Guard and was the husband to Louise and father to two daughters - one of whom is my precious mother-in-law, Susan. I will always remember his stern look yet gentle smiles. He will be missed.

We took a quick trip to the States to be with family and to attend the funeral. There were mixed emotions as the reason for the trip was sad but at the same time it was really nice to be back in SC and around family and things familiar. I was able to meet two nieces who I didn't think I would hug until they were toddlers. We played tennis and in the sprinklers in the yard (what is that green stuff??), had an awesome reunion with my Greenville girlfriends and a play date for the children the following morning before we rushed off to the airport to fly back to France. While it was difficult to leave it made it much easier to have Freddie and my Mom waiting for us on the other side of the ocean.


Joshua and Drew - duking it out Hulk style.

Joshua and Laura

Drewbie and Caleb

The play date crew - friends since 3 months of age.

One of the best sister-in-laws ever and our beautiful babies. Thank you so much for all you did for us on our short trip to home sweet home. It was very special.

Muddle Puddles

When God throws you consecutive rainy days without the command to build a boat... there is no need to be confined inside... grab your wellies (thank you Magic Treehouse for my adorable new word) and umbrellas and splish splash in some muddle puddles (thank you Sophia)!

Lac Chambon - May 2010

On one of the first warm(er) days in May, the children and I took a field trip to a beautiful lake about 45 minutes away from our home. The views were breathtaking and, yes, you do see snow on the top of those mountains (in May!). We visited the nearby town of Murol where we visited the outdoor fresh market and dined, al fresco, on burgers, fries and truffade. I tried to persuade Joshua to really have a cultural experience and try the "cuisse de grenouille" (frog legs) but he thought it was best to stay with the beef.

Hello God, It's Me Jennifer... and I Hear You Loud and Clear.

Be patient, be patient, don't be in such a hurry
When you get impatient, you only start to worry
Remember, remember, that God is patient too
And think of all the times when others had to wait for you

Freddie had a moment of nostalgia last week when the words of this song popped into his head during a moment of impatience... I can't remember if the person(s) succumbing to the impatience was him or the kids. Nevertheless, he got really excited because it brought back many warm memories and he began researching online the song the words came from and ran across a cd that his mother used to play for him and his siblings. Then, our children became obsessed with memorizing the lyrics so for a week I heard "Be patient, be patient.. la la la la.. la la." It was cute... and convicting. I have many faults and in the past I would say impatience was not one of them. However, recently, it gnaws at me like a beaver on wood (lame analogy but it gets the point across). Constantly chewing and causing stress. Does a beaver stress out wood? I mean, maybe in some roundabout physics sense? But, I digress...

I used to wonder how God speaks to people. Before I was a Christian I thought it was a ludicrous statement for someone to say "Well, God told me ....". Did you hear it verbally? Did He come to you in a dream? And, even after I put my faith in Christ and started to turn my life around to follow Him... I still didn't get it. Now, after a few years of praying and following Jesus, I can definitely look back (hindsight being 50/50 and all... or 20/20...whichever :) and see clearly where the Lord was leading me or things he was trying to teach me and usually it was through some hardship or difficult time. Sometimes I followed and sometimes I didn't and you can guess which scenario worked out best for me. Never was it through a spoken word. Often times it is a thought that would pop into my head, or a feeling that keeps nagging at me or, many times, it was something becoming very clear to me when before I could not see the truth at all - usually those were behaviors or attitudes he wanted me to change. One day it would be acceptable to me and the next day I would think what on earth was I thinking??? Now, my sinful self would follow that thought with "And what does such and such think of me??" and, for the longest time (like, my entire life), I thought that was ok. One day the Lord revealed to me that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of me. What matters is Him and if He alone is pleased with my heart. This issue is still a big struggle of mine. The Lord is still working with me through this and I can see (usually again in retrospect) situations he has placed before me that have, in a sense, tested me to see what I am putting first - my idol of what others think of me or Him.

It is no secret that I have been struggling with having a positive attitude about the new addition to our family - the white fluffy furball named Noel. She was a gift to my sweet Sophia for her 4th birthday. Sophia has had an affection for animals practically since birth. Freddie really wanted to get her a puppy and my first response was no way Jose! In an apartment? With three little kids? Did I mention.. in an apartment?? Then, after some cajoling and convincing and puppy dog eyes from Sophia, I came around and with a cautiously happy heart we adopted little Noel in February. And... ever since... the fleshy human part of me feels like my life has been turned upside down. She interrupts my schedule and my time playing with and schooling the kids. She leaves us presents all over the house. She chews up books and toys and shoes and computer power cords. She is stinky sometimes. I have to interrupt my routine and schedule to bathe her. She won't obey me. I have to walk out in the cold and rain and sometimes at midnight, for goodness sakes! Mini-hell on earth, right? Well, I share these thoughts with you not to complain.. yet again. I share these thoughts because the Lord has spoken to me through a Bible verse that I read yesterday while reading the book Beyond Survival: A Guide to Abundant Life Homeschooling - yet one of those random ways I sometimes hear from the Lord - and I was immediately convicted about these feelings and attitudes I have had towards this dog.

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18:

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in EVERYTHING* give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

*Capitalized for emphasis... as the author in Beyond Survival said, everything means everything! Dog poop, rainy days, bad hair cut, husband gone for a week, dirty house, mounds of laundry to fold, inability to communicate effectively, burned toast... everything!

Now, mind you, I still have the thoughts. But, this verse pops into my head and instead of being impatient and feeling like my head might pop off my neck in anger I get perspective and realize that our God is in control of everything.. not some things... not spiritual things... EVERYTHING. Including our purchase of this dog. And, I am pretty certain now that his purpose in giving us this puppy was not simply to provide a companion for my Sophia. I think He is teaching me patience and how to find joy in all circumstances and to rejoice everyday and be glad in it.. regardless of how very poopy it may be.

Carnaval 2010 - Clermont-Ferrand, France

Clermont-Ferrand had their very own Carnival celebration this afternoon in Place de Jaude.. just a few blocks from our apartment. We dressed the kids up as princesses and a cowboy and walked to the Plaza just in time to see the parade of Brazilian dancers and singers. We thought we were going to be those crazy Americans who you can spot by the naked eye a mile away but there were other children disguised as various characters, bugs and animals. The only thing that gave us away was Freddie's Boston Red Sox baseball cap.

It was a beautiful day today and a great day to have some family time. Here are some pictures from our day...

Snow White and her fairy godmother?

Aww... la Blanche Neige.

Papa and his petite princess, Emily Claire.

Mmm.. i scream... you scream... we all scream for ice cream!!!

I thought I was making a mistake by giving her an entire cone to herself.. thinking sharing would have been a better idea... she took care of it all by her messy self.

Cowboy Josh.

Once Upon a Time...

L'hotel Flore, Royat, France

In a land far far away, when the American lady thought she could be shocked by the culture no more....

she visits a spa in Royat, France and... she gets a massage.

I had heard that massages in France were sans clothes but I thought that surely meant in the same way you are barely clothed in America. Not a lot on underneath, but the important parts completely covered up.

I have always found spa treatments - massages, facials, foot rubs - a little awkward. Maybe it is the inherent intimacy (in a totally non-sexual way) of having someone rub parts of your body. Maybe it is the tension created with knowing whether to talk or not and when. Maybe it is the New Age environment that envelopes you when you walk into the dimly lit room smelling of incense with Enya chiming in the background. Maybe it is a combination of it all. But, usually the experience is pleasant and I drift away into a relaxed semi-sleep state - feeling refreshed and not nearly as uncomfortable after wards as I did upon entry.

Last weekend, for one night for my Christmas present, I left Freddie and the kids and stayed in a hotel and had a soin du visage (facial), reflexologie plantaire (foot massage) and a californie massage (California style massage) at the adjoining spa. Up until the point of the massage, the uncomfortableness was limited to the language barrier. Totally manageable with broken french, sign language and copious and sometimes insulting usage of the "tu" form of the verb instead of the respectful "vous" form (I mean, really, it is asking too much to remember two "you" verb conjugations.. some choose to err on the "vous" side and I always seem to err on the "tu" side... ah, c'est la vie). The morning of the massage I have a breakfast fit for a king (or 3 or 4 of them) and leisurely read the US Today newspaper before doing 20 sit ups (in a lame attempt to burn off the 2000 calorie meal I consumed the previous night and the inordinately large breakfast I just ate) all while listening to an awesome 80s radio station on french tv - rock on Cyndi Lauper!

I put on my fluffy bathrobe and soft slippers and head down the hall to the elevator to climb literally 1/2 of a floor to the Institut Sanhoa for my blissfully relaxing massage. I am pleased to find that the massage therapist is going to be the same lady who did my facial and foot massage the previous day.. no need to reestablish the fact that I don't speak good french and have to figure out how to communicate effectively all over again... we accomplished that yesterday... or so I thought. She instructs me in very fast french what to do with this piece of paper in a bag and how to maneuver myself in between the towels, follows with a "vous comprenez?", I nod my head and squeak out a "oui" (because, the answer is always "oui" even when it isn't), all while thinking that I have no idea what you are saying but surely it can't be THAT hard to figure out what to do with the paper-y thing in the bag (it is for your hair, right?) and how to cover myself with a towel on a massage table. Or, so I thought. She will return "tout de suite" (right away). D'accord, merci.

So, the paper thingamabob is not for your hair.. it is a "slip". (Please google translate for the translation.. It feels weird writing that on a blog and who knows what kind of traffic it would bring to my blog from the search engines) Ok, well, ok. That is about all I could manage at the time. What to do with the fancily folded towels? If I lift this one, the leather bed is shown. Surely, I am not supposed to lay there. If I lift this one, my feet are not laying on a towel. That can't be right. If I don't lift anything and just lay down, I am totally exposed. And, SURELY, that is unacceptable. So, I decided feet on bare leather table must be the way to go. I am sure that is what she said, after all. Slip, check. All necessary body parts covered, check. Therapist enters and giggles out loud, check.

Levez-vous, levez-vous! In my slip???? Oh gosh, I am really not in Kansas anymore. So, legs flailing everywhere with my trusty towels being removed, I find myself standing - exposed - while she re-fancily folds my security blankets. Prime example of one of those moments when you aren't quite sure what to do with your hands - where are pockets when you need them? Or escape routes, for that matter. I am then instructed that I should have used THAT towel -rolled up over there - to cover myself. Ah, phew, breathing sigh of relief.. at least that means I will be covered.

Recovered and ready to relax I begin to drift off into that familiar semi-sleep state when "swoosh" the towel betrays me and I realize those people with the "sans clothes" french massage theory were onto something.

All of that said and done, I had a wonderfully refreshing and energizing evening. In addition to the spa treatments, I was able to complete some tasks that needed to be done but I kept putting off, took a three hour nap, ate a four course meal without having to work on table manners, and read a book until my eyes would no longer stay open voluntarily without having to worry about needing to wake around 6am. Many many thanks to my sweet husband for giving me this precious gift. Next time though, I think we will exclude the massage from my agenda.

My room... super comfy bed with oodles of not useful pillows but they really do make such a cozy difference.

The his and her bathrobes in a very American style bathroom - aside from the half door bath/shower combo.. I will never understand that.


The dining room of the restaurant where I ate my four course dinner.


And... in honor of my friend Clarrette, I became a photographer of my food...

Course 2 - Smoked salmon cannelloni stuffed with goat cheese and veggies. Course 1 was a complimentary puree of green peas topped with whipped cream that kind of fizzled in your mouth like pop rocks. Yes, it was a hopefully once in a lifetime experience.

Mmm... creme brulee. I had eaten so much at this point that I couldn't eat whatever creamy confection was in the cute little votive candle like container. I am pretty sure, I have never eaten so much in my entire life. I left out pictures of the main course of chipped beef in a delicious marinade topped with creamed carrots, asparagus and peas.

Despite over indulging the night before, I decided to partake in an American style breakfast with a side of the scrumptious french patisseries. It could have fed 5 people easily and I totally lived up to the wasteful American stereotype but I did my best.


The street view from my balcony.

The hotel is located in a quaint little city right outside of Clermont-Ferrand called Royat, France. It is known for its thermal baths and water. Adorable architecture and ambiance.