Steph

Cuenca is more like a small bunch of towns than really a city. There are not big skyscrapers or buildings to obstruct the view of this historical place. We really wanted to live like the locals here and really tried to do our best. We found a great church where not only were we fed…

Changing time zones and altitude sickness made for a bad combination for this city. We were only there for a few days, which was good because the only redeeming quality that I saw here was the American pancake house the gorgeous mall. We were all ready to leave Quito and see what else Ecuador had…

I was very apprehensive about this city and the house all the boys had chosen. It was far into the hills and remote and I was afraid of the isolation. In the end though, it was a nice change from the busy cities we had come from. I enjoyed seeing the boys being able to…

Marbella was by far my favorite city. The house we lived in was in a gated community that had its own pool, tennis courts, basketball court and soccer field. The grounds of the community were covered in gorgeous flowers that made the entire place smell like a garden.  This community was where we met our…

When we got to Malaga, I was still a little unsure of how I was ever going to survive this trip. The culture shock had set in and the realization that everything and everyone I knew and loved were now a long plane ride away and hours behind in time zones.  However, Matt kept me…

Seville was a hard city for me. I was overcome by jet lag, and this feeling like I had made a terrible decision coming on this trip. The bright side of this city was that my sister in law had studied there and spoke Spanish, so she was able to show us around. The best…

What is normal? I have been asking myself that a lot lately. Since turning 40 this year, the thought of normal and how that applies to my life is so at the forefront of my mind. I grew up in a middle class, Christian home and went to Christian schools from elementary through college. I…

The best part of Dallas was seeing my niece, Alyssa. We got to spend a ton of time with her as she showed us around her city. We also got to experience the Dallas aquarium, which was really nice, and a good day outing.

I love this city!! Austin is really one of the weirdest cities I have traveled to but with its quirks come a certain charm and vibe that I so loved. The people are so eclectic ranging from hippies to businessmen. The restaurants and nightlife can rival any major city and yet you are minutes from…

San Antonio was our first stop in Texas. The river walk there is gorgeous, with so many restaurants and shops, AKA tourist traps for my boys! J We went to the Alamo with the boys and although it was neat to see, I was disappointed with how small it seemed. Somehow while hearing about it…