Our AMAZING Dog LILY :)

Wow...what a pleasure a dog can bring to your life. I had tons of pets growing up, but never an inside pet, so I never realized how they become part of the family. I decided that I should at least post a few pictures and thoughts about the dog that has become such a huge part of Darrick's and I's life.

Lily is an Australian Shepard, although, she looks somewhat like a Border Collie, but has a bobbed tail...(which is super fun to watch wag...especially when she is excited). We got Lily from a nice farmer south of Fayetteville. Why did we decide on an Aussie you might ask...well...they are known to be one of the smartest breeds, they are very active and love to play (which is good for all the running that I do), they are great with kids, and are very loyal. Lily has proved this true in all areas.

When we first met Lily, she was 6 weeks old, but we couldn't bring her home yet. Here is a picture of her at 6 weeks. :)


We got Lilly when she was 9 weeks old...she was so so shy at first...we thought that she would never warm up...but after about 5 days..she did. Here is Lily at that stage. :)









Things I love about her being a puppy...how she plays, how she sleeps, and how curious she is/was. Lily had some weird sleeping positions.
We took some fun family pictures at about 3 months!!!


They grow up so so fast...Lily was potty trained in about two weeks for the most part...she can sit, lay down, shake, give a high five, fetch, and sometimes on a really good day, she can play dead. She loves people, running, the park, other dogs, playing, the snow, and of course eating. She also loves her time at camp...what a blessing she is for sure. She does not like....baths, grooming, and being told no. :) Surprise surprise. Here are a few more pics...she is looking like a big dog now. Well...Lily and I are signing off!!! :)

Reflections from Spain

Well...now I am home and I am able to reflect on this amazing and crazy trip. I have to say one...I love home and I am glad to be back...but there were so many amazing things there.

Some of the best things were:

• The slow pace: Even though it drove me crazy...it was good for me to slow down a little, reflect, relax, and spend time with the Lord. (I mean...crazy by...taking 4 hours to eat...because....that is how it is done)
• Spending time with my cousins and Laura and meeting some really nice German girls that room with Chels and Laura--I miss the time we have together for sure, and that was so great
• The food was so great...rich, great, interesting and unique.....my favorite being Paella (an amazing rice dish that I will learn how to make)
  
• The beautiful Architecture (Not only the city, but the parks, the City of Arts and Sciences, the Cathedrals, the Flats, the Flowers, everything)
• Celebrating my birthday there with family...fireworks...and fun
• The Fallas...it made the city crazy...but exciting...I will show the fires below.
  
• The Aquarium and The Dolphin Show...so fun
• Our day in the park...playing four square
• The Amazing fireworks at night
• Eating dinner in the flat...love talking
• Tea Time....3 times a day
  

Some of my least favorite things:

• Our Iberia Flight...somewhat nasty...I wouldn't use them...but it was cheap
• Spanish Men and Women making out everywhere...get a room please
• Rude people...teenagers the most...but people just shove you and never say sorry
• Guys peeing in the street
• Having to watch ever step so a teenager would not throw a Cherry Bomb at my feet to blow up
• The Bombs...it never was quiet...for the first 5 days (Fireworks...24/7)

but...for sure the good outweigh the bad...I am very different from their culture for sure, my life is fast paced, I like a schedule, I don't sleep until 2 pm each day, and I don't go to bed at 4 am...but hey...like I said, no jet lag. I loved seeing the different culture for sure. I guess that is why God put me in America. :) right???

To end it off...here are the finale pictures of the Burning of the Fallas. Fireworks almost flew inside our flat from the burning of this one. So fun and scary as well.



Well...that is about it...Great Trip...signing off. :)

Living in a War Zone--Valencia part 2

So much is going on here....it is normally not this crazy from what my cousin says, but right now, there is constant booms and fireworks, etc. We are here during Las Fallas...so that is why. It is really fun though. Las Fallas is a festival of Fire...basically, the entire city of Valencia makes a Fallas for their little area of town. A Fallas is a Statue Type thing that is wood in the middle and then styrofoam on the outside, but made to look like a float/statue type thing. Then on the last night, the burn them all...it is like the whole city is on fire. Here is our Fallas and another before the burn.












I have to say that I had a super amazing birthday though...very eventful on Saturday....not sure it could be more exciting. I started out the day and Chels had given me birthday croisants...they had chocolate in the middle with a candle to wish on. ;) Here is a pic of my birthday breakfast.

Then we toured Valencia. We went to another Muscleta (lots of really loud fireworks and booms) where I got in a shoving fight with a 14 year boy on a bike....you see...Spanish Teens here have no respect for anyone or any thing...he kept rolling over my toe on purpose and so....finally I got so peaved off that I shoved him. :) Ahh....the nerve. Then...we toured the city for about 8 hours...on foot...I loved it. :) One thing that is so funny and weird here is that spanish men and women make out like crazy.... I mean tongue and all right in front of everyone...it is so awkward and kind of gross in public....

Then we came home nad the German girls that we are here with (Chels roomies) made me Birthday Schnitzel---so great...also with birthday candles.

We topped off the night with the most amazing fireworks I have seen. 20 minutes long...Then...as I thought the night was over, it was not...we went to an outside Dancing Disco Tech, until 4:30 in the morning...what.....these people are crazy and never sleep....but it was really fun. I think that my body tells me I am too old for that....but....I guess, I will make the most of it. :)

Sunday, was a little more relaxing for sure. :) I needed that. We slept till about 11:30 our time, but considering we went to bed at 5:30 am, it was good.we then ventured into the suburbs of Valencia to an amazing park and had a BBQ/picnic.It was so nice.Then we just hung out there all day long....laid in the sun, played 4 square for about 3 hours with a bunch of Germans (Chelsea's roomates friends), talked, etc. It was great and relaxing. Then we came back and I was able to have some Jesus time, and then....took a nap at 9:30 pm...woke up...ate dinner (that is when they do it here....weird huh?Then of course a parade at 12:30 am and fireworks again at 1 am...then.....tea and talking....and bedtime at around 4 am....well at least when I come home, I will be on about the same schedule...since that is 10 pm Arkansas time currently.

Monday the 17th (yes I forgot to wear green) was a super eventful one as well. We went to the City of Arts and Sciences today....(sounds boring) but it is really amazing. Here are some outside pics of it.


IT had a huge aquariam, we watched a dolphin show, and then went to an IMAX film. It got pretty cold though, so that stunk and I was in shorts....but...hey...what can you do? Then we came back to the flat...relaxed until about 10 pm and then and ate some Paella....so so good. I loved it. We watched a parade and watched them put flowers on the Virgin Mary here (part of their celebration of Easter) Here is the Virgin with Flowers.


Then we went to a Jazz Bar for some live music...it was funny because most of the people there were exchange students who spoke English and all the songs were American Rock Songs, so that was a nice part of home. It was fun, but, my feet were about to kill me..not from my shoes, just from being on them for so long....ahh....it was crazy. Oh...and the German guy I was talking to had not a clue what a summer camp was...he kept thinking I taught Summer School for my job...anyways.....We went home at about 3:45 am...

Today (Tuesday the 18th), we are heading to the Beach..I am excited to read, relax, and sleep some....yeah for the beach.

I will say, that even though it is great here, I miss the states, and some of its comforts for sure....being away from Darrick this long is a challenge and also being away from my precious little Dog Lily as well....she is not so little anymore...I need to add her to this blog. :)

Alright...off to the beach.... Leslie

Trip to Valencia--Day One

We (my cousin Ash and I) arrived in Valencia at 1:30 pm (about 7:30 am Central time)...we are about 6 hours later than Ark time are just to give you an idea. We dropped all of our luggage off at Chelsea's house and then immediately ....got into action. We went to a thing called a Muscleta today at 2 pm (It happens every day here for the Las Falles Festival and it basically is a lot of fireworks (I mean a lot--sound like Armageddon is coming--so loud for so long). Then we searched a long time for a place to eat....finally just ate at the Pizza place...not the best, but oh well...food is so expensive here....everything is really. But oh well. I got 200 Euros out of the bank today....then thought...yikes...that is 300 dollars...but i have saved about 500 to spend..so I should be okay. ;)Then we came back to their Flat (apt) and hung out. They have two German roomates that are so so so sweet and really funny and very beautiful but so down to earth. We talked for about 2 hours...drank tea...and just had fun...I am super tired so I just took a shower to wake up...they say not to sleep or take a nap till night or you will get Jet Lag...so I hope I can hold on. The flight was really not that bad...6 hours only. But I really couldn't sleep at all...not much room...kind of hot...you know..the works.Then when we got to Madrid...we only had like 45 min to make our connection...which sounds like a lot, but we had to go through Passport check and also security checkpoints like three times and really walk at least 1.5 miles to get there...crazy.Then on the plane to Valencia....the stewardess....somehow dumped the entire drink tray thing....and Orange Juice and Ice went flying on the tiny plane...I was far enough back that nothing happend, but Ash got a good spray of OJ in the face. :) Needless to say, things are great, I am excited to have some down time. Tonight we went to market to cook dinner..I had some amazing conversations with Laura about her walk with God and I was able to share what the Lord was doing in my life as well.....

Pictures of the city of Valencia:

My cousins and I in a park in the city:

The Bull Fighting Arena: (Sad...I know)