2011 in Retro Spec

Well 2011 is at its end and it was one crazy year! I am epicly behind on doing full entries for all the big events from this year so here is a readers digest for the life and times of the Carters of Rota Spain in 2011.

January was great! Brad turned 31, which is according to him, his official entry into his 30's. We took our first trip to Granada, Spain. We snowboarded and took in the amazing history and sites at the Alhambra, it was a great trip! February's big news was that we found out that we were pregnant! We were so fortunate to have gotten pregnant after only 5 months of trying.  It was already shaping up to be a stellar year.

As you can see from the photos in this collage, March and April were not quite what we had expected.  In the first week of March a good friend of ours from Virginia came to visit and we decided to take her to Granada to go snowboarding for the first time, and on the first day on the slopes Brad was in an accident that landed him in the hospital for the next month and half! The first month was spent in the Spanish hospital in Granada having his hip and ribs put back together with hardware that will never come out, and once we finally got him moved home to the hospital in Rota, he was only there a week before they sent us off to Norfolk for more assessments.  As we came to the end of April, we were finally able to set foot in our own home as a family again, only Brad was in a wheel chair for the time being, but home was better than the hospital even with the wheel chair.  The one thing that kept me from totally losing my mind was having Brad's mother Denise with me while he was in the hospital.  It was so nice to have her support while dealing with all the madness of dealing with the Spanish hospitals and my first trimester of pregnancy. 

In May we finally got to relax and have a little more fun with Denise.  She did an awesome job taking care of the house, and getting Brad to all of his appointments while I was catching up at work. Luckily in between work and physical therapy we managed to squeeze in some sight seeing. Denise and I visited Gibraltar, and she spent as much time as possible at the beach during the week while I was at work. Brad was only up for short trips at this point so we showed Denise Puerto de Santa Maria, and even got the chance to go to Feria in Rota.  In preparation for the baby coming we decided to get Pepito a little brother of his own so he would have someone to keep him company when Brad and I got busy with the new baby.  We named our new little addition, Lennox, and once Pepito figured out what he was, they were fast friends.

June and July went by in a blur.  Lots of working for me, lots of physical therapy appointments for Brad and lots of beach time for Denise.  I finally settled on paint colors for the nursery and spent an entire weekend painting a galaxy on the ceiling to inspire my little dreamer to be.  The fourth of July was a busy weekend with a huge fund raiser for the morale committee at the command of which I am the president, and we took a three day trip to Albufeira Portugal. The trip to Portugal was the highlight of Denise's visit thus far, we enjoyed a lot of great food, spent time at the pool and shopped to our hearts content.

August brought the end of Denise's extended stay in Spain. We filled her last few days in Rota with evenings eating out, and strolling by the beach. Her final send off was after a few days touring Madrid. It was the prefect end to a strange and wonderful trip.  She really made all the difference in the world for Brad and I; it would have been unimaginably difficult to make it through his recovery with out her help and support.  The rest of August was strangely quiet. Brad and I mostly just spent it getting to know each other again without our spicy companion Denise. There was a definite hole in our lives once she was gone, but by the end of September we were pretty much back to normal, or as normal as things could be after a catastrophic snowboarding accident and nearing the 9th month of pregnancy.

I made a new friend bonding over the joys of pregnancy and I got to do some maternity photos for her and her husband just a few days before she gave birth. All through her shoot we kept talking about how funny it would be if she were to go into labor, at nearly 40 weeks, so she wouldn't have liked anything more, luckily it was only a couple days after the shoot when she gave birth to their little boy.  The other big happening in September was that Brad and I got to spend a week in Marbella, at the resort that Dave had booked for the trip he and Denise never got to take because of Brad's accident.  We felt very hip having the opportunity to take a "babymoon," its the newest craze to take a vacation to celebrate your last times together as just a couple, and it was really nice.

October was the month of beer and baby! Brad brewed his first beer and I gave birth to our first child.  I thought that last month would never end, but finally 1 week overdue little Sonora Teagan Carter was brought into the world via cesarean section after nearly 30 hours of laboring in vain. She was in there good and had no intention of vacating of her own will, so I sent the Doc in after her. There were no complications with the exception of her not wanting to come out, but in the end there she was, all 8lbs 4oz's of her.

The first week of November was one for the record books.  Every moment was loaded with joy, as I got to spend time with my mom, my sister, and my new baby girl.  We celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a family of three, and much like all the other days, Sonora was highlight of the evening.  I was on maternity leave for the entire month of November and time has never flow by so quickly. Before I knew it it was early in December and time to return back to work.

Sonora's first Christmas season was full of wonder, mostly because she is so new to the world which means pretty much everything is awe-inspiring to a baby. Brad and I have been completely possessed by our love and devotion to our little bundle of joy.

Oh what a difference a year can bring, but the most important things are those that can manage to stay the same. For Brad and I, the constant is our devotion to one another, and we couldn't be happier to have our love personified in our sweet baby girl.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, may 2012 be filled with joy, love and prosperity for everyone.

The Big 31

For Brad the celebration of his 31st birthday was the real turning point because now he felt like he was really "in" his 30's. Regardless of its stigma we still had a really good time.

After several years of not using our 1 skiver pan, we used it twice in course of one week.  First for Christmas and then for Brad's party food prep.  I also made a giant batch of egg loafs, so it was kind of an odd breakfast for dinner party spread, but good nibbles are good nibbles at any hour!

I think this was my first home made birthday cake for Brad.  Clearly I need to practice up a bit, but even though it wasn't that pretty it certainly was tasty.  The party wasn't that big but it was a great time.

When it was all said and done, Brad was passed out in bed.  He actually slipped off without a word to anyone, so I staged a good passed out photo to commemorate the night for him.   I was the sober party goer, so after driving everyone home, I stayed up another couple of hours and cleaned house with my 2 am second wind energy.  It was actually really nice to get the next morning after having a party and not have a hang over and have the house be clean! A great end to a great night!

                               Welcome to your 30's boog. May the best years be yet to come!

Las luces de Navidad en España

After our world wind trip to the states, we enjoyed a much more relaxed holiday season at home. We put up our fake tree, decorated the house, and spent a lot of time scolding Pepito for playing with the ornaments. We made skivers on Christmas morning, and finally popped the cork on some fabulous almond champagne that we were given by our awesome friends Lee and Chelsea.

We attended our first NCTAMS Christmas party, which was a huge weight off my shoulders as the MWR president. I had to oversee all the planning and set up for the party for nearly 100 people, not exactly a small undertaking.
In between Christmas and New Years, we spent an evening in Jerez (Hair-eth) taking in the lights and the Spanish Culture. The Christmas season in Spain lasts all the way until the 6th of January. Three Kings Day is a day to celebrate when the wise men arrived to the place where Jesus was born, and just as they gave gifts, so do the Spanish. The holiday has grown to be the more predominant gift giving day in the Christmas season, because of this the local stores set up markets in the town centers, and keep their shops open late during the days between Christmas and January 6th.

Just as every other experience during our tour here in Spain, this was another one we wouldn't trade. Feliz Navidad y Feliz Año Nuevo.

Thanksbirthmas ~ Family Holiday Extravganza ~

As luck would have it, things worked out so that Brad and I could plan a trip back to the states to celebrate the holidays with our families.  The first leg of our journey landed us in Boston, where we met up with my mom,  and sister.  We enjoyed a turn through the Boston Museum of Modern Art, and some awesome pastries from a famous local bakery.

Before heading back to Hailey's house in the beloved Northeast Kingdom, Hailey, Brad and I went on a tour of the Sam Adams Brewery.  It was great fun just kickin' it with my man and favorite sister! I really enjoyed learning how the bear was made, and all about the history of the brewery.

Even though it was a week early we had a good old fashioned Gentile Thanksgiving, complete with pie for breakfast the next morning.  It was wonderful to get to spend some time with my family, which has been a rarity ever since I joined the military.  I really loved getting to spend some time cooking with my mom again. Its crazy how the things you used to think of a chore when you were younger can become the moments you cherish as you grow older.

 We took in some of the local charms by strolling through the have it all general store, and grabbing a bite to eat out at the Parker Pie, a must if you ever find yourself in Glover, VT.

 We drown our sorrows from dropping momma off at the airport in Ben and Jerry's ice cream and huge Thai lunch.  It was a great last little outing before Brad and I headed on our way to WA for the rest of Thanks-Birth-MAS extravaganza.

Brad's brother Danny coined the phrase "BirthMas" a few years ago in reference to the unique holiday celebration ritual that has formed amongst the Carter/Foiles clan over the past several years. In light of the January birthday concentration coupled with scheduling issues, and mine and Brad's ever changing home base; whenever we manage to get all of the family together under one roof, we cover all the bases, and usually over the course of just one weekend! Thanksgiving, Christmas and all the January 

 birthdays, its quite the to-do.

This year was one of the biggest gatherings so far, with the addition of a few of Stina's college friends, a few new babies, and even cousin Sarah.  The "I married a Carter" support group finally legitimized our club by taking our first group photo, and of course Denise had to have a shot of just her passel of grandchildren!

After photos we let the early Christmas madness ensue! There were presents, wrapping paper and babies flying everywhere!

After It was all said and done, Brad enjoyed the benefits of his flexible employment schedule, and stayed an extra week to soak up some more family and friend time, while I hoped a plane for the long trip back to Spain and back to work.  The time we get with our families is never long enough, but time well spent all the same. Brad and I look forward to settling down some day and putting down some roots near the ones we love, but for now, we are going to continue to enjoy our world tour. Stay tuned to see what happens next!

Fall Euro Trip Part 6 ~ The hold up ~

After a wonderful nights sleep and a lazy morning in the hotel room, we went to my last post operation appointment at the Landsthul Medical Center. All was well and I was even cleared to drive. We spent the rest of the day laying low, still recuperating from our whorl wind journey. Later that evening I randomly decided to check my email, and found some pretty disturbing news. RyanAir had canceled our flight!! The French air traffic controllers union had scheduled a strike in response to the newly proposed union of European air space. Needless to say, that news whipped me into a veritable frenzy! I was able to rebook us a flight for free online, but it wouldn't leave until the Saturday the 30th, which was the day after the biggest fund raising event for the Morale committee that I chair at work. I was absolutely beside myself. I started shooting off emails to just about everyone I could think of, expecting the worst reaction but wanting to get the word out. That night I barely slept, completely disturbed by the many possible responses I would get from the command the next morning. To my great surprise and refreshing relief, my other committee members and senior adviser stepped up, and reassured me that they would handle everything and the event would be a great success. Also my chain of command, assured me that there was no need to worry and that they would just extend my Temporary Assignment until I was able to get a flight back. With all the details worked out, Brad and I just sat back and relaxed enjoying our couple extra days in Germany.
We decided to head out for one more off base adventure on Friday morning. On our way to our Heidelberg, we drove through Mannheim, and stopped to tour the Palace. The massive Mannheimer Schloss was built by Elector Carl Philipp from 1720 to 1760. It was his successor Carl Theodor who saw its completion and fostered fine arts, music, theater and science and saw Mannheim reach its cultural zenith in the 18th century. Subsequently host to legal courts, schools and as apartments for government officials, today most of the building, almost completely destroyed in WWII and rebuilt, houses the university.Heidelberg is a truly breathtaking city. The streets were full of interesting shops and gorgeous architecture. So much color and interest everywhere you turned.
We wandered through the city just soaking up the local flavor, and the crisp fall air. The pepper pots guard the entrance to the old bridge right next to an intriguing brass monkey statue.
From the bridge you can see the grand façade of the Heildelberg Schloss which was our next stop. We wound our way back through the city and up the steep walking path to the castle gates.
The views of the city and the river from the schloss were magnificent! With its trees in full fall foliage, it reminded me a little of Vermont.

Inside the main courtyard you can see that the schloss is a little worse for the wear, but still full in intricate details at every turn. The oldest parts of the castle were first built in the early 13th century. It was expanded on, and damaged by lighting several times throughout the 16th and 17th centuries and has only been partially restored since its last great damages in the 18th century. From that history is incidents, me thinks this might not have been the best location for a castle!
We took the stair path on the way back into town. We took our time and just enjoyed strolling through the beautiful trees.
With all the beauty, culture and interest that Heidelberg had to offer, we were so glad to have gotten delayed so that we were able to see it! It was a picture perfect ending to our grandest adventure yet!

Fall Euro Trip Part 5 ~Paris~

The city of lights, eh? We didn't realize that they meant tail lights! We received quite a grand bienvenue, on the A-3. We were stuck in traffic for almost an hour, but since traffic and delays had become the status quo for this trip, we made the best of it; talking, laughing, and planning all the way to the hotel. We went out for a nice light sushi dinner before dragged our butts to bed. Although it had only been three days since Landstuhl and my eye surgery, it seemed like weeks had past since we had spent a day NOT ferociously touring.
We rose the next morning with a grand plan of attack, to conquer the greatest sights in Paris, all in a single day! My mental check list in tow, and my handy dandy tourist map constantly in a flutter, we set out for Montmartre and the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur. After 21 stops on the Metro and quite a bit of debate on the topic of exactly where we were, we came around a corner to the sound of bells. The bells of the Sacré Coeur to be exact. They were beautiful, and it was also nice to finally have a land mark to navigate by. After listening for a few seconds, we continued on our way up to get some better shots of the church.




Seeing as it was Sunday morning, mass was in sessions, so no photographs were allowed inside. We reverently wandered around inside listening to the service in French, and watching the Catholics do their dance of worship.
While a top the Montmartre were able to take in a view of the tower through the "morning mist" or more likely smog. We visited the Cimetière de Montmartre, where many famous artist are buried. I was very excited when we stumbled upon the Moulin Rouge on our way to the metro! I knew that somewhere on Montmartre but had forgotten to look it up, so fate and Brad's awesome sense of direction let us right to it. After a little cancan we headed back to the metro and back to the heart of the city!
From every angle the Cathedral of Notre Dame is absolutely amazing.
The ambiance inside is unmistakable and completely humbling. The candles cast an eerie glow on the stone walls, and make the cavernous interior feel all the more engulfing. One can't help but feel God's power and presence within these walls.
I was once again amazed at the aptitude of my little point and shoot Samsung Camera. It really did an awesome job of capturing the true colors of the glass and the stone.
We left the cathedral and walked along the river Seine and took in the city as strolled. Paris has been described as beauty built into a city, and I for one, agree.
Our stroll brought us to the foreboding walls of Le Louvre, we walked into the court yard just to take a look at the famed lines and of course snap a few pictures of the architecture. We planned to visit the Louvre first thing in the morning the next day so that we could beat the rush. For now we would be moving on toward our next highlight, La Tour Eiffel.
No matter the angle, nor distance afar the Eiffel Tower has an unmistakable draw! We snapped shots from just about every where in the city, and just couldn't get enough. For the sake of time and our legs we decided to skip waiting in line to climb to the top.
With our goal close at hand we dialed in and buckled down on our path to the Arch de Triumph! We made the climb ,since it was considerably shorter than the one at the tower, and from there we took in the expansive views of the city. With our mission to see it all basically complete we made our way back toward the Eiffel tower to find a little cafe to camp out in until dusk turned to dark, so we could see the tower at night. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and each others company in a little cafe just a few blocks from the peace monument at the end of the Champ de Mars. Once the sky had turned from gray to royal blue, we strolled through the chilly night back toward the tower.
On par with the rest this trip, the view did not disappoint. We wandered around the champs for about 30 min waiting to capture the spectacular sparkles that only happen at the top of the hour for 5 min. It was well worth it! Even though it was only 8pm we were all toured out! So back on the metro, and back to the hotel we went, to rest up for our day at the Louvre, and our drive back to Landstuhl.


One good nights sleep was not enough to ease to ache of "Paris touring feet", but despite the protests of our feet, we set out bright and early so we could beat the lines at the Louvre.
We approached the museum from metro entrance, which apparently is the key! We waited in line for a little while, but that was only due to the museum opening on a delayed schedule. Once the doors were open we were in and gazing upon the Mona Lisa in only a matter of minutes.
The massive collection was quite daunting, but we wandered around and never found our eyes wanting.
Of all the sections that we wandered through, I particularly enjoyed the Egyptian art.


Although the collection is the main event, the Architecture of the museum is an exhibit all its own. The pyramid has been a point of controversy with the French since its completion in 1989. Many people feel is modern style in juxtaposition with the surrounding architecture throws the balance and elegance of the court yard on it head. I myself find that the pairing creates a interesting tension just like any good art piece should.
The immense maze of galleries were almost a challenge to escape from once we could walk and enjoy no more.

With our Paris check list complete, my last eye appointment in Landstuhl set our course back to Germany. The blue skies were a nice send of as we headed back to misty Germany.