A New Trip on the Calendar to Portugal! Here we are at the beginning of the week again! Kids SO did NOT want to get up for school today. To tell you the truth, neither did I! Started my day at Starbucks with my usual coffee klatch with Denise. It's the same thing every day: Refresh tea for me and a white, chocolate peppermint latte with skim milk, no whip for her! I always drop my kids off at school, so most mornings I beat her here. So, speaking of Denise, during one of our text conversations yesterday, I got an amazing surprise which just launched my day and my excitement! She told me that her husband, Marcello, whose family hails from Portugal, is determined to take a family trip there during the next few years. Well, why would this excite me? You guessed it! She wants me to come with her and I gladly (a huge understatement!) accepted! Clearly nothing has been finalized or even planned, but from our initial text conversation, it looks like this will be a summer 2016 trip! More on this as it unfolds, but here is a little overview about the "Chaves" Portugal, the nearest town to the village where we would be staying. 
click map for more information about Chaves, Portugal
The rest of the day I was on a mission to research this area, the distance to all major cities and tourist attractions and conversing back and forth with Tanya to see if this would be a trip that works for her as well. As you can see from the map, Chaves is in the north of Portugal and practically on the border of Spain. So, no doubt, we will be taking some road trips through Spain as well! I've updated my Travel Schedule to include Portugal and Spain!! Back to my day yesterday. I took Gianna & Kelsey to see A Dolphin Tale 2. As an extreme animal lover, I was well on my way to getting choked up, five minutes into the movie with the rescue of a hurt dolphin. So needless to say, I shed a bunch of tears as the movie proceeded! Definitely worth seeing if you have kids. 
Vegan Sampler at Season's 52
The three of us headed over to the mall to Season's 52 for dinner following the movie. I'm pretty boring, but, as usual, I ordered my usual Vegetarian Sampler, which was DEE-LISH. All in all it was a great day! Today, I have errands and some reading to do about expanding the reach of our Travelin' Cousins blog! Please continue to spread the word to increase our following!!! Here is to the beginning of a great week!! -E 
| It's the First Day of Fall I woke up this morning all snuggled under my blankie and there was a crisp chill in the air. Not because it's the First Day of Fall and the weather is reflecting. It's because the A/C was on and I had 2 fans pointed directly at me! So far it is only 68 degrees outside, and I am really NOT complaining! But the temps are suppose to go back up again before they (hopefully) start to go down! Ahhh Fall in Southern California; so much like Summer, which is like Spring, which is like Winter (with very minor differences). I want the 4 seasons! Therefore travel I must! As was expected, yesterday turned out to be a rather long day...all worth it and very successful! We started the day off with such a yum-alicious brunch at RFD (Real Food Daily), then the kids had 2 performances (both across town from each other) and they did an awesome job! Such troopers! 
Brunch at RFD
IPC singing for the United Nations Peace Day
IPC singing for Harvest Haven
Me and my big babies!
During their warm-ups and rehearsals (which was my down time), I spent some time texting with Elisa. She told me all about this new trip that she is planning to Portugal! How fun! I'm not sure if you remember, but I was suppose to go to Spain and Portugal this November...I decided that the timing was off and replaced that trip with going Iceland instead (which I am totally stoked about and looking very forward to!) Did this all happen for a reason? So that we can go at the same time as Elisa and her gang? Who knows... I'm gonna think about it and see what I can do, I have so many other plans that do not currently include Portugal and/or Spain. But perhaps I can do a combo type trip with something else that I have up my sleeve!!! We shall see ;) Elisa and I had also chatted about what to pack for the very soon approaching New Mexico Road Trip! We studied the predicted temperatures and I think we have a pretty good idea about some of the stuff we will be taking! I also mentioned to Elisa about another trip that I have in the works for Sept/Oct 2015...HAWAII!!! Yes, I know that I recently made a list of all the trips that have been filling my mind and somehow I forgot to mention Hawaii when I mentioned the rest of the locations! LOL Anyhow it's on like Donkey Kong! And I will be booking our stay within the week to lock it in! Dominic and Cosette just love Hawaii, as do I. I mean what's not to love?! And I think that Elisa and the girls will absolutely fall in love with it too! Maybe even Danielle (Elisa's sister) will be interested in coming on this one too? The kids will have a blast all being there together, and not running around town doing so much - which is what it's all about... Something to really appreciate and embrace while spending over there!
As far as today goes, it's gonna be a typical Monday over here. Working on Travelin' Tuesday, and other things site related, as well as taking the kids to rehearsal later this evening, doing some online shopping and taking care of some errands. Dream Big and Plan Big, -T |
