Garden Birthday party

Though its winter in England, it was a kind of Garden party theme.All those gone years Me and my husband played a key role in celebrating birthdays, inviting friends...

But this time it was Annu along with Mich who did most of the part, apart from sending invitations . Theresu's friends. Amazing,  Therese's has turned 14. Our miracle baby . Thank you Lord Jesus  the way she has evolved into beautiful, creative and sporty girl.

The highlight of the day: Our usual birthday special is  breakfast in Bed...with floral pancake with tea and wishes.

All the gifts from siblings amd parents wished with some home made cards. Flowers by her sister and chocolates from younger brother...The birthday girl stayed in bed till trumpet begin with wish.

The whole family was into decorating house, with pom poms, balloons, picture collage, baking cake, blondies and so on. It was a semi naked cake. They tasted good as they looked. Baked by Annu .

Birthday party with H mass in St Ambrose Church. 10 of her friends joined.... Reached home and Mich took over with games and fun.

Following that, everyone had snack, meal and later cake cutting. 

The exciting time was I thought its painting time, everyone joined and paintings all came out super good and some signatures done..

Garden theme cake with lots of edible butterflies around on sponge cake.Semi baked cake with chopped strawberries sandwiched. For our beverage station  we had thought of making fruit infused water and lemonade.

All the decors, lighting, mini heart pompoms hanging on sealing  , dim lights all perfect ambience for girl's to kick in

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Painting time with snacking. For the munchies, kiddos had charcuterie board with cheese, crackers, pepperoni and grapes., also sausage wrap...all teens were like a chatter box.

Our birthday girl's ittle art with all signature of her friends.

  Sketching and painting mood

I skso had snack fun fisplay of her yearly pictures so I repurchased and reused our painting wall, this old geometric wooden frame in corridor.

Previous day, it was day with Theresa's god parents and celebrated wedding anniversary .

Every birthday is a banquet at home. Thank God for all these years.Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed..

    

           Happy 14th Birthday Theresu dear

In Spain

We crossed the borders of France to Spain. Welcome sign to espaniol is evident. A bit different from France as they dont mention any Motor ways, less rest areas than France.

We reached Burgosa in France ...stopped there for a night on the way to Segovia. Nearly took 8 hours excluding breaks from there.


There are so many routes you can pick from France to Spain. We took through west, which is interior hopping through Burgos, Segovia to Avila.


Spain is one of the best destination people looking for. People been drawn to vines or to a sunny destination.

There are so many places sign posted on the roads. So famous for cathedrals too.

St Sebastain-


We are not going to highlights or hot spots of Spain . I was chuntering to my hubby for a long time to move to a hot country, perhaps somewhere in Europe. One of the place I was looking for was Spain. Kids are learning Spanish with  a tutor and I adore Spain too.


Some of the common Spanish usuages

Ola : hi
Bonas Dieus: Good morning.
Gracias; Thank you
POR FAVOR: please.
Leche: milk
Como est as? How are you.


I would like to 

Basking in sun

So hot in here by eve, everyone basking under sun, under umbrellas.

St John of Cross: As mentioned above, the relics of Saint John of the Cross are one of the highlights of the Monastery church. The church contains his very elaborate tomb.  You will also find several interesting relics such as an original handwritten letter.

Segovia Cathedrals

One of the second best cathedral in Spain with gothus art from 12tj century I suppose. Full of art works and costlier paintings depicting the differents events from gospel. So epic..we shouldnt muss it. You could pay 6 euro and go to dones with guides to get a stunning site of city.

  Carmel convent- Displaced Carmelites

Her birth house and bed room

Segovia is very famous for aqueducts frlm Roman times.

Palace 

Foods : I woukd live to enjoy Spanish cuisine paella, Choriza, churios, tortillas..

Prayer

St Therese Avila

  St Theres's burth place and her bed room

9

St John's Cross is a wonderful 

   Children having some fun times. Settled well on our long journey.

Bye bye spain

Languages

Road Trip Day 1- Calai -Lisieux- Le Mans

Our Roadtrip commenced on Saturday with a amazing pilgrim blessing from Fr Tierney with car blessing.

 All set to go for Our trip to Portugal in our car to attend World Youth Day in Lisbon,  driving through Frsnce and Spain. Both of the lands are my favourite and the languages we love to explore. Stickers UK and Eurolite all set with the help of our friend who has been for many road trips to Bulgaria, Kazhakisthan.

Also the land of so many saints and shrines in Europe. On Sunday we drove over to Bruntwood nearly took 3 and half hours to collect elder kids . From there to Kent and atopped over . Our journey to Dover on early morning to cross in Euro tunnel at 7 am train shuttle Le Shuttle.  So excited about crossing channel from Dover to Calai, France. One of the highlights of the day was crossing the channel through Euro tunnel. That was super, drove  into the long train inside our car. It only took half an hour to reach France.You can get out and peep out.

Inside Euro tunnel where our car is packed in tte train.

Starting from the relics of St Ambrose Barlow in our church.

Took nearly 3 heures from Calai to Lisiuex. Took 2 tolls to minimise the travel time. Plenty of refreshers, services on the way and toilet are different from UK, absolutelely great.Heavily pouring down and landscapes are different, lots and lots corn fields, sunflowwr patches. 

On the way we bifurcated through Le Havre  bridge, absolutelely stunning bridge looks like faiiry bridge you could see through clouds in an enchanted fairy stories.

   Finally the highlight of the day is reaching Lisieux, where the great saint lived in 19th Century. It is through her writings that her universal message becomes apparent, that of the sharing of love between God and Hunanity. The whole family of saints. 

You could see Les Buussonetts, mansion in Lisieux where she moved into when her mom Zellie died at the age of 5 till 115 till her journey into convent. Beautiful one to visit unfortunately its stopped entry due to refurbishment.

We visited the Basilica of St Thrrese consecrated in 1954, and covered with mosaics that illustrate message of Saint Tterese. The relics of Saint Therese and parents are kept in church. Such a beautiful place, also so many litted lamps, st joseph and her life events projected in Basilica.

St John Paul gallery of exhibitions; you could see everywhrre the invitations for World Youth Day Lisbon 2023.

So many prayers sent with beautiful lamps lit. The patron of our Therese , whom we praying for .

In carmel convent where st Therese's tomb is there.This is the convent where Therese entered into, a vast array of toys, books, her hand letters all displayed there. 

Outside the convent

Louis and Zelie's lives were guided by tteir motto- God served firsr and daughters of them were greatly influenced by their deep faith and religious fervor.

Finally by 6pm we reached our residence in a quiet village area with a lovely glance of lots of farming lands with spraying water mechanically. Things unloaded for the night to stay in and move to Lourdes in the morning.