Madrid

A couple of days ago it was a beautiful day so while the boys were in school I walked for about 2 hours around the city by myself. I have done this a few times but as our time here is coming to a close I am already feeling nostalgic and want to capture the many wonderful beauties of this city. My time here has continually been an adventure with excitement, joy, hardship, concern, fun, loneliness, adventure, discovery and many more emotions have passed over me while being here. All in all it has been a wonderful, although short, journey in my life. I have learned many things and grown in a the short time our family has been here. 9 months is such a short time in the span of ones life but this 9 months has been life changing. I hope you enjoy some of the pictures from Beautiful Madrid.

 Above is the Statue of Columbus in the Plaza de Colon.

 Spain Flag.

 San Jeronimo El Real is a beautiful Cathedral sitting just above the Prado Museum

 Different view of the Cathedral

 Palacio de Linares which sits on the Plaza de Cibeles One of my favorite buildings in Madrid.

 Fountain right off the Plaza de Cibeles of a little boy.

 Edificio Metropolis sits on one of the beautiful corners on Gran Via.

 Real Jardin Botanico flower beds filled with tulips. Was able to go with some friends to look at the botanical gardens and enjoy all the spring flowers. I wish I had more pics of the girls.

My favorite tree in the garden. They called it The Love Tree. So beautiful with the flowers growing out of the bark. Such contrast with the pink and brown,

The Green House.

Our Walk to School!

I wanted to capture in Pictures the walk that we take daily on the way to and from school if we don't take the train. It is a beautiful one and I realized the other day that we were walking by such beautiful buildings I wanted to take pictures of them not only the famous landmarks. So here is our walk to school.

Daily we walk down streets with multi-colored buildings and beautiful Architecture. So many flower pots and balconies.

Madrid is covered in Plazas, roundabouts and many many fountains often sit in the middle of them, Here is just one of the many.

Spain is famous for its Ham and any market, grocery store you go in will have one of these at least but usually many.

This is Erich's Beautiful school. It is on the same street that we live on so we pass it often. I love the beautiful bell and Clock tower. The bells ring every fifteen minutes and on the hour. I really do love the sound. When it is warm enough to have our windows open and our house is quiet (which is not often) we can here the bells chime.

Government Building.

This church is just across the street from the picture above.

Beatiful little church (compared to the Cathedrals this is small) on the corner down the street from the boys school.

Courtyard of a Museum that is right next to the boys school. I love the pink color

Boys school. Isabel la Catolica

It Could be Me!

Daily as I walk my boys to and from school we pass many less fortunate asking for money. At first I noticed I would avoid eye contact, but as time went by we saw the same two everyday. One man and one women. The boys and I started saying hi and giving a smile. As nine months have past since we have been here and we have walked to school 5 days a week passing these two people I have found a compassion fill my heart for them. The man always has a smile for the boys and makes silly faces with them. The woman sits outside the Metro station on a little stoop with such kind eyes.As I have looked into her eyes and said hello and smiled her face has stayed with me passed the quick moments of passing her on the street.

She makes me think especially about how that could be any one of us and that I could be that women sitting on the stoop. She is a beautiful women with kind eyes and a beautiful smile. I don't know why she has effected my heart in this way, maybe because she is a women about my age, but in giving a smile, looking into her eyes and not avoiding her I have felt the love of my Savior. I know that the Savior loves her so much and wants the best for her as well he wants the best for all of us no matter our situation.

Through these simple encounters that I have 5 days a week as I walk my boys to school I experience love and kindness in the most unlikely place. I just had to take the time to recognize it. Everyday in this crazy world we are bombarded with messages of all the bad in the world, but I have experienced so much kindness from those who love me and from strangers on the street or Metro. Wither it is someone on the metro giving up their seat so Kaleb and Tyson can sit down, an old man making Origami for the boys, smiles from new friends, or someone letting us go first in line at the market because they see me waiting with two crazy boys. Very simple things, but all important to a me. It is true that the small things in life make a difference.

I hope we can all be kind to one another and see the good that is around us daily.

Have I done any good in the World today

have I helped anyone in need

Have I cheered up the sad

and made someone feel glad

if not I have failed indeed.