Welcome Home!

I'm home! I am so happy to see my family and friends. All the kids were so happy to see me too ... at least for the first few hours until it came time for me to enforce a few rules that were overlooked when I was gone.

That certainly is no insult to Matthew! He generally tends to be a bit more lax than I with the rules. But, more importantly, who do you know that would take care of the kids and the home while his wife left for 40 days? Without Matthew, my camino would not have been possible. Thank you, Matthew!!

After walking 800+ km in my tennis shoes (which were already a few years old), I thought maybe I would get some new shoes. So, I promised Yana that I would take her shoe shopping. She nearly fainted. I've now decided that there is still some life in my tennis shoes. No worries. I will honor my promise ... someday!

Matthew and Amy were happy to see me too. (Eugene is not home. He started the camino in May.) They were happy for me to watch the kids while they relaxed. They were happy for me to walk the kids to school. They were happy for me to cook once in a while and clean once in a while. For now, I can only imagine what it was like with seven children. Next spring, I'll be able to experience it first-hand when Matthew goes on the camino.


They had a party for me on Saturday when I got home. Sara, Sophia and Elenita were here. The kids made me cards and covered the door with flowers that were as beautiful as those I saw on the camino.

When I arrived in Santiago, I received a compostela - a certificate of completion. It is written in Latin and it is pretty cool. I am going to keep it in my drawer. When I arrived at home, I received a Certificate of Award from Maria. It is primary colors and it is priceless. I am going to put it up on the wall.

Everyone thought I lost weight by walking every day. I didn't lose any weight. I certainly still have my child-bearing trophy (abdominal pudge). Maybe I redistributed my weight a little bit.

I have a pair of skin-tight jogging pants. (Yeah - I'm not sure why I own jogging pants either.) When I started the camino, my jogging pants were so tight that I had to strrrrrretch and squirrrrrm and squeeeeeze to get them on. By the time I finished the camino, I only had to strrrrrretch and squirrrrrm to get them on. Also, I think I may have gone down one bra-size. Now, I wear a negative.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. On Saturday, Matthew and Sara made German chocolate cake covered and layered with coconut and frosting and dripping with sin.

On Sunday, Pachi came to visit and brought a homemade chocolate and vanilla nata cake frosted with chocolate on top and white cream on the sides and drizzled with white chocolate.

On Monday, Elvira came for comida and brought a gourmet chocolate covered, yummy creamy layered cake with chocolate truffles on the top and sides. Elvira also brought my favorite pan de leche rolls and thick, rich, Spanish hot chocolate.

And I saved a box of Hughes' chocolate covered toffees that my in-laws sent in March. Hmm. I will simply HAVE to eat those before it gets hot or they will melt.

So, if I did lose any weight, I gained it all back before I had a chance to step on a scale. I need some exercise. I think I'll go for a walk.