Lady in Spain.

Days do not get much better then today, in Spain. Well SUNDAYS in Spain don’t get much better then today. It was one of the those days where at the end when you are getting ready to go to bed you say to yourself (or in my case, my roommate) “gosh, today was just an all around good day” Just from start to finish things were just great!

First roommate and I got up and MADE banana pancakes. This is wonderful for a few reasons 1.) because we actually were able to to cook something ourselves, which doesn’t happen much in senoras house and 2.) because it was like a little slice of home, because we never have pancakes here. It was a nice break from corn flakes for breakfast and man, they were delish! Then we scurried on over to church where the message was from Mark talking about living by Faith and not having worries but just trusting God fully and being totally faithful in knowing that he will provide. It was so nice to hear that because I feel  like I have been struggling lately with fully believing that God will provide and so it was a nice little reality check. Plus we got to see all our friends at church and singing worship in Spanish is just my favorite thing, so the day just got better after that alone.

Did I mention it was a beautiful day too? Welp, it was SO nice outside, no clouds in sight and probs at 75/80 degrees!  Nothing says a good day like sunshine, let me just say that! But after church we mosey-ed on home and BAM the day got 5o times better because we had seafood paella, which is code for the best dish that has ever come out of senoras kitchen. AND it was just the four of us that were eating there so we could have as much as we wanted, which is also very rare, and so roommate and I took senora up on her offered and had about three plates of it. But I don’t regret it for one second, it is SO good. After that meal I didn’t think I could ever eat again so I waddled on down to my bed to take a nice little siesta.

Did I also forget to mention that it was moms birthday, welp it was! And I felt so sad that I couldn’t be home for it so I was really excited to skype her! But then she surprised me and when the skype video loaded BOOM there was good and pop whom I have not seen in person (rather over skype) since January which is a lifetime in Goo and Pop years and so I screamed of excitement because I miss those little nuggets so much! It was SO great to chat with the whole family and catch up, it was the high light of my day for sure. It felt like is was MY birthday or something, because of all the great things that had been happening…

Then for dinner, it just kept getting better because Senora made this wonderful pasta salad that I LOVE and we can also have as much as we wanted, so needless to say, my belly was real satisfied by the end of the day. But then somehow we got on the subject of Senoras and Marcos wedding and then the next thing I knew, we were looking at tons of  photo albums of their wedding, when they were just dating and when her kids were super young. It was SO fun to see all of their pictures, she had her first kid when she was 21, and they were so adorable back then and are still so cute now! I felt like I was with my own grandma looking at pictures, it was so fun! Senora totally loved it and then brought out more and it was just such a great bonding time. Her family is so cute and I just love hearing her talk about them! Then we showed her pictures of our trips and we were all just happy little clams. Then I look over and see Marcos doodling on something and he says its his 10 year old grandsons math homework and I just about died laughing because Ismael WOULD have his grandpa do his homework. Gosh I love that family.

 So that was my day, full of delish food and great conversations with both my American family and my Spanish family, I couldn’t have asked for a better Sunday in Spain!

Life is good my friends, life is good. OH, and I am going to Norway next weekend so who knows what that will hold!

TOP TEN WAYS TO SPOT         

AMERICAN STUDY ABROAD    

STUDENTS 

10. You can see their mind overheating from trying to figure out how 

      much something “really costs” 

9. Chewing gum 

8. Taking self-timed pictures because they’re too stubborn to ask  

     anyone 

7. Running shorts & shoes worn while not running 

6. College sweatshirts and baseball caps 

5. White socks  

4. They get the shakes when they spend more than one day away 

from Facebook. 

3. “Jansport” backpacks 

2.  A “Let’s Go” guidebook 

1.  Flip flops worn in the dead of winter 

is it sad that have I have done more than one thing on this list NUMEROUS times? probably. As if my blonde hair didnt make me stick out like a sore thumb enough. maybe its just my american “swag”, or the way I say hola without an accent, but people in Spain ALWAYS seem to know that I am American. tough break for me.

the worlds GREATEST care package, thanks mom and dad! Everything I could ever want was in that box and I couldnt be more excited about it! a few highlights were:

boxes of my favorite girl scout cookies

People magazine from the past two months

lifetime supply of dried fruit 

AND my stationary (which I cant live without)

oh, and a lovely picture of a little steeler fan crying.. thanks for that add-in dad :)

LOVE you both, and LOVE this box and all things inside of it! thanks a heap!

BABY LOLA IS HERE!

So, senora just welcomed a new grandbaby into the world! Baby Lola, who is just the cutest smallest human I have ever seen. Roomate and I were lucky enough to be invited to go to the hospital yesterday to visit her and mama Mavi, which was SO wonderful because she was only born three days ago! Let me just say, this was the nicest hospital I have ever been to, which is saying a lot because I loathe all things hospital. But it was all ancient and antiqued with stain glass windows, and it didnt even smell like doctors. It was great! But I thought I might make baby Lola a present (with my begining crochet skills) so I crocheted her a blanket! It was my first blanket, and is rather small, but its a good start, right? Mavi and Senora seemed to like it, so thats all that matters I guess. SO thankful that both Mavi and Lola are safe and heathly and I’m excited to see her growth in these next three months. New life is just so exciting! 

Today was one of the most relaxing days in Spain thus far. Let me tell you about a little thing called Banos Arabes (Arab baths), they are life changing. Picture it (golden girls, anyone?) a place where all there is to do is relax. I was not able to take pictures so I’m going to do my best to describe it. Imagine the pirates ride at disneyland, how its all dark and moist (but in the best way possible) ok, that wasn’t the best description BUT maybe you can set the scene a bit better now. Anyways, it is this place with seven different baths (big bodies of water, like a hot tub without jets.. so a big bath hah) but all seven are at different temperatures and so you can just be-bop to whatever one you wish. sit it in the hot one for a bit, then mozzy on over to the colder one so that you don’t boil over. I mean you have and hour and thirty minutes in there, so why not hit them all up. (be prepared for prunny fingers though, thats for sure) Everything was tile and mosaic and the most calming atmosphere.but wait, it gets better. You can also go over and sip on some tea (6 cups, later) and just relax in this dark, tranquil setting. there is mood music in the background and tea light candles everywhere, it is just bliss. My little nervous-nellie self REALLY needed this relaxing environment. PLUS there was an option to get a massage, which I was all over, so in between baths, I also got a lovely massage. It was just so fun to be with great friends, experiencing this new thing that I have never heard of before. It is a weird concept because Its like taking a bath with your friends.. in swim suites but trust me, it was real fun and REAL relaxing. a great way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon I’d say. Those Arabs know whats up.

Ray Bradbury

this is what the english translated when ismael typed.

bad guy that sings that could scare an ogre and has a beard that reachesto the feet
I take that sings something comesjajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajaj