Willow and Juanjo's SplashBlot

I got home Sunday morning and Juanjo and his parents picked me up from the airport. They arrived Thursday and stayed until Monday, so they were here for another day after I got back from my wedding extravaganza trip. I felt like it was Christmas when I got home, because Juanjo’s mom had done so much around the house, including a trip to Ikea, the supermarket, and a ton of cooking and cleaning! It was wonderful, especially since I’d only been in the house 6 days before I left for Vermont, and thus hadn’t had much of a chance to get settled in.

Then on Monday while Juanjo worked I went with his parents to see the Sagrada Familia (truly a must-see for anyone visiting Barcelona, by the way!). We also had some lunch, and then dropped them off at the train station.

Thanks Mamá y Papá for coming to visit us so soon! Others, take note: we love visitors and can’t wait to have more!

My last college girlfriend was married on a beach in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The setting was spectacular, the bride stunning, the food delicious, the dancing a ton of fun, and the couple wonderfully happy.

We also had a really wonderful time spending time as our college group of friends, two weekends in a row. All married now, it feels like a transition, a new chapter.

Yes, I am in love with my friend’s children. This little baby is so sweetly delicious and loving. He’s happy to snuggle with anyone. And then there’s this little prince, full of tickles and imaginative stories and questions about the world. I’m so lucky to have had this time with my dear friends, and be an honorary auntie to these children at the same time!

We leave at 10am tomorrow for the Massachusetts wedding. Another long car ride, this time just with the baby. Then another beautiful wedding, and then I fly home to Barcelona. Can’t wait to get home to MY guy!

Parent night at school tonight, so I stayed home with the children. A juggle to get both to bed on my own, but they’re such good little guys that it wasn’t hard. Today we had rain all day long, and it’s still raining hard now as I lounge on the couch writing this. Tomorrow is my last day here, then Friday we leave for the second wedding in MA. Looking forward to the wedding and then going home to Juanjo in Barcelona!

Picking apples from a neighbor’s tree, walking to a pond, talking about raising children with one of my dearest oldest friends. Playing with the baby on the grass, giving him an apple to teeth on. Watching a 4-year old enjoy a late summer impromptu swim.

Videoconferencing with Juanjo, having it be all about the kids as the baby tried to eat the computer and the 4-year old listened with interest to our lock story (and saw the old lock). Missing my guy. Enjoying the complete absorption that children are, feeling far away from my Fulbright project. Enjoying sitting down just now and getting back into it, reading about language issues in Europe and newspaper articles on immigration. Looking forward to more walks, playing outside with a little boy, and seeing how much the leaves have changed tomorrow.