Willow and Juanjo's SplashBlot

Cesar and Teresa hosted us last night for a weekend Thanksgiving dinner. Hot apple cider, Turkey, cranberry sauce, a delicious stuffing, and I made apple and pumpkin pie for dessert. The food was delicious!

The afternoon was a blast playing with the kids, including a family round of Bingo. The kids are full of energy, curious, active, and cuddly (especially the littlest girl). They’re also beautiful, especially the two girls who got haircuts yesterday. Good friends, a wonderful family, inspiration for how to raise our kids when the time comes!

We miss our CA home today, and send love to everyone. Have a wonderful day sharing food, family and friends!

We knew when we moved in that there was construction on our street, but the past two weeks it’s closed in on us. We no longer have a sidewalk outside the house, instead there’s a kind of dirt path. The businesses on our block are suffering (tomorrow, I’ll help the hair salon by getting my hair done!). The construction is only a bother when we leave the house and get home, because we don’t hear any of the noise (our apartment faces the inner courtyard). It is loud though, and confusing to drive through because the road to the garage changes almost every day. Our building is the one with the orange window coverings, on the right. We took these pictures on our way out for a bike ride and walk in Montjuic yesterday afternoon.

I’ve said it before: I love my friends’ children! I spent last night with our friends in Madrid. This morning I got to brush the girls’ hair, help the little one get dressed in her school uniform, talk about the oldest one’s new toys (he turned 6 recently) and generally enjoy being part of family life on a regular Wednesday morning. I’ve always loved being an auntie, and wish I could be an honorary auntie for these little ones more often!

Juanjo had come back to Barcelona Monday, but I stayed to go to a celebration for the 50th Anniversary of the Fulbright in Spain last night (then went and stayed with these guys). The Fulbright event was very neat, there was a panel of talks, and then a reception. Three of the original Spaniards in the Fulbright program were there: when they went to the US in 1959 they traveled across the Atlantic by boat! In the last 50 years, there have been over 4,000 Spaniards who’ve gone to the US and over 2,500 Americans who have come to Spain. An amazing thing to be a part of!

We’ll be back in Madrid for a Thanksgiving dinner with this family, on the weekend after Thanksgiving. I’m really looking forward to spending time with the kids again (will bring the camera and get some better pictures too)!

A mild fall morning in Toledo today, after a little rain last night. We took a walk with Juanjo’s dad in a park nearby, just a few streets away from their house. Good to get outside together!

It’s been a weekend of being home in Toledo. Catching up on sleep after the long drive on Friday, working on the couch tonight, lunch with Grandma today, shopping with Juanjo’s mom yesterday (just her and I went to Madrid and found some great additions to our wardrobes.).  It’s a treat to be able to take part in family life in Toledo this year, coming every weekend we can!