College drop off

Ok, so I was starting to settle in after vacationing with the entire family and then I went to Virginia to drop C off at VMI! Spent a few days in Charlottesville with M and C. Then M and I dropped off Clay. What a day!!! I'm so very proud of him and his choice for school. He was excited and M helped carry his stuff up to his 4th floor room. He has a turret room so there are 2 windows which should help keep them cooler. He is doing Cadre week and then Sept 7 M travels up to see the new class of 09+3 march at New Market. I'm so proud of both my college students and I miss them very very much. Now that I'm home in Spain, I'm continuing to unload boxes, organize, hang pictures (on brick walls), organize, unload boxes, oh and go to Navy events and meetings. Life never stops. Tomorrow is another day which God provides and I will try to be a blessing to all I come in contact or communicate with. He blesses me with new faces and friends in Spain. I cherish my dear friends and family who I don't get to see often. I count on emails, phone calls and letters to reach my states friends and family.

Morocco

What a day! We left at 8 a.m. and got home from our last day trip at 1 a.m. Long day but what an adventure. The ferry is frustrating but it gets you to Morocco in 30 min of engine time about 1 hour in idleness. We were excited going and sleeping coming home. Our guide Aziz was great at informing us about everything we asked and showing us the sites. We'll go on our own next time but well worth the overview this trip. We walked the Kazba (charlene didn't like it), fishmarket, first American Embassy, Protestant church in the middle of town; then rode in a van to see where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, rode camels, saw some beautiful beaches, ate at a very fun - very yummy Restaurant for lunch and shopped a little. The kids loved the camel rides and C imitates a camel perfectly (it sounds like a wookie). The musicians were entertaining at lunchtime. The rug we purchased is beautiful in our entry way (gold to match the walls). The old section of town is leaning in on itself, no foundations. The newest sections of town looks just like Beverly Hills. The people were very friendly. I hope to venture in farther our next visit to Africa. We enjoyed our last exhausting day together this summer. M and C leave for their colleges tomorrow. We'll see them in December. Our first Thanksgiving apart, makes me sad to think about but I will focus on Christmas to come and the tremendously fun time we had this week together.

Wild Week con familia todos

It's been a wild week... Rota, Cadiz, Arcos de la Frontera, Ronda, Bullfight, ferry and everyone together (well in 2 cars). We've traveled, driven and walked and walked and walked. We saw the horse races at Sanlucar but the ball buried in the sand was more fun. We sat on the Cathedral steps at Cadiz. We looked at the Nuevo bridge at Ronda. The bullfight we saw in Puerto was amazing and the bull was spared because he was so brave (they sent the cows into the ring to bring him out). We enjoyed the beaches everywhere. We went swimming where Halley Barry swam as the Bond girl (recognize the castillo?) The white buildings in Arcos were amazing and the Nuns cookies too. MLM finally said "this is NOT the vacation I had planned". Sooo we let them sleep in. We aim to please! Next we went to Gibraltar and could see our car parked in Spain from the top of the Rock. AAM was thrilled with the red double decker buses. We are heading to Morocco tomorrow! It's been a trip and a half. A birthday celebration & cake for Marissa tonight. M and C have enjoyed the night life in Rota too. We've lit the firepit in the backyard and had smores. We've watched a little of the Olympic highlights. We've used the TomTom to get us to all the sights. M follows B and her Rota beater barely keeps up. We feel like we're in a Flintstone car... but my radio gets the AFN station and KissFM so I have English songs. Here are some pictures of our family fun. It's loud, busy, dirty and crazy fun with everyone together. I leave Tuesday to fly to the States to check C into VMI. Details to follow... love to you all.

Moving in... at birthday time

Well, the furniture arrived just at we were celebrating birthdays. I had a Tirimisu from Carreforre. B had a German Chocolate cake from home. We received great gifts and smiled a lot. Now we are up to our eyeballs in boxes. Brick & stucco walls are frustrating me..... I want to hang pictures! I need closet space. I need more utility in the kitchen cupboards. I need carpets. When the 'needs' get to me, I pour a tinto verano con limon and walk outside to look at the ocean, Cadiz, Rota and Puerto castillos and life balances again. God is good and he supplies me with the energy and joy to go on. And I cannot wait for 2 days until M and C come home for a visit! That will be the highlight of my summer. FAMILIA IS IT!

Urta Festival

We went to our first feria (fair) last night. We parked at the Rota gate and walked 10 min into the old town portion of Rota. The streets at the beach front were lined with rides and food just like in the USA. We bought some food from the vendors. AAM rode the Dragon ride and grabbed a balloon from the "carni". She laughed and loved the little ride. We arrived as guests to see the flags raised and the festival begin. Then we walked to the castillo for tapas (appetizers, pupus) and bebidas (drinks) inside the castillo, which is the town hall. Very much fun. Carlos and Brenda are our Spanish escorts to explain all the happenings and translate for us if needed. I need a lot right now but B is doing great! NJM pleases everyone once they realize he speaks Spanish. They fuss over blond little AAM and are truly hospitable people. I love being here already. Out in Spain I'm myself, here on base I'm beginning to feel a bubble life. As people begin to know who I am; I'm feeling special, feared, different than everyone else. It comes with B's job but not the best side of it to me. N and A start Rota swim club tonight. The team travels all over Europe. I can't wait to be a supporter. Tonight B and I attend Admiral Peyune's for a dinner to meet me. He is the Spanish Admiral that lives on the base. Our household goods ship has arrived, so now we wait to see how long it will take them to get our containers off-loaded and at our door. Then some work truly begins for us, but our house will become a home! Nathan seems to be enjoying the flintstone furniture just fine while listening to his ipod. Hasta luego

Corrida de Rejones

Bullfight upon horseback. WOW!! What a show. I was prepared for the worst but it was fabulous. I looked away for the killing of the bull and the dragging him away. The horses and riders were marvelous. One horse even tried to bite the bull. Every time the horse tried the arena yelled "ole!". We were front row and had Juan Carlos Ferris telling us all about the traditions and meanings to the ceremony. We had a terrific evening. The bullfights started at 11 pm, 6 bulls, 24 horses and 3 bullfighters on horseback. Brave (valiente) bulls and boring (cowardly) bulls. You wave a white handkerchief or your newspaper to let the Presidente of the Plaza de torros if the fighter should get 1 ear, 2 ears or the tail. We saw one 2 ear fight but the rest were 1 ear. The picture of the bullfigher is Leonardo Hernandez, he is 20 years old and has been doing this for 3 years already. Amazing. I would go again. Not sure that A would enjoy it yet, perhaps when she is leaving Espana in 3 years. I cannot wait for M and C to arrive. There will be horse racing on the beach in Sanlucar. We hope to go to Morocco, Gibraltar and Arcos for day trip touring.

Cadiz by the sea

This town has been here since the Phoenicians! We loved walking around and feeling like we were in a European Villa. The Cathedral, castles, mercados... it was beautiful. Spent the day browsing through narrow streets looking at little market places and shops; practicing our Castillano. We sat at little sidewalk restaurante in the plaza and had churros con chocolate, the chocolate was like Plan B's chocolate gravy and jugo de oranja and cafe. Then for almuerzo we ordered a plate of 12 small sandwiches which were delicious. We had to guess as to what each was. What fun! I really like the tinto de verano... pour some red wine into a glass over ice and add 7up... yummy. I signed up for a "flex partner" - I help her learn English while she will help me learn Spanish. I can't wait. We're improving every day. A is loving it here. Isabel is her newest friend from Jams (the low level building among my pictures). She goes on a field trip tomorrow to the mall in Sevilla with the teens. She is taking her new shades, purse with euros and dialect with her. She's so bold but doesn't know the language at all. A riot! I think she will have a great time living here. We have our last day of ICR classes to help us to understand our move here and the country. Rosa Caballero is our teacher and she is terrific, muy bueno.