Kings day and keeping busy!

Our Tree

   So it has been a long time since I wrote a blog. I have some friends that write every week and upload new cute photos. I guess I need a longer time to pass before I feel like I have anything worth writing about.

   First, I took some video and photos of Ulises and I on the motorbike during our Christmas break. ENJOY! (I won't post the video because frankly, I'm too lazy to figure out how)

 The Christmas break lasted through January 7^th which was great. It’s true that Ulises was studying much of the time, but things slowed down and we took advantage of sleeping in etc.

  Also, you may remember me complaining a little bit last month about Ulises forgetting both my birthday and Christmas. Yeah- I didn’t really let up on the teasing. But he really came through on Kings day!

bag of coal

   Kings day was January 6^th.  It’s really a great Holiday (and my mother in laws birthday!) Its when the Kings ( you know, the magi of baby Jesus) come into the town and deliver presents. For this Holiday the WHOLE city gets involved. The kings are received in the Port and the mayor of Barcelona welcomes them officially (on TV). They throw a parade ( kind of like Macey’s Thanksgiving day parade but with real magic and less product placement) that gets the kids get SO excited. The parade has the 3 kings on their different floats representing different parts of the world they come from. The Black king had an entourage of African dancers and floats in the shape of Giraffes and Elephants! It was great. They kids got so excited. They even had a float all about receiving coal if you are a bad boy or girl. (Carbon de Reyes) Also, I don't have many pictures because my camera battery went out at the begining of the parade. But it was for the best. I think sometimes as spectators we are more focused on capturing a picture than capturing a memory.

 

Ok- so the night before kings day you need to set your shoe out and also leave turron ( a yummy treat) for the kings and grass for the camels. If you don’t—you don’t get a present! Ulises and I, although we’re both adults, played along. We set out our shoes and Ulises bought some special grass. We set it out and went to bed. In the morning “THE KINGS HAD COME!” and it was pretty exciting.  And although Ulises did forget my birthday and Christmas… he really came through for King’s day. He bought me a kindle! It was so thoughtful.  I didn’t think we had the money for a gift like that ( I still don’t think we do, haha) but  it made me cry because he was so thoughtful. And then I felt stupid cause I got him a shirt. Granted it was a custom made angry birds shirt—but nothing like a kindle!

So it was a delightful king’s day… And I really have a wonderful thoughtful husband. He knew I was yearning for some English reading—and he came through . 

wedding pic: Showing his sincere smile!

Can I take a minute and say how wonderful Ulises is? He is the most sincere and wonderful soul I have ever met. He is without guile. He is forever giving and never taking. He always thinks of others before himself. He has a great love for his friends, his family, his crazy wife, and for his God. He is a man of his word--an honest man. Anyone who talks to him can see it in his eyes—such sincerity. Look at this picture... Can't you see his gentle, sweet, genuine nature? Its from our wedding when he was talking to some of our guests. He is very smart and studies hard. He has a desire to provide for family and will work hard in University so he can. He also wants a lot of children-- I love that! He makes me laugh every day. He hugs me when I am insecure. He encourages me in my work and my goals. We dream about the future together, he fills me with happiness and hope. I don’t know how I ever got such a wonderful (and super cute) husband.

So what else did we do the month of January?  Well Ulises took exams and I WORKED LIKE A DOG. I got a new student who wanted intense classes before an exam and I was with him at least 2 hours a day. I would leave the house at 6:30 each morning and not come home until 9:30 some nights. I also did some babysitting on the weekends because many people had new year or holiday parties. So I worked a lot! But its important because we are saving money for a rainy day. ( a rainy day fund is important) and also anticipating a low student enrollment in the summer months ( so less money for us) and also want to save some money to visit Ulises grandparents in Uruguay for Christmas 2013. So I took every opportunity to teach that I could. Ulises also who has been studying most the time, took on a few projects to earn some money. We feel really blessed with many opportunities for employment in a time when there is 26% unemployment in Spain.

…….Which leads me to this big-ish news: Ulises dad moved to France for a work opportunity! It’s so bad here that he took the opportunity abroad even though it’s away from his family and his church responsibilities. ( Ulises dad is a Bishop in Cornella) Granted, it’s only a 3 month contract and he will try and visit… it still shows how desperate the times are here. Let’s hope that the Euro can recover and countries like Spain can improve. Meanwhile—I’m counting blessings!

What else is going on? Ulises and I painted the wall in our bedroom… We still want to add some sort of stencil to it but that will wait until our next paycheck. We also mounted our TV on the wall and Ulises LOVES it. He really loves doing projects around the house—so I am glad we did it. And it does look good!

Now the days are getting longer and a tid bit warmer. We are healthy, happy and blessed.

I hope you are all doing just as well! We will try and add some spice into our lives so I have something more exciting to write about.

Oh- and here are some more pictures from kings day etc.

How productive! Instead of millions of kids sitting on one santa lap, get the three kings to come!

Yummy treat

The Roscon de Reyes

I found the king in my Roscon de Reyes ( a traditional kings day cake!) so I was made king for the day

 

 

 

 

 

And I feel like I need to post our Christmas picture for 2012. We didn't use it for Christmas cards or anything cause Ulises feels like he looks 15 when he is beardless. He had to be beardless for work. But I also felt the need to get a "family" picture for our first Christmas together. So here it is! Don't tell him I posted it. Isn't he a cute baby face? It's true that I prefer the beard, but who couldn't love this little face?

Birthdays and Christmas almost forgotten!

Hello World!

It's been a great few weeks with  many new adventures. (Get ready for a long post with many pictures) The first thing that happened since I last wrote was my BIRTHDAY! Yes. I am now 26. I am closer to 30 than I am to twenty. Somehow I thought if I had a few life goals checked off of my list (graduate college, get married, etc) I would feel better about getting older. But I don't. Its actually weird to think that I am 26. But I have my health and much happiness. I can only imagine it will get better.

My birthday started out with me leaving for work at 6:30 AM ( like every  morning) I gave ulises a kiss and he said goodbye. Work went as normal. Ulises sent me a text message and email about random things. Pretty  normal day, right? So when I got home for lunch and wanted a kiss he was a little surprised that I was upset. I then said " You haven't said 'Happy Birthday!'" And then he gasped! Yes-- the husband forgot my birthday. He said Happy Birthday and Sorry a million times but it didn't make up for it. I have to be kind though, his brain was fried. He was studying for his final exams and was runnin on 3 hours of sleep. But it was rather dissapointing.

Luckily a few of my students remembered my birthday! Look at the cute cake they made me. And they got me a present too!

 And then a few members of our church were thoughtful enough to make a huge cake and gather together at the church to celebrate my birthday! They went out of their way to make the new (foreign) girl feel loved and welcome!

My in-laws even came over. My parents-in-law, Abuela, and my sisters in law. They gave me a hand mixer! and a sweater!

My sister Rachel sent me a package full of home- spa treatments. She is amazing at gift giving. She knows what people love and appreciate most and always comes through! She got me nail polishes and facial creams and makeup and it was lovely.
My mom sent me some cash and some sentimental items from home ( spoons hehe).

SO  aside from Ulises forgetting my birthday, everyone else came through big time! I felt loved and remembered and appreciated. I missed my family a lot and it was difficult for them to call me, but they connected with me and it as great.

And Ulises? Well he gave me a present ( A curling iron) and then took me out for dinner the following weekend. He took me to a Mexican restaurant. mmmmm. That's true love!

Then Christmas came!

In Ulises family (remember they are Uruguayan, not Catalan  so the previous post doesn't apply to their family and their traditions  they eat a chilled pork dinner and lots of tapas. Then Santa comes at midnight and presents are opened that night. It was a big party and Santa visited everyone! There is only one little girl in the family so everyone played it up for her benefit. But it was cute to see how excited she got. I can't wait to have kids and see their excitement over Christmas.

Santa brought me and Ulises some wonderful things-- decorations, kitchen items, and my favorite-- a rice bag to heat in the microwave.

And my favorite picture of the night?

This one of my mother in law

After a long night of partying Ulises and I went back home to sleep. We had to sleep cause we were going to a church service the next morning.

So When Christmas morning came I made sure Santa visited our home in the way he did when I was a child--opening Christmas presents in the morning!

This is Ulises opening his Christmas present from Santa and one from me. ( I can see the benefit of opening Christmas presents the night before-- no bed head!)

It was a cake from his childhood. Delicious little thing called Panet tone

And this is what my parents got us! T-shirts with our family name! Ulises LOVED them!!!

Then........ Ulises took this picture of me..........

.... But in this picture I am actually holding his present. He didn't get me anything! Neither did "Santa." How disappointing!  I asked if I was a bad girl this year. Ulises said  no and that Santa must have forgotten I moved to Spain. I accepted that answer but asked what HIS excuse was!

..My husband forgot to get me a Christmas present....................

I must not have been clear enough when he forgot my Birthday.....

Birthday forgotten- strike one
Christmas forgotten- Strike two

Kings day......... He has until January 6th to get it right!

But lest you think my husband is a horrible man, I must let you know much I love and admire him for working so hard to finish his masters degree. Right now life is tough. I work a lot and odd hours. We go without many things. But our future is bright because my husband is an honest, hard working man and the sacrifices we go through now to get him through school will bless our family in the future. So if he forgets ( or more accurately, is too sleep deprived and doesn't have time) to plan for birthdays and Christmas, I can forgive him ( well, as long as it doesn't become a habit). And anyway, he does all those cute unexpected little things for me all the time. He made me heart shaped eggs for breakfast yesterday!

So--What else have we done this Christmas season?
We have watched A Muppet Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Story, ( And Ulises loved them all!)
We attended an Anglican Christmas service in English and got to sing Carols in English! The service was sweet but the singing-- the reason we went-- was better!
I sang a solo in our church-- in Spanish. And I was so nervous. I did quite horribly because of my nerves. Oh well. I checked it off my bucket list. Maybe with time I will get more courage to actually be able to sign without trembling. I didn't think it would be that scary.. hmp. Oh well!
We also went with the youth to deliver meals and blankets to the poor.
We made dozens of gingerbread men!!! I did them with most of my students and also gave some away. It has been so much fun decorating! And all my students and family loved it! Its a very different and American thing.

Aunt Raquel and Abuela

This is Penelope (Ulises cousin) , Jose Luis and their little girl-- Sabrina

We also read the Christmas story from a wonderful decorative book my sister Rachel made for me last year ( see, I told you she always gives the best gifts) It's easily one of my most prized possessions. It has Luke 2 and also various Christmas songs in both English and Spanish. So we read that and sing the songs every Christmas. It really brings the spirit and helps me remember Jesus Christ. It had been difficult this year to really FEEL Christmas. But through MUSIC I have been able to feel closer to Christ. Just the other day on the bus I was singing ( in my head, hehe) "Once in Royal Davids City" and began to cry when I thought about the great gift of Jesus Christ to the world. I want to share that joy with everyone!

This is another song that touched me this season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugV6QGcafEE


Ulises and I also made a Nativity!! Here in spain its a huge deal to create BETHLEHEM CITY out of cardboard and craft supplies. Each year you can buy a new item to add to the city. This is Ulises and my first year so ours is small, but we went to a market to look at the items and were amazed!! 

Take a look at ours and what we saw at the market

this is ours. Notice "Muppet Christmas Carol" in the background

the stuff you can buy for the nativity is crazy! 

Beautiful Figurines

I wanted to buy everything here!

Its like a big doll house market!

In the vineyard

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas full of the love of God. I know that because Jesus Christ came to earth that we really can rejoice! Jesus Christ has bought mankind. And he has prepared a way for us to return to him. I Love mys savior Jesus Christ and am so grateful for the beautiful plan of God that brought him to the earth as a babe in a manger.

Merry Christmas, everyone!