New school year

School starts on Tuesday. Today we met the new teachers!

Pig and ice cream

We hosted my work party here today. Up until yesterday they were calling for rain, so we felt very happy that we again had perfect weather, early 70s and lots of sun. There were over 200 people - a new record I believe - and a repeat performance of the Minimus Maximus pig (food cart). We also had an ice cream truck and an enormous obstacle course/bouncy house that kept all the kids (and not-so-kids) occupied. There were simultaneous games of football, softball, badmitton, basketball, giant Jenga, waterguns...etc. Fun day...I'm a little worried about pushing my luck with outdoor parties with great weather!

Back in season

Once again we have three kids in soccer. In addition to the wedding, a party of about 200 tomorrow for my work, we are squeezing in three soccer schedules to this last week before school starts!

Greeter

Ring bearer

This was Mason's second gig as a ring bearer. He did great! He got a little bored at the front, but overall was fantastic. As he described it when he went to the front of church on Sunday, "it was long and boring just standing there. I wanted them to just get to the kissing part."

Gotta snap 'em while they're dressed

Marissa and Shane

Today Marissa and Shane got married in our yard. The day was absolutely perfect -- weather in the high 70s, no wind, and lots of fun. Mason was a ring bearer and Kenzie was in charge of the guest book and Marissa's train.

Work or play

I got some Mariners tickets for today's 12:40 game but I had to work. Luckily Lauren was a willing stand-in. The boys thought it was boring and repetitive, but at least it was a nice day!

Fun

Borja emerged first thing this morning with a Nerf vest/shield strapped to his chest, carrying two Nerf guns, and handed one to Mason. I think it was then that we were sure this is a good fit. All day the kids played so well together. Even though there was a lot of chasing and hiding, the only time that blood was shed was when Mason decided to jump off his own top bunk and landed on his desk--completely self-inflicted.

Our church had a potluck at Pine Lake...paddleboards, paddle boats, swimming, splashing....fun day.

Dudes

Mason loves Kyle....who loves fishing, flying, and Plants versus Zombies (and Sarah). I mean, really, what's not to love?

He made it!

The plane was an hour late, but Borja made it! Kenzie was at Marissa's bridal shower, but she is home anxiously awaiting our arrival...or possibly sleeping.

 

Add caption

Pow

Baseball camp

Mason loved his camp!

Left behind

Felix left some stuff here that he couldn't fit in his suitcase, including a special pair of boxers gifted from Germany and cologne. We have a very happy seven year old in his new Deutschland boxers that his sister has to help hold up.

Summer fun day

Sarah and Kyle took Kenzie, Daniel and David to the Seattle Center.

Mason was in baseball camp, playing his own games.

Sharing

At o-dark-thirty this morning Zeke and Madison were both in the bathroom looking for a drip of water. They had been doing this "share the single drip" dance for minutes and, at that time of the morning, I was very amused, so I turned on the video camera.

These guys are litter mates. Madison (the orange one) has always resembled a basketball, and Zeke (the gray one) has a strange attachment to Cindy. They lost their mom when they were 1 day old and were rescued and bottle-fed. We got them when they were just 3 weeks old, and, although they don't like any other cats, they love each other.

Oh, and there are two sinks in this bathroom.

Gratitude

It's 5:30 AM and everybody here is awake. I've been up for 3 hours. Yes, it is 2:30 in the afternoon in Spain, thankyouverymuch.

As our kids get older, Cindy and I want to make sure our kids have an appreciation for a bigger world than we see every day, and an appreciation for what they have. We want them to know that lives are different, and beautiful in different ways, than ours here in suburban Seattle. One of our biggest fears is raising kids who think they are at the center of the universe. We want them to appreciate what we have, and realize that they have incredible opportunities to do whatever they want to do, but there is more out there than what they see every day. It's hard to know how to teach this, so traveling and bringing in exchange students is a start. Kenzie also loves to read books, so we try to give her books that expose her to a bigger world. Okay, she's currently reading book two of the Hunger Games...oh and yes, before that it was Twilight...whatever, it could happen.

Anyway, before we left Kenzie put this note on our bed. We love the bedtime notes. I don't usually put them on the blog, but she gave me permission to share this one.

vacation is tiring

We are happy to be home! Quiet, lazy day of sorting through pictures and doing laundry. Guess which one of us is doing what?

We did it!

Three countries, seven different places to sleep, two new families in 2.5 weeks, and no major glitches! We are settled into our middle-back-of-the-plane seats, but we are on our way home! I now know that I should never try to become a professional travel agent as I clearly prioritize efficiency over comfort, as demonstrated by our 50 minute layover in London where we had to again cross terminals and go through both customs and security. First time I've ever been happy the flight was late! Somehow on this trip, everything has gone our way. Rather than think that karma will catch up with us on our next trip, I'm going to attribute it to the laminated four leaf clovers that Ulli gave us and think that maybe next time I could cut it a little closer.

Yesterday Marta and Sarita showed us Madrid at night. Borja stayed home with the kids. This week gave us a great chance to begin to know each other and get comfortable before he arrives a week from today. Onto our next adventure!

And we're off!

Final leg!

It's hotter than a pizza oven here in Madrid, supposed to hit 108 today. We waited til the highest heat passed then walked to a big park and met Sarita!

A Madrid

Nothing says "getting to know you" more than five hours in a car together. Madrid, here we come!

Sailing in Puerto de Mazarrón

We escaped the hectic beach (if you can see the picture here, umbrellas are stacked on top of each other for a mile down the beach), and took a 5 hour sail on Fernando's boat. We had great wind and for most of it were the only boat on the sea. It was a great day and we got our final layer of tan before we head away from the beaches to the last leg of our trip, Madrid.

Marta has offered for MacKenzie to stay with her in Madrid for a couple of months whenever she is ready. We feel that she is nearly, but not quite there. Perhaps next summer she will be, though. It's very exciting and something Kenzie wants very much. Eleven seems a bit early to be traveling to another continent by yourself, but knowing that Marta, Fernando, Rocío and Borja are there might make it doable. At a minimum it gives Kenzie something to shoot for as she grows up.

The kids asked all day about playing at night in the street with Borja and Rocío, so at 10PM we headed over there. The adults sat on our perch as the 24 kids played down below. It's definitely one thing they will remember from this trip.

Rocio and Kenzie chillaxing

Boats can be super comfortable for naps

She sat up here for an hour singing and dragging her feet in the water

The color on the beach is a wall of umbrellas

He didn't like the life preserver, but we thought his odds of swimming were greater than others

Borja and Mason having deep conversations about world politics...or perhaps the next soccer game