Thankful for a change of scenery

Yes, I'm a day late. But I don't want to fall behind in posting my thanks...what wonderful big and small things God continues to do in my life.

I also wanted to update ya'll (I know we have plenty of loyal readers out there :)) on some changes our little family will be experiencing in the coming months. Many of you know that Brendan works for an international company that does consulting on immigration (AKA, a cover for his real job with the CIA). In Raleigh, our friends used to jokingly call him "Jason Bourne" from the Bourne movie series. Thankfully our life isn't as exciting as those movies, but we do have some big travel plans at the beginning of August.

Brendan's company has an office in Hong Kong, and they have asked him to help out managing that office for 6 weeks while they get a new manager on board and trained. So, we'll be leaving the end of July for 6 weeks in Hong Kong!! Yeah, Charlotte's passport is going to have more stamps than most adults! And definitely more than mine did at her age....oh wait, I didn't get a passport until I was in my 20's!

I would definitely appreciate your prayers as we travel over there. We feel pretty confident traveling with an infant, but she's a crawler/stander/trying-to-be-walker right now and that is going to be a whole different ballgame. We also have a 12 hour flight from London to Hong Kong. :( Hoping she sleeps for most of it. I'm also hoping she adjusts well to our new surroundings...she's bound to be a flexible kid with all the changes she's experienced in her short life.

And me...I'm thankful for a change of scenery. It's hot here in Madrid with no A/C. There aren't too many people around that we know...and we had just started meeting people anyways. So getting to spend a few weeks away will be nice...a diversion...and I'm sure I'll be happy to return to our "home" in Madrid by the middle of September. Brendan's sister, Erin, is also going to visit us while we're in Hong Kong! Yeah, so glad to get to see her and introduce her to her niece!

348. my husband always surprising me with how well he can communicate in Spanish
349. the incredible health of our daughter, especially during a time of not-so-ideal doctor situation
350. hearing Charlotte "plop" on her heiny after standing...it's actually quite graceful :)
351. being okay with little handprints showing up all around the apartment
352. a shaded park bench
353. another year of marriage
354. excitement of another year (of marriage) ahead
355. reading books to Charlotte that my mom read to me
356. my husband taking the trash downstairs
357. an unexpected call from my grandmother
358. unexpected scrambled eggs for breakfast on our anniversary
359. amazement at Charlotte standing on her own
360. our shaded walk to the mercado
361. a 50 cent coin in my wallet to get a grocery cart
362. our wedding video
363. oh my! the things we said/wrote when we were young and "in love"...laughing about that now!
364. the time and opportunity to be an ear and encouragement
365. kind people working in the salon who helped with Charlotte while she was crying & were so understanding
366. rebajas!!
367. a date with my husband