Madrid to Hong Kong...via Texas

I know...it's been TOO long since I've posted here. And so much has been happening in our lives!

Our biggest news...we're moving AGAIN! :) (That's actually a forced smiley face for me)

Our short, 6 week assignment in Hong Kong has turned into a one to two year assignment there for Brendan. We are excited about the possibilies for us. While we were there earlier this year, we had a chance to connect to a church - Island ECC - and are really excited about making it our church home while we live in Hong Kong!

There are many things we will miss about Spain...but of course there are things that we are happy to leave behind. :) What I'm most excited about in our move to Hong Kong - that will be different from Madrid - is the much larger English-speaking, expat community there. While the Asian culture isn't as interesting to me as European culture is, I'm really excited about forming relationships. Brendan and I both know that it will still take much intentionality on our part to surround ourselves with Christian community...but having so many more people that speak the same language we do will help! :)

Almost two weeks ago, Charlotte and I left Madrid and spent 2 days (and 4 flights) traveling to Texas to spend time with family. Brendan has to be in Hong Kong right now but still needs to travel back to Spain in November to close out our personal stuff there, then he'll join us here in Texas for Thanksgiving. We didn't want to subject Charlotte to all that back and forth flying so we just headed straight to the U.S! And we've been enjoying our time with my parents.

Charlotte & I on our flight from Madrid to New York
(notice the empty seat next to us...AWESOME!)

Brendan is definitely missing his baby girl...and probably me too. :) We talk to him on Skype as often as we can. Charlotte really recognizes his voice and face when he gets on the computer. It's too cute! She's even attempted blowing him kisses a few times. And, of course, her favorite thing is to wave "Hello" and "Good-bye".

Charlotte "drinking" a coke



Playing with potatoes

 Charlotte spent the first few days here running to me for everything. It took her a little time to warm up to her family who she hadn't seen in a while. In a way it was sweet that she would want her mommy, but I'm glad she's grown close to her Papa, Popo, Uncle Boo, Mommie Mop, & Daddy Jack.

Me & Charlotte and Maranda & Grant

Charlotte and I got to have a fun playdate with my friend, Maranda, and her son, Grant, who is about 3 weeks older than Charlotte. Maranda and I grew up together and our moms were close friends so it was fun to catch up with her and let our two little ones play "together".

I'm missing Brendan a lot, but am grateful that I am getting to spend time with my family before we move overseas - again. :)

Being a Tourist

Being a tourist is great. You get the fun of experiencing a new place without the commitment of packing up your belongings, moving there, and adjusting to culture shock. :) But even when you do pack up your belongings (or watch someone else do it) and move to a foreign country, you do - on occasion - get to be a tourist there as well.

Such has been our life for the past couple of weeks. Not that Brendan's taken a vacation from work...that's coming later this year...but we have still had our share of touring around Hong Kong and Madrid.

Here's what we've been up to...

{Visiting (but not worshipping :)) the Giant Buddha on Lantau Island in Hong Kong.}

{Brendan's sister, Erin, visited us in Hong Kong. Here they are with Mini Kinne riding the cable car up to see the Giant Buddha.}

{The cable cars disappearing into the fog.}

{Erin, Charlotte, and I went up to the Peak for some spectacular views of Hong Kong!}

{Back in Madrid...This past Saturday, Madrid was celebrating the re-opening of Calle Serrano, a main street & central area in the city. We had a great time enjoying all the festivities!}

{Pictures chronicling the history of Calle Serrano}

 {After walking down Serrano and visiting Parque Retiro, we hopped on a Metro over to the Palace to play in the playground nearby.}

{Ahhh, see the Palace in the background...isn't that great?!}

I had a couple other favorite photos lined up, but Blogger's photo downloading feature has changed and finds it necessary to turn my vertically-oriented photos horizontal. Ugh! :) Check out our Flickr photos for more pictures of our recent wanderings.

You might also be able to tell by our clothing, but the weather has been BEAUTIFUL here in Madrid! I've always wanted to experience fall in September and am finally getting to do so. It's my favorite time of year and while we're not seeing any fall foliage or spending Saturdays watching college football, the weather is making for a great Fall!

We also had the chance to meet up with some fellow tourists...these were REAL tourists though :)...who were traveling around Europe via Ryan Air's cheap-cheap tickets. My cousin, Ronnie, ran into my grandmother at a family function back in Texas and found out that I'm living here in Madrid. So, while he and his friend, Al, were here in the city, we met up with them for a little touring. It sure was great to meet/re-connect with distant family and chat with people from our "neck of the woods"!

This weekend should be another beautiful one, so we're planning to load up Charlotte's diaper bag with plenty of snacks and diapers (duh!) and explore more of Madrid. I'll report back next week with our adventures!

Swimming Pool to Emergency Room - our baby's first swimming experience

Charlotte & Daddy in the big pool

Charlotte has always been a very sweet, happy baby, but there aren't too many things that stick out to me as things that she loves. She's never gotten overly excited when we sing silly songs to her, or give her a bath, or when she plays with a specific toy.

So when we met up with some friends at a Madrid public pool last Saturday, we were so excited to see how much our Sweet Pea loved the water.

We had not been to a public pool in Madrid before, but friends had told us about their experiences. Some were good, some not so good...especially with babies. So, I was kind of prepared for us not to stay long but we quickly found that it was much like public pools that we'd experienced in the States....oh, except for the part where half the women had no swim tops on and children were running around naked! :)

Hortaleza Public Pool - Madrid

I thought it would be a good idea to try the "infantil" area first - aka. kiddie pool. This is where we saw all the naked kids and moms without tops. I guess they don't have to worry about tan lines. Charlotte had fun there; she crawled & splashed around and we were able to get some pictures...although pictures these days are getting rather difficult because she doesn't like to sit still long enough to smile for the camera...oh well, lots of candid shots!

We wear LOTS of sunscreen -
we're a really pale family!

After the kiddie area, we decided to see how Charlotte liked the big pool. This is when she really came alive! Pictures could not capture how much she loved splashing around in the water. She was all smiles! It was so fun to watch her enjoy something so much.

I really wish we had tried the pool earlier in the summer since we're leaving for Hong Kong today, but now that we know she likes the water so much we'll plan plenty of water-related outings in Hong Kong.

You may be wondering...where does the emergency room play into all this? Well, we have been so so so so blessed with how healthy Charlotte has been in her short life - especially since we've been living in Spain and our options for doctors are not the greatest. Please don't hate me when I tell you that she has yet to be sick - she's had some icky days adjusting to travel or teething, but she hasn't even had a cold yet.

So is it really any surprise that she picked up some kind of virus from the public pool? No, not really. I should have been expecting it, but I was totally caught off guard when I thought she was pretty hot on Sunday then checked her temperature to find out it was 103!! That scared me!

Thankfully she didn't really have any other symptoms of being sick, but she did continue running a fever the following day so we called the doctor (who said she spoke English but doesn't :)). She told Brendan she wanted us to take Charlotte to the emergency room, so we did...Charlotte's first ER experience.

I didn't take any pictures, but this was actually one of the best ER visits I've ever had in my life. You wouldn't think that would be the case since it was my own child I was taking and we are in a foreign country and can't communicate that great. But this pediatric emergency room was great! It was a short walk from our flat, so Brendan took a taxi home from work then we walked up there. It was also surprisingly efficient...most things in Spain are "manana". They take their sweet time, so we expected to be there a while. I'm pretty sure we were in and out in an hour! Have you ever experienced that in the U.S.?! I haven't.

I wish you could have heard how they pronounced Charlotte's name. It was so funny! We listened carefully for it and then went back to the room they called us to. The nurse or doctor or some medical person was already in there waiting for us. He checked Charlotte out and everything seemed to be fine besides her temperature, so they gave us some acetiminophen and sent us home. Brendan listened carefully and communicated pretty well with the guy (and we had our Spanish-English dictionary handy...thanks, Bradley!). Not bad for our first Kinne family emergency room experience...not bad at all.

I'm so thankful my daughter loves the pool, but I'm ever more thankful that God protected her little body and helped her fight off an infection without much issue.

AND we are off to Hong Kong this evening! I'm sure we'll have plenty of interesting stories to share with you over the next 6 weeks.

*Check out our Kinne Photos for more pictures of our swimming adventure!

One Thousand Gifts - Post #11

It just makes sense that if you pick up from the life you know and move to a foreign country - where you don't know the language and you don't know any people - that the months (or years) that follow are going to be a time of intense spiritual growth (that is if you allow God to work :)). I knew that going into this move to Spain, and I've known it for the past few months we've been here, but it seems that recently it's really sinking in for me.

I'm battling homesickness (for Raleigh and Texas) far more now than when we first moved. Some days I absolutely love being here...I love the culture, the sights & sounds of Madrid, the places we go, people we meet...I just love where I am now and that God has given us the opportunity to experience it. But there are other days (and I had a few of those last week), when I just want to throw in the towel and fly back to the U.S. I wouldn't really do that but it's seemed tempting when the temperature got hot last week and there was no breeze coming through our flat (we have no AC). And I just sit and dwell on what I miss from home and what I'm missing out on by not being there...being a part of Southbridge, playing games with our friends in Raleigh, walking through a quiet neighborhood, Texas sunsets & thunderstorms, raising our daughter near our family.

I don't quite know what all God is up to in our lives while we're here in Madrid. I try to keep reminding myself that He doesn't normally (or ever!) show us the full picture of what He's using our lives to accomplish. But I do know that He's changing me, as I've experienced Him do many times before. And just as I had to do then, I need to let go of my plan and embrace His. So much harder to do than to say!

At the beginning of June, I found this great desktop wallpaper on (In)Courage. It is beautiful and has a calendar for June, but what I loved most was the constant reminder of why I am here - To Glorify God!! So while I may not know the full details of what God is doing in my life, I do know the purpose...to bring glory to Him. And continuing to count the ways He blesses me sure does help me keep that perspective....

238. the precarious tower of Bibles, books, & journals next to my bed
239. the portero (doorman) who opens the door & elevator for me
240. feeling the power of prayer from friends
241. having no debt (except our mortgage :))
242. God using this time in Madrid to push, stretch, and mold us into who He wants us to be
243. a breeze
244. ice cream when its really warm in our un-airconditioned flat
245. laundry that dried fast (because of the heat)
246. cold water
247. ice cubes
248. a cool shower after a long, hot day
249. cold watermelon
250. finding a doctor's office that speaks English
251. getting an appointment at dr's office for the next day
252. baby girl staring at me while I cry, then touching my face...felt like she was wiping my tears
253. in every season, I have a reason to worship!
254. a friend watching Charlotte while I went to my dr's appointment
255. baby girl's ticklish spot on her neck
256. talking with another adult during the day :)
257. the "clink-clink" of dishes being washed at a restaurant downstairs
258. beautiful colors in the twilight sky
259. not changing ANY diapers for one full day!
260. Brendan and I deciding to hold each other accountable to technology use/time
261. grocery delivery service
262. a fan
263. book fair at Retiro
264. an English-language children's bookstore in Madrid
265. an orchestra playing during our picnic in the park
266. a surprise opportunity to eat Mexican food!
267. air-conditioning in buildings
268. Brendan and Charlotte "chasing" bubbles as I blew them
269. not hearing & waking up to my neighbor's TV at 1am
270. babies sleeping in strollers
271. sweet Spanish ladies doting on Charlotte - being thankful even though I don't know what they are saying
272. baby girl is doing a little "boot-scootin' boogie" crawl - but it's a crawl - our girl is growing!

Here's the video of Charlotte crawling for the first time:

One Thousand Gifts - Post #10

Ah, another Monday. It is already a beautiful day here in Madrid. I've got all our windows open and am ready for the heat. Actually, I'm not ready for it but it's coming anyways. :) We'll have to break down and buy an air conditioner soon.

We had a great weekend, and I'm excited about the week ahead. Nothing exciting planned but Brendan has the day off on Thursday, and I'm just really content right now with the time I have to be at home with my daughter and to make our flat a "home"....I'm really just learning how grateful I am to be given time to take care of my family. Thank you, Lord! Also, on Thursday, we hope to make it down to Retiro for a big book fair...oh, I am soooo excited about this! Just hoping to find some books in English. :) Brendan said that he and Charlotte will be taking a nap under a shade tree while I walk around the hundreds of stalls of books. To be fair, I asked him if he wanted to spend his day off at home or going to this book fair, and he said the book fair sounded good.

The gratitude list continues....

220. taco seasoning packets that made it with us to Madrid
221. my little girl rolling over to sleep as soon as I lay her in her crib
222. Brendan calling on Skype to say "good night" to his little girl
223. taking a nap when Charlotte does
224. my husband encouraging me to go to bed by my "bedtime"
225. my wedding band fits again!
226. catching Charlotte sleeping with her legs stuck out of her crib

227. Charlotte's one leg balancing pose - her learning to crawl

228. Little Girl's "bitter baby" face

229. Charlotte is becoming more social - loves the camera now!

230. Charlotte's Skype call during bathtime with her Papa & Popo

231. my husband making wonderful tuna salad baguettes

232. experiencing a Spanish soccer match - sort of :)

233. how sports unifies people in all cultures

234. sitting around a church membership class with people from 5 different countries

235. BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, & sweet tea! Yummy Southern meal!

236. mopping the floors!

237. learning a new housekeeping skill :)

One Thousand Gifts - Post #9

We had a beautiful weekend. The weather is finally warmer here in Madrid, though I'm sure I'll be tired of the heat here in a month (or less). :) We open up all the windows in our flat and enjoyed the noises of the city. And I love when I wake in the middle of the night and realize the noises have stopped and all is still with sleep. Charlotte turned 7 months old last week, and she is growing so fast! This weekend we picked up a new bathtub for her because we don't have a tub in our flat. We got one that also doubles as a pool! Although we don't have any outdoor space to use it in, I'm excited about setting it up in the kitchen some this summer to let her splash around in. Our kitchen is big by Madrid standards and has a great window that opens up and lets in lots of sun & air...in other words, a great place to play in a pool!

So this weekend, we also did a lot of relaxing which right now includes playing Super Mario Bros. on our Wii....a gift Brendan received from Dad & Mom for his birthday. He's finally in world 8...thank goodness that means he's almost done! But he's now convinced me to play with him, so we're Mario & Luigi playing through all the worlds together. Silly, but bringing back some oh-so-fun memories of playing Mario Bros. with my brother and parents when I was a pre-teen...and we're making some wonderful memories ourselves. :) We also went to a picnic at Retiro with our church. It was a nice, relaxing time getting to talk to some new friends.

In addition to Charlotte getting her "big girl" bathtub, we also cleaned up and put away some of her baby stuff that she has outgrown. So crazy to me that our little baby girl is outgrowing things! We put away her bouncy chair which she's been sitting in since Day 1 (well, at least since the first day she was home), her play mat/gym, and her bathing chair. I realized her days in the bouncy chair were over last week when she leaned forward in it and nearly did a front flip! Oh! That would have been bad!

I'm so thankful for the life God has given me now. I don't always embrace where I am but I'm learning to. I think I've finally (after 7 months) realized that I'm not going to be able to do the same things as before Charlotte was born...and that's okay. I want to enjoy this time in my life because I know it won't be here forever. It may be more time at home, going home early from outings because a child needs to get in bed, less time for myself and more time taking care of my child. But I realized yesterday that I don't have to miss our days before Charlotte anymore. God gave us wonderful times then, but we are in a different stage now and there are beautiful things about this stage that I want to fully enjoy! So, I keep counting my blessings....

197. lunch with Brendan outside on the terraza in front of his office

198. Charlotte NOT making a big mess of her carrots during lunch with Brendan

199. playing on the floor with my daughter

200. allegory of the cross in C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

201. doing chores in the kitchen together in the evening

202. God releasing the pressures I put on myself...resting in Him and enjoying the life He's given me

203. watching my baby girl sit and play on her own

204. the high-pitched "geeeee" that is Charlotte's giggle

205. a second mother who understands the complications of having a second mother

206. being able to welcome Brendan home with a smile and hug rather than frustation when he was late

207. hearing Brendan go check on Charlotte when he got home from work, just because he wanted to see her :)

208. a grocery store that is literally right downstairs (and across the street) - so cool!

209. storm clouds & rain seen from our flat

210. what an incredibly easy-going baby Charlotte is!

211. Charlotte's blond hair growing in

212. baby girl's new bathtub/"swimming" pool

213. sleeping with the windows open on cool, summer nights

214. taking a shower right before bed and sleeping with wet hair

215. tuna noodle salad - and being brave enough to finally purchase canned tuna at the store

216. the Madrid bus system

217. limon granizado at Retiro

218. writing a journal to my daughter

219. learning teamwork with my husband by playing Mario Bros. with him :)

Touring Spain with Papa & Popo

During the first week of May my parents, Brad & Lisa Palmer, came to visit us in Madrid. They were our first family to visit us here! We're pretty sure they mainly came to see their grandbaby but we enjoyed our time with them as well.

The weather was unseasonably cool which I think we all enjoyed. We picked them up from the airport and brought them back to our flat on the Metro. We had a relaxed first day, but they were able to attend church with us. The following day we had a nice afternoon in Retiro Park.

The first few days of their visit we just hung out around the flat and our neighborhood. They got to visit our mercados (grocery stores) and our park (Parque Berlin). I locked us out of the flat :) so we took a stroll down to Brendan's office to get his keys. Thankfully his office is only about 15 minutes away. That day was actually pretty chilly & windy so we stopped in Starbucks where Dad said he got the best coffee of the trip...good ol' Starbucks!

In the middle of the week we took a trip down to Toledo. We took a high-speed train out of Atocha train station in Madrid. The trip was only 30 minutes. We planned on taking a morning train but by the time we arrived at the train station and figured out what we were doing we missed the train we had hoped to take. It worked out well though...we had time to walk around the station and have lunch at Burger King. :)

{Charlotte LOVED Papa's glasses}

{Charlotte's first train ride}

Toledo was beautiful! We stayed overnight at a great hotel I found online (those online finds are hit or miss)...but this one was a hit! Two days gave us plenty of time to roam around the narrow, cobblestoned streets soaking in the hundreds of years of history that surrounded us. The Toledo cathedral is one of the greatest Medieval cathedrals in Europe. I am always awed at the ability of builders to build such amazing structures without modern equipment. I spent the whole time in the cathedral staring at the ceiling...my neck hurt so bad! Charlotte enjoyed the cathedral too....actually I think she slept pretty much the whole time. :)

{In front of the cathedral}

In Toledo, I also overcame my fear of heights to climb to the top of a church's towers for some amazing views of the city. My dad had offered to stay below with Charlotte while Brendan, Mom, and I climbed up. When I saw the stairs I realized why he had offered to stay below! He's about as fond of heights as I am. Brendan and Mom continued encouraging me to keep going to the top and I'm glad I did. The city was beautiful from that viewpoint. As a side note, Brendan doesn't quite understand why I'll fly planes if I'm afraid of heights...it's hard to explain but its just not the same in my mind.

For Dad and Mom's last two days in Madrid, we set out to tour the city. While Brendan finished up the work week on Friday, we took a double-decker bus tour of historic Madrid. We caught all the major sites...the Palace, Gran Via, Plaza Major, and the Prado Museum. On Saturday, we went back down to Puerte del Sol and Gran Via for some shopping and sight-seeing. Charlotte finally got her own sunglasses....

We stopped in for breakfast at the McDonald's on Gran Via. This location was once a jewelry store and McDonald's was not allowed to alter the interior when they put up shop there, so needless to say it is a very nice McDonald's. Lisa even had tiramisu...can't get that at McDonald's in the U.S! We walked around the rest of the day and ended at Hard Rock Cafe for a nice American dinner. We had to wait for a hour but the burgers were great!

We were sad taking them to the airport. Charlotte loved having her Papa & Popo around. And we loved the games of Five Crowns and laughs while watching Brendan play Super Mario Bros! We were so blessed by their time with us. I can't thank God enough for the incredible parents He blessed me with!

*Check out more pictures from their visit by clicking the "Kinne Photos" on the right.

One Thousand Gifts - Post #8

And I keep counting God's blessings...

171. Brendan waking at 7am to get Charlotte out of bed
172. peaceful morningtime rituals
173. joy in the midst of sadness...and joy driving the sadness away
174. planning baby "meals" for Charlotte
175. strawberries & Nutella on toast
176. recognizing my sin for what it is, when its happening
177. I don't know how, but I'll sin today...God has already forgiven those sins...Hallelujah!!
178. excitement about sharing my passions with my daughter
179. being that awkward English-speaker who isn't a tourist but isn't Spanish either
180. roaming around a street book fair
181. San Isidro Festival that has transformed our neighborhood plaza
182. little girls in traditional festival outfits
183. Charlotte's sleepy look when we wake her up after community group to go home
184. ...she stays wide awake for the trip home but then goes right back to sleep when she gets in her crib
185. kind Spanish people who helped me with Charlotte's stroller on the Metro
186. tree-lined boulevards in the spring
187. Charlotte sleeping with her bum in the air
188. finding new stores with fun tea things :)
189. hearing my daughter say "da-da" even though she doesn't know what she's saying yet
190. yellow cake mix & a borrowed cupcake pan (thanks, Heather!)
191. spending time in the kitchen making cupcakes for my husband's birthday
192. beautiful rose bushes
193. a warmer day
194. really yummy chicken @ Pollo Alcala!
195. patience with the guy who cut in front of me in line at McDonald's
196. Brendan's life...his parents giving birth to him & raising him...a day to celebrate!

Hope you have a wonderful week! Check back later this week as I have a major post to get up about the grandparent's big visit to Spain!

One Thousand Gifts - Post #7

Last night before going to bed, I spent some time with my gratitude journal recapping the past week. Since my parents were visiting it was hard to keep up with the journal, but was worth it to reflect back on what we enjoyed together and all the ways God blessed me during their stay here. I was overflowing with gratitude! Really, I felt like the blessings just kept coming to mind.

That was interesting because earlier in the day after we had taken my parents to the airport, I was in a sad mood. I was mainly sad because my parents had left, and I missed them. But part of that was because I felt like I was left here in Madrid...alone. I'm not of course. Not only do I have my husband and daughter but we're making new friends...God is providing community. But I think now that I have a child, I am more prone to missing my family. I wish Charlotte could spend more time with her grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc. I wish I could be near them while I'm raising a child so that they could enjoy watching her grow with Brendan and I. For the first time in a long time, I miss my home (the place where I grew up). But I know that God has brought Brendan, Charlotte, and myself here to Madrid...this is where He wants us NOW. Maybe not forever, but maybe so. I don't know about the future, but I know that we are in the midst of God's will for us. And it is not easy or comfortable or convenient. So, yesterday, before the joyful blessings easily flowed out, I tearfully thanked God for anything and everything I could think of...even if I repeated myself. And there was joy in that tearful thanks too.

This week's blessings....

132. having a "sleepover" in Charlotte's bedroom while my parents are in town...sleeping on a trundle bed makes me feel like a kid!
133. grandparents helping with Little One when our landlady popped by and I tried to communicate with her in Spanish
134. cooking and catching up on life with my stepmom
135. Super Mario Bros....also makes me feel like a kid!
136. 4 adults being silly while playing video games
137. listening to my dad read books to my daughter
138. Charlotte's little head peeking up over the crib bumper & spying her parents in her room with her this morning
139. my first Mother's Day...as a mother
140. the love God has given me for Charlotte
141. forgiveness from my husband
142. riding the Metro now being as familiar as driving a car
143. friendly Spanish people who love to talk to babies
144. Charlotte's attempts to entertain people...with smiles, giggles, and coos
145. exploring an old city

146. awe-inspiring cathedrals
147. new foods and old favorites
148. free drink refills at TWO restaurants this week
149. Charlotte snuggling in my lap on the train back from Toledo...laying her head on my chest and closing her eyes to sleep
150. foam puzzle mats to create a softer playspace for baby girl

151. a beautiful new teapot from my husband and daughter for Mother's Day
152. another Sunday afternoon in Retiro...this time with my parents and a great new picnic blanket!

153. laughing about locking myself, my parents, and my daughter out of our flat

154. Charlotte's "magic closet" - what her Papa calls the elevator at our apartment

155. my mother and all the mother-figures in my life

156. musicians playing music on street corners, in the Metro, at open-air cafes, and at strategic tourist locations :)

157. Charlotte's cute new sound - "ta-ta"

158. Lisa (my stepmom) having a great camera and loving to take pictures

159. no blisters after a week of much walking

160. 60 degree weather in May

161. Brendan and I reminiscing about our first trip to Spain 7 years ago - when we first met

162. Lisa cooking dinner for us in our own home...yummy chicken spaghetti!!

163. overcoming my fear of heights to climb a church's towers to see amazing views of Toledo

164. Brendan and Lisa encouraging me to keep climbing the stairs to the top

165. narrow, cobblestone streets

166. my parents were able to visit us in our new home/city

167. Brendan and Dad discussing Mario Bros. strategy :)

168. my Dad's quiet demeanor and encouragement of me as a wife & mom

169. talking to my Mommie Mop (grandmother) on Skype on Mother's Day

170. how God is transforming my heart, soul, and spirit with intentional thanks

One Thousand Gifts - Post #6

I'm so grateful for another week. My parents are visiting us here in Madrid this week and it is so nice to have familiar faces around. We picked them up at the airport Saturday morning. Charlotte is sooooo excited to have her Papa and Popo around! She's being VERY silly for them.

My list of blessings continues....

113. hearing my baby girl playing in her crib when she wakes up from a nap
114. English-speaking pediatrician for Charlotte in Madrid
115. smiles & giggles from my baby girl just minutes after her shots
116. open air cafes
117. our neighborhood in Madrid
118. an English-speaking neighbor
119. bright green pea mush all over little one's mouth
120. the sound of birds chirping in the city
121. watching Charlotte do the "wiggle-worm" in her attempt at forward movement - feet push the butt up then push forward
122. a friend's sincere, raw honesty about first-time motherhood
123. tiny baby clothes hanging out on the clothesline
124. baby's mouth open wide for another bite of food
125. anticipating my parents' visit to Madrid
126. Charlotte recognizing her daddy when he comes home & giving him big smiles
127. hearing futbol (soccer) fans celebrate their team's victory...from our flat...at 10:30pm...sounds of the city :)
128. the "doo-dee-doo-dee" sound of European sirens
129. 70 degree days
130. my parents safely arriving in Madrid
131. acting as tour guide for my parents as we go around Madrid

Hope you're able to stop this week and thank the Lord for the unique ways He blesses you!

One Thousand Gifts - Post #5

The past week has been really beautiful here in Madrid. Charlotte and I have enjoyed some time at our nearest park, Parque de Berlin, during the week, and all three of us went down to Madrid's most famous park, Retiro, for a leisurely Sunday afternoon (with about a million other people!). Even though I normally do not like crowds (I can kinda get claustrophobic at malls during the Christmas holidays...so I now avoid the mall during that time of year), I actually really enjoyed being surrounded by so many different people while we were at the park. Would I love to visit the park during the week when it is less crowded? Absolutely. But Sunday's at Retiro are what people in Madrid do, and it was neat to be a part of that. Plus, the park is so big it was easy to find a nice shaded area to spread our blanket out and relax, in relative quiet. :)

My continued list of thanks....(and check out some pics of our time at Retiro at the end of the post)

95. Brendan picking up pastries on his way home from work
96. leaving our kitchen window open to the beautiful weather and sounds of other people in their flats
97. American TV shows in English on Spanish TV
98. a sunny, cloudless day
99. cuddling and reading books to my daughter
100. eating breakfast together as a family
101. the opportunities God is giving us here to witness to others
102. getting to experience a different culture by living in it
103. Haribo gummy bears :)
104. you've shown me the importance of community with other believers and that you always provide that
105. the way Charlotte looks up at me when she sits in my lap
106. pictures that capture memories
107. allowing me to enjoy busi-ness and large crowds on a Sunday afternoon in Retiro Park
108. making people and cultures different/unique
109. quiet in the midst of the busy park
110. the redemptive work you've done in my marriage
111. seeking me when I strayed from you, and seeking Brendan when he was without you
112. providing us with a home

{Eating lunch on a patio near Retiro}

{People rowing on the lake in Retiro}

{Brendan & Charlotte relaxing in the park}

{The Crystal Palace in Retiro}

Small Victories

I'm so glad Brendan has the day off of work today. We're going to enjoy the three day weekend by watching some NCAA college basketball online, playing with Charlotte, maybe taking some walks if the weather clears up, and just generally being lazy...in a good way! I'm also getting around to writing this post that has been in my mind for a few weeks.

In a previous post I mentioned some of my small victories. "Small Victories" is this little phrase I've coined whenever I (or we) accomplish something here in Spain that helps make life a little more "normal". It could also be said that it applies to accomplishing things that I would normally take for granted - like how I do laundry.

So here, in no particular order, are some of my small victories since moving to Spain:

• Cooking a meal - when we were still in the temp apt and I was learning what was available in grocery stores, I was finally able to put together a soup...if you ask Brendan, it actually turned out more like a pasta dish but it was yummy and homemade.
• Figuring out how to operate the nasal aspirator we bought for Charlotte - both of the awesome bulb syringes we got from the hospital when Charlotte was born broke, so we had to find something here in Spain to clear out her nose. The lady who showed us apts when we first moved here helped us get one at the store called Farmacia (like CVS but NOT b/c EVERYTHING seems to be behind the counter...not cool when you don't speak the language!). This nasal aspirator was not a bulb syringe and the directions weren't in English so we stared at it for quite some time trying to figure out how it worked. When Brendan finally figured it out, he came in to me laughing, "We have to suck the stuff out of her nose!!"
• Laundry in our new apartment
• Riding the bus on my own with Charlotte - I've done this a few times now and have actually gotten the hang of it
• Getting groceries delivered to our apartment - Ok, so this may seem like a luxury rather than normal life, but imagine trying to get a large amount of groceries home without a car and with a baby in a stroller. Brendan and I weren't sure how this was going to work, but we just pushed our cart full of groceries up to the checkout line and somehow managed to get things delivered to our apartment later that day!
• Getting cable & internet set-up - Remember:  We don't speak Spanish...enough said.
• Buying bath mats for our non-heated, very cold, tiled-floor bathroom

Laundry: Madrid-style

Last week was our first week in the new flat in Madrid. You would think that I'd have already gotten used to domestic life since we've been living here for over a month, but our new flat brought with it some more traditional aspects of life in Madrid. One of these that I had to tackle last week was laundry.

As you can see, our clothes are hanging out to dry - not because I thought it would be a fun change of pace in the middle of winter but because MOST homes in Madrid do not have dryers. The temporary flat we were staying in must have been catered towards an expat crowd because there was a dryer in that place. Not so here. So, once I finally got the washing machine figured out - water valve was not turned on; thanks to Brendan's co-worker Charlie for figuring that one out! - I began hanging out our first load. Brendan thought whites would be a safe place to start since we are on the top floor (7th). So far we haven't "lost" anything but it is bound to happen sooner or later.

The first day (and night) was actually pretty successful. One of my "small victories" (more about those in a later post). Two loads of laundry dried!! But Brendan called me on his way to work the next morning and said it was beginning to sprinkle. Ok, so I got everything inside and it was dry so that was fine. But I had soooo much more laundry to do and it didn't look like it would rain anymore. I was wrong. I had Charlotte's clothes washed and hung up and it started to rain. Long story short - I had numerous loads of laundry to do and it rained for a few days straight (quite uncharacteristic of Madrid). They have these clothes drying racks here that you can use inside, but I hadn't been able to purchase one yet. Thankfully, Brendan and I managed to pick one up on Saturday and the laundry could resume.

Doing laundry is actually one of my favorite household duties. Even though its never-ending and that is sometimes annoying, I find find a lot of joy in doing it. I've decided that hanging our clothes out actually adds to the enjoyment...however I think it will be more fun when the weather warms up. Cold, stiff clothes/towels/sheets aren't that comfortable!

Also, doing our laundry this way (so completely different than I'd ever do it in the States) really brings it home that I'm LIVING in another country. I'm not just here on extended vacation; I'm living here. And one of the things God really spoke to me about when I was praying about our move here was that I needed to release my hold on the comforts and conveniences that were holding me back from fully following Him. You may think, "Well, Anne, is doing laundry with a dryer really holding you back from pursuing God?". And I'd say, "No, don't be silly!" But what is holding me back is my desire to have an easy, comfortable life rather than the life God has called me to. Right now, God has called me to give up what was easy and comfortable in the US and live in a foreign country...with a baby. I am daily asking God to help me release my desire for the "easy life" so that I can live the "abundant life" He wants for me.

Another Spanish Adventure

We are now in our permanent residence here in Madrid. (More pics and video to follow this weekend.) Moving is always an adventure; there alway seems to be plenty of unexpected things arise to throw off your plans. Thankfully, our move from the temp apt in Madrid to our new apartment went very smoothly...just a bit differently than our previous moves in the U.S.

First, we don't have an SUV nor any friends with an SUV or truck, so Brendan rented one of the few automatic transmission cars he could find - a Volkswagen Golf. We thought it might take us all day, but I think the Lord miraculously expanded the space inside the car so that we were able to get everything in just 4 trips! And one of Brendan's friends from work, Charlie, helped out so he got everything up the elevator and into the apt when Brendan brought it over. Charlotte and I were able to hang out in the new casa and start unpacking. You can see below that we found an interesting picture hanging in Charlotte's room! I think I've decided to leave it up just because its funny that she has a donkey in her room. :)

{Charlotte & The Burro}

On Tuesday, Charlotte had her first doctor's visit in Spain. Before I even get to the doctor's visit though, I need to praise God for providing insurance for Charlotte (BCBS NC) that covers her overseas! How incredible is that! And they called to make the appointment for her...even better. Soon we'll both be covered by Brendan's new insurance here in Spain but until then it is so great to know that she is covered.

Ok, so we had a little trek to get to the doctor. We took the Metro, then had about a 15 minute walk from the Metro stop to the hospital. Thankfully, I decided to put Charlotte in the stroller rather than in the Baby Bjorn...she's a bit heavy for that (on me anyways). We didn't have a suite number for the doctor at the hospital so we knew we would have to do some searching. It didn't take us long to find where he was located, but we did figure out why there was no suite number. We saw the doctor's name on a door and assumed that this was his office (waiting room, etc). Brendan begins to open the door and quickly realizes that he is entering an EXAM ROOM not a waiting room for the doctor's office! Oops! The doctor came out later to get the next patient and we slowly figured out the Spanish system.

So, the doctor had no nurses or support staff...just himself. And his office and exam room were the same room. Interesting to say the least. But the good news was he spoke English, and Charlotte received her vaccinations...although she was not too happy about that part. :( I am getting more familiar with measurements in centimeters and kilograms - Charlotte weighs 7 kg (~15 lbs) and is 63 cm (~25 in) - something I had to figure out in order to buy her diapers last week. And I think the diapers I bought are Pampers with a different label!

After Charlotte finished crying and we were done with the appointment, she took a good long nap on the way back home then she decided to play around with Brendan while getting ready for bed. We were both very surprised! I'd been telling Brendan about how she giggles now, but he hadn't really heard her do it yet. So out of nowhere, she starts giggling for him while he's playing with her....so cute! And you can see below, she also showed Brendan how flexible she is getting - finally figured out that her toes can go in her mouth too!

{Bandaged up after vaccinations}

{Caught with her foot in her mouth!}