Home for the Holidays

Some of you are wondering when I'll be home. I will be home from Monday, December 18 (10 pm) until Tuesday January 2. I'll be staying at my parents' house. Call me if you want to hang out (698-6715)! Yea! I can't wait to see snow and eat fudge. (Of course, I'm excited to see all of you, too.) I heard Christmas music for the first time here today. They just started to turn on the Christmas lights in Madrid, too. It's really pretty, but makes me ready to go home. :) See you soon!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, here it is the Saturday after Thanksgiving and I didn't play a single board game, watch football, put up Christmas decorations, or go shopping this weekend. (In fact, I haven't played any board games in Spain!) I did manage to eat some turkey, sweet potatoes, and pie, though. Yes, that's right. We had a "traditional" Thanksgiving dinner at my good friends' Julie and Sarah's apt. Their Spanish roommate, Laura, was generous enough to host a big crew of hungry people, and Julie's sister, Amy, (who was visiting from the states) was generous enough to cook! It was a huge success despite the Spanish obstacles we had to overcome to make it happen. Julie and Amy spent a couple different afternoons tracking down a turkey (still had a few feathers on it...at least it was fresh!) and the ingredients at specialty stores. (Julie, where did you find that turkey?) Sarah found me some pecans and a Spanish version of corn syrup for my pecan pie. (All the Spanish people I talked to had never even seen pecans before.) Amy, who doesn't know Spanish, blew a fuse while cooking alone in the apartment and had to find help from the neighbors. I cooked my pie at my friend Kristen's house and faced some challenges myself. I had no measuring cups, so I just guessed. The oven didn't have different temperature settings, so I just put it in and hoped for the best. Well, it was more like a broiler with an open flame, and the top burned in 15 minutes. The inside wasn't done so I lowered the shelf and covered it with foil. I let it bake longer and packed it up still warm for the 40 minute Metro ride. On the metro Kristen's yummy pasta leaked all over the floor, but when we finally arrived, it was worth it! The food was amazing and there must have been 20 people there...about eight Americans and the rest Spanish friends. Some of Laura's friends came dressed as American Pilgrims! It was hilarious! There were all REALLY nice and friendly and Laura had typed out a speech to toast Julie and Sarah (and Julie's dog, Lucky...who I love). We ate my pie and Sarah's apple pie for dessert. They both were huge hits (even thought mine was burnt)! The next day was Thanksgiving... went to class and wrote a paper.

I am thankful that God has...
given me good friends here (Spanish and American).
given me a great roommate.
kept me healthy and safe.
given me a loving family.
kept my brother Chris alive with his blood clots.
kept my grandma alive after a surgery and infection.
provided my grandma with Sharon, who takes good care of her.
given me a church family here.
given me the ability and opportunity to learn and study here.
created everyone and everything in the world so uniquely.
spared me getting robbed (two close calls now).
given me His Son and eternal life!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I'LL SEE YOU AMERICANS IN LESS THAN A MONTH!