Dizzy in Circles

i think i am losing my mind!

I am wondering if our memories are going lately because leaving the piso the other night was a joke! We were off to our weekly CJA planning meeting and then had Noche de Hogar--FHE--afterwards and we were in charge of the refreshments--french toast. So, we gathered our bags full of ingredients and kitchen tools as well as my bag with scriptures/iPads and headed out the door. Down the elevator, through 8 doors, 2 flights of creepy stairs, and into the garage, we realize that we forgot the cell phone. So I went back up to get the phone while Steve got the car and met me on the street in front of the piso. We drive to the church, 10 minutes early, and as we pull up we realize people are outside without keys to the building. Steve had put his stuff into my bag and left his at home, and that is where the church keys were, in the piso on the side pocket of his bag where I had put them after district meeting that morning. Quick call to the missionaries--they're 15 minutes away, so we drive back home, Steve drops me off at the corner while he pulls around the block, and I am back in the elevator going up to the piso to get the church keys. Down the elevator and back in the car and we are off again, to the church for our meeting--now we are 5 minutes late:). After our meeting I realize that the bread for the French toast is still in the fridge--in the piso--so we are back in the car heading towards home once again. I grab the keys and Steve drops me off at the corner as usual, as he circles the block--because of all the one way streets here. But, as I start walking towards the front door of our building I realize that I have the church keys in my hand, not the piso keys. I am laughing as Steve pulls up in front of the building and I wave the church keys at him. All I can say is, it's a good thing we decided to drive because of all the stuff we were carrying, walking back and forth to the church would have been even worse:)

On a good note, we had a great family home evening and everyone loved the French toast. We ate and played wii until after midnite--another wonderful night at the center!

Visitors!

at the top of the sagrada familia in barcelona

I just realized that I haven't posted for almost a month!  It has been very crazy and stressful these past few weeks, but we had some very good times and relief in the form of visitors--my brother Kurt and my sis-in-law Kathy came for a visit and we had a great time going to some tourist spots we've been meaning to visit. It was so good to be able to chat with them about some of our challenges as well as successes and to have some feedback and ideas on what we can do better. We were also able to "escape" from the island and meet them on the peninsula--Barcelona--for a few days of playing tourist as well as some fun missionary activities. We decided that visitors are wonderful, especially when they speak spanish:), and we had such a great time showing them our island paradise and introducing them to our new friends and family here. We set up the guest room for their visit and it is ready and waiting for the next visitor.

On a side note, we were sad to say goodbye to the Hinckley's but we have a new mission president, Presidente y Hermana Pace, from Holliday, Utah, and we love them already.  They have been in Spain less than three weeks and have been to Mallorca twice--which is a big deal to the people here--another great couple that we aspire to be like when we grow up:)