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:)

Centro para Jovenes Adultos

two brand new computers!

Since our Center for Young Adults is located in the church building here in Palma, and this building is used by two large branches, and there really isn't any extra space for us to have a designated room for the center, we were given half a closet in the chapel, and some wall space in the Relief Society room.  In order for us to get the closet, they had to add on to a storage room outside so the tables in the chapel could be moved into it, then they divided the chapel closet in half so the video conferencing equipment could have it's own space, and we were left with the other half.  This is just enough space for our two computers and their desks, and the printer. These can all be moved around to whatever room we are in for our activities.  The wall space in the RS room houses our flat panel tv and wii and playstation.

It may not be an entire building for the CJA, or even a specific room, but everyone is so excited to have some things to call our own and to be moving forward:)

steve was so happy they let him hold a drill

the remodeling/building crew

Jamón

Ham is very big here in Spain.  There are many different kinds from deli slices that are moist to long strips that are very dry.  This is a common sight in all the grocery stores as well as specialty shops.  These hams are from all over Spain and each has a different flavor according to where the pig was raised, what it was fed, etc.  My favorite so far is the Iberian jamón, fat and all.  It is of course some of the most expensive--what can I say, I have good taste--it is delicious sliced very thin and served by itself or with bread.  You can buy the whole leg, or get some sliced from the butcher.  Interesting, don't you think?!

Good Times!

right before the tower toppled

ping pong in the hall

This past week we went to Manacor for a game night and had fun with Elders Hastings and Ashcroft and some ward members playing Uno, ping pong, and Jenga. This Jenga tower was the tallest I've ever seen and we each had three more turns than we thought were possible! Very tense and incredible at the same time. When it finally fell, we were all breathing a sigh of relief that the stress was over.

The next night we had a fireside with the Jovenes Adultos by the sport court at the back of the church.  The activities committee improvised a fire pit and we had fun roasting marshmallows and eating hotdogs after the speakers.  Fun to be together chatting around our "fire."

Fiesta!

good food, good people

elders gonzalez, ashcroft, hastings, araujo, mattice, & montoya
hermanas smith & nalbandyan

We are getting ready for transfers and for two of our missionaries here on Mallorca to head for home. Hermana Nalbandyan and Elder Mattice will be gone sometime this weekend and will be replaced the first of the week. We had a farewell fiesta at our weekly district meeting.  I made chicken enchiladas, pico de gallo, and guacamole, and Elder Gonzalez made his yummy rice. It all turned out--first time making enchiladas without cream of chicken soup!--and was a delicious feast.  We have become a tight little family here away from the peninsula, and we will miss our two missionaries. Who will join us here in Paradise?!  Stay tuned. . .

The Missionary Wardrobe

happy feet!

Well, it's been about two months of living here in Palma, and I am officially sick of my clothes. Everyday I open my closet and say, "what should I wear today?" and the same skirts and shirts are staring back at me. This past week the weather has warmed up enough to wear my comfy sandals! (which also means no tights:). There is a reason they tell you to bring flat shoes and I, of course, thought I would be fine in heels. I was wrong. Heels are ok for church when you drive there, but not for walking on uneven sidewalks and cobblestones. My feet are very happy to be enjoying fresh air and sandals. Maybe the guys do have it better. Steve laughs at me when I ask what should I wear because his choices are: one of two suits, short or long sleeve white shirt, and what tie--which is why he brought 18:). He is also glad for warm weather--it means no suit coat all day, only to church and meetings. He just took the photos of our closets and informed me that I have about 8 outfits and he has 3,456 combinations if he includes his watches.  Sounds like I need to go shopping!

karen's closet

steve's closet