Thankful Lists 2015

MICAH

1. Abi

2. soccer

3. Torah

4. Russ (his bff)

5. joggers (his favorite style of pants)

6. cars

7. Friends (TV show)

8. that I don't have scurvy (this has seriously been a thing with him since he was 5)

9. water

10. food

11. intelligence

12. music

13. oranges (he eats a dozen a day - see #8)

14. FIFA

15. languages & cultures

16. memory foam

17. felines

18. Pizza Emporio (his all-time favorite pizza, located in Madrid)

19. headphones

20. my Fenerbahçe blanket

21. food (I usually try to catch repeats, but this truly is important to him!)

22. the prophet

23. smart people

24. tea

25. the commandments

26. girls

EMMA

1. Abi

2. my bed

3. music

4. my testimony

5. mom

6. wifi

7. Torah

8. James Dashner (author of Maze Runner)

9. Baba

10. Becca (Jared's girlfriend)

11. Glee (TV show)

12. prayer

13. Kimmie (friend from home)

14. Caitie (another friend from home)

15. missionaries

16. Micah

17. nature

18. Oreos

19. fruit

20. airplanes

21. Adana

22. art

23. chocolate con churros (a favorite treat in Spain)

24. hot chocolate

25. Miranda Sings (one of the YouTube shows she watches)

26. Annie's White Cheddar Mac-n-Cheese (it's interesting the things they miss most from the US)

ADANA

1. Minecraft (her video game obsession)

2. my mom & dad

3. slippers (we have cold tiled floors in Spain)

4. The Land of Stories (a book series she is loving)

5. Andrea (a friend from home)

6. Beanie Boos (stuffed animals with big eyes - she has about a million of them)

7. Maradona (her pet bird who is back in the states)

8. Zeebree & Orcy (her stuffed zebra & stuffed orca, also back in the states)

9. Riley (another friend from home)

10. Big Blue Dog (a stuffed dog that "sleeps" at the foot of her bed every night, given to her by Abi)

11. my life

12. pumpkin pie

13. Descendants (a favorite movie)

14. my brothers & sisters

15. the color orange

16. music

17. chocolate

18. pumpkin pie (oops, missed this duplicate)

19. couches

20. dresses

21. Christmas peppermint

22. games

23. my journal

24. warm showers

25. fuzzy blankets

26. Ohs (her favorite cereal, can't find it here in Spain)

TORAH

1. horses

2. Ariel (her stuffed unicorn)

3. paint (she loves to paint with watercolors)

4. my boots 

5. Adana

6. Georgie (a friend from home)

7. our Bainbridge Island house

8. mom

9. my family

10. my friends

11. Jesus

12. iPads

13. beds

14. dinosaurs

15. to know how to write my name

16. scripture & prayer

17. Maradona (Adana's pet bird)

18. Rainbow (a stuffed horse with wings)

19. airplanes

20. green grass (rare here in Seville)

21. warm pajamas

22. reading my book today

23. Emma

24. Micah

25. Abi

26. Baba

Instagram Update: October 2015

Coolest park we've found so far in Seville.  Too bad it's a bus ride away.
But hey, it's worth it!  #whatelsewegonnado

Tonight was La Noche En Blanco (White Night).  It's a nighttime festival, typically held near a full moon, celebrating the Arts in cities around the world  I'm sure it was cool if (1) you had the whole night to explore and (2) you weren't trying to drag 4 kids thru the crowded streets.  We ended up calling it quits after an hour - came home for ice cream & movie night.  #wearenotverycultured

Well, I clearly didn't stage this shot very well, with our crappy plastic table & laundry drying the the background.  But my fried egg-n-brie omelet with fresh figs this morning out on the terrace was so pleasant, I needed to add it to my "Things I Want to Remember from Spain" posts.

I highly recommend visiting the Mediterranean Sea during the off-season, when the powder-sand beaches are empty & the weather is perfect!

Stake activity - Festival of the Nations - tonight at the church.  Everyone represented their home country.  There were some great performances & lots of delicious food.  The USA (EEUU) offered pb&j, brownies & apple crisp (my contribution).

Visiting white villages, eating fantastic foods & seeing historic sites are all amazing things here in Spain.  But the BEST part about this experience is meeting some great people!  I just WISH I could communicate beyond basic greetings & charades conversations.  Thank goodness for Micah, my personal translator!
#missionaries #Spanishfamily #Britishgirl #anduscrazyAmericans

Sevilla just got a whole lot better today!!  So happy to have @jvanaken04 here!!  First stop, of course, was #churrosconchocolate!

Since it was my 2nd time through the Alcazar, I was able to focus on details.  I am in love with Spanish "azulejo" ceramic tile work!

Tapas for lunch in a little outdoor cafe.
#grilledeggplantwithmarmelade #porkcheeks #stuffedmushrooms #CokeLight (for me)

Today we rode a bus out to see the ruins of Itálica, a 200BC Roman city - birthplace of emperors Hadrian & Trajan.

Micah talked Torah into trying the rabbit that he ordered for lunch.  She was so mad at him for ordering it, but ended up liking it!
#notyourtypical4yearold

Flamenco dance show tonight with Jenny, Micah & Torah.  Amazing! Loud! Intense! The best Flamenco in the world is in Sevilla!

Ronda, take 2 - with Micah, Adana & Jenny.  Fantastic day for roaming the streets of white villages!

Grazalema, take 2.  Still my favorite place in Spain.  Kicks BI's #peacefulandpastoral butt. :)

One more from today because this shot makes me so happy.
#lifeisbetterinawhitevillage

What's for lunch?  So many options in the Spanish markets!
#thGoodtheBadandtheUgly

Micah had a play date with Gonzolo today.  :)
#playingRollTheBall

We have a very excited almost 5-year old who went to bed worried that the Birthday Fairy might not be able to come to Spain.  She will be so happy when she wakes up in the morning!  :)

Happy 5th birthday Torah!  This sweet little girl has never met a person she doesn't love, and she will give the best, most sincere hug to anyone who needs it.  She loves snails & slugs, unicorns & dolphins.  She is a world traveler, adores airplanes & hotels, and could happily spend hours riding on escalators.  She adores her big sisters and she has her Baba & 2 big brothers wrapped tightly around her little finger.  She loves to sing lullabies, practice her soccer moves, and play endless games of Uno.  When I asked her tonight how her birthday was, she simply replied, "Joyous!"  :)

Four kids in a rowboat.

We will definitely be coming back to this fantastic park!  Acres of trees, fountains, grass (!!!), and an amazing bird pond.
#wehaventseengrassinmonths #gottabringsomebreadnexttime

There is something deeply, viscerally gratifying in hanging out white linens to dry.

We LOVE Portugal!!
#wishBabawashere

I am completely under the spell of the Algarve.

The homes & shops in Tavira are covered in gloriously colored tiles.  These are just a few that I loved.  I wish we could pull this off in the states!  They are so beautiful and happy!

Rode this cute train out to the beach today.
#AtlanticOcean #oneofmyfavoritebeachesever

We pretty much had the whole beach to ourselves.
#goodthingbecauseweforgotswimsuits #onlyTorahswam #wishiwas5

 

Classic beach day.  Stage 1: fully clothed, just "running away from" the water. Stage 2: lose the skirt, still hopeful the rest will stay dry. Stage 3: ok fine, down to the undies. Stage 4: I give up, just go clean yourself off in the water.

I love being related to teachers!  My great sis-in-law @kiahnaw1976 sent us this Flat Sarah from her 2nd grade class.  We get to show her around Europe.  Here's a sneak peak at our first installment:  Flat Sarah visits Portugal!

Instagram Update: September 2015

Blog is up & running.
russellstudyabroad.blogspot.com

Torah desperately needs her sisters to get here so that she doesn't have to play Uno with her doll.
#theyplayedawholegame #Torahwon #24morehours!!

Fun carriage ride thru Sevilla.  Torah carefully analyzed all of the horses before settling on this one; she wanted a horse that she could name "Hot Cocoa."
#travelswitha4yearold

One of the things that I love most about Seville is the heavy influence of Islamic design in its architecture.  The Alcazar (royal palace - still in use) was a perfect example.

Managing to get a rare family photo (minus Elder Russell).  It was HOT this day, so we'll have to return for more pics.  This place is amazing!

Micah was out running some errands for mean day when he texted:  Come to the Dia.  There is a cool like"rotary auction" type market in the streets.  He was right - it's HUGE!  And held every Thursday morning.

I almost didn't post this because a little Instagram picture just CAN'T do this place justice!  The Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona is one of the most AWE-some buildings I've ever seen.  Seriously, go Google it and see what I mean.  I'm already making plans to return to Barcelona in 20 years, when it is scheduled to (hopefully, finally) be completed.

Eyescream for ice cream!  Found this great ice cream place on the beach in Barcelona.  You pick your flavor & two toppings, then they shave the ice cream into your bowl, kind of like shaved ice.  It is so good!  Check it out at eyescreamandfriends.com.

Very cool Magic Fountain show at Montjuïc!  It was set to Disney music, so the girls especially loved it.
#anotherlatenightinSpain

Visited this great market near  La Rambla this afternoon.  Exotic fruits, huge selection of Spanish snacks/seafoods/treats, and some "what in the heck is that?!?" finds.
#isthatagoathead?

Fantastic road trip to Ronda with @emma.m.russell & @lmtutty !!
#whitevillages #cliffcity #hikedallthewaydownandbackup  #tiredandsweaty

My favorite white village - Grazalelma!  It was absolutely enchanting!

I'm in love with the white villages - so remote, clean & peaceful!

Dinner on the terrace.
#ChorizoEggsPotatoes #ourfavoriteGoTomeal

The tomb of Christopher Columbus, carried by 4 enormous pallbearer statues, housed in the largest Gothic cathedral in the world.
#justyouraveragefieldtrip

Happy birthday @lmtutty!  So fun to be able to celebrate your special day with you!!

Playing Cinderella.
#singingwhiletheywork #weloveourterrace #cleanestspotinSeville

The girls were just excited to play at a park tonight.  They couldn't care less about the 12th century Roman wall behind them.
#homeschoolfail

In honor of Jared's 19th birthday, we had the missionaries over for dinner (Elders Blasi & Cowley).  Hamburgers & chocolate chip cookies! :)
Happy Birthday, Jared!!

Just hanging out in her "cave" under the stairs.

Built in the 16th century, this beautiful Renaissance building houses all of the Spanish documents related to the exploration of the "Indies" - letters from Columbus, Cortès, George Washington - plus old maps, drawings, etc of the New World.

I'm sure there is some unspoken taboo against taking pictures of your neighbor's laundry, but this was just too cute!