Tuesday, May 26

We miss you Grandma Millie!  It was one year ago today when Grandma Millie passed away.  I miss her so much!  I picture calling her and telling her about all that we're experiencing, especially as so much of it reminds me of her many many years in Brooklyn.  I'm so lucky to have known her for so many years of my life and for Scott to have had a chance to see her so many times, and for our kids to have many memories of her.  She was quite the lady, and I can often picture what she'd have to say about so much of this.  At least that makes me smile while I miss her.

Tuesday was the day when we went as a family with Scott to his work at the Morón Air Base.

Right now, this is part of what he sees on his 45-minute drive, blooming sunflowers.  There are also rolling hills and farmland and mountains in the distance.

A sign for Morón.

Even though Scott had paperwork for all of us to go on the base with him, it still took a phone call and both the security guard and Scott talking to someone to allow us to enter the base.  I had to wear a visitor's badge the whole time I was there.

Scott started out by driving us around the housing.  Here'a picture of some of the military housing.  There isn't much of it.  Besides the driveways and carports, it reminded me so much of Kwaj.  While most of you probably think this looks unwelcoming, to me it brings back AMAZING and HAPPY and FOND memories.  Hello Kwaj Kids!

There's a fabulous playground on the base.  Scott dropped us off here to play while he had meetings.

Cody trying to learn how to use monkey bars.

Rosa on the move.

All 3 kids in action.

Devon on a bench.

Three kids at the bottom of a slide.  

A pavilion.  So Kwaj-like.

After Scott's morning meetings, he picked us up and we went to the police office to have our passports stamped with visas allowing us to stay longer than the 3 month maximum that the Spanish tourist visa allows.  This is good since we're planning to stay for 5 months.

Then Scott drove us around some more and showed us the school on base, the post office, the base store (which has all sorts of goodies from home) and the 4 choices on base where Scott can eat lunch.

Scott mailing our mail-in ballots at the US Post Office on base.

On the drive home, we saw more sunflowers in full bloom.  Gorgeous!

Sheep and 2 shepherds near the town of Utrera.

After the base and a drive back via Utrera and Dos Hermanas, we ate lunch at the apartment and Scott worked a little bit more.  The kids had a blast being able to run around for a bit at home.  Then Scott walked the kids back to school and I met him for a date.  We tried to go to 2 different restaurants for lunch, but learned the hard way that they're not open for lunch on Tuesdays.  So we ate at a restaurant where I'd been before that's by the "throwing shoes" playground.  After our lunch, we walked around a bit.  It's always fun to explore the neighborhoods.

We both picked up the kids from school, and Scott and Rosa went on a date (which included drinks and dinner out) and I went with the boys and a number of their classmates to the closest McDonald's for a classmate's birthday party.  The party was on the 2nd floor and the parents were asked to leave.  It was wonderful.  It was the first time that the boys didn't cling to me and beg me to stay.  When I returned 1.5 hours later, they were smiling from ear to ear, like the rest of their friends, and they were actively participating in all of the birthday party games.  While they were at the party, the parents went around the corner and had coffees outside.  I ended up sitting by the Spanish-speaking parents, and for the first time, I was able to follow most of the conversation.  I'm so glad that my Spanish continue to improve, little by little.

At the end of the party, the kids were lined up, with balloons, for pictures.  There was no way to keep them still.  In this picture, Cody is in the back row on the left and his head is tilted backwards.  And Devon is in the back row on the right with a hand up.

Here's a better picture of Devon amongst his friends.

That night Scott had his weekly Tuesday call with Alaska and I had a very cranky Cody to contend with.  Evenutally everyone fell asleep.