Happy 40th Birthday Brian!!

Hola Amigos y Familia!

We hope that you are all doing well! On Tuesday, September 30th Brian will turn 40!! So on Saturday, September 20th the kids and I, and three of his closest friends here, surprised him with a day of sailing on the Mediterranean. He was thrilled! The kids tried to keep it a surprise, but were so excited they let little things slip from time to time. :) Nonetheless he arrived blindfolded and they guided him to the boat. Here is a group shot on the catamaran.
As we left the port in Vilanova, we saw this nice boat with a pretty backdrop of the town of Vilanova and mountains in the background.
Our friends who joined us: here is Uncle Yves (as the kids call him) from Belgium,
Patricia from Brazil (she and husband Lisaneas are our small group leaders).

Caroline, Jackson and Yves watching for huge jellyfish.
Brian, Luke, and Lisaneas enjoying the sun and the views. We were so thankful for a beautiful day!

Brian and Jackson.
View of the town of Sitges, where we live, from the sea.
Luke and Caroline on the lookout for sharks. :)

Closer view of Sitges, with a nice view of the church.
This is actually up the coast a little further near Luke's futbol field.
Lisaneas enjoying the views.
Dad the pillow!

After sailing up the coast, we stopped at Cala Morisca to swim and have lunch. Here is another catamaran close by.

Brian and Luke doing some snorkeling. To our surprise, Cala Morisca appeared to be a popular place for nude sunbathers, so we swam near the boat. :)

Yves, Luke, Brian and Lisaneas checking out the jellyfish.
Another nice view along the coast.
Jackson attacking Brian on the "trampoline".

Boys wrestling with Uncle Yves.

Our skipper, Nicholas, was very friendly. He let Luke sail the boat for a bit...maybe that's why I got a little green. :)
Family shot on the boat.
Happy 40th Birthday Brian!!!
The next day we went into BCN for church and a picnic lunch by the Tower of Columbus at the port.
The kids have been wanting to ride the lion statues ever since we got here, so they finally got their chance! Here's Luke...

and Caroline.
Driving through town we also happened to see a random parade of horses and soldiers. The kids loved it!
On the way home from BCN we drove up a road to see where it went and found some nice views of the coast along Sitges.
Brian then left on Tuesday, and that evening we visited a new gymnastics class for Caroline with some neighbor girls. At one point I peeked around the corner at her and she said "Mommy this is so much fun!" She was so excited. I'm so proud of how much more confident and brave she has become!!

It was hard to get very many good shots, but we tried to get a couple.
Luke snuck in and took a few shots too. :)
And then tonight it was his turn, first night of futbol!! After how hard it was for him last year (new language, new kids, new coaches, new sport), he did just incredible tonight!! He wasn't afraid at all, and was also so confident and brave compared to last year. I was so proud!! He's the one in all blue (head to toe!)
What a difference a year makes. They've both just learned to get in the back of the line and follow the other kids if they don't understand what they're supposed to do.
Jackson and Caroline playing at the futbol field. They were both excited about futbol starting too, so they wore their Barca jerseys. :)

Jackson wanting some attention: "take a picture of ME!"
Luke kicking the ball during a scrimmage at the end of practice.
Caroline wanted to take a picture of Jackson and me.

Closer shot during the scrimmage. And I just loved this one...team huddle on the field with the palm trees and Mediterranean in the background. Can't beat the views!

Home-schooling is going really well with Luke and Caroline, and they will also start a Spanish class in town next Monday. We're sad that summer is over, but it's been great to see how excited the kids are about their different activities.

We're praying for all of you who are dealing with difficult situations and loved ones in the hospital. Know that we think of you often!

Con mucho amor,

Tonya