Hello from Spain!
We are all well here except for colds and sore throats.  I am told these are a normal part of living on the coast because of the ever changing temperatures.

Well the big news here is that we have decided to return to America a month earlier than planned.  There are many reasons for our decision, too many to go in to detail here. We should be arriving in Indianapolis around May 1-3rd.

Of course the kids are all ecstatic!  The count down has begun and we are scrambling to get packed and ready to sail!

And I do mean sail, as we will be returning to America on "The Queen Mary ll" cruise ship.  Leaving from South Hampton, England on April 19th and arriving in New York on April 26th.  Lynsey and I are so happy about this mode of transportation.  However, I am sure some would question if it is safer to be in the water crossing to America or flying over the water to America!  After our lovely flight coming to Spain I think we will stick with sailing this time. 

We have families coming to visit soon so that is also adding to the countdown frenzy.  The kids are so excited to see their friends and then to know they are going home soon.....big smiles here! 

Before we head to the states we will be traveling to Paris on April 7th with the Meyer family.  Fom Paris we are hoping to visit Switzerland by train and then return to England for a few days before boarding our ship for home.

Dave and I are feeling ready to return to Indy as well.  We are looking forward to life back home with family, friends and a more normal routine.  However, we know we will miss so much about our life here in Spain.  It will be bittersweet to say goodbye to the people here, the church, and the beautiful surroundings.

We have had an amazing experience here in Spain and are so thankful we have had this opportunity.
Of course our time here has not been without challenges and trials but we would do it all over again, with the exception of a few school choices we made for the teens.  It has been so fulfilling to watch our younger boys absorb the spanish culture/language and intermingle with their spanish classmates and friends.  It is hard to measure all they have learned because we don't even realize it yet! This goes for the older kids as well.

Even though Dave and I are still only beginners in the Spanish language we realize it is a small step in the right direction and hope to continue learning over the years.  Just don't ask us to speak Spanish when we come home.  We don't want to feel incompetent like we do here at times, just kidding!  Well, not really!

Being part of the Spanish Christian Church and the fellowship it created for us and our children was a blessing indeed.  We know that God was and is at work in so many ways. We trust and hope that he would reveal more reasons for this journey in years to come. 

We are sad we will not be here to welcome the Stayton family when they arrive.  They are still awaiting paper work before they can travel.  We may get to see them back home before they leave for Spain, which would be great.

We look forward to seeing you all when we return home.  We would welcome prayers for safe travels throughout Europe and especially for our adventure across the ocean. 

Thank you for following us on this Journey, we are glad you came along!

Hearing from many of you throughout this past year encouraged and blessed us more than you will know.

MUCHOS GRACIAS!!

I have attached photos of  our recent trip to Portugal and other photos from various times/places.

I may write one more blog covering our last days here, our journey to Paris, Switzerland, England and then Home to America, if time and sanity allows! 


Until next time, maybe.

Love,
Dave, Karen and Kids