Go Cougs!

YEAH! The Cougars not only won every conference game this year (for the second season in a row) but they also pulled out another nail-biting win against the Utah Utes! We like to give them a taste of hope before we destroy them :) What a wonderful season. We can't wait for the bowl game! And hopefully next year we'll be home visiting during the game and we can actually go! Jay has to experience the rivalry first-hand to be able to fully appreciate it.
Jay and I are surviving our time alone. We miss Mike... especially when Jay's in real need of some wrestling. We can't wait to see him tomorrow. Everyone has been so kind and helpful while he's been gone. My neighbor Karmen has brought me lots of good food, John helped me get my car's oil changed and Maria helped me wrestle Jay on Sunday when I had my 3 callings to do. Many more people have offered their help if I need it. Air Force, Spanish, LDS... there are good people everywhere. Christmas is fast approaching. Less than 4 weeks away. That means I have to get all my projects done soon so I can ship them off to the States. I wish I had more to report, but I can't think of anything interesting. SO hasta luego!

Happy Thanksgiving, now dame un beso.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving here in Spain. We missed being home for the big family gatherings but luckily we had a gathering of good friends here in Utrera. John's parents, sister and brother-in-law invited us over to their house for Thanksgiving along with John and Maria, Ryan and Luisana (our friends - Mike works with Ryan) and a few other relatives. We had a big crowd and plenty of food. The food was so good! John's dad is American and their family lived in the States for 25 years, so they know how to make a good Thanksgiving dinner. We had turkey, ham, homemade mashed potatoes and stuffing, salad, corn, yams and plenty of pie for dessert. Speaking of pie, I made my own pumpkin and apple pie for the occasion. I had never tried the apple pie recipe before and it was SO good. I am addicted. If you want the recipe, just go to my favorite website: allrecipes.com and type in Apple Pie by Grandma Ople. Be sure to follow the advice in the comments too. YUM! I even made homemade pie crust with half butter and half crisco. The crust certainly didn't look perfect, but it tasted wonderful. Jay had a great time eating turkey and stuffing. He couldn't get enough of it! He also had his fair share of mom's pie. He had a great time crawling up and down the stairs with his friend Christopher and playing peek-a-boo with Johnny. Mike and John even played a little football outside. Maria was baffled, wondering what was so great about throwing an odd-shaped ball back and forth. Speaking of football... we're so excited for the BYU vs. Utah football game on Saturday! Go Cougs! Beat your opponents... soundly!
As far as besos go, Jay will now give me a kiss when I say, "Dame un beso!" Only when he's in the mood though. It's so cute when he does it. Still no words of his own. In other news, our basement flooded the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. It doesn't rain much in Utrera, but when it does, it seriously pours for 24 hours straight. This isn't so good on Spanish construction. Water seeped through a small hole in the wall (yes, in the concrete wall) and covered our basement floor with 1/2 inch of water. We store all of our extra things down there, so we weren't too happy about this. We spent much of our Thanksgiving cleaning up and putting all our stuff up on crates. We're determined we'll be ready next time this happens, although our landlord just says, "Oh, you don't need to put your things up on crates. There's no way this will happen again." Okay. Of course we found out it happened only a year ago to the people living in the house before us, but it won't happen again. Such an Andalucian way of thinking. Don't worry, be happy :) It does make them very friendly people, we just don't want our things ruined. Anyway, all is taken care of now and we're packing up in preparation for our move to Germany. Jay and I will be home alone for about 3 weeks since Mike is heading up before us. That, will be interesting. I hope my patience lasts! I love my little boy so so so much, but sometimes the whining gets irritating. When will he be able to just tell me what he wants? I doubt that will stop the whining, but it might help. I'm sure he's wishing he could talk too. We'll have lots of fun together while daddy's gone doing things we shouldn't like watching Baby Einstein 6 times a day and eating apple pie for dinner. Alright. I better be off. The laundry is calling and Jay will be waking up soon! Oh and sorry my blog entries haven't been as frequent lately. I'm trying to get Christmas gifts ready before we leave for Germany and it's taking up all my free time during Jay's naps. I'll try to keep it updated.

Hi Jay!

Jay has a "new word." Whenever something drops or crashes Jay says, "uh ohhh!" The classic first kid noise. He actually doesn't say the vowels as much just using the intonation, but it works. Try saying uh oh with your mouth closed and you've pretty much got it. I also discovered Jay has a new talent yesterday. I was talking on the phone with my brother Cory and I said, "hi Jay" and he actually started waving at me! Now I know many kids may have this down by 13 months, but I was excited for Jay's new ability. He will wave when we wave (sometimes) but he hasn't ever waved just when we've said hi to him. Way to go Jay! Who knew you could get so excited about waving? We've also been playing outside a lot with Jay lately. He LOVES being out in our yard - which is actually just a tiled patio. We do have some dirt filled planter boxes that has fun digging in. He's so happy playing away in the dirt. He also can throw his ball and chase it around for hours on end. He thinks it's so funny when I try to get to the ball before he does. If I grab and sit down he'll climb up on me until he can get it, laughing all the time. Of course, he's not always happy. For example, he gets very angry when I decide to take him inside from playing. I go from being the best mom in the world to his worst enemy in 1 second. How does that happen with kids? He also gets angry when I put him in his stroller to go take a walk and then have to run back into the house to get something (see picture). Let's just say he needs to work on the patience thing. One of Jay's favorite times of the day, and mine too, is when daddy comes home from work. Daddy is always wrestling and making funny noises. Jay thinks he's wonderful, especially after a whole day with just mommy. One of my favorite things to see is when Mike and Jay watch the photo slide show on our computer screen when the it goes to sleep. Jay will sit for several minutes while Mike explains the pictures to him in Spanish. "Mira, tu abuela! Estamos en Gibraltar. Mira, que gracioso... un mono encima de la cabeza de su papá!" It's pretty fun to listen to from the other room.
Speaking of Spanish... Sometimes when I walk down the streets of Utrera, I swear they're speaking something other than Spanish. Some cute little abuela will say something about Jay to her granddaughter and all I catch is, "nene." The Utrerans speak with the least amount of syllables and or consonants they can. They also often add thetas where they shouldn't be. For example, instead of saying pues they simply say po. Instead of saying buenas dias they say bway di. Instead of a simple phrase like que quieres hacer? They will say que quereth hathe? You get the point. Luckily, most of the people I know and associate with, even those that live in Utrera, are actually not from Utrera. This helps immensely. I also take comfort in the fact that many a Spaniard has told me that even they do not understand the Utrerans.
Finally, before I sign off I wanted to write about the what Mike and Jill did last Saturday. I couldn't go because jay desperately needed a nap, and I needed to work on my church lesson. Our friend John took them coin hunting. Out in the fields near us there are hidden treasures to find. Since there were so many different groups of people living in this area for thousands of years there are leftover coins, pottery, arrowheads etc. to find. John has a metal finder and they used it to search out the metal (obviously) and then they had to dig, dig, dig until they found something. They ended up finding some interesting pieces and also some pottery. No coins this time, but they had a great time trying. They became really excited by one piece of metal that set off the device because it seemed like it would be big. They started digging and it wasn't in the first layer of dirt, which was a good sign. They kept digging, even more enthusiastic now, until they hit... a beer can. Sad!! It must have been there a super long time and was still fairly whole. Makes you think hard about the importance of recycling! Of course, maybe it will be someone else's treasure someday? I hope that's not the best thing our society leaves behind.

My favorite Spainiard and the best chicken EVER!

Well, Jill has left us. We were so sad to see her go and we miss her already! She really is a wonderful person to have around. I'm so blessed to have her as my mother-in-law! She's very good at pointing out all of your good qualities and ignoring your bad ones. She's also very patient with our little boy and is willing to spend hours with him doing whatever he wants. We are definitely jealous of all you people who live close to relatives. That truly is the only downside to temporarily living in Europe. But on to the good things...
I just want to say how grateful I am for my friend Maria. She really is amazing and a blessing sent straight from Heavenly Father to me. Who taught me Spanish? Maria. Who spoke painstakingly slow to me in Spanish before I knew what I was doing? Maria. Who patiently corrects me when I use the wrong word (hacer/hechar) an innumerable amount of times in Spanish? Maria. Who loves Jay like he were her own nephew? Maria. Who comes to be a last-minute babysitter for FREE when we especially need one? Maria. Who watches Jay when I need to teach primary and Mike is gone to speak in another ward (about every other week)? Maria. Who do I trust like no one else in Spain with Jay? Maria. Who solves problems for me when I'm too timid to do so myself? Maria. Who meets me everyday on the paseo to take a walk? Maria. Who makes us dinner when we come home from a long trip? Maria. Who teaches me crazy Spanish songs to sing to Jay? Maria. Who gives me yummy bunuelos to eat? Maria. Who taught me how to open a Spanish bottle of olive oil? Maria. Who helps me learn to laugh at my mistakes? Maria. Who keeps me company when I'm sad and missing home? Maria. Who is my long-lost Spanish sister? Maria. Who strengthens my testimony with her strength and faith as a first-generation member of the Church in SPAIN? Maria. Who teaches me to be patient with Jay as I watch her lovingly parent Johnny? Maria. And today: Who taught me to make the BEST chicken ever? Maria!!!
I know I could go on and on and on, but I just wanted to write down a few things so that I can always remember what a blessing she has been and is in my life. Honestly, I know that Heavenly Father sent us to each other. I cannot say enough good about this incredible woman. I am so blessed to know her and to see her wonderful example in my life every day. Now, on to the chicken. Maria makes the most amazing Spanish chicken and she came over today to show me how to make it. She also wanted me to help her make my grandma's famous Spaghetti sauce, so as Johnny and Jay slept we cooked away. I am so excited that she taught me how to make her chicken dish. It is delicious! I figured I better share the recipe because it is oh so tasty. I keep running to the kitchen to take a few bites. There probably won't even be any left by the time Mike gets home for dinner :) One thing you do need in order to make th chicken is a pressure cooker that you can use on the stove top. I would really consider investing in one though (probably $30 in the states?) because they make chicken taste divine. It would probably work on other meats in a similar way. Okay... here's the recipe. It's simple, but it's amazing.

Pollo en Salsa

Ingredients:

- Six boneless, skinless chicken breasts (actually you can use any type of chicken you want but I used chicken breasts)
- 1 cup olive oil - 1/2 onion, quartered
- 1 whole clove of garlic minced (yeah, the whole thing... not just a slice)
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cube of chicken bouillon - salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat (on stove top). Rub chicken with salt and pepper. When oil is hot, fry chicken on all sides for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Add white white and cook for 3 minutes. Add water and crumbled chicken bouillon, stir. Place top on the pressure cooker. Wait for the regulating device to spin. Once it begins, let chicken cook (while regulating device spins) for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove pressure cooker from heat, place regulating device away from you and quickly take the regulating device off of the top. Hot steam will flow out of the cooker. Take the top off and you will have a very tender chicken in a rich yellow sauce.

I'm guessing you can probably make the chicken in a crock pot, but it will take a lot longer. Bear in mind as well that I am just writing down what I saw Maria do with her pressure cooker. I have no idea if pressure cookers work the same way in the States. If anyone tries it, let me know. I have also been told you can add other things to the pot like mushrooms and carrots. Feel free to change the amount of onion and garlic in it too. I am a HUGE fan of garlic, so I put a lot in. Enjoy!

Abuela Jill en Espana

We have had so much fun having Abuela Jill in Spain! Not only has Jay been able to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants but mom and dad have been able to sleep in in the mornings as well. What more could you ask for? This trip has been pretty low key. We've taken many walks, eaten bunuelos (mini-doughnuts, which our very good friend Maria sells downtown) and pastries, played with the next-door neighbor's dogs, cooked, baked and visited the gypsy market in town. Jay, Jill and I took the train into Sevilla one day too. We had a blast navigating the city on our own. We have definitely been walking, walking, walking. But that's just what you do in Spain. In Sevilla we watched the horses and ate ice cream. Yum! Grandma even bought Jay his own ice cream. I don't think he's ever had his own. Que suerte. We also went over to Rota one day, which is where the bigger Naval Base is. A huge new shopping center opened up on Friday and we went for the grand opening. It was so much fun! It's probably hard to imagine how excited we were by this opening, or why. In the States you have everything you could ever want to buy at your fingertips, but we miss many American things here. With the new opening of this shopping center we finally can buy American things. Okay, we have been able to buy some American products before now, but not on this level. We even were able to buy a Wii!!! So fun. At the grand opening there were many raffles and games. Jay and I even got to ride on a little train. Jill has been noticing the many new things that Jay can do. Things that mom and dad don't notice as much since we're with him every day. It's so wonderful to see him in her eyes. I love our little boy so much. He truly is a miracle. I've asked Jill to write down some of her observations of him lately: I never knew being a Grandma could be so wonderful. This little guy has stolen my heart. The best part is that even though we don't see each other often, he has completely embraced me only the love a little one can give--hugs, kisses, endless smiles, mischievous grins, snuggles, and more smiles--we call it "perma-smile." I don't know when I've laughed more. Jay keeps the endorphins flowing! What joy. I call him our little scientist--he studies so carefully the bubbles in the bath tubs, the wrinkles in his fingers after a long bath, the ice cubes in his stroller tray, the crumbs on the floor, the telephone buttons, the interlocking blocks, the cap on a pen, the neighbors dogs next door, the sidewalk tiles as we push him endlessly back and forth into town and anything else that needs investigating. He loves to roll the pumpkin down the outside stairs (and much to my amazement it's still in one piece), softly touch the roses at the church down the street, climb the stairs made of unforgiving marble for hours and has yet to take a fall (thank heavens), and push a favorite toy as he walks behind it for days (or so it seems). I'm glad that Grandmas get bragging rights without permission. I have loved my time in Spain with Jay, Anna and Mike more than words can express. I just wish Spain happened to be closer to Utah. (P.S. Speaking of amazing--did you know that Anna is now completely bi-lingual?? She is absolutely remarkable. To hear her teach primary and chat for an hour with friends and dinner guests completely blows my mind. What a Spaniard!)

Wir ziehen nach Deutschland um... what?

We've found out that we're moving to Germany for six months! Mike has received a work assignment and Jay and I are coming with him. We'll be in Ramstein Germany starting the middle of December and until the beginning of June. We're so excited to see Christmas there. We hear it's absolutely beautiful. They have all sorts of Christmas fairs and markets and celebrations. It will be nice to see another culture's festivities. We'll definitely be a lot colder in Germany than down in the Andalusian sun, but we're ready for a weather change. The base there is HUGE. There are actually 3 bases in the area and a total of about 55,000 Americans. It will definitely be different from our small base with only 200 Americans here. We'll be going to church in English again (which I'm kind of sad about). We love our ward. The people are amazing and I finally feel like I understand what is going on. We'll be back though and we're ready for a new adventure. As far as learning German? I think I'll stick to working on my Spanish. Luckily about 90% of the people in Germany speak English (much different than Spain) so we'll only need to learn a few basic things. It should be a good time!

The rest of Halloween

The Halloween party on base was fun, although Jay was really sad when we first arrived. I guess all the people and the noise scared him. Poor little guy. He finally warmed up to the party once we gave him some food... food always calms Jay down. Jay had fun playing with his friend Johnny. Jay pretty much worships Johnny. Johnny is 14 months older than Jay. He can walk, run, talk and push a toy airplane around. What's there not to like? The other day when Maria and Johnny were we caught the two of them playing spontaneously together while we were eating dinner. They were playing peek-a-boo, one on each side of our coffee table. It was SOOO cute. They just kept laughing and laughing at each other. We love our little friend Johnny. Check out his sweet devil costume. He loves giving Jay kisses and hugs. Jay's not always so sure what's going on, but I think he likes the attention most of the time. After the party we went trick-or-treating. Jay just sat in his stroller wondering what was going on while mom and dad collected his candy (which they later ate). When we got home John, Maria and Johnny came over. They brought pizza and their Nintendo wii. We had so much fun playing! I won in bowling and then Maria and I boxed. My back is still sore! I'm a wimp. Maybe we need to get a wii so I can get in shape. All in all we had a great day.