My Families
My Sisters
Similarities between Rachel and Carmen…
1)
Intelligence!
Carmen studies every night, and her
homework isn’t that simple for a 9 year old! She does math homework, writes
about a topic nearly every night, and also memorizes long poems and passages.
In addition, she is learning English, so she works hard on that. Like Rachel,
she finishes her homework very quickly! Rachel works really hard at school, and
she is good at it. She wants to be a nurse, and she also knows Spanish really
well! Rachel and Carmen are two smart cookies!
2)
Musically Talented
Carmen plays the violin and piano,
and loves to dance. Rachel also plays the piano well, knows how to play the
flute, and has a beautiful singing voice.
3)
Confidence
Carmen is very sassy to her
parents, and she is confident in her abilities. She isn’t afraid to show me her
talents. Rachel is also very confident in her abilities! It’s a good thing;
confidence (and a little bit of cockiness).
4)
Like to watch TV on the couch with me
Many times after dinner, Carmen and
I return to the couch to watch Disney Channel some more. We share a blanket and
put our feet up on a chair. Sisterly bonding. I am not the biggest “snuggler”,
but times like this make me miss how Rachel and I like to sit next to each other
and watch TV or a movie together.
5)
Daddy’s girl
Rachel and Carmen are daddy’s girls
at heart! Check out this pic I snapped of Carmen and Javi. I thought it was so
cute, and it reminded me of my dad and Rachel.
My Fathers
Similarities between Dad and Javi…
1)
Coffee!
When I first got here, Javi showed
me where he keeps the pot of coffee and told me I could help myself. He says
that he loves to drink coffee every morning, just like my dad!
2)
Like quiet nights and mornings
A couple times, María Jesús and
Carmen have been gone at grandma’s house, so it has just been Javi and I at
home. We both don’t mind spending time alone and doing our own thing. A couple
nights, we have both been doing our own things and it has been very enjoyable.
I don’t think Javi minds not having a lot of action, I actually think he enjoys
it. One morning when it was just us two, I stopped by the kitchen to ask him
how he was, and he said he was doing very well! He said it was a great day! I
think he was enjoying the quiet morning.
This reminds me of my dad, because
at nights, he enjoys returning to his man cave to read a book. He also loves a
quiet morning, and wishes he could sit around and drink coffee and read for a
couple hours each day. During the summers on weekends, he bikes to his favorite
Dunn Bros in Excelsior, sits there and drinks a couple cups of coffee while
reading his book, and then returns home. Quiet mornings is something Javi, dad
and I all have in common.
3)
Very knowledgeable, cracks jokes, and a relaxed
personality
My Mothers
Similarities between Mom and María Jesús…
1)
Daughter(s) come first!
María Jesús knows Carmen’s schedule
down to a tee, and makes sure she gets from place to place on time. She is
reminding Carmen to practice violin and piano, and knows when all of Carmen’s
exams are so they can study. Mom always knew my schedule when I was little too,
from volleyball practice to a school activity. All these activities and events
keep us busy, but it is really the moms doing all the work to keep us on time.
2)
Doesn’t enjoy cooking so much, but still makes
really good food!
María Jesús would rather have Javi
cook, and Mom would rather have Dad cook. But they need to give themselves some
credit – they both still make really good food!
3)
Talkative and have a great laugh
I think my mom enjoyed the night
with my host family when she was here in Spain. We talked a lot and played
games, and there was a lot of laughter that is for sure. I thought it was such
a blessing how we could all still communicate despite the language barrier.
Even though my mom knew no Spanish, she still talked, a lot. Most of the time
my host family could understand what she was saying because they know some
Spanish, but sometimes when my mom would ask a question to Carmen I would have
to translate. My host mom María Jesús talked a lot, too (like always haha). It
was a dinner filled with conversation and laughter, and my mom and María Jesús
both definitely played a big part in making it that way!
Writing this blog made me think about how much I miss Mom,
Dad and Rachel, and how much I am going to miss my Spanish family. Thanks to
modern technology, I can still stay connected where ever I go. I am blessed for
such a wonderful family back home, and the opportunity to get to know another
family for these three months in Spain.
I could not have pursued this semester without my family,
and my semester would not be as fulfilling as it has been without my Spanish
family.
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