Some Lasting Memories of Students, Spain, and Fun Times

Our family learned to love and appreciate Harry Potter even more than before, as we had more time for reading with our schedules cleared of many of our regular responsibilities. On one occasion I remember being a little put out as I was stuck carrying at least 5 of the 7 books into a hotel room with so many other things to carry and I complained that we needed so many of them, but each one was being read by a different kid, or me, and we really did use them. You can see the mounds of laundry piled behind us, that's one of my personal memories of Spain, hanging lots of laundry out to dry. I enjoy the memory now that I'm back to my big washer and dryer, and actually enjoyed it in Spain too.

Here's Timothy playing with his favorite toy. The European bidet (remember Crocodile Dundee?) used in a washing process Americans have discarded. It was not easy to keep him away from it. He often would play in it, spill the water and then slip on it hitting the back of his head on the hard tile floor. He fell in the last week in Spain hitting the botton stair and he got a giant goose egg, right between his eyes. Here's a photo, out of focus, since a kid took it for me, because I couldn't stand to look at him.

Here's the view of our street from our third story floor.

This is a dinner with two families we grew close to in the Alcala Ward. They are: Javier Benito and his wife Helen Cox and a couple of their children, and Paco and Suzi Serrano (who took us to the hospital when Sarah got her concussion) and their two sons.



These are the 37 students with their Institute director in the center, Faustino Lopez, who was just made an Area Authority over Spain in April General Conference.



Nice photography by Brock Weaver.

This is actually at the beginning of our trip when we hosted 20 or so students who arrived one day early. Here they are departing to meet their host families.


The students were successful on many occasions in portraying "jumping" photos, this one at Franco's massive monument to the Spanish Civil War, the Valley of the Fallen.

We weren't quite as successful in our only attempt! Pacific Ocean near Santiago de Compostela, Galicia.