RANDOM PICS

Here are some random pics that are too good not to post.

Clark´s Tom Cruise impersonation

All my handsome boys dressed up in red.

Clarks first bath at home.

SPAINS NEXT TOP MODEL

Here are Spains next top models: Ashlee and Charlie. Everytime we went to a store Charlie had to pose in a hat with his favorite aunt Ashlee.

Look how cute! Charlie even put his arm around Ashlee on his own.
If modeling doesn´t work out according to this picture perhaps my son is going to be a rapper.

SOME MORE ANECDOTES

While my family was visiting, one day we decided to go some where but when we tried to start up the car, the battery was dead because a light was left on. Thankfully the neighbor who parks his car next to ours in the underground parking was there and he helped us charge the battery. The next day Charlie told me to come look at something and the picture below is what I found. Charlie found some antenna cord in the house and proceeded to connect it to his tricycle and Winnie the Pooh Car. He said he was charging them. Perhaps I have a future mechanic on my hands.

On Christmas Eve, everyone was commenting to Charlie that Santa Claus would be coming that night to bring all the gifts. Charlie was so excited that he went immediately to the office window in order to look for Santa Claus and his horsies as Charlie calls them. This year Charlie asked Santa for an airplane because he wanted to be able to go see his grandma and grandpa and cousins whenever he wanted.

On a side note, my dad thought it was interesting how since the majority of the people live in apartment buildings and they do not have chimneys for Santa to come down, in order to decorate for Christmas people hang Santa Clauses climbling up a ladder from their windows.

Charlie and Leo´s sister Cristina looking for Santa.

(Don´t worry, with my mom´s help I now have clean windows)

HOLIDAY HEAVEN HAPPENINGS

While my family was here we did a lot of things including going to the park, the beach (just to see not to take a dip), and two street markets. We especially had fun shopping after my dad left. Between my mom and my sister I think they bought 10 purses and Ashlee went home with 7 new pairs of shoes. But don´t worry, even with the bad exchange rate they were all bargains. The hardest thing was finding room in their suitcase to take them home. We also enjoyed eating churros with hot chocolate on several occasions and watching American made for TV movies. (During the holiday season they show a ton of these movies and we could switch the language to English so we could all enjoy)

We also went to Cartagena´s Three Kings Holiday Parade. (In Spain not only does Santa Claus come to deliver gifts to the children on Christmas day but on the 6th of January, Baltasar, Gaspar, and Melchor, the three Wise Men, come on their camels to deliver presents to all the good boys and girls.)

Since Leo is the Bishop of the ward, my family also had the opportunity to help us with our ward´s holiday activities. My mom and dad helped purchase the food for the Christmas dinner and they also helped set up and decorate the building for the event. The dinner was scheduled to start at 8pm but we didn´t even start until 9pm. We got home about midnight after cleaning up. (My dad mentioned that we are just starting an activity here in Spain when they would be already cleaning up in the States.)

In our ward it is also a tradition to have a Three Kings Day activity where 3 members of the ward dress up as the wise men and then they throw candy to the crowd and then pass out gifts to all the children. Once again my family got to help. My mom and Ashlee helped us purchase the toys and candy and then we took it all down to the chapel where Mom and Ashlee wrapped gifts for 2 hours straight. Thank goodness they were here to help.

IN THE PARK

Grandpa taking Charlie for a train ride with Leo´s mom and nephew.

(Probably the slowest train ever)
Grandpa helping Charlie climb up in order to go down the inflatable slide.

Charlie coming down the slide.

THREE KINGS DAY

Mom and Ashlee showing off their wrapping skills.

Ashlee and Charlie next to all the gifts.



THE BEACH

I think we picked the coldest day to go to the beach but is was fun nonetheless.

Charlie running out to see Ashlee.

Ashlee and Charlie on the rocks next to the sea.
( During the summer the water is as warm as bath water, but on this day it was way too cold to even think about going for a swim)

HOLIDAY HEAVEN

Not only was this holiday season heavenly because we welcomed another little angel to our home, it was heavenly beacause we had some special visitors from afar who brought even more joy to our home. After months of anticipation (9 to be exact) and a very long trip (more than 30 hours) Grandpa and Grandma Wilcken finally arrived to our house around 5am on the 22nd of December. Grandpa stayed until the 1st of January while Grandma stayed until the 15th. It was a lot of fun to have them around and they helped so much. G & G can´t keep still and are always looking for projects to do. Good thing our house is full of them. Grandpa was able to fix the toilet and the baby changing table, while Grandma made curtains as well as organized shelves and drawers. But more than anything they helped with the boys. Charlie loved having more playmates. He loved playing Candyland Bingo, and Go Diego Go card games with them. Mom was also a great help with the baby and many times took the 6 am shift with the baby so that I could get some shut eye. We shared a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner and New Year´s Eve dinner together along with Leo´s family. (Especially thanks to Mom´s help and the fun food she brought with her.) Also on New Year´s Eve we received another special visitor: my sister Ashlee. Ashlee arrived around 2: 30 pm and amazingly enough stayed awake until after the dinner although we did have to wake her up at midnight so that she could eat her 12 grapes. (In Spain, the people ring in the New Year by eating a grape with every chime of the bell. It is supposed to bring good luck) .

Overall what I liked most of our time together was just hanging out, talking and laughing together. It certainly was a holiday season to remember.

Our little angels!

Grandpa and Granma Wilcken with the boys after Clark´s baby blessing.

Christmas dinner with G & G and Leo´s family.

Aunt Ashlee´s arrival.

On a scenic walk through Cartagena.

DOUBLE THE FUN

Here are some of the latest photos of the two C´s: Charlie and Clark. They are quite the pair. Charlie is a very good big brother and loves holding Clark. He is always wanting to share with Clark including his toys and even his food. Anything we buy he thinks we should buy two: one for him and one for his brother.

In their Sunday´s best
Looking snazzy with their rugby shirts.

How tender!

Not so tender!

This is the latest picture. They both are growing so fast.

SPANISH ANECDOTE

This anecdote I am about to share is entitled "Shepherd Confusion" and just goes to show that things are done a little differently here in Spain and I should never assume anything.

A week before Christmas vacation started at Charlie´s school, the teacher sent home a note saying that the children should dress up as a shephard for the Christmas Program. Since it was for the Christmas program I assumed this meant dressing Charlie up like a shepherd from the time of Jesus. Therefore, I thought that like me, all the moms would go through their children´s closet and linen closet and dress them up in a bath robe with a towel draped on their head and shoulders. The morning of the program I sent Charlie to school with his blue bath robe and a piece of cloth on his head. It wasn´t the best costume but I didn´t think it was the worst either.

I figured that there were going to be so many shephards, Charlie would just blend in with the other "homemade" customs. However, I guess I missed a memo or something because that is not how they do things here is Spain. My idea of a shepherd and the Spanish idea of a shepherd is completly diffierent. I guess they like the more modern shepherds because when the children started coming into the auditorium I realized that all the kid´s mom had purchased the same shepherds costume and Charlie was the only one dressed up in a bath robe. I think it was the "just had a baby" hormones but I started crying because I felt so bad that Charlie was different than the others. I felt horrible and like I had failed my son. But in the end it turned out alright I guess because Charlie never asked why he looked different than the rest and now every time we read a picture book about the birth of Jesus he points to the shepherds and says that he dressed up as one. I doubt he would say the same had he been one of those more modern shepherds.

If you can´t tell, Charlie is the one in the middle in blue.
Charlie did a great job performing the song "Ding Dong".