New Year, New Semester, News

Well, we are back in Sevilla and the new semester is almost through its first week of classes. Things are going really well, and again, we couldn't ask for a better group of kids.

First we want to back track a little about our time back in California. It was great to be with family for the holidays, spend time with friends, enjoy American comforts, sleep on our California King bed, and eat lots of Taco Bell and Mexican food.

The Bentley's got together on Christmas Eve's morning at Grandma Bentley's
for a yummy brunch.
(Thanks to Rick Duncan for the picture)

That night we enjoyed being with Epic Church again for their Christmas Eve service.
On Christmas day we went to Hanford CRC in the morning and then headed to Grandma and Grandpa Duysts house in the afternoon. Of course the time started with a competitive game of Bingo. Sarah's parents made it down from Salinas to celebrate with us.

A few days later Ashley and Scott treated us to a show at the Great American Melodrama & Vaudville in Oceano. They try to make it to a show at least once a year. We really enjoyed the show and the experience and definitely want to go again someday. We made sure to head over earlier in the day to eat some clam chowder at Splash Cafe and spend some time near the ocean.

For New Years we headed up to Sarah's friend Sally's (really nice) family cabin in Three Rivers. We had a good time playing silly games and eating lots of unhealthy snacks to bring in the New Year. We brought the tradition from Spain of eating 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight for a prosperous year.

After saying goodbye to beloved Hanford, we headed up to Salinas to spend time with Sarah's family. We decided to head to the Monterey Aquarium one day. They had a special exhibit of sea horses. My favorite was the Leafy Sea Dragon.

Sarah's brother Caleb and his fiancee drove down from Auburn, and her sister Melissa flew over from Nashville to spend a late Christmas together.

Boo Boo kept us highly entertained. He had to wear a cone for a few weeks while a wound was healing on his face. He didn't let it stop him from playing in the wrapping paper.

The next day we headed to Monterey again to ride tandem bikes along the coast. Sarah and I are hoping when we move back to the US, we can just have one of these for transportation.
Our time ended in California and, after another rough experience at the Spanish Consulate, we flew back to Spain. It was a rough itnerary with layovers in Frankfurt and Barcelona. We got to spend our year and a half anniversary in all three! We were glad to get to Sevilla early enough to get back on the sleeping schedule before the students arrived.

Sarah and I felt a lot more confident this time around, this being our second time.

Friends Martín and Enrique once again gave the students walking tours around the city to see all the major landmarks. They have done it many times.

The students had a good time at the pizza dinner.

We had all the boys at our house for Noche de Chicos. We had a good time making fun of those who stepped up to play Wii Fit. It was the most amount of people we have had in our apartment yet.

Then we headed to Serranitos for some cheap Spanish food.

So things are going well. Some good new is that I accepted some responsibilities in helping Semester in Spain's marketing department in keeping up a facebook, twitter, and blog for them and being a little more intentional about my photography. In exchange Trinity will provide my own two flights between here and the states. Which means Sarah and I are able to come home this summer and for Christmas!

So that is all for now.