From Across The Pond, The Prelude

If you didn't know we were going to Spain for the holidays, please don't be offended. I think Jon and I were in semi-denial as the date approached. Between our jobs, the two kids, our regular activities, special seasonal events, and running damage control on the house, we hardly had time to talk about it, even with each other. To be honest, we weren't really sure how we would pull it all together. The mere thought of getting selves and home ready for the journey was stress-inducing enough to suppress any urge to discuss our upcoming trip unnecessarily.

The plan for this trip was made back in May, when our friend, Alan, who is also the kids' godfather, called to invite us. Seven months in advance is too early to start getting excited. As the date got closer, it seemed as though we had perhaps made the plans too hastily. Alan and his partner Vincent sold their large Barcelona home when they received an unexpectedly fine offer. They began the process of buying a home in London. We looked into changing our tickets, but the $250 per ticket fee was daunting. Also, the other friends who were coming to join the festivities had already bought their tickets for Barcelona. So Alan and Vincent rented out this home for our visit:

http://users.telenet.be/watapana

You can click on "Eng" to read about it, unless you prefer it in Catalan or French. (And for those of you who are especially curious, we're staying in "Mr. White.")

As the big day approached, we began to get more excited. The day before we left was a whirlwind. Jon had some jobs to finish, we had to take our Subaru in for new tires, our Escort was barely drivable, the kids and I all had hair appointments, we had the kids' pictures taken at Sears, and Zephyr had a performance at the college basketball game as part of the ball-handling skills clinic in which he participates. Something that made that event even sweeter was seeing our friends Renee, Lenny, Fionna, Grady, and Ainslie. Their family had been passing around a nasty stomach bug, so we hadn't seen them in a few days. Since they are nearly daily components of our lives, the thought of beginning a two-week absence with a several-day advanced sabbatical was more than we could stand. Everyone was well enough to sit through the first half of the game, and I'm grateful for our short visit.

Jubilee's First Haircut

Before

Not so sure what to think

Her goal was to become Zephyr's twin

We think she looks remarkably like he did when he had the same haircut.

Most of all, she is thrilled not to be subject to painful hair combings any longer!

Now we're off on today's adventure. It is my intention to blog a day-by-day account of our trip. Not only will this keep interested friends and family informed, but it will serve as a nice recollection for the future. On vacations, as in daily life, I tend to think, "I'll remember this forever," but I've learned that my memory is quite fickle. And, after all, this is "things we never want to forget."