A Christmas Card from us to you 2016



It's been five years since I first started writing these blog Christmas cards and I spent some time this afternoon looking back through the past four that I wrote. Things have changed a lot but life just keeps getting better. We have had another wonderful year and I hope you have, too! As usual, I will list the things we are most thankful for from the past 365 days but before you read I will give you a hint, almost all revolve around babies. Surprise, surprise, huh?

 If you feel the inkling, here are links to past cards. It's especially fun to see the progression of the yearly pictures we take which have become a tradition in themselves. Since the first digital card we started taking them all in front of our Christmas tree the night of Jose's work dinner:
Christmas 2015
Christmas 2014
Christmas 2013
Christmas 2012

 Here is our list for 2016: 10. After taking a year off teaching while I was pregnant, this fall I started a new job which I am very much enjoying. Before I taught in elementary school and now I am in high school. I like the age of the students and although there are days which are a challenge, I am happy that I got the opportunity to go back part-time so that I can also spend as much time as possible with our babies.
9. We flew back to Michigan for the summer where we got to see our friends and family while escaping the blistering heat of Spain. We did a bit of local traveling, went up north and got to enjoy the lake. I think one of my favorite things was doing the Brewery Passport in Grand Rapids.
8. GAGME 2016, which is our family getaway that we started a few summers back was a lot of fun. The first year we went to Washington D.C. but with the addition of a few more babies we decided to keep it closer to home this time. We spent the weekend in Grand Rapids and went to a museum I had never been to and even a baseball game. The whole family dressed in theme of course.
7. My parents came to visit us for a few weeks after Laura and Vera were released from the hospital and were some of the first people to meet them. I am glad they got to see the girls so soon after they were born since they have changed SO much in such a short time. It's hard to believe the twins were ever that small.
6. We had quite a few important events revolving around the babies this year. Laura and Vera's baptism was a beautiful day for us this year. My only regret is that my family couldn't be there for it. It was a special ceremony and we got to celebrate with all of Jose's big family and our closest friends. We also had a baby shower with our friends before the babies were born (thankfully it was planned early enough) where we were spoiled with gifts and attention. Then over the summer we had a meet and greet party in Michigan for everyone there to introduce Vera and Laura. All of these events were wonderful and I have really good memories of them.
5. I am going to try to remember all of the babies who were born to our friends and family during 2016 but I might forget some and I apologize. It's just that there has been SO many and almost all of them girls! First, one of my cousins Veronica had a son and one of Jose's cousins Marta had a daughter. Then we had several friends who also had babies including two of Jose's best friends Alfonso and Ramon (one a boy and one a girl). Just recently another of our friends and Jose's co-worker had their daughter who was born early and though she should have been born in 2017 will now be classmates with Vera and Laura since they will all go to the same school.
4 and 3. These two spots go to the newest additions to our ever-expanding family. Our girls were lucky enough to get two new cousins on both sides of our family, one named Eva and the other named Eve. Jose's sister Miriam had her baby a few months after Laura and Vera were born and then my sister Chrissie just recently had another daughter. I am so happy that our girls will get to grow up with so many cousins and kids their age, almost all of whom are girls as well.
2 and 1. Of course the biggest, most important and most wonderful thing that happened this year was Laura and Vera. And of course, they count as two. They are so sweet and so adorable. Just go look at all the monthly updates and you will be able to see how they have been growing and changing over the past 10 months. What can I say? We are obsessed.

 I want to thank everyone for following our lives here in Spain. I hope you enjoy hearing about what is happening with us and am planning on writing more in the new year.

 Have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! 

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