Saturday night we finally got to venture out to downtown El Puerto (the town we are living in) and oh goodness was it amazing. We went with a couple that we met here at base orientation, Chris and Amanda, and have come to adore! We started at a local Mexican food restaurant which was delicious around 8 pm and just walked around the area until about 11:30 that night! We normally would never stay out that late in the states with Lyla but here there is so much to do and still tons of families out at that time. Downtown is right off the water so you get a wonderful coastal breeze throughout the night, you are surrounded by old historic buildings, and you can just park and walk for forever. There are dozens upon dozens of restaurants, bars, and shops to choose from; all with their own character and local flare. There is a park and fair type rides and games for the kids in the middle of it all. Lyla got to ride the carousel, jump on the trampolines, and play games!

Funny story of the night** there was a trampoline area that had 6 trampolines all within a net, with balls and basketball hoops, etc. Only the kids could go in and Lyla wanted to so we sent her in and waited on the outside of the net. She was playing basketball and jumping around like crazy and about 10 seconds after I snapped this picture, she just stopped out of nowhere and started peeing!!! Yep… In the middle of the trampolines! Her first accident in weeks and that’s where it has to be lol. Best part was the guy running the thing did not speak English so our friend Chris had to have an app on his phone translate what happened and why we needed in there to get her and clean it all up. It was entertaining to say the least…. Joys of life with a toddler lol!!

There was also a market going on that night as well so the street was lined with vendors… Of course we bought Lyla and little man some things! It was neat to get to see their local style and taste in jewelry, clothes, home decor, etc.

We had a blast! I kept looking around and just thinking “will this ever get old”? It was only our first time there and I can’t wait to go back and try other restaurants and do some more exploring. It’s only the beginning and I am already in love with our little town!! 

Well it has been busy, busy over here! We finally got to move into our new home here in Spain and are loving it so far. But let me tell you what, moving is stressful and tiresome enough as is, but moving halfway across the world with a two year old, a dog, and being 8 months pregnant…. That’s a whole other ballgame! We started the process last Monday by having our home goods delivered that we had shipped from the states. That took a solid SIX HOURS to just unload and inventory. Pretty sure we were all passed out by 8 pm that night. We actually moved in on Thursday and unpacked all weekend. Lyla was our little “helper” and LOVES having her own room and big girl bed (just waiting on her bedding to arrive). And man did this kid have a field day with unloading toys she hadn’t seen in anywhere from 2 months to a years time. You would have thought it was her birthday and Christmas all rolled into one! Worked for mommy and daddy 🙂 Roxy has been running circles around the backyard cause she’s so happy to be out of her kennel in a hotel room.

Had our 32 week check up with our OB today. Baby boy is measuring right on track and should be arriving in just under 7 weeks. Lyla got to help with finding and listening to his heartbeat which she found so exciting! A big positive to being sooo active (and trying to eat healthy) this entire pregnancy is I am only up 2 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight! Definitely feels like a lot more but if baby and mommy are healthy, that’s all that matters! We are sooo ready to meet him and watch Lyla be a big sister!

We are also slowly working on our Spanish speaking skills. Hearing Lyla say Hola, Adios, and Gracias is probably the cutest thing ever! Hoping we can get out and venture around some more soon to learn more about this wonderful place we are living. Will definitely post some pictures and updates when we do 🙂

There’s only so much research and prepping you can do when you find out your family will be moving across the country. I did as much as I could before we got here to Spain, but the first two weeks were definitely still a whirlwind. Thought I would let you in on some of the local info and first impressions of the area that we are coming to know as daily life:

*During the summer, the sun does not set until almost 10:30. As if jet lag wasn’t enough, getting a toddler (as well as yourself) to adjust to that was a little difficult. The sun rises around 7 am so there is plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful outdoors here.

*Eating times are very different than what we are used to. First off, Spanish have a light and late breakfast around 10 am (most places won’t even open til after that time). Lunch is the most important meal of the day as well as the largest. It is usually between 2-4 pm and meant to be slow and enjoyed. Dinner is smaller (this is where tapas come into play) and most places don’t even open for dinner until after 8 pm. A 10 pm dinner is not an odd thing here. Adjusting our times as much as we can to this but we usually just find a place that opens earlier and are usually one of very few people there at that time lol.

*slow slow slow….. Everything here is so laid back. Most people work from about 9-3 during the week (that’s even the times that the kids are in school) and feel no need to rush around or move too quickly. Where Americans will tell you to be somewhere AT a certain time and expect you to be there at that time, the Spanish use a saying “mas o menos” meaning more or less when talking about time. They will say to meet at a certain time and then “mas o menos” meaning we will probably be there within 15-20 min of that time. The lifestyle is SO laid back and there is never a need to rush through life. And if you say “hi how are you” (in Spanish) expect to spend 10 min or so actually hearing how that person is doing and how things are going. That is not a small talk phrase used just to be polite like we use in the states… They really want to know haha.

* children are the most important thing. They Spanish LOVE kiddos. They will greet them first, ask their name before yours, bring their food out at a restaurant first, and any other way they can cater to them will be done. There are parks on almost every other block, almost every restaurant has a playground, they do not expect them to stay seated during dinner or to be quiet, and they will hold their hand or pick them up and carry them around like they are their own without even second guessing it. This is something we have found so comforting and different than in the states.

Just a little info for ya:

The Rota Naval base is located on the coast right next to the town of Rota which is where we have done most of our sight seeing so far. It is a small town of just under 30,000 people but during the two main months of summer, the population rises to around 100,000 people. Rota has the top rated beaches (5 blue flags rating by the European govt) in all of Europe. Just on the other side of the base is a town called El Puerto de Santa Maria (Puerto for short) which is where we will be living. It is a larger town with a little more variety of things like shops, restaurants, a mall, waterpark, etc. We haven’t gotten to spend as much time there but are hoping to move into our house this next week and start roaming around and learning of all the things just outside our doorstep.

And a little Lyla picture of course (cause what would a post be without her). Who needs pants when you have accessories lol

This kid has been such a trooper! A small hotel room with a MINI kitchen… Two adults, a toddler, a dog, a large dog crate, and 6 large suitcases has not been the easiest of living conditions but she (and our dog) have adjusted pretty dang well. We are definitely ready to be in our house though! 🙂