Feeling grateful!

One of the things I'm really enjoying here is going for walks in the morning with Juan.  We drop off the kids at school, have a light breakfast near the beach walkway and take in the early morning air.  Lately it's cooled down a bit or it's rained and we haven't been able to go, but for the most part we try to go 3-4 times a week.  I take my camera and catch a fishing boat on the water or on the beach.  What I like most is having that time to reflect and talk to Juan about our future plans as a family, as individuals, etc.  It also gives me time to think about how fortunate we are to be here and how grateful I am for so many reasons.   For example, I'm grateful to have friends at home that we miss and we're grateful to Juan's family for being so loving and generous with us.  Juan's mom will often cook a little extra of whatever she's making and before I know it, she's at our doorstep to share it with us.  Juan's siblings are the same - Juan's brother, Nacho, recently treated the family to the movies on David's birthday; his sister Ana took Esteban and I to an Arturo Sandoval (Jazz trumpet player) concert last month; his youngest sister Natalia and her fiancé Oscar cooked a wonderful dinner for us and are planning their wedding for next year when we're still here.  I'm grateful that I get along with Juan's family  - we truly enjoy spending time together!

Another very important factor that contributes to my sense of well being right now is that I'm not having to work outside the home at the moment.  It's taking a long time to get my residency/work permit - my appointment is at the end of next week.  But being home, I realize I have plenty of work to do with the boys.   We don't have a dishwasher, microwave or clothes dryer and we have a small refrigerator and mini T.V.  so I'm finding myself with some extra chores.   Surprisingly, I'm not minding them at all.  I listen to my favorite radio show "Democracy Now" as I wash dishes and not having a T.V. is a blessing.  David and I are reading Despereux en español and I'm reading Mitten Strings for God-Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry by Katrina Kenison, which I'm enjoying.  

More to be grateful for - Juan had his first children's concert at Pablo and David's school on Thanksgiving Day.  It was wonderful!  He performed for 75 - three-year-olds first.  Then a larger group of 4 and 5 year olds and finally the 1st-4th grades.  That morning, the school inspector was visiting the school and caught the beginning of Juan's show.  He and I chatted a bit as he had spent the summer in Mexico and loved it, especially Guanajuato, where my father was from.  Anyway, he invited Juan to his office the following week and not only provided him with an extensive list of all the schools, but he passed out flyers and spoke very highly of Juan's performance to his colleagues and principals of the schools he visits.  Needless to say, Juan has already booked several school concerts for January and has only contacted a few schools from the list.  I have a feeling he's going to be quite busy next year.