Mustache March, March Madness, My BIRTHDAY, My time overseas... Just a few things that make this month great!

Hola to my loved ones!! It has been an embarrassingly long time since my last blog!! So sorry. Get ready for a lovely update. :-)

So sometime in February, I went for my first run in Oviedo. It was a beautiful day with a temperature of about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The run felt so great because not only was I running in el parque Invierno and exploring it for the first time, but I was running COMFORTABLY in shorts and a t-shirt. Do you realize how early that is in the spring semester to be wearing that little???? I sure enjoyed it and I know that Iowa has had some awesome weather here and there. I'm so glad!!

For the UNI ladies, I thought on Valentine's Day, it would be special to go out for a girls' night and get a dessert and just chat together. A group of 7 of us ended up meeting and wait for it...we went to a little pastry shop called the RIALTO!! For anyone that isn't a UNI student, the Rialto is the name of one of the dining centers on our campus. So when we found the Rialto here in Oviedo, we all went nuts and freaked out at how cool it was to stumble across this sweet little pastry shop. We decided to split a chocolate cake amongst all of us and were so excited to enjoy a bit of sweetness on this day in which cupid tries to bring people together.

And it just so happens that I actually had the opportunity to play cupid for one of the girls from UNI. Her boyfriend got in touch with me about two weeks before the holiday, and he asked me if I would buy her a dozen red roses. I was all for this and couldn't wait to surprise her with his sweet gesture. My host mom went with me to the flower shop that day, and all roses are insanely expensive on el dia de San Valentin, but it was my job to get them on THAT day, so I did. We had a bit of a struggle in the shop because the women working were explaining which flowers to get and I was doing my best to take it all in but also explain that girls in the states like to get just a bouquet of roses and not all the extra frilly decorations in the bouquet. Well by the time I was able to deliver the flowers to A, I was so excited to see her reaction. We met on one of the street corners that is right where we both live, and I had told her in advance (just on that day) that i needed to meet her quick. She had no idea what for but was like "Okay? See you soon?" It was stellar to be sneaky and play James Bond as I was walking down the street to meet her and trying to conceal the obnoxious bouquet. People definitely looked at me as I passed them because here I was carrying a huge bouquet of roses down the street and I'm sure they assumed the flowers were mine...but they weren't!! :-) I waited for her for a few minutes and once I saw her approaching me, I told her to stop and to close her eyes. (the roses were hidden well because the corner was a curve, so she couldn't see them.) As I told her to open her eyes, her eyes got really big and all she could say was "HOW?!?!?!" I filled her in about how her guy got in touch with me and needless to say, she was a very happy lady that day!! My job was complete.

For any who don't know, I actually starting dating a great guy from UNI two days before I left for Spain. It is kind of funny how it all happened, but God has been doing so much through our relationship already, and I am so thankful for the communication that he and I have been getting to practice since that is all we can do with thousands of miles in between. The reason I brought him up is because he actually sent me something for Valentine's Day, and one of my gifts is hilarious!!! You get to see a picture of what he sent me. G sent me Hershey's kisses, Lindor truffles, an AWESOME Spiderman card, a hand written letter, and then Ronald! There is no story behind Ronald except that when G was shopping for me he saw him and thought he would be hilarious to give as a gift. I thought it was pretty comical when I opened my package and saw this one-eyed red creature looking at me. He is pretty special even though when you look at him at first he seems a bit goofy.

Also, since being in the fabulous city of Oviedo, I have had the opportunity to spend some time with native Spanish speakers who I have met through my church here. One weekend I got to go to Bible study on a Friday night with them, sit and be lost the whole time but at least be familiar with the passage. (It was the one when Jesus explains to Nicodemus what it means to be born again.) I also got to try a Venezuelan dish because one of the guys in the group, John Pierre, is originally from Venezuela. I also got to meet his wife, Jessica, later that night because we all walked to pick her up from work as a surprise since it was going to be a little while before we would eat. It was good to get in some physical activity before dinner, and then I had the opportunity to practice my Spanish with a few of the people I was with. We were a group of about 7 and it was great! They all know a bit of English which at times is a bummer, but then it is also helpful for me if they aren't sure how to explain what some word means in Spanish. However, I seriously prefer speaking in Spanish while I'm here!! The people from church are so great and I felt like I was just walking the streets of Oviedo with really good friends. So fun!!

Finally, I finally found my host dad's barber shop one day after I finished class. It was so great to search and then reach my destination!! I took a few pictures of the plaza it is on and then some of him at work. He is so precious, and I think he was curious if I was actually taking pictures of him because he looked up at me a few times to see what I was doing whenever he had to get something. It was funny because I'm sure he felt pretty special since I was taking pictures of him. He is so talkative with everyone and it was so neat to connect with him in his peluqueria...a.k.a. barbershop. I was so excited to be there and to see him in action. His shop is called Miguel Blanco.

After all of my adventures in February, it is hard to believe how quickly time is beginning to pass. I will be blogging about lots of trips during these next few weeks and hopefully other things so that you can catch more of a glimpse into daily life here in Spain.

Since God is THE reason I actually even made it to Spain and am getting to live my dream of traveling in Europe, I'm going to share a little with you about what God has been teaching me.

Time is short, so make the most out of every day, but remember to live each day for the Lord.

Love others daily because they are hurting more than we probably realize, and Jesus calls it the greatest commandment.

Spend time in the Word because God LOVES to share His will for our lives.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

Let others help me and stop trying to be so "tough."

Treat myself to beverages every once in a while from a Spanish cafe.

Remember the importance of Christian fellowship.

Hide God's word in my heart. A Bible itself isn't eternal, but God's Word is.

Take life one day at a time.

Pray for others daily.

And finally, laugh often and PRAISE God often.

You all inspire me in so many ways, and I hope and pray for you as often as I can. Walking so much allows lots of prayer time.

Hasta luego...