Weeee´re BaaaaaaCK!!!

"Look out Gijón, because the Contreras family is back!" I  just felt like announcing this. It feels great to be back to our home after 5 1/2months of traveling.

Actually, it seems that some of our neighbors didn´t even know we were gone. Now how did that happen? I thought we made enough noise for all of our neighbors to be thankful it was quiet for awhile. I mean, if they can hear our hamsters in the apartment below, how many other things do they hear? With three very active boys, a loud mommy, and a football player for a Dad, our poor neighbors might wonder if the roof will cave in someday. I am glad they didn´t miss us too much.

All in all, most have been very receptive of us being back. Many even wrote us while we were gone. We sure did miss our home and our friends here in Spain. Actually, it is almost as if we never left. The very first night we got back from our long 5 1/2 month furlough, my husband said he felt as if he had had a wonderful dream that we traveled all around the world and had done all these great and amazing things. It was not a dream, but in many ways a dream come true.

Here are some pictures from our travels across the USA.

Near Big Bear Mountain in Southern Califonia -

right after Thanksgiving

The boys first snow experience of the year at that mountain Christian family retreat.

Then we came to the end of the Route 66!

and Hollywood.

We spent, in all, 2 months in Texas, 2 months in California, and 1&1/2 months in Florida, traveling by car through all the states in between.

We got back to Florida for Christmas and New Years with my family.

The Everglades - for my oldest son´s 12 birthday.

We all got to hold a baby Allegator.

and of course the beach!

Our last day together for maybe another 2-3 years. Bitter Sweet.

Just a peek at our latest adventure - Belgium for a Missionary Conference

Now, I will start blogging once again, to keep you all up to date on our lives on the other side of the pond.

Traveling- Fun or Folly

Well, normally, traveling for me , would rank up there with a great banana split or a soft chewy brownie, but this past week traveling from California to Florida was a not all fun and games. It wasn't totally folly, but it was long, trecherous and very necessary.

We spent two months with my husband's family, and visiting churches in California. We sang, showed our presentation about the mission work in Gijon,Spain, my husband preached, and we would stay in a hotel or travel back to my father in laws place. Our time with family was so cherished, but, we had one more stop to make before going back to Spain, my family's place in Florida!

We started out Sunday morning for our first leg of the trip up to the central part of California, then the next 6 days were spent in the car except for one. We sure learned a lot about our dear sweet loving family in those close quarters.

It was worth every back-aching minute though, the moment I was able to hug my mom and dad! After 11 years we are finally spending Christmas together. We pray to hang on to every single moment.

Traveling can be very fun or it can, for many a traveling missionaries, be a necessary unavoidable folly.

From my furlough dairy,

Dani Joy

Ps. Sorry I have not posted while on our whirlwind traveling.

Changes and Blessings

TEXAS is a big change from Asturias, Spain! 

We are on what missionaries call "furlough" which means rest, but often it means many many hours of driving, new surroundings, and many many new experiences. We give a report to our supporting churches of what the Lord has been doing on our mission field. We will be Stateside for 5 months.

El Paso is a culture all of it´s own.

Here is our driveway!

God has blessed us with a trailer in the desert to live in. We have a bit of a drive to our sending church, but it is exactly what God has provided for us.

The boys have had a full week of school and of football practice. These are days that we pray they will be thankful for the rest of their lives.

The boys on their first day of school last week after traveling three days from Florida.

The boys first day of Panther full tackle football!

God has allowed us to serve in our sending church and school, as well, as visit new churches in the area.

Primary school chapel

Our first church meeting.

The boys and Joseph singing "The Blood of Jesus" in 4 part harmony.

Please continue to pray for our church in Gijón, Spain and for our travels all over the USA.

Moments like these...

You need to stop and just admire their ability to sleep wherever and however.

This could be an occupational hazard for an MK.

MK?? You ask.

Yes, our highly adapted missionary kid sleeping in the Madrid airport. He and his brothers have traveled/waited over 48 hours to arrive in the good ol´ USA.

Our little troopers!

We arrived in Miami, Florida August 9 at 6pm, but you know, after baggage claim and customs, we didn´t actually see my parents till well after 7 pm. Which by the way was 1am our time!

It has been 2 years since we had seen our family. These reunions are so precious, and I am taking so may pictures to capture almost every moment. I don´t want to miss anything.

My mom and I!

If you don´t hear from me for awhile, you´ll know I am taking lots of pictures and really enjoying our furlough.

The boys start school next week in Texas. Please pray for our traveling safety as we head that way.

I hope to be able to visit you at your blogs soon.