Hey papi, sorry it has taken so long for me to reply, the internet has been on and off lately here. It's great that you have been feeling good and being active, I am so happy for you! Congratulations on losing weight!
Hey mom, Congratulations on finishing the first week of playschool - maybe things will calm down a little now. Try to schedule in other things that are important too, like time with God, time with dad, maybe coffee with Roni, exercise or just time to sit and read or relax. I know how you can overbook yourself with work and school and get too busy - I got that from you:)
Love you both, miss you lots, hope to get your postcards out soon!
Mikahla
P.S. I am going to try to put up a few more photos on dotphoto so you can check on that.

Hey girl, how are you? I just finished a busy, but great counseling week. I've been resting up this morning and now I'm energized and off to do paper work and ride my bike for the 3rd time this week. I'm feeling so much better and losing weight. It does get harder to keep in shape when you get older. I didn't believe others saying that when I was younger. I was going to be different. Well, now I've been humbled and know that I must keep it up with even more vigor than when I was young. So, pray for my determination and endurance. It really pays off. Like the writer of Hebrews says, "all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, but after practice it yields the peacful fruit of righteousness." (I think that's in Hebrews chapter twelve). If you ever want a great Bible study source, look up E-Sword on the internet. The site owner offers a lot of free Bible study resources and you can download entire copies of different Bible interpretations and Bible helps. It's so cool to be able to look up all the references to any word use, great topic study source.
I looked up the site on that beautiful valley near Barcelona. You're going to have a great trip. Send some pictures and notes about the trip when you get a chance. The site pictures need some special downloaded software and they charge a fee. Maybe its worth it, but I figured your pictures would be better and maybe someone will take some with you in them. I'm praying you'll have a great safe and fun time. I know it will feel great to get back into the wilderness for awhile.
How's the new class, teacher and classmates? How's your new roommate? Does she speak english? I think I remember you said she would. Well, I'm off to be busy. Pray I'll stay focused on paper work and not all the birds and Squirrls (phonetic spelling). I'm going to spend and hour with God and His word first, that usally helps. Love you, Dad P.S. Big congratulations to Camille on passing her scooter driving test!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Way to go girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is Patsy's address. She is enjoying watching your progress, so you might want to add her to your mailing list.
[email protected]
I came home tonight instead of staying at Play School until 10pm or later. I rode Delilah today!!! No cantering, but had a great time.
Tomorrow is the last day of the first week of Play School. I am exhausted with 14 hr. days and so much to do. Cabrillo homework, plus Ensemble played at the Mountain winery on Saturday, so no sleep-in.
I am almost done with my java class homework, but I don't know yet how to zip up my work. I guess I'll learn.
I think Dad is enjoying your trip as much as you are. Your notes are such a gift to him.
Camille and Roni went "out" tonight. Pray for Roni, school and work are busy and she needs to know if she should drop a class. The store she works at is so CUTE. Dad and I went to visit her and had a ball trying on clothes and jewlery, hats and shoes.
It's late, Love, Mom

Hey Kahla and everyone, I took my motorcycle test this morning and Passed! Yay. It was pretty funny because I had to start over twice before I actually did it. I was really nervous and there were lots of people around. But I sucked it up and figured it out. Just wanted all of you to know. Have a good day.
Camille

Hey papi, I am glad to hear you are riding your bike again - I know that always makes you feel good! Today we learned about adjectives in school that are different depending on which verb you use to describe them ("ser" or "estar" - both mean to be). Very basicly - use "ser" if it is permanent and "estar" if it is temporary. The word joven means youth or young. You can say somebody "es(ser) joven" meaning they are somewhere around 13-25yrs old, but you can also say somebody "esta(estar) joven" meaning that they are older, but in moments posses youth or a youthlike being. This made me think of you:) Maybe it's the ADD;) Thanks for the update on the family, I feel so out of the loop and love to hear about life at home - but it does make me miss it more. My missing now is different than it was in the beginning. In the beginning it hurt I missed you so much. Now it is just a fact a faint yerning to see you again, but not an actual desire to come home right now, like it was before. Before when I read notes from family and friends it made me want to cry because I was sad not to be with them, now when I read their messages it makes me want to cry because I am overwhelmed by how blessed I am in love. Coming over here has silenced all my doubts about how much people love me and how much I love and need them. Your love keeps me going. When I am doing something I think about how I will write about it and I think about you reading it and being almost as excited to read about it as I was to do it! I don't deserve such attention, but I am happy that I have an opportunity to give you joy and I invite you to share in all my joy with me!
One thing that gives me joy on a daily basis are these funny looking pants that all the girls here seem to wear. They are made of spandex type comfy material and are usuallly high water pants(ending middle shin) they are tight around the shin, but are loose higher up and the crotch comes all the way down to the knees! They sort of look like Aladin pants and give me much joy! I would take a picture, but that might offend somebody. - I'l try.
Love you lots, Mikahla

Hey all, my messages and journals are becoming more sparse I know, but now that I have settled in there are fewer new things to write about and frankly that's just fine with me. It was really great and exciting to constantly be seeing, smelling, or tasting something completely new, but now that those things are not so new I have regained a level of comfort. I learned a lot and grew a lot while out of my comfort zone and really I am not completely in it yet, but I am closer and it's really nice. I know my way around my part of town at least and can navigate the metro and bus system with confidence - which is a big step for me since I never use publilc transport at home. I have seen all the things that one just has to see in Barcelona and am now more free to pursue my interests. On that subject...I am going to the mountains Friday! An italian girl from the school named Michaela and I are going to take a train out to Nuria. It is a valley in the Pyrenees mountains and should be beautiful! There is a good website (http://www.valldenuria.com/) that has pictures of the valley and even of the train and where it goes. You can get the site in English so if you want to get a preview of the pictures I will be posting this weekend check it out.

Hey, another new word--expecially!!!!!!!!!!!!Where's the spell check when you need it. Maybe I should put on my glasses, but I can't find them!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, I made up a new word---excinting---. It means both exciting and cintalating. I forgot to tell you how I'm doing. I've been feeling great lately, expecially since I'm riding my bike 3 days a week. I'm on my way to losing about 15 pounds. I'm real excited about my book writing and about to get a new laptop.
The weather has been great here and this is the quiet time of the year. Cloey and I have taken some great walks down to the river. Mom and I have also had some great walks at the beach. Mom is real busy as usual with the start of playschool. Roni's got two great little part-time jobs. We went down to see her at work at a real neat little vintage clothing store. We all tried on clothes---no I didn't try on any dresses!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a real clean and well decorated store. Her other job is at the new field house at Mt. Hermon. She gets to use the computors at both places when it's slow, so she can do some homework if there's time. Well, gotta go, love you, Dad

Hey!!!!!!!!!!! How the heck are you? I looked up that river and the Pyranese mountains and it really looks excinting. That mountain range is spectacular. I'll be praying that you'll get a trip to that area, maybe as a part of the school trip. They need you to plan wilderness outings for the students.
Hey where did your first teacher go? Maybe you could get a job teaching all three languages, one month in each location for the summer, but not this summer. We need you to come home.
I got the mail yesterday and there's a check from RockNwater for $388. That should help a little with the budget. I will also be praying you'll get a small part-time job, so you can make a little spending money. Miss you, Dad--Love you Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooore!

Wasup, you lil river rat you.
I miss you so much, i miss everyone from Rocknwater so much more this year. I'm staying in contact with everyone way more, but i can't talk to you its kilin me. We need to Instant messege some time. What do u use to do it, AIM, yahoo, msn. Let me know so we can chat. I'm praying for you and look forward to reading about all that God is doing for you over there. I got so excited for you reading about u finding stuff in the library and just chillin, thats so you. I love it keep posting stuff.

If you ever get down with life, just remeber that I'll always be there for you, thinking about u a lot.

Love Dustin

Yeah, I am getting to practice my spanish a lot. It is hard saying goodbye to the friends that I just barely got to know, but we all want to visit each other and that would be way fun. That would take me to Palermo(Sicily) and to a small German town with lots of vinyards that is on the Rhine river. We get a bunch of new students tomorrow and I get a new teacher. We'll see how that goes.
I thought you might worry a little when I posted that last one about going to the clubs, but it really was pretty safe with the girls and I wore jeans and a top and a jacket because it actually was coldish last night. :)
Your truck plans sound great! I can't wait to come home and see your truck all pimped out! I have only a few ideas for your car club; The Classics Club, Hot Rod ers Heaven, or Hot Rod Hang Out. If I think of any others I'll let you know. Hope mom had fun at her wedding and that playschool is going well. Sounds like you have a full counseling schedule - thats good. And I am glad you are getting some rest. I got a nice restful weekend - it was lovely. I finished Harry Potter #1 and have now started #2(in Spanish of course). After dinner last night(sea food soup and some sort of deep fried fish fillet and something I thought was onion rings but it turned out to be calamari rings - and yes I actually ate it all) Thais and I watched the first x-men movie in spanish. I have seen it before so that probably helped, but I actually could follow the dialogues! Movie dialogues have always been hard for me because you can't ask the actors to speak more slowly or to repeat themselves or to explain a word you don't understand, but last night was good.
I get a new room mate this week - she comes Wednesday and is from Belgium. We don't know if she speaks Spanish yet. Love you all, miss you all lots!
Mikahla

Sounds like you are getting to use and improve on your spanish. That must feel good to be able to understand and speak the language. It must be hard to send off fellow students that you have gotten close to. I'm glad you got to have fun dancing and enjoying the clubs, but you know my father protector part of me gets a little nervous.
Mom is off performing at a wedding in The Mountain Winery. It is located in the Saratoga hills. It's famous for its concert venue and supposed to be old an beautiful, both buildings and grounds. It will be fun to here how it went.
I did manage to get some good rest, thanks for praying for me. I really feel energized.
I spent some good time talking with Bob Emert the other day. He is going to help me with some work on the truck in his home garage. We may start a hot rod club and get some old guys like us to work together at his house on one saturday a month. Got any ideas for a club name. Go easy on the "old guy" theme.
We'll be installing the onboard controls, tank and compressor for my air suspension. We will also work on eliminating some of the bounce in the ride. Then on to the window shop for some new glass and window linnings which will eliminate some of the rattles. Then install my CD player with some new speakers. Then carpets. That should all quiet and improve the ride and off course my stereo will have clarity and volume, "What's that I can't hear you!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I can't wait to take you and Roni for the new improved ride. Mom and I will be needing (of course) to take occassional rides to test it. We'll have to take some overnight stays out of town. It's a rough job, but somebody's got to do it.
I'll look forward to hearing and seeing the pictures of the wilderness outing adventures. You and Roni both seem to have the same adventuresome spirit as Mom and I--or is it Mom and me? English was not my favorite subject!!!!!!!!!
Well, I promised Cloey a w-----a------l-------k, so we're off. I love you and yes I will continue to pray for you. Put up some new pictures when you get a chance. How's the computor working??? Can't wait to hear from you again, lets chat some time. Love ya, Dad