So, this semester I have lived with and interacted with the family of two extremely wonderful Segovians: Julian García Yagüe and his wife Josefina Arribas Siguero. They are a retired couple who have lived here in Segovia for almost their entire life. Julian is 70 years old and Fina (Josefina) is 71. Julian has multiple degrees, but focused primarily in finance and law and worked in the bank system here in Spain for most of his life. Fina was a full-time stay at home mother raising their now four grown kids: Julian Jr. (46), Silvia (43), Susana (35), and Daniel (27).
Julian Jr. is married and has two daughters: Alejandra (11) and Angela (8). Silvia is divorced, but in a second relationship and has one daughter: Marta (15). Susana is also married to her husband Hector and has two daughters: Inés (7) and Carla (2). Daniel is engaged to be married to his fiancee Verónica and they're expecting a baby in about 5 months from now.
I know, this family is huge! But for me, it's perfect. I love the dynamic of the family, because I get to interact with three different generations at one time. All of the family members come and go depending on the weeks, and some family members I see more than others. I see Silvia, Marta, and Daniel often, because they are the ones that live in Segovia near my host parents. Susana and Julian and their families live and work in Madrid, but I have had chances to meet all of them! Those crazy family lunches on the weekends will allow for that. ;)
Alright, time to put faces with words!
These are my host parents and their youngest son Daniel. This photo was taken at Daniel's graduation from the military academy. Fun fact: the school that I have been working at all semester (the Artillery Academy) is his alma mater. He graduated from there last year! This family is actually extremely well-known in Segovia because of this major connection. They are a very proud family when it comes to the military, and they're especially proud of Daniel for pursuing a career as an officer.
Fun facts about Julian: he is super into politics and watching the news, he's really good at bookkeeping and taxes, and he has the most crazy ridiculous memory ever (like, he knows EVERYTHING).
Fun facts about Fina: she is a fantastic cook, she is super wise on the history of Segovia and most of Spain, she is very opinionated, and she talks more than I do (and for those of you that know me, that's saying something!).
Fun facts about Daniel (Dani): He works as a military officer in Madrid, his fiancee Verónica is also in the military, he loves football (soccer for all of you Americans out there), he spent a month and a half in England during his training, he knows more English than any of his other family members, and almost half of his clothes currently reside in the top of my closet (it was his room before I had it).
The woman on the left is Silvia, the second child and oldest daughter of Julian and Josefina. Technically, she's my host sister. She works in Segovia at a local pharmacy and works in the office. She went to college in Valencia, one of the Spanish autonomies on the east coast of Spain, and the father of her daughter Marta still lives there. I actually this past weekend got the opportunity to over to her house for lunch. They now live about 15 minutes from her parents, and they live in a subdivision close to a summer house owned by her parents.
Fun facts about Silvia: she is currently in a relationship with a guy who works up north and commutes back to Segovia during the weekends, she extremely caring and always makes sure everyone is comfortable before herself, and she has some serious style (she rocks boots with heels almost every day).
This girl is Marta, the only daughter of Silvia. Technically, she's my host niece. This girl is something else. I think of all of the people in the family I have seen her the most. Every day after I get done with classes, I go home to have lunch with the family, and she and Silvia also join. So, every day during the afternoon I get to see them and enjoy lunch with them, but then she sticks around for the afternoon while her mom finishes up at work.
Fun facts about Marta: she loves American pop music (and sings it often), she is obsessed with her mom (they act more like sisters than mother and daughter, but in a good way), she loves math, but she hates biology, and she always spits out English words and phrases around me because she knows I can understand them.
And last but not least: this guy. His name is Bran (but with a flipped R). This boy is owned by Silvia and Marta, but he really is the family pet. Like Marta and Silvia, every day during the week, Bran is here at my host parents' house. He stays there while Marta is at school and Silvia at work. When everyone is gone, he gets to chill out on the balcony, but usually people are around so he's free to roam the apartment. He's a pretty spectacular dog. Like the photo above shows, he's extremely loving. He also loves to run. He gets walked twice a day and during the weekends he's free to roam his yard all day long.
Before I came to Spain, one of the biggest things I was worried about was my host family. Would they like me? Would I like them? Would I be able to handle it? My mind was flooded with a lot of thoughts about it. But after spending the semester living with them and getting to know them, I have seen just how much they care about the students that come to Spain. This family, in more ways than one, has been the biggest blessing of my semester. Apart from the students in the program, I have had the chance to become really close with all of them, and they have made this experience amazing. With all of the different generations I have been able to learn a ton about different things. I learn a lot of history from the parents, I learn a lot about daily life and routine from the sibling generation, and I learn a lot of colloquialisms from the younger generation. My language acquisition and my confidence has skyrocketed since I arrived here in Spain, and most of it is attributed to their kindness, their devotion, their care, and ultimately their interest in me. It's so great! I got extremely lucky with them for sure.
The other cool part is that there are a lot of similarities between my family here and my family at home in the States. It's actually quite scary how similar they actually are. First of all, my grandparents and my host parents have almost the same age, and they act the same (my grandma talks more than my grandpa, they bicker often, but they can't live without each other). Second of all, my grandparents also have four grown kids, and their oldest is my dad...who has the same age as their oldest. Third of all, my oldest brother Keith is the same age as my "host brother" Dani, and along with that my brother also worked in the military with the National Guard. It's funny and scary how similar they are. Sometimes, I feel like I've never even left home! The Lord knew my worries, and he decided to drop me subtle reminders of home. I think God is just showing off a little bit. ;)
"Family is the hope of life, the base of all values and the fortress of the kids."
But the best part about this family is that they also love God. Many people here are Catholic or have a faith in God, but this family is practicing. They go to mass multiple times a week, they pray often, they care. And it shows in their family. Not only my host parents, but the kids and the grandkids too. The reason I felt so welcomed so fast was because it's just in their nature to be that way. It's who they are. They love and they care, and they show it. And when the family gets together, not only is it endlessly entertaining, but it's also evident just how much they care about each other. It's refreshing, because it's reminded me the importance of being a family. And when I return home in less than two weeks, I want to incorporate what I've learned from them into my life with my family. I know that in the past I have taken advantage of my family and never really appreciated it, but it really is a huge blessing to have a family. Some people don't have that. I'm truly thankful that the Lord provided this rock of a family. They have made life in another country a lot easier, because they truly live in a way that CONSTANTLY points me back to Jesus. I'm going to miss them a lot once I leave. But thank God for Facebook and What's App! :)
"But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments." -Psalm 103:17-18
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." -1 John 4:10-12
Good stuff
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