The inside of the Claim Jumper Restaurant.
Today ran at a slower pace than yesterday. Carmen was exhausted after her Six Flags trip so she slept in and got some much needed rest. Pancakes were on the menu for breakfast which she (and everyone else) really enjoys. I think that Kirstyn and Zachary really like having Sarah and Brittany off at girls camp because then they get Carmen all to themselves! 🙂
The Cheeseburger Carmen Ordered (hers was only with meat and cheese, however).
For lunch, Angela drove everyone over to Oakbrook Terrace to see me (Kirk) at work and to have lunch. We ate at the Claim Jumper restaurant and really enjoyed our food. When Carmen saw their signature cheeseburger on the menu, her eyes lit up and she asked if she could have one. Claim Jumper is known for it’s very large portions, and the burger was big. She ate the whole thing and was VERY full after the french fries and strawberry lemonade. Zach had mini corndogs, Kirk had Black Tie Chicken Pasta, Kirstyn had mini burgers, and Angela had a barbeque chicken salad.
Carmen, Zach, and Ben at Kirk's Office at Grant Thornton
After lunch, we went over to my office building and gave Carmen and everyone else a tour of Grant Thornton. We saw my office, introduced Carmen to a bunch of people, and took a tour of our data center with all the servers and critical applications, as well as all our networking equipment for the firm. it wasn’t much, but I think it was nice for Carmen to visit and meet some of the people I work with and if anything, to walk off lunch! 🙂
When Kirk got home from work, Carmen was on the computer finding some Spanish recipes that she thought we might like (triple chocolate torte, Gazpacho, and Tortilla de Patatas, and a rice dish with shrimp or chicken). We had a good time finding them, having her tell us how they are made, and doing a lot of translation in between. We printed some off for future reference.
What is Zachary thinking? What a funny little guy!
In the meantime, Zachary got a little crazy and tied Angela’s head up with the string on her hoodie! What a non-stop talker and active boy that little guy is! Carmen told us that many of the kids from Spain who have met Zach and Ben have told her that they want to bring them back to Spain with them when they return! 🙂
Angela had to go to a party this evening, so I snuck the kids out and we went to Wendy’s to get Frosties. Kirstyn and Zach love vanilla, while Carmen loves chocolate! I think that she could eat those every day if she could.
After finishing the Frosties, we looked on-line for awhile and Carmen used Google maps to show us her house in San Fernando, her school, where she plays tennis, and many other sites. We also looked at many pictures of Cadiz, San Fernando, and the area around there where she spends her time.
I then introduced Carmen to our yearly family DVDs (in which I take our photos from the year and make video of them). She watched two of them (years 2003 and 2004) with Kirstyn and me on TV eagerly and with a smile. If she makes it through and watches all of them, she will definitely be a part of our family. She got a good laugh about all our family’s antics and experiences.
We also have been sending e-mails back and forth with Carmen’s parents, Enrique and Cayetana. These e-mails are very fun to get. They are great people and have raised a great daughter. They have invited us to stay with them when we come to Spain. What a wonderful invitation!
Zach, Kirstyn, and Carmen Enjoying Wendy's Frosties
Carmen is really becoming part of our family! We know this because Zachary wouldn’t go to bed tonight until he had given Carmen a great big hug. It was very sweet! Also, I almost called Kirstyn Carmen and vice versa yesterday which made me laugh!
Carmen with Zachary at the Claim Jumper Restaurant
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