More Christmas Pics

We missed you Brandon and Kristin!!!

Christmas 2007

It has been a long time since my last post, but only because life has been full and wonderful. We are now back home and enjoying being back with our friends and family. There is so much to get caught up on--especially enjoying having my children near by. We have been so blessed this Christmas season. We spent the day all together with Terry's Dad and Lora, his sister and her family, and all of my brood. My family was all together in Florida this Christmas. I sure wished I could have been in two places at once!! Our day started with Gabriel running through the newspaper and is just now coming to a close... after one last game of Mad Gab and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? The boys were surprised by Santa with new full size bicycles (they found theirs had shrunk after six months in Italy), board games, and soccer balls. Terry has gifted me with a new Stainless steel gas stove, new couch and loveseat for the den...and a new Kia Sorento ! Our first new car in 25 years. I already knew how blessed I was, now I just feel spoiled. I have promised to find ways to put it all to good use. Making lunch today with four working burners was a true joy!! We talked to Brandon and Kristin today and their first Christmas in Sicily was a good one. Fellow believers shared their holiday with them. We sure did miss having them with us, but we are so proud of their willingness to serve. To my dear friends who still check this blog, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hopefully life will settle down into a nice routine and I can get caught up with my friendships. May God bless you all in the upcoming new year.

Happy Holidays

Last week Terry and I and the boys went into Florence and visited at the IKEA store. We had more fun (meaning I had fun and Terry was patient:).I bought Christmas decorations and ornaments for Brandon and Kristin's first Christmas in Sicily, and some red and white ornaments for our dining room tree (all unbreakables this year in honor of our grandchildren ages almost 1 and 2).I love the simple straw ornaments and the hearts made of red gingham and wool. We also bought two gingerbread house kits to make and some ginger heart cookies to hang on the tree. We , of course, could not leave before eating swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce--a family favorite. Then Saturday we spent the day in downtown Florence, gathering all the last minute things we needed to do an American Thanksgiving here. At Rinascente I found two small wooden and metal ornaments to take home with me...and BEST OF ALL another cookbook by Tessa Kiros! I have her book "Red Apples and Jam" and now "Falling Cloudberries". She lives here in Siena, married to an Italian-mom's finnish, dad's Cypriot, raised in South Africa, cooked in Greece, etc. Our kind of girl!They are great books to read, but better yet, they are full of some of our favorite Greek, Italian, and Scandinavian foods. The first time I opened the book I saw a recipe for meatballs and Lingonberry sauce. I knew I had to buy it (I did recently hear from a friend that theynow sell Lingonberry Sauce at World Market. Thought the price is pretty steep. I'm going to see if they even grow in the States. Anyway, I now have a 10 pound book in my carryon luggage, along with my ceramic lamp I'm carrying on my lap! Happy travels!

Wrapping Things Up

A friend wrote recently asking me why I never wrote on my blog anymore. I assured her I did all the time...and then I went to see the date of my last post. What ever happenned to October??We have been having a wonderful, busy time. To wrap it up in one post we took an overnight ferry to Greece, spent a week in Greece (perfect cool weather, the cruise was relaxing and the waters were calm).We had a wonderful week long visit with Grandpa and Grandma Simpson, taking some day trips to Arezzo, Assisi, and Deruta (to shop for pottery).The day they headed home we left for a few days in Pompeii and Sorrento. We really enjoyed these trips timing because the boys and I have been studying Greek Civilization and then a book on Pompeii. Even the book we had just finished at bedtime "The Cricket in Time Square" fit right in (her husband was from Naples and sang "Return to Sorrento" to her when he proposed, so we listened to that on the music boxes in Sorrento. As we left the hotel the owner presented us with a huge trophy and a bottle of limoncello. The trophy was definitely a first. We must have some really great students! For the 31st we had a Fall Festival party, dressed in costumes, ate chili and carrot cake, drank hot apple cider while carving pumpkins, and had just a wonderful evening. One day recently, while at the grocery, I met an American woman at the meat counter, we exchanged addresses and she invited me over for tea the following week. Kristin joined me for a nice visit at her restored farmhouse-soon-to-be bed and breakfast. They have been here five years. She is a retired designer from California. It turns out she is good friends with a family we came to know two summers ago who were selling Villa Ercolano (our boys had swam with their daughters while we looked at the property). It's such a small world here in the expat community.This week will be busy with Thanksgiving for 50 , followed by our final banquet night on Sunday-followed by final exams. We have shipped our boxes and will be driving to Rome on the 30th and flying home on the 1st. We can't wait to see the girls and their families. And maybe at that point I will update a bit more regularly:)

The Fiorentina Game

Last night all of my men, Terry, Brandon, Jonathan, Jordan and Christian went into Florence to see the Fiorentina vs. Roma Serie A game. It ended in a tie 2-2. They had a great time. 27 years ago, upon losing our son, Christopher, Terry made the comment, "I was looking forward to teaching him how to play soccer.." It made my heart sing to see him heading out the door with these four special boys ( actually, two men and two boys)to see his favorite team play in his favorite city.God has blessed us so much and is always good.I enjoyed the evening alone writing letters, doing laundry and reading some of my favorite blogs. Good times.

Our Medieval Village

We are living in a small, medieval village called Citerna. About 5 minutes away is the hilltown of Monterchi.It is a beautifully maintained little town of 300, with stone streets, window boxes of cascading flowers, a convent, and two churches, one bar, one grocery,a restaurant, pizzeria, and a hairdresser. Everything you could need:)There is a fortress and a panoramic view with benches to sit and pass the time, while eating your gelati. But the very best thing about our little town was discovered yesterday, when , not once, but twice, Jordan and Christian went BY THEMSELVES to the store for me.These same two little boys who won't greet people in the States that they have known for years out of shyness, now headed up to the local grocery and asked for what I needed (eggs and panna) IN ITALIAN!!I offered to write it down for them but they said they would just tell her. They then asked after lunch if they could go to the bar and get an ice cream...I was so surprised I said yes.They then headed out into the woods (our property) with their cape, shield, two wooden swords,and two Knights' helmets to see what they could discover. So far they have found barbed wire (three pairs of torn shorts)and shell casings from hunters. They have missed their home in the States, and their sisters, so it was special to see them really feeling at home.

Arezzo

This morning Terry and I, the boys, and Brandon and Kristin headed on an outing to Arezzo. It is the largest town nearby Citerna, and is about a 30 minute drive. I had only made quick, passing thru visits in the past, and was thrilled to discover a truly wonderful town. It is a mixture of Florence, Siena and San Gimignano...without the crowds and throngs of tourists. We had lunch at a trattoria near the train station. I had homemade tagliatelle with truffle sauce, which this area is known for. It was delicious. There are many antique shops, paper stores, and home decorating shops, along with bookstores and two toy stores that the boys gave thumbs up to. Fortunately for us they were closed for the afternoon rest period.We strolled through an old church, stopping along the way for a gelati. We enjoyed seeing where many of the scenes for the movie "Life is Beautiful" were filmed. We found a poster of the knights dressed in full regalia from the recent jousting event in Arezzo (only 3 euro)to take home and frame for the boys room. I look forward to longer visits in the future.It reminded me of the Florence I loved 20 years ago.

My Boys

Our time here in Citerna, Italy is passing by so quickly. There were days this summer that seemed to last forever, but those days are over.Sharing a hotel in a medieval town with 36 college students is never dull. I have really enjoyed watching my younger boys make friendships with the students, learn new games, and laugh at their jokes. Jordan is even selling his Spider-Man pictures for a euro each to brighten up their rooms! Having all four of our sons here has been such a joy. To see Brandon and Jon working alongside their Dad...to hear them discussing topics brought up in a Church History Class...watching Jon head off to soccer practice with the local team...and one of my favorites, watching the four of them pile into the big van with a bunch of students in the afternoons for a game of pickup soccer in Monterchi.The little guys can hold their own now.But Sunday was the best. Brandon was in charge of organizing the worship service here in Citerna. He spoke on the importance of seeking truth in God's word, and not leaning on our own understanding. Jon spoke before the Lord's Supper.And then both Jordan and Christian stood and read from the scriptures. It took everything in me not to cry.It was an incredible moment.Jordan has struggled with reading and has come so far.They both have been so shy in front of crowds. To see them, under their brothers encouragement, reading in front of a group of 50, was very special.I miss my girls so much. I miss sharing the little special times in our days, funny things my grandbabies are doing, sewing plans for all our Ethan Allen fabric:), and new recipes.I can't wait to get home and have both of my girls living so close. But I know without a doubt that God has blessed me and Terry, by giving us this special time in life to share with our boys.

Christian is 8!!! Tanti Auguri!!!

Tomorrow is Christian Darsie's 8th birthday. Time is flying by too quickly. He is such a wonderful little boy. He is sweet, full of energy, amazingly intelligent, loves words,reads anything you put in front of him, and loves , what he calls, mental math. He loves his Nintendo DS (all he wanted for his birthday was new games--which he got from his brothers and sisters AND parents).We are now in the second Harry Potter book, reading a chapter a night in bed.His favorite game is Boggle. He loves to build things. He has spent the summer pretending to be a knight, with a bow and arrow and gun. Our neighbors even organized a treasure hunt for the boys with poetic clues and a treasure of candy bars and a 2 euro coin each at the end.We have been so blessed with this bundle of energy. We have plans for a big garden next summer and a fort that he is going to build with his brother. The busier the better! We thank God each and every day for the precious gift he gave us.

The Big Move

We received wonderful news! Katie and Tim...and my incredible grandchildren have bought a new home and will be moving 20 minutes away. Tim accepted a new position with an advertising firm in Jackson, gave notice, put their house on the market in a week-- two weeks later their house has already sold and they have found a new house that they love. They are staying at our house in the meantime. God has worked out every single detail for them. It is amazing how everything has fallen into place. I will get to take Gabriel and Maria to storytime at the library, Trick or treating, and for long walks on campus. I'm ready to get home!

Wonderful Times With Family

Since I last wrote we have had a wonderful week with our daughter, Chelsea and her sweet husband, Justin. His brother and new fiance', Ryan and Brooke, also joined us for the week. We ate wonderful meals al fresco, wandered the countryside, toured Florence and spent an entire day amid the waterways of Venice. We were among the Pre-Palio crowd in Siena, and ate gelati in San Gimignano--no longer a forgotten hilltown:) I loved spending time with Chelsea, but of course we didn't have enough time to do all that I would have liked:( I'm so proud of her. She is doing a wonderful job balancing being a wife, friend, church worker--on top of her position with Ethan Allen.

A Wonderful Visit With My Daughter

Last week was an especially wonderful one. Our daughter, Chelsea, and her husband, Justin,came and spent a week with us here in Italy. We made trips to Siena, San Gimignano, Venice, Citerna and Florence. We shared meals out in the countryside, much laughter, and a few tears...shed by all when it was time to leave

Fall Semester Preparations

Being back home at our farmhouse in the hills has been wonderful, but I'm getting excited about the Fall semester that awaits us in Citerna!We have stayed busy these weeks trying to arrange for the wiring of the hotel for wi-fi, satellite service for SKY news in English, purchasing of washers and dryers, laundry day assignments, and menus. We have special parties organized for welcoming, Fall festivals, chili suppers, Thanksgiving, etc. Any excuse for a party!We will have 40 students plus two faculty families--along with both of my older sons (and one sons new bride). They will be helping get the new program off the ground. My prayer is that each and every student will leave at the end of the semester with a renewed view of the God that we serve, and a vision to share all that they have learned so that God will be glorified through their lives. A semester in Tuscany/Umbria will give them the opportunity to see some of God's most beautiful landscapes, eat some of the best produce in the world, see some of man's most amazing artworks, and learn to love a most amazing people.

Days in Rafina and Porto Rafti

After seeing our Patrons group off, we headed to Rafina, to the Hotel Avra for a few days of relaxation on the water. It has been wonderful. The boys have really enjoyed the beach-flippers,goggles, snorkels and collecting seaweed balls. According to the news we are having a heatwave, but have really not felt it out here. In the evenings we sit out on our balcony and there is a nice, cool breeze...and a lot of noise and activity. I love it! We're right on the Marina so we watch the ships come in and the folks unload. The tavernas are all open, with people stopping for a late-night dinner. There is much music, clinking of glasses and laughter. Last night after dinner at the taverna (King mackeral, tsaksiki, greek salad, crab salad, saganaki and fries) we took a walk along the boardwalk and then to a local park. The boys enjoyed watching the local skateboarders, and we enjoyed watching the grandparents with their grandchildren. Oh, how we miss Gabriel and Maria! Yesterday we spent three wonderful hours with Vicki, Yianna, and Mietek at Porto Rafti. They came out to the car to greet us as we arrived, served us lunch, cold drinks...and then we just talked for hours while the boys played in the pool. They are so dear to us and it was so good to hear how God has blessed their lives. Mietek is the frst Polish man at his church to buy his own home AND be blessed with three children-Naomi, Ruth and Jacob. The ldies kept hugging on the boys and crying. They both still had little pictures the boys had drawn for them, three years ago, hanging on the walls. The boys thought that was pretty neat. We have been very blessed with such good friends.

Cruisin' the Aegean Sea

We're in Santorini right now. It is a beautiful island creted after a volcanic eruption. Our cruise ends in the morning. We have enjoyed a trip to Ephesus, Crete , Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini to name a few. The boys have wonderful swords from Rhodes ( a great motivation to study the Crusades). Last night we were guests at the Captains' table--where we proceeded to discuss soccer and American football:)They were impressed when no one could think of the incredible quarterbacks name and I said' "Peyton Manning"? Never underestimate a reader of People magazine! We will be staying on at a beach house until we fly home next Wednesday. We have been so blessed to travel with this wonderful group of fellow believers that come from all over--Faulkner, Harding, Abilene, West Virginia, Greater Atlanta Christian, and on and on. The body of Christ with all its diversity and yet, all one.God is so good.

Church at Omonia Square

This evening we went to worship with our friends at Omonia square in Athens, Greece. They have a Greek service from10-12, a Bulgarian service from 1-3, a Russian service from 4-6 and then an English service from 6-8. We were able to see several friends from our years in Greece. It was wonderful to see those who are still faithful even in the midst of very difficult circumstances. The Lord's table was presided over by a Bulgarian, Greek, American and an Egyptian. The three men worshipping next to me were trying so hard to understand the English, but their first language was Farsi, as they were from Iran. Daniel, from Ghana, passed out songbooks. There were Filipinos, Sudanese, Russians--and several old friends from the States. The Lord's supper is always especially meaningful when shared with these brethren. We all hold the bread, and when everyone has a piece we take it together. It is a practice I enjoy. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, and but a small glimpse of our future in Heaven together, as a part of God's family.

An Evening at the Plaka

This evening we went out around 7pm for dinner at the Plaka, the outdoor shopping area near the Acropolis in downtown Athens, Greece. It has been absolutely beautiful here. There have been sunny days, but not too hot, and always accompanied with wonderful breezes off the sea. Terry purchased a small wooden chess set for the boys, who have been begging to learn the rules of the game. Soon after the purchase, we sat down at our outdoor table. For those who may never have visited this wonderful area, it is magical at night. The tables are covered by vine draped umbrellas, hanging lighted lanterns, flowers everywhere, twinkle lights, and Greek music playing in the background. As we enjoyed our meal of tzasiki, fava beans and onions, octopus and chicken souvlaki's, the boys played their first game of chess. The elderly Greek tavern owner (who loves the game) kept coming by to teach the boys important points to remember. Christian hung on every word, but Jordan was not quite as appreciative! It was a magical night, followed by a slow walk bak to our hotel. The Acropolis is beautifully lit up at night , and as we strolled down the street enjoying the view there was an elderly man playing a beautiful melody with his resin bow, and Christian leaped and twirled with abandon. Magical.

Onward to Rome!

We are leaving in a few minutes for our three week trip. We will be in Rome tonight and will pick up our group at the airport tomorrow afternoon. We are looking forward to sharing these times with these special individuals. Some we have known since college days, some we travelled with back in the early days of HUF, some are friends from our local congregation--and some we have never met. How blessed we are for this opportunity.It was more work getting the house ready to leave for three weeks than it was to move over here. Earl and Lora are going to be staying here part of the time that we are gone so I was needing to leave instructions for turning on the gas stove, taking the garbage down the hill, etc. To add to the excitement the pump went out yesterday afternoon so we had no water. Fortunately it was restored before bedtime.So now we are ready. The boys have their sketchbooks and pencils, Nintendo DS's, read aloud books, schoolwork (yes, we're still doing school, though we aren't doing schoolwork in Greece),and swimsuits.We're excited about seeing the Colosseum and Sistine Chapel, and riding bikes in the Borghese Gardens. Ciao, tutti!

The Hammock

Yesterday our villa owner, Alberto, hung a new hammock in the garden for us. I never realized how entertaining a hammock could be to two small boys. They spent well over two hours laying in it side by side talking--occasionally rolling each other out of it. It was a beautiful summer day. The bees were buzzing around the beds of blooming lavender, the cicadas were making their noises, and a cool wind was blowing.And the boys laid there talking...quietly. Miracles do happen. If you take children away from noisy tv sets, computers and telephones they learn to adapt to silence. Why didn't I figure this out years ago?

Reading with the Boys

Not all of our days are spent driving to small villages in the area.We are trying to do some formal learning each morning before we head out.Every morning the boys are doing two pages of a summer workbook that covers various subjects. They then do one page of math drills, and listen to a CD of scriptures set to music they are memorizing. They each read aloud to me for 30 minutes.We have a list of spelling words they write out each day and are tested on on Fridays.They also do copywork each day of a poem or passage of scripture. We are reading Italian books in the evenings and they watch Italian cartoons when we are home in the afternoons (which hasn't been very often:)At night before bed they listen as we read longer chapter books aloud.Keeping the same structure and routine that they were used to in the States has helped them adjust remarkably well.They still spend a lot of time outside playing in the yard and exploring the nooks and craannies of a medieval hunting lodge. They are making some wonderful memories of the freedoms of childhood.

Hotel Sobaria

We spent yesterday driving to Citerna for Terry to meet with technicians setting up Wi-Fi for the new campus. The boys swam for two hours while I re-read "For the Family's Sake" by Susan Schaeffer Macauley. She is the daughter of the theologian Francis Schaeffer and Edith Schaeffer, who is one of my favorite authors. I love this book. It is so encouraging. I called Terry to see how the work was going and he said they were sitting at the bar. I love Italy!! We drove to our new favorite restaurant in the countryside which is a converted horse training stable from one thousand years ago. We've eaten there twice already. We went exploring to the towns of Monterchi and Citta' di Castello, the closest towns to our new home for the Fall. Monterchi is quaint, with a beautiful view, but not much else but castle walls. Citta' di Castello is a really nice town, interesting shops, but still feels less crowded than normal for Italy. We found a wonderful "mall" on the outskirts, only 7 minutes from our place. It had a wonderful grocery, shoe store, electronics shop, beauty shop, etc. It will be so convenient for everyday shopping. There was a lot of parking, which is an extra bonus here in Italy.Today we went into Florence for the afternoon. I picked up some english papers and a book and then we shared Chinese food with Brandon and Kristin.Fun days.

Life in the Hills of Tuscany

We have been at home in this beautiful little home on the hilll now for a little over a week. It cannot be adequately described in words, so I'll describe it in pictures. Jordan and Christian are loving the freedom of exploring a new world. Terry is enjoying sitting outside in the cool breeze and playing his guitar, and am enjoying being surrounded by my books and the quiet stillness of the countryside.

The Boys

The boys are growing up so fast. They are now 7 and 9, so we had some new pictures taken with them and their favorite hobbies...scooter and skateboards.

New Addresses

The stress of moving, packing and cleaning has caught up with me for the first time. I am generally so healthy, but this week I've felt my age. I think my body has just not been able to keep up with everything I need to get done. My right wrist is in a splint from a pulled tendon, I've hurt my back (using the Rug Doctor), but my cough is improving. My eye checkup went well, with no changes in two years. The health concerns have forced me to get serious with diet and exercise while I am still young enough to prevent more serious problems. That will be a goal while we're in Italy over the next six months. I'm going to try to feed my family seasonally grown foods, without all of the additives we have in our foods here. I'll let you know how successful my attempt is:) We fly out on June 5 and will be flying home on December 7. My friend, Jenny, is picking up the boys for the day tomorrow and fixing dinner for all of us tomorrow evening. I'm hoping to get finished up with my many projects around the house.It's very important to organize the piano music:) I do wonder why these little things matter to me when I'm going to be gone for six months, but haven't bothered me at all for almost four years!!From June 5- August 24 we can be reached at :La Pietra Grezza, Via Castello di Bisticci

50067 Troghi

Rignano sull' Arno (FI) Italia

and from August 25- December 7:

Hotel Sobaria

Via della Pineta 2

06010 Citerna (PG) Italia Write us!

Family Time

On Saturday we woke early and met up with Katie, Tim and the babies at Chelsea and Justin's. We had such a wonderful day together. It was especially wonderful because Chelsea normally worked at Ethan Allen on Saturdays and was only able to join us in the evening. She received a promotion last week (way to go, Chelsea!)and is now Operations Administrator...with weekends off! The guys played bocce, soccer, and video games while the girls went window shopping. We celebrated Katie's 26th birthday at Carabba's Italian Grill for dinner. Gabriel and Maria are growing so quickly and are absolutely adorable. They both have such sweet natures. Jordan and Christian spent the night and went to church with everyone on Sunday. Terry and I had to head back because Terry was speaking. It was an unexpected "vacation" and very much appreciated.When the boys got home last night you would have thought it was Christmas. They had their new outfits on (compliments of Chelsea and Justin), their new Nintendo DS (compliments of Katie and Tim), Brainquest, Spirograph--to name just a bit. I think the boys have been telling them that we'll be gone longer than we really will be. The time will fly, and we will really miss all of them so much. We are so blessed to have these precious children. All nine of them. Justin and Chelsea will be here next weekend and then we're all spending the weekend together in Nashville and going to church with Jon at Crieve Hall on our last Sunday. We fly out two weeks from tomorrow. I have much to do so I better close for the evening. Tonight is my niece's graduation. Congratulations Jessica!! Full trustee scholarship to Harding University in the Fall. Way to go!! Last weekend was David Case's College graduation from Harding University. Bravo, David!! We expect great things from you!

Brandon and Kristin's Wedding

I realize it has been quite a while since a post, but life has been even busier than usual. The entire event went perfectly, with the exception of a terrible car accident Roy (Kristin's father) was involved in the Wednesday afternoon before the wedding. We thank God for his mercy and for the inner strength Roy had. He managed to walk his beautiful daughter down the aisle (with his son walking protectively behind him), though he had only just been released from a hospital bed. The latest news is that he has recuperated amazingly well. Again, we give thanks. There was a lingerie shower on Wednesday night, a lovely bridal dinner on Thursday night, followed by our rehearsal dinner on Friday night. The weather cooperated beautifully, there was a nice cool breeze, and it was a wonderfully relaxing evening, outdoors, with Josh Grobin playing in the background, Terry singing and playing the guitar, and Brandon and his groomsmen entertaining us with songs from their teen years. My dear friend, Mona Lee, served by my side, along with my amazing son-in-laws and daughters. It was a family effort and our gift from the heart to Brandon and his new bride. The Barnes' did a beautiful job organizing a beautiful day. The flowers were exquisite, the ceremony and vows meaningful, and the reception lovely...or so I hear. I never got a chance to enjoy the food, but I heard it was delicious. They left in a Cinderella carriage. They are now safely settled in Florence, Italy, after a few days at a bed and breakfast and one night in Rome. They are enjoying gelati and pizzas, and married life in their frist home. We will be seeing them in less than three weeks, so we feel especially blessed to spend time with them in one of the world's most beautiful cities. Thank you again to all of our dear friends and family that blessed all of us, and especially Brandon, with your love and support as he starts out his new work on the mission field.

The Wedding Shower

We just arrived home from a very busy weekend. Jon and Shayna arrived on Friday night for the weekend. They came to see "Makin' Music" and for Jon to catch up with some old friends. On Sunday morning we left at 8AM and drove to Memphis. We attended worship at Great Oaks with Chelsea and Justin before getting back on the road for Brandon and Kristin's wedding shower in Searcy, which began at 2PM. We arrived just as it was starting. They were so blessed! We stood greeting guest for the entire 1 and a half hours. It was an absolutely lovely shower. I so enjoyed getting to see so many of our dear friends from years gone past. Some are quite frail now, but I realizedthat they are now in their 80's.Only 20 days until the wedding! After the shower we worshiped at College church with Katie and Tim and babies and then we all went out to eat Mexican together. I had about 20 minutes to visit with Mona Lee...long enough to be gifted with a beautiful new jacket I just love.She is such a generous friend...not primarily of "things" but through the way she approaches life. We are now home, tired, but satisfied from a time of fellowship with good friends made over a lifetime. Auguri to the soon-to-be newlyweds!

More Easter Pictures

Easter 2007

It's been such a busy time that it has been hard to find a time to catch up with my blog. Over Spring Break, Terry held a gospel meeting with his father in Lafayette, Georgia. We spent the last two days inMemphis at Chelsea and Justin's. We went to the Pink Palace, Imax and the Memphis Zoo. We spent a wonderful day at the Zoo and had a picnic in Overton Park with Katie and family, Chelsea and Justin and Kristin (Brandon was doing Tornado clean-up in Dumas).Both girls were able to be home for Easter. We ate at Grandpa and Grandma's house and had an egg hunt in the backyard. The Easter bunny was a big hit this year with a new airplane for Christian. Only four weeks until the big wedding day. It's such an exciting time in Brandon and Kristin's lives. They have been so blessed by the generosity of so many towards their travel expenses. Their shower in Searcy will be next weekend, and the weekend after that they are being given a money tree and sandwich send-off by the Westside congregation, who is providing their oversight.The wedding is May 5 and they fly to Italy on May 10(Jon's birthday:)We're still not sure about our departure date, but it looks like early June. Then I'll be counting the days until I'm back with my sweet children and grandchildren!!

Time in Memphis

Last week we went to visit Chelsea and Justin after Sunday morning church services. We got there in time to visit a while and then went to church at Great Oaks. Brandon and Kristin had spent the weekend with them and Jon was passing through on his way back to Nashville. After church we went to a deli for dinner. It was a lot of fun catching up on the wedding plans, etc. Terry went on home and the boys and I stayed on until Tuesday afternoon. We helped Chelsea with some Spring cleaning, mulched the flowerbeds and even got some terra cotta planters made up with hydrangeas for her front porch area. They turned out really cute on each end of her double white rocker. Her house looked so great that it was kind of hard to go home to my" not so sparkling house":) This weekend we got a lot done here at home. I cleaned out the garage, reorganized the classroom, Terry repaired some damaged wood on the garage, we put down seed and fertilizer, and I made planters of hydrangeas for my front porch. The boys helped me put around our Easter decorations, so now it really feels like springtime. I weeded through boxes of clothes of the boys, passing bags on to friends, and packed the boys suitcases of their winter clothes for our upcoming move. Now I just hope I have some energy to teach the boys in the morning! I am so thankful for good health and energy, and for the time to spend getting my home in order. Having the gift of time is more and more precious to me. I think Terry and I are both realizing at the same time, that not only do we have a son getting married May 5, but we also are moving to Italy in less than three months and there is quite a bit to do before our plane takes off!

Family Time

This weekend was a busy one with all the children home except for Jon, who had to work. This was baby Maria's first trip to Grandma's and we loved having a baby in the house again. Jordan even fell asleep in the chair with her while I was getting the dishes done. Grandma and Grandpa Edwards came over for a visit on Friday night and joined us again for lunch on Sunday. I love it when the house is filled with games of "Sorry", theological debates, and laughter as the kids go through old pictures from their childhood. My niece, Jaime, was able to be here also. I enjoyed having time to spend talking with her. She has grown into a delightful young woman. I continue to be grateful for the blessings and encouragement we get from our families. God has blessed us very much.

A Day in Memphis

We had such a fun day today. We drove to Chelsea and Justin's and arrived just in time for lunch. Yum! We had butterfly chops on the grill, onions and mushrooms, glazed carrots, and roast potatoes with rosemary.I don't know which was better, the food or not having to prepare it!We met their new pug, Miss Piggy (so ugly she's cute:)After lunch, Chelsea and I went out to do some "sale" shopping at the Collierville Mall.I love a good bargain. For $37 I got 2 swimsuits, a pair of jeans, 2 fleece hooded sweatshirts, and two pairs of nylon/fleece lined sweat pants at GapKids. The normal price was $175.We also visited Bella Vita and I bought two Valentine decorations--for some reason I have only one Valentine's decoration.We got home around 6:30. It is so nice to have them close by.A day out with a daughter is a simple joy in life.

New Family Pictures

We had an exciting weekend beginning with a PVC pipe snapping in the laundry room spewing A LOT of water everywhere (note: it is a good idea to know where your water turn off is in case your neighbor does not answer their doorbell immediately:), followed by an elderly gentleman collapsing in front of us in line at Wal-Mart (he seems to be all right now).I finally took my sewing machine in to be serviced and mailed my girlfriends machine back to her daughter (thank you , Elizabeth, for your kind generosity!)Tim just sent me some new pictures of little Maria and Gabriel that I thought I'd share. Enjoy!