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27 January 2008
Another Sunday without a church to go to. One of these days we're going to find one that works for us. We've been hesitant to even bother, especially after a late Saturday night. It's just some kind of ordeal trying to get all the kids dressed and going. More than we want to take on. Dave went for a jog with Mauro around 8:30. DeDe was up enjoying a little quiet time, while Ian and Addison served themselves breakfast. The work begins for DeDe when the little ones awake. By 8:45, Nathan and David were demanding a little help with the cereal and milk, so that was it for DeDe. Once up and doing that stuff, she flew into action trying to put the apartment in order for the visit from her parents. Every day is laundry day here. There is at least one load that goes in the washer. All or most of it dries on the line. The socks and under garments and those kinds of items that don't dry well on the line get thrown into the tiny dryer we have here. So DeDe tackled that project, then gave Rachel and David haircuts. Cleaned that up, took her own shower, and began lunch preparation. The boys were down playing with Nemanea. Dave returned home, showered, read some email, and internet news, as well as the local newspaper, then ate lunch and headed off to the airport to pick up Bill and Shirley. DeDe fixed a picnic lunch for the boys and sent it down with Rachel. They sat on the goat's grassy knoll and enjoyed their peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, carrots and potato chips. We did insist they come up, use the restroom and wash their hands before eating; ever conscious of the foreign germs around here. Bill and Shirley arrived to the flat around 2:00. They were extremely tired, so they took a tour, Shirl' had a cup of “real” coffee (as opposed to the stuff on the airline), and then Dave and Rachel took them to the Park Suites. Nathan and DeDe had a little quiet time together, as Bobby was napping and the boys were back outside playing, so they put in a movie (Valiant) and DeDe made some popcorn and lemonade. Ahhh...quiet! The boys joined them about a half hour later, so they started the movie over, and Dave and Rachel returned just in time to join them. Dave made some more popcorn, and then took a nap. DeDe fell asleep watching the movie, and then went to the bed for a nap when Dave got up. At 5:30, we got a call from Bill and Shirley saying they had a nice rest, and they were ready for some company. The kids were itching to get over there and spend time in the swimming pool. (indoor and heated!) We went over with kids in their suits, and spent an hour and a half swimming. Nice pool, great hot-tub! Dave dropped us at the door and headed off to find some good “Take-away Pizza.” Around 7:50, we went up to their room and enjoyed some more fantastic Malta Pizza. Not sure if it's the bread or the fresh veggies, but it's really some of the tastiest pizza we've ever had. Only place that came even close that we've had in Wisconsin is “Lisa's Pizza” in Janesville. (Sharon and Bill know what we're talking about! -- as do many of the Unicorn or Husky basketball players) A few brew-pubs in Colorado have pretty good pizza, too, but this stuff sends the taste buds swooning! We left the hotel around 9:00 as we knew Bill and Shirley needed to work on their jet-lag issues. David whined part of the way home and then passed out by the time we pulled to the door. The rest of the kids had enough energy to do some reading when we got home, and then they all fell asleep, except Rachel, who is practicing for her teenage years... she's reading over DeDe's left shoulder, right now, as she types on the bed. She has a baby lying across her belly, keyboard on her lap, and her husband passed out at right. She's ready to pass out now, too. We've been pinching ourselves, a lot, still...trying to grasp the reality that we're living in Malta. Now, to have Bill and Shirley here... Wow! We'd been talking about all this for so long. We're just feeling really amazed and blessed to be able to have this experience. We're thanking God for His protection, His amazing creation, and for His sustaining us as we enjoy this life He's granted us.
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