Back from The Netherlands

THEY'RE BAA-AACK. I'm sure that's what our quiet, clean house thought when we charged in today, after a long almost 7 hour drive home. Sadie was pant-less, covered in chocolate, with a runny nose that she has been battling all week, along with a fever and all around crankiness. Everyone else was fighting over an iPad, iPhone, or just whining about being stuck in a car. We pulled everything out of the car, brought it in, and then Curtis headed to Costco to get some things for a baptism in our ward that was tonight.  Laundry is piling up around my ears, and I just went through 3 stacks of papers trying to find the kids talk assignments, which I did find, and they are for next week thank goodness. The kitchen is a wreck, and all I can think about is Anne Frank, Corrie Ten Boom, World War II, and Haarlem. Despite the craziness of travelling with the kids, the kids fighting and whining, and staying in a tiny, dirty, 400 year old house with stairs that really could have been the death of someone, it was an experience that I am glad we had as a family.

Memorable quotes:

Janie: "I'm peeing, I'm PEEING!!" - At least twice a day, but mostly when were in close quarters with others, like the Corrie Ten Boom Museum, and Anne Frank House. I thought a Dutchman walking his dog was going to call the authorities when we pulled into a car park and were trying to persuade Janie to water the bushes. She didn't, or wouldn't.

Janie: "I'm Hungry, I'm HUNGRY!"- Same as above. (Ironically, whenever we sit down to eat a meal, Janie doesn't eat a bite. She crawls under the table and around the table, and if you put food near her mouth, she back away like you are trying to feed her poison.)

Janie: "I'm tired, I'm TIRED!"- Same as above

Janie: "I want to go home. I WANT TO GO HOME!"- Same as above.

Janie: "I don't lub you. I only lub dad (or mom, or grandy)."

Ethan: "I hate Germans." - at the Corrie Ten Boom House. Fortunately, only Americans overheard and the mom made a comment about how alot of Germans didn't know what was happening to the Jews.

Eli: "Not to offend you mom, but..." (insert nicely stated insult here).

Jonah: "Heey, pickapop, doodee sawn." (still speaking his own language and trying to jump on my back anytime I bend down to take a picture.)

The weirdness continues, but now we are in our own house where it is ok. Glad to be home.

First Easter Sunday in the UK

It was a gray day, but a beautiful day to remember the Resurrection. I spoke in church today, about Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation. I won't post the whole thing, but the last few paragraphs are my testimony of Jesus Christ on April 8 2012.

All of us here had faith in the premortal world that Jesus Christ would perform the atonement. We made a choice to follow Jesus Christ before we were born on this earth.  We rejoiced in the heavens when Jesus was born to Mary. The atonement was performed by him, sobering, awesome and complete. Because of that we can make mistakes, and still be resurrected after we die. That is a gift that Jesus gave us, and what we remember each Easter. 

Let us continue with the faith we had in that premortal world, now that we are here on earth with the veil over our eyes. We each have been given the Light of Christ while we are here on the earth, and if we listen with our heart, we can remember those feelings of faith in Jesus Christ.

  The sweet feelings of spiritual remembering are how that I know that a doctrine or principle of the gospel is true. I have had that feeling at church, at the temple, and while I have studied the scriptures. It is a feeling I recognize, a feeling that says: This is true, you are home. It is a feeling that I remembered each time one of our children was born, and a feeling that comes from a true testimony of someone else, written or spoken.  I have felt it once as I stood near a painting of The Savior’s birth. I testify that Jesus Christ did complete the atonement, and I will love him forever for it. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The kids and Curtis did some serious launches into the love sac after church. The kids loved it.

Our Easter feast was really good if I do say so myself. Ham with a sweet glaze, strawberry salad with sugared pecans, cheesy potatoes, and homemade bread which was still rising as we ate dinner. typical. But it deserved a picture because it was a meal that I worked on all afternoon, and thoroughly enjoyed eating:)  Janie had some later because she played Helen Keller tonight as usual and got sent to her room.

I got a chance to steal a few minutes outside with Sadie. She played with a little stick in the rock patio for literally 20 minutes while I took a bunch of pictures. She loves being outside, she climbs up the stairs and walks around on the grass, tears apart plants and east moss. I am so in love with this girl it is not even funny. Her curls are so cute.

 My sweethearts at dinner. Sorry Sadie you were stuck in the corner in your high chair.

Happy Easter! 

Sicily part 2

Toarmina was Thursday. It is a village built into the side of a mountain. The ruins of the grecco-Roman theatre were so much fun to climb and play, a perfect place for having fun and getting energy out. We started at the top...

Beautiful weather for expiring Taormina!

The Bay below Taormina

View of the theatre from the top

It's a double rainbow... no a triple rainbow!! It was just a rainbow but who can forget that youtube video?

The Theatre from inside, where the gladiators would have fought

Ethan, Janie and Eli climbing around

Seats J 1-12 ha ha. But Curtis and I commented how well the theatre was designed, with rows, exits in the back,  etc. 

Sunshower... that is Ethan in the red sweatshirt

Sun slowly going down, and Eli

Friday we took a ferry out to one of the Aeolian islands- Lipari. The one and only highlight of the day was an awesome jewellery store, but other than that, dirty and seedy. Curtis scared off pickpockets all day long with fierce eye contact.

Saturday- last day and sunny! Got all packed up and drove down the lane by our villa to try and find the ocean. We parked the car when we couldn't drive any further, and walked through a small farm toward where we thought the sea was. Over a berm and a beautiful, clean beach with gorgeous blue green waves as far as we could see. And it was less than a mile from our villa.

Started out innocently playing in the waves..

Then pants rolled up...

And you know what happened next!

Janie ended up taking off everything and we all got a good laugh

Had to get moving into Palermo, so back through the farm

and the lanes

and the citrus orchard

Playing in a village on the way to the airport

We stopped to get some pottery, and as we finished up lunch, realised that we left the dvd's back at the villa. So back 30 minutes to get them , and then forward again 30 minutes. We were really hoping that our Ford galaxy would get us to the airport quickly. What we didn't count on was a 20 minute detour to find petrol. Yi yi yi . We pulled up and I checked luggage while Curtis turned in the car. We made it onto our plane, and home Saturday night, so glad just to be home!!! Hot water, heating that works, and Sadie's bed were among the most missed. But a good trip anyway.