All in a Week

We started off this past week just a wee bit on the tired side, but with the busy week ahead we couldn't afford to dwell on the fact.  Emma was pretty well layed up on the couch all throughout last weekend.  We sent her to school on Monday and she seemed to be hold up great for the morning so sent her back for the afternoon.  She did, however, get sick two separate nights this week.  I had my last class of English for the fall trimester and I am quite looking forward to a little break.  All my students are returning for the winter trimester, so I guess that is a good sign.

After Monday, it was party prep for Jonathan's English students who were coming over to our house on Wednesday.  Between baking and cleaning it was a full couple of days.  All the while I just kept praying no one else would get sick.  My tiredness kept playing tricks on me as waves of uckiness would come and go.  We made it to Wednesday night and it was a lovely evening with 11 of Jonathan's students.  Not all came due to illness.  The kids were quite interactive and chatty and it is always fun to see them in "Italian mode" in our home.  Samuel and Emma even willingly obliged them to a mini piano concert.

I saw this idea and knew it must be made!  My rosemary bush, turning tree, needed a trim anyway.

The students lavishly showered us with an enormous gift basket again this year.  They brought cakes, plants, chocolates and warm embraces.  After 3 years of teaching most of the same students, you can really see the students' respect and appreciation for Jonathan.  I enjoy having my moments of interaction with them as well at least twice a year with these parties in our home.

Loving my gorgeous Bicajoux plant!

Please continue to pray for these friends and that they will come to put their faith in Christ.  We gave them each a scripture calendar to take home and pray they will read them.

After Wednesday, it was recooperate time for me.  Or at least that is what I was hoping for...

...However, Luca came down with the stomach flu on Thursday night.  Unlike Emma he started to get sick at 8:00pm so we had a few hours jump start on the 15 minute rushes to the bathroom.  It still warranted another night of sleeping on the couch so that is where I woke up on my birthday morning.  Samuel, bless his heart, woke up on his own at 6:30am because he wanted to make me breakfast in bed.  He was SO upset I was on the couch when he came down.  I told him he could still make me breakfast and that I would be very happy to eat it on the couch--after 7am!  He seemed to finally understand that it was not my choice to be sleeping on the couch at that moment in time.  When dad woke up, he helped Samuel and Emma fix me my favorite: fresh persimmon, yogurt and granola and a HUGE cup of coffee.

I made the grain free chocolate coconut cake and the kids decorated it.

Obviously, the birthday celebrations have been postponed.  I did enjoy some gifts and cake and lots of phone and skype chats with family.  It was just one of those years and nothing you can do about it.  I still felt special and honored even with the unglamorous job of cleaning up after and caring for a sick child.  God has given me so very much and I am so thankful for each breath of life!

So for the third week in a row I have missed church.  The kids and I worked through Act 2 of the Christmas story for our church time today.

 Shepherd

Angel

Luca is doing much better but still recovering and it is most noticeable in his emotional reactions to his siblings and small intake of food.  When he gets energy he exerts it and then he will just crash.  He wasn't desirous of dressing up today, but maybe we can convince him to be a shepherd with Samuel come next weekend.  He layed down for a nap this afternoon and immediately went to sleep.  Here is to praying that no one else gets this stomach flu one week from now over the Christmas weekend.