After a two week, unforgettable Christmas family celebration in California we made a pitstop in Michigan to repack and prepare for our depature back to Italy. Transitioning in and out of 3 time zones in one week was pleasant--Not! Our travels went smoothly and apart from the kids not sleeping a wink on the flight across the pond, we really can't complain. Our extra baggage got waved of fees and all 8 bags arrived with us in Turin. PTL! Our colleague, Melissa, greeted us at the airport and somehow we mangaged to fit all our luggage into our van in one load. Okay, so we couldn't see out of any windows apart from the front and luggage was squeezed against us so tightly making it difficult to breathe. Definitely no need for seat belts. Sorry, there is no picture for you. Just trust me, the title "mini-van" actually really does mean "mini" here in Europe.
We arrived home to a house filled with 7 months of dust, grime and cobwebs. Melissa removed all the plastic and sheet coverings we had left over furniture, so it didn't look so overwhelming and nasty upon first glance. She was kind enough to fill our refrigerater and pantry with items to hold us over for the weekend. As you can imagine, that gesture was a HUGE help to us in alleviating the need to head to the supermarket right away.
Umm, yea. Getting used to a small frig again is not going to be easy.
Emma was beyond exhausted and hit the couch right away to sleep until we went to retrieve our guinea pig, Mac from our friend's house.
The boys immediately went upstairs to unload their Lego's and check out their toys.
The first item of business for me, since we had our number one necessity of food taken care of, was to get our beds ready for sleeping by changing all the sheets and giving the bedspreads a good beating. By the time we went to bed, Samuel, Jonathan and I had been awake 32 hours straight. Samuel was delirious for sure and was moaning and groaning for a good hour before settling into a deep sleep--for 3 hours. Then it was 1am and all of us were wide awake and struggling to sleep. Thank goodness for melatonin and window shades that block out 100% of light that allowed all of us to sleep past 10am the next morning. It has taken us a good week to acclimate to the time.
Over the weekend I did not get much done on the house as there was a grocery store run we had to make over a holiday weekend, with 3 kids in tow, and in a store that seemed so foreign after 7 months away. It took us nearly 3 hours to complete that task. Then I had to get all the kids ready to start school on Monday. That required labeling and covering notebooks, putting together bathroom bags (yes, they have to bring their own soap and toilet paper to school!), organizing and filling their pen cases and covering their books. And believe me this is a hefty and time consuming task x3!
The kids had a good first week of school and I'll update you better on that later. But, thank you so much to everyone who was praying for them! There were definitely some first day jitters but everyone is doing really well now.
Things are finally put away and the initial layer of dust has been removed. It took me over a week to do so since our closet space only allows for a current season wardrobe and the kids had clothes from the spring that needed to cleared out and moved to the garage since they had outgrown them. And then there is the garage packed out with everything from our ministry center. That sight for sure was a jolt to our emotions in seeing the reality we have returned to is nothing of how when we left here.
I will conclude for today. Please continue to uplift us in prayer as we reacclimate to life in Italy. Melissa has just returned from a week away in Ireland and we will meet together as a team for the first time later this week. There is much on our hearts, minds and plates as we move forward and try to figure out a new "normal" for the work God has called us to. It is all about His glory!
A welcome home sunset the day we arrived home.
1 comment:
I could relate to your post since we just arrived home to Iquique on Friday. But oh my goodness, it gave me a knot in my throat to even think about how in the world you got three kids ready for school (with all that entails) in such a short time! I couldn't have done it - in fact, I was just telling my husband yesterday that I am SO glad we arrived home in summer so we have time to acclimate in that regard. God bless you and your ministry! Can't wait to hear what He is going to do in and through your team.
Post a Comment