We celebrated St. Patrick's Day with wearing green (so no pinching =) and ate green beans (well, at least I did) and we even set up a surprise visit from a Leprechan who mysteriously rang the door bell (then ran back through the garage and brought up the laundry- that was my cover story =) and a clue for a treasure hunt dropped out of the phone receiver where the answer the gate/bell. I ran around with the kids to find the different clues and at "the end of the rainbow" they discovered a treasure box of chocolates for each! =) They had soo much fun =)

(Dad, I used your magical ways on the treasure rhyming clues =)

Now, the countdown is five days to go; M, T, W, Th, and F then we head out EARLY Sat. and will arrive midnight in Nashville before Easter Sunday.

This will most likely be my last post-just wrapping things up here and getting ready to go.

see you all soon!

more randomness

Ollie is a pro at making up original (English) words. He uses parts of real words, like an re- prefix and a -tion suffix and comes up with these new words that really sound like authentic words. I wish I could think of an example.....well, this isn't a new word but he mixed this together when he was talking about his arm pits he said "arm dents". =) Anyway, Jill and I have encouraged him to start his own dictionary! because he also has authentic meanings for the words he invents. I told him he could be famous like "Dr. Seuss". (He's into finding a way to be famous now...?? although he wasn't quite sure what that meant. I prayed he would be used famously to display the glory of God- hope so)

Some see God's will as an adventure. I see it as confusion.

Another door/opportunity closed for me that I thought was such a perfect idea. God and I are just not in sync on these things =) Oh well, will keep putting one foot in front of the other. Just disappointing and confusing to me.

Sweet Andrea brought me farewell presents today; a rhinestone "D" keychain (which I will use for my new car keys, that is when I get the new-to-me car), a glass emery board, and a necklace made by a girl from her town. Very sweet and thoughtful. She and her husband have been so warm and welcoming to me here since I first arrived.

Andrea told me about the Easter custom they have here. Very strange-don't know what it has to do with Easter whatsoever, but here's what happens. The boys take these wooden broom/switches and go to girl's houses and basically spank them with the tools because it symbolizes something to do with beating the demons out of them. And for some even stranger reason the girls then reward them with chocolates and if you don't happen to have chocolates on hand then you give them alcohol. ...yes....... Is what we do for holidays as weird to people from other countries as what I think about the customs here????

See you in 3 weeks!! =)

random

Jill and I now ride the stationary bike every other day-we alternate- during babies' morning nap.

Feels good- and is hard- after 3 months of doing NOTHING

My favorite thing to do with twins is have conversations. They each have a favorite little noise/sound they're experts at and I make it and they get such a kick out of it and smile because they know I'm starting the conversation game where they make a sound and I imitate them.

sooo cute

Maya's is a spit-in-throat gurgle and Cameron's always include some descending "coo".

Nudity-

yes, not as much of a shocking thing here (prob. all Europe?) as it is in U.S.

Of course, it's always naked females, not males. (I have my theories about this)

We see ads on billboards, on the "t.v. guide" and now on daytime tv commercials.

So, that is a bit of a shock for me.

Remember-this summer when I said kids run around naked and go to the bathroom in their yards? and the grandma across the street I thought was in her bikini, but Jill told me she was in her bra and underwear walking around the yard- and meeting me! a complete stranger!

Anyhoo- little bit different =)

OH yea.... how could I forget?!!

3rd thing was our sewage got backed up and overflowed into the basement-DISGUSTING!

They came at 8 this morning and worked till about noon to fix it- GROSS