The Jolliff Family

Sam stayed home today too, since the doctor said he would still be contagious and he wasn't feeling 100% anyway.  This morning while we had language, Sam worked on some puzzles and watched a movie.  He received this puzzle piece game for Christmas but today was the first opportunity for him to play with it.  He really enjoyed it and we will play it together soon!

This boy was feeling good today! His brothers... not so much.  As evidenced by a big pile of pukey laundry that accumulated through the night! Actually the blankets are just a result of Andrew and he is feeling fine now.  Sam spiked a high fever, went to the doctor, and has a tonsil infection.   Since I'm so sick of tonsil infections, I just went ahead and scheduled all three kids to have their tonsils out at the same time and while they are in there, go ahead and remove the appendix just to be safe.  I kid, I kid!  But really, we have had more tonsil infections this past year than in the past.  The house got completely bleached down this afternoon, all the sheets and towels washed, and toothbrushes cleaned, so hopefully the other boys won't come down with it as well! And now, I am going to study while Hap is still enjoying a trip to the day spa with his language tutor.  I'm not kidding about that! Happy Wednesday!

Today the weather was AHHHHMAZING!!!  So gorgeous in fact that I studied on our balcony before my language lesson this morning.  I didn't take any pictures from today but was looking through my dad's trip and saw some pictures I didn't post of another amazing weather day. On the Sunday, all the guys went hiking and exploring.  (The pictures are all out of order but you can still enjoy them!) This land is so diverse, from wilderness to fertile valleys to rocky hills and beaches. My four guys!  Love this picture. Dad looks scared in this picture, who knows what was going on in that cave!! I'm so thankful for some nicer weather and feeling a little warmer in the apartment.  Outside is beautiful but our apartment still has a nip to the air.  It won't be long before things will really warm up, so we will enjoy the now!

The cowboy is back in town and he means business!!

Sam is studying Arabic, German, and English in school.  He does German twice a week as well as English.  Of course Arabic is all day, everyday for the rest of the time.  This school takes homework seriously but unfortunately Sam doesn't always:) Today  he was working on his English homework.  He excels in English class:) He likes German class the best though because I think he has a crush on Miss Ellen, his teacher! We are proud of him for the language he is learning, the knowledge he is gaining, and his hard work!

Sometimes moments of my day strike such thanksgiving in my soul.   Random.  Small moments.  The nothing special but to a mama moments.  Sweet, fleeting moments.   Little feet that don't yet touch the ground littered with dropped Cheerios will one day be feet-as-big-as-daddy walking around the littered streets of this town. And little hands that learn to feed oneself will one day be big hands for holding basketballs and school books and for taking out the trash, not for a sippy cup. And little learners become kindergarteners and before a blink, college graduates. And these moments, I want to savor.  I want to fully remember and enjoy, not be rushed and short.  Because time truly is fleeting. Sweet, precious, fleeting moments that God has gifted me now. "My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day." Psalm 71:8

The last day my dad was in town, we headed to the zoo to enjoy the beautiful weather and some time together before he flew out.  We ended up finally buying a zoo pass that we were gifted at Christmastime but had never gone to buy.  We think we will use it often this spring and summer.  This zoo is very nice and we are grateful that we can access it so easily.   I like this zoo because the animals are in large, open spaces, with a variety of animals together.  It makes it interesting and fun to look it.  This black swan was beautiful, God sure knows how to make pretty animals. As always, Sam wanted to check the map for our directions. They have one area of the zoo that is different animal footprints in the concrete with a pictorial guide.  SAm and Andrew tried to identify the animal prints together. Andrew loves to be a big brother and help Jacob any chance he gets.  I love to watch Andrew with Jacob, it certainly reminds me of S...

I have more pictures to post from our visit with my dad but I wanted to post about Sam tonight because I want to remember funny things about the kids. Tonight on a visit, Sam played outside the entire time.  On the car ride home he said "I milked a mama goat with her nurser things." And ya'll were worried he wouldn't get a good education over here.  Maybe it is a proper education but he is getting an education!! Happy Thursday!

So from the mount where the last battle will take place, we headed to where the angels announced to Mary that she would be having the Savior of the world, Jesus.  They have built a church around the location of the home of Mary.  The church is big and beautiful, both on the inside and the outside. Stain glass windows fill the sides of the church and the stairways. Mary's house is down from ground level a bit and is by the alter of the church.  It is really well preserved.  I think the picture is deceiving because the house was not big on the inside.  I don't have a good picture of it but close by they have also located Joseph's workshop and other remains of the old city. I have had many people ask me over the course of our time here if I think that these sights are the actual place of the event.  Because this culture is an oral culture and many of these sights were located a few generations after the events took place, it is highly likely tha...

On Thursday we went to the place where the last battle on earth will take place according to Revelation.  With all the rain and the overlook to the valley, the view was beautiful!  On the top of this mountain, various battles have been fought as well as various fortresses with the ruins remaining and excavations that continue to this day. We know that there will be no peace on earth until Christ is in every heart but the thought of the final battle taking place here reminds me that the time is short, for Christ will return and we must be ready! We think that we are so smart now but seeing the engineering genius of some of these ancient ruins is truly amazing.  They had an ancient grain silo, horse stables, and aqueduct systems dug out of rock.  One of the tunnels is dug down over 300 ft to a natural spring water outside of the ancient fortress in case they were under siege they could go down the tunnel and have access to the water without being ...