I Love Slovenia

After all my complaining yesterday the weather was beautiful. It was still too cloudy to have a view of the eclipse and we even had a little thunder shower. It was very little though and rained softly for just an hour.

The boys and I went outside for about an hour so that I could work in the garden. Clay played and picked flowers and Thad sat on a blanket in the sun and watched us and played. This was the first time he enjoyed being out of doors. Today is supposed to be nice again and I'm hoping we can repeat the process.

The neighbors are all getting their gardens ready for planting, but I think it seems a little early. There's still frost on the garden this morning and it was supposed to get down to freezing again last night. But, these Slovene's can be more competitive about their gardens than the Amish. They're all trying to outdo each other with flowers and all that. Crazy. The boys didn't want to go to sleep last night. Once I did get them to bed Clay fell out of his bed and woke Thadeus up too. I was here by myself and decided not to fight them. I got them both up and put on Mary Poppins. Thad was sleepy in ten minutes, but Clay and I stayed up for a while and it was almost 10 o'clock when Timothy came in and we all went to bed. I want to get Clay up early this morning, poor guy.

Clay is into spanking right now. We don’t spank him that often; only when he’s outright rebellious which doesn’t happen too often. I’m always so proud to take him out in public b/c people are amazed that I can give him instructions and he follows them. I make sure to tell him later how glad that makes us and what a blessing he is to Mommy and Daddy. The other day he was annoyed about something. I think Ivana had told him he couldn’t have something or wasn’t allowed to do whatever. He pushed me into a corner and I played along b/c I thought it was a new game. Then he sticks his index finger out at me (I have a very bad habit of scolding with my finger) and said I was going to “get pankin’, Mommy.” Uh…no. I explained spankings again and this made him even more upset so he did his drama routine. He threw himself on the floor (melodrama, a lot of melodrama) and then complained of a hurt knee in need of prayer. The only time we don’t pray for the ouchies, even the made up ones, is when the ouchy is a result of a spanking. Those are supposed to hurt.

Thad woke up wheezing and coughing this morning. I'm not sure what to do for him other than let it run its course. You can't really explain to a seven month old how to spit that junk out.

I have an appointment with a driving school instructor this morning and may even have to take a practice drive. I need to get my Slovene license before the end of April. If I don't then I have to go through the whole school. As it is I just need to practice and then take a driving test, get a physical, eye exam and...I think that's it.

Eclipse? What Eclipse?

The weather in Slovenia stays true to the old sayings. March comes "in like a lion and out like a lamb." The first weekend in March we had a horrific snow storm that started with rain and became slushy, yucky snow in a very short time and left us stranded at Ram and Sally's over night. This week, and most of last week, has been mild and cool with just enough sun to melt all the snow.

The landlords came and trimmed the fruit trees and the neighbor kids helped me pile the cuttings on the garden for a fire. I rewarded them with hot cocoa.

"April showers bring May flowers." That's the way it's been our first two April's here and that's the way I'm expecting this April to go too. I've made up my mind that it will be cloudy and rainy for the next three or four weeks, but then what a glorious time we'll have this summer.

I have put my requests in to the Weather Keeper that it is beautiful, sunny and warm for Nana's wedding on 22 April, that the weather clear up some for all of the visitors that will be coming this spring, and that all the wood we've gathered will be dry enough for a 1 May bon fire. This is one of the biggest holidays in Slovenia. I'm still not sure what it's all about, but it has something to do with lighting bon fires to warn of Turkish invaders. I'm excited and I have my marshmallows ready!

However, due to this cloudy weather we have in the spring it is unlikely that I'll get to glimpse the partial eclipse that should be overhead. I got all excited when I checked the news this morning. Then I looked out the window and came back to reality.

Speaking of being a little in the clouds...Ivana has a boyfriend. She's a bit flighty at times anyway and to add romance to the mix is a bit...amusing... I need to have a talk with her this morning and remind her that her chores still have to be done and that she could probably multi-task by talking and working at the same time. We've given some guidelines and Barbara Telzerow gave her the same ones of not being anywhere alone. That's basically it. They're not to see each other privately, which shouldn't be too difficult b/c he lives 60 or so miles away.

His name is Peter and he's from the same area Ivana is from. He also had a drug problem and went to the same organization in Spain that Ivana went to. He was here in Ljubljana for a visit last summer where he and Ivana met officially for the first time and really hit it off. He's written to her, but we've told her she doesn't really have time to write letters. Now he's back in Slovenia and waiting patiently to begin a relationship. Besides phone calls they really can't do much. Ivana is so busy with her final year of secondary school and then she has a major exam in order to go to university coming up in May or June. Once that is over with then they can have a little more freedom to pursue something.

Peter is living with the Pastor in Nova Gorica and his family. We were very pleased with his decision since the center in Spain is a bit unrealistic. Peter was told upon leaving that he's out of the will of God and actually committing a sin by going. Please! At what point did Jesus live in a center! He's started the search for a job already, which was one of the big things we were going to look at. Timothy and I are praying for wisdom. We have a daughter of marrying age and we only want the best for her. Wow. I never knew how much I put my parents through just by coming of age. Thanks for your patience, Dad.

I should also say we had our first SaveOne class Monday night. It went very well and I could say that one of the ladies is even excited! I can’t give too much detail about the class for the sake of privacy. We have a predicament concerning the boys though. We need a babysitter that they feel comfortable with. Ram and Sally have tried twice now, but it hasn’t gone well. Please pray with us for a solution that the right person and situation will present itself.

Clay...Again

Yes, it's bath time again...and I did have something to write on Clay, but now I can't remember what it is. Oh well, he's at that age when he learns something funny and new every day so I'm sure there will be more. Clay did take another bath last week, but Ivana had to do the work b/c Timothy and I were taking care of visa problems.

Thad's little personality stays sweet. He's sitting up on his own now and will probably be crawling soon. He gets around to where he wants to go while he's on his belly, but needs to learn that hand, knee coordination. He's smart though. We've been working with using the bottle more and he takes it, as long as I'm not around.

Thadeus has also been teething so we've constantly been wiping his nose, which is now chapped, and trying to consol his grumpiness. This morning there have been a lot less drips and much more smiling.

Nana is coming at some point today to try on my wedding dress and take it with her. She's really been having a rough time lately. Not just the wedding stress, but everyone preaching to her about everything. The other evening an Eastern couple were telling her she doesn't need all the frills to have a wedding. Bless her, that's a cultural thing and I think she should have what she wants, as long as they can afford it. My wedding was my version of other people's ideas and I still have unhappy moments about it. Hopefully we can create a beautiful wedding for Nana with only pennies.

The past two mornings have been beautiful and most of the snow is off of our yard. In the next couple weeks I’ll need to start getting the garden ready to plant. I think fruit trees are supposed to be trimmed in the spring too, but I’m not too knowledgeable about these things yet.

Happy Days Are Here Again

The first ResitiEno conference went very well this weekend. We had between 25 and 30 people Saturday evening and a full house on Sunday morning. The response has been awesome! Tomorrow we'll have at least three come for a training session at our house and in the next month we hope to start the first class. Timothy has been asked to come speak at another church and it feels like this has been taken out of our hands and...let loose!

Sheila and Natalie (Glafka) went to Venice today and then will stop and do a quick training with Magdalena tonight. Magdalena will be running into this issue quite a bit with Teen Challenge.

I haven't been blogging b/c Clay hasn't been bathing. He's grown a dislike for it again so we've started over again. Tonight I ran the water and he threw his toys in. Then when I asked him if he’s ready to get in he said, "Baby's turn!" He's afraid of the water being too hot, but after much convincing he got in this evening and is even enjoying himself. Now we need to bathe him again in the next couple days.

Okay, I have to go; he's done...