Yes, we are smiling BIG! We are going to be grandparents once again. We have been offering a prize for the 40th grandchild and Amy and Ty win the prize. Amy is expecting number 5 child the end of January. The only problem that I can see with this, is how in the heck can I be making baby blankets, taking care of kids, cooking for the family, and being there when Ty and Amy go to the hospital to actually have the baby, when I am in Italy. This is one of the sacrifices of going on a mission I guess. Anyway, we are super excited for them. By the way, we’re not sure what the prize is, but we will come up with something good.

This weekend we traveled north of Rome again: this time to a small island. They were preparing for a celebration so the towns were decorated with flags, bows, and banners. The Mediterranean: Some beaches are rocky and some are sand, but the Mediterranean itself is always lovely with a huge variety of blues, often with the sun sparking off the water. At one place, several boats were pulled into a secluded bay and the boaters were snorkeling in the clear water.

Now this is the height of luxury: the house, the pool, and the view. Awesome!

We saw our first golf course in Italy this trip.

We also stopped and saw a cemetery. All the graves were above the ground. You know this is the land of marble when you see the crypts. It was very interesting. When Will asked me why I wanted to go inside the cemetery, I told him I'd been waiting all my life to go there.

Here are olives, which are maturing. I picked one and took it apart to see which part was the olive. I’m really not sure if the spiny outside part falls off, or turns into the olive, or what. There was a smooth part inside and then the drupe or stone. We also saw green figs up close on a tree.


Houses built up the side of the hills, and fishing villages are the norm. Hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we are enjoying ours.

PS July was our highest month yet for baptisms! We love serving the Lord!