Malta Part One: Valetta

At the end of April, our family took a vacation to Malta for a few days. We had a great time exploring the small but very dense country and enjoyed seeing lots of sights. Malta is the 10th smallest and 5th most densely populated country in the world, so there was no shortage of things to see, people around, and traffic to get stuck in. We stayed on the east side of the island, and each day we drove to different parts of the island - which was only 5-7 miles in any direction! This was the view from our hotel room, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It was a little too cool to swim, with highs in the low 70's, and the sea was very choppy. Benjamin and Caleb were waiting for the red flags to go down, but they never did.

Malta is rich in history and has been ruled over time by the Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Knights of St. John, French, and the British. It has a lot of Christian history, most notable, it is believed to be where the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked on Malta. Our first and last day in Malta, we explored the Capital city of Valetta. Entering the city gates.

 Triton's fountain inside the city gates.

Lots of hills and steps to climb.

Caleb liked the red British phone booths and was curious about how a pay phone worked. He had a hard time believing that was how we made calls when we were younger.

The main square

Malta has lots of peninsulas.

Nice seaside view.

Taking a little break from walking.

More phone booths!

Back to the streets. I liked the way this cross was suspended.

Our last day, which was my 40th birthday, we went back to Valetta. We walked around the city and then took a gondola tour of the harbor, which is made up of three main peninsulas. Nathan took the boys first, then I took a ride with them afterwards. The boat operator told us lots of history about the country, it was very interested.

The country has a beautiful coastline.

First harbor, I think it was called Silema.

We stopped at one of the peninsulas for lemon gelato!

It was a fun way to turn 40!

Malta is also famous for being the filming site for the show Game of Thrones. I have never seen it, but  this is where part of the show was filmed.

Cave heading back to the harbor.

More beautiful coast.

Next blogs will be about our day trip to the island of Gozo

End of T-Ball Season

The day after school got out, Benjamin had his last T-ball game. Caleb had to sit most of the season out because of his broken arm, but the team was sweet to give him a team medal and have him participate in the end of the season ceremony. Here is Benjamin in action!

Teams recognizing their sponsors, coaches, and getting team medals.

It was a fun season and we will look forward to next year...coach pitch!

School's out...hello summer!

The boys had a great school year in both Hawthrorn School in Salem, IL and ACS in Amman. They both learned a lot, made nice friends, and had fun.

First day at Hawthorn Elementary. Caleb had Mrs. Richardson for first grade, and Benjamin had Mrs. Marcum for Kindergarten.

Last day at ACS Amman. Caleb had Mrs. Purdy for first grade, and Benjamin had Mrs. Zeina for Kindergarten. Goodbye Kindergarten and First Grade....Hello First and Second Grade!

The boys enjoyed time with friends and a week of summer camp before we headed back to the States for a few weeks. This is their good friend JJ, who departed Jordan this summer. He and Caleb were in class together the past 2 years, and they became good buddies. We will miss his family and look forward to seeing them again one day in VA.

Caleb's other good friend in class this year was a sweet girl named Rosalie. Caleb, JJ, and Rosalie were the three amigos and were always together. She also departed Jordan for the US, and we know we will see her again too. 

Her last few days in town, they saw each other a few times for swimming play dates.

Benjamin makes friends with the lifeguards at the Embassy. I think he really wanted to blow his whistle :).

New summer hair cuts...he wanted to get his hair cut short like daddy!

Caleb got a trim, he still likes it a little longer.

Here we come, summer!

Eliza Rose: 9 Months Old

Happy 9 months sweet baby girl! This month has brought many new things for Eliza. She is crawling everywhere and starting to pull up on couches and in her crib. She smiles and babbles a lot, and enjoys being read to.

Eliza adores her brothers, and they love being around her as well.

At her 9 month appointment, she weighed 21 lbs (80%) and was 28'' long (75%). She is sleeping much better the month and is sleeping through the night much more often.Eliza is a good nurser and also drinks a few bottles a day. She has two teeth and is enjoying pureed fruits and veggies, and has started eating yogurt, cheese, and cut melon. She is in size 9/12 month clothes and size 3 diapers.

Happy 9 months sweet baby girl!

Wadi Mujib

I am pretty far behind on blogging, and want to write about our trip to Malta in April, but will blog about a few smaller things first. First up, is Wadi Mujib! This hike is one of our favorite things to do in Jordan, it's a water hike down a slotted canyon just south of the Dead Sea, and every year it is a little different, based on the rainfall. The hike is open from April - October, and we typically go early in the season when the water levels are higher. Jordan had record rainfall this year, so the water levels were the highest we have seen. We have gone as an office a few times in the past, and did it again this year. It was a great way to all spend the day together and escape the heat of summer. It was 115 degrees that day by the Sea, but you are submerged in water most of the hike and it is very refreshing. You can't tell from this picture, but just around the corner, the water gets up to neck level, and you have to swim and hold onto ropes to make it through the obstacles. 

At the entrance/exit to the hike, there were some fun rocks to jump from. This is the first year the water has been high enough to do this!

It's a super fun way to spend the day with everyone!

Eliza Rose: Eight Months Old

Happy 8 months Eliza Rose! This girl is so much fun and a happy little girl. Eliza has transitioned from only sitting, to planking and almost crawling. She can get around a room pretty well by pushing or pulling, and she gets into the crawling position often. It won't be long before she gets her legs going!

Eliza weighs around 20lbs. She wears 9 month clothes and is in size 3 diapers. She eats 5/6 times a day, and she continues to enjoy her normal foods. Her sleeping has improved and started sleeping through the night again most nights, and only wakes up occasionally. She still naps 1-2 times a day, and sleeps 11-12 hours a night.

We can see more and more of both boys' personalities in her. She has the curiosity of Caleb and contentedness of Benjamin at this age. We love seeing her personality come out and blossom each day! Eliza loves watching everything her big brothers do, and they are so sweet with her! It won't be long before she is following them around and getting in the mix. 

Happy 8 months Eliza, we love you!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter and Happy Spring! We had a quiet holiday this year and celebrated at home. We celebrated on the American Easter this year because we were going to be out of town for the Orthodox Easter that they celebrate in Jordan, which fell one week later.  Leading up to Easter, the kids went to an Easter party, we decorated eggs (thank you grandpas and grandmas for the kits), and read about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Our family tradition is to have a ham on Easter Sunday. Ham is an extra treat in this part of the world

We are thankful for the gift of salvation that is freely given, because of what Jesus did for us. Happy Easter, He is risen!

First (and last) T-Ball Game & Caleb's Broken Arm

The boys were excited to play t-ball again this year, and their team sponsor was Petra Engineering.

They had a few friends on their team from last year which was fun for them. Both boys had good hits and had a great game.

Eliza and I found this spectator at the ball field :)

 After the game, we went to lunch, and then to a park to play for a while. Caleb came up to us and said he fell and thought he hurt his arm. He was in shock because one look and his arm was visibly displaced, so Nathan grabbed him securely, I got the car, and our family was off to the hospital. Rule number one, never break a bone on the first Friday of Ramadan, during prayer time....it was very difficult to find a doctor to see Caleb and the first hospital we were sent to was a chaotic mess. A fight broke out in the Emergency room while Nathan was getting Caleb triaged, and Eliza and Benjamin were getting antsy, so I took them home.  The x-ray showed that the broken bone was right near an artery, which could have been very dangerous if his bone nicked the artery. We are thankful that Nathan was able to keep his arm stable during the transport and triage.

Tes came to rescue and watched Benjamin and Eliza so I could go back to the hospital for Caleb's surgery. The good patient in the second hospital getting checked in and prepared for surgery.

Coming out of anesthesia after surgery. I'm not sure what it is like in the U.S., but they called us into the recovery room after surgery, and they asked us to help wake him up.

They said it's common for kids to wake up very upset, but Caleb woke up calmly and was happy to see us and baby teddy at his side.

Nathan stayed the night with him in the hospital and he was out by the middle of the following day. Two pins later and a few weeks of being casted for our brave boy.

Caleb had a cast on for only 3 weeks. Apparently the location of the break is tricky, and the orthopedic said it was more harmful to immobilize the joint longer than needed to be to heal the break. So at 3 weeks, he had the pins removed, cast off, and had a clear x-ray. He was in an arm sling for a week to remind himself to take it easy, and he has quickly regained his strength and can now extend his arm all the way and even do push ups again. We are proud of how brave Caleb was through this experience, and hope this is the 4th and final broken bone during our time in Jordan!