You may disagree, but I think travelling is a bit tiring. Seeing new and fun places you have never seen before is great, but it takes its toll on your mind, body and resources! And not to even mention the laundry and ironing that has to be taken care of!
London, by the way, was wonderful! We arrived safely on Thursday evening and followed my sisters amazing directions- she really could be a tour director! Her flat is beautiful, her kitty cat Callie was a charming little poppet, and her new city home is busy, full of charm, history, diverse people, all kinds of fun food to eat, theatre’s to enjoy and places to see! We did not realize how HUGE London is! We loved taking the tube, the bus and walking everywhere. We ate in Chinatown, at pubs, French food, at Harrod’s …so many choices! (They do have a LOT of Italian food, but we avoided that!) We were tourists on the Big Bus- that was fun! We went on a couple of walking tours- there are fun books that have these. Many of the museums are free! The weather was cool, windy and sunny on and off- We went on the London Eye, walked across the big bridge and wandered through historic neighborhoods- the gardens are beautiful with flowers everywhere! The people say “sorry” for excuse me and are very quiet while riding the tube! (Well, except for late at night!) There are pubs on almost every corner, and even though we tried, we never ate fish and chips! We will visit again soon! My sister, Susan, is the perfect hostess- she made us feel so welcome in her flat! 
We went to two shows at the theatre- 39 Steps on Friday night and Jersey Boys on Saturday night- both were very good! There are so many things to do, things to see, places to explore- you would need a week or two or three to see this big city! The crowds at night were especially entertaining~ Billy and I had the opportunity to worship at Holy Trinity Brompton on Sunday evening- it was a joy to worship in such a vibrant church! 
We have lived here over a year now……a big milestone……two years until we leave…..hard, but good….God is teaching us so much through this experience He has given to us. How to trust in Him alone, how to love each other as a couple and how to support one another, how to pray about everything (even the small things) , how to have joy in the midst of trials, how to sing praises to Him despite frustration, how to travel without getting all worked up, how to love others that He places in our path and in our lives (even if only for a season) , how to let go of the past and agendas, how to see others through His eyes, how to laugh at ourselves, how to read maps correctly, how to enjoy the life He gives, and how to talk about Jesus, even when we don’t feel like it! What is He teaching you?
In less than two weeks, Danny and Lizzie will arrive from St. Louis! We are looking forward to spending two weeks with them. We have planned a fun week of travels to Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France! Then we will send them to Cinque Terre for a couple of days alone- They will arrive on the 4th of July!
On a final note, the above memorial was one of 20 or so on a wall in a churchyard. Each one represented selfless acts of kindness that resulted in the death of the individual named……how humbling.
Love from Italia, Jen and Billy
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10
I agree about the travelling. I do not understand how my father-in-law, at 73 can travel 2/3 of the year. I don’t think I could do it now (although it IS a heck of a lot easier without kids).
Jen, I am really struggling with Daniel – both with ADHD Daniel and Daniel with hearing loss. My heart is just broken and I am having trouble letting go. I want that miracle. I want a do-over. I don’t want him to struggle with ringing in his ears for the rest of his life. I want my most active kid to be able to pursue those active activities he loves, but I’m afraid. The “heir ear” is gone, so we have to guard the spare. We started new insurance 4 days before the incident, so they are investigating to see if there’s some way they can call it pre-existing. If we go with a cochlear implant they start at $50K and our insurance pays 70%. I’m overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted and then he’s driving me nuts with his oppositional defiance and I struggle to like him. Pray for me.