Today is my birthday.  The first birthday wishes I got were two days ago from my nephews Brandon and Jacob.  They called not sure if it was Matt's birthday or mine but they knew a birthay was coming up.  They are 13 and 14 years old so for them to call on their own really warmed my heart. 

This morning I went out with Heather, fun as always.  Tonight we are going up to the Casey's where Matt and Heather are preparing a delicious dinner for me.  I am looking forward to that.  The only downside to today's birthday....100 degree weather today!  Yuck!  I think I can overlook it. :)

Taylor and Chance are gone.  We had a really good visit with them.  They were here two weeks.  We took them to Rome, to the beach, celebrated Taylor's birthday, the 4th of July and tried to show them what our life here in Ancona is like.  It was really good to have them here. 

Now we are just a week away from my birthday!  Yeah!  That means we are just 2 weeks away from seeing the Rotert family!!!  So excited about that! 

Last summer when the kids on the team were out of school Heidi and Heather did these little weekly summer classes for them.  Heather taught art and Heidi music.  Well, we are doing it again this year and I asked if I could do a class.  I am teaching, places around the world.  We are starting tomorrow and the first place we are going to learn about is Egypt.  I have had so much fun preparing.  I am looking forward to sharing with the kids all I have found.

It is hard to belive that it is the end of June!  Our niece, Taylor, and her boyfriend, Chance, are here visiting us.  Taylor just graduated from high school and her gift from us was a trip to Italy.  It is really fun having her here.  We have watched some tv, looked at old pictures and played lots of games.  Good times!  It is fun watching them try and learn a bit of Italian and to see their reactions to the cultureal differences. 

The other day when Matt went to pick them up in Rome our car broke down!  Matt called me and told me he was on the side of the highway where he had pushed the car.  I told him I would be praying and to be very careful.  He called me back just a few minutes later and a tow truck showed up out of the blue.  Isn't it so fun when God answers prayers so fast!!  To make a long story short Matt had to leave the car in Rome where they are working on it.  He finally got to the airport, with the help of a friend and fellow missionary in Rome.  Taylor and Chance were so glad to see Matt since they had been wondering where he was for about two hours!!  They ended up taking a train back to Ancona.  We are supposed to go pick up our car next week when we go back to tour Rome with Taylor and Chance.  What a mess!!!! 

This next week will be fun because we will celebrate Taylor's 19th birthday and the 4th of July.  For the 4th our team and interns are going to the beach for the day!  We will pack a lunch and just have a good ol' time.  Then the plan is to grill hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner.  Yum!

The interns are here.  I think they are really going to do a good job this summer.  It seems that they are a pretty mature group.  Of course, with Matt and I phasing out of things here that means that we are not that involved with them.  I only see them for scheduled activities about two or three days a week.  It is still so weird to say that we are phasing out of the work here.  I mean by August first we will no longer be members of the Ancona team.  We will be full time Verona team members.....What??!!  Crazy!!!  Scary!!!!  Sometimes it is still hard to believe that all of this is happening.   Even after we are Verona team members we are going to live here in Ancona until the first of November.  We will still go to the coffee house, life group, etc. but we will go as participants...not team members...yeah...it still seems weird to me.

On another note...Josh is gone .  Without him here there is nobody to pick on me.  Funny story about that...Josh used to pick on Heidi when she was here.  Because of that Heidi always said that Josh reminded her of her brother Bobby.  Well, when the Rotert's left for home assignment guess who Josh started picking on...ME!  I told Josh one day that I could tell he missed Heidi because he was doing to me all the things he used to do to her.  That's ok we miss Josh anyway!  In happier news we are only 6 weeks and 6 days from the Rotert's coming back!!!  Yeah!!!!!  I really miss you Heidi!!!!  On top of that our neice Taylor and her boyfriend are coming to spend three weeks with us and it looks like they will be here a little less than 3 weeks!!!!  Good times.