Jonesberries

Rock on Christmas is over and done with. The warehouse is bare and ready to get the partially restored cars back inside. We had a great time! All of us worked so hard. Havent got all the technology and adapters and readers back together to be able to post pictures.

Photos: I will give you some of my favourite in word pictures since I am technologically challenged today. Lizzy and Alana shimmying up the poles of a bilboard to put up some Rock on Christmas posters – and arrows! All the jamming together – playing instruments together and singing as easy and profound as talking together. Sam, Donald and Alana in the “mosh pit”. All my kids but one on stage with the rapper. TJ and Hannah asleep next to the food stalls with heavy metal music blaring. Dang, was it loud. Many of us without voices and exhausted but what a great honour to be part of this festival. What amazing, selfless, crazy people those musicians were. How great to meet them. To see the older “father” musicians encouraging the younger ones and it warms my mother’s heart to see the impact they had on my kids.

Tip: Not exactly a travel tip. If you ever decide to plan and help with a heavy metal festival with your family ensure you have enough good quality earplugs for your family and some friends. It prevents the need to stick rolled up serviettes (napkins) in your ears when you are overcome with the reality and internal monologue of, “Dang, this is loud. I dont remember music being this loud when I was a teenager. Am I really that old?”

Other news, no I am not pregnant!!! Alana will be joining us. Where will she sleep? We have several ideas, not sure what we will go with. We love Alana. We have known her for about 4 years and she seems just crazy enough to travel with us for a while. I was going to find one of our old pictures of her but cant even get my act together enough to that.

We are going to go to a campground now with our extended family as is our family tradition after a festival to rest and regather.

We went to Lisbon area, Cascais, for an unexpectedly long time. We hung out with american missionary families and had our truck worked on.

Had some time to sew a new invention called a hotdog to organize our tents. Our truck was gone for almost a month for repairs.

Abi is sewing and Hannah is on the handcrank.

Abi and Hannah both caught fish at “Boca de Inferno” – The mouth of hell is the literal translation. Abi caught some sardines. Hannah caught a strange fish that was typically found further south in the Algarve.

Dad is taking aim at one of the wild cats that stole a fish off of the hot bbq.

Races through the dunes. Sam is in the back with Alana on his back. I think they are loosing.

The dunes made us feel like we were in “Lawrence of Arabia”. We posed appropriately.

Lots of eating. Denny and Maureen (left) always spoiling us rotten.

Making bubbles in the park in Lisbon.

Our arrival was on Easter morning getting stuck on too small of a road in the center of a small village in a Catholic country on Easter Sunday morning at the end of Mass. I experienced a major paradigm shift from being embarrassed to learning to laugh at the most embarrassing of situations. A major breakthrough in a life of unexpected experiences and adventure.

The village was full of these traditional older people. Friendly, hospitable and wonderful. Felt like going back in time.

Barbara bbqing fish from the fish van. Communal kitchen in the background. No mains anything. Had to build a fire under the bathtub to take a hot bath – or jump in the lake. The toilet…. well…. lets say it involved sawdust and a couple of long pieces of wood to sit across. Creativity that should be admired

Schooltime around the kitchen table.

TJ and Hannah spent hours on Nono the donkeys back while he grazed in the Olive grove. He is a cheeky donkey always trying to steal used coffee grounds out of the compost or put his head on your shoulder to steal a muffin from your hand.

Dad thought we needed a day in Lisbon. He dragged the whole family around the city. He had an agenda. His agenda was the Custard factory. See how happy dad is.