Hellos and goodbyes...

One of the biggest blessings of serving a senior mission is that your children and grandchildren are encouraged to visit you! All the family sacrifices during the mission experience, and it sweetened the deal being able to spend time together this summer!

We were SO EXCITED and filled with anticipation for the arrival of Lucia, Pat, Luke and Molly! Granted they came for the New Year's holiday, but a summer vacation is completely different!

Cliff was so excited for them to eat at his favorite Kebab shop under the sister missionary's apartment. Molly was talking and had grown up so much in 6 months! Her little personality is so fun and adorable!

Luke melts our hearts and we were so happy to be together again! Of course, the first stop was gelato, which happens to be next to the Kebab shop in Castellamare.

This is one very happy set of grandparents, "nonni"! I think all grandparents feel this way; we are smitten over our 5 grandchildren!!!!

They felt right at home!

It was so wonderful to be together!

Only family can stay in our mission apartment, and their little family just barely fit perfectly! Lucia says the couch bed is very comfortable!

Could we have cuter grandchildren?

Molly walking with her hands behind her back is the cutest thing ever!

She melts our hearts.

This time around, Cliff drove the rental car and I drove our mission car. This allowed Lucia to enjoy her Amalfi Coast experience. Even though she is a rock star and could totally do it, we didn't want her to have the crazy stress of driving around here. It's very different than driving in Montana.

I even painted my nails red, in anticipation of our little vacation with the kids!

Gelato was a must.

Every day.

Our little Luke is in love with Pokémon, and we were thrilled our McDonalds had Pokémon toys in the kids' meals!

We aren't typically big McDonald's fans, but it was a nice change!

We loved that Sorella Austin was STILL in Castellamare and Lucia and family could see her again! She and Sorella Demmerly had dressed up as the Befana and gave gifts to Molly and Luke when they came in January. They totally didn't put 2 and 2 together when they saw Sorella Austin again!

We love getting gelato at Mago del Gelo on lungomare in Castellamare, just down the street from the sisters' apartment. The cute workers love Sorella Austin (as does everyone), and they were also sad to see her leave.

She is SO thoughtful! She put together a "bye bye book" - of photos of our 6+ months together. December to June is a LONG time of incredible memories and experiences together. I cried as I read through this priceless gift! We love Sorella Krocher, her companion; they really put the very best missionaries in Castellamare!

We get so attached to our wonderful missionaries! We love it when we get to see them again! Sorella Demmerly and Sorella Gillins had served with us months ago and came back for a combined Zone Conference (Campania & Puglia).

Anziano Jepson is an artist, and he painted a Tuscan villa scene for the Morris's as a good-bye gift. All the missionaries signed it.

This was the last Zone Conference for both Sorella Austin and the Morris's.

Because the Castellanos were out of town, and our kids were in town, and it was hot, we ordered pizza instead of making homemade food. We do live in greater Napoli, with the best pizza in the world, so we didn't feel too badly!

Sorella Jepson was so sweet to take care of buying the stuff and making a yummy "chick salad", a regular salad, fruit and cookies.

President and Sorella Morris were INCREDIBLE mission leaders! It was such an honor and blessing to serve with them and learn from them!

Anziano Knighton (Jordan), our dear family friend also finished his mission.

Anziano Knighton was a fantastic missionary and is just a great person! He started and ended his mission in Napoli and was great for our GANS; he challenged them to read the Book of Mormon with him and finish it before he left. They all loved him (as do we) and came to see him off at the train station.

We have the most wonderful sister missionaries in our area! We absolutely love Sorella Fairbanks and Garnero (serving in Caserta), Sorella Köcher, an of course - our beloved Sorella Austin!

The impact a great missionary can have on others is incredible!

We love you forever!

We weren't the only ones with tears.

Farewell Presidente e Sorella Morris. WELL DONE!

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Mathew 25:21

We love you forever,

La Coppia Montagnoli

Martha and Cliff