Very welcome on Easter Sunday

We were invited  by the Hooijngas, for Easter Dinner.   They live in a farmhouse that was built in 1920 and Ben is just coming out their front door.  No, he has not grown taller, the doorway is actually very low.  They used to build them that way because heat rises and this way all the heat in the house does not escape when the door is opened.  Kind of cute but it takes a little getting used to.

The family who owns this home have been great friends.  Their daughter Meiske is one of our JoVOs.  Their son David is married to the girl in the purple shirt and the person in front in the turquoise skirt used to be her father but is now her mother, or wait, she also has a mother so... well you know what I mean. A very nice person.

People have always been welcome in their home and most of them never leave.  Menda the woman in the black skirt moved in after her divorce 20 years ago.  A young mentally challenged young man of 28 has been living with them since his mother kicked him out of her home 11 years ago, and the woman/man lives there also because she had no other place to go.  Monique, the woman way back in the striped dress has know them for over 25 years and lives about 3 Kilometers away but she and her husband and children actually have a room upstairs if they want to stay.  When Sister Hooijnga goes to Ireland to visit her daughter, Monique and her family just move in to take over the cooking.   She has actually started cooking the meals every Sunday because Sister Hooijnga has M.S.  She can still get around quite well with one crutch but is really worn out most of the time.  She is also the Relief Society Pres. In Groningen so she is very busy.

They have always had cats who love drinking out of the fish bowl.  One of the fish will come up and kiss the cat.  I told you that this was a very friendly family and even the animals have caught on.

Actually Sister Hooijnga's older sister Beppie sometimes tended me and my brothers while we were living in Rotterdam.  (Their father was married four different times and just plain had bad luck with wives). Beppie wanted to come to Utah so my parents found a very nice family who was willing to sponsor her.  One night shortly after she came over and moved in with this family, Beppie called my dad and told him to come and get her "right now".  Apparently the reason for sponsoring her was to have her become his second wife.  He believed in the practice of polygamy.  Needles to say.  She never returned to that home again.   I know what you are thinking.  "What a soap opera"  Yup,  "The days of our lives"   We had a great day.  Marvelous people and great conversation.   Happy Easter