Dunlap!
Memorial Day weekend we spent in Dunlap with our friends from church, Will and Sarah and their kids. Dunlap is the little town east of Fresno that boasts a Greek Orthodox women's monastery, the Monastery of the Life Giving Spring. We had talked about the monastery and visiting with Will and Sarah and others at church, but felt... kind of nervous. We did want our girls to see this part of Orthodoxy and make visiting monasteries part of our life. We just didn't know what to expect and how to do it. We joked that monasteries should have beginner weekends, but luckily Will and Sarah so kindly guided us through.
It was great! It is a beautiful monastery, and the nuns were easy to approach and talk to and we got to eat with them after the Divine Liturgy and walk around. I didn't get pictures at the monastery, oddly, but wanted to write a bit about it anyway.
We had a great weekend hanging out as families, also.
Tractor rides!
Swimming in the hot tub, hours of easy fun.
We visited Pine Flat Reservoir and splashed around.
Sarah and Lydia:
Eating our picnic lunch.
Will and Willie, and Calvin.
Some action shots of the lake:
Will someone get this confounded hat off of me already?
The Ballet Recital
On June 1st, Adessa and Eliana debuted on stage with Agape Dance Academy. Oh my goodness, I thought the process leading up to the recital was going to put me over the edge. Though we teetered near the edge, in the end it was almost completely worth the stress of practices and rehearsals and sewing costumes and disorganized dance disasters. The girls were SO proud and SO excited. They did great, fine,and followed along with their little dance, and were adorable and sweet. Right after performing Adessa said over and over: "I want to do it, again!" Hopefully she just meant that she wished she could do the same dance again (like they had in dress rehearsal), and not that she wants to become deeply embroiled in ballet classes so she can spend years and years of our lives doing dance recitals like these.
Gwennie was in the recital, too, thankfully, as Kim helped with all things costume and make-up.
Getting ready.
Posing! They're obviously feeling like stars.
Watching the big girls at the dress rehearsal.
Hanging out before the show with Madrina Romina and Auntie Lolo.
They had quite the cheering section, Aunt Deborah and Uncle Dan came, and Eliana's godparents, the Saads, Auntie Lolo, and Romina. So fun. The girls knew it was a big deal.
Once they were all dressed, we weren't sure if they could sit through the show with us until it was their turn, but they were riveted and completely captivated by the other dancers.
June 13th, Last Day of School.
Adessa's last day of school, with her wonderful teacher, Mrs. Purtscher. Mrs. Purtscher is such a nurturing, supportive, gifted teacher, and Adessa loved her and loved kindergarten. Everything big that happened in Adessa's life this year she has immediately wanted to report to Mrs. Purtscher. With 24 kids doing the same thing--retelling the minutia of their lives-- Mrs. Purscher has infinite patience and graciousness.
Getting her "All About Me Book" read by Mrs. Purtscher.
Singing songs for us, made me teary: my girl is so earnest!
Adessa with her kindergarten friend Melissa, at the last day party. Melissa's mom, Maria has become a surprise friend for me. We get together for playdates while I practice my Spanish with her, and sometimes we remember to speak English together to help her learn more English. Melissa has an older sister, Aurelia, who takes care of the bunch of them, and the girls play together so well and have such fun while Maria and I talk. In both languages. Super fun. Melissa and Aurelia named their chickens "Eliana" and "Annea", which is a high compliment for our girls.
Swimming Lessons
Daddy came to swim with Annea on his day off.
Adessa kicks! Eliana plays!
Adessa and her teacher, Flipper, with the thank you card Adessa made.
Eliana and her teacher, Dori.
My mom's birthday was July 1st, and I made it through in a detached and determined way. I am now gritting my teeth and pushing through this year. Somehow it feels like the "firsts" are the worst, exhausting, and once we get through a year we can process it all in a different way? Not sure about that, just know that I'm tired of firsts. With 20 zillion people in our family, there are so many firsts with birthdays alone, beyond Mother's Day, Father's Day, and holidays, and I am tired of being sad in new ways for the different people who are missing her on their special day. It is still mind boggling that she is gone, flabbergasting, inconceivable, unbelievable. It still does not seem like a very good idea of God's, but it must be. Life goes on.
On the seventh day of our eight-day-swim-lesson session, Adessa lifted her feet off of the bottom of the pool and swam. It was monumental, a long awaited moment and there was much cheering and yelling (by me, mostly!) She holds her nose with one hand, leaving only one hand free to paddle, but the girl is swimming and I'm so glad. Eliana is floating while holding on to the steps and I think Adessa's success has been a significant set back for her. We'll try to get them into more separate classes next session. Eliana's still having fun, most of the time, just not remotely into the swimming or splashing part of swimming lessons.
And, in related accomplishments news, Annea has taken her first steps! Her very first step every in the world was on her 14 month birthday, June 29th. She really got going, though, making lunges for one or the other of us on Mom's birthday, July 1st. So cute. She's very proud of herself.
