Primăvară este pâna la urma aici!

      So another reason I know I should keep up with this thing better, is because I forget everything so fast!  I'm trying to think back on the past 2 weeks, and only the pictures really remind me of what I've done.  So hopefully I'll remember as I write!


      Lessons, lessons, lessons, as usual.  There are days when I just get frustrated because I make so many stupid mistakes, and there are other days where I feel more confident in my speaking.  I try to go throughout my day thinking "Hmm how would I say that in Romanian?" and I feel like even my thinking out sentences is getting a little faster!  I guess my pronunciation and accent must be getting a little better, because I haven't had anyone switch to English automatically at McDonalds for a while, and the guy at the shaorma place I frequent was surprised that I didn't know Romanian fluently when he was trying to flirt with me haha.  I'm just so "ready" to get to camp & really see how far I've come & how I can form better relationships with the kids by being able to speak their language, not just pointing with a dumb look on my face.  


      Last weekend was the 1st weekend in a while that it actually felt like spring in a while.    I definitely took advantage of that and was outside pretty much as much as possible.  On Saturday, Jenny & I woke up early and went to the BCA rummage sale, but didn't have much success.  After getting a shoarma for lunch, we headed to a high school down the road from me where David Luca had a handball game.  It was my 1st team handball game I've ever seen & I really like it!  It's like ultimate frisbee with a ball!  A bunch of us Alfa Omega people were there to cheer him on & they dominated the other team.  Afterwards, we explored the high school a bit, and then Jenny & I took off for Herastrau Park.  We initially wanted to get bikes at the park, but we ended up renting a hidrobicicleta (paddle boat!)  for only like $3/hour!  We are def doing that all the time now.  It was like just one of those perfect days, and we enjoyed the interesting outfits people choose to wear, laughing at the guys who wanted pictures with us riding the giant turkey, seeing how fast we could peddle on our boat, watching people dance with the decked out Native Americans, and eating doughnuts with chocolate, a deep-fried potato on a stick, and ice cream cones for dinner! :]

That's David shooting the ball at his handball game!

Greeen!

The parks are PACKED! It's so wonderful!

Our favorite clothing choice of the day.  Leg warmer  jeans?

On our hidrobicicleta!

Amazing appetizer of gogosi with chocolate!

Only in Romania.... the Native Americans are everywhere!

Pretty much one of the best inventions ever.  Deep fried swirly potato on a stick!

And for dessert... inghetata!

      Sunday was Hannah Graef's birthday so we had a mini party that was more like a special dinner after church.  And you would never guess what was so special about it... but, we had mac and cheese with the cheese packets from a box!  Yeah can't get Kraft mac & cheese here so we got the blues! haha  After we vegged out on the couch after consuming way to much food (as usual when I go to Gela's house), Tom, Jess & I pumped up the tires in the bikes and rode them to Tineretului Park where we met up with the Alfa Omega gang for the summer version of Sala de Sport.  The guys rent a fenced in soccer field, and us girls watch & socialize!  


      On Monday... drum roll please!.... I GOT MY VISA!!  We waited about 2 weeks after they said it would be in, to have more a chance that it might actually be there, and to our surprise it was!  It's good for 5 years so I'm thinking I've gotta make the most of all that paperwork, standing in lines, and money! ;)   Just kidding and don't worry I'm still coming back...eventually, but who knows what God's got in store!   Actually I have been thinking about staying longer than my original Sept. 6th date.  I will be at camp until a couple days before that, and I will just not be ready to go back that soon afterwards!  Also, I might be able to get in on Alfa Omega's 3rd missions trip to Turkey, which will be sometime in September!  And as long as I'm of use for a couple more weeks, it's a whole lot easier to stay than to come back!  I mean I'm coming back, Lord willing, at some point, but probably not as soon as I'd like.  Tom thinks it's a good idea and keeps telling me that he can get me an ABWE application to be able to officially join their team haha. 

FINALLY!! I'M LEGIT WITH MY LEGITIMATII! 

The pics better than I was expecting since I couldn't smile!

     I got to go back to the baby hospital finally this week!  There aren't any short term trips this week, so I got to go on Monday and Wednesday!  I missed my babies and I'm hoping that although there will pretty much be teams for the rest of the summer, they'll let me come help out for the next couple weeks until camp!


      My time as an art teacher poser is coming to an end!  I really don't like to think about it, because I've gotten to know those kids & I love getting to hang out with them every week, but next Thursday will be my last time with them!  Last week we just worked on finishing the projects they may not have had time to finish in the class time.  This week we got to play with clay & once again I loved seeing their creative minds at work!  Next Thursday after school will be our art show where their parents can come to see their masterpieces!  

Hmm wonder where she gets her artistic abilities... 

Luana is so precious :]

I'm sure gonna miss those crazy kids!

Lavi made a banana! Love it!

Oh Rose Postema... she make a dog peeing, a sign that says "Don't eat yellow snow," and a man eating the yellow snow...

Johnny made a sweet erupting volcano!

      So that's the recap of what I've been up to lately!  Some prayer requests would be that I would be prepared for camp which is coming up in a month, that my Romanian speaking would continue to improve and get faster, that God would continue to direct my footsteps and my decisions about staying longer, and that as it's getting busier and busier I will still keep God #1!