Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

Our zoo had a special members family night this week, so we took advantage of it.

I took these pictures from my horse.

It's been a busy week.  We've had bible school this week, so Lydia, Gyunay, and I have been plenty occupied.  Elijah and Malachi roll-roofed the chicken coop and have been doing much-needed yard work.  Nathaniel spent some of his evenings refinishing a canoe, which he is using tomorrow on a trip down a river with our brother-in-law and friends.  

Family

Neither picture is exactly a Hallmark moment, but here we all are.  Gyunay is holding our Survachka.

Bulgarian Reunion 2019

 The 2019 Bulgarian Adoptive Families Reunion is in the books.  We had a great time, and the weather was much more cooperative than forcasted. 

I do have a picture of all 6 of us, but it was taken with Nathaniel's phone, so I'll have to get him to send it to me.

Our cultural activity this year was a Bulgarian New Year's Tradition:

This is the spelling in our alphabet:

Basically, we made these wands out of sticks (dogwood) and decorated them.  Young children pat their elders on the back with the stick for good luck and are given candy or money.  All of us worked on ours together, so it was a little chaotic but fun.

It was also the first trip in our new camper.  It went great!  We really like how much bigger it is, and the beds are decently comfortable.  Nathaniel was thrilled with how well the air conditioner works.  

And I never posted that I made soap last week:

This was my first go at hot-process soap, and it went very well.  I am thrilled with it, and it was really easier than I expected.  

History Center Fun

Our History Center has a monthly free program for families.  This month, it had several activities, including games.  All of the kids enjoyed playing 9 pins.

Nathaniel called this guy the bravest man in the county because he held the punch while every kid hammered it (and sometimes him) with a wooden mallet.  Here Lydia is punching holes for her marble bag.  Gyunay made one, too.

Lydia also made this cute colonial hat.  She promptly gave it to me to hold, so I wore it for the rest of the time.

Three of the kids enjoyed candle making.  In case you're wondering, Elijah was there, too, but he was avoiding pictures and most activities - except the 9-pins.  Everyone loves 9-pins.

The kids used 100 year old grinders to take the kernels off the cob, and then put the kernels into the second grinder to make corn meal.  Malachi really got into grinding corn into cornmeal.  

And this lady helping my kids remembers all of their names, every month.  I really need to find out her name.  

Tomatoes

I am very happy to see little tomatoes on many of my plants.  I grew all of my tomatoes from seed (except for three plants from a friend, who also grew them from seed).  The one above is a new variety, Black Beauty.

The old lemon balm patch is now home to several tomatoes, and they seem to really like it.  These plants are thriving in the sunnier location.  I do still have to pull out some poison ivy from time to time, but otherwise, this bed is doing great.  You can also see the potatoes in the bags to the right.  There are some understory plants in with the tomatoes, mainly some greens, and there is a big borage plant to the left (off camera).

One thing that does concern me about the garden is the lack of bees.  Normally, my yard is swarming with honey bees, bumble bees, and the dreaded yellow jackets.  I have not seen hardly any, despite the fact that I have large swathes of clover in bloom as well as many other flowers and flowering plants.  This is not a good sign, and has never happened while we have lived here.

I am glad that Malachi and his best friend are not too old to play.  They were having quite the battle yesterday.  Meanwhile, the younger kids had many adventures, including digging for worms, fishing, chickens, and of course, the trampoline:

All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner

  “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.” 
― Julian of Norwich

I loved this book.  Although it is long, it never dragged.  This is a story of family and relationships and how we deal with hard things.  The main character, Annie, is a great lens for viewing the story of her family, which includes her estranged father, her strong mother, her vivacious older brother, both of her grandmothers, and her little brother.  Set in Michigan during the Vietnam War, this story touches on the race riots in Michigan, the war itself, and complicated family relationships.  There are many charming period details, which was nice for me, especially since this is not an era I am very familiar with.  The author weaves letters in between the narration, and I liked the format very much.  The characters were believable, varied, and well-drawn.  I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from the publisher, Revell, for the purpose of writing a review, but all opinions are my own. 

Kentucky Renaissance Fair

Yesterday, there was a break in the rain for most of the afternoon, so we headed for the Kentucky RenFaire!  Jeff joined us for a fun day.

Don't let Malachi's lip fool you; he had a great time.

Gyunay loved the misting bridge.  He probably would have played on it for an hour.  As it was, I let him play there for about 15 minutes.  Twice.

Jeff and Elijah were having a good time at the archery, so Lydia wanted to try.  Now she wants to practice at home.  Elijah was actually shooting pretty well, especially considering that he hasn't picked up a bow in a year.

And to finish off the day, Gyunay was knighted by a Viking Queen as "Sir Gyunay of Bulgaria".  She and her companion encouraged him to choose any country, so he picked the one he knows is associated with him.  It was really cute, and he loved it.  The couple was very nice, and we chatted a bit.  It all started because they were trying to take a selfie, and Jeff offered to take their picture.  It ended with the guy telling us that he is a ranked knight, and the lady knighting my son - a nice ending to a great afternoon.

 Here are some cute pictures from our quick trip to visit with family:

Book Review - Living Lies by Natalie Walters

  Natalie Walters' debut novel, Living Lies, keeps the reader interested.  I was drawn to the characters, and I enjoyed the storyline very much.  I was immediately drawn into the story.  The main characters, Lane and Charlie, seemed very real.  The author deftly  wove together the romance and suspense, as well as the tension with each character's personal issues.  The author also treats the subject of mental illness with compassion and respect in this story, and I appreciated that.  I didn't want to stop reading the book, so that's always a good sign!  I recommend this book, and I look forward to seeing what else the author writes in the future.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Revell, for a review, but all opinions are my own.

Malachi's Graduation and Etc

I now have 2 in high school!  Malachi was also awarded a new school award for problem solving and critical thinking, as well as recognition in math, science, and band.

Yesterday, the boys, Nathaniel, and I took my parents to an event at our history center.  (Lydia was camping with her girl scout troop.)  The boys learned to use hand saws.

Later in the day, Malachi and I learned how to make moccasins.  We each have finished one shoe.  I am not sure when we will finish the second, maybe after the blister on my finger heals.

And lastly, Lydia had some fun with the camera:

May Harvest Totals

May Harvest Totals

Arugula - 7 cups*

Baby Bok Choy - 5.5 cups

Carrots - 2

Eggs - 144

Onions, green - 2

Pea pods - 5 ounces

Peas, shelled - 1.3 ounces

Radishes - 19

Strawberries - 18 cups*

*I could have harvested much more arugula, but I'm the only one who currently eats it.  Also, the strawberry harvest is still going, and I know we had more than 18 cups because Lydia and Gyunay ate a bunch while outside playing, so I'd guess that the actual count is well over 20 cups.