Girls on the Run, Gymnastics Pre-Team!

We had an active Saturday with Fer and Chris running the Spring Girls on the Run 5K, and Wendy doing her final try-outs for the gymnastics pre-team at the Y. So proud of Fer finishing 3 minutes under her time in the fall, and Wendy making the pre-team which will start in September. We celebrated after with some well-deserved frozen yogurt!

Fer Visits the City of Brotherly Love!

The traditional 5th grade end of year trip at Clinton is to Philadelphia. It is a really big deal, with 3 coach buses, special t-shirts, and a day of sightseeing at historical and cultural sites in Philly. Fer loved the day and learned so much. It was an amazing reminder of how much her English and fluency have progressed to hear her hold forth at length about all the interesting doings, including taking a buggy ride, seeing the Liberty Bell, visiting the Jewish Museum, and checking out the room where the Constitution was written (or ratified, I can't remember! But she does.) Below, pictures with her good friend Chelsea and also with the wonderful Ms. Hanley, who has been the girls' ELL teacher for the past two years.

Mother's Day 2013

Wendy's Art Show

The girls' school does a 4th grade Artist-in-Residence program, and this year the chosen artist did some amazing pottery projects with Wendy's class and the two other 4th grade classes. Once all the work had been fired and prepared, the students hosted a gallery walk for parents with their work on display. Each child had made a mask and a pot, and there was such beauty and variety among the pieces. It was really fun to see Wendy and her friends so excited about what they had done. And Papi enjoyed trying on Wendy's mask once she brought it home!

Reunion with Manuela

We were so excited to have the chance to reconnect with Manuela, our wonderful adoption representative! She was visiting our agency from Colombia and there was a reception to welcome her. She couldn't believe how much the girls had grown in 3 years!



Just for a little perspective, here is one from January 2010, taken right after our Integration meeting at ICBF.

Family Retreat at Camp Johnsonburg

We loved going on retreat with some other families from our church to Camp Johnsonburg, the Presbyterian camp where the girls attended last summer. We had a wonderful time playing games, hiking (and getting lost, and finding our way again two and a half hours later!), doing the zip line (all of us except the smallest two), boating, fishing, cooking out, and generally enjoying Creation.

Games in the Lodge:




The Adventure Hike:




Fun on the Lake:



Group Pictures:

A Coconut for Spring

One taste that the girls seem to really miss from Colombia is coconut. We have tried several times to buy a coconut at the supermarket, but haven't really followed through. Until Wendy went to the store with Papi, saw a coconut which he agreed to buy, and when she got it home she managed with a hammer to break it open, much to her and Fer's excitement. Here they are, enjoying a little coconut as the first taste of Spring.