A wholesome weekend of wellness

This weekend was so fantastic. To start, June 1st is Children's Day. (Not just here in Romania, but internationally. How cool is that!?) So most of my activities some how revolved around that. It all started Friday when I went out to the village like I do every week and took my English Club students who are in the 5th and 6th grades to visit the kindergarten. The kindergarten isn't in the main school but a separate building about 15 minutes walk away from the main school in the village. It also has over 60 children attending this year. (Talk about a hand full. There are only three teachers.) So my and my students got everything packed up and walked there. As we were walking up the road, we could see little heads poking out around the gate to see us coming, and then they would disappear and we would hear screams of excitement. It was so cute. My students performed a play for the little ones, "The Three Little Pigs" in English. No, the little ones don't speak English, but afterwards we were quizzing them to see how much they understood and it was pretty impressive how much they got. Afterwards my students passed out candy to them and played on the play ground with them. I am so proud of them, I almost can't hold it in. Here is our club, which incidentally, the students proclaimed themselves the "Dangerous Angels" club. So here are my little Dangerous Angels:

Saturday I woke up sort of late and had to get a move on in order to meet all the LDS young single adults (and a few not so single ones) at the Botanical Gardens in Galati. We planned an activity and it turned out really well. I have been to the garden several times, but never in June (last day of May, same thing) when all of the roses were in bloom. The thing this garden is most famous for is the rose garden section, and it actually was beautiful. We walked around and took a ton of pictures. We also went to the museum/aquarium/planetarium.

This is the PCV couple, Nils and Emily, who live in Braila. She really does like him, I promise.

They are actually one of the coolest couples I have ever met and thats where they enter this weekend tale of craziness. After we were done at the garden, Nils, Emily, Tanta, and I all went back to my place for what was supposed to be a quick lunch. It ended up being about three hours. What are ya gonna do? But we had a wonderful time chatting and fixing food. I'm also starting to prepare things for when I leave and was trying to get rid of cloths in my closet. So the girls had a little fashion show trying on all my cloths.

After that we all took a maxi-taxi down to Braila and stayed the night with Nils and Emily. Braila has a little "faleza" or promenade next to the Danube river just like Galati, except the one in Galati is cooler. (But then again, I might be a little bit biased in that opinion.)

Today after church we had a linger longer, that was Sister Bryson's idea, and it was awesome. After church was over we all hung out and ate a small snack of "eggplant salad" on bread with thinly sliced tomatoes on top and cornflake-crispies. I honestly didn't think people would want to hang out after church or anything, but just like any normal human, show them food and they will stay.

After that was over we went as a Relief Society to an orphanage to give away some sweets and goodies to the kids there. Again, that was happened due to the amazing planning and execution skills of Sister Bryson and Tanta. Its pretty amazing to stand back and see what happens when they get together. The kids at the orphanage were cute. We didn't stay very long. Just long enough to wish them a happy Children's day and sing a few songs together. But it was actually perfect in its simplicity and sweetness. I have been totally inspired and uplifted by all the amazing women I am surrounded by here.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. I realized today in church that this week was going to be my last fast and testimony meeting here in Galati. Its the beginning of "the last time" here. Its so strange to realize I'm going to be leaving soon, but I am so freaking excited about my family coming and seeing all of this I don't think I have realized yet that I am going to have to say goodbye to some of these people. I guess a little denial never hurt anyone right? ;)