The Big Day!

July 6, 2012....The day started off with pouring rain, but by noon it had cleared up and we could enjoy the whole day as we planned.

 almost ready!

It is quite the feeling to see your daughter stand before you in her wedding dress!

Almost Ready

 

 Getting the flowers

 

 setting the tables

 practicing

 It was so wonderful to have our families get together and pray for Lindsey & Brandon's wedding and for their life together.

 proud parents

 some quiet moments

High Gear

The month of June also brought Lindsey and Brandon to us.  Oh how great it was to see them again!  With their arrival we moved into high gear as we prepared for their wedding.

June!

The month of June brought my brother and his wife for a visit.  It was so much fun to see them and give them a glimpse into our every day life.  Mostly they were a huge help as we were in full gear for the wedding, but we did also manage to find a few opportunities to do some fun things.

JSB

The month of May starts the winding down of the school year at Black Forest Academy.  One of the highlights is the Junior-Senior Banquet.  The 11th grade class hosts this banquet in honour of the graduates. 

Hard at work!

Danny is leading two worship concerts in our home church this weekend. 

 He called for a choir and people came out to practice.  Hard work but great fun!

The Market

What great fun it was to wander through the markets and see the variety of things being offered.  At first, I wondered if I would enjoy shopping at the market, but it didn't take long for the sights and sounds to draw me in.  It was so full of life.  There was everything  from fresh oranges to chicken feet and a thousand things in between.

Teaching English

I began my TESOL studies while we were in Canada last year.  I have been diligently working at completing the assignments but the last requirement required a greater effort.  I needed to teach for 20 hours in a ESL school. I chose the Cornerstone School in Uzhgorod, Ukraine and what a great experience!

 I stayed with  Dima and Nina (top left and bottom right).  What a privilege it was to get to know them and be in their home.  Their daughter Irina (bottom left) was my special friend for the whole time - she made my breakfast, and helped me with my Ukranian, and stayed up to wait for me at the end of a day with a cup of hot tea. 

 I ate great food - all very tasty.

 I made new friends in the fellow teachers and was thankful for their encouragement and help as I stepped into this new role of teacher. But the real reason I was there was for the students.  I had 45 in total  - divided into three classes.  It was great fun to get to them know and to see them learn and better their English skills.

Uzhgorod

In order to complete my TESOL certification I needed to teach 20 hours worth of English classes.  For a numbre of reasons, I ended up doing this practicum in Uzhgorod, Ukraine.  Danny has a cousin that works in a school there and I asked him if it would be possible.  Before I knew it, I was on the plane heading off on a big adventure. 

Let the Disks fly

A tradtion in our area of Germany, which probably has its roots going back hundreds of years, is to mark the end of winter and invite spring to come.  This is connected to the Lent Season somehow and usually follows "Fasching" which is like Carnival or Mardi Gras.  While we don't take part in the colourful, loud, and often rowdy festivities that lead up to lent, we do join our village in the tradition of welcoming spring.

Every village lights a HUGE bonfire on the highest hill above their town.  I think all of the tree cuttings and Christmas trees are collected for months and added to the pile.  It is as big as a house.  There are many little bonfires as well and people gather together for a fun time.  The activity of the evening is letting the disk fly...

 The little girls happily stand on the side waiting their turn.  I think they have more fun talking with each other and watching the boys, although they will all take a few turns.  For the boys, this evening ranks right up there in the best days of the year.  Fire, sticks, buring disks - can it really get much better?

 
The How to.....
First you need the disks.  These are wooden squares with beveled edges and a hole in the center.

Then you need the sticks.  They must be of hazelwood.  Danny and Jason went up the  woods to cut their sticks, feeling quite on top of this cultural event.  They walked by a group of men who commented on their sticks.  Yes, D &J said, they knew it had to be hazel wood. On their return. sticks, in hand, they passed this same group of men who asked how many people were planning to shoot off the disks.  Confused, D & J remarked, "Well, two."  This was met with a huge burst of laughter.  Even more confused Danny asked and discovered that every person needs AT LEAST 4 sticks!  So much for their pride.

Then you put the disk on your stick and place it in the fire.  When it is nicely glowing it is ready.

While you wait for your turn at the ramp, you keep your sticks held high, waving them slightly to keep them glowing.

 

ANd then it is time to take aim, and fire.  The disk should hit the ramp at just the right angle.  When done right the disk flies off of the stick and goes soaring into the valley below.  This takes a fair amount of practice to get it right and it is so fun to see the older men teaching the young ones.  Every boy wants to hear the approving "whoa...gut!!" after his disk has been fired.

Jason has had a few years practice and can hold his own pretty good.  He got a few approving comments.