~Photos and update on life around here~

We have been  busy with the end of school, out of town guests and Basil’s lacrosse.  Now I am  busy preparing to leave for Washington D.C. next week for  the biannual Clergy-Laity Congress. We are planning to  go to D.C. a few days early. We have a White House tour, Capitol tour and tickets to the Washington monument. We also plan to go the Spy museum, the Smithsonian and Mt. Vernon.  The conference ends on July 18 then we will drive to my family in Cincinnati and then  Fr. and the boys will  go to Greece for three weeks to visit  Fr.’s parent.  Fr. parents have only meet Basil- they don’t know our other children so that will be really exciting for the kids and grandparents. Maria~Angelica and I will stay with my parents and enjoy our friends and family while the boys are enjoying Greece and Fr.’s family. I am so looking forward to the break!

Here are pictures from the last couple of weeks and some photos of our visitors. It has been so great having our friends and family visit!!

My first cousin, Sandra, one of Maria~Angelica’s two godmothers came to visit the weekend of the Greek Festival. Our friend Andreas from our first parish in London, England came for a visit- we had fun taking him to Niagara Falls and last weekend  my best friend Vivian and her family came for a visit – we had a great time and I am still working on the pictures from their visit.

Here are some pictures of the parish house.  I  recently organized the bookshelves with books and nick nacks and added some plants to the bay window in the kitchen. These are my cousin Sandra’s pictures- at times I was using her camera too.

Our Yiayia’s (Sandra and me have the same maternal grandmother she passed away two years before I was born) china cabinet. My mother had this china cabinet in her basement for years and now it is in Maria~Angelica’s room and houses all our girly nicknacks.

Maria~Angelica in the backyard on the trampoline

Basil and Maria~Angelica on the front porch. Sandra and I were waiting for the boys to come home from school. Basil had just rode his bike home and was happily surprised to see Sandra had flown in from Florida for a visit.

Fr. giving one of many church tours.

Maria~Angelica in her GAP- Greek American Princess- t-shirt.

Sandra was very kind and brought  presents for all the children and here we are at the bookstore so Nicholas could choose books to purchase with the gift card Sandra and Gary gave him.

Festival photos

Greek dancers from Toronto 

Nicholas eating a tiropita- a cheese pie and like any good Greek mother I am THRILLED to see him eat!

Maria~Angelica and Nouna Sandra at the festival

 Maria~Angelica  in her comfort zone – thumb in mouth head on shoulder- she was such a trooper. All those hours at the festival; she had such a good time dancing and enjoying the other children.

Basil and his harem…

Playing dress ups with Nouna Sandra

Andreas was here less then 24 hrs. and we managed to go to Church, have Sunday lunch at Pano’s, walk down Elmwood Ave, go to the bookstore,  visit Niagara Falls Canada, ride the Maid of the Mist, eat ice cream at Niagara Falls and have him to our house for English tea!

Fr. and Andreas outside the church.

Talking Leaves bookstore on Elmwood Ave.

The Maid of the Mist

Maria~Angelica and Jonah eating ice cream at Niagara Falls

The boys reading their new books on the steps opposite Niagara Falls.

Andreas and Maria~Angelica (she is wearing one of her favorite ballet outfits)

Notice the icon corner in the background- The icons are our patron Saints Christ (for Fr. Christos), The Mother of God (Maria), St. Basil, St. Nicholas, Prophet Jonah and the Annunciation- with the Mother of God and Archangel Gabriel (Angelica). These are hand painted icons my Uncle Tom- my dad’s brother- brought back for us, over the years, from Greece. Also the new kitchen in the parish house. I recently hung the valance and am working on a matching cafe curtain for the bay window. We are going to hang a cellular blind in the kitchen windon as well. Jonah is preparing tea for our English guest.

Basil’s lacrosse game- they have won their first two games. Nicholas passing the time nicely by working on his drawings for his comic book.

Vivian and me – Niagara on the Lake

~Lately life has been coming at my so fast I don’t have time to blog.~

We have had lots of exciting visitors over the last couple of weeks and a lot of exciting events in the kid’s lives. I have so many photos and videos to share but no time to devote to uploading them and posting them.

We are all well – school is winding down here and in a few weeks we will leave for D.C. So far we have secured a White House tour and tickets to the Washington Monument. We are all looking forward to summer and all the neat adventures that await us!

Here are a few pictures from the Greek Festival at Church.

A brief clip of Fr. Christos giving a Church tour during the Festival

My dad and Maria~Angelica walking to Church- my dad is walking so much better since his surgery.

Today is Fr.’s Birthday. May God grant him Many Years! We had a cookout and enjoyed watching the children play in the backyard. Fr. received some badly need black Rockport shoes- he was happy- it doesn’t take much!

I have had very little time for the computer. I apologize for being out of touch and not being able to respond to e-mail and pms.

In a nutshell- our annual Church festival was this weekend, life is very busy, my cousin came to visit this weekend- that was great. My parents surprised us with a visit on Memorial Day weekend- that was great! I am slowly trying to get pictures and videos uploaded of recent events.

Basil Spring Concert- A few weeks ago….