CELEBRATIONS

We had a fun week!

 Sofia, Hanna, and Marko came to see Samu and his daycare friends perform a mother's day show.

 Samu performed as Hanna on the catwalk ...

 and as piano player in a children's rock band.

He danced ...

and played with balloons. 

 Although the performance was nice, the best part was going home together.

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARKO!
We had a small but beautiful birthday party for Marko: We had a long breakfast, made cake, and went for a run during lunch break. Marko got a tennis set, and we already had our first match on the tennis court right next to our house.

 Marko made a plan to grill at least every other day. Everyone loves to help with preparations.

 On Saturday, Hanna attended the School of Education graduation festivities.
Decorated with flowers = ready to go!

 Colleagues were getting dressed up and ready.

Students had decorated their caps.

 And the Dean (middle) was in a festive mood.

 The first part was a smaller ceremony for our undergrads: Graduating bachelors were getting robed.

 The second part was the a bigger convocation for all graduating education students. Here are some of Hanna's former advisees: The Modern Foreign Language Education graduates.

All MAT students (MAT = Master of Arts in Teaching)

 A sea of red.

 Colorful faculty robes presenting their alma maters.

 An excellent and thought-provoking speech by Marian Wright Edelman, who founded the Children's Defense Fund. A very impressive woman with very unsettling facts about children in poverty.

 Look at all these people! Congratulations, graduates!

 As always, the best part of the party was coming back home. We celebrated Sofia's nameday with another BBQ.

 Good night with a story for the baby doll read by Sofia!