Lots of photos, get ready!

It’s been a mixed up week. The professors over our internship came so we traveled around Romania a bit! Goodness gracious, it’s beautiful! This first few photos are just from a rest stop. I got out of the bus started taking as many pictures as I could! I was so happy that I started spinning with my arms out, just lovin' life! Haha then I stopped...looked over and sure enough, to Romanian workers were stilling not far away and looking at me like I was insane.... 

Acum e toamna da! It's fall here!

Mobile home? No, pet shop!!!

Puppy at a rest stop!

Look at that face! How can you not pet him!

 First official stop? The Blue Monastery! It’s a really pretty monastery built in the 13^th century. Apparently there was a king in Romania back then who made a deal with God that for each victory he had in battle he’d build a monastery. This was one of the many products of that deal! The whole time we were there I had Sound of Music songs running through my head.

View from the Blue Monastery Cemetery

I missed the mountains, this made me very happy!

The hills are alive with the sound of music!

 Next stop? An egg museum…. Odd for sure, but it was actually really cool. We went to the largest egg museum in I think the world…how many others are there? I have always been so proud of my Easter eggs until I came here. Some of the eggs take hours or even days to create. They’re decorated with the styles and techniques of the area they represent which was cool.

Pretty pretty pretty! This is a church by the Egg Museum

 Final stop was a salt mine. It was 10 degrees Celsius down in the mine and it smelled a little funny…but hey, it was cool. I guess people will spend time down there because the salty air is good for your lungs. They have a basketball/soccer court, a dance hall and a chapel down in the depths!

Heigh ho! Into the mines we go

This is a lake...in the mine. Apparently you row across it when you get engaged to announce it publicly... 

Mine tracks

 On Friday, instead of going to Moldova, the group went out to our facilitator’s parents’ house in the country about an hour drive from town. They’re almost completely self-sufficient, plus they’re some of the cutest old people I’ve ever met!

Romanian cellar, pretty legit!

Cute little garden

"There's a drop off there, be careful!" Haha ok...

This is actually pretty normal to see even in the outskirts of Iasi

Mooo!!! This little sweetheart is a week old

Kitty!! It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!

Fresh Romanian milk mustache

 K, back to what y’all really want to hear about…the kids! Last week I lost three of my kids at the orphanage. The two older girls went to an orphanage for older children and one of my little girls went out to a satellite apartment (the apartments help prepare the children for placement in the foster care system). I was sad to see them go, but I think in all cases it is a good move for them so that makes me less sad. Since I’m my mother’s daughter (and thus I cry a lot), it was a good thing that with the older girls I didn’t know that they were leaving until a few hours before. They sung songs for everyone in a good bye performance that I didn’t know was their good bye. Since I didn’t know, I was just smiling so big watching my two beautiful girls. This week I got three new kids, all were originally in Room 5 so I do know them a bit. They’re all really cute! The new little boy came over to me on Monday, tapped me the shoulder and gave me a big hug!
Oh oh oh!! I have to tell you about this! One little boy I'm working with is ten years old and has severe cerebral palsy. He probably won't ever be able to walk because his legs are twisted and he can't really move them. However, he can move his arms when he tries really hard. I work with him on stretching most days, but today I got him out of his chair and put him on his stomach on the mattress. Then I would sit a foot or so away and call out to him "hai la mine!" (come to me!) Other interns have done this with him, but I'd never done it with him before. It was tough for him but he did it! He used his arms to pull himself to where I was. I was so excited!
So the orphanage has been going well and so has the hospital! I have one little girl who I visit each day I'm at the hospital and she's started calling us "mai fetele", my girls. She was asleep last Friday when I stopped by the first time and when I came back, the nurse told me that when she'd woken up, she asked where her girls were and was upset when she found out she'd been asleep when I'd stopped by. Instead of dancing to my music like we normally do, she just wanted to sit on bed and have me hold her. I love that girl! Last week I was in the baby area of the hospital (we take turns rotating through the different areas of the hospital) and we've gotten a few of them walking! One little boy was a little shaky at the start, but now he just walks around the room on his own holding onto the cribs. Another little girl I was working with has started walking too! She can still only go about a crib length even with holding on, she's not confident enough to grab the next crib yet because that means she'd have to let go. It's amazing though to see how quickly they can pick things up and improve!
Back at the main part of the hospital I found a little angle wrapped up like a baby burrito today. He's one month old and has these beautiful dark brown eyes! That's him holding my hand :)

I love my life!!

Remember how I told you I wasn't allowed to pet dogs here? How did I ever think I could make it three months without this! This puppy dog came up to me after the hospital today. Hehehe
              

I will post again soon! Love you guys!