Mother's Day and other fun

Some photos to catch up in time over the past month!  French mother's day was May 26th, and Léna had made me a gift at school - she was VERY proud.

 This is what it was:  a little heart-shaped cake.

 That day we went to church, and it was a special day that is celebrated every year at our church in Nice, related to 1832 when cholera was killing everyone.  The leaders of the city (who were also/connected to the church) pledged to build a church if the city of Nice was spared.  Hence, our church.  The White Penitents and the Black Penitents come to this mass too.  Below:  the white ones.

Part of the pledge was that every year on the same weekend, there would be a special mass with the head of the church and the head of the city to express thanks to God for saving the city from cholera.  It was on Mother's Day this year.  So, there were a LOT of people, plus the mayor.  That's him below:

 The Bishop did the mass.  The children who go to Sunday school were up on the altar with the Bishop.  See Léna, on the bottom left with the ponytail?  Also behind him was a huge choir, and an organist.  All pretty impressive.  There was a brass band too.

 After there was some traditional Nicois dancing outside.

 Back at the ranch, I found this in Estelle's room.  Barbie party.

 Playing with a new game!

 Here's Léna wearing a dress that was mine when I was 4 years old, in 1974.

 She's holding the family photo that has me wearing this dress:

 She wore it all day, even to a birthday party.  It looked so cute!

 Here's Estelle & Léna wearing dance costumes that once belonged to their cousin Alexandra.

 And here's them getting ready for Eliott's birthday party, which had a "spy" theme. 

 The party, like all of Fransiska's parties, was truly a creative work of art, extremely clever and original with everything made homemade.  I wasn't there because I was typing typing typing, but I heard all about it!

Next up, photos of the dance recital which was Friday night....