Summer of Hebrew

'He-brew' could refer to Nathan's tendency to make a pot of tea every time his cup empties this summer (it runs in the family!), but it really refers to the intensive summer school course Nathan has been taking for the last month and a half. Along with our friends (April, Kristin, Sandy and Joyce), and neighbours (Cam and Marcus), Nathan is taking a 7-week course that covers the Introductory Hebrew content usually taught over the academic year (2 semesters) at Regent.

He and April (a language genius) have been study-buddies, spending most afternoons and evenings with their noses in textbooks, or uttering odd gutteral sounds as they work through their vocabulary cards. Some of their mnemonics are quite amusing. They just couldn't keep straight faces when I took their picture!

The class is now in its final week, with the final exam on Friday. Everyone seems to have "hit the Hebrew wall" physically, mentally and emotionally, so your prayers for energy and focus would be appreciated. We plan to celebrate on Friday with a nice dinner and then head to Vancouver Island for a few days over the weekend (to blob out!) with April.

Even though the schedule has been heavy, we've had a bit out time out together and with friends during the month. We helped Claudia celebrate her birthday with a picnic at Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver.

Nathan's high school friend Stephen and his wife Rosie were travelling through Vancouver so we had a great evening catching up on news and meeting Rosie for the first time.

I have been working on my first ever quilt project (again). I have now made all the blocks, and I'm in the process of sewing them all together now. Here they are, laid out on our floor. (Please excuse Nath's legs in the shot... he was so busy studying I just worked around him!)

Our little friend, Synova, celebrated her first birthday this past week too. The last time you saw her she was only a few days old!

Otherwise, we have been enjoying the summer weather. We have picked blackberries from behind the empty house next door; we've found some yummy fruit at the greengrocer and market (plumcot or yellow tomatoes anyone?); and only had the umbrellas out once!Vancouver hosts a fireworks competition each summer, so we watched a couple of evenings from the beach near our place, and enjoyed the entry from the USA and the finale night.