The repetitive details of being human beings are the most interesting ones. When do we wake up on Saturday mornings? How do we get the laundry done and keep everyone clean? What do we eat for dinner? How do we keep our kids busy on weekends? What does our family do, with the goal of remembering the good parts?

May is a holiday month full of long weekends in Bulgaria, and with our upcoming move, all of of us just wanted to stay close to our Sofia home. The weather is lovely and with Evan here, the boys have a constant friend. We’re nicer to each other too, in that weird way that makes people nicer when friends are around! On Saturday mornings, Mike and I walk to get coffee and do the grocery shopping early before the crowds. The boys play basketball at school on Sundays, and I go hiking to listen to podcasts and see the new waterfalls made by the rain. It was a beautiful month, not a blur. Here is our memory picture book:

S’mores and grilling what’s left in the freezer, on Saturday nights with the neighbors.

King Charles and his Coronation. I made a blueberry tea loaf.

Some Eve Things

Sapareva Banya

Hiking

Jake’s Volleyball Tournament

Eli’s Swimming

Cocktail Hour

Walking Sophie, our neighbor’s dog.

Saturday Morning Bakery

Orthodox Egg Fights

Watching The Sunset from our Balcony

School Prom

Dinners with Friends (I ordered the Fairy Tale Under the Rose Hip)

Gussy Time

My lunch. That is meatball soup.

Soviet Monuments, shaped like a spaceship. This one is Buzludzha.

Sometimes the rain poured like crazy, so we watched movies and looked out the window to see the tulips Jake and Mike planted last fall. We also watched as the mountain transformed from dull gray to vibrant green, and I listened to the baby leaves during my hikes, whispering about their plans for summer. Vibrant is a nice word for life, even more so when you’re sitting still.

Sometimes I feel kinship with these small, struggling countries, who will never be trendy but have carved an identity, knowing there will always be forces more powerful than them. They’ve always worked hard, because that’s how you survive. Conquering is not the goal, but it never was.

I get it here. We love it here. Thanks goodness for Evan, and for staying home.