Dear Friends:

While I'm in between overseas trips I thought I'd send out an update on our lives. We've had an amazing several months and are gearing up for several more!

I'll work backwards by months...
September Events:
September 19-22 - we were involved with the Kentucky Folklife Festival, especially the new teacher-training component
September 13 - Production date at Kentucky Educational Television, for their new Dance DVD teacher resource that I'm featured on
September 6 - I returned home from an 18-day trip to Mexico, studying traditional dance, and it was awesome!!

Grocery shopping in Mexico City was a learning experience

August Events:
August 20 - I left for Mexico
August 14 - all three girls got a LOT of hair cut off for Locks of Love!
August 12 - my niece, Melissa, married her sweetheart Vito. Lydia & Isabel were flower girls and I sang a song at the wedding, and of course I made all three of our dresses!
August 3 - we closed up our homeschool unit on the Rainforest by throwing a big, rainforest-themed birthday party for the girls

July Events:
Lots of fun work, including an artist retreat for the Kentucky Arts Council, a performance for Kentucky's Governor's Scholars, and Alfredo doing a mural project for the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights

June Events:
Great times at John C Campbell Folk School, the Kentucky Academies for Arts & Humanities, and our church's Vacation Bible School, plus Alfredo took a lovely trip back to Chile to introduce his twin brother to the family we found last year.

"Tio Alfredo" with nieces Coni and Suzy in Chile

"The Escobar Girls" after a big donation to Locks of Love in August 2007

Lydia & Isabel ready to be flower girls in early August

Spring Events:
School residencies in the Spring of 2007 included visits to East Bernstadt Elementary School, the Mountain Arts Center, the Lexington Philharmonic (I was their Special Guest for their educational concert series this past spring!), The Explorium in Lexington, Paint Lick Elementary School, Estill County Middle School and Estill Springs Elementary School, Clay County Schools, Clearfield Elementary School, South Christian Elementary School, Pulaski County Schools, Whitley Central Primary, Scott County Schools, and Russell County Schools.

Besides school visits in the spring, Alfredo had a great time translating for a group of businessmen from Argentina that were working with a firm in Danville, Kentucky. We also did a couple of radio appearances, coordinated the Mountain Folk Festival at Berea College, helped with the Easter drama at church, and participated in Lydia's gymnastics class and Isabel's preschool experience at church.

Lydia at her Danish Gymnastics show in May

Winter Events:
The Florida tour was great again, and included performances across the state. We keep our friends there in our prayers now as they deal with another season of storms.

 "Songs of My Childhood" is still the latest CD, although there are a couple of new ideas in the works! Keep your eyes peeled for something new in the next several months...