Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Blog Name Change

Well it's finally happened......time to change the name of this blog. I thought for now I would just change it to my URL. About 1 week ago we set out from Samara and headed back Stateside. I can't believe it's been 1 whole week already! The tearful good-byes are just as fresh in my memory like it happened yesterday.

We continue to wait on the Lord's timing and direction during this transition period but for now I'll be blogging from California.


Thursday, April 18, 2013

List 3: 10 Things I'm Thankful For

Since it's Thankful Thursday today, I thought I would share some things that I have been thankful about, specifically things I have been thankfulH to experience because of living in another country.

10. Language
Even though this has been a frustration many times, I am thankful for the opportunity I've had to learn a third language. Sure, I can't speak Russian fluently and my accent is horrible but I can carry on a conversation and understand quite a bit.

9. Seasons
Having lived in Southern California for most of my life, I've never experienced 4 seasons. Yes, winter is exceptionally long here but fall and spring are beautiful. Summer can get quite hot but there's nothing like a summer thunderstorm to cool things down.

8. Health
Praise God he has kept us healthy while we lived here. We have had some incidents including Jon's kidney stone last year and Josiah even had to stay in the hospital a couple of days when he was five but overall the Lord has protected us from anything too major plus the medical care we received exceeded our expectations.

7. Safety
Now I realize that we still have a few days left until we leave but up to this point the Lord has protected us from anything serious. If you could experience how Russians drive you would be shocked to know that we have not had any car accidents in our own vehicle. The boys have not sustained any stitches, broken bones, etc. This past Sunday as we were driving home from church we saw the horrific aftermath of a taxi car that crashed into a pole. There is no way the driver could have survived that accident. Below is the picture......I wanted to take a picture as we drove right by but there were too many police and I didn't want to draw attention.



6. Special Guest Visitors
Being a part of all that is happening here has afforded us to have some special guests. Many times we've had the privilege of hosting visiting guests in our home which the kids have absolutely enjoyed. One year, John Piper even came to visit Samara!




5. Homeschooling
Putting the boys into a public school here was really not an option for our family and so we chose to homeschool. I don't know that we would have gone that route if we were Stateside but we've come to the decision that homeschooling is the route we'll take in the near future. It has been a real blessing to teach my boys and to be able to spend time with them every day. Of course we have our bad days but overall we are all blessed with this experience.

4. Sufficiency
We are so thankful to the Lord because He has provided for all our needs all the years we've lived here. We've never been in need of anything, even when the economy was at it's worst we always had more than enough.

3. Prayers
We know that we could not be here if it weren't for the many friends and family interceding on our behalf. It is so encouraging to receive a note, email, or comment letting us know that someone is praying for us.

2. Culture
I love the Russian culture......everything about it. Maybe it's because it reminds me of Hispanic culture. Living outside of the States is eye opening and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Experiencing the culture here has also made me sensitive towards foreigners when we've returned Stateside.  For the most part we have experienced very positive responses from Russian when we are out in public.....yes there have been some instances when you sense that you are not liked because you are "American" but overall people have been very accommodating.

1. God's Grace
And lastly I am so thankful for God's sustaining grace. We have been through many trials while living here and if it weren't for God's grace we wouldn't have been able to endure. His grace has indeed been sufficient!




                                     


Sunday, April 14, 2013

Week 47 : Black Magic Cake

I have been baking a ton in the last month but I just haven't been posting. I always forget to take a picture and when I remember it's all gone! This past week we had some men over for a dessert night so I tried out this pin on my Pinterest cake board. Not only did I bake black magic cake but I also made cheesecake truffles (tried and true recipe), pecan wreath coffee cake (another tried and true), and pineapple cobbler (super easy). Jon and the men had a fun evening while I hung out in the kitchen with a couple of the wives chit chatting.


Thursday, April 11, 2013

Thankful Thursday

It's been a dreary week with rain and lots of gray clouds. We have even had snow predicted for today but thankfully that forecast was incorrect. Here are some more things I am thankful for......

1. I'm thankful for the progress I am making in our packing and giving things away. Even though we have tried to live minimally, we still have a lot of stuff!!

2. I'm also grateful that the boys have been playing so well. To say that I am stressed out right now is an understatement but the boys are helping out by getting along....not perfectly but enough. They've been busy building a myriad of Lego creations.

3. I'm also thankful because Monday we had a scary situation in our apartment building that ended up being nothing. Believe it or not we had a bomb scare and were evacuated from our building. The timing with everything that happened that morning was only from the hand of God. Jojo was over at my friend Sharon's place(she lives on the floor above us) for a sleepover the previous night. My friend Heather's kids were also there for the sleepover. Heather came to pick up her two kids but wasn't allowed to enter the building because it was being barricaded so she called to tell me what was going on. As I got to Sharon's floor the firemen were already there evacuating that floor and telling us that there was a bomb on the first floor. Usually Sharon and I do not EVER answer our doors so if Heather had not come we would have been left out of the evacuation. Another blessing was that Jon was home. He is usually not home on Monday's but this day was an exception. So, we all evacuated the building. Thankfully, Heather was there to help Sharon since Sharon's husband was en route via train back to Samara that day. After an hour or so we were permitted back into the building. What happened? On the first floor of our building a "learning" grenade and "learning" mine were found. There is an office that runs a military school on the first floor and I am thinking that perhaps they left some of their learning tools out. I've got to really commend the emergency crew that showed up at our building. I think every imaginable response unit showed up. The firemen were extremely professional and courteous and they got our whole building evacuated. We have 18 floors by the way! One thought ran through my mind as I was going down the stairs that day.........I kept thinking, "Well, if this building blows up I guess I don't have to worry about packing!"



If I would have pointed the camera to the right you would be able to see all the other units that showed up.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

List 2: Ten Things I'll Miss About Samara

I can't believe it but our time here is closely coming to an end. I have quite a range of emotions right now. It all seems surreal. I am depending daily on God's grace to get me through! I know after some time I will be fine but for now it is just hard. Here are some things I will miss about living here.

10. Walking.
We do a lot of walking here. We only have one car and Jon usually has the car. Even when the car is available the truth is that I am too scared to drive here. I've only driven a hand full of times. So, instead we walk everywhere. It's really great exercise. Even though I admit I sometimes can get tired of the amount of time it takes to do something, but for the most part I enjoy it.

9. Transport
In addition to walking we also take a lot of transport. Mainly we travel by tram or a marshrutka which is a big van. Jojo prefers the slower pace of the tram while Nathan prefers the fast and super bumpy ride of a marshrutka. Often times we also travel by bus or even a trolley bus. In Samara I have only used a taxi three times. It's quite adventurous for me to travel by transport....I don't know why but it just is. In California I have only used public transportation twice in all the years I've lived there but here in Samara riding public transportation is a necessity.
When we first moved to Samara we lived on a street with
a tram line. The noises of the tram running would wake
us up around 5:30 every morning.




8. Slower Pace Of Life
I think most people who have been overseas can really relate to this one. It just seems like everything is so fast paced in the States. If you go to a restaurant here you are allowed to sit and dine as long as you would like. Jon has sat in a restaurant in meetings for close to 4 hours. The waiters won't bug you. Also when we are out walking we just enjoy the walk. The kids stop and explore and if we're not heading somewhere I just follow their lead. Sure there are periods where we are overwhelmed with a lot of responsibilities but for the most part we are able to have a slower pace.

7. U Palicha
U Palicha means handmade or literally "from the fingers". They are a company with several cafes and one restaurant. They also have stores where they sell their food products, chocolates, desserts, and cakes. They make our favorite cake and you can bet we'll be buying a couple to eat before we leave. Their restaurant is amazing and they make the very best soup I have ever tasted. I plan to go at least once if not twice before we leave.

6. Tulips
Every year around the end of April and beginning of May the tulips begin to appear. It is a for a brief period of time since they don't last too long. I look forward to it every single year. I try to buy as many as I can, especially when they are really in bloom because they are so cheap. There's a memorial close to where we live with blooms of beautiful red tulips but I think we may miss it this year. Jon says that he walked by there the other day and the tulips are just barely beginning to come through the soil.

Jojo by the tulips in 2008



5. Victory Day
This is my favorite holiday (aside from Easter and Christmas of course). On the 9th of May, Russia celebrates their victory over Germany putting an end to World War II. This period of history is one of my favorites and so I think that is why I enjoy the holiday so much. We usually go out as a family to  a square where military hardware is displayed and veterans of the war walk around with their medals pinned on their coats. I cry every time........I'm sentimental that way. Sadly we will leave before May 9.

4. Long Summer Days
Summer days last forever in Samara. When Russia participated in the time change it would still be light outside around 11:00 pm. I remember once being outside on a walk with some friends and losing track of time because it was so light out.

3. Babushkee
I will definitely miss all the sweet babushkee (grandmas) we have had the privilege of getting to know at church. For some reason the Lord has given me a heart for them. We've also expressed to the boys how important it is to honor them and try to encourage them.

2. The Market
The "rinok" or market is probably one of my favorite places to go. I have often blogged about it and how much I enjoy the market culture. I've been faithful to my vendors and I'll definitely miss my Saturday morning routine. I only have a couple of Saturdays left to go there so I am hoping to get some photos with a couple of the vendors......we'll see if they oblige.

1. Friends
I've made some amazing friends here. They are absolutely what I will miss the most. I knew the day would eventually come when it would be time to say goodbye but obviously one can never be too ready. My heart is broken about leaving mainly because of the friends I'll leave behind.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Armenian Bread

Last week we enjoyed a delicious Armenian dinner at our friends' home. The dinner was served with some delicious bread and I knew I just had to learn how to make it. When I asked my friend for the recipe she said she couldn't really give me a recipe but she could show me. 
Sweet family!





I asked my friend if she would mind showing me and a few other ladies how to make the bread and she was happy to! So, yesterday a few of us got together and we had a lesson in Armenian bread making.




The bread came out great and tasted absolutely delicious. When we were at my friend's home last week, Josiah had about 6 pieces of this bread. He was so happy that I learned how to make it. Before my friend came over I asked Josiah if he wanted to learn how to make the bread and he said no, he just wanted to eat it.  I think I have had my carb intake for the year!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Thankful Thursday

Guess what? It's like overnight spring just sprang on us. On Monday it was cloudy, rainy, and cold. Then Tuesday the sun was out and it was warm......warm enough to get rid of all our winter gear. Which of course makes me thankful for....

1. Warmer and sunnier weather! It's amazing what the sun can do to your spirits.

2. I'm also thankful for understanding friends who are encouraging me as we transition. I knew that when April arrived that our time would fly here.

3. I'm also grateful for the progress I am making in packing and giving things away. At times it seems daunting but in all honesty it is going real well.

And lastly I am thankful for my husband. I had to make a run to the grocery store last night and when I came back he washed and dried all our dishes! It's little things like that that brings a smile to my face.

Oh, and one more last thing. It's really a "Josiahism" but it made me thankful for the funny moments in our schooling. Yesterday in our grammar lesson we had to use a thesaurus. Of course Josiah didn't know what a thesaurus was and the whole time I was explaining about it to him he was giving me a blank stare. He then said, "Well, where's the picture of this dinosaur?" I was like, "What are you talking about?" He said, "You know, the thesaurus dinosaur!"

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Easter Sunday

This year we celebrated Easter by the western calendar. It was sort of weird going to church on Sunday and not celebrating the resurrection of Christ in church. Nonetheless, we did our best to make Sunday feel like Easter.

 The boys were excited for our day's festivities.





Getting ready for our indoor Easter egg hunt. We 
talked about how this was our last indoor Easter
egg hunt in Russia and that hopefully next year
 we would be doing this outdoors!





It doesn't take make to make the boys happy. I 
don't really go over board with their baskets
but they sure are enjoying all the treats and 
surprises.




Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Sun and Bikes

This past weekend the sun was out and even though it was a bit cool outside the boys begged us to take the bikes out.



Thankfully the boys remembered how to ride their bikes. It's 
been about five months since they have been bike riding.




The babushkee were out in full force going on their strolls. I 
actually had a babushka ask me to help her get across
the dirty snow....Jon said I did my good deed for the day.


 

The mamarazzi was also out in force......Nathan had enough at this point.