San Diego: Part 1

San Diego is one of our favorite towns in California. There's so much to do there plus it's usually a bit cooler than Los Angeles. Since we got annual passes to Legoland last year we decided to head out that way for a little getaway plus the boys just love Legoland.

We left right after morning service for our little road trip. We stopped off at a rest area just 20 minutes shy of Carlsbad where we chowed down our lunch. We then changed into our swimsuits and headed out to Legoland Water Park......sorry but no pictures because I didn't want to tote my big camera.

After the water park we checked into our hotel, changed, and headed out to dinner. 

I don't think you need an explanation of the above picture.

Thankful Thursday

This week I'm thankful for.......
1. The opportunity we had to get away last week as a family. Things are going well living at my mom's for now but it was nice for it to be just "us"!

2. I'm also grateful for sermons in English. I had an awful time trying to follow sermons in Russia when we lived there so I have to confess that it's pretty amazing to be able to understand every single word of a sermon. Right now I'm feeling like a sponge and soaking it all in.

3. I'm also thankful for all that the Lord is teaching me right now.....such as patience and trust.



Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

 

What We've Been Up To

Last week was a fun and busy week for us. It started of with a mini-vacation trip to our favorite spot......San Diego! After Sunday morning service we headed out to enjoy a 4 day get away, but San Diego deserves a post of it's own.

Legoland was the major reason why we went!



We returned in time to attend my niece's graduation the very next day! I can't believe my niece Rachael graduated from High School. She deserves a post of her own too.

On Saturday Jojo completed his second swimming class. I've been wanting him to take lessons forever and we found a private teacher who is amazing and so patient with him. He loves his lessons and is excited to learn how to swim.

I even had a chance to go yard saling with my sister Monica on Saturday. Even though I mainly go to accompany her, I have found some great deals.

What We've Been Up To

Sad news everyone........my niece's Jr. High "B" volleyball team lost the championship game last week. Even though the boys and I had fun attending all her games.....we're kinda glad they're over!

Last Tuesday we went to the park and met up with our friend and former teammate from Samara at the park along with her two cute kiddos. She did her research and found out that Dearborn Park in Northridge was one of the best parks of the valley. So, we had to go check it out. The playground at the park was actually quite amazing. There is one fun thing after another for the kids to do.

I was able to attend the last Every Woman's Grace (ladies group at our church) luncheon. It was a great time and I really enjoyed the fellowship. These ladies are in the table that faithfully prayed for our family all the years we were in Samara. I feel like I already know them thanks to all their notes and emails.

Of course there were also dentist appointments......thankfully it was for the boys and not myself. My sister and I also had a yard sale at my mom's. She recently moved so she had quite a bit of stuff to get rid of plus Jon and I went through our shed and also had some extra stuff.

It's been a long and busy week but I'm thankful for the Lord's sustaining grace each and every single day!

Thankful Thursday

We've been in California now for 3 weeks! It seems like forever and hard to believe at times.

1. Today I'm thankful because Jojo and Nathan did so well at their dentist appointments. Nathan had a cavity filled and Josiah had sealants put on 4 molars. We are so thankful for our dentist and his staff. They are a real blessing. I was just thinking today that the last time Nathan went to the dentist it was 3 months ago in Samara. Our dentist in Samara had moved so we had to go in a taxi who dropped us off in a maze of buildings and left us to find the building on our own. It was also snowing quite a bit and on the way home I took the wrong bus! Crazy how things have changed.

2. I'm also grateful for the opportunity I am having now to learn patience and trust. Jon continues to search for a job and right now we seem to be in a holding pattern. I was just thinking the other day how sometimes I feel like I am being "observed" by others and how my sinful reactions could negatively affect others. Of course I don't want to be led by what others think but in a way it's a source of accountability for me. Overall I have to say that I have a real peace and I know it's because so many of our friends are praying.

3. I'm also thankful because on Monday I had a wonderful lunch with two dear friends. It was a great time of encouragement and I am so blessed by their friendship!

In The Kitchen

I'm having fun trying out some new recipes. This time I tried out a recipe from a Gooseberry Patch cookbook. As I was mixing everything I thought it would taste real plain but it was delicious! It tasted even better the following day.

Honey Bun Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs beaten
3/4 c. oil
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. pecans

Mix first 4 ingredients well. Pour into a greased 13" x 9" baking dish. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Swirl into batter. Bake at 300 degrees (I thought the temperature was too low but it baked well) for 40 to 60 minutes. Check at 40 minute with a toothpick.

Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1 t. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and pour over warm cake.

What We've Been Up To

Last week was a busy week for us. The boys and I restarted school again. Jojo has about 4 weeks left of school so we had to get back on track. Of course the first few days were a bit sluggish but hopefully this week we'll persevere.

I also introduced the boys to the public library! It was a real treat for them.

Jojo even got his very own library card!


On Thursday all of us went to see the dentist and in the afternoon I continued my saga with my tooth and saw the endodontist.........no fun! My treatment isn't finished yet and now there may be a chance that I have to get that tooth extracted.


Of course it was Mother's Day weekend.........I hope any mommies reading this had a great Mother's Day! On Saturday I went to a mother and daughter lunch at church put on by the Spanish ministry. It was a real nice time.

Both of my sisters and two of my three nieces also went. I wanted to take more pictures of all of us afterwards but my eldest sister got a call from her husband that his car had been broken into and she needed to help him out.

Sunday afternoon we celebrated Mother's Day at my mom's home. My mom made some Argentine empanadas, my sister made a salad, and I took care of dessert of course.

 Mother's Day weekend was a hot one........temperatures were in the low 100s! I'm hoping the summer won't be this hot otherwise I see a lot of beach days in our future.

In The Kitchen

Cooking and baking are a lot easier being Stateside........especially when it comes to taking shortcuts. One of the first desserts I made was a Key Lime Pie. This has always been one of my go to recipes for a quick and simple dessert.

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:
 1 graham cracker crust
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tub of Cool Whip (thawed in refrigerator)
1/2 cup of lime juice

Use a mixer and mix the lime juice and sweetened condensed milk. Fold in the Cool Whip by hand. Pour into graham cracker crust and let sit in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. You can garnish with lime zest if you'd like.

Recipe from "Betty Crocker, Good and Easy Cookbook"
 
And voila.........

What We've Been Up To

It seems like last week we were still getting acclimated plus with all the drama I had with a terrible toothache we sorta laid low. We mainly dealt with me going to the endontist. By Wednesday I felt a bit better so I was able to go to Every Woman's Grace(women's Bible study at our church. That was a real blessing.

We also went to a few of my niece's volleyball matches. She's in Jr. High and plays on the "B" team.

Madison is jersey #1.  Their team has done so well that they've advanced to the playoffs!

Yesterday we headed over to my sister Alex's home to celebrate her husband's birthday but we also combined it and turned it into a Cinco de Mayo celebration. We had a lot of fun plus it was nice to have the whole family together again.

 I love this spread......it's so colorful!

 My sister bought these little sombreros and moustaches for all of us to wear.

 The boys having fun with the birthday boy.......uncle Andy.

 A moustache on top of a moustache............

 She also bought bubbles for all the kids to play with.......yes that's Jon blowing bubbles.

Then it was cake time. We were all being silly here and dancing with maracas. Someone in this picture though wasn't too excited!!!

Saying Good-Bye Part II

The weekend before leaving just got busier and busier and more and more difficult. Saturday evening there was a going away time at the church. It was a real nice evening and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to say good-bye to so many good friends.

I have a bunch more of the above photos........



Then Sunday morning came along.

 The boys with their Baba Vera. Sweet little old lady who gave the boys candy. Every. Single. Sunday.

 Nathan in his Sunday School class with his little friends.

Jojo and one of his Sunday School teachers.

Sunday evening was our last team meeting.......sniff, sniff.

I'd show you what we did Monday and Tuesday but I lost our camera en route to the States! I am so disappointed! I can tell you that there were a ton of tears shed as we said good-bye to our closest friends Tuesday night. My dear friend Christina planned a surprise dinner for us and even sent us on a scavenger hunt beforehand giving her enough time to get everything ready and for all our other friends to arrive. 7 1/2 year of our lives wrapped up in a few days of good-byes.

Thankful Thursday

This is my first time posting a Thankful Thursday in the States. It doesn't matter where one lives, there's always so much to be thankful for.

1. Obviously I am grateful that the Lord kept us safe as we traveled. The boys did a great job as always. All the suitcases made it. No turbulence. Overall it was a great experience.

2. I am also thankful because we acclimated to the time change real well. We all slept all through the night from the very first night. This is a first for us! We even felt pretty good as the days went on.

3. I am especially thankful because I am feeling better. I woke up last Thursday with a bit of a toothache. At first I just thought my mouth hurt from sleeping so hard......like maybe I was just clenching my teeth real hard. By Friday and Saturday the pain continued but it was manageable with Tylenol and Advil. Unfortunately though by Sunday the pain was so severe that I was bedridden and in total agony. I couldn't handle it! I literally wanted to die.....I know, I know that sounds dramatic but that's how I felt. I was able to get into my dentist on Monday and by Monday afternoon I saw an endontist who re-did my root canal on a molar. Turns out I had two infections in my molar. By Tuesday morning I was myself again.

4. Yesterday I got to go to Every Woman's Grace at church. This is a woman's Bible study and I was really encouraged to be around other sisters in Christ. I'm thankful for the fellowship I had with several women and for the sound teaching.

5. I'm also thankful to see my family again. I've missed them all terribly of course and it's been fun to catch up with my sisters and mom. The boys and I have also been able to go to my niece's volleyball games at school which has been fun to be a part of.

Saying Good-Bye

No matter how much one tries to prepare themselves to say good-bye to friends the end result is always sadness. The last week before leaving Samara we said way too many good-byes and way too many tears were shed.

These are some of the friends we made when we first moved to Samara. They are probably the ones we've been the closest with.

 These ladies are such a true joy to me. They were the most difficult group to let go of. I miss them dearly but am thankful for all that we have learned together.

The weekend before leaving we were busy with one event after another. This evening was a banquet and we got to spend some time with the men in the program and their wives.

We even managed to squeeze in a family photo session.