Egypt (Part 2)

Anneka had her first grass sighting while we were in Egypt. She loved the feel of it through her toes. When she saw a sprinkler (also for the first time!), she looked alarmed and said, "Water dripping!!!".




Once we told her that the sprinkler wasn't broken and was a good thing, Leif showed her how to run through it. She laughed and laughed. What joy!




She loved playing with the other kids and in the water. One family with two boys (2 and 4 years old) will be moving to Ulan Ude in a few months. We're looking forward to having them close by!




She loves her Papa.



On this day, it got a little chilly near sunset after playing in the water all day. There was a breeze, and Anneka was nice and cuddly.

The last two nights have been interesting, as Anneka has jeg lag (Egypt is a 6-hour time difference). She's been up until 2 and 3 in the morning, wanting to play, play, play! (We put her down at 8:00, but then she wakes up a couple of hours later as if it was just a nap). Last night at about 2:30 after trying everything (reading quietly, rocking her, singing to her, eating cereal and bananas, letting her lay on the couch, etc).... she came trotting into our room. Both Leif and I were too tired to move her. But she wiggled and squiggled in our bed and said funny things. I had a bad case of the giggles, which I'm sure only perpetuated things! Finally, Leif moved her and she fell asleep in her own bed. This evening my new strategy is to keep her up until 11:00pm and hope that she'll sleep through. Then each night after I'll put her down 30 minutes earlier. We'll see if it works!

Egypt (Part 1)

We had a WONDERFUL week in Egypt for a conference! It was refreshing physically and spiritually, and we had tons of fun. It's so much easier traveling with Anneka now that she's two and can have her own seat on the airplane. Here are the older three Kerin kids and Anneka watching a movie together on the plane.


January is such a great month to have an excuse to be someplace WARM! This winter has been especially cold for especially long, and the reprieve was just what we needed. We went from -44F to over 80F... that's a +120 difference!! And it was so so amazing to just walk outside without needing a coat or boots or hats or scarves or ANYTHING like that! Anneka especially loved wearing her swimming suit. She wanted to help carry our bags. I have to admit that it was nice traveling there with teammates, as they often helped us. Heidi, thanks for carrying Anneka through the Moscow metro system!



Every morning we had sessions with a great speaker and heard from each person in Russia how God is at work in and through their ministries. This ended at 1:00pm and we had the rest of the day to play and hang out with other Christian workers from Russia and Kazakhstan. Here, Anneka and I are riding a camel on the beach. She thought it was so funny when the camel went from a kneeling position to a standing position (and back).




What a breath of fresh air (literally!) to smell fresh grass and flowers! Inka and I wore our hair extensions one day, and here we are walking like Egyptians.



One afternoon, the childcare workers took our kiddos and a group of us went snorkeling. The water was so warm and clear. We saw dolphins jumping in the water, amazing different fish and coral and Leif even saw an octopus!

Boy or Girl?

We've been traveling (in Egypt, Moscow, and St. Petersburg). I'll tell more about the trips with pictures when we return to Ulan Ude within the next few days.

The baby has been moving around a lot and even Leif has been able to feel him/her from the outside. Do you think it's a boy or a girl? Cast your vote in the comment section!

All Bundled Up

We had Leif's old teacher (and mine, too) and her grand daughter over for lunch yesterday. They're so nice. We always enjoy time with them. And Anneka loved that they would draw pictures in her little notebook. After they left she kept showing me the pictures that Olya drew, saying her name. I had to snap a picture of them in their warm coats. I think they look so cute all bundled up. Today it was -44F!! It keeps getting colder and colder!



Inka took this picture of Anneka a couple of weeks ago. She's wearing Heidi's hat and mittens and Inka's boots. She loves wearing other people's clothes!

This morning Leif and I went on a little date. We had an appointment at a doctor's office so that I could get a note for traveling. (We'll be going somewhere warm and wonderful for a conference in a few days!) I don't know if they're harmful or not, but the metal detectors that work like X-ray machines kind of freak me out. On two levels: one (and the biggest reason), I don't want to do anything that would harm our baby and two, it's kind of disconcerting to have everyone in a nearby vicinity be able to look at the screen and see every part of your body on a screen. Anyways, I wanted a doctors note so that I could be hand checked at the airport. While we were there, they said we couldn't get a note unless I had an ultrasound. I wasn't really prepared and I really wanted Inka to be with us for the ultrasound, but we went ahead and did it. It's so amazing to see the baby moving and to look at all of the parts of it's little body and to watch and hear the heart beating! It looks like everything is good with the little one. She said something about my placenta being low or something, but she didn't seem too concerned, so I'm not going to be. It's still too early to tell if it's a boy or a girl. She wants us to come back for a second ultrasound in seven weeks, so as long as our doctor in the States thinks it's a good idea, we'll get to go again and take Inka this time!! =) It was a private clinic, so we had to pay a whopping $20 for the ultrasound instead of what we paid for Anneka's ultrasound ($4.65) at a government women's hospital. But the place was really nice and clean and there were NO LINES. I figure it's like paying a co-pay in the States. =) It was so fun to go out with Leif afterward and talk about our baby and how exciting it is! What a blessing!

Brrr, Brrr, and Brrr!

It's been -42F the last couple of days. It's been so cold for so long that our apartment is pretty chilly (between 52 and 59 degrees, depending on the room). I've been kind of cranky about it. I'm tired of being cold. Here's the door to outside of our apartment building. The lock on it broke, so our stairwell is trashed again with broken bottles and cigarette butts and other unmentionables. I dropped a whole bag of eggs in the stairwell to add to the mess (but Inka helped clean it up!)

Yesterday, Inka, Anneka, and I went to our friend Lena and Sasha's to see a wedding dress that Lena made. It is SO PRETTY! I wish I'd had my camera. And she hand-embroidered THOUSANDS of tiny beads in a beautiful pattern. It's amazing! They served us a layer cake made out of liver. Anneka ate a few bites and then I had to eat the rest. I'll admit I'm not a big liver fan. But I kept telling myself that it's good for my iron levels (as my iron is low). Last night, Anneka threw up more than I thought a little girl could hold in her stomach. Maybe it was the liver, maybe not. We may never know!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2010! We brought in the New Year with friends at church. There were just a few of us there before 2:00am (around the time we left), but we had a nice time together. New Years is the biggest holiday in Russia. We each brought food and had posie (steamed meat dumplings) at about 10:30. Anneka helped us set the table. We brought all of the candy that we don't like from home to share with everyone. (I know, we're so bad... but most people really like it!) She put it into a bowl to serve. I also brought yummy homemade candies, too. =) By the way, Anneka chose her head decorations for the evening.




We put Anneka down for a late nap on New Years Eve, and she slept until 7:00pm. She did really well that evening, laughing and playing with everyone. And then a little before eleven, she layed down on the floor and said "Anneka tired".




So we put her on Sasha's bed and she feel asleep so well... even while we played a game and were talking and laughing. What a good little girl!




At midnight, we all went outside and lit sparklers and watched all of the fireworks. We were on a hill, so we could see tons of them. It was very cool. And cold! (almost -40!) Then we came inside and prayed together about this coming year. What a comfort to know that each moment is in God's hands! And He knows about everything we'll go through before it even happens!



On New Years Day, Anneka and I delivered goodies to our local store ladies. Our church also gave us calendars to pass out as gifts to neighbors. Inside was the gospel of Luke and a few other booklets that explain about knowing God personally. Leif looked through it all first and it was good stuff. And the ladies were SO happy to receive the candy and the gifts! (And, of course, they especially loved the little delivery girl!)

Neighborhood Christmas Outreach

Last Saturday we helped put on a Christmas/New Years outreach for the kids in our neighborhood. Leif has been volunteering in the local kids club each week and has developed relationships with the workers there. The head lady asked him to help plan this Christmas extravaganza and Leif jumped at the chance. He spent hours working with her to write out scripts for the program and to figure out how the time would look. In this picture, Leif is Santa Claus (not Grandfather Frost like they usually have... but "Santa" from America) with Grandfather Frost's grand daughter. They were the emcees, along with Inka and the head lady. (other characters that are hard to describe!)



Anneka was part of the program, as she was the little American girl... the reason Santa came all the way to Russia. Of course, she played her part perfectly.




This was the part we were most excited about. Leif wrote a small play in Russian of the Christmas story. He took volunteers from the audience, and each acted out parts like Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, King Herod, the wisemen, etc. The kids and parents there seemed really interested (there were about 80 people total who came).




Inka and I taught some of the kids "Jingle Bells" in English in the weeks prior to the program, and we all sang for the others.




There were also several games that the kids played as part of the holiday.





And the kids seemed really happy to decorate the cookies that Anneka and I made with Sharon and Heidi last week.




Santa and Grandfather Frost's Grand daughter had several kids pose with them for pictures after the program was over.



Tatianya (Grandfather Frost's grand daughter) baked scrumptious treats for all of the workers for afterwards. We stayed and talked with everyone and had a nice time. Anneke stole some girl's hat and wore it around. Eventually, it found it's owner again.

It was neat to be able to be a part of something like this right in our neighborhood! We're happy about the relationships that are continuing to form here.

P.S. For those who asked, the costumes were made by a lady in our church,and she graciously let us borrow them for the program. I just HAD to get into the grand daugther's costume for a family picture!)

A Christmas Family Photo

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! This is always a bittersweet time of the year- being away from our families in the States and yet still being amazed at how God still provides special relationships here and enjoying focusing on Jesus and his coming to this earth. We spent Christmas Eve with a few of our teammates.


Shannon's family has the tradition of eating fondue on Christmas Eve. She brought this tradition with her to Russia, and we've adopted it, too! It was fun to talk and graze and enjoy all of the yummy meats, appetizers, and desserts dipped in different sauces.


The Kerins got Anneka a doll stroller and she loves it. She's been pushing her doll around everywhere.


Nettie read the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke and we all acted it out. Here, Anneka suddenly decided she wanted to be baby Jesus, so she interjected in the play and sat down on "Mary's" lap. We also had a neat time of singing carols and taking communion together- celebrating Christ and his first coming and looking forward to his second coming. There was a scary moment in the middle when Matthew wrapped a ribbon around his neck and Anneka yanked it so tight that his face turned beat red and we needed scissors to get it off. We are SO thankful that there were scissors so close and that Matthew is okay!!



Last year we began the tradition of sleeping in the living room as a family, under the Christmas tree. Anneka was thrilled about this!



Sleeping in heavenly peace.



We had Swedish pancakes for breakfast(a tradition since Leif and I have been married). Mmmmmm!



It was so amazing to have so many presents from family and friends to open on Christmas morning! We all had so much fun opening everything!! And Anneka enjoyed playing with all of her new toys and books all day long.

A Time of Remembering

We had Shannon's family over for dinner last night. I'm so grateful that we got that time with them. They came after a long day of sorting through all of Shannon's belongings. I'm sure the process was not an easy one... and definitely exhausting. I find that it helps me in the grieving process to talk about Shannon with others. But it's hard to talk about her with people who don't know her! It was a gift to get that time with them.



Anneka has been talking about Shannon's brother, Matt, all day today. She enjoyed sitting on his lap to read a few books. Shannon's mom, Sharon, also read to Anneka. It's the key to Anneka's heart! Matt brought her a present (a cute little barn with letters, shapes, and animals that fit in different shaped holes). She loves it. Last night when Leif and I went into her room to look at her (we often do this because she's just so sweet), we found her asleep holding her new barn:





I've been CRAVING Cheerios in this pregnancy and look how many the Wengers brought me!!! I couldn't believe it. SO SO NICE. I had a bowl right after everyone left last night and a bowl for breakfast this morning. It was a little taste of heaven!

Zillions of Cookies

Last night Heidi and Sharon came over to help me and Anneka make zillions and zillions of cookies for our neighborhood kids' Christmas outreach next week. We made sugar cookies and a few examples of how to frost them and then the kids will get to decorate their own. Three out of three of our cameras lost their battery power, so I was only able to get this and one other picture. I got the worst haircut of my life a couple of weeks ago, though, so I don't really mind not being in pictures for a few more weeks until it grows out and I can at least pull it back!! It's almost a mullet. It's bad.

John and Matthew went with Leif to a neighborhood table tennis tournament. It was geared to reach out to boys and their dads. Unfortunately, the dads didn't come (except for maybe one?), but the guys were ones that Leif has connected with through the sports court in the summer. And they had fun.

Shannon's family arrived today from the States. It was good to see them this morning and we look forward to having more time with them the next couple of days. Having them here is such a reminder that Shannon is really gone. It still seems unreal at times.

Valenky

Anneka and I went shopping with Inka to get new valenky (felt-boots that are SUPER-WARM) and I tried them mainly just out of curiosity. My feet were SO INSTANTLY warm.... I'm talking an incredible difference... that I knew Anneka and I needed them during these really cold months. They don't look that warm, but they're the warmest footwear that you can get- even warmer than boots with fur and leather. We love them. It's like walking around in slippers outside. I'll need to take a picture of Inka, Anneka, and me all together.

Mama's Little Helper

I've been feeling a lot better (still some nauseous days, but on-the-whole, a ton better). Our friend, Lena has still been coming to help us in the apartment and to speak Russian with me and Anneka. Sometimes we just sit and talk and sometimes she helps clean or cook things. Today the kitchen smelled bad (to me), so she helped me in there while Anneka helped me clean in other rooms. I read that you can make a safe cleaner/disinfectant from water and vinegar, and Anneka LOVES to spray it on whatever I'm wiping. We make a good team.

It's been REALLY cold here. It got down to -36F and it's supposed to be down in the 40s in the next couple of days. Yesterday I went to our little local store and forgot to put my pants on over my long underwear. But nobody noticed because my boots are so tall and my coat is so long. I can't imagine forgetting to wear pants in the States!

Leif has been helping the history museum in translating some scripts for a film they're working on. He'll do the English voice-over for the film when it's ready. We've also been preparing for a Christmas program for the kids in our neighborhood. Inka and I have gone to the local kids' club a couple of Saturdays to teach the kids a couple of Christmas songs (in English and Russian),and Leif wrote a play in Russian of the Christmas story for kids to act out. It'll be really cute, I think. Most kids don't know much about Christmas here. The big holiday is New Years, and Christmas (if celebrated) is observed on January 7th. It's a privilege to be able to share with these kids. We're looking forward to it!



Anneka's new favorite food is popcorn. She loves it! We got a package in the mail yesterday full of wrapped Christmas gifts (from a group of wonderful friends!) and inside were Christmas movies!! Anneka hasn't had an attention span for movies until really recently. It's fun. And she really chows down on the popcorn, too. We make three bowls (with different seasonings) and she deems a certain bowl hers and woe to the person who tries to sneak some pieces out of there!

And speaking of Anneka and eating, she swallowed a ruble a few days ago. We don't know if it's still in her or out of her, but she's acting fine and eating fine, so I've decided not to worry about it.

Who Are You?

Celebrating 7 Years!

Leif and I took a couple of days away at Lake Baikal to celebrate our 7th anniversary. It was so relaxing and fun! It's the year of copper and wool, so Leif got me a wool scarf and made a game where I used pennies (copper) to pay to spin the spinner and land on different options like: walk, game, snack, movie, Bible study, massage, etc. If I didn't like where the spinner landed, I paid an extra penny to spin again. And if I landed on a bonus square then I got two pennies back. He's so creative! I'm so thankful for our marriage. I just love Leif so much!!

Anneka stayed with the Wickers and had a marvelous time. They must've worn her out because today she slept until after 8:00am and then took a 4+ hour nap (I woke her up at 5:10). Hopefully she'll sleep tonight!

Christmas Decorating

We began decorating for Christmas last weekend. I love this time of year- and we even have pretty snow now instead of a thin layer of charcoaled ice. Anneka enjoyed being a part of the decorating and choosing where to put the ornaments.



There are pros and cons to being away from America during the Christmas season. I truly miss times with family. I miss the decorations and Christmas music in every store and restaurant. I miss Christmas parties and decorated houses. I miss all of the yummy food and the holiday musicals, plays, ballets, The Messiah, etc, etc! I love how there's a month of the year where you can see Jesus just about anywhere (even despite the commercialism and other stuff).

But I don't get stressed about Christmas here. It's pretty relaxed. We're not surrounded by commercialism so we aren't bombarded with feeling like we "have to" get this or that or buy a bizillion presents, etc. I like that it makes us really focus on the true meaning of the holiday and not get caught up in the bustle. Our teammate's sister in the States has 4 kids and they already have long lists of what they want for Christmas (mind you, they're good kids! They're just surrounded by advertisements and friends who talk about this stuff). My teammate also has 4 kids. They could care less what they get for Christmas. They're thrilled when they get packages from the States. They love to have presents, but it doesn't matter to them what is in the presents. I thought that was interesting.


Anneka LOVED hanging this snowflake ornaments up in the kitchen. She wanted to do them all by herself and was SO PROUD afterward. She ran into the living room to get Papa and to show him her handiwork.


For the past seven years, Leif and I have had the tradition of celebrating advent in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I love it! On Sundays, Inka joins us and we read a passage of scripture and sing songs focused on that week's theme of hope, love, joy, and peace. On the other nights of the week, Leif and I have our own time of lighting the candle(s) and reflecting... sometimes with Anneka and sometimes without. We want her to be a part of the tradition, but it's also distracting if she joins us every night! Especially because she is fascinated with candles. I love the Christmas season and taking the time to reflect on the miracle of Jesus and all that He is and has done for us.

Much To Be Thankful For

I still couldn't access our pictures, but the Kerins sent us a couple of pics from Thanksgiving. This was the group- all of our American teammates plus Renata (Canada) and a family in Ulan Ude- the husband is American and the wife Russian. She made bonnets for the three older girls. So cute! The kids all reinacted the pilgrims coming to Plymouth Rock and did a great job.



Our friend Lena came over last week and helped me chop apples for the pie and dice up things for the stuffing. The day before Thanksgiving she helped me for one hour (and then babysat Anneka while Leif and I went on a date) and I couldn't believe all that we got done! I took out the garbage and it only took me seven minutes! Usually when Leif is not home, this takes 40 minutes. I'm not kidding. I collect the garbage, bundle Anneka up, bundle myself up, we walk the LONG (cold!) way to the garbage bins, then we walk all the way back, up the stairs, and take all our stuff off.

We started a tradition this past year where we kept a special jar for things that we thank Jesus for. We started right after last Thanksgiving and have put our little slips of "thankful fors" in the jar throughout the year. It was fun to go through all of them this Thanksgiving and to remember all that God has done!



On Saturday, Leif and I shared at the new English school about Thanksgiving and the traditions behind it. The students were really interactive and it was fun to be there!


Last Thursday Leif got in a (minor) car accident while driving Inka's car!! He was working on visa-stuff for our future teammates. Thankfully, he had a Russian in the car with him which we think helped with the end result! He was driving on a street where cars ALWAYS drive in two lanes. (We never knew that it was supposedly a one lane!) He prepared to turn left (right after the car in front of him that was turning left) and the car in the right "lane" cut right in front of him. It was icy and he couldn't stop in time. Thankfully the damages were minor. The lady's husband was a traffic policeman. He came to the scene and Leif was able to pay them right there for their dent. Phew! But a reminder as to why we're still happy we don't have a car! Thankfully, Inka's car is okay, and she was really sweet about it!