Snapshots from our Home Service (Part 2)

     It's been harder than I would have imagined to go through pictures from our home service to do a few "recap" blogs.  I simply can't capture everything, and I'm coming to terms with that.  I think I finally have all of the pictures gathered, though, that I will use.  I've been finding that extra time has been a precious commodity these days! 

     My friend, Maggie, that I've known since kindergarten, was in Spokane during the few days we were there before we headed to western WA for a month.  I was so thankful that the timing worked out so perfectly, and it was really great to catch up with her.  Growing up in a small town, there are these precious few people that I knew from K-12th grades.  Maggie is one of those people that I think of often and have many memories with as little girls. 

     I took this picture of Irene, Ella, and Ike when we were on Orchas Island for Leif's cousin's wedding.  I forgot to post it on the last blog, but it's too sweet of a picture to not post at all!

     My aunt, Claudia, came and unpacked/organized our kitchen when we first moved in.  She also came back and packed it all back up when we left.  This was such a HUGE help and blessing to us!  We made this selfie on her phone to send to her son (my cousin), Brian.  =)

     One of our supporting churches is very close to my Grandma's lake home on Coeurd'Alene Lake.  The church in Harrison was so wonderful and welcoming and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with them (they had a BBQ after the service and we were there for a few hours).  The rest of the extended weekend, we played in the water, went on walks, did different science experiments,

caught bugs and lizards,

and went on little adventures in the canoe.  During this afternoon, I stayed with Ike while he napped on the dock, but we all went out together, too.  

     In September, my mom, aunt, cousin, and I took an overnight trip to Coeurd'Alene.  It was really fun to be together- talking, eating good food, walking, shopping, and just enjoying one another!

     I shared that my mom homeschooled Anneka during our time in the States.  I did little preschool activities with Ike and Ella in the mornings.   Leif often taught little lessons, too, or we would each take one of the kids.  Ella really likes to paint.  We were blessed with a really long and warm summer that lasted well into the fall.

     Ike loved my Dad's shop.  He would play with my Dad's tools, and especially loved the electric drill (my Dad took off the drill bit, of course).  Here, he's playing with the air compressor.

     Thanks to the generosity of friends, each of our kids had a bike to ride while we were home!  At our apartment, we kept two trikes that often Ella and Ike would ride around on... even when it got cold!

     My parents often would have a fire in their fire pit for roasting hot dogs or marshmallows.  The kids loved this.  Here, Ike was hitting a ball for Anja (the dog) to chase.

 

     Back in June, before we left for the States, we asked Anneka what she was most looking forward to in America.  It was always the same and VERY emphatic that she couldn't wait to have a lemonade stand!  My mom went over money with Anneka in school and they made a sign together.  The girls enjoyed selling lemonade, but I think Anneka realized that it was a little more boring sitting there than she had anticipated.  =)  Several friends came to the stand.  It was really nice to talk with them. There was one guy who came back probably 4 times for a cup and paid $1 each time.  So cute. 

     We enjoyed getting together with my good friend, Sarah, and her kids.  My girls love her daughter, Naomi.
 
     Her little son, Jonah, is so cute.  He and Ike are just 9 months apart.  

     My grandma bought special puzzles and toys to have on hand when our kids came to visit.  They enjoyed playing with them and spending time with her!



     Our good friends, the Curtises purposely planned a trip around being able to come and stay with us.  We felt so honored and had a great time with them.  This day we went to Riverfront Park in Spokane. 

 
     We also went to a place with them with big trampolines and these foam pits so the kids could jump and get out a lot of extra energy!

     Anneka and Katie made dinner and dessert for us one night.  Ella got to have a special night at my parents (Baba and Grandpa).  My parents often took one or two kids at a time and enjoyed bonding with them individually.

We enjoyed going on walks with my mom.

     This is kind of a goofy picture, but I like it because of the memories it represents.  This church (Crossroads) showered our family with gifts after a special lunch they had after the Sunday service.  They were so generous and thoughtful and blew us away.  The kids loved every single thing they got.  It was seriously like Christmas.  The other reason I love this picture is because the person talking with me is Don Johnson, an amazing man who loves Jesus and encourages us very much.  He came and visited us last summer in Siberia on a trip he made around the world.  He also has taken special time and care to write (snail mail!) to our kids and send pictures of our time together while he was here.  It is so neat the people that we get to meet and so encouraging to see God at work all over.  One thing that struck me in America this time back was that as a country it seems that people are falling farther and farther away from God.  But in each church we visited, there were those few faith-filled people who are shining a bright beacon of light in the darkness.






     Speaking of faith-filled people, Ron and Gretchen are also very dear to us and they also have visited us here in Siberia.  They invited us and my parents over for dinner.  It was late September (I think) and it was almost 90 degrees out!  The kids loved playing in their big yard.   Ike got soaked playing in their little stream.  =)

 
     On several occasions we got out our kite and flew it with the kids.  One time we met a family that had moved to our little town on faith.  They believed that God had called them there and had left their lives from across the country and were trusting the Lord to provide a job and just the right ministry for them.  We stopped by their place one night a few weeks later to take them flowers and pray for them.  It was neat to encourage one another.

 

     After sharing at a church in Deer Park, we went to my friend, Sarah's for the afternoon/evening.  She had bought pumpkins for the kids and we carved them together.

          The kids loved jumping on their trampoline.  This picture was taken at Leif's friend, Jason's, but we got to enjoy several trampoline experiences.  =)




     And I'll end this blog with pictures from Anneka's birthday.  Leif's mom, Irene came and stayed with us for the week surrounding Anneka's birthday.  On her actual day, we had a lunch party at home with the foods she requested (chimichangas, macaroni and cheese, pear slices, and blueberry pie that Leif made).  Then for dinner we met up with friends at McDonalds.  The kids had fun on the indoor playplace together.
    

     Then on the weekend we went to Greenbluff and enjoyed various fall activities like the corn maze....

.... and getting trapped in a gorilla cage...

... and riding these fun pedal cars...

... and riding on the "Little Toot" and a bigger train around the property...

... and meeting the gorilla face-to-face.  And a bunch of other fun things.   I think Anneka felt special and had a good time.  

A Perfect Day for Celebrating!

     Our sweet Ike is three!!  We got to celebrate his actual birthday at Inka's house in a nearby village.  That alone was a real treat, as Ike's prayer every night is that he'll see Inka.

     The night before, Ike helped to make his own cupcakes.  He's a pro with the mixer.  I can even turn my back for a few seconds without it splattering out!!

      The girls pitched in to help, too.  I'd forgotten how small the packs of powdered sugar are!  Just to have enough to make frosting for the cupcakes, I had to go to two stores and buy out all that they had on the shelves!

      My grandma sent us these eyes, which were perfect to make one-eyed monster cupcakes.  Ike wanted two eyes on his cupcake, though.  =)



     The reason we were in Zaegraevo was for a team day of prayer.  The kids joined us for the praise and worship songs.

     Then each of us moms took turns watching the kids throughout the day.  I planned out some party games, since it was Ike's birthday.  Here, Ike was choosing the best mummy in this game.  We also played pin-the-tail-on-the donkey, follow the leader, Twister, Simon says,  and some others.

 

     This game was called "pass the parcel".  When the music stopped, each kid got to open a layer of the parcel, where there was a lollipop inside.  =)

Ike was simply delighted to have all of us sing "Happy Birthday" to him!

... and to blow out his candles!

     Inka had gotten some really great, strudy balloons for the kids to play with all day.  We stayed the night with her after the team left and enjoyed time to catch up after being away the past few months.   It was truly wonderful.

Here's our team!  (I woke up Ike from his nap for the picture, so he's kind of groggy in it).

     We spent the day praying for people and ministries all over the world as well as for our leaders, and for each other personally.  Sometimes we prayed in groups or pairs or individually, but it was a really sweet time to connect with God and one another.  And so cool to realize how powerful prayer is and that God is at work!!!

Reconnecting with Friends... and Making New Friends!

     It's been great to see so many of the people we love here.  Our friends, the Giura's, invited us over to their place one Saturday.  They made a feast and we had a good time catching up.  They had a new kitten, as someone they knew had brought it wrapped as a present around New Years.  Of course, the kids were thrilled.  But they are looking for a new owner.  ;)

Marius got some good workouts with kid-lifting!

     Ike was delighted to see his friend, Bogdan!  He had been asking for weeks (even while we were in the States) when he'd be able to see Bogdan again.  When we left their home that evening, Ike sobbed and sobbed because he wanted to stay.

     We also enjoyed an evening with Masha, Vlad, Ilya, and Masha's brother, Dima!  When Ike saw Ilya, he first asked, "Can I hold him?" and then he said, "He's not a baby anymore!"

     It was great to see my friend, Asya, and her family again.  We went ice skating near their home. 

 

The kids loved being together.  Ella days later, out of the blue said, "I like Asya.  She's nice". 

     Asya and her mom made us piroshky afterwards.  They were soooo good!  I watched them make them and hope to duplicate it!  I chatted with the ladies while the kids hung out together in the living room.

     We also went sledding one day on the hill by our house.  We  met some nice boys from the neighborhood.  This boy was so sweet to Ike and helped him get back up the hill.  He liked sledding with all of us and we shared rides a few times.  =)

The kids' faces got so dirty!  But they were so cute!

Weeeeeee!

 

     We've had the wonderful discovery that our local swimming pool allows people to come and swim for fun if they want! This is the first we've ever heard of this here. Most of the people who go are serious swimmers who lap-swim, and the water is deep (not designed for young kids)...but we are allowed and we are happy!  Our friend, Yulia, invited us to join her and her daughter one morning.  We were happy that a bunch of other ladies from our church were there that day, too.  It was like a pool party!  This picture is really funny because it doesn't at all show the truth that both Ike and Ella were super-excited to go swimming!  It was quite the process to actually get into the pool (hence, the grumpy faces).  We had to rent water wings and shoes and then wait until a certain time before we could enter the locker room (which was hot like a sauna).  Then everyone is required to shower for a full 15 minutes before entering the pool.  The other ladies were so sweet in helping with Ike and Ella in the water, and both kids have been asking me since then, "when can we go swimming again?!"  This was kind of a landmark day for me because it's not exactly easy to get on a bus with little ones and all of our stuff.  And I forgot towels and lost my sock and the locker room lady yelled at me at least three times.  And probably a few more things that I'm not remembering anymore.  But the cool thing was that I realized I had joy amidst it all and wasn't really bugged by the mishaps.  This is evidence of God at work, and I'm so thankful!!