Razom

It’s kind of exciting and scary…

In just 2 weeks we’ll be living in a new place! Where that place is, we still don’t know :-/ We do know that we have a faithful God and He will provide… it just may not be what we were thinking

For now, we are moving things back to my parents apartment, who have graciously said we can use some of their storage space, YEAH!!!

We are in Kyiv again this weekend. Mumsie and Pops left and offered us a place to ourselves How could we resist when there was a picnic planned with friends on that Saturday as well! We’ve had a great time just relaxing, watching Euro 2008 in the evenings and being able to talk about anything and everything whenever we want!

Mumsie, you’re doing a good job with the decluttering You’ll be able to add a lot to your list when you get rid of us and our stuff, heh.

Kolya is continuing to plug along at the house he’s remodeling. The top floor is almost painted! Next in line is to get a bathroom working I can’t wait until it will be ‘our’ place that we are fixing up/building!

It sounds as if the washer is finished… time to switch the sheets!

On a side note… I’m about to watch Charley’s Aunt starting Matt Robins and Jared Shelton!

I can’t believe I didn’t post anything the whole time I was in Kyiv this past weekend! Maybe it was partly to do with hanging out with Debski ☺ Or the power going out while no guests were at home or 6 new houseguests on Saturday night! Oh well ☺

I always wish that the marshutka rides were less bumpy so I could scribble my thoughts as I ride. There is always something interesting that we pass on the 1 ½ hour trip. Yesterday was a huge wagon being pulled by a team of horses on the road. The wagon was loaded down with hay and the driver neselted into the top holding the reigns. On moments like those, I wish we had our own car so we could just pull over and take a picture! We also always travel through a small town that’s right on the river. Since spending time on Cape Cod out on a boat, going into the ocean until you can only see the light from the lighthouse, I’ve always loved coming back ashore with all the houses that are on the water have an American flag, hanging proudly atop the flag pole, blowing in the wind. When I was playing soccer in Belgium 10 summers ago, I had the same feelings of joy. And it’s no exception here in Ukraine. I know in different places on the way to look to the right or left to see that blue and yellow flag waving and being reminded once again, yes, I am in Ukraine and it’s not dream ☺ and to pray for the people and country. I love the fact that my husband is proud to be Ukrainian. Many people you pass on the streets (especially in Kyiv) are copying the latest European styles. It always warms my heart to see a national Ukrainian shirt being worn. Ukraine has such a rich history (maybe one day I’ll learn it all… hmmm, maybe when helping kids with homework? heh) that I love to see people being patriotic. July 4th is coming up soon. Will we celebrate? Maybe not, but I will make different things that we always did up on the Cape! And we’ll have our own, small celebration.

We are still looking for a place to live :-/ We have exactly one month left here in the house we’ve been looking after. I’ve started packing things up, but not 100% sure how to do that yet! My parents are graciously allowing us a high up place to store some things that we want to for sure keep, but we never really use… In another 2 weeks, well start going through and putting the house back together. Well, it’s still in tact but we moved the furniture around to fit in the computer and tv in the living room! (and the dining room table my parents gave us that’s over 100 years old)

If anyone wants some paperbacks, let me know, who are in Ukraine! Lil’ Paul gave them to me before they left…. For the most part, murder myteries. Free to a willing home! They could be good summer books to pass the time ☺ Michelle? Cara?

Kolya continues to work at the house for the Crowe’s up the street putting in an average of 50 hours. It’s been fun to see the progress taking place and even being able to dream of building our own house one day, or even a fixer-upper! I spend a couple hours a day up there, reading or handing screws to the guys or putting the kettle on for coffee/tea break and sweeping up some of the rooms so they’ll be ready to paint! I must say, once I’ve swept and then someone comes in a makes a mess again (well, not a mess, just lots of dust) it is quite disheartening. I’m glad at least at home, well, it’s also an old house so it is sometimes disheartening after spending the morning cleaning, you can’t even tell! But, in my mind I know it’s clean. Mumsie, who knew I’d be such a neat freak, heh.

I’ve also been on a reading rampage. Getting books finished that I’ve borrowed from my parents and others. It feels good to have them read and back to rightful owners! I have one more borrowed book that I hope to finish this week and one dvd to watch. I’ll share thoughts on those at a later time… For now… need to fix lunch for my hubby ☺

Time is a funny thing.  Last year after Kolya and I were engaged, January 12 seemed like forever! (Though it was well worth the wait!) But this past month has just flown by! Maybe it was a week stateside (though it felt longer then a week… maybe that’s what no sleep does mumsie… we lived ‘two’ weeks in one, heh).

It was a good trip but for a sad reason. There are still times that I tear up when I’m telling Kolya about all those crazy people stateside that he’ll get to meet one day (sooner rather then later, I hope!) and realize that Uncle Doug (Ducky, Mr.Wonderful, Policeman, boat driver, story teller, knower of all little facts no one should know, knower of everything all should know, always had a comment (sometimes good, sometimes bad… most of the time funny) will not be there :(  I’m glad I got two full summers with him on the Cape just down the road (even when I was running to Grandma’s and back to Aunt Janet and Uncle David’s and him trying to feed me ice cream when all I wanted was a quick glass of water and place to stretch).  I pray that he did come to realize this past year who his Maker and Savior was!  This world passes by so quickly…

We’re down to 1 1/2 months of the place we are staying now.  As of this moment, we don’t know where we’ll be moving :)  It’s all in God’s hands, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t activly looking for a place!  We know that He in His timing will open and close doors.  Thankfully Mumsie (and I hope Pops agreed) to let us move some of our things to store in a high up place in their apartment!  Things like a letter written on my birthday by my dad’s mom (who died when I was just 2), my baby blanket (thanks Aunt Biz!) and other things that we want to keep, but don’t really use.

All I can say is, life is interesting

For Michelle:  I know that you at least watched EuroVision :)  I didn’t have the chance to ‘live’ blog, so I just wrote a few comments down after each country.  I’m going to your blog next to see what your thoughts were

In order of apperence:

Romania - stupid - guy and girl off key

UK - disco lives - not too bad

(coffee break for #3)

Germany - awful

Armenia - entergetic

B&H - entertaining

Isreal - good vocals

Finland - bad hair

Croatia - not bad

Poland - white baby grand (it stole my heart!)

Iceland - brother/sister act?

Turkey - mmm… no

Portugal - beacuse of Wednesday - no (Wed. was the Champions League final and a guy who missed his PK at the end got player of the game… undeserved, I thought… he was from Portugal)

Latvia - pirates - heh

Sweeden - flat

Denmark - My favorite so far… pirates in second!

Georgia - reminds me of ‘Karen’ on Will & Grace

Ukraine - no comment due to the fact it’s ‘my’ country

France - stupid

Azer - not boy soprano…. man soprano… yikes!

Greece - I couldn’t feel it… but I bet Europe did :-/

Spain - no comment

Serbia - no comment (I think I was getting too lazy at this point in the show)

Russia - Dima Bilan & is that Victor Plushenko?!?! 

Norway - no comment

My favorites were of course Ukraine (even if it wasn’t the best song), Denmark, Latvia and Russia.  I knew Greece would have a good chance… very much the style of the he/she that won two years ago for Greece!  We’ll see what happens next year :)  Ukraine, two years in a row as #2… not too shabby!

Sorry for not posting this past week.  I found out last Thursday evening, Ukraine time, that my Uncle Doug had died.  The next evening I found out I was on my way to the states for the funeral and leaving from Kyiv Saturday morning.  Needless to say, it’s been a hectic week…  I’ll write more when I am back in Ukraine on Saturday morning.  I’m looking forward to a hug from my husband

First, I must say, that I really love my husband.  He is so dear to me! Words cannot describe him!  Over the last (almost) 4 months of married life, we really haven’t had a “normal” week.  Life is always throwing it’s curve balls.  Heat going off, unexpected and expected house guests (for 1 month!), sickness, dentist trips, Easter holiday, etc…  I wouldn’t have traded any of it for the world, except maybe the sickness part, and through it all, Kolya is always ready and waiting with his arms wide open and a time of prayer.  I love that it’s not just me that says, hey, we haven’t prayed yet today or read our Bible together… I am thankful for a godly man that takes his responsibilities to our little family seriously in all aspects

This week, we’ve tackeled the yard.  The wead wacker was able to be borrowed and we went at it :)  It’s amazing how just a little rain can make grass and weeds spring up!  It’s pollan season and no matter that I sweep the walk way once or twice a day, it still looks like I didn’t do anything just an hour later.  Oh well.  It’s the little pleasures in life that count and one is seeing a freshly swept walk way for me, and the smell of freshly cut grass lingering in the air.

I started ‘Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood.  I am loving it!  It’s challenging of course, but takes you back to scripture in how God defines us. It’s nice to see a biblical view of things, and explained clearly, when some things I would fight and say, but that’s not fair, or I don’t want to.  It’s just a good book. A quicker read then I thought it would be for being a more textbookish type. I’m also learning some Greek, heh. 

I think we’ve gotten rid of the ants! w00t!  But now, it’s that Spring and, gulp, bug season until next winter.  Urgh.  I think that may be one of the reason I love winter, besides the cold air, snow piled on the ground, getting cozy on the couch with a good book and hot tea/cofee/hot chocolate, is… no bugs!

After some time off (because of a houseguest, heh, lame excuse) and getting back from the holidays, I’ve started ‘running’ again on my running machine!  5k’s a day, plus some other exercises.  It’s been nice giving my heart a workout again.  Boy, have my legs felt it… but they keep pressing on!  It’s nice to be able to watch a dvd or listen to a sermon since not being outside, the wall is not very fun to look at, even if it does have a painting of Kolya’s on it. (If only I could remember which box I through the series, Aressted Development into… sigh).

I guess that’s all for now.  Time to do the breakfast dishes (in other words… coffee mugs) and get on with the day

Well, We are now back in Rzhishchev, today is the third full day since the Easter holiday. Sorry, no pictures for now BUT soon

We worked in the yard last evening, cutting grass, sweeping, pulling weeds, etc…  When it rains ALL the time and sunny days you are away and then gone for 2 weeks, it was time for the first cutting of the lawn (with a weed-wacker!)  I must say, Kolya did a good job :)  Tomorrow I think we’ll finish up as tonight I have the girl’s bible study.

I need to figure out how to get the books read/reading thing like my mom :)  Some wonderful people from Lifeline Children’s Service brought me new books (that are HEAVY) in their suitcases… THANKS Jana, Jim and Donna!!!  Heaven by Randy Alcorn, a book recommended and looking forward to challenging me! and Why We’re Not Emergent (by two guys who should be) by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck, a book that I really want to read.  I know ‘emering’ ‘emergent’ and other such words are being thrown around these days.  I wanted to know what ‘it’ is!  Of all the books I found and reviews read and endorsments by those I trust theologically, this I hope is when I’ll be able to know what ‘it’ is, FINALLY!  Another book that I borrowed (that will be read first) is Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood. 7 authors have gotten together and have written about the different aspects and what is truely biblical!  That will be started today :)  The last book, that is borrowed from Mumsie and Pops is Susan Hunt’s Heirs of the Covenant.  Never too early to start thinking/learning how to share biblical truths with my future kids (Lord willing). “How we communicate God’s truth and teach His Word must be built upon a strong biblical and theological base if our teaching and discipling are to have any lasting results.”  I am so glad that I was brought up as a child of the Covenant.

I’m sure I’ll write about some of these books as I read

Until next time…  

I hope this will  work… I’m trying to add pictures

Me and my 5 year old niece with the boquet she picked for me while we were waiting for the first marshutka on our way home.  She is a cutie-pie who was pretty much glued to my lap whenever I was sitting or asking me to push her on the swing outside.  She has a younger sister who’s 3.  Lesya has been staying with her grandmother since January but this weekend her mom is coming to pick her up and take her home.

This is Sasha and his son Nazar.  Sasha has been living with us the past month.  It’s been fun having him around :)  Kolya is Nazar’s Godfather.  He’s 3!  We went to there house on Tuesday, the 3rd day of Easter, and had another big meal.  All we did was EAT it seemed like… but boy was the food good

Monday, the 2nd day of Easter, found us celebrating our birthdays with Sasha, Inna, Andriy, Vitaliy and Galya for a small picnic.  It was fun just sitting and chatting just enjoying the company. BUT before this meal we went to….

Uncle Lonja’s house for this spread early Monday afternoon!

I’ll finish this post with that….  Next time…. Easter Sunday!  We woke up at 3am to go to the Orthodox Church with Kolya’s mom.  Very different from the Kyiv celebrations that I’ve attended.

Kolya and I are back in Kyiv!!!

We spent the Easter holiday out west with his family. Pictures to come as soon as I get them on the computer and stories to with them!

I’ve been tagged by Lynne Inc.

 The rules are: 1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. 2. Each player answers the questions about themselves. 3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

And here’s the meme:

What I was doing 10 years ago: I was getting ready to turn 15, heh. Most likely playing on a few soccer teams, getting ready to go to Belgium for a tournament. Joining the church choir but I think secretly so I would start playing the piano for rehearsals and eventually every Sunday, not just every other. And maybe it was exactly this week when I got sick during the middle of the service and had to have Lynne play the last hymn… Her favorite version of Rock of Ages…

 Five things on my To Do List today: 1. Wash dishes. 2. Run 5K+ on my thingy-mo-bobber while watching 24 season 6 (thanks mumsie!) 3. Laundry. (If it stays sunny enough to hang outside :-/) 4. Continue to win the battle of me v. ants… and while waiting like a sniper with my spray bottle, listening to the White Horse Inn! 5. Watch the Ukraine v. Serbia game! 6. Answer the questions for the study on Friday, reading the book Idols of the Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick.

Snacks I enjoy: The past bit has been sunflower seeds still in the shell, a cold beer with sour cream and onion chips (I wish I could get Cape Cod’s sea salt and vinegar.) apples, coffee (can coffee count ask a snack?) salo with garlic on black bread, yum!

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: If I were a billionaire I would buy Kolya all the tools he needed and work truck to start his own construction business (and anything else he needed). A Mitsubishi pajaro for Kolya  Land to build a house, with room enough to have an open door for people traveling through. Visit family and friends more often in the states and bring them to Ukraine. Have good coffee beans shipped to me weekly. Buy my brother a vibraphone and help him start his solo career as the next Gary Burton. Buy Anna a lap-top and enough gas so she doesn’t have to think scooter or bike. Support the White Horse Inn. (Maybe one day it will be reality!) Visit all the countries in the world. (I think I still have my map of how to do that without having to repeat a country somewhere…) Support CCEF and have at least two copies of each book so I can loan them out AND translate them into Russian and Ukrainian. Build my mom a home for her AIDS babies and support the family who would take care of them.

Three of my bad habits: Procrastination (esp. when it comes to cleaning or things like this), thinking of myself too much, not keeping in contact with family and friends as much as I should.

Five places I have lived: 1. Salisbury, Maryland 2. Chatham, Cape Cod, Mass. (for two summers working) 3. Kyiv, Ukraine 4. Rzhishchev, Ukraine 5. Does living out of a suitcase while on tour with the Kyiv Youth Orchestra and Chores count? If not, then I’ve only lived in 4 cities…

Five jobs I’ve had: 1. Nanny, for families who are bringing the kids they already have to Ukraine during the adoption process to add to their families. 2. Piano player for Sunday morning worship and choir rehearsals at Providence Presbyterian. 3. Housing coordinator, logistics, planner, counselor, direction giver to the bus driver, translator for the KYOC tour/s. 4. English teacher at a night school in Kyiv and 5th graders in Kyiv. 5. The Children’s Shop on Cape Cod, selling, pricing, stocking the store and coordinating a kids fashion show with each child with at least two outfits…. YIKES!!!

Five people I want to know more about (a nice way of saying TAG!):

 Kibbe (maybe she’ll do it if I tag her too!)

Cheryl L. (maybe she’ll post again, heh)

Dasha

Finally, a few minutes to be able to post

Lynne - I HAVE finished the thing you tagged me on. I just have to wait until my hubby sends me some money on my phone of the 15th of April comes and you’ll be able to see my answers

So much has happened since I last posted Mostly good, haha!

I’m winning the battle with the ants!!

We’ve had fun with Sasha living with us the past two weeks. Now I really am out-numbered 3-1 (unless they are female ants, heh). Good conversation, lots of laughing, starting of weekly poker nights have been fun!

The girls bible study has been so much fun, TONS of laughing and lots of questions and growing for all of us I pray! We’ve finished the first study and next week will start the second.

The other study I’m involved in is reading and discussing ‘Idols of the Heart’. Man is it a great book, not for the timid of heart BUT for those who truly want to learn how to long for God alone.

Kolya and I have been visiting a church in a town not to far away on the Sunday’s we aren’t in Kyiv. It’s been great getting to know some other young couples who haven’t started raising a family yet. We’ve spent two encouraging afternoons with Danny and Liese and hope to have them visit us as well. They’ve introduced me to Tim Keller and I’ve been throughly enjoying listening to his sermons (as well has Providence Pres!!)