Lydia is 5!

How can it even be possible?!  Only yesterday you were a little bundle in my arms with hair that looked like I styled it...my perfect little baby doll.  How I have enjoyed the years with you!

For the most part, you are

 

Though  you definitely have your silly, noisy moments ~ ESPECIALLY if you have one on one time. :)

We started the day with birthday spanks/kisses.

Then the hunt was on.

The wrapping is becoming part of our tradition. ;)

 It's always interesting to buy English toys in a foreign country.

All of the kids were busy playing house while Daniel and I prepared the birthday meal...well, I prepared.  He was too busy digging into the cake to help cook.

You requested a green, chocolate cake.  It's hard to see, but it is a light green.  And one of the candles was one of those ever-flame candles.  That always makes it more exciting.

Poor baby Abigail was sick all day, but she got lots of love still.

We finished of the day with a tea party.  With three girls, we have plenty of those.

Happy Birthday my Lyda-bug!

For Grumpy & Grammy Curtis ;)

 

Found these today when I was looking at some pictures taken of church on my little kodak and thought you guys would enjoy them.  Maybe as much as they enjoyed their ice creams...though, by the looks of their faces {and clothes}, that's debatable. 

We miss you guys!  Thank you for the SWEET memories!

Flutter Brain of an Inactive Missionary

 AHH!  Where to begin?  I have so many things I want to write about and share with you but my mind draws a complete blank as soon as I actually have time to sit down and write!  We have been riding in the car SO much that it might be nice to not have a vehicle when we get back to Ukraine.....I take that back.  We will be returning right when it's starting to get cold.  I do still miss my more active lifestyle in Ukraine.  It seems like all I do is sit now.
 

Only 1 1/2 months until we get to see my parents!  We are all getting excited.  For some (Sammy and Daniel) it will be the first time meeting their grandparents...though the girls were still quite small last time we saw them (Lydia was about 9 months and Anna was 2).  We enjoyed watching videos that Grampy made over the years, so I'm sure it won't take them long to warm up and start having fun.  After that, we will head up to Maryland for a month, visit with some old friends (looking forward to seeing you, Tiffany!); then it's back up to Maine.  The kids all said it's been too long since we've been to Grampy and Grammy Curtis' house and I know they are looking forward to destroying  .. helping in the garden.  I'm just going to be the bunny who sneaks in and nibbles off of everything.  One of the things I miss from Ukraine are the fresh herbs - ESPECIALLY the fresh dill.  The kids and I could eat a ton of that.  When I first arrived in Ukraine, I greatly missed all of the American salad dressings (ranch, blue cheese..).  But as long as you have dill, you don't need any of those.  In fact, it is better with the dill and a little apple cider vinegar or oil.  Mmmm.  I can smell and taste that fresh dill now.  Looking forward to a BIG bowl of borsch with freshly chopped dill sprinkled on top and a piece, no a LOAF, of black bread. :)

Even with nothing to say, I have managed to ramble my time away.  The kids are just starting to wake up and we are going to head outside.  They need to run as much as they can whenever they get an opportunity.  Because I've been having quite a few breathing/coughing problems, Eric left us here at our home church while he went to the meeting tonight.  I am enjoying a little break, um...with 4 kids.   I would appreciate your prayers concerning my health.  Not sure exactly what it is, but I am back on steroids for a short period of time.  It has also been recommended that I see a lung specialist.  I am hating that because they will probably just tell me it is nothing and to stay on steroids or something.  If so, I can probably just control it by monitoring what I eat - which I haven't been doing to well lately.  Too much good American junk. :)

Guess I need to get going.  The kids are all antsy to get outside...and so am I. 

(The pictures were taken when we went to the Richmond park with our Pastor on just a fun outing.)

Happy Birthday, Lydia!

While at Grace, my Lydia turned 3 years old!  When we found out that I was going to be in the states during her birthday, Eric and I gave her her birthday gift early....a big stuffed puppy (yes, I managed to fit that in our one suitcase).  Since all of the kids were very sick the day before her birthday and I had lost my license, I didn't think I would be able to do anything special for her.  The day came and we had nuggets, fries and sang Happy Birthday to her with a Little Debbie cake.  To her, she just enjoyed knowing it was her birthday but for me, I felt bad that I couldn't make her a special cake or at least buy one.  Our sweet pastor's family didn't let the day go unnoticed and threw a little party for her.  Isn't God so good?  He truly cares even about the little, "unimportant" things in our lives.

Playing bean toss with Pastor while waiting for the pizza.

After seeing that cake, she ate her pizza FAST!

"For baby!" (A blanket for her doll...at least, that's what it was to her.)

She LOVES that puppy!

Thank you Pastor and Miss Becky for making it such a special day!

Lydia

28 Week Checkup

(These were taken on the way to church, Wednesday night.  Believe me, the belly is MUCH bigger than it looks.)

28 weeks and overdue for a doctor's visit.  Though I knew I had to go, I was completely dreading it and could barely sleep the night before.  You see, I am not a very submissive patient for them so they are never very happy with me.  Every visit I have had so far, they have found something wrong with me, assigned me with a new list of tests and prescribed different things.  This past visit it was an infection they found during the ultrasound.  They then gave me a new list of tests to do.  Eric was immediately skeptical and called our previous doctor for a consultation.  She, of course, said everything was fine and not to bother with any more tests as pregnant women do not need the added stress of running around everywhere doing extra tests. (I just love her and boy do I wish she could be my doctor this time!)  Not only did I not do the tests, but I put off the visit for a couple of weeks.  Lina was away anyways, so this gave me a good excuse to take a break.

The dreaded day came and I woke up Tuesday morning with the decision to take at least one of the girls with me.  Even if they didn't distract the doctors (and how could they not at least some?), I knew it would help keep me distracted.  Lydia wanted to go so off we rushed to meet the train and Lina.  After waiting for our turn, we opened the door and walked into the office.  Their faces said they wanted to chew me out, but they quickly put on big, fake smiles.  Lina and I were shocked at how composed they were.  Besides them mumbling "awful" when I stepped on the scale (ugh...that makes every pregnant woman happy) and telling me it was hard to live with me, everything went pretty well.  They talked a little about what to do about me, but I just let them talk to each other and explained different things to Lydia.  She thought they were nice, hehe...but maybe that's because they let her step on the scale. ;)

After I was done there, they sent me over to meet with the therapist.  She asked if anything was wrong (health wise), listened to my heart and marked ok.  She then asked what we were doing here.  When I explained that my husband was a pastor and gave her a tract, she immediately wanted to argue with me.  I tried witnessing to her, but she didn't give me much of a chance to talk.  Once she said what she wanted, she said goodbye. 

Later that night, I lay awake in bed thinking of ways I could have worded things better, etc.  Sometimes it is just so frustrating and I feel so helpless.  I so desire to be a witness and a testimony and the words are clear in my head, but don't come out the way I want.  Besides the fact that the doctor is very intimidating.  I feel like it would help if I could do everything the way they want me to, but I just can't physically keep up with all of their demands.  Now that I have stopped trying to do everything, I am able to enjoy this pregnancy.  I pray that God will still help me to have a testimony, give me opportunities to witness and freedom in the language even though I am not able to do things 100% their way.

Lydia completely enjoyed her day out with mama and Lina.  After we ate, we went out for dessert.  When we set it down in front of her she started singing "Happy Birthday to Dede!"  We know what she's ready for. ;)

Back On

And in record timing!  Eric brought the computer in yesterday to be repaired, expecting them to say come back in a week (then when you come back a week later, it's usually not done and will be ready next week...has gone on for 3 weeks before!); but they finished it in 1 afternoon!  Guess we should have brought it in a few months ago! 

So what have we been up to?  Bree and I finished the garden!  YAY!  And while we were working, the girls played with the neighbor girls and chilled...

{Doesn't she look comfy?}

On Thursday, Eric had some work to do in the city, and Bree was going to hang out with Lina, so I decided to take Lydia with me for a little Mama time.  We walked around the center and found a park!  Lydia loved it!

I made our bed {couch} a little late the other day and this is what I found the girls doing...

And.....Cucumber season has started!  Brianna could not be more excited.  She LOVES cucumbers.  Yuri brought us a bag of cucumbers on Sunday and we enjoyed them on the way to church.  Yum, yum!

Even Sammy had some.

Eric went over to the church building last night and said that it is looking very nice.  I can't wait to see it and take pictures!

A Water Jug to a Girl

Boys may kick it around or throw it, but to a girl....

It's a baby.

Night-night, baby.