Open House

Wow!  It has been a LONG time since I have been on here!  In fact, I was told 2 months!  It has been a full, busy, exciting two months with welcoming a new baby, VBS, preparing for school and preparing a room for our visitors from America (who just arrived TODAY!!! YAY!!!)...it will take me a while to update you on all of that.  I will, but I thought since I have been promising a home tour for a year to my family and we are welcoming visitors into our home now, I would let you come for a visit too.

As we open the door you'll be greeted by this sight with a bench inviting you to sit down and take your shoes off...plus about 4 excited kids hopping about with books for you to read, favorite toys for you to see, new lost teeth....we like visitors.

Once you are able to get past them and take your shoes off, we will make our way into the kitchen.

Where we would probably stop to grab a cup of tea or coffee, if you prefer

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While the water gets hot, we will take a peek into the boys' room then pick up our cups of tea (or coffee) and head to the living room.

If they were sleeping this peacefully when you came in, then it was pretty easy to get your shoes off.

In the living room you can see our precious Abigail who never lacks in arms wanting to hold her and is always surrounded by adoring brothers and sisters.  She is one spoiled little girl...or maybe it is loved.

Make a quick stop at the bathroom.

Then make our way to the girls' room,

It still needs some order, but if I waited until every room was perfect to have visitors I'd never have visitors.  Before you leave I'm sure the kids will convince you to cuddle and read a book or two.

God has blessed me greatly with a beautiful, little home and a sweet family to enjoy it with.  I hope you had a pleasant visit and will come again.  The door is always open - even when there is some laundry on the couch, which is usually the time when company pops in. :)

Take a Walk With Me...

Down the pathway behind our home...

Once we get to the forest, if we look back we can look over the village...

You'll see grazing cows and goats...

Maybe we'll pass the train stop...

Then make our way back home, taking the road in front of the house.

The little "field" of dandelions the kids loved to play in is now all garden...

And as we come once again to the back of the house, there are plenty of seats to rest our weary feet while we sip on fresh, cold spearmint tea.

More than Maple Syrup Waffles

Almost time for lift off!  My sister is going to bed now and I am just starting my day, but we will be heading out around the same time.  She will begin her flight by flying from California to New York, then straight to Kiev - where she'll meet up with us.  We will start by taking a taxi to the train station (about 1 hour), then take the train for about 8 or so hours, then another hour taxi ride to the airport.  We will get there about the same time she does at 11:30 AM our time.  Then we get to do it all over again...though we will have to hang out at the Kiev train station until our train leaves at midnight.  Usually, I totally and completely dread this trip...but this time I have more to look forward to then just some maple syrup waffles and maybe a trip to TGIF restaurant. :)

The girls are anxious and excited too and have been helping me get ready...

It's been hard keeping the house in order lately.  It seems like as soon as I get it in order we either do some other remodeling project (like install a heating system or put a door on the bathroom...which the girls think is the greatest thing.  The heating system is nice and we are always sitting up against the heaters or putting our cold feet on them.) then the whole place is in disorder again.  Right now I have a stack of books that we brought from the garage I need to organize.  But it's not all disorder.  Eric just bought me a beautiful new 'closet' to put my clothes in!  They don't have closets in home here so ever since we have been here we have been living out of baskets, which does not help order any.  It wasn't in our plans, but we walked into the store and there it was...almost half the price of everything else we had seen and way more beautiful!  It even has a few drawers on the bottom!  I LOVE IT and am SO excited about the order it has brought to at least two rooms in the house. ;)  The first picture is a little crooked, but thought you'd like to see the whole entry room...so nice now that Eric's office is upstairs!  The curtains were a bargain too...about 5 dollars at our second hand store.  I almost left them because they aren't really my colors, but couldn't because of the price...and SO much better than just sheets on the window!  I think they go beautifully in that room. 

Well, time for me to go and, as Anna would say, "Let's organize!"  (Her most used word at the moment...guess you can see what I like to do. haha...You wouldn't be able to tell she's done any organizing lately, though the way her room looks!)

New Office for Eric!

It's finished! 

Eric finished it today and as soon as the kids were in bed, he started moving all of his office stuff out of the entryway and up into the attic where Mom Curtis says we'll be storing him. hehe.

I am so excited for him! 

He's been waiting for this to be finished all year. 

Snow and Snowmen

Saturday the kids and I got out to enjoy the fresh new snow.  They absolutely loved it. 

They especially loved Eric running them around the yard a few times...

And sliding down the small hill.

 Since the snow was a little too powdery to make a snowman

we made these... 

They didn't seem too disappointed with the substitute snowmen

and the little stars.

Sammy these days has been rolling all over the place. 

He says Mama when he's hungry and tired;

Anna sometimes;

And roars at people at church.

He cried the first time Eric said 'ra-ra-ra'...

Now he just 'ra's back.

He's just too cute!

He even puts his pacifier in his mouth by himself!

I know some are anxious to see the new addition on our house...

so will post pictures soon.

For now,

here's what the outside looks like now.

Major improvement.

Not only does it look better,

but already seems to be keeping us warmer.

Looking like everything will stay warm enough

so we'll have running water this winter!

Pulling Weeds and Drinking Tea

If you were to ask what kind of week it has been, that would probably be my response.  It has held a lot of bad, ugly, sad things but it has also had many good, sweet blessings.  There have also been a few times it has felt like our time here is just a waste and we really aren't doing any good...then I just turn back to God and say, "Lord, no matter what happens or if it seems like absolutely nothing is happening, I will still serve you."  So, where do I start?  I guess at the beginning.

We had planned a Family Day on Saturday for people in our church and for their friends and families who are not saved, but Eric was called over to Yuri and Christina's on Friday morning.  Christina, under the influence of her neighbor and probably her sister, was drinking by the river on Thursday night.  After which, she got in a fight and punched her sister, Ina.  We love this couple dearly and just ask that you pray for them.  We also ask your prayers for Ina and Valodia, as we have no way of contacting them now that they are no longer living at Yuri's (they have no phone).  They seemed very interested in the Bible lessons...though some are saying that they, and Yuri and Christina, were just trying to use us.  To us, we are willing to be used a little in order that they hear the Gospel.  This has been the biggest thing on our hearts and minds this week.  Any time we have problems like this in the church, God always uses it to strengthen the group of believers which stays.  And Sunday some might leave, as Eric has a strong message addressing the hypocrisy in our church.  Some of our "older" christians have allowed things in their lives that are casting stumbling blocks for the baby Christians and may be even hindering the salvation of others.  We are praying that God's will be done and if we stand alone...
  "...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

The church isn't the only place that needed some weed pulling.  The whole yard was covered in weeds/grass taller than me!  This particular one (ambrosia, I think) was quite a bit taller than Eric and thicker than my wrist!  Not only does the yard look better, but, with a little siding, the house is looking GREAT!  (Soon a new room for the kids...which means I might actually get a "dining" room table!)

The new addition!

I invited the neighbor, Sveta, and her daughters over for tea on Thursday.  She and the youngest were not able to make it because the baby didn't sleep well that night and had just fallen a sleep about the time of the tea party, but her daughter Nastia came.  I was a little disappointed at first, but I'll try again later.  I don't know if it will be a weekly thing or not, but I'm planning on having "tea parties", inviting different neighbors at different times.  This last time, Valentina had just gotten back from 1 week to the sea and 4 weeks to Russia (BOY were we glad to see her!), and I had her here too.

Nastia and Anna...and NO it was not cold. 
Nastia wanted to go back inside and
said that it was too cold outside. 

For the past few months, I've been going around taking pictures of EVERYTHING and working on the computer to put verses on some of the pictures.  Eric and I have really wanted to have scripture around the house, but we also wanted it in Russian.  Just yesterday we got back the first of the prints and I'm pretty excited at how they turned out.  (The verse is John 15:5)

And this is what I did with my copy...

(The wall is actually green...that is how
bad of a photo this is.)

Ladies at church will be able to win copies by memorizing and saying the verse on each picture.

Lasty, a picture of our "Sammy Boy".  He is growing so fast and is becoming more handsome each day.

Come with me...

                           

and see

and some

or the neighbor's walnut tree.

Take a walk through

Smell the fresh air

Maybe stop to eat at Yuri's...

His home may be small, but

And as you go on your way, just remember...

With love and lots of