One Busy Month

Wow!  I can't believe it's been about a month since my last post!  Many posts have been written in my head, but I never seem to find the time to actually type them out.  As you can guess, we have kept busy around here.  It is warming up and the sun has finally come out.  How good it feels to see blue skies again!  And GREEN GRASS!  I've even been hanging my laundry outside.  Ahh!  It feels SO nice (and smells better too) to not have wet laundry hanging everywhere!  I was so anxious to get it out of the house that I started hanging it out at the first sign of a semi-warm nice day...we got rain, then snow, with the laundry on the line.  The next few times I tried hanging clothes again - same thing.  It has became a joke with the neighbors.  They now yell over every time I hang a load saying, "It's going to rain today."

So, what have we been up to?  Here's a quick overview of what we have done outside of church activities...

Eric and Sammy made a puppet theater for our Sunday School.  I don't have any pictures of that yet, but Eric took a couple pictures of them hard at work. :)

Sammy LOVES being Daddy's helper.

My spare time has been spent sewing curtains for the boys' room, pillow covers for some throw pillows and the cushion in the mudroom, made laundry soap and dish soap (a TOTAL flop, probably because of the greasy Ukrainian soap I used) and experimenting in the kitchen.  I am not a seamstress, but my girls think I can do anything - sewing or cooking.  They are begging me to teach them to sew.  Guess we will be learning together. :)

The ruffles ended up being longer than I wanted, but I was not about to take the entire pillow apart to redo it.

Since we have been on such a strict diet, I have had to be a little more creative in the kitchen.  I've made almond flour-cheese crackers, peanut butter (YUM!!), and cottage cheese pancakes that taste and feel just like the real thing! {Recipe soon to come...maybe. ;)}

When we were in the States and since we've been back, some of you have asked if it was going to be easy to keep our diet here in Ukraine or if it's harder to find "diet" foods.  I actually think it's easier to find natural things here.  Here is just one example...in our village on almost every corner you'll find someone selling fresh goat's milk or cow's milk.  We get fresh goat's milk 3 times a week and the same lady sells cottage cheese, kefir, cream cheese...all from goat's milk. :)  The price is cheaper than buying the processed stuff at the store!  I sometimes have a hard time drinking/eating the stuff because I am SUPER sensitive to any milk product when I am pregnant, but the kids all love it.  Most of the time none of her stuff has any goat flavor and I enjoy the kefir blended with bananas, frozen strawberries and sometimes raspberries or cherries.

Sammy getting the goat's products with Daddy.

As far as how the diet helps us.  Ever since we had the parasites, our stomachs have been all messed up.  As soon as we get off the diet, we start having upset stomachs, messy bowel movements...let's just say it's not fun or pretty.  Even with those side effects, we are "off" the diet right now.  In fact, I made my first frosted cake in AGES today.  Eric asked for it and how could I say no?  I still really want to cut out the flour and sugar again.  I feel so much better when I am on it.  Especially since I've had so much trouble with my gums.  They were bleeding and very swollen, that at least has gone down.  The gums are still receded and sometimes sensitive.  I'm afraid all this junk will make them worse.  I also noticed that I get "morning" sickness (why do they call it that???) and heartburn when I'm off it.  (I write this as I snack with Eric on Oreos that a dear friend sent us.)  Why is it SO hard to eat healthy?  Cleaning with natural products (except dish and laundry soap), I clean almost everything with vinegar and baking soda,  - easy.  Beauty products also not so hard...but giving up sugar and white flour?  Wow! Is it hard!  I've been reading the book Teachers of Good Things by Francie Taylor (excellent book) and she hits a little on healthy eating.  She says,

Once we know the right thing to do for our bodies, it becomes a sin for us to do otherwise.  "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James 4:17

That has been convicting me ever since we went off the diet!  Well, my mind is completely everywhere.  Sorry that it became mostly a "diet" post.  I wanted to answer your questions and my email is still not working so I can't reply to your emails there.  I need to just get a new account.

A White Christmas

The common question asked lately in our house is, "Is it Christmas yet?"  When I reply, "No," Anna, matter-of-factly states, "Because we don't have snow yet."  Well, that changed Wednesday night.  We woke up Thursday morning to about 4-6 inches of snow.  My meeting at the school was rescheduled to next Thursday since the roads aren't plowed and no one wanted to take the chance trying to get into the village.  The kids were thrilled because that meant they got to go play in the snow.

Sammy got to was excited to try on the snowsuit Mimi gave him, and was even happier when he found out that it had pockets!

He walked around like he was the coolest guy ever.  Hehe.  Eric and I were dying laughing.

Tuesday night, we finally decided to get a Christmas tree.  And it is fake...I know, I said I'd NEVER do a fake tree.  I just love the smell of the real thing, but they don't start selling them until a couple days before Christmas.  The kids loved decorating it!

Sammy put about 3 bulbs on the same branch. ;)

The finished tree...almost.  We were working on popcorn garlands, but most of our popcorn disappeared.

Boy or Girl?

Sorry to leave you hanging for so long.  I have been so exhausted that thinking...much less typing...has seemed impossible.  By 11-11:30 AM, my eyes and head get heavy and I start nodding like Daniel.  By 12-12:30 PM, whether kids are in their beds for quiet time or not, I'm out...which is very dangerous to a clean house.  In the evening, I crash almost as soon as they are in their beds (unless it's Sunday, then I crash before they do).  That's where my computer time has been going.  Tonight, though, my love is at the church waiting for the workers to finish re-installing the heating system.  The thought of climbing into a cold bed without being able to snuggle up next to my love is keeping me at the computer...even if most of my time has been spent spacing out.

I am a little nervous about announcing so early (I am 8 weeks pregnant now) and we had planned on waiting until 13 weeks.  Because I was feeling so awful, we thought we would have to announce it here soon but we wanted family to know first...then it would get out, SO might as well announce it. :)

As we wait for our little one, we can't help but wonder...

Boy?

Who seems to manage to leave a mess behind every where they go...

and is born with a love for roughing up and tackling...

and cars.

Or girl?

With her love for dolls and anything frilly...

Who cannot help twirling around the room as soon as music starts to play with their princess dresses on.

Such tenderness they show their babies, they seem born little mommies!

And what a difference their interactions are to the boys' rough housing!

They all make for a lively little house!

So, whether boy or girl, we will be thrilled....BUT the vote is 4 for girl and 1 for boy.  Can you guess who insists on a boy?  Yes, THE BOY (Sammy, for those who didn't know the name he went by on furlough, hehe).  What about Daniel's vote?  Well, his doesn't count as most likely he would vote neither and choose rather to stay the baby a little while longer. ;)

Church Advertising

Some churches play loud music, some hire clowns, some rent bouncy-thingys...our church?  They just let missionaries stay there.

And who wouldn't want to visit a church with a face like that? :)

Don't you feel bad for Eric? hehe

Don't feel too bad...he bought the water guns.

You can just tell by their faces they are enjoying this!!

She takes after her Mama! :)  That's my girl!  Get him!

I tried getting a picture of them all together, but it was pretty hard to get them to sit still.

Except for Sammy...he cracks me up!

And what was Daniel doing while his brother and sisters were soaking papa?

Playing with his new toy from the Dupree family. :)  We love you guys and LOVE the sandals and toys! 

I just added it up today, and we have been to 10 churches this month {2 missions' conferences and 2 revivals}!  I know we have the SWEETEST churches!  Our van is always overflowing with all of the gifts they are showering upon us!  We end up leaving wishing we had more time to visit and help them.  Each time we go into a church, we see so many needs.  Our hearts are burdened for the churches of America, we wish we could help, but we are not called to stay.  Furlough has been refreshing and it has been so nice to meet many of you and hear that you are praying for us.  I have been surprised by how many of you have prayed for us to be able to have children!! ....you can stop now. ;)  Even with all of this, I am ready to go home.  I pray that this time in the states will only make me more useful for the service of Jesus Christ in Ukraine.

Мы любим вас Валентина, наша дорогая русская мама!!!!!

You Have Arrived!

AHHH!  That has become one of our favorite things to hear...when our gps finally announces our arrival.  The kids always excitedly ask "Is this our new home?" hehe.  You can tell they are MK's. ;)

Life in the Curtis van has been CrAzY!  I've barely had time to get the laundry done between conferences, much less make a post, but I thought I'd give you a quick update on how we're doing.

After my last post, we drove down to Georgia for a conference.  The normally long ride was made even more interesting as everyone was getting sick.  The Lord brought to my mind this sweet missionary wife and her furlough travels/sicknesses and all I can say is God really gave her a lot of grace!

We are still having fun, though.  We take LOTS of time to "smell" the flowers along the way.

They enjoyed helping put John's and Romans together at our church's scripture work day...

...but it wasn't long before they were off playing.  If you ask Anna how many best friends she has, she'll tell you "a LOT." 

After trying a few things, I think we've found a way of packing that works for us.  Thanks for all of your suggestions!  We have a shoe bag, a Bible bag and a diaper bag.  Then 2 LARGE duffle bags - one for the boys and one for the girls.  In them, I have mesh wash bags which hold/separate all of our undergarments.  Since our kids are little and we end up carrying everything, fewer the bags - the better.  We also have a "cooler" bag between the seats with snacks.

Please continue to pray for us as we travel.  Pray also that we may go back to the country we love and are called to.  It seems like missionaries in Ukraine are going through so much right now.  This sweet and dear missionary family has recently had their visas denied.  We also just found out that the Hudson family, missionaries to Kiev Ukraine who came back to the states because of visa troubles, won't be returning this week as planned because Mrs. Catherine Hudson has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, which has moved to her liver.  My heart aches for this family and I ask that you keep them in your prayers.

Baby Feet

Don't you just love them?  I can't help but kiss them every time I see them.  Sammy loves them too, but he doesn't kiss them...he says "tickle, tickle, tickle."  I love my boys and I LOVE knowing that Sammy loves his little brother.  In this picture Sammy wanted to hold the baby.  When Daniel started crying, Sammy said "Baby cry"  (sounds more like baby eye).  The kids are so in love that the girls are already praying "God, please give mommy another baby in her tummy today." Guess they don't feel like taking turns holding him and want a baby for each of them. ;)

As you've probably guessed by my lack of posting, I've been keeping pretty busy these days.  When I'm not cuddling Daniel (which is most of the time), I'm helping my husband prepare for furlough.  I kept putting off working on the presentation saying "After the baby comes I'll have plenty of time since I'll mostly be resting with the baby."  Hmmm...well, now I'm wishing I hadn't put it off.  I haven't had as much free time as I thought I would have.  Finally, the presentation is finished.  Now to start packing.  I have no clue how we're going to squeeze everything into the van.  We have already had 2 meetings and have 2 more here in Maine before we head down to VA.  I would LOVE any tips you have on traveling with kids.  Any suggestions on meals on the road?  I'm not too excited about the kids having chicken nugget happy meals all of the time.

One of my top goals before we return to our home in Ukraine was to get some books.  Since we've been home I've been the winner of two blog book giveaways!  This book I recently won and it sounds excellent and just what I need; and this book, which my husband stole before I got a chance to finish it.  And for Christmas, my husband bought me a book I've been wanting called Training Your Children to Turn Out Right by David Sorenson.  I've only read 2 chapters, but it is EXCELLENT so far.  Here are a few quotes from the book...

"God's goal for our children is not just for them to stay out of trouble.  Rather, the emphasis throughout the Word of God is to train our children from their infancy to serve the Lord..."

"The one thing that will give them (our children, and us) clear victory is the Word of God."

"Psalm 119:11...'Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.' ...I believe that the thought is to so fill our minds with God's Word that it soaks down into our hearts and begins to affect every decision we make.  The result is that we will not sin against God."

I can't wait to read the rest!  It makes so much sense and already seems like one of the best child training books.  It's not a "list"of things you can do to help your children turn out right, but ONLY the Word of God.

I had so much more I wanted to share, but sleep is calling to me...hopefully it calls to Daniel as well. ;)