Fun with Cousins

Aunt Dani and Tima, trying to fly a kite without wind.

My parents beautiful yard, complete with sandbox and improvised climbing device!

My sister, Dani, getting the three cousins ready for the pool.

Ella, Mae, and Adi, having more fun than it looks like!

Colorado and family

The kids and I are loving being surrounded by family, soaking in the Colorado sunshine, and enjoying the perks of life in the States--like rec centers, bikes and town fairs. Last night Dani and Dave hosted their annual bbq, and I got to see many old friends, plus my grandmother and aunt and uncle. Today we went to my parents' church in Erie, and relished the small town feel of the community, plus the beauty of the old steepled building.

Last night, everyone slept six hours straight for the first time. Ella is having a hard time going to sleep unless I stay with her, and she wakes up crying most of the time. (That's been happening since all the construction noise in our St Pete apartment, and all the new places aren't helping!) But the last two days, she's fallen asleep at naptime with my mother there instead of me. So I'm hopeful!

Eric really enjoyed his time in Budapest with our new local leaders. Now he has two more days in Moscow, then a day of travel. We'll see him Wednesday night! 

On Friday, we'll go to Eric's parents for a few days, so if you're local and want to see us this week, give me a call! If you don't know the number, just comment on this or email me: 

kara.coe@promail.ru

The Adventure Continues

Here we are, in the middle of four travel days in four weeks. Danya just said he's excited to 'be' in Moscow but doesn't want to have to travel there. This is the third Sunday or Monday when we're travelling. And next Monday, we'll have another flight...this time to Colorado!

Last night we were actually packed, apartment cleaned and had time to watch an episode of LOST. In a few hours, we’ll fly to Moscow and enjoy a week of Local Leader Conference and STINT debrief. And then, May 11th, I’ll fly alone with all three kids to Colorado. Eric will catch up to us on May 20th. So, the adventure begins… or rather, continues! It’s been a crazy week since we returned from Irkutsk.

Could I ask for you to pray for us and our kids’ health? Ella got sick in Irkutsk, 10 days ago, and is just now getting better. She is still clingy and demanding, especially if I’m around. It’s like having a colicky-newborn again… (or a dairy-reacting one-year-old again—maybe she just needs to get really fussy once a year). I am a little anxious about flying alone, 10 hours to Wash D.C. and then three more to Colorado. Please pray for no delayed flights, good behavior for the kids, strength for me, and health for all!

For those in the Denver/Boulder area, please contact me if you'd like to get together. I'll be staying in Erie with my parents. Reply here or email! I'm excited to see you!

Irkutsk

I'm not going to even mention how disappointed I am that I haven't been able to write in so long... oh, whoops!

We returned from our five days in Irkutsk on the 26th. It's hard to summarize our time there, but it was definitely saturated. From morning to night, we enjoyed time together with Homoon, YoungJa, Ju-eun, Ju-hui and Ju-an. And everyday we also saw other friends and neighbors. I wish I had the time and energy to tell you all the emotions. At first, I really felt I was in shock, like there were so many things I thought I would feel, but I was just numb. The last day, I took a run in the woods, and felt that was the best thing I could have done to process, to grieve, to enjoy the place we lived for years. It felt like the woods was a person with whom I had spent many hours, watched each other change through the years. I was so grateful that so little had changed since I left.

I put our photos on Facebook, but can't seem to receive the email to myself with the address for non-Facebook users. Hopefully next time!

So, now we're in the vortex of laundry from the last trip and packing for the next. In three days we fly to Moscow for a week-long conference, and then straight onto Colorado for the summer. Trying to wash and store away all the winter coats and wash and pack all the summer clothes at the same time is proving to be a challenge!