Ella is Four!

We can't believe that Ella is four years old!

The celebration started with a call from Grandma and Grandpa (staying up late!) Then birthday pancakes, presents. Danya and Tima were very excited for Ella's birthday because they had begged to be taken to the toy store to buy Ella a gift with their own money. They chose a stuffed snow leopard, which truly was what Ella wanted more than anything! She also got a Toy Story Lego kit - her very first 'own' legos,  complete with her beloved Jessie and BullsEye.

I took her to the store to buy last minute party supplies, and it was so fun to let her choose which plastic plates, which napkins, etc. She just loved every minute. After insisting that she wouldn't nap beccause she was so excited for her party, she fell asleep within five minutes. (Which suprised me, as she hardly ever falls asleep during nap time anymore!)

Amazingly, all the friends we invited were healthy and able to brave to -25C temps. We had our three adult teammates (who Ella loves deeply) and two families who each have three kids. Thanks to Eric's inexhaustible creative energy, I enjoyed dinner with the women while he did games and more with the kids. We even got to see all the kids act out a Frog and Toad story! (Can I just say that I think Eric is the most amazing father in the world? And I won't even mention what kind of  amazing husband he is!)

All told, it was a wonderful time with our friends, and the kids had a very fun party with their friends. I wish it would work out to mix preschool (Russian-speakers) with staff friends (English-speakers) but the truth was, 16 people in 630 square feet was just enough! I am so grateful for our little girl, and also for the blessing of good friends!

Enjoying the cold outside, and mom's camera inside.

"Mama, I don't like the sun!"

(And when I told her that I did, she reminded me that it gave me a headache the day before. True, but...

 It's rumored that we've had 630cm of snow this winter. That's over seven feet! But we did have some melting in the middle. It's delightful, though!

After a few weeks hovering around 0C (32F) we are now at 0F (-18C). I am so grateful to live where people aren't afraid of the cold ! And to have learned from our years in Irkutsk how to dress for the cold! And yet, here in St. Pete, there are actually people out running in this cold weather! Of course, there were hundreds skiing, but running!!! (And the truth is, I'm also grateful that this is the coldest part of the winter, unlike Irkutsk, where the coldest was -35C or even colder.

Inside, we've enjoyed a lot of music, and I've let the kids take pictures with my camera. Some of the results are below:

The kids all liked this hockey stick picture. Something in it that appeals to their artistic side...?



Area Staff Conference

A week-long party with over a thousand coworkers who serve in 20 countries of Eastern Europe and Russia. We gathered on the Adriatic coast of Slovenia to worship, pray, learn, share and simply be together. It was a very encouraging time for me, and an incredible time for our kids.

We were too busy to take pictures, but managed a few on the last day when the kids performed their songs. 'Childcare' was actually a conference for the children, put on by 23 volunteers from Bakersfield, CA, who raised money for their own journey (and tubbies full of crafts, ethnic food and American treats)! Our kids had a great time, learned a lot, and were only disappointed that they couldn't stay with their new friends and teachers forever.

See more cute photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=265347&id=593736915&l=94e2625d71