on our way...

here is a preview of some of the sights in Anapa!! We should be there by 10am. Tom says he packed my bikini and his speedo!!

vacation time...

Today we are cleaning, doing laundry and packing to leave for the Black Sea... we truly need this vacation!

how much would you pay?

I found Dr. Pepper in our supermarket for $2.94 a can. I only bought 2 cans... didn't feel like splurging on a 6 pack!

more dancing from the wedding!

I apologize for the footage starting out sideways... I am still trying to figure out my camera. Be sure to pay attention to the little girls when they show up in this Father/Daughter dance!

thought for today

Excerpt from The Secret Life of Bees, by Susan Monk Kidd

Probably one or two moments in your whole life you will hear a dark whispering spirit, a voice coming from the center of things. It will have blades for lips and will not stop until it speaks the one secret thing at the heart of it all. Kneeling on the floor, unable to stop shuddering, I heard it plainly. It said, You are unlovable, Lily Owens. Unlovable. Who could love you? Who in the world could ever love you?

There is One who could love you... though not of this world. There One whose heart aches for you. He won't force Himself on you. He is not rude. He will wait patiently until you call to Him. Call to Him, wholeheartedly seek after Him and He will answer you and be found by you.

Going once, going twice...

At each of the weddings Tom and I have attended it has been the custom for the bride and groom to cut and serve their wedding cake to the guests. After Timofey and Tanya cut their first slice it was auctioned off by the Maid of Honor before anyone else was served.

The first piece of cake was described as being the sweetest and best tasting piece of the entire cake. It sold for 16$ to the lucky guy in the final photo!

dancing at the wedding

mmmm.... sushi!

So far the best sushi I have had here in Krasnodar can be found at The Gray Goose Restaurant across from the Galleria! Everything was fresh and delicious... and for sushi that is just how it should be!

Thought for today

Broken life, broken heart

Excerpt from Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov

“I’ll die if you touch me,” I said. “You are sure you are not coming with me? Is there no hope of your coming? Tell me only this.”

“No,” she said. “No, honey, no.”

She had never called me honey before.

“No,” she said, “it is quite out of the question. I would sooner go back to Cue. I mean-“

She groped for words. I supplied them mentally (“He broke my heart. You merely broke my life”).

Each week Tom and I meet with people whose lives, hearts and spirits have been broken. Some of them are brought to their knees by the circumstances of childhood losses. Others were abused or mistreated by a lover or friend along the way. Can you conceive of a power great enough to mend your life, heal your heart, replenish your spirit and redeem all of your suffering? Help is available to each of us from a Source greater than ourselves. Make your need known to Him, and you will find comfort, healing and renewal as well.

our neighbor's garage

The first time I saw this garage I had no idea what it was. Tom, of course, knew right away!

the playground near us...

This little play area is situated between three apartment buildings. Everyday it is filled with little ones and those who are watching over them. Mothers, grandmothers, aunties, uncles and granddads coax little ones on slides, coach them on playing with others and calm the ones who have suffered an offense from a playmate. We love listening to the sounds of kids laughing day after day!

22? Already?

Today our oldest son, Nathan, is 22 years old. It is hard to believe that the time has gone by so quickly!

Happy Birthday Nathan!! We wish you love, joy, and an incredible year of God's peace and hope. God bless you, we love you!

thought for today

"A temptation resisted is a true measure of character."
-Pappilon

Proverbs 20:29

Youth may be admired for vigor,
but gray hair gives prestige to old age.

The Message

window shopping

Siberian Ginseng

These past few weeks I have not been feeling well. The constant change in the weather along with the work load that we have been carrying has taken it's toll on my body. There were days when I felt as if my fibromyalgia was totally in control of my life.

A friend sent me a text message today describing a natural medication that she thought might be of help to me. It's nickname is Siberian ginseng and here is a blurb from the University of Maryland Medical Center:

also known as eleuthero, has been used for centuries in Eastern countries, including China and Russia. Although a distant relative of American (Panax quinquefolius ) and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng ), with some overlap in its uses, Siberian ginseng is a distinct plant with different active chemical components. Prized for its ability to restore vigor, increase longevity, enhance overall health, and stimulate both a healthy appetite and a good memory, it is widely used in Russia to help the body adapt to stressful conditions and to enhance productivity.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking here

I am looking forward to feeling better and am hoping that this works out for me! If you give it a try let me know!!

thought for today

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
~ John Wooden ~

appreciating the small things!

Four years ago my friend Lena taught me to make bliny (Russian pancakes). I used to get frustrated because I could not flip them over without tearing them. Now, not only can I flip them over but I can even slide them off them pan and onto to the serving platter!

Breakfast anyone!?

Natural Hair Care

A few years back the founder of our language school, Diane, told us that you can tell to what extent you accept the culture around you by the number of changes you have made in your life. When I first got here I stuck with products from the states that I was familiar with. I am glad that I got over that. This conditioner so much better for my hair than any of the brands I have used in the past!

The brand name is Clean Line... all of the products contain some natural ingredients. Give them a try if you find them in a store near you. I am so glad that I did!