Our Russian Experience

thoughts...

2009-02-17T11:07:00.002+05:00

Well, I am sitting at my computer, bored, wondering what to do next. It isn't as if I don't have things that need to be done, it is just I might not want to do them. Nice attitude, huh?! Paul has been home sick for about 2 weeks. At first it was a virus and removal of his ear tubes, then he got over that, now he has a stomach bug. yuck. poor kid! Hopefully he will feel good enough tomorrow to go to the kindergarten.

I have been thinking a lot about the economy. I see many reports on CNN international about how it is around the world. I hear it is bad at home. Here, I see some changes too. It is hard to be very specific, since I can only see, and can't really talk to too many Russians about the economy... my language skills are sadly lacking! But I have noticed that the price of milk has gone down, and the price of tomatoes and cucumbers have risen dramatically. I also see fewer people at the gym, and very few people at the salon downstairs below the fitness center. At the salon, I see not only fewer customers, but fewer hairdressers. When we have gone to a restaurant, there are less people eating out, and those that are there, are women usually. Shops are reducing their hours they are open, presumably to save on operating costs. Many workers in the oil industry have been laid off, and some, I have heard, are working for essentially no pay.

It is a scary time... I think of the stories my grandma told me about the depression, and wonder how many of those I will re enact with the present circumstances. Already, I have had a woman and her son come to my door and ask for food. Of course, I gave it to them. I had made up my mind that I wouldn't give money, but then she asked for food... It is so sad. I can't even imagine how hard that had to be for her. I just pray that the global economy will turn around, and will grow at an even pace. Where there will be jobs for those who want to work, and affordable homes for them. I wonder how people in Nizh do it. Housing is very expensive, and food is too. I think the government helps them, but I am not sure how much or for how long. A friend of mine told me that her mom, who has worked at the same job for 40 years (only taking off maternity leave for her two kids, and maybe a leave for sickness) is retiring this spring (not sure if it is a forced retirement or she is choosing to). But her pension will only be about 6,000 rubles a month... which is about $166 with today's exchange rate. I wonder how she will do it?! I spend almost that in two trips to the grocery store. anyway... i know i am rambling... just thought i would share. Any thoughts???

love, juli

Going, going...GONE!

2009-02-11T12:17:00.002+05:00

Emma lost her first 2 teeth within a matter of days! She was so happy, and excited for the tooth fairy to come all the way from America to visit. In Russia, they do not have a tooth fairy, so ours had to come a long way... in fact, for the second tooth, she didn't make it until the day after she lost it! We "explained" to Emma that it was due to the fact that she lost the tooth at night, and it was very cold in Russia, so the tooth fairy "couldn't make it that very night..."

So, yes, she woke up before the tooth fairy had visited; therefore, Lee and I gave the above explanation :) Sign us up for the parents of the year award......

Pool Kids

2009-02-11T12:05:00.002+05:00

What a difference!

2009-02-11T11:59:00.002+05:00

I thought you might like to see what a difference a couple of days, and several degrees of latitude could mean..........

Slacker......

2009-02-01T11:33:00.009+05:00

The beach....

Waterfall...

Pictures of the beach the week after new years... the locals camp out on the beach, and it is VERY crowded, and looked like what we pictured a refugee camp might look like....

Going away party for new friends who were immigrating to Austrailia.

Singing karaoke...Hotel "Caleeforneeya" :) like how I'm the only one with food.....

New Year's Eve----

Crocodile Park!

Christmas time :) This is the only pic we have of the 4 of us.... nice and fuzzy :)

Pictures of us at the beach:

Hello! Well, I figured that I had been a lazy bum for long enough, and it was time to finally update this blog. A lot has happened since I last posted, so bear with me :) There will probably be lots of pictures and information that isn't really that important anymore. Ha ha! I hope all of you that are reading this are doing well, and are happy and healthy. We are all doing well in Nizh.

Let's see... last time I wrote it was in October... OK, so in November we celebrated Thanksgiving at our house with about 15 people. I cooked my first turkey in the oven, and it turned out pretty good! I was pleasantly surprised. After Thanksgiving, we started preparing to leave the country. The kid's visas were expiring on December 17th, so we had to leave Russia or face a hefty fine. We decided to go to the Republic of Mauritius (it is a small island in the Indian Ocean, about 500 miles east of Madagascar). We chose to go here, because this was *supposed* to be a fairly quick trip, and we didn't want to fly all the way to the states and have to deal with jet lag, etc. So, we loaded up, and headed for the island. As it turns out, we ended up being there for almost a month, due to not getting our invitation letter on time, and the embassy being closed for the Holiday. So, yes, we were "stuck" on the tropical island.

We had a fabulous time there! It was very warm (34-38 degrees Celsius, or in the mid 90's), so we spent our time at the beach or in the pool. It was fantastic! Emma learned to dive a little, and Paul started trying to swim without his floaties. They loved hunting for crabs on the beach, building sandcastles, chasing each other around outside.... all of the fun things we can't do in Nizh. We spent Christmas there, and New Year's. We were invited to a local family's home for New Year's Eve, and had a ball cooking out, hanging out, and shooting and watching fireworks! It was neat to get to spend this time with locals, and see how they celebrated. At midnight, it sounded like I imagine a war zone must sound. There were VERY loud and multiple fireworks going off simultaneously! After the fireworks, we went over to a couple of their neighbor's homes to have yet another bite to eat, and toast the new year with them. Everyone was so nice, and just welcomed us like we were family. It was really interesting because one family was a Indian family, and the other was Mauritian. It was the first time we have ever been able to experience so many different cultures in one place!

Mauritius is a multicultural island. The majority of people had ancestors from India, and the remainder of people had ancestors from African countries like Mozambique. The predominate religion is Hindu, with Muslims and Catholics making up the rest of the main religions. We definitely were in the minority... It was the first time I had ever felt like my skin color set me apart from the majority of people. Paul caused quite a stir with the Mauritians! Almost every time we walked down the beach to the sun chairs, groups of locals who were picnicking would stare, and say hi, and give him little treats. Many wanted to take their picture with him. He would usually oblige, and would stand with them...... I wonder if he is posted all over their websites as the oddity!?! Emma pretty much blended in... especially as she got tan! With her dark hair and skin, she didn't cause quite the stir Paul did. I wish I had a nickel for every time someone said, "Wow! He is WHITE!" I would be rich....... :)

We arrived back in Nizh in mid January, and have kept busy getting settled back in. The kids are back in school, and are doing well. I started back at the gym, and have gotten used to the cold weather again. Last week, it was -38 degrees Celsius (-36 in Fahrenheit)! It was COLD! All of the schools were closed, and some of the oilfields were closed too because it was even colder out there. Here, they close the lower grade schools (1st-4th, I think) when the temperature is -25 or below. I find that strange, since that can happen quite often here in Siberia.... and they don't make up the days at the end of the year either.

Anyway, that catches you up a bit. I will write more and post more pictures soon :)

Love, Juli

Life in Nizh

2008-10-09T09:55:00.003+06:00

Lee and I in some type of Russian hats... Ha!

Hello! All is well in Nizhnevartovsk :) The kids are adjusted to school, and enjoy playing with their friends. Paul is speaking more russian now, and Emma even translates for me :) I have been going to the gym, cooking and learning to make russian food with Yulya, and lately trying to get over a cold.

Yulya, Sveta, and I

A good friend of ours, Ksenia, just moved from Nizh to Toronto. We had a party for her at Lemon, which was lots of fun, and then sent her off to Canada 3 days later. She is missed, but i am having fun hearing about her adventures :)

Here is a pic of Ksenia and I:

Oh, by the way, I got in trouble at Podsulnuk on Sunday.... Podsulnuk (russian for sunflower...) is the biggest supermarket they have in town. I would compare it to maybe a neighborhood walmart, with wine and liquor, of course. Anyway, I went to get some potatoes, and i grabbed two pre-bagged bags. Now, these are not marked, as you have to take everything like that (produce wise) to be weighed and stickered at a special counter. Well, I watched the process, and got in line. As I reached the weigh in counter, a cleaning lady approached as well. She was talking to the weigher girl, and I handed one of my potato bags to the weigher girl. As I did this, the dirt on the potatoes fell all over the counter... Well, the cleaning lady started "talking" and motioning to the dirt on the counter, and saying the word "packyet" which i know means sack. So I assume I was in trouble for not putting the sack of potatoes in another sack so they would not dirty up the counter :) Well, that is fine, and I said that I was sorry, that I didn't know, and the weigher girl was very nice and gave me a sack and said it was ok. But I had yet another bag of potatoes, sans the sack..... but the weigher girl gave me one and all was well. :) It's those kind of things that you don't know that make it funny and hard to live in another country. Of course, now, i will ALWAYS put my produce in a sack..... and if I could of read the signs, maybe I wouldn't of gotten in trouble at all! ha ha!

New Apartment!!!

2008-09-30T15:52:00.009+06:00

We finally have a new apartment!! We really like it and are so happy to have something with more room, and windows that actually open and close :) The kids even have their own rooms!

Here is a pic of a street as we are driving...

Now, for the apartment......

Here is the entryway:

The kitchen and eating area:

Living room:

Hallway:

Playroom:

Bathroom:

Paul's room:

Emma's Room:

Our room:

Views from the windows:

Outside of apartment:

Emma and Paul at school with friends

2008-09-30T15:21:00.005+06:00

The kids started back to school, and have so far really enjoyed it! Paul doesn't usually like it right at first, but by the time I get him undressed and redressed, he is fine. He tells me that he now "talks russian"... I asked him what he said, and Paul told me that he says "da" (which means yes)! I think he understands most of what the kids and teachers say to him, but he obviously doesn't speak it much :) ha!

Emma adjusted quite well and very quickly! The first Monday we were here, she was invited to a birthday party. I took her, and was so mad at myself for forgetting my camera!!! It was THE most incredible 6 year old birthday party I have EVER seen! It was held at Malibu, which is a little arcade/celebration station type place. There were probably 15 or so kids, and their moms. The kids got tokens to play games, and could also play in the ball climbing pit thing and ride the bumper cars. Then we all went into this room that was all decorated and set up with about 7 small tables for the kids and one big table for the moms. The kids tables all had 3 small coke bottles, a tree with fruit arranged on it, fancy straws and juice. The adults table was about the same. The kids then sat down, drank their cokes, and then they brought in milkshakes and fried cheese, hotdogs, etc. on little platters for every table. While they were eating, they watched a 3-D movie on the movie screen. After the movie, 2 clowns came in to entertain the kids with games and songs and such. Then, they brought each child a plate with meatballs and french fries. Meanwhile, the adults were served on a huge platter in the center of the table with tons of meat and veggies on it. We were also each given a salad and juice. Then, it was cake time..... each of us got a piece of cake, and the adults were served tea. While the cake was being consumed, the kids watched 2 more 3-D movies. Then, at 9:00pm, it was time to go home. whew! I couldn't believe it! It would of cost a fortune in the states, and I can't even begin to guess how much it was here!

ok, back to school.... Emma is having fun, and is already speaking russian again. She and I are going to "teach English" to a few of her classmates 2 times a week. She is very excited about this.... we start tomorrow :)

ok, enough for now... I will post pics of the apartment next :)

Love, Juli

Florence, Italy

2008-09-30T14:48:00.004+06:00

One rainy day on vacation, we decided to take a trip to Florence. We knew we weren't going to be sightseeing with a 5 and 3 year old, but we thought we might get to walk around a bit and let them play. The thing that impressed the kids the most was the carousel! They loved it and rode it three times :)

Heading Overseas!!

2008-09-28T21:15:00.004+06:00

Hello! Well, we are now in Nizhnevartovsk, and have been for about a week.... but before we came back, we took a vacation in Italy :) We flew into Pisa, and then stayed at a house in Livorno, and then an apartment in a small area outside of Piombino, on the Gulf of Baratti. It was beautiful!!

First, here is a pic of a sign in the Moscow airport as we were getting ready to head to Italy.... I had "forgotten" how funny things can be here... like the way they spell english words, etc., or translate things... like, shouldn't it be flaming or at least flamin' ?? just wanted to give you a little taste of it! ha ha!

Next are some pics of us in Italy at the beach near our apartment in Baratti.... It is a beautiful place!!! And the food was INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok, just checked the photos that uploaded and I can't get them to insert where I want them or in the order that I want them..... agghh! i will see what i can do for next time.... Anyway! We are doing well, happy, healthy and getting settled!! we miss you and love you all!!!!!!!

We seem to have a new pet!!!

2008-08-09T02:09:00.003+06:00

Hey! Well, today I took the kids (my 2, the 3 neighbors, and a friend) on a walk around the neighborhood. They were all excited and ready with their water bottles and sacks (for whatever "treasures" they might find....) so we set off to walk. As we made our way around the outer loop, we encountered our neighborhood peacock! We stopped and looked, and the kids ran all around it... then we proceeded on our walk. Well, apparently the peacock wanted to walk too! It followed us all the way around the loop, and down Ann Arbor to the school! We must of been quite a sight, 7 kids, 1 adult, and 1 peacock! Cars were stopping and waving, and everyone who passed us smiled! it was a hilarious sight! Well, we turned around to walk home, and the peacock continues to follow us! I think it got a couple of stickers in its feet, because it slowed down and we continued without it. So, we ate lunch, and then all went out back to play. Suddenly, we notice the darn peacock is at our back gate!!! It then flies onto our neighbors roof, where it stays while we swim. Then, we head back to our house, and soon the peacock is in our backyard! Apparently, it thinks we are its new family! As i write now, the peacock is laying down RIGHT outside of our back door!! crazy! We are thinking of names.... maybe Bobby, maybe Heather... but we don't know if it is a girl or boy.... hmmmmmm... could be a problem.......

At Home in Oklahoma!!!

2008-07-09T05:04:00.002+06:00

Well, we are here, enjoying our time in OKC!! We have spent most of our time outside either swimming or playing. We have even managed to redo our laundry room and powder room! It has been a ball seeing friends and family :)

Emma is 5!

2008-04-02T14:22:00.006+06:00

Prague, CZ

2008-02-27T15:55:00.009+05:00

We spent last week in Prague---it was a great city! We all enjoyed it, although, the kids seemed to like the "train" or metro the best :)

We saw the Prague Castle, the St. Charles Bridge and other beautiful buildings. There were many cute shops (which of course we couldn't venture into with a 2 and 4 year old!) that we peeked into, and we ate at some really good restaurants. When we got there, the first thing Emma wanted to know was, "Where is the snow!!??" Apparently, she is used to Nizh where everything is covered in the white stuff most of the year....

We had fun seeing this magnificent city, and were glad to get our Russian visas at the same time too :)

Russian Christmas!

2008-01-10T09:07:00.001+05:00

Merry Christmas, russian style!! On January 7, 2008 we celebrated Christmas! And Santa actually made it all the way to Nizhnevartovsk! The kids were sooo excited :) We actually had to wake them up! Chris came over at 9:45am, and Lee and I were just getting dressed--yes, we are lazy! Then we woke the kids up, and told them that Santa had visited us. Emma took right to it, but Paul had to wake up a bit before he really enjoyed the presents. In fact, he kept asking Emma to help him unwrap his presents! I was surprised! Thank you all so much for the gifts you sent! A big thank you to Grammie, Nana and Grandaddy, Grandma Gigi and grandpa dave, Papa and Mimi, Avery, Grandma and Papa, Mr. Chris, and Nana and Grandpa Novosad-- the kids loved the presents!! After we opened the gifts we ate breakfast and the boys (meaning Lee and Chris) settled down to play wii, and the kids enjoyed their new toys.

During the day, the doorbell rang several times---we couldn't figure out who in the world was coming over---so when we opened the door, we were surprised to see groups of little kids there! They sang a little russian song, sprinkled stuff on the ground and then held out a bag for us to put candy in! Luckily, I remembered Inna telling me about this tradition, so Lee ran to the kitchen and found candy to give them. It was really cute! I couldn't help but think that they missed the occasion for candy gathering by a little over 2 months :) hee hee... Anyway! We had a super holiday, and were sad to see it end, but as they say, it was time to get back to reality.

Hope everyone is doing well! We miss and love you so much! love, juli

Lapland!!

2008-01-09T16:36:00.000+05:00

Well, here is our album of our trip to Lapland. I know the pics are all out of order, but here you will find pics of Santa's village (that lies on the arctic circle), the arctic zoo, santa park (where there are pics of us in the ice bar), our New Year's Eve party--we all had a great time :) Santa came and brought a backpack to emma, and cars to Paul. The part paul liked the best was when the "la la's" danced....the pic of him staring is while he is watching them dance, and the one with his arm stretched out, is when he is demanding to go find the la la's. He actually chased after them! The next pictures are of our dog sled andreindeer ride, snowmobile ride to go see the Northern lights, and our trip to see the "troll village." We had a great time despite the 4 train changes we had to make to get to Kemi, Finland :) As you can well imagine, it wasn't fun loading up suitcases and kids that many times! However, on the way back, we only had to make one change in Helsinki. :) If you ever have the chance to go, you should---it was magical!

St. Petersburg

2008-01-08T10:59:00.000+05:00

Hello! Well, we just returned from our trip--it was great! The kids loved it, and we really enjoyed seeing some new sights :) Here are some pics from the few hours we spent in St. Petersburg. The last one is of us at the train station waiting to board :)

Emma's Christmas/New Year Concert

2007-12-27T08:54:00.001+05:00

Yesterday, Emma's class had their winter concert! The whole class dressed up and put on a concert for the parents. It was too cute! Emma was a snowflake, and wore a white "fancy" dress and of course, the russian bows in her hair! She loved it, and looked adorable! Here are some pics from it, and also a video of her dancing and speaking.

Our Christmas Card! (many thanks to Wendi!)

2007-12-12T10:08:00.000+05:00

Family Snow Day :)

2007-12-03T15:52:00.000+05:00

Yesterday (Sunday, December 2, 2007), we went to check out the progress they are making on the snow/ice sculptures. We bundled up, took the sled, and headed out to the "big park". They have finished a few of the sculptures, but have not painted them yet. I love the ones of Father Frost aka: "Deeyet Morose", and his granddaughter aka: "Snee Gooreechka"... (inna just had to repeat that one several times before I got it). We also sled down a few of the hills they made, but as we were finishing up, a man came over and told us that we were not allowed on it yet. Apparently, they don't "open" until the 15th or 16th of December...ooops :) You will also see a picture of the snow mouse.... I was told they made a mouse because 2008 is the year of the mouse...I think it is somewhat like the Chinese Horoscopes, etc. ??? Anyway, I am going to go enjoy the darkness :) It isn't even 4:00pm here, and it is already pitch black outside! It makes me feel like I should be in bed by 7!

November in Nizh

2007-11-29T09:57:00.000+05:00

Hey! Happy (late) Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a blessed Holiday :) Ours was good. We celebrated by eating at a restaurant called "The Store" with some people from Lee's work. We had turkey, vegetables, stuffing, etc. Of course, vodka was present, as it was a Russian restaurant! I think that is the first Thanksgiving that I have ever had a bottle of vodka sitting on the table next to the turkey!

On Friday night, we celebrated with other Americans at the Crowder's apartment. Grace made turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberry relish, rolls, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, cheesecake, and chocolate chip cookies. I made mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn casserole, an onion dish and a salad. There were 14 people there, and we ate until our stomachs were about to burst! I took a picture of the potatoes that one finds here: they are very dirty, so I took a pic of one before being cleaned, and one after it has been washed. Note: I cleaned, peeled, chopped, boiled and mashed 12 pounds of these suckers!

I also wanted you to see how the kids are transported to and from school! We use a sled!! They love it, but don't really like being on it together---but how could I push 2 sleds?? So, i told them to suck it up :) Where else could you get to school by sled??! Also, I wanted you to see how dark it is here---the pic of emma on the sled alone is at 4:45pm--It is already very dark, as you can see in the pic. Crazy! The pic of the 2 kids and Inna is at 8:00am.

The picture of the people working on the ice, is at the oilman's park in the center of the city where they build the slides and ice sculptures. They are beginning work on the sculptures, etc. and I have found it interesting to watch the progress and to see how they accomplish this! I have heard that the blocks of ice they use are cut out of the river...

Well, we are all doing well. I must run and shower--we have our weekly ladies lunch today!

Love, juli

Wow!

2007-11-16T08:33:00.000+05:00

Well, we are finally adjusting to life back in Nizh. The kids are somewhat sleeping through the night, and I am getting used to the pace (or lack thereof) of life in russia. It is getting colder, although we haven't had any snow in a couple of weeks. Today it is -17 degrees celcius, with a windchill of -30 degrees celcius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit). Yikes! It hurts your chest when you are outside and breathe in the cold air. On the way to school today, Emma wore 2 scarves: one to cinch the neck of her coat, and one to cover her face. She was "really puffed up" as she says when she has on her outerwear :)

There hasn't been much going on--Lee spent 4 days in Moscow last week-- and I thought I was going to loose my mind! Not that it isn't already a bit off, but it was pure craziness cooped up with Emma and Paul in our little apartment! Thank God for Chris! He came over every night for dinner--it was the hightlight of our days, as we finally had English conversation :)

I probably don't have to tell you this, but the prices here are ridiculous!!!!! Here are some examples:

**Toilet paper--ok- now, I didn't buy the crepe paper that the ladies on the corner sell, it was somewhat like the kind they sell in the US, but a different brand. "Lambi" . I paid what is equivalent to $11 for 6 rolls! It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "this s**t is expensive"! :)

**Dry cleaning--I took 5 pairs of pants and 2 blouses to the cleaners. It cost me $80!! Insane!!!!!!

**Philadelphia cream cheese--now, granted, this is a "luxury" and isn't found very often in Nizh, but I found a big tub of this, and paid the eqivalent of $30.

**Whiskey-- a bottle of Canadian Club that you would buy in the states for about $20....here it costs $80.

It just floors me, when I see these prices and do the conversion! Oh, and diapers, are very expensive too! the only thing that I have found that is cheaper is bread. You can buy a good loaf of tasty bread for about 50 cents.

Anyway! just wanted to say hello, and vent a bit about the price gouging going on here :) I hope all is well, and that you are enjoying the beginning of the Holidays! Much love, juli

We're Baaaack!

2007-11-05T06:37:00.000+05:00

Hello!! Long time, no post, huh?! Well, we spent some time in Oklahoma, and

just arrived in Nizhnevartovsk one week ago today. The flights went pretty well---the kids were great, and cooperated wonderfully!! Thanks for your prayers :)

When we arrived, it was snowing and there was maybe 1/2" of snow on the ground. However, it melted, and we haven't seen any snow since. The locals are saying that it is an unusually warm autumn, and that that means a severe winter---like -50 degrees celcius! I hope not!!!! I am hoping that a warm autumn means a "warm" winter. The temperature has been in the 20's to upper 30's, but this week it is expected to get much colder.

Emma started back to school on Thursday, after we finally got her to go see the doctor. Apparently she has been traumatized by the many doctors she has had to see, and she literally FREAKS out when she has to go. In this case, we bribed her, and finally got her to go, so that she could get a note saying she was well, and could return to school. That afternoon we baked cookies and took them to her class so she could visit. She was sooo excited and ran right in to play! The only thing negative she had to say was, "It's not fair that I don't get to stay at school a long time today!" But the next day, she was able to stay, and played with her friends. They even went to go see a puppet show!

Anyway....just adjusting to the time difference, and trying to get used to the fact that at 4:30pm it is dark! By 7, we feel like it is probably 10, and we should head to bed! I can't believe that in about 5 weeks it will be dark all day long! I will send pics of that! I love you all and hope to hear from you soon!!! Love, Juli

P.S. thought you might like to see a pic of Inna (our nanny) and Ivan on their wedding day!

Belek, Turkey--VACATION!!

2007-09-07T09:05:00.000+06:00

On August 4, 2007, we took a charter flight to Antalya, Turkey, to "have a rest" for 2 weeks. It was fabulous! I think our favorite part was being able to be outside with the kids (minus the swarming mosquitos) and play in the water, and hang out together. We stayed at the Kaya Belek, which was an all inclusive hotel. This was perfect for us, as there were lots of kids, and families. So it wasn't a big deal when ours threw fits, as all the other kids did too---so everyone was used to it :) It was a perfect place for our family, but I couldn't help thinking of how my dad would HATE this hotel :)

Check out the pics and the videos!!

Fall is here....

2007-08-26T11:01:00.000+06:00

Hello! Well, we got back from vacation in Belek, Turkey, (it was great--more on that in another post) on August 18th. While we were gone enjoying the pool and sea and 90 degree weather, the temperature in Nizh was in the 40's to 50's and rainy. We returned to a cool 60 degree climate. The next few days were in the 70's, and nice, but now it is even cooler, and rainier. The leaves are starting to change, and the temp has dropped, and is in the 50's-60's. Everyone is wearing a coat now, and the kids are all seen in hats as well. It is incredible to me to think that it is still AUGUST, and it is already this cool! I keep thinking it is October or something...

What is going through my mind right now is..."If it is this cool now, what in the heck are we in for when winter arrives?! And apparently, winter is well on its way!" But, as Lee keeps reminding me, we are in siberia, and what did I expect?? hmmm... i think I thought it would be "warm" until at least september. Maybe there will be some warmer days, i don't know :)

However, we are going back to the states on September 8th!!! WHOOOO HOOO!! Can you tell I am excited??? First of all, I can't wait to see my loved ones, and then, I can't wait to be in a country that is english speaking!! the thought of going into a store and being able to ask for, or about, anything i want, is particularly pleasing! I also am looking forward to the simple things--like having a yard for the kids to play in (and weather that is condusive to being outside in), grilling out, and having friends with kids and common interests! The russians have a tradition of applauding when their plane touches down at their destination---at first I thought it was kind of corny, but i really think i might just burst into applause when we touch American soil! I have always thought of myself as patriotic, but living abroad had made me open my eyes, and appreciate things I took for granted before. So, now, I am VERY proud to be an American--there isn't any better place to call home in the whole world!

Well, that is it for now... i will post pics from Turkey later. just had to let you know about the weather :) love, j

MOSCOW!!!

2007-08-01T14:03:00.000+06:00

Wow! what a city! I LOVED it!! It was much better than I ever expected, and I can't wait to go back at some point! It was beautiful, there was lots to do and see, and many, many good places to eat!! Ahhh! I had my first steak since February while I was there, and man, did it taste great!

IS ThiS For rEAl????

2007-08-01T13:54:00.000+06:00

Only in russia.... i had to share these pics, because i got such a hoot out of taking them and thinking about posting them and sharing them with you all. These pictures were taken with sheer wide eyed wonder!! The first 2 are taken from my window and are pictures of a lady who works for the city. Her job is to make sure this area is taken care of and looks nice. Well, the grass had been getting a bit long, and instead of simply mowing or weed eating it, she used a scyth! I didn't know they were in exsistence anymore... poor dear, someone should enlighten her :)

The next pic is of customers at a store grabbing at and buying all the fans. There is an apparant shortage of "ventilators" in Nizh, and this big pile of them were gone in about 10 minutes!

The last, and best! pic is of a guy at a beer tent. I was out with some friends, and we spied him, and I simply had to take a pic! you wouldn't see this in the states, and i couldn't resist. So, i pretended like I was taking a pic of my friend, natalia (left hand side) and shot the pic of this fine looking dude :) I love the fact that he has on sunglasses, no shirt, a plaid summer suit, and what I have learned are called "cheese vents"--that is the expat word for the pointy tan and white vented shoes that russian men wear all summer! hee hee!

Children's Yard...aka Detsky Sad

2007-08-01T13:50:00.000+06:00

These are pics of emma passing out snacks at her school on the playground. Notice how all the girls are wearing hats or kerchiefs! too cute!

Emma

2007-08-01T13:45:00.000+06:00

Here is Emma getting dressed for a day at kindergarten... She still loves going, and has made some friends that she really likes! She is also speaking russian to her friends and teachers, and even to Paul at home! It is funny to hear her talk--to my untrained american ears, this is what is sounds like, "Etta moy, Poll, nev saw" which means something like "that is mine, paul, don't touch that"... Lee says that she speaks without an accent and pronounces the words correctly! it is unbelievable!!!

Out and about with Emma and Paul...

2007-08-01T13:41:00.000+06:00

These pics were taken a few weeks ago, but thought they were cute enough to post. They were taken on a Sunday in the middle of July, while we were outside playing. The kids were very good, and loved riding their bikes :)

(*&%&(@ Gnats!!!

2007-07-08T17:34:00.000+06:00

Today, we thought we would take the kids out for a short bike ride. So we slathered on the bug repellent, loaded up the bikes, and headed out for an excursion. I don't think we were more than 1 block away when we had to turn around and come home. The pesky gnats were ALL over us. We were swatting and shaking--whatever we could think of--to get them to leave us alone, but to no avail. So, today, we have been stuck in our hot apartment all day :( We think it is better to be hot and bored, than to be hot and swarmed.

As we look out of our window at those who have ventured out, we see everyone swatting at the air around them. Those gnats are terrible, and I don't know if I will go out until they are gone. Please, someone send some DEET---lots :)

more picnic...

2007-07-08T17:19:00.000+06:00

Here is Volodia and Misha... they are both drivers, and fans of the man-pris (instead of capri's )...as it was VERY hot and buggy. Next up, there are pics of the shashlik, food table, river (notice how high it is---we have had a lot of rain, too), boat trip, and other random pics. We had a good time, and want to do it again when the bugs leave....

Wood Group, ESP picnic

2007-07-08T17:07:00.000+06:00

Lee's office had a picnic this past saturday for all the employees. They rented a datcha that was on the river Ob. In the photos above, you will see our driver, Volodia, who drove us part of the way to the picnic, then you will see Igor (and his new boat) who took us the rest of the way to the picnic -- on the water! It was great! There were probably 70 people there. The only problem we had was the gnats....... There were swarms of them. I mean, literally, millions. The things couldn't get enough of us, and kept flying ALL over everyone. When I looked around, I saw that most people were either swatting the air around them with tree branches, spraying insect repellent, or sweating it out by the fire. I chose the latter 2. The repellent didn't seem to help at all, so I decided to hang out by the fire. Although it was in the 90's, and no breeze was in site, I sweat my rear off by the fire---it helped---some. Seriously, I was wondering if they had heard of DEET---I want to bring it back here by the case.

We have hot water again!!!

2007-07-08T17:03:00.000+06:00

It is REALLY nice to have hot water again! We went without for about 10 days....it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it wasn't fun either :) We do have a water heater in our bathroom for showers, so that made it bearable.

As you can see in the photo, the water wasn't too clean :) When they shut off the hot water, they maintenece the pipes, and fix whatever needs fixing. This is good. However, there was a lot of sand and dirt that got into the pipes, and made our water not too pretty for a while :) Don't worry, it is better now!

2007-07-03T08:01:00.000+06:00

Hello! I thought I would answer some of the questions I have been asked, and have forgotten to answer until now.... First, the cookies I made with the russian vanilla did NOT turn out good! They were a little bitter, and just didn't taste right. However, I have since acquired some American liquid vanilla, and it made the cookies turn out great! Since I can't get chocolate chips here, I have been using m-n-m's.

I have also been asked what kinds of things were not available here. Well, the list begins with: diced tomatoes, corn on the cob, celery, peeled baby carrots, fresh broccoli, rotel, syrup, molasses, corn starch, ice cube trays (they have these little divided plastic bags that you can fill with water and freeze), ..... well, that is all I can think of right now....but as I am looking for things, I am sure I will find there is more that is near impossible to find :) All in all, though, it hasn't been bad. I have been able to substitute for whatever I need.

The weather-- lately, it has been HOT! I think it feels hotter becuase there isn't any air conditioning, and we can't open our windows because of our "little monkeys" ! Also, even the gym doesn't even have fans going. Now that is hot!! We bought 2 fans for the house, and that helps! And the mosquitos really are HUGE... I had heard they were, but didn't really believe it--well, now I do!! They are BIG!

Anyway! email me your questions and i will try toanswer them!! love,j

2007-07-02T17:21:00.000+06:00

Summer in Nizhnevartovsk.... Here are the latest pics from summer life here. There is a pic of the oilman's park in the evening when everyone is going to the beer tents. Then there are pics of the kids playing.... They are getting sooo big!

2007-07-02T17:07:00.000+06:00

WGESP, Oklahoma City in Nizh!! It was soooo nice to have several people from OKC here with us---Tom, Chester, Dana and Travis were here for about 2 weeks, and during that time we went out to "Lemon" for dinner. We had a great time, and even ended up dancing! We also had 2 translators--Tanya and Natalia, and Hector the Russia VP here for the dinner. It was great getting out and it felt like home with all of the "okies" (well, and one texan , and one venezualan) in town :)

2007-07-02T16:58:00.000+06:00

Kids can be a bit embarrassing at times :) .... For instance, when we got them their new bikes, they were just soooo happy, and we were glad too. But, since they are so over the top, Lee and I are a tad embarrassed when we go out with them :) Emma's bike is all "princessed up", and Paul's is what we refer to as the "circus bike". However, they are happy, so we are too! haha.

This last pic is of little Paul...... I found him like this when I went into check on him before I went to bed. Apparently, he didn't want his diaper on, so he ripped it off, and then went to sleep! I about died when I saw this, so I had to take a picture :) Poor Paulie is going to have quite a bit of material on him that I can use for blackmail :) Well, Emma too, for that matter---check out those sunglasses :)

2007-06-18T11:21:00.000+06:00

Datcha!!!! Last weekend we were invited to our driver's datcha (house outside the city). We all went and had a blast! It was very interesting to see how they did things, like getting there--we literally drove through 1 to 2 feet of water to get there (since there has been so much rain, the river Ob has flooded). Once there, the kids played out in the garden, while Igor cooked shashlik--which is somewhat like our shish kabob. All the food was amazing!!! after we ate, we took turns going in the banya (or sauna, as we would call it). I haven't ever done that before, and it was quite an experience! I really liked it and hope we get another invitation to go back :)

2007-06-13T17:07:00.000+06:00

Samatlor Nights Festival in Nizhnevartovsk!! These are pictures of the festival that was held this past weekend. It was held to celebrate the "white nights" here---when it doesn't really get dark... Now, all of these pics were taken in the morning, around 11am, but it looks about like this at 3am too! Right now it is semi dusk from about 12am-2am... It makes it hard to sleep, but we have now put cardboard in our bedroom window so it helps make it darker, and easier to sleep--plus it looks great :)!

In these photos, you will see a woman who is part of the festival, and is dressed in a traditional russian costume. Also shown is a monument at Victory park, kids walking to the festival together, a beer tent (these are everywhere in the summer), the stage in oilman's park (the #35 is for the number of years Nizhnevartovsk has been a city), the petunias erected in oilman's park--they are in the same place they put the Christmas tree in winter. Oilman's park is also where the ice sculpture pictures, and slide pictures I took this winter.

2007-06-08T10:16:00.000+06:00

The weather is finally improving :) The trees are getting leaves, and you can even go out without your really heavy coat on! whoo hoo! Actually, i was thinking about how Lee had told me how they didn't ever mow the grass in Nizh, and I just couldn't imagine why not, and how ugly it must look. Well, now I can somewhat appreciate why they don't....you are just sooo glad to finally see green, that you don't care that it is mostly weeds, and you certainly don't want to cut of any of the precious green! Hence, i suppose, the reason why the grass looks what we americans would consider shabby. Today, though, for the first time, I wore flip flops--with jeans of course, because it is too cold to wear shorts, but i didn't think i could make it anonther day wearing my "siberian summer shoes" which are sherpa lined merrell clogs :)

The next pics are of paul. The first one is in front of a statue that is out in front of a school. The others are of him on the window ledge. This is one of his favorite places to be. He watches everything, and says, "doggie...har (car)...wow" over and over and over :) He now can tell you his name...which he pronounces "boll" and he can tell you he is 2--we taught him that because we thought it might take him until he was 2 before he could say it :)

Tonight begins the samatlor nights (i think that is what it is called)--it is the white night festival. Monday and Tuesday are holidays for celebrating this, so everyone has to work on saturday. We will take the kids out for some of the festivities, and will get some good russian pics for you to see.

2007-06-08T10:10:00.000+06:00

Beach Party in Siberia!!
Last weekend, Chris hosted a beach party at his apartment. We had a blast, and the weather was perfect---windy, rainy, cold and, of course, snowing some too! Well, at least it was warm inside, the company was good, and the decor made us feel like we were elsewhere :)
I think next up is a toga party---so we will see :)

2007-05-30T08:49:00.000+06:00

Hello! I know it has been a while since I have posted, but it has been a little slow around here. The weather, to put it mildly, sucks! It has rained nearly everyday, has been in the 40's and just plain dreary. I haven't been in the best of moods, so i decided to spare you the details, and didn't post :)

Yesterday, it was actually decent, it was probably in the low 60's, cloudy (of course), but decent. Today is another story....the wind is blowing like it does in OKC, and it is -1 degrees celcius. Nice! haha!

The last two pics are of the "Big Moscow Circus" that was here in Nizh. It was quite interesting! The kids really liked it--emma kept laughing overly loud, and people kept turning around to look at us :) It was so different from a circus in the states because there wasn't any protection (like a fence or whatever) from the animals between the audience. The bears were really cool! They almost didn't look real! At first I thought it was a man dressed up in a bear suit! It was a good experience, and we will try to go again next year!

Chris is having a beach party at his apartment on saturday that i am helping him with. He is going all out and is decorating, serving food, drinks and everything. It should be a blast, and I will take and post pics! love to you all! j

2007-05-13T15:33:00.000+06:00

May 12, 2007---snow--ALL DAY
You all know how happy that made us :)
And here is our little monkey---paulie. I am in the living room and I hear, "mom, mama, mom..." so I step out of the room into the foyer, and this is what I see.... Our little bug has made his way up into the cabinets. Notice that we already have the phone up high, I guess we will have to move it elsewhere :)

2007-05-13T15:26:00.000+06:00

The first pic of of one of the many ladies who clean up the public areas. I find them interesting because they all use homemade brooms--like branches off a tree tied together to a large stick--and they all usually have some type of a carriage to carry their trash off in... only in russia :)

The next pics are of some new toys the kids got! Is that Builder Betty and Builder Bob, or is it Emma and Paul??? I can't tell! :)

2007-05-13T15:22:00.000+06:00

Life in Nizh... Thes pics are from a walk we took in the "big park" beside our apartment. The kids, as usual, attracted all sorts of attention :)

2007-05-13T15:14:00.000+06:00

May 9, 2007--Victory Day! This is a national holiday that honors all veterens. Nizhnevartovsk had a huge parade that marched all through the town. We watched it from the street beside our house.

Paul and Emma were really cute with their Russian flags and carnations :)

2007-05-13T14:54:00.000+06:00

Our little girl is growing up!! Emma started Kindergarten this past week, and it was quite an experience for all involved! We began the week by visiting the doctor, again. It is a whole different ball game here--you don't just take your shot record in, and sign some papers for school. Here you have to have a TON of checks, and they are all done at a clinic--Emma had to have her blood tested, eyes checked, etc., and also had to be tested for tuberculosis. While we were sitting in our main doctors office, another doctor called her and said that if the Americans needed another check up from another doctor they could oblige. Apparently, all of the doctors in Nizh know there is an American child going to kindergarten here!

After our last visit with the doctor, and the final filling out of paperwork, Tatiana took Emma and I to her school (Detsky Sad #18) so she could look around. We met with the nurse, principal and teacher, and then spent about 1 hour in her room. The next morning Inna and I walked her to school at 7am! The teacher wanted her there early before most of the other kids got there so she could get used to her alone. First off, Emma played, explored and ran around. Then, it was time for "gymnastics" where the whole class went to a room for calisthenics. Of course, Emma just sat there and didn't do anything but watch. She kept announcing to me across the room that she was just there "to get used to it." Next was breakfast...normally one of Emma's favorite activities. However, this morning she didn't touch anything! She was a bit intimidated. I thought it was very cute how the kids take turns helping set the table, and they even wear little hats and aprons! At this point I left to go home so Lee could go to work, and Inna stayed with Emma until 1pm, then they came home. This was the way it worked the whole week, and I think she did really well, and really seemed to enjoy it!

This next week, she will still only go for part of the day, and Inna will stay with her for the first part of it. Next week she should start full time and will attend by herself. I will keep you posted on how she does!

2007-05-06T08:34:00.000+06:00

Well, here's to snow in May! We have had snow for the past 4 out of 6 days--not continuous, but off and on throughout the days. Definetely something I never thought I would see!

Next up is a picture of the view from our apartment at 10:00pm--notice how it isn't completely dark yet--- it is light from around 4am until about 11pm now. I put 8 trunks in front of Emma and Paul's window and covered them with a blanket to block out the light. It isn't pretty, but at least it works!

Oklahoma Boys!! Here is Chris Novosad, Travis, Lee and Paul--all the oklahoma boys in Nizhnevartovsk! It is sooo good to have them over, eat, and talk about things only oklahomans would know about! All of us graduated from OU, so it is fun to reminicse.

Emma chose this lovely umbrella for herself--she loves all the cats and dogs on it, and to top it off, it has a whistle on it ---super!

Lastly, here is a photo that emma took of herself! The other morning, she came into our room, asked us to get up, then left and shut the door. Naturally, we fell back asleep, and emma occupied herself. She came back in later, and told me she had a secret to tell me---she whispered in my ear that she had been taking pictures... I came into the living room, located the camera, and took a look at her handiwork. She had loaded up the camera with pictures of the living room and herself. I cracked up!

2007-05-06T08:14:00.000+06:00

Hey! sorry it has taken me a while to post, but the kiddos are keeping me quite occupied! We are doing well, just getting impatient for it to warm up--however, I think we might be waiting for a looonng time!

Here is a pic of emma at her dance concert--it was pretty cute :) and a picture of the first grass of the season. Note that there isn't much and there are not any leaves yet :(

The next pics are from our visit to the Ob River. The ice is really broken up, and is flowing down the river. The locals say that once the ice is moving, the weather will turn cold and it will snow again--sure enough, they were right, as you will see in the next post.

2007-04-22T21:41:00.000+06:00

Hi again! I had several pics I wanted to post, so I had to do it in two...Here is Paulie playing at the playground outside of our apartment building. Next is a picture of a park in the center of town, which I call the snow park, because when I first got here, it was the place that had the big slides, ice sculptures, etc. Amazing how different it looks now :) It still isn't clean, but I've heard that it never is. I think I will have to start carrying around plastic sacks with me so I can pick up the broken beer bottles that have been discarded the previous night.....

The other pics of the kids are from the baby club at our church. We were doing fingerpainting which they enjoyed immensely :) I think I had to throw away the onesie paul was wearing~!

2007-04-22T21:30:00.000+06:00

Hello! We are doing well here in Nizhnevartovsk! The weather is finally turing warmer, and the snow is almost gone! Today, it was 19 degrees celcius--about 65 or so for you in the states :) Nice! Here is a new pic of Emma in her dance class--the girl in the yellow skirt is Alisha, and is the friend we have had over. Next up is Paul--climbing on the exposed pipes, up onto the bathtub, and then into the sink. Yes, this is our only bathroom--and yes, that is the washer you see on the left. It doesn't work too well for everyone to try to get ready at the same time every day :)

Paul is then shown modeling his new favorite outfit--his diaper! And he even complements it with a pink doll carrier! Way to go, buddy! I see blackmail in your future :) He is as onery as he is cute!
The last picture is of the kids playing with their pails and shovels in the snow at the river. You can see the Ob River in the background...there is still ice on it, but as you can see it is breaking up.

More pics to follow in the next post! i love you! j

2007-04-16T15:50:00.000+06:00

Hello! There are a couple of pictures of Lee and Emma at a Datcha (house in the countryside) at the end of march. Emma had fun playing in the snow :)
The next picture is of the Russian Orthodox church here in town. I went inside with the other expat women, but couldn't take pictures. It was very pretty and they were saying mass, so it was a neat experience. The last pic is of a wedding party at a local statue. I took the kids out for a walk, and we saw 2 wedding parties taking flowers and taking pictures. Here in Nizhnevartovsk, it is a tradition to go to each statue in town, take flowers to it, take pics, and apparently take some vodka shots while you are at it :) It was interesting! I had to hold Emma back, so she didn't run up and join them!

2007-04-10T13:50:00.000+06:00

I can't believe I forgot to put this on here!! This is a picture, taken from our window (yes, I did open it, hang out of it, and snap a pic...i couldn't pass this opportunity by) of a Russian funeral. And, yes, this is a dead russian lady, laying out in an open coffin in the "parking lot" in front of our apartment building. I couldn't believe my eyes---I told our nanny that you wouldn't ever see this in the states :) Apparently here the 3 day old deceased person is laid out in front of their home for about 1 hour so friends and family can visit/pay their respects. Then, they are transported in the truck (seen below) which is open in the back. Two guys sit with the body in the back of the truck on the way to the cemetary and toss fir greenery out the back. I am told that this is so the deceased person can find their way back home after they are buried.

I HAD to share this pic as I thought it was too interesting not to. I was actually walking home from the market when I saw this in front of the building. I walked right beside the lady, and could hardly believe my eyes! I came directly up, and got the camera out!

2007-04-10T08:36:00.000+06:00

ONLY IN RUSSIA :)

Hello! here are some new pics describing life in russia. The first one is of Paul and his new rash...we called his pediatrician in the states yesterday, and she told us it is a virus called Roseola. It isn't a big deal and should go away after a few days. Thank you, God!! The other pics don't need too much explaination :)
I'm sure you will appreciate the ingenuity of the "ashtray" in our stairwell, as well as the bathtub that was left in the middle of the stairs!

The needle I saw in the middle of the sidewalk...I have heard there is quite the drug problem here, as this is a relatively common sight. Ugghhh! The photo of the intersection is very common right now. The snow is really melting, and you basically swim everywhere. In fact, Lee, on his way to work yesterday, stepped on some ice, it busted, and his whole foot was submerged in water. Not a fun way to start a Monday, huh?! It has been above freezing for the past several days, so there isn't nearly as much snow left! Yay!! However, I heard we are to get another cold front within the next few days :(

I did finally go jeans shopping yesterday! Tatiana told me about a shop, so I went, and tried on about 30 pairs of jeans until i found some that were suitable for russia. By suitable, I mean TIGHT! I decided I no longer wanted to be laughed at by adolescents when wearing my baggy american jeans. So, now I am officially a russki woman....jeans and all :) Heeled boots to come later :) ha ha! I love you all! J

2007-04-09T07:59:00.000+06:00

hello! It has been an interesting week in Nizh! It is finally getting warmer, and the snow is melting (which makes it interesting to get around)! There is water everywhere, and the drainage system leaves quite a bit to be desired...Thank God for my ugly, unrussian, Merrill boots--they are waterproof and allow me to wade through the water "puddles"!

Emma and Paul were sick this last week and weekend. We had to call the russian doctor to look at Paulie...that was interesting! Here, they will come to your apartment, and it is free! so, the dr. and nurse came over and took Paul's temp, and gave him a shot of Analgin. This did reduce his fever, but it came bak :( The fever broke finally on Sunday...whew!

Being the graceful woman I am, I had a little injury myself...I cut my thumb on the lid of canned pinapple...it was very deep, and should of had stiches...but since we are in Russia, and everyone reccomended that I NOT go to the hospital, we had Igor (our driver and all around do it himself man) come and fix me up. He did a great job, and it is finally healing :)

Well, the kids are fussy, so I better run...keep your eyes open for pics of life as it is in russia.... until then!!!!! j

2007-04-02T12:53:00.000+06:00

Hello, again! I thought you might like to see what we have been up to.... First off, is the picture of our glamorous kitchen right after Paulie attacked it with cereal. He climbed up onto the table, proceeded to pour the cereal out all over, stir it around, and put some on the floor. I think this was about the 3rd time he has done this--I hope he is tired of this game now--mommy and daddy sure are :)

The next picture shows me with the other expat wives--my new friends :) From left to right it is Juli, Nigar, Natalia, Truda, and Jolene. We get together at least twice a week, which is so nice! It is so nice to be able to speak english with several women--I will never take that for granted again! Anyway, the pic was taken Friday night at Truda's house. She had a little get together for all of the expats in Nizh. There were probably 15 people there, and everyone there spoke english! Wonderful! ......more to come later! love, J

2007-04-02T09:12:00.000+06:00

These pics were taken the weekend of March 24th.... it was at a Wood Group going away party for Mitch. The first pic shows Olga, Kissinia, lee, me and Chris (chris is also an expat from Yukon and will be here at least through the end of the year!). We had drinks and appetizers at 5 star, then we proceeded to HITCH HIKE to a club. Apparently, this is ok to do in Nizh...as everyone acted like I was stupid for being scared :)...The pic of the road is the view I had while in the car. Then the last pic is of Olga, me and Svetlana (not a good pic of me--i know--i look obviously out of place :) ) To take a taxi (or a hitchhike ride) anywhere in town is 50 rubles, or $2...nice and cheap. However, I don't think i will try the hitch hiking route by myself.

more to come later........ J

2007-03-30T13:07:00.000+06:00

Hi! Well, today it feels like winter again! It is -16 degrees celcius.....yuck! The sun is out, so that helps, but I'm not taking the kiddos out in this! You have no idea how ready I am for REAL spring, as in no coats, short sleeves, etc. It will be sooo nice once we can take the kids outside for long periods and let them play.

I had an interesting experience the other day: I had to go to the store (of course, I go every day!), and I needed to go to a different store to get diapers which was farther away. As I near the crossway, I am trying to choose a place to put my feet that isn't too wet (the snow was melted on the street, and made many large puddles). Well, being the graceful girl I am, I almost fell! But this nice Russian man offered me his hand and helped me around the puddles and across the street. I was so pleasantly suprised! I thanked him profusely, and he kept trying to talk to me....I tried as best as I could to explain that I was an American, and didn't understand russian....but he kept trying. Then, as I neared our building, I had to cross the street again under similar circumstances. This time another nice man helped me across. I was so happy to have the help, and again so surprised at how considerate the people were. Now, I had several more bags (4 liters of milk, diapers, juice, cheese, bread, cereal, etc.--I sometimes forget I have to carry it all home :) ) at this point, and as I approached the entrance to my building there were some young guys who were working. One of them said something to me, and I responded by saying, "Nyet Parusski" (no russian...), and the guy (who was pretty cute I might add :) ) held out his hands and took my bags. He and the other guy who was also working, helped me all the way to the door of my apartment! I was soooo thankful, as the darn bags were very heavy! I just didn't expect such courtesy here, but I was so happy to see that there are nice people everywhere! It made me feel good, and reminded me of the good 'ol USA! Anyway! I thought you would enjoy that one!

I miss and love you! J

2007-03-28T15:10:00.000+06:00

Well, today it is actually very pretty outside. It is really sunny, still cold, but it is nice to see the sun :).

Yesterday i went out and bought a mixer. i just bought a hand held one, then i had to go to another store to find a cookie sheet where i paid about $12 for the only cookie sheet in the store. I would like to try to make chocolate chip cookies, so i am TRYING to gather the ingredients for this. first, they don't have chocolate chips here, so i bough chocolate bars and will try to cut them up. then, i had to find vanilla. well, i found it, but it is sold in packets, and is powdered. no such thing as liquid vanilla in russia apparently. so, since i can't read, i have no idea how to figure how much of the powder is equivalent to the liquid. hmmmmm. baking soda was also rather hard to find here too. apparently no one here knows about cookies, they only call them cakes, and i don't know what they use, since there is a bit of a language barrier. :) i will try to make them today, so i will let you know how they turn out. at any rate, it should be interesting :)

Love, Juli

2007-03-27T07:40:00.000+06:00

Here is a picture of a Russian child. See how "puffed up" they are with all of their clothes, and note the fur hat! All kids here seem very well behaved, and all WALK, as in they are not carried by their parents....I am still trying to get my four year old to walk the entire time we are out....

I have compiled a list of the things I miss about home....

1. Water temperature--as in constant....here you have to keep adjusting the hot and cold in the shower becuase it doesn't stay a constant temperature

2. Wooster, peanut butter, salted butter, ketchup, powdered sugar, salsa, chips, cheddar cheese, baggies, advil and good paper towels-- I have been unable to find any of these here! My shopping list will be long when I come back to the states!

3. My clothes dryer--Ahhhh, the smell of bounce and the warmth of freshly laundered and dry(!) towels and clothes!

4. English TV--enough said.

5. Pampers cruisers--they have pampers here, but they aren't the same :(

I could probably go on and on, but those are at the top of my "most missed" list for now :) I hope you all are doing well, and are enjoying your warm weather. It is -3 here, and snowing :) Love, J

2007-03-22T08:16:00.000+05:00

Hi! Emma had a good 4th birthday! We celebrated at the "baby club" at church, as seen in the first 2 pics. Then we had a cake and presents at home. Emma loved her gifts and the cake of course!

We are enjoying the snow (well, the kids are anyway!)

Emma still really likes her dance class, and she is pretty cute in there! I tried to stay and watch last night, but the other moms weren't in there and she told me, "Just go, mom, just go!" so with a smile on my face, I left! Paul liked his little class too, and no, it isn't a dance class, just play. of course, he didn't stay still the entire time! i have to run, the kids are getting fussy...love, j

2007-03-17T20:03:00.000+05:00

Hello! Well, after too long, we are finally here!! It was a loooong journey, one that I don't care to repeat anytime soon :). There were times that I would of happily chewed off my right arm in exchange for some "kiddie valium" ha ha!!
The kids are doing well, and are adjusting quickly...minus the sleeping part. :) Paul is cutting teeth, and still can't quite sleep through the night...

Our apartment is ok, and isn't as small as I had imagined. Our washer (note that I did not say dryer--since we don't have one!) is very small, and doing laundry is NOT fun! You can only put a little bit in at a time, and then I have to hang everything up to dry on this rack in our bedroom. It takes about a day and a half for everything to dry... The food is good here, as we can all attest to! We have not gone hungry! Well, I must go, but will post more when we get the internet at the apartment. I love you and miss you!!

2007-01-13T19:45:00.000+05:00

Here we are in OKC, enjoying the warm weather we had in December, and first part of January. Meanwhile, ................ Lee has been taking pictures of the town center in Nizh. I am told that every year they make and paint ice sculptures, a snow hill, and put up a big Christmas tree. I think Emma and Paul will enjoy this! Next year, I will post pics of them in front of all of these :)

2006-12-01T20:46:00.000+05:00

Are we in Siberia yet??? No, actually, we are in Oklahoma City! We got 4" of snow, and it was 28 degrees yesterday. According to Lee, it was warmer in Moscow! Emma and Paul took advantage of the opportunity to "practice" for Russia. We got all bundled up (Emma asked if we were going to Russia when I got her "russia coat" out), and went outside. It was quite a task getting both of them bundled up...I wonder what it will be like when we actually get there and have to do this EVERY day??? Paul didn't quite like all the layers of clothing, and reminded me of the kid in the movie A Christmas Story who couldn't move his arms or legs!

2006-11-18T07:45:00.000+05:00

The Weather in Nizh...

You can click on this link to see what the current, and forecasted weather is for our new home :)

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Nizhnevartovsk%2C+russia

This is a link to the webcam in Nizh

http://www.nvartovsk.wsnet.ru/webcam/

This is a new pic that Lee sent. I'm sure you will see more like this when we get there! Looks cold, huh!

Juli

2006-11-13T00:12:00.000+05:00

Lee sent some new pics!!!

The first one is a picture of the entrance to the apartment building. The next one is of the stairwell inside the apartment building. Lee told me that you have to be careful on the stairs because a lot of poeple sit out on them with their drinks and smoke, and they like to leave their cans, etc. in the middle of the stairs.......

The third picture, is of the magnificent view from our apartment window!! I'm told that the building with the sign on it is an auto repair shop. So, we ought to have lots to look at when we are there.

That's all I have for now, but I just had to share these beauties with you! Take care!

Love, Juli

2006-11-09T08:40:00.000+05:00

Hey!

It's Official!

We will be living in Nizhnevartovsk, Russia (aka: Siberia) for the next couple of years. Lee is already there, and has found us a "westernized" apartment! It is probably around 900 square feet, has 3 bedrooms, and 1 bathroom. I haven't yet seen the outside, but am told that it looks like a hole! Can't wait to see what Emma and Paul think of it :)

I plan to use this to keep you all updated on our experiences in Russia. I'll post pics when Lee sends me some good one, and will post much more frequently when the kids and I get there in the spring.

I think this will be quite an adventure, and I look forward to the many things we will learn! It should prove interesting when we hit the communication barrier...I better go learn some ruski :)

Juli

Our Russian Experience

thoughts...

Going, going...GONE!

Pool Kids

What a difference!

Slacker......

Life in Nizh

New Apartment!!!

Emma and Paul at school with friends

Florence, Italy

Heading Overseas!!

We seem to have a new pet!!!

At Home in Oklahoma!!!

Emma is 5!

Prague, CZ

Russian Christmas!

Lapland!!

St. Petersburg

Emma's Christmas/New Year Concert

Our Christmas Card! (many thanks to Wendi!)

Family Snow Day :)

November in Nizh

Wow!

We're Baaaack!

Belek, Turkey--VACATION!!

Fall is here....

MOSCOW!!!

IS ThiS For rEAl????

Children's Yard...aka Detsky Sad

Emma

Out and about with Emma and Paul...

(*&%&**(**@ Gnats!!!

more picnic...

Wood Group, ESP picnic

We have hot water again!!!

(*&%&(@ Gnats!!!