Kharkov Vs. Lubbock

It had been a bit over a year when we went back to Lubbock on furlough this past May. There were a few things that stood out to us while in Lubbock:

• Small and medium sized drinks looked like larges (and horray for those free refills!)
• Mom's oven looked about 30% larger than I remembered it being. I guess mine is more mini than I realized!
• The washing machine held about 2.5 times what I thought it should.
• You don't have to sack your own groceries- or take them out yourself.

Some things I did enjoy, besides the obvious family and friends that we LOVED being around:

• Walmart
• Taco Bell
• Abuelos
• Many more places and things related to food! :)
• The Dollar Tree 
• Books in English- big bookstores where I could read everything!
• Theaters in English (we saw 3 great movies while there)
• Wide Open Spaces: I love big cities, but they do leave me feeling a bit claustrophobic after a while. When I get out to my parents' house or am driving down a desolate road in the middle of no-where Texas (...trip to Tarzan, anyone?)- it is heaven. I love how much SKY you can see and how flat the land is. 
• People understanding Canaan when he spoke, though he has started back in Russian mode a tad by saying hi (stras-voo-tyey) in Russian to our neighbors. 
• BIG Bible class for Canaan. We do Bible class here, but Canaan is one of three boys (it was down to two when we were gone). So, going where there were "lots of kids" was unique for him. Canaan was shy, but loved it. Even though he went to various churches over the weeks, he did get Mrs. Sherry (Roberts) three Sunday mornings. He was talking about her yesterday when the context of singing and class came up. 

Things that I've noticed since being back in Kharkov (they really just relate to driving because that is what stood out to me yesterday when I went to the store and market):

• Just because there are now white lines painted on the roads (there wasn't before- I guess they had worn off during winter), doesn't mean that he drivers follow them. Actually, it is a bit dangerous to assume that cars stay in the lane markers. I was driving down the road and a bus started veering into my lane and then continued down the middle of the two lanes! And cars have repeatedly crossed the double white middle lines to travel into oncoming traffic-sometimes us. We just have to move over into the right lane because they took over ours! I guess there is good reason the speed limit is so low.
• The lanes marked for turning and going straight are really only for turning. So, just stick to driving down the middle lane. Otherwise you get stuck turning left when you really don't want to.
• No rights on red. 
• Watch for policemen waving a stick on the side of the road. 
• No talking on cell phones while driving. (Shouldn't this be a law everywhere?)
• Road construction isn't quite the inconvenience it could be. We must take a picture to show you. But here is what is happening: on a major road nearby, they are ripping out the trolley bus tracks that go down the center of the road. So, the middle of the road is torn down to the dirt. Driving is done in a narrow strip on the side. But, when they aren't working during the day, people park in the middle dirt strip of the construction area! Crazy funny. 

Ok, I have more, but it is late. I need to sleep because I've been a bit sick. Keep our health in your prayers (someone from all three of our families has been sick this week). Hope everyone is doing well. Keep an eye out. I have some CUTE/FUNNY sayings of Canaan and PICTURES to come SOON!