Catching Up!

So, life has been hectic the past few months. I would love to write in detail about all our adventures and catch you up on everything in detail. But, alas, I have not the time. And, I doubt most of you would actually want to read that much! :)

So, here is my attempt to briefly summarize what has been going on. I'll do some subsequent blog posts highlighting specific things later on, but here is the basics of what has been going on with us. And, of course, some pictures to go with it!

Before we knew it, summer was turning into fall. At the end of July, Dougle went to Kiev for 3 weeks to do an intensive Russian study course. The boys and I visited Daddy for one long weekend, but stayed in Kharkov to give him the best study time we would the rest of the time.

Not two weeks after he returned, we were heading off again...to Donetsk. It may seem we go there often. Well, we do. Our visas to stay in Ukraine are registered through the school of preaching there. So, we have to go there to pick up paper work and register every six months. This time in Donetsk, David and Dougle were each teaching a 2 week class to the students. Dougle taught the first year students a course on Hermeneutics. While we were there, Olivia and I cooked a Tex-Mex meal for everyone, staff and students. It was a lot of fun and kept us busy planning and preparing for it while the boys were teaching.

After one week in Donetsk, Liv, the little boys and I came back to Kharkov. Rob's parents were in town a few days and we wanted to see them before they left for their vacation together in Italy. At the end of the second week of teaching, David and Dougle returned home.

Soon after, we found out that my Grandma Janie was diagnosed with cancer and was given 2-4 months to live. Olivia and I decided to take Canaan and Max to Ohio and see her one last time. Unfortunately, Grandma Janie died before we arrived in Ohio. She passed quickly, at home. Though we didn't get to see her one last time, we hold very dear memories of her life that we will continue to cherish. In addition to loosing our grandmother, while in Ohio, my sister, Olivia, lost her baby. She was 11 weeks pregnant when she had her miscarriage. It was very difficult for her during this time, especially since she was so far away from David. Needless to say, our time in Ohio was difficult in many ways, though blessed in others, being surrounded by family during those times.

While the boys and I were in Ohio, we applied for new Ukrainian visas (not credit cards!). We have to leave the country once a year to do this. Dougle and David went to Budapest, Hungary, to get their new visas (which is one of the closer places we can go to do this).

All of us arrived into Kiev on the same day, Wednesday. We stayed overnight and took the morning train home to Kharkov. It took a week to get back on our feet after arriving home, just from jet lag and all the travel. Not long after we arrived back, Mary, David's mom, came into town to visit. She was here for two weeks, checking out our city and visiting her kids!

Since being home, we've been up to a lot of things. I've felt really busy, though at the end of some days I fall into bed and wonder what exactly it was that I accomplished. I think being a mom and wife is a full time job! However, in everything we've tried to have fun and glorify God. I think that is what being a Christian is all about, right. It isn't about who has read or memorized more Scripture or who prays the longest each day, though those are great things that I don't mean to minimize. But at the end of the day, it isn't about putting God first in our lives by all the things we do, but about letting Him be the center of our lives. For me, this is a new way of thinking about things. When I think of putting God first, family second, Russian language third, etc., I feel like God is just at the top of a list that needs crossing off. Instead, in being a Christian, I want God to be at the center of who I am, directing how I behave in all aspects, toward my husband, my children, out shopping, while I study Russian, etc. Anyway, those are just some brief thoughts recently.

I hope that all of you have been doing well and enjoying the past few months. Thanks for keeping up with us, even when we have long absences of communication. And, thanks to everyone who takes time to leave comments and let us know you are reading and care about us! We love you all!