My Classmates

I thought I would introduce you to a few of my classmates.

The first picture from left to right:
Dulce (from Brazil-she is working here as a missionary with the Catholic church)
Alicia (from Texas- she helps train Russian preachers in jobs that will help them be able to preach and support themselves; she also wants to work with Russian street children)
Me
Yulker (from Turkey- she is married to a Turkish man who works here with grocery store chains)
Jung-Ki (from Korea- he is learning Russian so he can work with his uncle in his construction business here in Moscow)
Terry (from France- he recently moved here with his Russian wife and daughter)

The second picture is of Jung-Ki, Jin-Kiong (she is from Korea and wants to be a translator), and I. They came over one night for dinner. They are both classmates of mine.

The last picture is of me with Navar. She is my Syrian friend from school. She is here with her parents (her father works at the Syrian embassy). We walk to the metro together most days since we are going the same general direction.

Hope you enjoy. I have a lot of fun with my classmates. We've gotten to know each other well. A new classmate named Camella from Romania is not pictured. There are two others who are 'in' our class, but don't come very often. We've had others come in and out as well. It is an ever-changing environment; we have new teachers and new classmates periodically. But, there are a few of us who've been there since the beginning. Anyway, this is my life Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 to 2:50. I'll be in classes for a while longer. During the summer Dougle and I will both be using a private tutor (since the prices for language classes in the summer jumps, since that is when a lot of people come in and take). Then, we hope that Dougle can start up classes in the Fall to help finish up some of his grammar learning, while I continue with the private tutor.

Keep my classmates and I in your prayers!

Canaan's New Friend: Bath

A new friend has moved in with us (my parents): Bath. That is what Canaan calls her. Her name is Beth Cunningham. She has been a good friend of the family and has just moved back to the country after completing her AIM time in Tlalpan, Mexico City. She is currently trying to re-establish some roots; she is job searching and will be starting school in a week (she plans to complete her prerequisites for nursing school this semester and start nursing school next semester). Canaan especially likes this new person who will read to him and let him play in her room. The funny thing is that Canaan calls her Bath. His word for bath is "bap," and he signs it too (a simple up/down scrubbing motion across the chest). So, whenever he is looking for her, he goes to her room door and SAYS and SIGNS "Bath." It is so cute and so funny!

Canaan and Grant: Best Buds

Alison, a friend of mine from church, and I both found out we were pregnant around the same time. Then, we were both given the same due date! At the end of our pregnancies, both my doctor and Alison's doctor decided to induce. And the same date was chosen for both Alison and me to be induced! On October 30th, Canaan and Grant were born- about 4 hours apart in rooms right across from each other. So, naturally, they are best friends. Alison and I try to get together as often as we can. We share stories, milestones, woes, and joys with each other. It has been wonderful for me to have another mom who knows just what I am going through, or close to it!

Canaan and Grant are both boys and both bald. The similarities stop there. Canaan was very anxious to enter this world, and started to push his way out before the doctors even tried to get him out! Grant wanted to stay inside for a bit longer. Grant is a live wire. He started rolling his way around the room when he was just a little thing. Canaan was content to just lay there and watch. Grant started crawling everywhere before he was 6 months old; Canaan waited until 9 ½ months! Instead of mobility, Canaan preferred to talk. And, Canaan was the one who showed Grant how to spit and blow raspberries! Grant started eating cereal and foods first; Canaan got teeth first.

With Canaan and Grant being the exact same age, it has helped me not be so anxious about how and when Canaan starts doing different things. I can see things Canaan does, that Grant doesn’t yet do. I also see things Grant can do, that Canaan hasn’t learned yet. They just grow and develop in different areas at different rates. It has been a blessing to see the two boys grow up together so far. God is amazing in his creation. Just seeing how unique Grant and Canaan are, I just can’t fathom His creativity with making over 6 billion people so special in their own way. Wow, what a God we serve!

The joys and woes of traveling

We love to travel. I guess in saying 'we' that I am including Canaan. I don't know if he would agree. But, until he has words enough to dispute my statement, we love to travel. Since he was three weeks old, Canaan has been traveling with us, taking short trips to Dallas and Austin and long trips to LA and the Eastern US. Being so experienced in traveling, Canaan is excellent. He likes to sleep in the car, as well as play with various toys and listen to music. He babbles to us and looks out the window as we pass by various trucks and terrain. For the most part, Canaan did exceptionally well during his many hours of car-seat time. There was one day he started cutting a new tooth; that was rough on everyone. He didn't appreciate the traffic we ran into while in NY and DC either; bumper-to-bumper makes him feel like we are going no where fast, and that frustrates him (and us)! One thing that keeps Canaan comforted is the fact that we carry with us his newfound love: his little lamb blankie. He has become quite attached to it. With fingers (or a paci) in his mouth and his fuzzy blanket in his arms, he can feel at home wherever he is!
On our trips, Canaan is able to become acquainted with new people and friends. He does very well being pinched and coddled and cooed over. One such new friend, Titus the kitty, was very interested in this new little person who was occupying his floor space. Titus was intrigued with his wild movements and fun little toys that came with him. Titus quickly learned to stay out of Canaan's reach, but when a toy escaped beyond the realm of Canaan's grasp, it quickly became a new amusement for this playful little kitten.

Aspen Belle

Canaan has several friends. One of these is the beautiful Aspen Belle (Guy and Nancy's little girl). Aspen is almost exactly a month younger than Canaan. They were pledged to each other before birth. :) Aspen and her family just moved to Houston, so while we are sad about them leaving, we are also excited about the new opportunities that await them there.

Here are some great pictures of Canaan and Aspen. The first is when Aspen was first born. The next is of them at the end of May, right before she left. I just love the third. Canaan is absolutely centered on his toy, and poor little Aspen is getting none of his attention, if he can help it.