Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from our home to yours! We wish you all God's richest blessings in 2008! May it be a year filled with joy, peace, health, and a greater understanding of His love for us!

We are in the middle of our family's New Year traditions right now. We have had a wonderful day together filled with reminiscing on the highs and lows of 2007, composing a list of favorite songs from the year and burning a family CD, playing a rousing game of Seafarers of Catan (Daniel came from behind and pulled out the victory in the end), building a gingerbread house (complete with the Leaning Tower of Gingerbread to commemorate our Italy adventures), and lots of good food (Daniel/Allison teamed up to make carrot muffins, Dan and Abby took care of lunch with grilled hot dogs and mac and cheese, while Catherine and Jackie served Mexican Seven-Layer Dip for dinner). We are now watching Pirates of Caribbean 3 (first time we have seen it in English) and we have an arsenal of fireworks waiting for us in the entry way. It is still below 0 F outside, so we will have a cold hour while we shoot them all off! Jackie headed out a little while ago to be with friends (They are planning a sledding adventure at 2 am!). . . we will see her sometime tomorrow! (Everyone here, including children, stays up all night!) The rest of us will be looking for bed after a few more hours, however. We hope you are having/will have a wonderful celebration when you reach the new year!

Jubilee Year for Tamara Pavelovna

Tamara Pavelovna will be celebrating her 70th birthday on New Year's Day! Tamara has been a pillar of the church and a staunch mother/grandmother to us since we started Almagul in her neighborhood in 1994! She is always looking out for us- concerned about our health, giving us home-made treatments when we are ill, praying daily for our family. She was a dedicated Communist party member during a different era (and has many interesting stories), but is now a solid believer and loves to share with others! A very lovely and gracious lady. She is standing here with her granddaughter, Katya, who is a friend of Jackie's.

Zorro!

Jackie was headed out the door to Young Life club when I snapped this picture. Today was a masquerade theme club (since children dress up in costumes for New Year's as they dance around the "Christmas" tree). It was great that we had a black hat and cape from previous drama performances and that Allison is so very handy with a sewing machine -- one Zorro mask, coming up!

Jackie has recently been promoted to be an official leader, though she has been serving and leading for a while now. . . Basically, the promotion means that we REALLY never see her on Saturdays. She generally leaves by 10:00 am and only comes back home around 1:00 am since they have their planning meetings after the evening club finishes. But she is with good friends and is investing herself in wonderful things. These are all good steps as she moves towards independence. We are very proud of her!

Dear Friends

I thought I would use today's post to introduce you to a couple of my very best friends -- especially since I just spent time with both of these gals. The above picture is of Zara, who I met today for coffee at Mega Center. We usually meet every couple of weeks at one of our homes, but today we were celebrating! Zara is an extraordinarily talented gal. She was in full-time ministry to professionals before she became a mom (Aslan is almost 2!). She continues to disciple women and have a heart for ministry though her time is much more limited. Zara is always brain-storming about personal development and business opportunities, and she loves scrapbooking and designing as much as I do! She is very personable, loves to talk heart-to-heart (note the coffee decor), adores her husband and son, and looks forward to having an infant again! God has indeed blessed me with some amazing friends.

The above picture is of Marina. We were walking through a nearby park as we went out for coffee together (on Thursday). It was below 0 (Fahrenheit), my hands were painfully numb, my phone and camera eventually froze so that they wouldn't function. . . but we were walking and laughing and admiring the drifts of snow and the newly planted fir trees. Marina is an extremely talented gal -- she works for the British Embassy in an administrative position and is equally skilled at making treasure hunts and playing newcombe. . . She has an endless amount of energy, ideas, love, and enthusiasm and is a joy to partner with in ministry. She loves to laugh but is also very deep, sensitive, and sincere. Marina also loves swimming in cold water (!), skating at Medeo and other outdoor adventures, finding a good bargain, and spending some time alone when she can find an opportunity. Her teen-aged daughter Masha and our Allison are also best friends and Marina is always game for inviting Allison to spend time with them as well. Marina is a wonderful friend to our whole family and blessing to our life!

I am so thankful that God has given me such wonderful friends here. I will introduce you to a couple more over the next few weeks!

Chicken Masala

We are in full holiday mode here. We got hooked on the first season of The Amazing Race and cheered our way through five episodes today. We boo-ed Team Guido for their deceptive tactics and cried with Emily and her mom as they made a bad decision this evening, costing them the game. A nice escape to experience this adventure with all of them (only on vacation!).
Boris and Jackie also fixed us Chicken Masala tonight which we ate between episodes. I love Indian Curry -- this is really one of my favorite dishes of all time! Boris learned to make it when living with an Indian room-mate in Aktau, so it is quite authentic (sliced ginger root and all). Delicious! A wonderful vacation day after lots of recent busy-ness and stress!

Off to the Cold(er) North

Because it is so rare that we are at the Almaty airport during the day, I just had to make this the pic of the day. . . . This airport terminal was built a few years ago -- a vast improvement over the original! The shape is a little unusual, though -- it looks like the flying nun! Dan and Abby were about to embark on their journey to Kokshetau. First, a flight to Astana, then a 4-5 hour taxi ride from Astana to Kokshetau (through 400mph winds, producing white-outs of blowing snow!) They did arrive safely, however, as Dan just called to check in. They can't wait until John David wakes up tomorrow morning!

It has been REALLY cold here the last few days -- below 0 temperatures. Cold enough to freeze your nosehairs and make squeaky snow under your boots! I am just praying that our heat doesn't go out while Dan is gone! Although I had to be out most of the day today, I am planning to stay inside for the next few days and watch the first season of The Amazing Race with the older three kids.

Christmas Joy!

We had a wonderful family Christmas day. . . I awakened to the sound of carolers at my bedroom door (Daddy's rule that Mommy be woken up GENTLY on Christmas morning). Much to Abby's dismay, however, the rest of the family crawled into our king-size bed and resumed "resting" for a few more minutes while I drank my coffee. Abby is frequently traumatized by being the only "child" left in the family! The teasing didn't go on for TOO long, however, as even those teens were excited about full stockings and a beautiful tree. We had a relaxed morning of opening and gifts and playing with them. Allison's big surprise was that she received a cell phone that she desperately wanted but didn't think she would be getting. She is pictured here receiving her first phone call. . . from her daddy sitting in the other room! A very nice day indeed. We hope that all of our friends and family on the other side of the world will have a joyous Christmas as well!

Christmas Pajama Pic

Bummer. . . looks like I didn't quite make it before midnight today! It has been a full day, to say the least. But we did have a wonderful Christmas Eve service with our Kazakhstan family. And, how good we all felt to come home and put on our Christmas pjs! Merry Christmas to all and to all a GOOD NIGHT!

Oh Look! It is Not Even Midnight!

We have had some very long days. . . I decided to post a little earlier today, though. (Yesterday, I was almost asleep when I realized I had not uploaded my pic of the day. . . tragedy!!)

Today at Almagul we had the women's scriptural reading, the children's performance and party, and then the junior high party following the service at our house. We served a full lunch to the kids, so I had the Crockpot working while we were at church. Dan has been working around the clock, as well, so a few days off will be nice for all of us. . . Just around the corner! But, the Christmas party was a success. A girl from Abby's rock-climbing class (Yuliana) accepted Abby's invitation so she was excited to have a guest. Lots of games and contests and another round of gift exchanges. I am so thankful that we partner with Marina in leading this group! She is such an excellent youth leader -- always full of energy and ideas. God has indeed blessed us greatly with wonderful friends here.

A Special Christmas

Zhanna asked me to photograph all of the special needs teens at their Christmas party today. They wanted to enlarge and frame portraits as a gift for each of the families. Over 30 kids were at club today -- so I was busy! The top photo is Dayana, a girl that Jackie has visited frequently over the past several years. (If you have seen Jackie's college essays, Dayana was featured in one of them.)

It was fun to play a small part in their ministry and to see everyone (including our daughter) in action. After the photos were taken, club began and I went downstairs to do the sorting and selecting. When I returned upstairs, the kids were having toilet paper wars in the large zal! I just couldn't resist doing a little more photography. These kids were having the time of their lives. No wonder no one ever wants to miss club!

Allison is 13!

Well, you get 2 pictures again today since I didn't think it was fair to publish one without the other. Allison is growing up to be such a beautiful young lady. She is graceful, conscientious, and thoughtful of others. She is also quite funny and loves to be part of family fun! In the second picture, she is completing one of her tasks for the Olympic Trials of Adolescence -- singing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" with four marshmallows in her mouth! She completed the short and long program successfully and has passed into the "teens". Now we have a household with THREE teen-agers. What fun we are having :0)!

Christmas Rain

Annual Christmas Party

It's rather embarrassing to admit. . . we just finished family Advent devotional and encouraged the kids to head in the direction of bed! Abby definitely does NOT keep the same hours that our other kids did when THEY were 11! That's what happens with a busy schedule and a house full of teen-agers!

We hosted our annual Bible study Christmas party tonight. We had a great evening together: visiting, sharing God's work from the past year, and playing a rousing game of White Elephant Present Snatch. (The women were very sedate and unwilling to snatch until Marina and I got them going!!) Plenty of fun! I was happy that I found cream cheese a month ago and bought 12 packs for the freezer (The stocker thought it was odd that I bought every pack on the shelf!). So, I was able to make our traditional cheesecakes for the party, as well! One more event accomplished!

Daniel has his last 2 finals tomorrow and Jackie also has 2 more exams, then we will all be on Christmas break! Hurray!

Pastoral Love

We have been going through a lot recently. . . this picture is representative of the extent Dan is willing to go to make peace and show love to a group of wayward guys. He is praying for the men and future of Kazakhstan.

Frosted Flakes for Breakfast

We went out to our car this morning and found the windshield covered with these beautifully frozen flakes. I snapped a quick shot before Dan scraped them all away. (The better to see with, my dear. . .)

Monsour and Yosup

Dan and I spent the day at a "Sutki VMesti" (24 hours together) which was put on as a thank you event for all the leaders of our group of churches. We had a great time visiting with friends, playing Russian "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", and entertaining everyone's young children. These two boys are the sons of Rakim's pastor and one of their elders. Great little guys. . . We came home to check on our own kids and will go back again in the morning!

Are We Crazy or What?

On Tuesday Abby's parakeet, Warbeak, died. About a month ago the female (Juliet) of Allison's Amadine pair (small Japanese birds) died. (Unfortunately, she named them Romeo and Juliet!) We have a veritable bird graveyard in the corner of our backyard (as they join Joy, Allison's parakeet, who died in August). Trixie lay down in respect as Dan wielded the shovel and dug Warbeak's grave. She seemed to understand something serious was happening.

So, last night I took Abby to the pet store. We looked at all kinds of small furry animals. Some were like ferrets - very cute, but too wild and they bite. Some were like chipmunks - also wild and prone to bite. Some were little bald rats -- ugliest things I have ever seen, resembled Gollum, but very nice, so the shopkeeper claimed. Didn't want one in my house, though. No habitrails and cute little hamsters. were to be found. (Daniel didn't want a hamster, anyway, as he was bit by a neighbor's hamster 6 years ago and threw it across the room. The hamster did survive, fortunately.) And then we saw this cute little guinea pig and we knew she was the one. She came home with us last night and now her name is Ginger.

Allison also got a new pair of Amadines as they are social birds and Romeo was very lonely, with Juliet gone and Warbeak's cage now empty.

A little bit more to the story, however, we woke up this morning and Abby found strange things in Ginger's cage. Apparently, she had two miscarriages today. We went back to the pet store and found that another of the guinea pigs had given birth this morning, too. No end to our trauma here. But, we got everything cleaned up and Ginger seems to be doing fine.

Dan was singing a new version of the Twelve Days of Christmas on the way home:

4 crazy kids, 3 Amadines, 2 psycho dogs, and a guinea pig in a pink cage. . .

As if we don't have enough to do!

Standing Gerber

Nature's Bird Feeder

Not great photographs, but kind of interesting story. . . It needs two pictures, however; we will count them each as a half so that we stay within the rules (Maybe I am just like Daniel :-)! Remember, we are BENDING them, not BREAKING them. . .)

Two weeks ago, I thought it was really strange that we had this one dinky tree which was totally bare except for one round, bright red apple. Yesterday I saw a great big black bird sitting on the branch next to it, pecking it sharply. This morning, this was all that was left of that apple! Apparently, he had quite a feast as he enjoyed our natural bird feeder!

Which Witch?

Tonight was Abby's debut as eccentric Witch Hazel in the production, "What Ever Happened to Ebenezer Scrooge?" She was wonderful - quite the star of the show, particularly as she gazed into the magic mirror, applying lipstick and demanding to know why her beauty treatments weren't working!

The director of the show, Jessica, also directed "Searching for David's Heart" which Daniel finished (6 performances!) last Sunday night. We enjoyed the season of shows and their acting talent. We will also appreciate a break from rehearsals, however!

Keeping Focus

In this season of holiday busyness and preparation, let's remember to keep our focus on the main thing. . .

This Is My Life. . .

Just so you know what I am dealing with here. . .

We were putting up the Christmas tree and the kids found a bunch of unopened Christmas Lego models in the ornament boxes. I told them not to open them (since our goal was tree-decorating and that would surely distract them all). The next thing I knew - I looked up and saw Daniel working the set INSIDE the package. (See, they don't ever BREAK the rules, they just see how far they can BEND them!) It was so interesting to watch, we stalled out on tree-decorating for a little while to see if he could manage it (he couldn't really see the picture either). But, as you can see, he did it! I guess I should have given him more sets in packages when he was six for fine motor skill exercises!

The Center of the Whorled

Today was another dark, grey day. . . SO, you get another macro picture! I just love that macro lens!

Sprinkles Galore

Abby had her girls' club meeting here this morning. For the Christmas theme, we did skits, devotional time, cookie decorating, and tag stamping. There were 16 third- fifth grade girls, so it was fun and chaotic! I was thankful that several moms stayed to help -- sprinkles and embossing powder were flying everywhere! But, they each went home with a nice plate of decorated cookies adorned with a hand-stamped tag. As you can see, some girls were QUITE generous with the sprinkles! Yumm. . . I hope I get one of those :-)!

Abby and Gerd Vaarin

Gerd Vaarin came over to spend the night today. When she lived next door, she and Abby played at one house or another every day. Her family sold their house last summer and they are now living outside of town. As a result, she and Abby rarely get to see each other. So, today is a red letter day, indeed! I am hearing a bunch of thumps from upstairs as I write this. Apparently, they are making up a very active dance to the song, "It's a Wonderful Christmas Time". It involves lots of spins and JUMPS!

Trixie and Breeza

Did I ever mention we are the owners of two psycho dogs??? This is what happens in our backyard all day long. . .

Breeza, the large rearing dog who looks like a horse in the foreground, came to live with us in June when her family moved away. We were so happy for her to join us, especially since she started with the Hamptons when she was a puppy. She is a very affectionate dog, but not without her peculiarities! We had already promised the children a puppy, however (and our friends had bred their dog in order to produce a puppy for us!), so we had the pick of the litter at the end of August. Thus, Trixie came to join our family. Although Trixie is actually Breeza's niece, Breeza didn't seem to realize they were kin. Trixie's head spent an amazing amount of time in Breeza's mouth during those first couple of months. We were really glad when Trixie finally got a little bigger.

We believe they have worked out their relationship, now; Trixie seems to get the upper hand when food is involved and Breeza makes sure she is first in line for affection (she would like to claim exclusive rights to this). Everyone says this "dog-fighting" is normal play. We sure hope so. . .

We certainly have more trouble with the two of them. Breeza was quite well-behaved before Trixie moved in. Now they BOTH dig and chew. Yesterday I went to get the paper and didn't shut the door securely when I came back in the house. An hour later some friends came over and I found the dog food bag (empty) on the porch and five or six assorted shoes scattered around the yard! At least Trixie didn't bury them like Nika used to. . .

Rostik, the Christmas Elf

Isn't he the cutest thing ever? This is Rostik (Rostislav), another one of our favorite little people. I did a photo shoot of him and his parents (Ruslan and Zhanna) today. I just can't get enough of holding this little guy! So sweet and cuddly. And, somehow, his body-type reminds me a lot of our kids when they were babies which, of course, makes him even more irresistable!

Ooops! Didn't make it before midnight. . . Can you tell what kind of days I am having? Long ones! At least it is still December 5 where most of you are!

Shazam!

Or, what we do on lunch break when we are bored and have just found a remote. . .

I have a folder with over 100 very funny pictures. I am tempted to post them all, but that would defeat my one a day, every day concept. You will just have to come over and look at the folder and laugh with us. Needless to say, the girls had a blast modeling and making every imaginable face possible while zapping the remote. Very, very funny.

And, Mark and Melissa, I think I need to find some kind of light-source to put on the left side to highlight and make more definition between dark hair and black backdrop. . . I noticed this on the pics of Marina and Arman, too.

A Bit of Sunshine For ALL of Us!

Today was a pretty BLAH! day outside -- lots of low-lying, cold smog and a very patchy layer of snow (which mostly produced muck on the ground). Not much pleasant lighting for pictures. SO, as a result, you get a little macro sunshine today!

We also have a very sick house-hold. Daniel had to stay home from school because of head-ache and sore throat; Allison has a cold and ear infection; Jackie is still battling her UTI and probably needs to go back to the doctor; and Abby is still feeling icky from whatever virus she had last week. Good thing Dan and I are feeling healthy.

I took Dan to the airport this afternoon; he will be teaching for a week in Tashkent. I have lots of projects to work on this week, so I will be busy, too!

Dan and Dima

Here is Dima, one of Dan's favorite little people. Dan and Dima spend quite a lot of time together. When the Young Professionals Group meets upstairs in our living room, Dan and Dima build towers and railroads and do other "manly" things together (like muscle-building pull-ups as pictured here) downstairs in the school room. I can't tell who enjoys it more, really. During the children's sermon this morning, Dima spotted Dan sitting across the room. He abandoned his mom and toddled across the front of the church to get to Dan and sit in his lap! They seem to have a special bond, the two of them.

We have many close friends who are just beginning their parenting journeys, so we have lots of opportunities for cuddling and play. It has made us realize, though, that maybe we are closer to being grandparents than to being parents of a newborn! What a concept. . . Jackie said not to be counting on her, however; she is not in a hurry!

Oh, and to give credit where credit is due. . . Dima is the son of our dear friends, Sasha and Katya :-)!

Skating (and Driving) in the Fog

This evening my friend Marina and I took a few of the junior highers up to skate at Medeo. It is always so much fun to skate out in the open arena, surrounded by mountains and atmosphere. Tonight, however, it was quite foggy. As a result, it wasn't overly crowded, so the kids had a great skate. Allison loves practicing the new moves she is learning in her skating class. She had several women come up to her and ask her for pointers. I laughed as I watched her patiently instruct these older gals how to skate backwards in a curve, etc. . . She is a very patient teacher. She should start charging!

On the drive down the mountain, however, we did not appreciate the fog. I could barely see the road and was reduced to driving 40 kmph with my hazards on. I have never been so happy to get safely off the mountain and put the car in the driveway. ( I didn't say garage because I was too fed up with it to even put it IN the garage!)

Dan went to go see Daniel's 2nd performance tonight. All went well. . . only 4 more to go!

Opening Night

Tonight was Daniel's opening night for his latest drama performance, "Searching for David's Heart." It was QUITE a moving performance. . . I cried more than once (it felt like through about 1/2 the show!). A young girl idolizes her older brother and he dies quite tragically. She blames herself for his death. Eventually, as a step of healing, she and her best friend go to find the boy who has received her brother's heart as a life-saving transplant. Daniel is the recipient. Great show. Only 5 more performances for Daniel!

Look Who's Famous!

The extent some people will go to to "Get Famous". . . . Yes, John and Anita have finally made it to pages of our "Get Famous" column. We are so excited for them to be in Kazakhstan! Last week they finally got the call that a potential child was ready for them in north Kazakhstan. Amazingly, they got their visa and everything ready so that they could be gone for six weeks, and we picked them up at the airport last night. (We were so pleased that the agency agreed for us to take care of them while they were in Almaty!)

They got to sample Central Asian food for lunch (lagman and monte) and Russian fare for dinner (pilmani, salad "Olivay", and beet salad). We were so delighted that one of our siblings finally made it to Kazakhstan, and even got to stay in our home before it was torn down!

They will be making their way north tomorrow to meet their child. They will have a cell phone on our system so we will be able to talk to them more frequently. They will need to stay in Almaty to complete paperwork for about a week in January so we look forward to our own chance to get to bond with our new nephew/cousin. . . Exciting times!

(For those who are watching the clock, sorry that I didn't get this posted last night. We were having internet issues!)

It is Finished!

We always have a new puzzle going on Thanksgiving Day and, traditionally, it is started and finished in one day. . . This year was a little different, however. On Thursday afternoon, we broke out a 1000 piece puzzle which we purchased at the Vatican last summer featuring the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (which we sprinted through the Vatican to view, but that is another story). This puzzle was a bit troublesome -- probably one of the hardest ones we have ever worked. (How did yours go, Papa??) We didn't have many other long stretches of time to work on it, but Dan (who had made the most serious investment in the project) finally finished it this afternoon! Dan and Jackie are illustrating the Creation of Man for you.

Applying Herself

Jackie is in the midst of the last push to complete her college applications. 500 word and 300 word essays, personal statements about meaningful activities and work experiences, a list of "favorites", a creative "anything else" exercise. . . Her notebook is filled with reflections and rough drafts (which we are trying to get to the final copy form!) Dan and I are writing recommendations, pulling together her transcript documents, and writing our own essays on our home-school educational philosophy. Jackie's dream is still to get into Princeton, but she has determined that Northwestern, Duke, and Davidson would also be great places to be. We hope to get this all into the mail by Monday!

Dog Park

The official park name is really "Aleyka", but we have always simply called it "The Dog Park". The land was set aside several years ago as part of the city beautification project (before the land-grab started!). Only a block up the hill from our house, the Dog Park provides us with the smoothest surfaces for roller-blading and the safest roads for bike riding. There is also the most unobstructed mountain view within a few blocks of our house. When I go for morning walks, I always soak in the view as I go by. The Tien Shan Mountains are certainly one of Almaty's greatest features.

The Beginning

A photo a day. One a day. Every day. Documenting life for a whole year.

We were sitting in an extraordinarily smoky German beer house in Kyrgyzstan (odd concept itself) when a friend of a friend shared how HIS friend did such a thing. What a thought. . . My mind started whirring with creative prospects. Every day? For a whole year? Wow. What a great idea. Then, my next thought . . . could I do it? Do I dare?

So, here I am -beginning a year's journey in photography. Some of this year's photos might document the changes taking place in our family, our living situation, our city, or simply the seasons. . . others might be experiments in photography as I am currently learning and growing in this area. We shall see. . .

Today's photo, the first of 365 (oh, I mean, 366 -- there will be a bonus one for 2008!), will begin with a Santa hat picture since we just started playing Christmas music this weekend!