Shashlik with the Neighbors

We live in a duplex that we share with our landlords. They invited us for shashlik (Russian BBQ) and we COULDN'T refuse! Our landlord, Vladimir Ivanovich, makes the BEST shashlik in town!
(This picture is from April, before the garden really took off. You should see it now! Green growing things everywhere! I think I actually saw strawberries yesterday.)


They have two daughters. One lives in Israel with her husband and 1 year old son. Galya lives here. She is studying to be a Veterinarian.

There's a New Family in Town!

This is the Broberg Family. We are SO excited to have them living in Krasnodar! I wanted you to meet them because I will probably be mentioning them in the future quite a bit.


They moved here from St. Petersburg, where the sun only shines 66 days a year. Good choice! It has been in the 90s here for the past week.


I just love Jen. She is a mother of four, also, so she and I have a lot in common.


So much fun to come!!!

Maddie's Birthday Party

I can't believe how much a girl can change from 10 to 11!


Gone is the little girl who had to have her bunny all the time and loved to play with dolls.


Now she loves makeup (which has actually been discovered on her preteen face only after leaving for church!). The hat was a gift from Yana, our babysitter. She made it herself and Maddie has not taken it off in weeks!


And art is EVERYTHING! She says that someday she will be a missionary who sings and takes care of Russian street dogs while living off the sales of her artwork. Quite a plan!


She wanted to take her friends ice skating at the new rink in our mall and Yana generously allowed herself to be pushed, pulled and hung on for the whole hour! And I think this was her first time!


Maddie got the hang of it right away. She may even want to add it to her future plans... somehow...


I hung out with the ones who's feet were too small for the ice skates.