Tuesday, January 02, 2007

С Новым Годом!

We've had a few more fun and exciting days lately. We "met" the New Year (how do you say that in English?) at home, which was a first for us. It was very nice and peaceful. We had a good Southern dinner of black-eyed peas and cornbread, and we went to bed before midnight. The children and I even slept through all the neighborhood fireworks; Will says that they went on without a break for two full hours.

Before that, on Sunday we had all kinds of good adventures. On our way to church, we saw the woodpecker again right as we left our house. Then, when we got close to church, we saw another one, right down at eye level on a fence! We had never seen one so close and so unconcerned about our presence! Even Raia is still talking about it. What is driving them out of the forests this year?

Church was a joyful celebration of all that the Lord has done in the past year. The mysterious Ded Moroz who came and gave out presents last year, showed up again this year. No one knows who he is or where he comes from, but we do know that he's a Christian. Also, three African students who study at the institute across the street from the church apartment came in. I had actually met them and talked to them before, so I was especially glad to see them. Please pray that they will come again and be able to understand. (Their Russian isn't all that good yet.)

Then yesterday we had another quiet family day. In the morning we opened presents; in the evening we made a gingerbread house. It took all of Will's handy man skills to get it put together, and then we worked together to decorate it.

Cute, eh?
Originally uploaded by fylliska.



Oh, another story: our children sleep in the room that doubles as our living room. The Christmas tree is set up out there. Yesterday morning Jaan woke us up, babbling about how something had fallen, but everything was okay. We figured out that he was talking about the gingerbread star that Will had made for our Christmas tree. So, I told Jaan I'd come hang it back up. . . but I couldn't find it! I kept asking Jaan where it was, and he kept saying, "Let's just leave it there" and "It's in a good place" and "Everything is okay." Finally I noticed that Raia's face was all covered in cookie crumbs, and Jaan admitted that they had each eaten half. I was just glad that they had shared it. Raia was still in her crib, so that means Jaan brought her some. Such a sweet big brother!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

We may "greet" the new year, but I also did so with eyes fast shut.

We also had a bird adventure yesterday. Driving out toward Volusia County at dusk, we saw a pair of bald eagles sitting in a leafless tree right over the freeway. Incredible! It all happened so fast that I just have the snapshot etched in my mind.

I delight in the fact that Raia is already enjoying birding. Much love to each one....

Anonymous said...

Оооо!!! какой милый домик.
Филис, какие у вас уже детки БОЛьШИЕ.
О.. Как время летит быстро, они уже такие взрослые :-)

Lindy Johnson said...

Our boys are now old enough that they think staying up to greet the new year is a big deal. Bruce and I struggle to stay up until midnight most years. This year we had family games and we all were very awake when midnight arrived. Will and I also had cornbread and black-eyed peas on New Year's Day while Bruce and R.B. just had the cornbread! We are getting new birds at the feeder this week since we finally got some snow (juncos and finches).

Anonymous said...

I love your gingerbread house. Do you have kits there, or did you make it from scratch. I think I've only done one in my entire life. I think next year that is going to be a "must-do" for me.
I particularly like Jaan's comments about the gingerbread star-quite amusing.

Anonymous said...

When I checked earlier, you had not yet posted the story of the star--LOL! Dad and I have our computers set up in different rooms right now, and you can hear laughter from each. Love....

Anonymous said...

That boy is starting to remind me of me when I was a child. The only difference is that I would have eaten the whole thing and then blamed it on my sister (or my constant companion the invisible lizard). Yes, before there was a Hobbs for Calvin, there was an invisible lizard for Phillip.

When I was just a little younger than Jaan, I plugged up the bath tub drain with a towel in our house in Hawaii while my mother took a nap. When she woke up, the floor had about an inch of standing water. You'd better watch Jaan, the downstairs neighbors might not understand the scientific bent of your child.

Happy New Year. Thankfully my grandson is not the heathen I was. Perhaps Jesus will mitigate some of his behavior. On the other hand, sometimes a genius just has to do what a genius has to do.
( - ;
Love ya'll,
Dad

Phyllis said...

Привет, Люда! Да, слишком большие. Полгода назад мы видались с тобои. Они уже другие детки. Тогда Рая только что научилась как стоять, теперь она бегает везде. Ян мало говорил, а сейчас постоянно болтает.

Somehow Jaan's escapades don't seem to have the badness that his father's and grandfather's did. :-) Sure, he can be bad--like all children--but he doesn't seem to have the same genius for causing trouble that they did, if that makes sense.

Anna, there aren't kits here, but there must be in Moscow. I asked Evelina about the pretty house her sisters made, and it seems that they bought a kit at IKEA (да, Люда? правда?). Go back a little on Evelina's blog to her parents' anniversary, and you can see theirs.

Mrs said...

Sharing. . .or keeping her quiet?

;-D

Too cute! I can't tell you how many times I've had to turn my head from my children to hide my smile, then turn back to explain why "we don't do that." I don't think you have to worry about Jaan alone. . . I see quite a team forming!

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year! I was awake feeding Caiden, and only "awake" in the sense that I barely knew what I was doing and had my eyes open (mostly) and only thought to kiss my husband 20 minutes after the new year came in. Oh well. =)

Evelina said...

Очень даже симпатичный домик! :)