Sunday, June 28, 2009

Dacha thanks

Giving thanks is the way through pain. It's also something that pours out during happy times. This is some of the latter! Just a few happy moments from the past week:

625. The dacha itself is one of the biggest tangible gifts that God has given us in Ukraine.
626. Five white butterflies chasing each other all over our yard
627. Three children laughing and laughing in a tank of water
628. Asya singing her happy song and dancing: "Lapy, lapy, lapy" all around
629. Summer rain, such a rarity here
630. Breaks from the heat that is already so intense
631. Outhouse! Where else can you get distracted by a hedgehog or the bright stars on your way to the toilet?
632. Plants growing like crazy
633. Salad every day
634. The smell of roses first thing in the morning


635. Getting to know neighbors:
636. . . . one family giving us gifts from their pea harvest,
637. . . . another dedushka laughing incredulously at our dirty children
638. The aforementioned dirty (and happy!) children


639. The song of the golden orioles and every little glimpse of them
640. Asya recognizing the squawk of a pheasant, "'зан, Мама!"
642. Building fires with Jaan
643. Raia mothering Asya in their little house


644. Cool evenings
645. S'mores!
646. . . . and friends to share them with!



647. Having a dacha shower set up
648. All the wild hedgehogs
649. . . . and our own little Yozh, looking so sleek and healthy that he should do hedgehog shampoo commercials
650. My little blue and yellow flowers