Week 12 - Pumpkin Crunch Cake

For Thanksgiving I actually tried out 3 new recipes from Pinterest but I'll only feature this one. Actually all 3 turned out great and I was surprised because lately some of the recipes flopped! I saw this recipe quite a few times being pinned and I am glad I tried it out! If you want to try it out yourself check it out on Pinterest. On the left is Lena and her husband Miron(aren't they a gorgeous couple?) getting ready to put on some whipped cream on the cake!! I think vanilla ice cream would taste great too.

Thanksgiving

I don't know why, but I didn't take a bunch of pictures of Thanksgiving this year! I think I was just trying to enjoy my time plus I was probably exhausted from all the cooking and baking!!! The week before the boys learned a bit about Thanksgiving through some books daddy read to them. Then we did a little craft project. My boys love cutting and gluing and this activity kept them real busy! I suppose you could print any template off the internet and repeat the activity with maybe a big Christmas ornament or tree.

 

Bath Time

The other night I came in to check on Nana while he was taking his bath and this is how I found him. He is a nut!!! He cracks us up all the time.

Monet

Two weeks ago we studied France in Geography. We are currently in the continent of Europe and thought we'd learn a little about the French. Nathan was mesmerized with the Eiffel Tower or "Awful Tower" as he kept calling it. I have no idea why but he just couldn't stop talking about wanting to go see it.

We also touched a little on Claude Monet and tried our hand at a painting, specifically trying to copy the
"Bouquet of Sunflowers". I think my little artists did a great job at interpreting the painting!

 

Jojo giving me a karate chop or doing the robot!

 

 

This one is Nathan's but he was too busy to stop and take a 

picture with his masterpiece.

Week 11 - Apple Fritters

When you live overseas there are a lot of comfort foods that you miss from back home. Apple fritters is one of those. Thursday evening I tried them out. They didn't quite taste like I thought they would but they turned out ok. I can always tell by Jon's expression if something just tastes ok.........he gave me that shrug of his shoulders and silly smirk on his face which means that whatever I baked was just ok.........not great but ok. It's funny though because he ate quite a bit of them!!!

If you want to try them out, then check them out here on Pinterest!

Praying for Missionaries

During our family devotional times we pray through a booklet of missionary families from our home church. It's fun to hear the boys pray for other missionaries and it's a great way to get to know the missionaries and their needs. Last night we prayed for a couple in the Netherlands. Jojo always wants to know where each country is and what it's like to live in the country. Last night he said "Oh Netherland, where Peter Pan lives!"  Ummmm, not quite Jojo!!!

Felt Faces

When we first moved to Novosibirsk a family from Jon's home church sent us a care package.  In the package she included these felt faces.  I've kept the felt faces and have added more noses, eyes, etc.  It's real simple and Nathan loves playing with them.  You simply cut cardboard into a circle, glue felt on top, and then make shapes for eyes, lips, noses, hair and so forth!  Real simple!!!

 

This is a quiet activity Nathan works on while Jojo and I are

in the kitchen doing school!  Actually, I have a special drawer

that Nathan can access with a bunch of different activities, so 

if he wants to join us in the kitchen he knows that he needs to

grab a quiet activity from his special drawer in order to join us.

Week 10 - Little Pumpkin Cakes

Fruits and vegetables are very seasonal here in Russia.   I grew up in California where most produce is available year round so it's fun for me to see and experience the proper fruits and vegetables according to their proper season.  I have never been a huge pumpkin fan but every year I am learning to enjoy it more and more.  Yesterday there was a meeting planned in my home with a few ladies but it got canceled at the last moment so I initially made these for the meeting but my family had no problem taking care of them.  The recipe called for apple brandy which I don't have sitting around so instead I used apple juice.  The recipe also called for molasses which is something that can not be found here but thankfully my mother in law brought me some when she was here this summer.  Oh, and I also needed brown sugar but I think it was definitely worth it considering that I can only make this recipe in the fall.  My little foodie Jojo definitely recommends this recipe!!!  You can check it out here on Pinterest............by the way I didn't have the little bundt pans so instead I used ramekins. 

Best Ikea Purchase

One of the best things I bought at Ikea a few weeks ago was this craft thingy.  Not sure what it's called but it kept the boys busy for 1 whole hour!!!  Nathan now works on one a day and he loves creating new patterns with different colors.  It's great because while he's working on one of his "projects", Jojo and I have undisturbed time for school.

First Snow

Tuesday evening the snow started falling and it is still going!  It's been 4 years since we have had snow so early in the season.  The boys couldn't wait to get outside when we woke up yesterday morning.  Jojo has been praying for snow for a while now so he was so happy to see it.  It was too cold for snowman making but great for snow angels!!

Christmas Gift

The other day I asked the boys what we should buy for daddy for Christmas.  Jojo quickly replied "An iPhone 4."  I told them that I didn't have that kind of money to buy daddy an iPhone so Nathan said "How about a Batmobile?"  I think Jon would love both of them but they are obviously a bit over my budget!!!!

IKEA

Do you remember the Mervyn's commercial?  The "open, open, open" one?  If you don't remember that commercial you can check it out here.  In the last 5 1/2 years I have pretty much felt like that woman and have been tempted to go to the store door and yell "open, open, open" but alas IKEA has finally opened.  The grand opening was on September 29 but we only recently made our way there.  It is really quite impressive to see IKEA in Russia.  It was so much fun walking around and seeing all the great furniture.  We didn't buy any big furniture pieces because truthfully we don't need anything but there were some odds and ends that I have been wanting to get so we did a little shopping.  We also enjoyed a nice meal at the IKEA restaurant and we even had the nerve to leave the kiddos in the children's room!!  I was relieved when I went to check on Josiah (Nathan didn't go in at first) that there was a young lady from our church working in the room. 

 

The covered parking entrance.  We were really impressed with the 

parking and the parking security guiding cars.

 

This is a play area for kids.  IKEA is located in Mega Mall which

is not opened yet.  Along with a bunch of stores, indoor ice skating 

rink, McDonalds, and food court, a big ASHAN(huge grocery store)

will also be opening in February 2012!  Oh the little things that make

us happy!!

Conference on the Family Part 2

One of the things that we did during the conference is have a few hours were just the women met together every day.  It was helpful to hear what some of the women are dealing with in the churches they attend.  We also wanted to encourage the ladies to see how the Lord may be directing them in regards to women's ministry, something which has become a bit of a passion for me the last few years.  Karen also had an opportunity to answer several questions.  The women were so curious about her since it is very rare for a family to have 10 children in Russia!!!

 

Irina (top photo) and Vera sharing their testimony!  

 

Worship time.  These women are amazing singers!!!

 

And here's Karen answering questions through Tanya.  

Week 9 - Cinammon Apple Cookies

I can't believe I didn't do my challenge last week but it was a crazy week for us.  I did do a lot of baking though - banana bars, fudge brownies, holiday squares, and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies but none of these recipes were from Pinterest...........instead they were oldies but goodies.  Yesterday I tried this recipe.   The cookies were pretty good but I have to judge the finished product according the value of the ingredients I use.  This recipe required 1 whole cup of brown sugar which is a valuable commodity here.  We can now find brown sugar but it isn't cheap.  So, I ask myself the following : "Is this recipe worth repeating considering that I have to use so much brown sugar?"  The answer is probably not.  If I had access to cheaper brown sugar, I would repeat it.   And as you can see on Nathan's facial expression; he wasn't quite sure about the cookie either!

Conference on the Family

Last week the Preacher's Help Program hosted a conference on the family.  The guest speaker was Paul Tautges who is a pastor from Wisconsin and also blogs at Counseling One Another.  Paul even brought his wife Karen along.  Paul and Karen are authorities on marriage and children considering that they have been married for 25 years and have 10 children!!! 

 

Paul taught on the role of men, the role of women, parenting,

discipline, and several other family topics.  Everyone was real

receptive to the teaching.  This was the first conference of its 

kind on the theme of the family, hopefully in the future there will

be more because it's a huge need here!

 

It was great seeing all the couples together during the sessions.

  

  

There was even a children's program so that both parents

could attend the sessions. 

    

 

 

Zagarodni Park

Over a week ago we headed over to my favorite park.  It is absolutely beautiful in the fall and I love going there to take pictures.  The boys just love walking around, finding sticks, picking up leaves, and spending time as a family.  On this day there were so many people out and about..............one of the things I love about Russia.  It's pretty rare in California to go to the park and see so many people just out for a stroll.  I know that we are all just trying to soak in the last few days left before the harsh winter hits!

Ukraine

After Germany, Jon headed over to Kiev, Ukraine where John MacArthur completed his European speaking tour. Actually, all of the men in the program here in Samara flew to Ukraine also along with all the faculty.

 

This is the central church in Kiev where the conference was held.

 

Some of our men from Samara enjoying a meal together.

 Dinner with MacArthur, fellow teammates, and the Ukrainian missionaries.

 

The men from Samara got to tour the facilities in Ukraine.  They

have quite a student body and Jon says their facilities

were quite impressive.

 

Jon and Bruce Alvord

For those of you who follow our ministry here, I'd like to ask you to pray for our fellow team mate Jonathan who is still in Kiev, Ukraine.  He is not able to enter Russia due to some complications with his entry visa.  He has already been there 2 weeks while his wife and 5 kids are here in Samara.  Please pray for a quick resolution as they wait upon the proper authorities to make some decisions on how to get Jonathan back here to Samara.  It is quite a complicated topic but the Lord understands what is going.  Also pray for Sharon as she holds down the fort alone with 5 kids.