June 15

It's off to an early anniversary start. Not really, but I did wake up at 7:30 to start my last load of laundry so it would have all day to hang out to dry. But I cheated & crawled back in bed 'til 9. Tee hee! I'll bet you all wish you could've done that today. It was my anniversary treat. Though I must say I haven't slept as soundly the last couple days due to all the thinking & working that goes into our leaving. You know. . .not wanting to forget things, collecting everything from all over the house, cleaning, etc. It's all a process.

The morning brought no shower. Actually there's water so I could technically wash off with a cloth, but that's not as much fun as waiting all day 'til we go to the hardware store to buy a new shower head.

Yesterday & much of today have brought rain & lots of it. I must say that's a fine way to end our stay since we didn't have trips to Moscow planned--let it rain as much as it wants. And rain always makes me feel like cleaning, so that helps Christy out. We've spent our a.m. getting more of the house cleaned up, etc. Leo came by 10 or 11 & immediately asked how he could help clean. He spent much time dusting & finding his own way to clean. He's such a polite kid. I made an apple cake to aid in the celebration of my anniversary & also Patrick & Christy's since we didn't have a special dessert that day. Lunch brought a break from cleaning & Christy made something wonderful out of what she called "nothing in the house." We will go grocery shopping today to help stock up for their next company. Even just a couple of extra mouths eats a person out of house & home. Madeleine's been doing amazingly well eating the food here.

The internet has not been cooperating super well today; of course, on a day when we have many things to get done via internet--confirming my flight for tomorrow, e-mailing my husband of 16 years, finding a map from the KCI airport to Mom & Dad's for my jaunt when I get home, etc. I'm squeezing this blog in & hoping that the connection continues long enough for me to post. Cross your fingers!

Now we're getting ready to quit cleaning for a time & head to the various stores. And yes, we will make one more stop at the chocolate store to finish buying our last confections. You really must come to Russia sometime just to try their exceptional chocolates. Patrick has gone to get the car at the parking place & will return shortly. We will shoo Leo away one last time before we leave tomorrow & know that he will show up to meet the rest of the "parties" coming in the coming weeks. It will give the kiddos something to do & someone to play with while their parents do their schmoozing & showing people around, etc. He's an answer to prayer & has become a part of the family very quickly. He's a boy all the way around--wanting to play wrestling games & razzing Ethan, Megan, & Madeleine almost immediately. He loves to tell jokes & he really is a talker--not really caring if you can understand him or not. He wants the family to meet his parents soon & Patrick assured him they'd be honored. We will miss his sparkly, mischievous eyes, ready laughter, & dimpled smile when we leave for Kansas. But pictures make a memory last longer.

Errand time ends up taking longer the older I get. Is that right? We went first to the chocolate store so I could stock up on my faves. Oh my goodness--I will be happy for quite some time & have plenty to share. Plus. . .then we went to the grocery store & I bought some bars of fine chocolate for souvenirs for a few of my friends. Might that be any of you? We'll see! We made a final stop at McDonald's for a final cherry pie for the kids before Mad goes home tomorrow. And I bought an extra one for her to eat as breakfast on the way to the airport in the morning. She is one spoiled girl.

The rest of the day has consisted of packing, re-packing, wrapping souvenirs to protect them in flight, showering, finishing the book the kids have been reading each night together, etc., etc., etc. In the meantime, after our double cheeseburger supper from McD's, some of us fested on the apple cake I had made earlier in the day. The recipe is a keeper.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in this Neifert household & the great Russia they represent. Thanks to any & all of you who have contributed to making this trip a possibility--from finances, to consignment donations to prayer support to holding the fort down, etc. This has been a wonderful time of learning another culture that I would definitely visit again if ever afforded the opportunity. Thanks for taking the time to hear my story of our summer of 2007 in Russia.

Peace out!

June 14

Up, up, & on to our new day. It's gotten away from me & I don't recall much that we did. The kids played almost all day with Leo & I got pictures to remember him by. Christy even played Wii against him & Ethan some. Much of the day has brought lots of rain, complete with thunder & lightning. We even got a sample of the local civil defence drill whistle. The kids went out to splash & get soaked in the rain. All of them were dripping at the door. They came in & changed immediately, but Leo had nothing. So he unabashedly just took all his clothes off but his underwear. I guess he feels comfortable here. We were all giggling, but the kids didn't seem to even notice; they looked much like shorts so it was not big deal.

After a chicken nugget lunch, we walked to the chocolate store again to do some more sampling, too. That's a fine Russian tradition, if you ask me. We go buy a couple pieces of various kinds & come home. Then I cut the individual pieces into 3 so all we adults get a sampling. Then we in our own way vote yes or no. It's helping Patrick & Christy discover some new favorites, too. But this trip was to find a few more samplings to take home & also to stock up on the 3 we know we love so far. Yum! Much of my souvenir-ing is chocolate, but I think that's a great way to bring Russia home. The only problem I foresee is eventually (probably sooner rather than later) this souvenir will run out. Shucks!

On home to eat leftovers for supper. We got part of the fridge cleaned out, but not all. Then it was on to cleaning mode. Really. . .it was only supposed to be the kids getting started on their room, but it turned into super organize mode for all of us & we got a good start on getting their house whipped into shape for their next company who comes the same day I leave. They will not have a break from company 'til sometime in August. I must say I'm glad I got in on their first good graces. I only made them start getting tired of company, but they aren't completely tired of it yet.

Christy voted us to watch a movie tonight; we did but didn't get started 'til after our super cleaning mode. We watched "Cheaper by the Dozen." It was cute & we were all in a laughing mood so it worked out great. Bed at 11:30 with big plans to finish our super cleaning & launder & pack our clothes for the trip home. I'm ready to go home but will totally miss being here a lot. And Leo has been asking if we'll come back soon cuz he wants us to. We explained it took almost 2 whole years to save the money to come this time. His eyes got big as he deciphered this. I'm thinking most Russians think all Americans are rich--and we probably are by their standards.

Off to bed.

June 13

With our plans well orchestrated, we woke up by 7:30 & 8 a.m. to start our last day to discover Moscow. We ate our breakfast in shifts & took showers, dressed, packed a small sandwich snack pack for everyone & were off by 9:30--well within our range of time to leave to reach our 12 noon Red October chocolate factory tour. Getting out of Elektrostal & much of the way to Moscow was fine; then the traffic started. The kids were busily watching Spongebob on the DVD player while Patrick & Christy weighed the options. It was finally decided partway into the city that we'd park farther back than originally planned & catch the metro to the chocolate factory. After snarfing down our sandwiches & lemonade, we quickly got going with that new plan. With many little factors weighing in, we weren't able to keep our appointment so completely missed the chocolate factory tour. Hey, little things happen & add up to "these things happen." Then we were so worn out from hoofin' it to make our tour that we sauntered back to the Kremlin/Red Square area to try our hand at our next tourist plan for the day. The thing about Russia, is that you can't book everything in advance & simply have to play into the plan of whoever is in charge for the day. Long story short, we couldn't get tickets for the day to visit the Armory either. But that final decision didn't happen 'til hours later & many tries to gain access to this tour. Shucks! It's a collection of many of Russia's valuable treasures--gilded carriages, weapons, Faberge eggs, Bibles, etc. So already our planned day was going everything but according to plan A. However, in the meantime, Patrick & kids had found a bus tour of the city. Madeleine & I were pretty tired of all the walking back & forth we'd already done to try to do the chocolate factory & the Armory, so instead of doing a bus tour (we had a boat tour at the beginning of our time here), we were right next to the Museum of History so opted for that. It was very affordable & we paid the extra that allows us to take pictures inside. It was a nice stroll through of many similar treasures to the Armory, so it ended up being a great alternative. Of course we just did our own strolling & didn't know what all the placards said since we don't know Russian, but it was fun to see all the cool treasures. Patrick actually prefers this museum now to the Armory. They'd never been before to the museum so now they have a different place to tell their visitors about.

Now it was late enough in our day that we headed to one of the local TGIFridays restaurants--perhaps a late anniversary dinner for Patrick & Christy & an early one for me to celebrate without Seth? Thanks Aunt Ruth & Uncle Ed for this dinner treat. Orginally you were treating us to the chocolate factory tour, but alas plan B had to come into effect. We had some good ol' American food (I had Bruschetta Pangonisi--white fish with a tomato-basil topping) before heading to find our theatre for the ballet. We knew at least this one thing would go as planned today since we actually had pre-purchased tickets. We did find the theatre not far from our restaurant & were 30 minutes prior to showtime. It was put on in the Pushkin theatre. We saw "Sleeping Beauty," & it was as probably not quite as good as the amateur ones I've seen at Friends University--not what I would call a professional calibre, though it was put on by a professional company of Moscow. The first half had many technical foibles for many of the dancers with only 1 dancer showing any talent at all. Madeleine could've done anything from the first half. Our seats were in the same row as each other, but Madeleine & I sat separately from Christy & Megan. At intermission we went up to the small cafe area to get drinks & a small snack, but the bartender wouldn't accept 1000 ruble bill & that's all Christy or I had so we went back to our seats for the second half without any refreshment. The second half showed more technical promise, but ballets do tend to get long-winded due to all the solo work & featured dances of only a few dancers at a time. It had more technical difficulty & was funner for me to watch. I laughed inside because at curtain call time, one of the worst dancers there (who actually had a prominent dance role throughout) received a huge bunch of roses (probably 50 or so) from an admirer & the lead role received barely a handful. We saw Megan's 1st grade teacher on the way out of the ballet.

Next it was time to call Patrick & Ethan (who had spent their time during the ballet at a former classmate's house from their time living in Moscow) to meet up with them. Christy got her metro instructions & transfers all straight--catch the green line, go 2 stops, & meet at the platform of the yellow line--and we were off to find our way back to the car to head home.

June 12

Happy Independece Day, Russia! & Happy Birthday cousin Brianna in Argonia, KS.

This a.m. Patrick made us all our own personal omelets for our morning meal. He's got th s down to a fine art and is perfecting it to an art. Now he has a reputation that he has to keep. We had a small ceremony of the grand unveiling of the computer, but basically I've been reading a bunch this day already. We've been watching the TV a bit trying to find out if anything is happening today in the town center for celebrating independence day. So far, we're seeing nothing, but we may venture into the center later to see if it's bustling.

Since we forgot toilet paper on our outing last night, Christy & I went to the store to get some this a.m. while Patrick is busily re-formatting his new computer. It will take lots of time to get eveyrthing redone for this, but he's been working on it diligently & playing Wii in between while the data installs. The kids have spent some time outside & are now taking turns with Patrick on the Wii.

Christy & I have been reading, reading, reading & then took a Wii break to practice our tennis skills on each other & then turns with Patrick. We beat him a couple games, but never a whole match. Shucks! We gave him a run for his money.

Then it was on to making our big meal of the day, yummy pork chops, sauteed mushrooms, fresh veggies, & potatoes--topped off with of course our daily after-meal chocolate. You really would not believe how much selection of really good chocolate is so readily available. I've been in heaven & still have so many more kinds to sample before leaving. But tomorrow we go to the chocolate factory for the tour. Most excellent! Can't wait for our last adventure of Moscow. The kids have been busily entertaining themselves with outdoor play by themselves, with their new friend Leo, & creating their own music on Garage Band--a Mac music maker.

After supper, which we invited Leo to but he declined, the kids went back out to play with Leo while the adults (mostly Patrick & Christy) tidied up the meal. I slunked back to get more of my book done. I love it! Then my family from Kansas Skyped us & we caught up on their exploits as of late. Patrick & Seth talked Mac talk & the business of getting the internet up & running on his new computer. Nothing has worked here in Russia so far in the Mac area of internet for Patrick. We'll keep trying. A little sleep & a break always brings more results later, eh? While Patrick was trying to do that with Seth, the rest of us took an end-of-the-day walk. We had called friends earlier to find out if anything of a celebration was going on in the town, but they said they'd been to the center & absolutely nothing is going on. We walked a different route than normal & hit a store along the way that has a totally different chocolate stash. Now Christy knows a closer store that has a pretty good selection. I haven't tried any tonight, but from the looks of things, the kids must've found the stash. It's not all gone yet but could be if we're not careful & get our tasting in soon.

Now at the end of my day (& frustratingly no internet for Patrick yet), I'm merely pages away from finishing my book, but with it being so late & with us actually have to follow a bit of a schedule tomorrow (i.e. a wake-up call & no sleeping in), I need to hit the hay. I will see some of you soon with many adventures to tell. 'Til then . . .

June 11

Happy Anniversary, Patrick & Christy! We woke to the sounds & smells of children clanking around in the kitchen--making chocolate chip pancakes for the affair. Well . . . the pancakes stuck furiously to the pan so the pancakes became pancake balls & they had to start over & make a whole new batch of the batter. But by 11:30 they had 1 pancake per person & gave us another Breakfast Band ditty to get us to the table. Christy dubbed this meal Brezzert--breakfast, lunch, & dessert all rolled into one. Then we immediately snuck around & started lunch since we only got 1 pancake each to start our day. While we were starting lunch, the doorbuzzer rang & a new neighbor of theirs was here to meet them--husband, wife, 11-year-old & young toddler girls. They will not officially move in 'til Fall hopefully, but took us on a tour of their apartment right next door & showed us the work they were doing. The husband was doing all the work himself. It's a whole different living arrangement here in Russia--way smaller than any of us spoiled Americans are used to. Their apartment has some really cool features with some cool dropped ceiling designs that also have conceled lighting enclosed in them. You'd have to see it to get it.

A boy the kids befriended a few days earlier on the way to the chocolate store--Leo was outside along with a couple of other girls more Madeleine's age. Earlier the 3 had started a small "free" business outside where they had kids write down their names on a paper while Megan ran the paper up to Madeleine who artsied up their names & that was their little gift to the children of the area. This is how Leo & the girls came up to them. Leo invited them to his house for him to eat lunch. They went & played outside while he ate his lunch, then he came back & waited for them to eat lunch & then they all played together again. He's turning into a fine prospect for a friendship here & because he's such a social kid he will introduce them to many others, I'm sure.

While the kids were playing at Leo's house, we finished up our main meal of Indonesian chicken stir-fry over rice, so we ate a peaceful meal & the kids ate when they returned 30 minutes later. They were full of fun stories--I think any kid who is nice & showing them around is a welcome change from the first experience of friendship here in Elektrostal.

I spent much of this day reading a book from the Neifert bookshelf--The Poisonwood Bible. Very interesting & I really am enjoying it about a Baptist minister's family experience in the Congo in the 60's. It's fiction, of course, & if very colorful character-wise. I will read it a lot so I can finish it before heading home this weekend.

After a full day of no Wii & playing outside all day long, the kids did not enjoy the prospect of going out for errands toward the evening of our day. So we adults ventured out into town to buy groceries, etc. & in the process ate out at a chicken place before heading home. We also brought the coveted McDonald's cherry pies home for the kids to enjoy before bed. The kids stayed home while we went & ate popcorn while watching the first Pirates of the Carribbean movie. We came home, started the process of pulling the new computer out & unloading all the necessary programs & info from their old computer for the changing over tomorrow.

All in all, we had a good day & have plans to stay home much of tomorrow, too. Our stay is quickly coming to a close. I am eternally grateful for this experience of a new world & would love to be able to come back again some day. Time will tell.

June 10

Today was a wonderful outing to the countryside--a first time to a little town called Suzdal for all of us. Wow! is what I can say initially. We almost cancelled this trip thinking it would be a 4-hr. trip one way, but we're so glad we went. We also invited friends of Patrick & Christy who accompanied us in our car--Sergey & Rina--for the day trip. They left their little girl Valya (short for Valentina) home with Babushka (grandma), who lives with them in their apartment. As soon as we packed our sack lunches, stopped at the store for sausage & bread, we picked up Sergey & Rina & snuggled in for a long road trip, so we thought. The kids drew for the first few minutes & then we stuck in the 4th Harry Potter movie while Rina entertatined us with her loud exclamations of how beautiful the drive was. Much of Russia is green (from the cold, wet winters) & the birch trees cover the countryside with their tallness & splendor. Birch forests are everywhere you look in Russia--even in the middle of Moscow. And the little country towns we passed through on the way were full of older, wooden structures & houses, painted with carved out frames around the windows & many colors all over the wooden detail that outlines the rooflines & window areas. Most of the newer structures are cement & stonework. It was a nice ride with a stop to stretch our legs & take a potty break. We saw a couple of fender benders along the way--the law in Russia is to leave the vehicles exactly how & where they "crash." Some of them are more minor accidents, but. . .others are not.










After only 3 hours from the 9:30-ish take-off to official landing, we reached Suzdal--a very historical city full of old church structures & a large monastery complex still operating. We drove through this tourist city to get a feel for the main area & then turned around to find a nice picnic spot off the beaten path. It tried raining on us all day long, but never really let loose. The clouds, however, made for a pretty cool day & I didn't wear enough layers to keep me from shivering part of the day. The clouds also made for some beautiful backgrounds for the many pictures we took of spires & domes that frequent the religious architecture of the country. It really was a very relaxing place to spend a quiet Sunday, especially with friends. We walked around much of the town, which is built up a bit higher than the country surrounding it. We climbed a few hills which afforded spectacular vantage points to capture the city on film. Scattered throughout the town were performing musicians, craftsmen (archers, weavers, accordian players, painters), & horse-drawn carriages taking tours of the town--Christy, Megan, Madeleine, & I took a shortened 5-min. jaunt in one of these carriages. We spent several hours in Suzdal & wish you all could've seen it, too. It was well worth the trip in the car & the drive home took only around 2 hours. We finished the Harry Potter movie on the trip home & started on Herbie Fully Loaded as our travelling movies.

The adult girls all sat in the farthest back seat of the van on the way home & we snoozed part of the way--only to awake to see an accident that involved at least one death. Remember I said they don't move the cars or the people 'til the police have inspected everything & cleaned things up. So you see a bit more of the life & death scene in Russia than I care to see again.

We were home & had our friends dropped off by 7 p.m. & got everything picked up & put away only to bring our meat & bread & vegetables back out for supper. Ethan's trying to construct his own long bow as seen at Suzdal. We've also strarted on a puzzle & are playing Wii in various forms this evening while Christy reads & I try to catch up a bit on the blog.

Greetings to you all as we start winding down our time here in Elektrostal. I know 3 weeks was just right for me to experience many sights & sounds of this area of Russia & for that I will always be glad I took the time to be gone for this long. I'm anxious to see the rest of my family again since I have many pictures & stories to share with them.

We're coming up on a national Russian holiday that we didn't know we'd get to be a part of--June 12 is some sort of a celebration of independence. Even the Russians can't tell you independence from what, but everyone gets off work, there are celebrations in each town & I think fireworks to be had. I'm sure we will get out & about to discover a bit of Elektrostal's celebration in a couple of days, but not 'til after tomorrow's celebration of Patrick & Christy's 14th anniversary--June 11. Wee haw!

June 9

A day in Moscow in order--the day Christy insisted I take to re-visit the market Ismailova because I didn't buy enough the first time & the booths were mostly closed the first day we went. This time it was busy. Patrick & I waited 'til 10 a.m. to leave (after a phone call to the Mac store in Moscow); none of the kids wanted to come so Christy graciously stayed home to hold down the Elektrostal fort--no problems there. We arrived without any major crisis in just over an hour--nice timing. We started combing the stalls & aisles of the open outdoor market to see what we could find for me to take back to America for friends, family, & myself to commemorate this trip. It was fun & we asked prices, haggled, etc. for 4 hours with a short shashleek (grilled meat shish-ke-bob style). I was pleased with my outcome & got away with some Christmas shopping, too. I won't tell what all I bought since many of you will see it when I get home & some of it is surprises. It was a beautiful, sunny day to browse & spend money on Russian hand-crafted items. And Patrick is an excellent person to have when it comes to bartering at the marketplace.

Next we were off to one of the Mac stores to purchase the computer that will be the family's upgrade & option to use for the home-schooling they will do this coming fall. Without knowing the language or very foreign Russian alphabet, I had to make my brain work very hard to keep up with reading the map & the signs to find the way. Patrick would show me the way on the map & the street names to look for & then we'd go that far. Then he'd pull over again & show me the next part of the route & we'd do this over & over again 'til we reached our final destination in one of the downtown malls that has a Mac store. The sale went okay, but there were a couple of glitches in the purchase. However, the sale was finally made & we were able to load the new computer in the back of the huge trunk area of the Nissan Quest--this car needs a name, don't ya think? Maybe a contest is in order.

Now it was time to hop back into the van for the trip home. We left at 6:30 p.m. & didn't return 'til almost 9:30 p.m. because of traffic. It was Friday, so many are leaving the city from work, but also for their weekend dacha life. A dacha is a summer or retreat home that many go to for rest & relaxation away from their weekly life. Remember the trip to Moscow only took just over an hour.

Christy kept all the kids in order & we found out that Ethan & Megan are slowly befriending Alex, the bully again. Hopefully we can change his title from that one soon. He had a friend with a small moped & they took rides with him throughout the day. Madeleine shied away from those boys not being too sure about their character & intention. The computer was brought out for the ooh & ahh factor, but then packed back away for another day to unload & set up. I know . . .that's against many of your natures, but life must be put to bed occassionally at a decent hour & with tomorrow's plans coming quickly & early (for our lifestlye here). . .

June 8

Is it already the 8th? Only about a week left here in Elektrostal with the fam. I must say I feel blessed every day that I'm here. I know the sacrifice that Patrick & Christy have given to have me & Madeleine invade their private domain for 3 whole weeks, but I've had a perfect time & look forward to more adventures before I fly back home to my own life & family.

Today was another day home in Elektrostal, but it was just right. With all our lolling around yesterday, we neglected to get our grocery shopping done that was needed. In fact last night when she should've been counting sheep, Madeleine came in to tell me she'd been thinking about chocolate chip cookies. We were basically out of butter, flour, & sugar so she had to put off her midnight craving 'til the next day, but the wait was well worth it.

After paying the landlady the monthly rent, we ventured out by foot to the hardware store to gather what we may to mend the castle--a new lock for the bathroom & potting soil for the plants. I found some garden clogs there that I had to have & it was off to the grocery store. Of course, along the way we went to the local McDonald's for lunch & sent Patrick with our initial purchases & the car while we walked right next door to the grocery center. Madeleine & I found our laundry soap & yogurt & basically drooled over the immense chocolate section. That's one thing I definitely could become Russian about--their love of good chocolate. We found a few more flavors & brands to sample before leaving & then had the pleasant task of driving to the parking compound--about a 15 minute walk from their apt. In the meantime, the clouds & thunder had rolled slowly in. We were afraid we'd have to run for it, but the clouds only let a light sprinkling down upon us before we made it to home base. Madeleine peered out the landing window outside the elevator hall & told Uncle Patrick that Alex was there--he's the bully boy that some of you may know about. He was Ethan's first friend here & they were great pals & then after he returned from an extended trip, Alex has basically been turning on Ethan ever since & that's where all the hallway grafitti is coming from. To make a long story short, we all snuck quietly in the house while Patrick waited outside the door to have a visit with Alex. He scared him with a good-humored "Boo!" and then proceeded to ask Alex what they'd done to have him start behaving toward their family in this way. He didn't apologize for the writing/drawing he'd been leaving on the walls or any of the other light damage done, but he did say he wouldn't be doing it anymore. They talked a bit more & so now time will tell whether it had an impact upon Alex.

With groceries put away, we whipped Madeleine into shape with her cookie baking--they were yummy with milk, too. This led us to our 5:30 rendezvous with Natasha--the head of the school where Patrick & Christy taught this past year. We were led on a private tour since school is not in session right now. It was a nice thing to see where they work & I sent Madeleine with Ethan & Megan to capture the rooms on camera while Patrick & Christy showed me "their rooms." I really like Natasha, but probably will not see her again before leaving next week.

After arriving back home, the kids played some more surivival games (basic boy scout activities from Ethan's manual), Wii, & then whipped out a light supper of bread, meats, cheese, veggies & mini store-bought pizzas for the kids. It was decided that we'd watch the movie "Bridge to Terabithia," which turned out to be a great flick. Madeleine had already seen it 4 times before & had bet us we'd cry. We all shed a few tears.

Then it was off to the bedtime routine for the kids, which has been ending with Madeleine reading aloud to the kids for several minutes before lights out. They extended that privililege as we adults did adult things in the living room--internet, laughing, planning our next 2 days, etc. I watched an episode of Extreme Home Makeover--courtesy of TV copies from American friends
. . .so now it's lights out for me, too. We have a day of going back to Ismailova--the open market for me to buy more souvenirs. The first trip there a few days ago just wasn't all it was cracked up to be, & Christy is mortified that all I could come up with that I liked from that trip was a couple of Santa matrushka dolls. Sheesh! Off to spend some good money to show for my trip!

June 7

A welcome relief to have nothing planned today--except the weekly 9 a.m. team conference call that Patrick & Christy get from their "superiors" in Oregon. These calls are meant to be an encouragement & a way to stay in communication on a very regular basis. The Northwest Yearly Meeting is trying a new thing for their missionaries--an assigned team coach. Actually, Patrick & Christy's team coach & another couple who will stay on here in Elektrostal as members of their team, will be here the day Mad & I fly back home. They will stay for a week to see each other face & face, offer encouragement, & get some touristy things done.

Patrick was in charge of spaghetti for lunch--which we all needed having such a lazy morning to burn off energy, etc. It did feel good to have a free day to do nothing in again. And. . .I just heard form the big boss that tomorrow promises the same thing. Yay! I love all the sights, but I need the recuperation days in between, too. I am still in my jammies at 9:03 p.m.--don't tell my dad--he never woulda let me get away with that trick. Christy & I have been reading much of the day away--I'm reading "The Children of Hurin" by J.R.R. Tolkein. I'm enjoying it & will probably finish it in a few minutes. I played some Wii with Patrick, not doing so well, but having fun in the process. The kids set up "Megan's Kiosk" to try to sell us stuff all day--to no avail. They just didn't have for sale anything we were dying for. They also played a lot in their room behind closed doors being very creative & not even coming out for Wii 'til late afternoon. They played Scrabble, too. I spent a bit of time organizing & filing all our pictures so far so that they will be labeled & easy to go through once we get home.

That leads me to right now--9:06 p.m. with vigorous plans to continue doing nothing & enjoying it guilt-free. Tomorrow we will walk to the store for a few grocery items & will hope to meet Natasha to see the school that both Patrick & Christy taught English & Bible classes in this past year. I really like Natasha, so I am looking forward to that short outing in the evening. Enough of the preview for tomorrow & on to the rest of my super productive day. I need to finish it with the same amount of enthusiasm as I started it.

June 6

Movin', movin', movin'-----------to Moscow we go again! I'm pretty sure this is not a normal thing to be going to Moscow so much, but it sure is nice for my brother's fam to show me all the sights and experiences we can squeeze in. Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad Neifert! We'll celebrate by going to the circus tonight--on hold from Mad's b-day on Monday.

We hurry-skurried throughout our morning & our first stop was a gas station to up the status of our not-so-useful map we bought from a vendor in the streets of Moscow on our first excursion there many days ago. This new map is super--showing every building & house of Moscow--of course it's a thick book, but if you know the area you're in or going to (& can also read & understand Russian), you can navigate anywhere you want to go. I also used the facilities here since there aren't very many free, public toilets anywhere. We often have to pay 10-15 rubles to use a porta potty that may or may not be clean or even have toilet paper available. Yee Haw! We brought "The Emporer's New Groove" as the kids entertainment for our long trip.

Our main reason for going to Moscow today is the circus, but it's always nice to fit in a couple other sites since it's a trip there & back. So. . .we started at the famous Ismailova open market to hunt for souvenirs. But before our shop-fest, we had the traditional Russian shoshleek (another name for cooked meat that is often shish-ke-bobbed. The men there cooking in the first stall were very jolly & spoke a bit of English--for the tourists. One was a bit too friendly & I warned Patrick he was trying to get me to his lair--up the stairs. Since I've been apprehended more than once by men on this trip, my guard is up a bit & I become highly suspicious of most everyone--not to the point of paranoia, but for safety's sake. Patrick laughed at me when I told him about the guy's lair. He was just pointing for me to go upstairs to the dining area & he'd bring my food when it was cooked. Tee hee! Out of pork, chicken, salmon, & lamb, I opted for the less-common-to-find-in-Kingman, KS lamb. It was out of this world, I must say--even in the happy man's lair!

From here with our full tummies, we were armed with our rubles & big eyes as we passed booths of Russian ware; however, Patrick & Christy said it wasn't as crowded or as full of vendors as on a weekend & thought we should go back when there were more people, even though it's more work to make your way through the throngs. Things are over-priced & meant to be bargained for, but I wasn't so great at it since my mind was working so hard just to convert their stated prices to my dollar mindset. Patrick helped me with the bargaining process & many of them speak enough English to get through to us. After walking through to get a feel of the goods, many were closing down for the day--not enough business for their taste, I guess. Both Patrick & Christy got items for free here without evening buying anything at the booth. I guess they looked cute. I guess I need to perfect my Puss-in-Boots (think Shrek), whoa-is-me look a little more. There are plenty of hand-painted, or intricately-carved pretties, but it took a while for me to find something that was out-of-the ordinary enough for my liking. I finally settled on a couple of santa matrushka sets & some wooden puppet toys for a couple of my friends. I did find out that Christy doesn't like orange on this outing--she kept laughing at me when I was buying my Santas cuz one of them was not a true red color, but "orange" in her warped eyes. I took the jeering from her, but I've been taking every opportunity since then to point out the many things I see that are orange. She's a funny duck. It may be a tinge of orange, but a very bright red-orange at that. Madeleine took a long time & went to several booths with beautiful jewelry to finally decide on a pretty necklace. It's hard to describe, so I won't, but it would use up most of all her personal spending money--that's what made it hard for her. In the end, I helped her some & she still walked away with a beautiful souvenir of her stay in Russia.

In order to meet our circus friends by 5 for supper at Rostiks (KFC, basically), we left the market with very little to show for it at 4 p.m.-ish. We got to the circus with 20 minutes to spare & I laid down in the backseat of the van for a snooze-a-gram while Christy read & the kids stretched their playful limbs in the huge parking plaza area outside the circus dome. By our 5 p.m. meeting time, we found Eric, Gwyn, Hannah, & Daniel Jones lolling at the fountain/pool area & mosied on the jaunt to supper. I haven't been that impressed with Russian fast food so far (McDonald's & Rostiks) & thought the food here was okay, but not spectacular. It did get the job done of nurturing us for the rest of the evening, though. It was fun to talk to the Jones' as they are only a few days away from moving their entire life back to the states after 17? years in Russia. I talked a bit to Hannah about school (she'll be a sophomore in high school & this will be her 1st experience with public school since 2nd grade I think she said). Daniel is more Ethan's age, so they had good, rambunctious boy fun running amuck on the walk back to the circus for the evening's show.

Other than the phenomenal "Cirque du Soleil" performance that Seth gave me this year for my b-day, this was the first circus I've ever been to. The show was amazing & had me smiling, oohing & ahhing all night long. Thanks, Neiferts, for this gift in honor of Mad's 12th b-day celebrated in Russia. My favorite acts were the opening trapeze troupe, the goofball clowns that did silly acts between things, the aierial/gymnast troupe, the trampoline artists from norther Siberia, & the clown who had trained hedgehogs & a skunk in his mini-show. It was a hoot & very energetic in the stadium.

After our 7 p.m. circus show ended a few hours later, Patrick had wanted to take us to see a great panoramic view of the city at night. Since Russia doesn't get dark 'til 10:30--at the earliest in the summertime, we lolligagged our way there, fitting all 12 of us (Roes, Nefierts, & Jones') into the Nissan Quest. The street to cross was treacherous, but by the time we got there, we could watch the sun going down a bit & I took several pics to help me remember the skyline of the city; it never ends. There were plenty of maker-outers there for the view & a band of motorcycles parked at the end, so I took some pictures of the marauders there, too. Then we all braved the street again because right across the way was the magnificence of the University of Moscow--Wow! It was beautiful, even though Eric thinks it's staunch & industrial. I was mezmorized by it's strength & magnificence. And the darkness set in while we were there, so I got a couple pics with the lights twinkling in the windows. We also staged several family vignettes for prayer cards, etc. with the university as the background. Madeleine & I had our picture taken, too, & will send out prayer cards later--not really, but we joined the fun in the picture-taking extravaganza.

With darkness & lateness already set in full motion, we drove the Jones' to their apartment (very empty because they leave for the states on June 10) to say our final farewells & use their "free" toilet facilities before heading home. We hadn't been out this late before in our trips to Moscow to date, so it was interesting to see how many people are still out late at night. And . . . this is the time when all the street cleaning machines & road construction crews are in full force because the traffic is much less at night. But the drivers out are still just as kamikaze as during the day, so Patrick's guard can never be let down.

Whew! Home by midnight & willingly to bed.

June 5

I love the lazy days almost as much as the days where we have major Moscow plans. Today started at 10-ish for me & most of the rest of the household. The a.m. starts on our own with fetching our own breakfast, showering, etc. The kids often use their 1 hour each of Wii time first thing in the day, so by early afternoon, they're all used up & have to get creative in their play the rest of the day.

After our mid-day meal--meatloaf made in muffin cups (the kids loved this touch), mashed potatoes, & veggies, we sat down around the family table & tried to start a schedule of the rest of our stay here so we don't miss anything we really wanted to do. It was fun; we have a list, but haven't nailed down dates or actually prioritized--in case the days get away from us. Then their other team member of the mission here came over for a sit-down meeting to nail down things for the youth team that will come to work & play for a month in July. So I met her & she got a small taste of Wii before she had to leave. The kids played outside after this & Madeleine met a young girl her age named Yanna, who she really liked.

I've been working on cropping & deleting some of our not-so-great pictures of the trip, so that was super productive. Then we decided to give Christy some peaceful time while the rest of us walked to a local chocolate shop about a 20 minute walk from here. I love walking everywhere, though it takes a lot more planning ahead on things. The walk was great & was accompanied there & back by 2 young boys--12 or so--who Ethan met yesterday & have been very friendly. Patrick enjoyed visiting with them the whole way there & it helps him learn Russian better because kids are more patient & can explain things slower & with easier words, so it was nice. They were very willing to try talking with all of us even though the language barrier was obvious. The more outspoken of the 2 just smiles with huge dimples every time we look at him & don't know what he's talking about. They went into the chocolate shop with us & helped us figure out somewhat was inside all the different flavors. We did a sampling pot--as Patrick would call it: choosing 5 or 6 of different kinds to take home & sample. When we find the ones we're really fond of, then we go back at a later time to buy bigger quantities & try others again. We found a creme brulee one that I will definitely get to bring home to the librarian I work with during the year--her favorite desser is creme brulee. And we found the kind that Madeleine wanted to find that Uncle Patrick has brought to the states before. We found a few that are horrendous, but I guess that's how you learn what you like & what you don't like. It was a fun trip for me cuz I'm a super sucker for anything chocolate. The boys on their bikes accompanied us all the way home, too, & had seen the kids flying their kites earlier so asked if they could fly kites again with them. They played together for several more minutes before coming in for the night. Patrick is thrilled with these new boys & hopes they will be a better match for friendship for Ethan than the first friend he met--Alex. I took a few pictures of the boys as they were with us for at least an hour--this will help me to pray for that friendship when I return home. I'm a sucker for the one kids' dimples--his name was Leon & the other was named Simon (actually Sergei, but that is such a common name here so his friends call him Simon while his parents call him Sergei). Friendships make a huge difference in a child's life & helps fill their days with more fun. It will also help them as they learn Russian & can teach their new friends a bit of English, too.

I got Skyped from my homefront in Kingman & we talked for quite some time; it was nice to catch up. Thanks, guys. Welcome home from camp, Connick, today. Hope you had a great time with new friends & old!

Popcorn for our late evening meal--yummmmmmmmmmmmm! That's my kind-a-cookin'.

June 4

Amazing, but true: Madeleine turned 12 today, and even though our original plans had to be postponed, she celebrated in style. Later on postponed plans!

As all our other days, we lazed around all a.m. & didn't get gone to Moscow 'til 11:45-ish. I made veggie pizzas for breakfast for Megan & me; she announced them to her parents as Aunt Pam's invention. Poor Madeleine had to wait 'til Christy--the last one up & at 'em--was ready to open her presents. She got a cool glass prizm with lazer etched St. Basil's inside from Megan & Ethan & a few extra cool presents from me that I was able to sneak into our suitcase before leaving the state of KS. She also was told by Uncle Patrick that their gift was the circus that we would go to tonight.

After that formality was out of the way, we left in our trusty Nissan Quest, armed with a map (that's proving to not be helpful at all) & a DVD, to brave the metropolis of Moscow. We figured out that the DVD system was a bonus, but that it's not wired well & is more of a pain than we'd like to admit. I must say that I'm sure the circle system of streets is something the Russians are used to but the jungle that Moscow appears to me is not so easy for me to figure out. I'm just along for the ride. However, it took us close to 2 hours to get to the first place we needed to get to because we couldn't find anyplace to make a left turn. We saw the street we needed, but miles later was the first time we could get pointed back in the right direction. Needless to say, we helped chart new territory for everyone--even the driver. A lot of the Moscow ride was stop-n-go & basically it's a dog eat dog, drive-at-your-own-risk driving adventure. I think I told you earlier that the Russians use their blinkers. I take that back--at least in the bustle of the city. And. . .they are so crazy, making u-turns helter skelter, pushing their noses where they want to go whether there's room or not, squeezing in as close as they can get to the next vehicle, etc. And even in the middle of the city, it's about 10 lanes wide. Wee haw!

Finally we arrived near to where Patrick needed to still pick up my visa registration--I've been so illegal for several days now. He metro'd to do that while the rest of us ventured into Gorky Park--an amusement/carnival park that we learned is not worth going to again. It's a small price to enter, but all the rides are outrageously priced & don't work quite like the American rides. We browsed the whole park first to see what there was & then opted for bumper cars to start our fun. Little did I know that bumper cars aren't to be bumped; Madeleine & I got kicked out. Oops! They look like bumper cars, but it's just a little ride for people to drive all over in & not touch any other cars. It was fun while it lasted! Then we moved on to bigger rides & finally opted for a tiny roller coaster called the Twister Coaster. Madeleine's a bit intimidated by roller coasters & this one was the biggest one she's been on. It was a funner ride than it looked like & I got some good shots of the park from above & also of the kids' in-action faces as they experienced the coaster. I was the designated adult that had to ride with them--the sacrifices we make in the name of fun.

We then headed out & grabbed ice-cream to get us through 'til supper that night, which was to be Rostiks (the KFC chain here) pre-circus. We traipsed across town & found the circus no problemo, arriving 30 minutes prior to when we were to meet friends who would join our forces for the evening. Patrick & Christy entered the ticket place & found out that there was no show tonight. Argh & Oops! The kids enjoyed rock climing on the wall while all this was happening but were a bit disappointed to find out we'd have to postpone our Happy Birthday plans 'til Wednesday. I guess we'll use it to celebrate Mom & Dad Neifert's anniversary instead of Mad's birthday. We caught the friends before they left to meet us & made alternate plans to meet at the same time & place on Wednesday instead. These friends are moving back to the states (missionaries with Wycliffe) on June 10 & had wanted to hit the circus one last time before moving away from their beloved Moscow. This really bummed Ethan out (cuz the young boy of the fam is a good friend & will be gone soon). We drove to their apartment anyway to pick up a few things that they were "selling" to Patrick & fam, so that helped ease Ethan's frustration in having to put off seeing his friend Daniel 'til Wednesday. During all of this, Grandma Carla called to wish Madeleine a Happy Birthday.

Plan B became going to a different IKEA/Mega Mall since the last one we tried was practically closed when we got there a few days earlier. This mall was complete with an ice-skating rink, but that part was closed for the night when we mosied on over. Here we ate salmon & meatballs at the IKEA cafeteria--Christy had been bragging on the food here & it was delicioso--all it was cracked up to be. Then we took the entire IKEA tour, taking billions of pictures of everyone jumping on beds, chairs, etc. in the showroom. Madeleine & I loved this store--I think the closest one in our area is Dallas, TX. We bought Mad a souvenir, prince charming frog air chair, that she just adores & will pack easily going home. We are still searching out the cool hair bands (Loretta, the kind they bought for Megan in your neck of the woods) so I can buy some for my little Sydney before coming home. It was decided that we'll bring one of Megan's home & buy some material for Grandma Carla to make a few & then Christy will pick Megan's up when she comes to their house in a month or so. Okay, Mom? We're infringing upon your creative genius to re-create these hairbands that are oh-so-neato (they'll be easy to make, I promise; I could even figure it out)! Even though they didn't have any of our hair bands, they did have a Baskin-Robbins, something that I had told Patrick I had to do while in Moscow since I don't have it anywhere near me in Kingman, KS. It was my favorite ice-cream growing up. And they had one of my prized flavors--red raspberry sorbet. It was an outrageous price but definitely worth all my rubles. We went to McDonald's for another of Madeleine's favorite cherry pies & then headed home for a shorter trip than we had on the way to Moscow earlier. Once again there was pictoral grafiti in our hallway to greet us. So annoying, but it washes off easily. Back to earlier in the day, the lady who repaints the walls, rang our flat to ask if Alex lived there (since the griffiti artist signs his name). Alex is Ethan's first friend who began turning on him earlier this year. We were thrilled that at least one apartment official is trying to get to the bottom of this, but were disappointed to find more when we arrived home after a super full Moscow day.

We got a Happy Birthday Skype call from the Argonia, KS Neiferts before heading to bed at midnight. Thanks, Krista, Shannon, & friend Allison.

Later, comrades.

June 3

Another day--Sunday. We got to lazily sleep in again. Sundays here involve the home Bible study that Patrick & Christy host each week. We stayed in our jammies much of the day while I made zuchinni & banana bread for the Bible study--to be served with tea. Patrick & Christy have to register their car with a current Elektrostal resident, so the person they used was dying to see "his" new car. They met at McDonald's & drove them around town--learning along the way where a nice bakery was. Here they bought us each a pastry to enjoy when they returned home. Christy has learned my love of mushrooms, so she got me a potato/mushroom pastry, herself a ham/cheese pastry, & the rest of the fam cherry & strawberry pastries. The pastry part was good, but the filling of the savory ones wasn't all that great. Christy has another bakery she likes better, but it's always good to try the different options of your home town.

I learned how to do my first load of European laundry & hopefully we found a detergent that Mad won't be allergic to. We'll see when she wears the clean clothes for the first time. Speaking of. . .I need to go hang all our laundry out to start the drying process.

Patrick just took off to pick up the one person who attends their Bible study. Up to now, Natasha has used public trans to get here. And what should be about a 20 minute car trip turns into a 2-hour trip full of transfers, stops, etc. This new car shuttle service will be a nice ministry to offer her on a regular basis.

The kids have already used up their daily Wii allotment, so are now doing things like wrestling & acting like wild banshees--I'm sure in preparation for calming down for Bible study. Later we will do the cake celebration part of Mad's b-day a day early since on her actual day tomorrow we will be going into Moscow to eat supper & go to the circus in honor of her special day. The phone number I've given any of you to contact is a cell phone so you should be able to talk to Mad on her day if you choose to cuz we'll have the cell phone. We'll probably make a whole day of it since going to Moscow can always include plenty of new touristy sights that Patrick & Christy want us to fit in on our extended visit with them. I can't believe we're already 1/3 of the way done.

Bible Study was on a few verses from James & it's so nice for church to be informal & more relational than the "traditional" service. I enjoyed it & even the kids get to be included in this (though they think their dad is too long-winded!). Madeleine stayed in for the prayer time while the others left to play in their room. We took Natasha home in the car afterwards & drove a few blocks to a local lake where many people spend their Sunday afternoons. It was too cold for me to get into the water, but many were wearing barely anything & were in the lake water. It was too dirty for me, too--many broken bottles, trash, fishing gear, etc. all over, so you have to be pretty brave to get wet. The kids really wanted us to rent a boat to row, but there were none available. They had fun, once again, using their imaginations & creating their own world with all the running they could do here. They even named the big hill: Megethan.

We stopped for eggs & fresh veggies on the way home so Patrick could make us custom omelettes made to order. Yum! We ate those while our chocolate lava b-day cake baked. Because I forgot to push start on the timer, we overcooked the cakes to the point that the lava didn't flow. Shucks! They weren'b burnt by any means, but if you overbake lava cake, it doesn't ooze as we call it. We lit candles & sang the appropriate song & Madeleine was thrilled. Then we kicked the kids outside--the went willingly, actually, & started the movie "Bourne Supremacy," which much of it takes place in Moscow--some of the places I've seen since getting here. The kids had the walkie talkies to let us know of anything happening, but the biggest news was that Ethan may have made a couple new friends & Madeleine says they seemed nice so that's a plus. We'll see if they show up again on another day when they're outside. When they went outside, Patrick told them to come back in at 10; that's still so funny for me to hear since the darkness comes so much later here. They tried to beg their way into staying out longer, but we've all seen what people do here even in broad daylight, so we insisted on 10 with darkness setting in soon after.

Madeleine's been reading a book out loud to everyone each night at bedtime, so they came in for that ritual & we turned lights out 30 minutes later. The girls fell asleep quickly but Ethan has been having major allergy issues & was up sneezing & emptying his head cavity of crud, so I don't know how long he was up with his parents taking care of that cuz once my lights went out, I was gone quickly, too.

'Til tomorrow.

June 2

Today was another adventure into Moscow--we haven't rushed into our days there yet. Once again is was 11-ish before we even left the house. (It might have been even later, but summers are meant for lazy days, huh?) There was excitement as we left the apartment knowing that today was the day for my brother's family to pick up their first car in their 3 years in Russia. They will still use public transportation, taxis, buses, etc. because that's how the city works, but now their trips to Moscow will be more productive & less "threatening," hopefully. We took a taxi to the train station & it was not too busy there--more people were coming back from Moscow than were going to. Mad taught Megan & super-graceful Ethan to do a ballet jump. I'm not sure they have it mastered yet. We hopped on & got a better picture of a real train ride to Moscow. The other night when we took our first train ride there were no vendors on board--probably cuz it was too late in the day. But today we got musicians, toy vendors, misc. vendors with a pack full of goods you could buy, etc. selling their wares through the train aisles. We bought some fun balloons & a couple of Chinese fans. Along with the fun of watching the sales people, we also were bothered by a man sitting across the aisle from Patrick. We're glad he was the one on the outside, but. . .this man was in-your-face trying to ask Patrick why he didn't give money to one of the musicians. There was quite a heated dialogue between the 2 & he even tried to bother Megan a bit, but she's learned the rules of the train & did very well ignoring his banter enough that he finally left us alone. However, a lady sitting across from him started chewing on him to leave us alone & we were a bit afraid that he would try to hurt her. We hope this was not the case but they both got off at the same train stop. The reality of Russia is that corruption is the norm, so hollering for help & expecting anyone--even the authorities--to do anything is not necessarily the way things work. After he left, we could breathe easily the rest of the ride into Moscow. A couple of stops on the metro got us to . . .

Our first stop was to get our ballet tickets picked up form the ticket booth. Patrick did this on his own while we played at a nearby playground, capturing quite a funny "show" of Megan finding Ethan in a smart game of hide-n-seek. It's a bit hard to describe it, but we got it on video & had quite the laugh about it. Then on to see the breathtaking splendor of Christ the Savior Cathedral. We got pictures of the outside & everything leading up to it, but picture-taking is forbidden inside the building--right, MOM? (shhhhh! She got kicked out of this cathedral when she visited it the first time cuz she tried to snap some photos not knowing it was forbidden) This was a reverant but awesome experience for Madeleine & I to see since we don't have churches like that in Kingman, KS--or anywhere close to us. It's a relatively new structure--within the past 3 years, I think.

Then it was on to the walking bridge where we got another spectacular view of the Kremlin area & took some more pictures. We caught a couple of bridal parties getting pictures taken in the historical section of this architecturally beautiful city. We took pictures, too. I guess weddings are quite the spectacle here. This brought us to paying to use the toilet--not the first time we've had to do this on our excursions. There just aren't very many public, free restrooms; most of them you have to pay 50 cents-ish to use them. Ice-cream was the next stop. Today it was jacket/sweater weather so the ice-cream didn't melt all over our arms & elbows. There are vendors selling everything everywhere so it's not hard to take care of yourself throughout an entire day outing.

Our next stop was to ride the metro across town to get to the car dealership. Wow! This was a 5-story glass complex housing thousands of used vehicles. We took lots of pics of their new car, but as sales works, the DVD was not working through the car's sound system so after a 2 1/2 hours wait to get it serviced, etc., we were finally on our way with Patrick taking his first real-live drive into the streets & highways of Moscow. Drivers here are a little more kamikaze & fast in their skills; but the up-side is that most of them use their blinkers, unlike Americans. Christy, the kids, & I spent most of the waiting time exploring the adjoining 7-story new car complex seeing what's new. The building had quite the wow factor. Woo hoo! On each floor there was a little cafe so we got drinks during our wait.

Good news is that the car's wiring finally got taken care of & then there was about 45 minutes worth of paperwork for Patrick to take care of. Megan entertained us with her spastic mood & became the monster teacher from down under. She was a tough one & couldn't pull herself out of this crazy mood.

By the time we left the car dealership (the service station had already locked its doors on us & turned off all our doors), it was after 9. We got our first tank of gas--Patrick knows how that system works now. Our original plan was to get the car & go to the Mega Mall that houses one of their favorite stores--IKEA--to eat salmon for supper in the IKEA cafeteria. By the time we got there, the mall was still open, but the cafe was closed. Food court to the rescue: we ate McDonald's & KFC--Rostiks as it's called here. I guess that means we'll have to come back to Mega Mall again so they can really show me the IKEA.

Our trip home was uneventful & took way less time than renting a taxi or riding the train or bus home. It probably cuts the trip in half, easily--so only 45 minutes as opposed to the hour & some odd minutes is usually takes. We were home by 11 p.m. & hit the hay very quickly, resting for another day in our Russian adventure.

June 1

Today, I stayed in bed 'til almost 10 a.m.! tsk tsk! It was lovely since it had rained in the night & cooled things off to a more normal Russian summer temp. Today it's almost frigid inside, but a welcome relief to 90's outside. I shower with real hot water today only to come out to a boxing match between Patrick & Madeleine. Ethan & Megan act as the judges of their match & in the end the champion is unanimously agreed upon as Madeleine. You've got to see this to believe it. They box with pillows tied with rope to their hands. It was pretty heated.

I get to veg & read my Blue Like Jazz most of the a.m.--nice, Seth! He makes me laugh with his real language--Donald Miller, that is. The kiddos make breakfast french toast--again, complete with an intro by their creative genius called the Breakfast Band. Then they play Wii--new rules established by the parental figures of how much time can be daily spent playing this amazing toy. Then I finally figure out some of this blogging mystery so we can add pictures of our happenings. We have many more pics, but just chose a few great shots to share daily with you.

Around 3:30-ish, lunch is served--a Russian style ravioli (basically a nice sausage meatball wrapped in the pasta shell--Pelmeny (pel-main-y). Then Christy, who I think is the ultimate in tour guides, gives me plan A, B, or C to choose from & I choose plan B: taking a marshrutka (a rented van thing) into a nearby historical town (Noginsk--Naw-geensk) to walk & look at sights & buy ice-cream at the cool McDonald's there. We got off & took a few pictures of the plaza area while Christy & Madeleine & Megan went to a small pet shop to look--mostly guinea pigs, mice, & rats. Then on farther into the plaza where they were painting the fountain pools so we'll have to come back in a week or so to see the water in action. Instead of fountain gazing we help a rousing game of tag--even a small little girl joined in our fun, but she wasn't ready to quit when we were. We did hit McD's before leaving & Madeleine had her first cherry pie there--she lives a very sheltered, protected life with me as a mother. She loved it while the rest of us ate sundaes & Mcflurry's. It's pretty cold today so we have jeans & jackets & are still shivering a bit being outside, but it's good sleeping weather when that time comes along.

We're back home, but we took the bus to & the marshrutka home with a "hit" man to sit next to. I'll call him a hit man just because he kept hitting on me & shooed Christy off when she tried to explain things. So much for not knowing the language & acting "dumb!" It's 7:30-ish p.m. & we're just hangin' & will probably do everyone for themselves for supper. We need to plan our day tomorrow since we need to go into Moscow to pick up the new Quest; we also need to pick up our ballet tickets & Mad's & my visa registrations. We will try to do a couple of fun, touristy things, too, since we'll already be in the city.

Our day ended with late supper at 9-ish (it's actually on time, just late for our traditional American day of meals). But before we fended for ourselves I caught Christy gawking out her bedroom window. She explained that the kid she was watching had just got beaten up 2 times & was staggering to stand. He was probably drunk cuz she had been watching him quietly for quite some time & he never could quite hold himself up even before his beatings. The rest of the evening had the kids running back & forth from the windows to watch the real-live drama unfold. Patrick informed me this was the fun they often witness in their city. Christy told me that the scary thing is that if she reported an event like this to the police, they would be pulled into a large mess of bureacracy that would be easier just to avoid. The kid was around 14-ish & his "friends" who beat him up came back later to spend time with him & finish out the night with him. He still wasn't standing great the last time I checked in on him--it's going to be a long night for him in the city. Many things that we hold so dear & as security in America are unfortunately corrupt in much of Russia--not just in Elektrostal where my brother's family lives. I feel safe while I'm here, but I rely totally upon my brother to let me know if there's something I should/shouldn't be doing & I dont' venture out all on my own to explore. Sad that the world is the way it is, but . . .

Off to bed at 11:28 p.m.--it's only been dark for less than an hour.

May 30 & 31

Today is our first outing into Moscow--the excitement is mounting! Thinking we might be out of the house by 10, we didn't actually leave 'til 11:30--it takes a lot of primping to even come close to looking as polished as the Russian people do on a daily basis--and Mad & I did actually forget our stiletto heels/wedges that seem to be the rage for women from about 10-55 years old. After our bus trip to the metro station, we took the metro to another stop to catch authentic Russian food at My My (pronounced Moo Moo's--yes, Mom we got to eat here). It had cow decor all over with spots on the chairs, the dishes, etc. Madeleine was thrilled they had chicken noodle soup & mashed potatoes--that's really all she got. Moo Moo's is a cafeteria-style restaurant with excellent food & we ate down in the dark basement simply because it was cooler. It has been uncharacteristically hot while here--we were warned it would be 80's (nice & balmy I was thinking & packed appropriate clothes for that), but it's only been in the 90's since getting here & most of Russia does without air conditioning. Not to complain. My menu choices included a mushroom wrapped tomato & fresh herb bite, pork fritatta-type thing with rice & a mushroom/cheese bake which was both sweet & rich tasting.

On to ice-cream for the kids which gave them a tremendous amount of energy. We also browsed a bit in the small open market souvenir shops before heading on to better things. Here we bought a couple of neat items for the fam & sent Patrick on to buy our tickets to the river cruise tour of Moscow. While waiting on Patrick--who braved the traffic element for the tickets--we splashed & played in the plaza fountains. We all got wet to the core, which kept us cool at least through the river tour. We got to the tour a bit early & Madeleine taught Megan & Uncle Patrick the entres chacat ballet move, but it was harder than Patrick imagined, especially with his heavy clod sandals. It should be hard, Mad just learned it this year & she's good.

The tour doesn't have any guides--just Patrick & Christy pointing out the sights & letting us know all the fun things we could do on our 3 weeks here. It was refreshing to have the breeze to keep us cooler & we sat on the top under the open awning section of the boat. This was relaxing & took over an hour. At the end, right before our stopping point, there was the hugest billboard/advertising space I've ever seen for PS3--we have a picture, but the magnitude of it can't be captured; sorry, Davis & Connick--you should've been there.











From the tour, we walked a good jaunt to Red Square to look around at touristy sales booths--again--& then to just see many of the typical Moscow tourist attractions--St. Basil's, the Kremlin, the museum of history, countless statues depicting many Russian heroes, the huge gold-domed Christ the Savior Cathedral, countless fine arts theatres (Bolshoi ballet), etc. Madeleine was jumping all over the place with every new thing she saw. It was fun to see how much it was worth bringing her & that she appreciates the beauty of this historic city. But her most excitement came when we walked by & into the biggest, most opulent shopping mall of Russia--Gum (pronounced Goom)--not air conditioned in the halls but some of the stores were. We walked around a bit & saw a tremendous Mac display (pictures captured for our dear Seth) with plenty of technology through the years--almost a museum of Mac through the ages. Patrick & Christy wanted to go look at the Mac store so the rest of us ventured through the malls to see what could be seen. There was even a dance outfitting supply store, but we found nothing there to buy Madeleine. She was beaming the whole way through the mall; we met back at the entrance (3 stories back downstairs) & then went to explore more of the plaza area before hitting a McDonald's & Sbarro's for a quick bite to eat before heading back to the metro to catch our train. We all got super wet (except Christy--she kept all our bags & cameras dry) walking underneath sprays of water that go over a pathway. Even though all of this sounds like it took little time at all, by the time we left Elektrostal at 11:30 a.m. (remembering that we had a one-way trip of 1 1/2 hours to Moscow & then that again for the ride home), we didn't walk through our home doorway 'til well after 11 p.m. But also remember that dusk doesn't even set in 'til after 10 p.m. each night with complete darkness by 10:45-ish. We arrived home to personal graffiti decorating the hallway outside the door & the doorbell button detached form the wall to Patrick & Christy's apartment. They know the kids who do this--used to be close friend of Ethans, but don't really know why this 13-year old boy started being mean & defacing their property. I couldn't read the messages, but saw the picture & knew it was directed toward us. Christy spent 10 minutes washing the art/writing off the walls.

Needless to say we had a full day.

May 31

Today we slept 'til 9 a.m. again while Patrick & Christy accepted a Skype conference call from their home team who will be visiting them the day I leave to go home. It was a good call & they also learned this a.m. that the first half of their money needed to buy their car was successfully wired from the U.S. bank. So. . .we're thinking that by tomorrow they should have the full money & we or just Patrick will go pick up & drive home their new Nissan Quest. Nice for them after such a lenghty process of getting approval, etc. from the home mission organization. It will simplify their life much but will not take the place of all the walking they already do to get their daily life accomplished. Breakfast is usually on our own with the kids eating theirs earlier than us lazy adults. We knew today would be a free, catch up on relaxing & odds & ends phone calls, etc., so we did just that. I started my blog--with a little help from my techy bros, but with a few glitches hopefully to be corrected soon so you will get pictures to go with my daily entries. Christy spent some time on the internet to find a day, place, & time for us to go to a ballet. We were successful & will go to "Sleeping Beauty" on June 13--just the girls.

Then we got in a cleaning mode, mostly because there was grape juice that had been spilled the night before, so Patrick swept, I mopped, & Megan & Mad super-cleaned & vacuumed the kids' room. The kids being home all day & not going outside much were hyper nut beans but in a good way. They wrestled, chased, screamed, etc. & I believe it became girls against boys. Ethan's job was to vacuum the living room, but his lovely cousin Madeleine took that job over for him so he was out of luck.

The late afternoon missed us a couple of calls from home, but the 4 of us oldest people (Mad included) left for errand-ing: grocery store, internet flex card & then home to have orange-pineapple julius'--Christy's an excellent cooker/hostess--and on to make fajitas for supper--even homemade tortillas & guacamole. It was heavenly! More chocolate! I love this place--again! With darkness settling in around 10:30, supper often comes late. Generally we have 1 big meal a day & leftovers or snacking the rest of the time. I tried a yogurt snack bar: kind of a cheesecakey innard with yogurt-coated outside--yum!

The great Mikey called this evening to try to help us with my blogging issues--picture loading. And then we called home to see the Kansas fam--this free calling is super cool. Skype, to the rescue! They're paying me to say that. Off to bed by 10:30--early by our usual standards so far. I thought I lost all my blog, but Mike found it this a.m. & said everything had posted, so thank goodness there cuz my first attempt at recording my thoughts/memories is always best.