I'm going to apologize now...

...because I'm fairly certain that my blogging is going to leave much to be desired over the next few months! So, please accept my early apology! Between these visa trips every three months, Sarah being here, the holidays, ministry and being a mom- I am dying for a few days with NOTHING to do...and things are only getting busier as we count down our last few months here in Russia before we head back to the States for a year of home assignment. So- please keep checking back for more posts- I'll try my best to write something when I can.

So- what's been going on here in Ekat? Lots of exciting stuff over the last 6 weeks! Of course we celebrated Christmas (and Russian Christmas on Jan. 7), New Years (and Old New Years on Jan. 14), English Camp, baptized 2 believers, hosted lots and lots of people in our home, had the pleasure of having my sister with us for 5 weeks to complete her internship, then there's always church, English Cafes, Ladies Club meetings, took the kids to the circus (with live polar bears!), went to see the Nutcracker with Sarah, then of course things you all know...the Steelers are going to the Superbowl (yeah!) and Obama was inaugurated as our 44 President (which we celebrated at a party at the US Consulate with other Americans in the city!) and lots and lots of other things that I'm sure I've forgotten!

On the home front- Gavin and Carter are both grown like weeds! I can't take my eyes off of Carter for a moment- you just never know where you'll find him next! He is so sneaky and fast- he just pushes a chair or toy tub up next to whatever he wants to climb and up he goes! We've found him on top of the table and climbing onto the kitchen counter, he's even managed to escape his belt and climb out of his highchair and today... he took off into the bathroom and even with JB in speedy pursuit of him he ended up sitting inside the toilet! He is a fast one. And Gavin wonders why we always insist on leaving the bathroom door shut!!!! Of course JB called for me and the camera as soon as he saw Carter seated in the toilet bowl- so after a quick photo we pulled him out (disinfected him! lol) and dried him off! I'm so glad the Lord protects our children, because two eyes are just not enough to keep an eye on Carter!





And as for Gavin- he's full of funny sayings- the latest being, " Mommy, put your head on backwards." This is what he says when he wants me to turn around and look at him- Apparently a head is like a shirt- you just put it on backwards when you want!!!