Where'd the weekend go?!

This was one of those weekends where I look back and think where did my time go?  But in all actuality, I did a lot of productive things.

Like three loads of laundry in my WORKING washing machine.

Let me reiterate that.  My washing machine is in WORKING order and makes the entire clothes washing process SO much easier.  I don't mind washing clothes by hand...it's the wringing out by hand that is utterly exhausting and makes my hands cramp for the rest of the night.  My washing machine is a little bit jerry-rigged (okay, a lot jerry-rigged), but it works, and I am beyond ecstatic :)

My counterpart's husband came over on Saturday to help get the whole draining water system underway. Remember the process I was using before?  Well, now, the pipe that takes the dirty water away is actually hooked up to a real pipe meaning I don't have to dump the dirty water in the toilet 30 times.  I fill the machine up with water now from the tub using the shower connection, put in soap, run the cycle for 6 or 7 minutes, dump the dirty water, and fill again to get the "rinse" cycle going.  Some loads took 3 or 4 rinse cycles to get it to where no soap was left...but some of those clothes were also really dirty.  The clean clothes and towels are now happily drying on my drying rack and will be done by tomorrow :)  this girl couldn't be happier!

My counterpart's husband also moved the stove into the correct place in the kitchen, so now I have an "almost done" kitchen!

The stove was sitting right where I took the picture from, which is incredibly inconvenient.  The stove and the table to the left of it had to switch places in order for the stove to be hooked up to the gas.  The lid opens to the stove and has 3 working burners...I've already made quite a few things on it!  The oven doesn't work, but I am just as happy with my little toaster oven.  The concoction on top of the stove right now was ingredients for gingerbread house icing :)  I am having a few Ukrainian friends come over on Tuesday night for a gingerbread house decorating contest...and wanted to make sure the icing worked before the competition!  I'm also making chili and cornbread for them because Olena (my counterpart) saw my pictures from Phil's birthday of the chili and wanted to try it.  If only I had Fritos...I could teach them the goodness of Frito Chili Pie!

I received my parents Christmas card in the mail with two particularly funny Zits cartoons in it.  They're now on the wall of Zits cartoons, which the Frost Family believes is actually written about our family sometimes.

Did I mention that I've been an official Peace Corps Volunteer for SIX months!?  As crazy as it seems, it's true.  Kirovograd got two new volunteers that I got to meet and show around K-grad today.  I think our oblast got seven more volunteers with this group of newbies. 

And, no, I did not forget today's Christmas vid :)  One day, my house will have this many lights.  I don't know about the coordination with music...we'll have to see when the time comes.  

That video almost has 10 million views on YouTube.  I can remember when it was one of the first houses to coordinate dancing lights to music and caused traffic jams on their street for HOURS.  Somebody was a smarty pants to invent a system that does the timing for you...Happy Sunday :)