Surprise! Look who came to visit...

That's right, folks!  Mom and Pops graced Ukraine with their wonderful presence.  It was fabulous. Simply fab.

Their trip started off in Germany visiting some friends from our Alabama days.  Those friends now live in the picturesque, mountain town of Garmisch, Germany.

one of the views from their house...not too shabby, eh?

Soooo pretty.

After a few days in Germany, they came  to Ukraine and we were reunited for the first time in just over a year :) I ended up surprising them at the airport, which was a welcomed surprise because they didn't have any grieven {Ukrainian currency} yet and would need some to pay for a taxi.  I am still recovering from pneumonia and maybe mono as well {a whole 'nother story in and of itself}, so most of their trip, I sat around a lot of the time and let them do the exploring.  My energy levels are nowhere near where they used to be, but I'll talk about illnesses in a different post.  I'll let the pictures do the talking today.

One of the entire reasons for them coming--Ukrainian pysanka eggs {click here if you don't know what they are}.  Mom was in heaven when she saw this giant one in K-grad.

Visit to the host fam's home in Oster. 

Mom, Pops, Andrei, Gala, and Christy

Pops was most shocked at the amount of dishes I wash by hand on a daily basis. 

Mom got to go in the root cellar at the host fam's house.  I was never allowed to go down there because it was too cold...guess that rule doesn't apply to moms? :)

Pops was most excited to go to the post office in Oster and mail post cards.  I was less than thrilled on that dreary, cold day.

We didn't take much luggage to Oster.  Important things that were left behind when we needed them: gloves.  Mom and I shared a pair of mittens while walking around Oster on the coldest day of the trip.

One-mittened Lydia, outside of the gymnasia school where I taught during training.

dinner in K-grad with some of my fellow k-gradders.  

Angie, her mom Dorothy {who also happened to be in town for Easter!}, Mom, Lydia, Vicki, Dan, Pops, and Phil

this picture deserves a post in and of itself.  Photo credit goes to mom. See if you can find something that doesn't belong...

doing pysanky eggs at my office

obligatory pic with the map in my office, and counterpart, Olena

the kittens were born while my parents were here too.  

SO SO SO cute.

Easter meal at Olena's

"The Frost's Take Ukraine"--could be a book.

Pops needed a pic of me with my OU wall art.  

This is what I did most of the trip.  Rest.  

on their last night of the trip, Mom trimmed my hair...this was the first time I've had it cut {other than me chopping off my bangs} in over a year.  

good job, Mom!

Obviously, there's lots more to elaborate on, but this gives you a good overview of their stay :)  they arrived back in Oklahoma last night safe and sound.  Gotta get to work now...toodles!

One last thing...we got to watch some of the kids from my work practice in their dance class.  They are amazing.

Better late than never :)

I am home safe and sound after a long hiatus of marshrutka rides, metro rides, bus rides, long and incredibly cold walks in the snow/ice, a visit to my wonderful host family, and most importantly, Russian language refresher!  I arrived home last night and made myself my first bowl of easy mac :)

 

It was phenomenal (thanks Hayley and 'rents!).  It tasted just like home.  

I went to work today and got our summer plans started for numerous summer camps and Europe trips and English clubs. However, today, the subject of the post is on a small victory I obtained:

I finally have a new PO box lock!!!!!!!!!!!!

It has only taken a month for them to find and install a new lock.  The good news?  The key works and I didn't have to pay for it! The bad news?  They only gave me one copy.  I'll be going to get a copy made very soon :)

Waiting for me in my PO box was a package slip (for a package from my bro and sis-in-law!), a letter from my Pops (complete with Zits cartoons and a $5 bill that I plan on showing students tomorrow), and a large squishy envelope from an address I didn't know.  I would normally not be able to contain myself from ripping into all of the packages, but since I had two other things to open, I managed to save my brother and sis' Christmas/birthday package to be opened on a skype date late tonight or tomorrow.

Upon getting home with my loot, I remembered that sweet Lyndsay had told me to be on the lookout for something in the mail.  The mail is still WAY backed up over here and I wondered how long it would take for it to get here.  This is Miss Lyndsay Jain, who in my phone is also known as Tarzan from a summer camp we did together in Toronto :)  Get it?  "Me Tarzan, you Jane."    

 Lynds and I on Senior Recognition Sunday (2010)

Also taking part in the package sending was Lyndsay's sweet boyfriend Matt Schlegel (or Schlegel as I have always called him!).  I have known Schlegel for a long, long time...like maybe since 2005?  I was trying to think back and remember the first time we met and I honestly couldn't remember.  Pretty sure the first trip we traveled on together was Choir Tour 2006 to Washington D.C.

3-d movie...Matt's in the blue striped shirt.

Ever since that trip, I have been all over the United States and Mexico and Canada with him...and Lyndsay accompanied us on a lot of those trips the past few years!

"The date train's a comin', the date train's a comin'..."--Juners 2008

caught in a bit of downpour in Glacier National Park (in Canada!)

at the double Quincieniera in Mexico (with Chris!)

surprise going away party, when I was about to leave for Ukraine...

Anywho, you see how much these two mean to me.  I could continue on, but let's just say that they are two of the sweetest and most genuine people I know.  They both have a love for life that is simply contagious and makes you always want to look on the positive side of things.  So, as I opened up my package, this is what I found...

I instantly recognized their own separate handwritings and was so excited to read their sweet HANDWRITTEN notes inside :)  And boy do they know me well...pics from home and Reese's Pieces?  

Inside the large red envelope (which was the last thing I opened) was one of the sweetest surprises ever:   

a Christmas card signed from a lot of my kiddos and friends at church :)

it made me laugh out loud and smile from ear-to-ear as I read each and every note on it.

Thank you LJ and Schlegel for going to all of the trouble of getting everyone to sign it.  And thank you to everyone who signed the card!  It absolutely made my day!  And let's just say that the Reese's were an added bonus :)

Goodbye house...

Since I have now been home a week and have little to do (due to the fact that I couldn't stay at Camp Brigantina), I have been trying to keep myself busy. I'm a little over 200 pages into Harry Potter 7 and I find myself not wanting to finish it because I really don't know what happens at the end of it. Then, I will finally be able to watch the last movie. But I am reading this book incredibly slow in comparison to the other ones (which took 1-3 days each), trying to soak it all in.

In other news, the house that I lived in ALL through college and after (until I moved to Ukraine) sold :( During the spring and summer of 2006, my parents and I looked at countless townhouses, condos, houses, and duplexes. The idea was that they would buy a house and I would live in it and have roommates in it during college, which is a pretty typical thing to do in a college town...and I was all for it. It meant not having to move my stuff every year from apartment to apartment and the best part: I GOT TO DECORATE IT :) I checked openhouseok.com every day, hoping to see a house that was semi-updated and had some charm to it. And finally, I found it.

(photo courtesy of Openhouseok.com)--great landscaping courtesy of mom :)

It even looks cute covered in snow :)

the view when you walked in the newly painted red front door (thanks, mom!)

the giant living space...

So bare...

the cute little white and green kitchen...I don't have any pictures of my own with my red appliances. Bummer! Check out the original 70's era olive green sink, stove, and venthood. They all worked and I actually really liked them :)

My bedroom (picture courtesy of openhouseok.com) without any of my stuff...

the drop-leaf table I made in furniture design that no one was ever allowed to put a drink on :)

another view of the living area

There were so many things that I loved and will miss about this house...Christmas parties, FISH gatherings, MUG, friend din, guitar hero, surprise parties, decorating for Christmas (going on the roof and putting up lights for the very first time!), the blue couch, I could go on forever. (pictured above: some of my FISH group from 2 years ago at our Christmas party)

There are also things I will not miss. Jill LOVED to come over to my house and find the set of k'nex magnetic balls and pieces (that I usually had hidden) and then drop them on the tile floor. The balls went bouncing in every direction...I finally gave the set back to my mom. Thank you, Jill Sowers :)

One of the last days I was in my house before I left for PC...goodbye Sunrise house :) I hope that the boys who will live there now will appreciate it as much as I did.

In other news, I need to get ready for my guest to come today! Catharine (who lives in Aleksandria--2 hours to the east of me) is coming to k-grad for the weekend. I didn't get a picture of us the last time that she was here, so I will do my best to do so this weekend.

Oh! Last news. I updated the contact info again with information regarding shipping and packages and sending mail in general. Check it out!

t-minus 48 hours and counting...

Happy Friday! Here's a little eye candy for you...

I've always been obsessed with letters and monograms for as long as I can remember. I loved when a piece of luggage had my name monogrammed on it. I think it's a Southern thing (Southern as in Alabama, I don't consider Oklahoma "south")...because a lot of people down there have pieces of jewelry with their names or initials on them, etc. In the past year or two, I have started collecting the letter "L" when I find unique ones or one that sticks out to me. However, I've recently been wanting to make a few. I plan on hanging/arranging them above my desk in the study. Pictures of that when it's done! But for now, these ideas will have to suffice :) enjoy!

this looks handmade...perhaps a great Christmas gift idea? I think so! Cute scrapbooking paper, a fun font, funky ribbon, and a little elbow grease. Looks like something from Anthro.

I'm not a fan of the flowers on these, but I love love love the rustic-y element of moss and the amount of texture that it brings.

You can never go wrong with burlap! I'm a big fan of the period after each letter. Very emphatic!

This one might be a new fave. Maybe because it is already an L and I don't have to imagine what it would look like...maybe because of the keys...or because of the burlap hanging from the top. It's just a great choice all-around! And the intro image...Holy cow the "K" is BEAUTIFUL!! How stunning for a wedding.

Have a great weekend! I am leaving for Boston on Sunday, so expect some updates along the road :) 48 hours and counting...! Yippee!

And something to make you laugh.... :) This episode was on the other day.