i'm lovin' it!

So, McDonald's slogan right now is "i'm lovin' it." I don't know about you guys, but I can safely say that they have read my mind. One does not really appreciate MikeyD's until you live overseas. It's just a fact. And, I think the food is better here, too. It seems like it's always fresh and hot, and it just hits the spot. We do not have McDonald's in our city, although "they" have been promising it for a long time (I'm not quite sure who "they" are, but "they" promised none the less). So, when we went to Kiev the other weekend, I ate there 3 times in one day. Woohoo!!! Here are pictures of me enjoying my meal.

i'm lovin' it!!!

Playing with Cars

Here's Noah playing with his cars.

I Need God

Coming back to Ukraine this time wasn't so easy. We had a great time in the States, and it was hard to come back without a place to live. One night, while I was feeling really down, I decided to start reading a book. Reading is a great distraction for me. I love getting lost in a good book. Well, all I could find on the shelf were non-fiction books. (My other books hadn't gotten here in the box yet.) I kept looking and found the closest thing I could to a fiction book, A Heart Like His by Beth Moore. It's a reflection of the life of David.



I can safely say that this book has been a huge blessing to me. I have been challenged in many different ways. One of the biggest ways is this: I need God. I know that sounds stupid, because "of course you need God." I always knew that fact, but it has really been hitting me for the first time lately. Praise God for this!!! I need God for my salvation and for my everyday life. I need Him to live in Ukraine and in the States. I need Him in my life constantly to give me patience with my kids and others in my life. :) I need Him to give me love for others and for myself at times. I need Him to show me what's the next step in life. I need Him to just be with me, to be my companion, my love, my all. I need God.

Count the Cost

So, the other day I got an email from my mom, and she told me that my sister is going to be visiting the Iowa City group for a few weeks. Although most people, including myself normally, would consider this simply information being exchanged, it has brought up a whole lot of emotions in me. I am not there to be a part of it this time. After spending 6 months in the States, being able to participate in all the family gatherings whether based on a holiday, other major event or just because, it's hard to go back to a life 8 times zones away.
Don't get me wrong, I love being here in Ukraine. It has all the elements of a great life: a wonderful church, fantastic friends, awesome school and even a grandma who cooks us wonderful treats and helps take care of our kids (and tells some great stories too). Although these things make life here interesting, satisfying and wonderful, there's still something missing. In fact, there will always be something missing, the family left behind.
Jesus told us to "estimate the cost." He said in Luke 14:25-32 that it's important to really be wise about your decision to be one of His disciples, to make sure it's worth what you might have to leave behind along the way. I think that applies here too. Is it really worth it to serve God here in Ukraine at the cost of being away from family in the States (and Andre's mom in Spain)? The answer, although harder to say now than before kids, is still yes. It is a privilege to serve our Lord here and to see those around us get excited to do the same. Will we always live in Ukraine? I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. What I do know is that while we're here, I want to serve Him to the best of my ability, being thankful for the intermittent visits back to be with family and their visits here to be with us. I love Him, and I want many more people to find that love that is better than gold, silver or anything else. To Him be all the glory.

Our Quadplex

So, we have found a place to live. It's one fourth of a house, hence the quadplex reference in the title. I thought that I would give you guys a visual of what it looks like right now. We are planning a few different projects for the future, but who knows for sure when those are going to get done, so instead of waiting until then to share pictures with you, we'll just do it now. :)

This is our garage! We don't have access to it from the house, but it's still really exciting to not have to scrape everyday. :)

This is our door. If you look at the picture above, you can see our door is on the right hand side.

This is the entryway space after you go through our front door. We have two doors, the one in the picture above with glass and another more solid door.

This is one view of our living room. We got a great deal on a new tv, which was super exciting. Nikita could finally play the Wii that we got while in the States.

This is the kitchen which is connected to the living room. We love being able to cook and spend time with people at the same time. Andre's on the phone, which is a normal pose for him. :)

One view of the bathroom. See if you can find the Lighting McQueen underwear. :)

Other view of the bathroom.

This is the master bedroom. It's really narrow but super cozy.

This is the boys' room, Nikita's bed.

Noah's bed for now. We are planning on getting bunk beds in the next few months. We have a friend that has offered to give the frame, so we just need to get some mattresses. :)

These are our stairs that lead to our basement room.
The picture is from the bottom of the stairs.

Here's our other living room downstairs. It's kind of cold down there right now, because the gas fireplace isn't working. When they get it finished, we will put a tv down there and have it as a meeting space or a space for guests. (hint hint: feel free to visit)

AND here's Noah. He's been sick the last couple of days, so this has been how he's spent most of his time lately. Poor kid.

I'm glad that we could share our new home with you guys. Hope you have GREAT day!!!