Random Thoughts by Mrs. YH

1. It snowed on Sunday morning. And yesterday morning. And it's C.O.L.D. So begins the winter season. I am thankful we had a reprieve until 28 November.

2. We stopped by Mega Market to get Christmas lights with the right voltage after church on Sunday. Do you know how much we paid for two strands of 180 lights? About $40. Ouch. That, folks, is why we get COLA (cost of living adjustment).

3. I planned a cookie exchange for the American military wives. I sent the invitation out a month in advance so people could plan ahead. It appears that we are the only nationality over here that makes plans in advance, and an event was just scheduled that is higher on the diplomatic social scale. It takes precedence so the exchange has been moved. I knew this was going to happen, so I'm not frazzled or overly disgruntled. {but seriously!}

4. We got our mail out of France! HOORAY! They'll now be rerouting through Amsterdam. As my friend put it: "As long as they don't take away their 'coffee houses,' we should have no problems getting mail in the future."

5. I called my friend Amy on Friday morning and told her she should have brought her laptop over and we could have gone shopping together! Did any of you go out into the madness?

6. Thanks to the cyber deals, my Christmas shopping is complete with the exception of one gift.

7. We're decorating. And sometimes it's just challenging because what worked in the last house or two houses ago doesn't -quite- in the current place. And I have no Target. And lights cost $20+/strand. Plus, I've been purging and getting rid of stuff I didn't like anymore and I am picky about what I get to replace it (I have to haul it all around the world, so it has to make the cut.) Thank goodness there's so much more to Christmas than that, amen?!

8. Yesterday I took a taxi to pick up some shams I had made and he drove me all over creation to get there. I could not find the street on the map to take public transport because I did not realize until the whole thing was over that they'd given me the street name in Russian, not Ukrainian and the maps are in Ukrainian. ANYWAY, we finally arrived, the whole sham drama (there was drama but I'm not going into it now) was not so dramatic and because I was intent on getting my deal, I was taking a marshrytka back home. It also seemed a teeny bit safer seeing as my taxi driver almost T-boned an old Lada; praise God he had seat belts in his car that were functioning! So I stood out there in the cold and held my arm out like you do to flag your vehicle and the guy blitzed right by! Not happy. So I hopped on the next one that came and got off at a metro, transferred to my line, got on any old marshrytka stopped and rode it 2 blocks so I didn't have to navigate the nasty sidewalks fresh with snow/ice. So now I have matching Euro shams for our new bedding and with the cost of fabric, taxis/transport, and labor, I still paid less than one sham on Restoration Hardware. And I have no point to that other than I needed a #8.

Thanksgiving in Review

Here is the second of the two turkeys I needed to cook. Notice how the metal handles of the roasting pan were removed and I had to fold the pan itself up in order to fit in my easy bake oven.

The cookie sheet is 15.25" wide- it's as wide as I can go. The first time I cooked a turkey was here in Ukraine 7 years ago and I had to use my whole body weight to push the oven door closed! {To read more about that particular day, go here.}

Remember when I shared back at the beginning of October that Mr. YH's office finally bought into the furniture pool and we were to hurry up and get ready to have all gov't furniture replaced? Yes, well we hurried up and waited until the week before Thanksgiving. We have the new furniture now and here is the dining set ready to be broken in the first time. {I believe it is safe to say that after 10 months of living here, we finally have all of the necessary furniture and appliances!}

The "other Tara."
SO glad you made it!!!

Around our table were fellow military members.
We had everyone share something they were thankful for
and it was beautiful to listen to each one.

What is your favorite memory from this past Thursday?

The Boy Turns 5

On November 19, 2005,
we met our son for the first time.

How have 5 years flown by so quickly?!

He is my tender child, and is quick to give hugs and pay compliments.
He loves to wrestle his daddy and is working on his slam dunk.
His prayers are the sweetest thing,
and we're anxiously waiting for him to come into
his own personal relationship with the Lord.
He loves building toys, construction vehicles, cars, trains, and planes.

His birthday pancake:

He asked me what the round ones were-
I told him wheels and bombs and that was good enough for him!
I tell ya, those round shapes are so versatile! ha!

Mr. YH and I had planned a fun public transportation
outing, but he was called into work (on his day off)
to write a letter for some guy needing a visa.
BUMMER.

And because I had child care and needed to multi task this outing,
we headed first to the embassy health clinic for his check-up
(I checked to make sure there were no shots first!).

We were late,
so I negotiated a taxi ride (43 UAH).
{Wouldn't you know it,
as soon as we got started the guy told me he had no change.
So, we had to stop and I bought some minutes for my
cell phone so I could pay him.}

And because nothing can be easy here
(like having everything in one building- they're building one!),
we hopped on a trolley bus (1.50 UAH) after his clean bill of health
and headed up to the Chancery so I could
cash a check and get some $ for survival.
{We do not use local banks or electronic means of payment
because it's often compromised.}

We took a marshrytka (2 UAH) back to the clinic building,

got off and hopped on the next tramvai (1.50 UAH)
(ram as in drama and vai as in bye).

He has been wanting to ride one of these
because they go on railroad tracks.

Down in Podil, we walked over to our newest pizza place,
complete with its own scooter brigade.

Y.U.M.M.Y.

Then we took the metro down to the funicular (3 UAH total)
and rode it up and down the hill.

We had front row seats each way-
such a pretty view of the Dneiper River coming down!

And then we got back on the metro and came home.
(4 UAH total)

He wanted to walk
rather than ride something back down the street.

{Grand total for riding:
55 UAH or about $6.88,
$5.38 was for the taxi,
$1.50 for the other 7 one-way rides}

That evening, we had a little family celebration
{fighter jet party was the next day}.

Gigi & Grandpa sent a Tomcat- big hit!

Mama and Daddy scored points with Buzz and Woody.

Baba & Didyc sent a fun building toy.

And his big sister made him a mask...

because, just like a boy, he also likes running around scaring people!

RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!

I Might as Well...

have kept my Holly Hobbie
easy-bake oven
(which, by the way, I loved!)

to cook our turkeys in
for as big as my little Ukrainian oven is!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

{Stay tuned! Coming up next week:
The Boy's 5th Birthday!}

Mail That Works

If you read my last post, no, we still don't have those bags out of France! But, here is a company you can trust to get your cards in the mail!

Shutterfly is one of my favorite sites. I've used them for years! They're offering a $25 certificate for sharing a project, and I'd sure love to have that available for a Christmas gift!

Back in the summer, we took a tour of the fire station in my parents' town. The guys were really wonderful with the children and we wanted to say thank you. I love Shutterfly's card options and the fact that they'll mail them for me Stateside is a bonus! We use this feature a lot!

Classic Scarlet 5x7 folded card

Unique party invitations and greeting cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

In the Grand Scheme of Things

this is not a huge deal.

BUT,

due to the French being unhappy
that retirement has been moved from age 60 to 62,
there are at least 60 diplomatic mail bags stuck in Paris

with:

my Christmas present to Mr. YH,
Mr. YH's Christmas present for me,
the replacement envelopes for my Christmas cards,
the candy canes to make my peppermint bark,
and various other items we mail ordered
or that people have sent us for the holidays.

And so, until the French either revoke their law
or come to terms with the new
cradle to grave social care schedule,
our bags
S.I.T.

Could you just say a little prayer?
Seriously, it's not a huge deal,
but it'd just be nice to feel
like something has gone right
for a holiday we'll celebrate far away!

Pumpkin-Pecan Cake with Praline Sauce

I had several requests for the recipe
that I used for the KAVA coffee, so here it is -
just in time for Thanksgiving!

I got this out of some Christian periodical several years ago. They reprinted it from Food That Says Welcome* that was written by Barbara Smith, the mother of Michael W. Smith.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 cups flour
2 T pumpkin pie spice
2 t. baking soda
1 T salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 t. vanilla

For Praline Sauce:
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup chopped pecans
1 t. vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350* F. Grease & flour a tube pan and sprinkle pecans on the bottom of the pan. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Cream butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and blend well. Add pumpkin and vanilla and beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well. Spoon batter into the greased and floured pan and bake for 60 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes.

Praline Sauce: Mix corn syrup, sugar, butter and egg in a saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove and stir in pecans and vanilla, make holes in cake with fork and pour icing on top.

Would you like my thoughts on preparation? {I guess you'll get them anyway!} This cake had more of a pound cake like texture, so I think if you pour the sauce over the warm cake, it'll absorb and be more moist. I needed to prepare mine the day in advance, so I waited to make the sauce so that the cake wouldn't be soggy. Secondly, I debated whether to pour the sauce onto the bottom of the cake while in the pan, or to flip it out onto the serving platter and then pour it over the top. I did the latter. However, I have had similar recipes where I poured it onto what will be the bottom of the cake while still in the warm pan, let it cool a little longer, and then flipped. I have no wisdom for you peeps. So, if you make this (or know Barbara personally and can tell me what she thinks), let me know how it all works out for you!



*From Food That Says Welcome. Copyright (c) 2006 by Barbara Smith. Published by WaterBrook Press, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.

Serve a Serviceman/woman

Have you made your Thanksgiving plans yet?

We've been issuing invitations and there is the potential for a large group to meet around our table! We are inviting a lot of single military folks (or single because their spouse isn't here) because we want to make sure that each one feels a little bit of "family" and at home even though we're in a foreign land.

This afternoon, we had some wonderful friends over after church and were also able to include an officer that is here for several months and whose wife is back in the States. It got me thinking that perhaps a lot of you live near a military installation... and I am just going to be bold enough to not only encourage you, but ask you to get out of your comfort zone a little bit.

There are a lot of single service men and women out there who will not have the opportunity to make it home for Thanksgiving. Some, like my brother-in-law, have just moved on orders to a location far from home and haven't even had time to get fully in-processed yet, let alone meet someone who will invite them to share the holiday in their home. Some are very young- just out of high school and basic training. Some might not have any family to go home to. Would you please consider inviting a couple/several into your home and treating them to a home-cooked dinner (rather than something from the chow hall)? They've certainly moved out of their comfort zone to protect our freedoms, and God has given us an abundance to share- this is an opportunity to put our love into action.

So ask around your church, contact the base- they can help match you up. If you're still not sure how to make it happen, e-mail me and I will get you a contact ! And if you are blessed to host one of America's finest, please e-mail me your story!

Blessings-

{mrsyellowhat @ yahoo dot com}

P.S. This is certainly not a promo for me- I would just like as many of our fellow military members taken care of as possible... so would you consider mentioning this idea or linking to this post? Thanks!!!

Pitter Patter Heart Moments

Upon returning home yesterday evening, I'm told that Big Girl informed Daddy that he just can't make mac'n cheese like Mama does , but the applesauce [from a jar] tastes exactly the same as Mama makes!

Leaving for Bible study one morning,
The Boy tells me, "I appreciate that, Mama."

{I have no idea what he appreciated, but please, God,
let him always love his mama so!}

A tiny sweet body snuggled on my lap....chubby little hands taking my cheeks and turning my face toward her...she tells me with firm confidence,
"Mama. God loves you. God loves me."

{Dear God, don't let her ever forget that!!}

What treasures have you stored up in your heart lately?

The Thankful Tree

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100:4-5 (NIV)

One of the characteristics we are intentional
about developing in our children is thankfulness.

November is the perfect month to focus on this trait.

{I meant to post this a few days ago,

but I think it's early enough in the month
that you can still make this happen if you'd like.}

On Monday, I laid out some brown construction paper for Big Girl and The Boy, gave some brief instructions, and left them to be creative while I sat guarding the kids' bedroom door making sure Baby Girl actually laid down to take her nap (it's a whole other post- just being real here!).

This is what they came up with:

It's a bit scary looking right now and especially from the other side of the door, but I have confidence that it'll fill out before too long!

The first evening, each child was able to name something they were thankful for and now they take turns labeling a leaf or acorn shape that I purchased at the Dollar Tree. I've also given them coloring sheets to do in their down time, and they've used these to embellish the scene.

{Please ignore the fact that we have acorns and maple leaves
on the same tree! ha! (my dad is a forester)}

Even if you don't have children at home anymore or if they're not at an age where construction paper trees get them all excited, you could do a centerpiece with branches and have each member at your Thanksgiving Day table write something on a paper ornament to hang on it. There are a lot of possibilities!

Another reason thatI love this tradition is because I can see what is important to my children- it's a little peek into their hearts and minds. I record what they say every year and include it in our family album with a photo of the completed tree. Included in the list for 2010 thus far:

Baby Girl: M&Ms (obviously- she gets 2 every time she pee pees in the potty!) and her snuggly

The Boy: Bananas (procuring this favorite fruit is not always so easy here) and food (he's a true boy)

Big Girl: Books and that we're healthy (she's maturing!!)

Speaking of maturing, they grow up so fast, don't they?!
I mean, really!! I'm still just a 29 year old,
holding my first baby- who will be 8 in two months!
It leaves us with roughly 10 more years of her in our home,
and when she comes to the end of this leg of the journey,
I want her to leave equipped with godly qualities and practices.

Let me encourage you to be purposeful in cultivating a spirit of thankfulness
in your own heart which overflows into those you are privileged to disciple.