Last weekend in 2013

Hard to imagine, but 2013 is come to it's end.

Today is December 29th and absolutely no year-end magic.  Part of it, I think, because we all come down with horrible cold.  Vlad is pretty sick since last week, cough and fever.  Kids sick too, Alisa on the mend, Friday was hard for her.  Max is running fever, coughing.  Alla and Jr. is the only one who's holding things together.
I got stuffy nose and sore throat on Thursday, but I had to work both days upfront and plus teaching class on Thursday night.  Friday night was very miserable. I hardly got any sleep, end up staying home on Saturday.
Today we end up working on college and academy and teen school stuff.  I end up doing all invoices and deposits for teen school and bible college. It's lot of work.

Alla planning New Year Eve celebration at her house with all cousins (Eugine&Juli, Dima&Tanya, Alex&Anya) she did invited us, but not sure if spending new year with 8 adults and 13 kids my type of celebration. It's kind of sad that nobody invites us over anymore, I mean everyone have their own stuff going on, and unless we organize something, everybody for themselves.

This year we all working too, I think first time I'm working on 31st.  Lena might work on 1st too.  Suck, but nothing she can do.  We have been talking about possible vacation in Mexico in February.  Also there's bunch of ideas floating about big trip.  I'm torn between Germany&Poland this summer.  Or Turkey, Greece and Israel.  Also there's possibility that KHR and Company will go to Israel again, I don't want miss that.  But at the same time there's so many other places.

Sick again

Got a super awful cold going on... smack me right in the face.
Come unannounced with headache, fever and crazy runny nose.

Catching up with friends

Since we came back from Africa, we haven't had a chance to see Lipnyagov sisters.  This meeting has been long anticipated and dreaded too.
I guess Lena had not too pleasant memories about her conversation with Valya in Leawenworth last January, and Katya in Capetown.  What a great way to kill a friendship is to go on vacation together.

After going over our calendars we decided to visit them on Monday, before Christmas.  But, this visit went way more better than I thought.  We got to catch up on everybody lives, share tons of memories and even had some discussions about Christmas.

Valya, got her bachelor, but was diagnosed with mass in thyroid.  Surgery is scheduled in January.
Olga still working at eye clinic, wants to go on vacation, still same curly head
Katya, went to Italy, Germany, France in November, planing trip to mexico, we might all go together :)
Anna finished nursing school, got a boyfriend, might get married this summer.

About Mexico - I would love to go there for 5 days, little get away in the middle of winter, and last week in February will be perfect, since Dr. A going to Disney Land.  Katya will be our planner - she will call around and find the best deal.  Who knows...

As always we stayed late, never run out of things to talk about and left after midnight.

Three monkeys

Love those three

Visit from the Aanderuds

Today at work we had a visit from the whole Aanderud gang.  

Got to meet Eirik and Joren for the first time.  Those kids are adorable.  I knew Teig and Juni were special, but now that I have met them all, I told Dr A that he's very blessed.

Christmas concert

Since we moved to Oregon, I herd about Apostolic Faith church and their annual concerts for Easter and Christmas.  This spring will be 14 years since we arrived to Portland.  Every time we either miss it altogether, or find out way too late to attend.  This year we actually planned to go and went.

It was not very long program, about 1:20 at least.  Lot of people, but very nice seats.  Lena, Julie Puzur and I went ahead of time and arrived 15 minutes before.  Zhana did come but she was late and missed 2 full orchestra performances. Very interested topic for the musical.  Very impressed with quality,  disappointing some of the content.  Songs: Jungle Bells and Christmas in the City.  Really???!!! At church...

Restaurant Uzbekistan

Our annual,  actually first annual appreciation dinner is today.