8th Day of Christmas

So, last night we went to the opera with our host mom as a Christmas gift from her to us! It was so awesome! The voices were amazing, although it was in Russian, I think I understood the storyline, but maybe not the moral, maybe because it wasn't a very good one. But, it was pretty fun! And it was really beautiful! But, that wasn't the only show that has happened in the past 20 hours. Today was our kids performance for their parents, and let me tell you, they did magnificently! We have been preparing for it for over 2 weeks. But, it was so cute! The parents dressed there kids up all fancy, and one of them came into the room dressed as a nut-cracker! So CuTe!!! I will have to show you the videos! When I get home in five days! Our chain is so short! But, afterwards, all of the parents joined us for a great round of 'money, money, whose got the money?' And they really enjoyed it! And, the kids were so well behaved! We even got roses and some candles from various people. Then, there favorite part . . . the treat afterwards, a mountain of cookies, candies, fruit, and every different kind of treat I have seen here! (Don't worry family, I got you some; today infact! but, don't tell you I told you that, It's a surprise) But now I get to jet and babysit! Don't worry, these kids are american and SO Cute! Oh, bytheway, our family has no idea that it is us giving them the 12 days of Christmas! We have our Ukranian notes and are waly to busy to really stay at home, so, we just drop off the gift at the house and go on our merry little way until we get home later that night. So, it is going pretty well, The only sad part is, everything we have gotten goes to waste, because they don't trust any of the food for sanitary purposes, which is understandable, but, she fed Breanne and I the bananas in the morning, which was funny, cause no one else would eat it, but it's ok to feed it to us! It just makes me wonder what else I have been fed here that I really don't know what has happened to it. (Actually I know I have had some crazy stuff!) No worries Amber, I really don't think I can be germaphobic after this! I will usually take a peice of ham or cheese offered to me by one of the children, pop it in my mouth, and then afterwards watch them suck on the same kind and hand it to one of the other kids. Quite the let down! But, whatever, I have decided that if I can survive this, your germs will be just fine! I won't even consider you to have germs!) But, I get to give a talk in church this Sunday. So we will see how that goes! And I really have to go now! So, Love you! Thanks for Everything! Much Love! Peace out! See you all to soon!

Chrstmas is on it's way! And, so are We!

Well! One week ldft! The count down has commenced! (Well, we have actually had a chain for the past 3 weeks) but, it's getting shorter! I can't wait! We have four Christmas Parties coming up in the next couple of days! Two with the kids, one with our coordinators, and another with all of the teachers! And then on top of that, to really get into the Christmas season ( besides the fact that it snowed two days ago, but only after it rained! So, there is a layer of ice on the ground which Breanne has cordially met with her hip!) But, Breanne and I are doing the 12 days of Christmas for our host family, which is so out of the ordinary for Ukranians to do. But, we set something outside of our door each night, and one of them usually finds it before the eveing is over. But, yesterday got a little scary and they started suspecting us and asking us all of these questions. But, we stayed strong and I think we swayed them a little bit. But, to really get 'em, today Breanne and I found the gift and there was a Ukranian Note inside that read "Happy Holidays" in Ukranian of course, which we don't know how to write very well of course. So, tomorrow, we 'aren't going to be home' at all until 9 o'clock, but, we have a bit of time to slip by the house unnoticed and drop off the gift; which we really won't be for more than one second to drop something in front of the door, so, how could we have possibly done it? It's perfect, and we don't know how to write in Ukranian cursive so exquisitely. But, wish us luck, and they are way excited about it. It is way funny to hear them chattering and keep hearing the phrase "whose is it?" But, hopefully it will all work! It was nice to talk to you family! Thanks for always being there for me! Love yah tons! See you in a week! I have already started packing! Can't wait! Goobye!

Poor little Reeb!

So, the other day, Breanne comes up to me a little weirded out . . . Okay, let me start over, We have been fed some pretty strange things here, But, the sickest things have contained fish, and we never really fully know what we are being served all of the time. So, with that said, Breanne came up to me the other day and told me to go look in the fridge. Exact quote: "Karli, go check out the fridge, I just touched a way slimy bag of fish! And I swear they could still be alive!" So, I went and looked and yep, they were pretty gross! And, the best part is, they were probably dripping and contaminating our food, but that's not the point of the story. Our discovery date of this wonderful bag was about five days ago. Luckily, the fish are for our pet cat Matrowskin. So, we don't have to consume them. The funny thing was, today, Stas (Brother) pulled out this fish to give to Matrowskin and sure enough, it started wriggling around! We have had A live fish in our fridge for five days!!!! It was the craziest thing ever! So, Stas couldn't bear giving a live fish to the cat, so he stuck it in the bath tub in some warm water - I repeat Warm water, which made the fish freak out and I think gave it shock which did actually kill it, but he is in denial of the fish dying. So, he threw a bagel in the water for the fish to eat. So, now we have a dead fish and a bagel swimming in our bath tub. Well, there is my little funny story for the day! Turns out fish can live in a fridge up to a week. Bon Apetite!

It's the remedy, It's the experience.

WEll, I have been cooped up in this house for the past five days! Two more days and then sweet freedom! My bronchitis has gotten a little bit more toned down! I am healing up nicely, I think. But, let me tell you. When you get sick in sucha backwards place as this, you might just want to pick it up flip it over and spin it around a couple times and then stick it on it's head! Cause I have had some very strange 'remedies' and 'treatment'. Let's just say, I really am not a fan of hot-mashed potatoes and Mustard on my chest, gagging on spoonfuls of honey and then later mushed up liver. But, I have made six stockings since being stuck in the house, sowed up a hole in my boots, read two books, and 50 pages in my Book of Mormon, Written three letters, breanne and i decorated our oom with over 60 paper snow flakes, and much much more! I have also planned my future 3 weeks and the rest of my meals for four months! I am set! I have learned a ton about tolerance this past week to. All-in-all, it has been a pretty good experience, besides the rice crispies that seem to be lodged in my lungs. But, hey, even that isn't all that bad. No worries though, I take a med buffet three times a day, and am in the care of a very loving family! And am being watched over from on high. All is well! Can't wait to come back to regular civilization in 2 weeks! Can you believe it? 2 WEEKS!! Love you all!