One Year Ago

One year ago, we had our little foster baby, Helen. We were having our first real "trial run" as parents and were saying, "Hey, this isn't so hard!" OK, so we were a little naive.

One year ago, we were spending new year's eve with some friends, and Rob got really sick- the first day of a week long bout of dysentery.

One year ago, we were in a different apartment, trying to keep our landlady from storing more stuff in our cabinets and trying not to let on that there would soon be a child in our home (on several occasions she tried hard to convince us to wait to have kids, for the sake of keeping her apartment clean).

One year ago, it hadn't even entered our imagination that April would be pregnant before our adoption was final.

One year ago, we were expecting to bring our daughter home from Ukraine sometime in the summer of 2010...and that she would be about 18 months old.

One year ago, Rob hadn't started noticing gray hairs.

One year ago, we never gave a thought to Interpol or the actions of the Ukrainian Parliament.

One year ago, we were in a very different place! Much has changed, but God has not.

One year from now...well, it makes me dizzy to think of all that will change in the next year!

Year of the Tiger

Another new year = Fireworks aplenty. Today was the fifth day of the Chinese New Year, the day on which we welcome the arrival of the money god. Apparently, the money god likes a lot of noise. Perhaps he is nocturnal- because the fireworks went all night. Even now, 24 hours later, I still hear fireworks every other minute. I get pretty cynical about the money god, because even though most people here would say it's only a tradition, superstition, nothing they really believe, the god of most people in this city really is money. Can I be both judgmental and tempted at the same time?

Anyway, it's nice to be back in our apartment after a few weeks away. Our lease expires in 3 weeks, though, and we've decided not to renew. It's time to downsize. One year ago, we really did need a place this size, but things have changed over the past 12 months, and we're looking for something smaller and cheaper. It'll be sad to not have a kitchen that both April and I can fit in at the same time, but who knows- maybe there's another one out there somewhere :)

Why I'm Glad, not Mad (a domestic update from Rob)

Warning- this story has a lot of background and little point, but it does give a good snapshot of the mundane aspects of our daily life.

A few weeks ago, I read an article online about 'creative uses for household items'. It suggested using old tissue boxes to hold plastic bags you intend to re-use. Since our city banned the free distribution of plastic bags at grocery stores, the stores now charge for bags, so we use cloth bags and hoard our plastic bags for later use. As a result, that frightening under-the-sink kitchen cabinet (you know what I'm talking about) is packed full of various bags, cleaners, and always a few surprises. So when I read about the great idea of storing plastic bags in old Kleenex boxes, I eagerly awaited the day when we finished off one our our boxes of tissue.

Then April got a cold. She claims she has the "Swine Cold."

This morning, when the first (and later second) box went empty, I cleared out the cabinet and stuffed plastic bags into tissue boxes. So far, I love it. But here's what made me really happy:

East Asia trash bags are frustratingly thin. In all my years here, I've never pulled a trash bag out of the can without it tearing in some way. Sometimes it rips completely open. I've taken to double-bagging in the can. During our trip to the States this past spring, we brought back some wonderfully thick trash bags, which we used up after a few months. Or so we thought...

This morning I discovered a whole new stash of unused American trash bags. I'm so happy :) Now we have a better way to get rid of all those used tissues...

Local Art (by Rob)

Here is a picture from our dining room window, looking down on the water pond in our neighborhood. I don't think I need to comment on this, it pretty much speaks for itself.