into the new year

After Christmas, my sisters stayed for a couple days to play with the boys. Lewis and Owen are both addicted to the iPod/iPhone. They love some of the cool preschool apps like "Preschool Monkey Lunchbox" and a couple others. Here's Owen trying some things.

He's gotten pretty good at it and loves the encouraging phrase "You did it!" He now says "Did it" and sometimes "I did it!" Here's a clip of when that started.




Lewis and Aunt Ellen.

After Christmas, I got to reunite with some old roommates/teammates from my time in Minsk, Belarus. Here is Natasha Rybinskaya, Val Morozov, and Tasha Caruthers. It was so good to see them and catch up. Natasha has been living in Ukraine and is now an aunt to an adorable set of twins. It is so wonderful to be able to talk in person as a group!

All of us: Heather Morozov, Tasha, Natasha and me.

Natasha got to be my date for New Year's too. She was visiting us in Bowling Green when Lewis came down with a horrible stomach virus. He was spending a lot of time in the bathroom and we figured a trip in the car would not suit him or us. Our plan was to visit more friends in Lexington (many from Belarus or with past connection) and to leave the boys in Louisville with my dad and Martha. So, Justin, being the fabulous husband he is, stayed home with Lewis so that we could sort of keep our plans. Natasha and I had a good visit in Louisville and then left Owen with the grandparents.

We rang in the New Year surrounded by old friends and it was a lot of fun. I got to brush up on my Russian language too! :)

Natasha got to snuggle with baby Nikita Foushee (son of Vera and Lovell Foushee). Sweet baby!

The kids at the party: Val Morozov, 5, Annabella Morozov, 2, and Nadia Shliakov, 3. They were pretty jazzed and were able to stay up until midnight. Wow!

Annabella celebrating 2010! She just learned how to blow her party favor and was so excited. What a big girl. :)

We are happy to report that Lewis is feeling much better thanks to an anti-nausea prescription and some immodium. May this be our last bout with that in this new year.