Photos

Warmest Christmas wishes to you from Krasnodar!Paul and Becky, Timothy and Lydia(Russian Santa says hello, too. His name is Grandfather Frost, and together with his beautiful granddaughter The Snow Maiden, and the help of woodland animals, he brings gifts to children on New Year’s. Here’s a photo of the lovely pair).
The tree picture is to show you the beautiful blossoming trees we are enjoying these Spring days, including the blanket of flower petals on the ground (an allergy nightmare!)	The market photo shows people buying and selling Easter cakes.	Timothy enjoying the warmer weather and watching our tulips grow.
Russian Orthodox Cathedrals are many and beautiful. During Soviet times these were closed down or destroyed. It is a wonderful site to see them open again and free to the public.	(city of Moscow)	(city of Moscow)
(city of Moscow)	Russian children in a classroom we were able to visit.	Yes, they have McDonald’s here, and it smells and tastes the same! Except their sundaes are actually better because the ice cream here is much more thick and creamy.
Our kitchen is a typical Russian kitchen with tiny sink and stove and little counter space. Less to clean.	Please leave your shoes at the door! Russian people always take their shoes off inside their own or others’ houses. A good host has several pairs of slippers that guests can slip on!	Our bathroom is very typical of Russian bathrooms. There are two separate rooms, one for the toilet, and one for the bath tub. Our bathtub room unfortunately does not have a sink, so we brush our teeth in the bath tub.
(I love Moscow sign)	The view from our Moscow apartment window (we live in a small 1-bedroom apartment on the 9th floor of a huge apartment building such as these and hundreds of others in the giant city of Moscow).	(cathedral)
We are learning Russian with our teacher Vera (on the left), who comes to our house twice a week for a 2-hour class. Sometimes baby Lydia joins the class, too (in Vera’s lap).	This is a replica of the most famous cathedral in Moscow, Christ the Savior Cathedral. It is made out of Legos!!	(statue of Lenin)
this is Lenin’s tomb in downtown Moscow’s Red Square. It is a dark cold building, with the actual body of Lenin laying inside a coffin on display. His body has been preserved somehow. It is very eirie seeing him lie there!	Game of chess anyone?	Chess is not only a game, it is a sport here. Russians are very good at chess and even young children learn to play. Here, 2-year old Timothy challenges Dad to a game!
This is the entrance into the famous Kremlin. The Kremlin is a long red brick fortress that surrounds the heart of downtown Moscow. Inside are important historical buildlings, cathedrals, a palace, and a great view of the city.	Some of our best Russian learning books are these childrens picture books. We love to read them to our kids and learn ourselves!	Moscow gets very cold in Winter. Most people wear long fur coats or leathear coats to stay warm. There are many styles of hats here. Many people wear fur hats. Leather hats are also a big hit here.
Nesting dolls are called “matryoshkas” here, and they are in abundance with every design you can imagine! Pictured here on the left is a Harry Potter set and a Britney Spears set. You can even get your own face painted on them at some places!	Timothy and Lydia enjoying the warmer weather and watching our tulips grow.