Hello Friends and Family!

We are alive and doing well!

I am just now getting around to letting you see how we are doing this past week, as I was picking myself up off the ground last week and brushing the dirt from my face from being knocked over the head with a cast iron pan called "culture shock".  Boy, it hit me hard in the first 10 days. I am fine now, but it doesn't matter that I have visited here once.....twice......thrice.......FOUR times in the past decade (making this trip number five)........put this American woman in a former Soviet Union country and wide-eyed societal shock is what she gets every time!  Who wants to visit?

By now we are settled into our dorm suite at LCC. Our suite consists of a two room, bathroom and kitchenette/foyer area. We have an all day and night pass to a communal kitchen and living area in which we do all of our cooking and hanging out. We basically have it to ourselves, with only a handful of people sporadically popping in to use the area. We were under the expectation of having to share the space with students once they return to campus at the end of next week, but as it turns out, it is strictly a faculty hall, thank goodness! The campus is nice, very clean and simple. The boys have plenty of things to do around here with ping pong, pool table, gym and workout room. We are giving them a really good taste of what it is like being in a college dorm, 15 years early (minus a rigorous college course schedule). Crish has often declared that he has just had the "best day of his life!" Today he also reported that he likes life better here (indicating that he is currently having fun).

Before coming to Lithuania we stayed 2 nights with Jekabs' parents. We had an after-Christmas celebration and enjoyed the day with Peteris and Naomi. We also attended an extended family Christmas gathering from Sarmite's side of the family. The kids had a blast running the halls with cousins. The family also has many amazing singing talents, and when they gather together and sing, they sound like a beautiful choir! This is certainly a special trait that this particular family shares together, unlike any other.

We are so proud of our boys as well! Jekabs convinced both of them to sing a solo in front of everyone. After Isaac braved the crowd, Christian followed suit.

The boys carrying home around 80lbs. of groceries. Time to stop eating bread and butter and get our bellies filled with substantial food! 

LCC gym

NBA star Yao Ming has practiced in this gym. Impressive! Lithuanian's love basketball. 

Downtown Klaipeda

Following are Isaac's school pictures, including our walk there on the first day. What a champ he has been. Most of you have seen our update of facebook, but for those who have not, I'll include an update. 

To date, he has completed 2 successful days at his small private Lithuanian school.  We had toured the school last week and felt comfortable with what the school had to offer. They are fairly strong in their academics and have a nice assortment of after school programs (chess, ping pong, soccer, karate). The school houses grades 1-12. The class size is small (he will make 13 in his class) and his teacher is a Lithuanian woman who just recently returned from living in the U.S. for 10 years. We are thrilled, and considering our circumstance, can think of no better alternative then to have him in her class!!!!  She has been very generous with her concern to help him transition. We have been recommended that he be given 3 private Lithuanian language lessons per week so he can start grasping the language.  His class schedule consists of school lessons from 9am - 2pm on T, Th, F and 9am-3pm on M, W with the option of attending after school programs.  

Transportation.

We have decided to buy a 1996 Peugeot minivan from a departing LCC colleague. I gritted my teeth for weeks about the potential purchase of this van, but a thousand dollars spent on this van is about six thousand dollars saved on a nicer vehicle. We'll get by with this for now (or starting on Jan. 15th, when we finally get ownership of it and the apartment we are renting).  It runs quite smoothly. I took it out for a spin the other day and had a bit of fun driving it around (shift stick). Advertising Plug: My very nice 2004 Cadillac Escalade is still parked in Tulsa, Ok if anyone fancies that for a family car! It feels and looks quite luxurious inside and is in excellent condition with 96K miles.

Peugeot. Here she is! 

She needs a name now that she will be a part of our family beginning next week! 

A note about my husband:
I am so incredibly blessed to be attached to such a wonderful, strong man. In times like this, when I want to shrink up in a corner and stay there all day because there are too many changes and everyday life scenarios to figure out, my husband is my rock. He is a solid, strong leader. He is fearless and embraces any and all challenges or changes that come our way. He is the ultimate optimist. He thrives in any environment. How this boy from Latvia and this girl from Kansas came into union often feels like an act entirely from God!

A note about the weather:
I believe that no matter where in the U.S. you reside we are currently WARMER than you are! Since our arrival 2 weeks ago, the winter has been very mild. Days are continually in the high 30's or even 40's. We have gotten several days of rain, but no snow. We certainly appreciate this hault of winter during our transition time.


Thanks so much for checking in and following along with us! And thank you for your many messages on Facebook. We appreciate the communication!

Stay warm, America!!!!

April