April: Russian Easter is not for the faint of heart

We were in the village the week before Easter and while we've been in the village during Easter before, we had never attended a service.  After attending one service, I decided that one really needs to train like it's a marathon to really ready oneself for Easter.  They have two services a day the week before and the week after Easter.  Each service lasts as least an hour and a half and there are no pews in their church.  You have to stand throughout the entire service.  Now I like to think of myself as still young and in relatively good shape, but my legs were tired by the end of one service.  My legs would be screaming abuse if they had to do that twice a day for two weeks.  They do it all while going through Russian lent - which is definitely not for the faint of heart.  I think the only meat they can eat for those 40 days is fish, but I'm not sure.  I know they can't have any red meat, which is a very long time to go without bacon.  They also do not eat cheese, eggs, sweets, or pretty much any of the things that make food so wonderful and there are several days when they do not eat at all, but fast through the day.  Easter in the village is like the ultimate endurance test.  All of it, though, is done to keep the focus on what Christ did for us.  When you want to whine about what you're giving up, you remember how much He gave up for us and appreciate it all the more.

April: North to Alaska

We made an impromptu trip to the village in April to attend a funeral of a very dear friend.  I don't want to go into a lot of specifics out of respect for our friend and his family, but do have to say that he is and will continue to be dearly missed.  He was one of the most giving people I've ever met and know that I am a better person for having known him.

This was the first funeral we attended in the village and they are carried out quite differently than in Missouri.  I usually avoid funerals and visitations as much as possible here at home.  There's just something I can't quite figure out about the process that feels impersonal.  That is not the case in the village.  There is a lot of attention to detail and everything seems focused on remembering the lost loved one and truly celebrating his or her life.  It is a beautiful thing.  There is no funeral home in the village so preparations for burial must take place in another town.  When the person is brought back to the village everyone is waiting for them at the airport.  The pall bearers have a bit more to do in the village as they help take the casket to the their home where the visitation takes place, then take them to the church, and then to the cemetery.  Individuals take turns reading the psalms over the loved one, even through the night so that they are never left alone.  I think that is part of what is so touching about their funeral process - the attention and care given to the person who has passed away.  It seems like everything that is done is done with love.  There are several things that could be done more conveniently, but they want to do everything themselves as a way of taking care of their loved one.  They have the equipment to dig the grave, but instead they choose to dig and bury by hand.  The funeral dinner is a community gathering for everyone to share stories and remember.  While they often make jokes about the village's concept of time being a little different from the rest of the world's I think that is definitely a good thing in this case.  Rather than focusing on what really matters, we get caught up in our schedules and to-do lists.  Some things are definitely more important than to-do lists.

March: Baby's First Birthday

Our "baby" - he still thinks he's a lap dog.

Our youngest celebrated his first birthday in March.  We didn't have a big celebration or anything, but he's a dog and unaware of time and age anyway.  As long as he has his family around he doesn't really care about anything else.  Our furry "family" tends to resemble a human family about as much as is possible.  We have our youngest who is full of energy to the point of exhausting those around him.  He loves his mommy and daddy completely (I have to include here, though, that he loves his mommy more) and thinks his older brother and sister are the greatest things in all of creation.  He wants to spend every waking moment playing with them and will follow his brother everywhere.  We're hoping the neighbors aren't just being polite when they say they don't mind.

Our oldest child is far too cool and mature to be bothered with her younger siblings.  She does NOT remember ever liking the middle child and has definitely forgotten the days when they played together.  She has her own, much more interesting things to do and does her best to avoid both of her younger brothers.  Like most older siblings, she has instilled a sense of fear and respect in her younger siblings by doling out pain whenever their efforts of affection annoy her.  They have learned to give her a wide berth.

Then there is the middle child.  He is sometimes still a little boy who wants to play with his baby brother.  At other times he feels like he's too old for silly games and tries to hide to avoid playing with his younger brother.  Most of all, though, he just wants to hang out at his girlfriend's house.  Again, we're hoping the neighbors aren't just being polite when they say they don't mind.