Time has been FLYING by, another week gone already. quite a bit has happened... nothing too exciting though. Teaching has gotten easier and i love the kids so much. This coming week we are doing Weather as our theme... sun rain snow fall stuff like that. im excited to make rain stick shakers on tuesday.

its already cold outside and im layering tons haha. itll only get colder so i try to appreciate how "warm" it is each day compared to how i know it will get.

we made it to church today, its quite the trip. I got to give the opening prayer. the ward is so tiny but refreshing because everyone speaks english :)

weve been eating a lot of nutella lately which is delicious of course. and also we make slushies of the raspberry juice which is still amazing.

Queen was here doing a free concert for aids awareness but we didnt get to go because it was on the otherside of the country and i had to teach till 7 so that was a bit disapointing.

Saturday we went in Saint Sophias Cathedral. it was gorgeous, its green and white with golden dome rooftops. I am always so amazed with how old things are and how much they have endured. history is a beautiful thing. the art and moasics were amazing. AND there is a prince burried there name Isalov or something.... the Wise. so everyone was excited for me and i pretend hes my ancestor although iknow hes not.... he founded Kiev's first library, cool.

On the sad side of things Briana got an email from her Tyson and they are breaking up... over email, while she is here in ukraine. AND Tiffany got an email saying her brother was hit by a car and in intensive care. it was pretty intense but im pretty sure will all be ok. Its interesting because there has been quite a bit of tension between the 4 of us, those two are messy while linsday and i are clean etc you dont need to hear about that stuff BUT its interesting because now something massive has happened effecting the both of them and its deffinately becoming a lesson for us. We are learning great patience in dealing with them everyday already and before jsut tried to just leave and avoid them before but now we are the only ones able to be there and comfort them so its a lesson in being humble and the ability to put things aside and try to help regardless of issues and animosity. I'm usually good at it but for some reason ive been letting things get to me lately. i guess this is like a reminder of sorts. This is quite the trip for building up independence and personality through our service and helping out but i dont think they like it when i talk like that. thingsll get better in a couple of days.

I really like it here. its still pretty when its cold and gloomy out. Im pretty sure im going to have some intense reverse culture shock when i come home... :)

at the end of september were going on our first vacation... Hungary and Austria. im pretty excited for that!

I love you ALL and Ukraine is amazing!

<3>

ha well i wish i had written on tuesday right after teaching but i have been extremely busy getting ready to teach and making lesson plans etc...

it was pretty difficult at first, i was so anxious and couldnt remember kdis names and wasnt able to keep things going and the kdis talking. i felt like crying after the second day but things are getting much better.

i am starting to enjoy the time in the class rooms much more rather than constantly looking at my watch and counting down until rotations and the next group of kids come into my room.
the kids are so cute and i love it when they speak b/c of their accents. my favorite girl is Lada, shes in my basic reading class and is so cute. shes tough and has spunk and is one of our smartest kids. shes so cute.

this week we made it America week. monday was the flag then statue of liberty, fireworks, cowboys and indians. next week were doing fairytales. i do shop and drama for the other kdis that come through my rotation but for my basic reading group i am teaching them consenants and the sounds to get them ready to read. then on MW i do maitenance kids instead so they are older and stay till 7 not 6 and they can read and write but dont speak well because they havent been in ILP before. it is more elementary level so i feel a bit incapable but i am trying my best. i really love the little kids though, they are adorable.

i had raspberry juice today and it was DELICIOUS. we buy food at the supermarket that looks familiar but we eat lunch at the school and get traditional ukrainian food which is a nice mix.
tomorrow were going swimming in some river...it might be a bit polluted but it'll be so refreshing.

it was our host mom Vierras birthday the other day so we got her 4 roses and a wind chime. she LOVED it and tried to hang it from their chandelier. it was so funny. she tries to feed us so much, i was going to the bathroom at like 10 before getting ready for bed and she made me come sit at the table and made me eat like 10 bleanies... pancake type things. theyre good but not THAT good. it was fun though. she is so nice.
oh and i played soccer with my brother Sasha, it was so much fun and well im a bit rusty but i gave him a run for his money. we squeezed through the fence to some field with a smashed gravel rock type stuff in the back of what i thought were apartments but realized is a school. it was so fun.

my pictures keep failing when i try to upload so im a bit peeved. were at a pizza place cause they have wifi... its not the same but pretty good. OH we were at this one pizza place with english menus AND the missionaries were there! it was so funny so we takled a bit but they had to leave.

ummm well i love it here. time is going to fly so much!
UKRAINE ROCKS!!!!!!!