There has been a bit of a gap in our regular updates since the last post, so now it's time to play catch up. A lot happened to us after the August update and we couldn't really bring ourselves to articulate any of it, but now (this is actually being typed in February 2010) we can fill you in a bit regarding how we've learned God's goodness afresh. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

After enjoying our cruise in June so much, we decided to go on another one, but this time to Canada. Ivan had a long weekend for Labor Day, so we took a short trip up to St. John's. Susan had been having some health problems leading up to the cruise and they came to a head on the only day we were at port, so that was bad timing and pretty much ruined the rest of the cruise experience for us, but it was a nice get away. We did enjoy the towel animals, which we didn't get on the first cruise.

The main tourist attraction in St. John's seems to be the Reversing Falls. Ummm, can I say "not very exciting?" Certainly the concept is interesting. The fact that it happens is noteworthy (namely, that the river is so low and the tide so high that at high tide the sea water flows into the river instead of vice versa). But going there to look at it? Not so much. It doesn't look any more impressive than a river flowing. See for yourself.


Another mandatory stop in St. John's was the Tim Horton's (thanks, Zhenya) basically the Starbucks of the North. Ivan enjoyed his cup o' joe.

We returned on Monday and on Tuesday Susan had a doctor's appointment. The diagnosis was bleak, but, as we learned a week later, incorrect. Earlier this year we had worked through the sorrow of an early term miscarriage (3 months) learning a considerable amount about how much God loves us to send His Son to suffer the physical and emotional pain of the cross so that we can be reconciled to Him. Also learning that, like Job, we don't have to know why God does something, but to trust that He is doing it for a good purpose. That's a really great lesson that can be applied to many areas of our life and we continue to face situations where we remind ourselves of that very important fact.

But, back to the doctor's misdiagnosis. "Another miscarriage," he said, only to revise that a week later to "you have an ectopic pregnancy." Oh. Okay. How do you treat that? Chemotherapy. Thankfully it was only two doses and Susan was back to having blood tests twice a week. Her arm was a bit worse for the wear.

Nothing like a care package from family to cheer us up. With all of the essential ingredients: food, clothes, and entertainment!


Actually Susan had other complications that added to her discomfort, so even better than the care package was having Susan's mom come out and stay for about a month. We were very thankful for her help. By the middle of October, Susan was feeling much better and we were able to enjoy a trip to Long Island for some wine tasting.

Labels: NY, Quick Trip, Summary

We just got back from our very first cruise! It was wonderful! Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, Susan has been on a cruise before. Her family went to Alaska when she was in 8th grade. That was a fun cruise as we did all of the kids activities and ran around like crazy and ate all sorts of food that we wouldn't get at home, but this cruise was very different and even more enjoyable.

As we were enjoying the cruise we often stopped to ask each other why didn't we go on a cruise for our honeymoon?! We left on Thursday, June 11 from Brooklyn on the Caribbean Princess (a Princess Cruises ship). Ivan worked a half-day and we went directly to the port from his office. We packed light and were able to directly board without waiting in very many lines at all. Our 9-day cruise was scheduled to make stops in Bermuda (West End), Puerto Rico (San Juan), U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), and Caicos Island (Grand Turk) with 2 days at sea getting to and from the Caribbean. One of the great things about the cruise was that we were able to unpack our bags once and not have to worry about changing hotels every few days and it really didn't work out to be much more expensive per day than our honeymoon was (including food - so maybe it was even cheaper!!).

We totally lucked out on our cabin: we paid for the cheapest interior cabin, but ended up in a partially obstructed ocean view cabin (a full 30 square feet larger and with a gorgeous view). We were directly on the bow of the ship which helped with the view, but did seem to be a bit of a rougher ride than closer to the middle of the ship. Thankfully, neither of us got sea sick and we thoroughly enjoyed our cabin.

We were determined to manage our eating to minimize the weight gain and started out great: going to the gym twice a day and eating frequent, small, healthy meals. We "splurged" at afternoon tea, eating sandwiches and desserts, but decided that it was early enough in the day that we could work off those calories. At dinner we limited ourselves to the "healthy" choices or, if we ordered something that wasn't so healthy we would eat no more than half of it (we tried asking for half of a portion to avoid wasting food, but our waiter told us not to worry about it - so we didn't). By the end of the trip we let our guard down a bit, went to the gym less often, and ate food that we would have scoffed at during the first few days, but we still managed to put on less than 5 lbs each (hurrah!).

During the sea days we made a point to attend the ballroom dance lessons and now can hold our own at dancing the Salsa, Merengue, Cha Cha, and Waltz (although we have to practice or else we forget everything!) Unfortunately, they only teach three moves per dance, so our repertoire is rather limited, but it's still fun to be able to find a song on YouTube and dance to it!

At our first port (Bermuda), we paid for an excursion on a glass bottom boat to see a ship wreck and then snorkel and that was a lot of fun. It was a cloudy day and rained a bit while we were in the water, but it wasn't cold and since we were wet anyways, the extra water didn't bother us. We also went to Hamilton to see the city, but didn't have much time and weren't too impressed with seeing the city. There were a large number of "Tall Boats" (the old fashioned full-rigging sail boats) that were preparing for a transatlantic voyage, so those were pretty neat to see.

On the cruise, there was a lot of photography so we decided we should have brought more clothes so we could have more variety in the photos we could purchase, so in San Juan we decided to do some clothes shopping. We also did the AAA Walking Tour of Old San Juan including a visit to El Morro, La Forteleza, and many Plazas. It was a very warm and sunny day, so we didn't last very many hours out in the sun before heading back to the ship for a late lunch.

Our third port was St. Thomas. Susan had done some research and learned that the most appealing shore excursion was a driving tour of the best spots on the island. Rather than book that tour, we found a taxi bus to take us around for less than 50% what we would have paid on board. Unfortunately, it was miserable weather and we didn't get many good photos from the lookout points. However, when we did get glimpses of the water, we were absolutely astounded by how many different shades of blue it was. It was incredible.

Our final port was Grand Turk. We had wanted to book another snorkeling excursion, but balked at the price so instead we went ashore and rented snorkels for $10 a piece (mental note, next time buy a snorkel at home and bring it with you) rather than spending $80 a piece for an official excursion. The water, for the most part was warm and rather shallow and there were a surprising number of fish to look at, although no coral. Perhaps we would have seen more interesting things on an expensive excursion, but we definitely got our money's worth on the beach and enjoyed sitting around and reading a book in between snorkeling.

On the last two sea days we were very ready to just relax. One morning we sat on deck and watched a movie by the pool. Although we were very diligent to apply sun block, we missed a few spots and are now burnt to a crisp in a strange pattern (a few spots on our arms and legs including all of Susan's neck). Hopefully it's not severe enough to start peeling, but we're also glad that we didn't get sunburnt earlier on the trip.

Our highlights were definitely the dining experience and the dancing on board as well as the snorkeling opportunities ashore. We hope to take another cruise in the not-too-distant future.

For more photos, log into Facebook (they will be posted in the next few days).

Labels: Cruise, NY, Summary

Another few busy weeks have gone by. A few days after Papa Viktor left, some friends from California came for a visit (JK and Ira). They were on the East Coast for a conference and were able to stay a few days extra. They also celebrated their anniversary while they were here, so on Friday evening they went to Manhattan. On Saturday, Ivan and Susan went to Mike and Prospera's wedding. It was our first New York wedding/reception. We had no idea what we were in for! Most of the weddings we've attended have been for college friends in California, where it's usually a punch and cake reception that lasts for a few hours. This was a full on crazy expensive reception and we had a blast. It started with appetizers (which were so extensive we thought it was the whole meal). Then, we moved into the dining room where the wedding party was announced. There was a DJ playing music and the couple had their first dance. Then came the four course meal with dancing interspersed. Ivan and I enjoyed a few slow dances and tried to swing dance to a few numbers. We decided we need to take some dancing lessons so that we can feel less foolish next time! But we had a lot of fun.

After the reception, we decided to join JK and Ira in the city for a bite to eat. Ivan showed them his office and took them up to the 33rd floor, where there's a great view of Manhattan. Then, we went to a Sushi restaurant. Usually, Susan is afraid of sushi, but she ordered a few California rolls (ie no raw seafood) and they were quite tasty. We drove the Sheas to the airport on Sunday.

The following week was Susan's birthday and Memorial Day weekend. We went out to a Mexican restaurant in Manhattan for Susan's birthday dinner and then Ivan had a few days off, so we went to Boston, MA. We had a great time, although we were sort of hoping that Susan would be able to meet with some people at MIT to discuss research ideas, but since it was a holiday weekend, no one was around. So we just enjoyed watching the scullers on the Charles River, walking around Cambridge, and looking at Harvard. The Mets were playing the Red Sox while we were there and we debated going to a game, but it was cold and rainy, so we opted not to. We did, however, make it out to the JFK Presidential Library, which is only a few miles from the city. It was pretty interesting and made for a good half day trip.


Basically as soon as we got back from Massachusetts, Susan turned around and went to New Mexico to hang out with Claire for her birthday. What many people don't realize is that Memorial Day is actually on May 30, but it's observed on the last Monday in May. Well, Claire's birthday is on Memorial Day, but the rest of the nation observed her birthday on Monday, so we decided that she needed to celebrate her birthday every day that week. Susan learned how to play "Happy Birthday" on the guitar and so she played it and gave her a present every night that week. Our cousin, Shelley, also came out from Ohio to celebrate Claire's birthday with her, so we had fun together. On Friday we went up to the top of Sandia Peak and then went to the Petroglyph National Monument. It was a lot of walking and it was a hot day, but we had a lot of fun. On Saturday we took a trip to Santa Fe to see the capitol. It wasn't as exciting as we had expected - Albuquerque is a much larger and more interesting than Santa Fe, but now we can say we've been to the capitol. After we got back from Santa Fe, we went to see "Up" in the movie theater. What a sad movie! It's a tear-jerker: cute, but very sad. After the movie we went out for Claire's birthday dinner to an award-winning barbeque place. Wow! That was good food! We split a sampler meal so we could try three different kinds of meat. We then went back and bought a pound of the best stuff and took it home. We watched a movie and ate some fabulous Strawberry dessert, which we made last time we were all at Claire's house (in NJ).

Susan left on Sunday to fly back to Boston, where she had finally set up a meeting to discuss research ideas with a professor at Southampton University who was in Boston for a few days for some board of directors meetings. It was a productive meeting and hopefully will lead to some concrete progress in her PhD.

Susan took the train home and is ready to return to a less hectic schedule soon.

Labels: NY, Quick Trip, Summary

"What happened to Madrid Days 9 and 10?" you ask. Well, those last few days were rather busy with lots of staying up late. I came home on Saturday, April 25th and was greeted by Ivan and his dad. That's right, Papa Viktor arrived in NYC while I was away. It was his first trip to the US and we tried to do everything possible to make sure he got the most out of it. The first weekend he was here we stayed in NYC and took it easy. The second weekend, we took a trip down to DC, stopping at Philadelphia on the way (thanks, Kristen, for letting us crash at your place). During the second week that he was here, Ivan had an alumni event for Southwestern in the city, so Susan and Ivan went to that while we sent Papa Viktor off to enjoy the New York City Ballet. The third weekend that he was here, we all flew to CA to spend time with Susan's family and introduce Viktor to the west coast (or, as Claire says, "the best coast" - not to be confused with the east coast aka "the least coast").

We left for California on Thursday night. On Friday we spent the day in Ventura. On Saturday we went to Santa Clarita where we had brunch with the Paradises (Papa Viktor had met them almost 15 years earlier in Kazakhstan). Gayle (Ivan's English teacher in Kazakhstan) came with Nanci on her way out of town and it was touching to see how emotional the reunion was for Papa Viktor.

After brunch, Susan hung out with some friends (Joanna and her family and then Caroline and her family) while Ivan showed Papa Viktor The Master's College campus. Then, we all went to Vitaliy and Michelle's house to hang out and catch up with them. I think Papa Viktor enjoyed having a real conversation in Russian! Monday the 11th is a birthday shared by Ivan and Vitaliy's oldest son, Daniel. Daniel is such a cute kid, he loves it when we come over to visit and always wants to talk to us and when we sit down for a meal he wants to sit in between us. It's so much fun to have a friend's kid be so affectionate.

On Sunday we celebrated Mother's Day and Ivan's birthday. Then, we drove to LA, where we showed some of the sights to Papa Viktor before meeting up with Uncle David and Aunt Valarie for dinner. Finally, Susan's parents dropped us off at the airport and we were on our way back home. Yesterday we took Ivan out to the Outback Steakhouse for his birthday meal and today Papa Viktor left to go back home. So, now we have our house all to ourselves again. Overall, it was a very nice visit although quite rushed. Ivan and his dad had some great conversations and even Susan had a few lengthy conversations in Russian. It will take quite a bit more practice for Susan to become adept at conversing in Russian, but this was a good chance to brush up on it.

Labels: NY, Quick Trip, Summary

December was another whirlwind month (are you seeing a pattern here?). The first weekend was spent in Washington, D.C. where we stayed with great friends from CHBC. On Sunday after church we went out to lunch with Christine & Will at a great Mexican restaurant in VA where several presidents have enjoyed the food (and it was great). Monday we went to Michelle & Damien's for dinner and had a great time catching up with them. Tuesday, Susan's Dad arrived in town with our beloved Malibu in tow. The plan was for him to drive our car (towed behind the trusty motorhome) to us and take Claire's car back to CA with him. He made really good time and it worked out well for him to rendezvous with us in VA, rather than having to drive all the way to NY with it.

Now, the whole purpose of our trip to DC was because Ivan PASSED the DC bar exam (Hurrah!) and was sworn in on Monday followed by a mandatory ethics class on Tuesday. We were both very excited that Ivan's hard work (while Susan was in Russia) payed off and he can officially call himself a lawyer now :)

On Friday of the following week (the 19th) we had our first major snow storm. And I mean major. It also happened to be the day we had booked our flight to CA for Christmas. How nice it was to be leaving the winter wonderland of NY heading off towards the sunny beaches of So Cal. Of course, it was a bit of a nail biter as to whether our flight would be one of the 400+ cancelled due to the weather. Thankfully, it wasn't - although it was delayed for about 3hr - between waiting for the weather window and getting de-iced. Also thankfully, we had a non-stop flight, so we weren't worried about missing any connections along the way. We landed in balmy LAX sometime after midnight - completely exhausted, but glad to be back in CA.

We were able to spend a lazy 8 days in CA, without a care in the world, enjoying a true vacation. On Sunday evening (the 28th) we took a red eye home. Ivan went straight to work (poor guy) and Susan took the train home. Unfortunately, she was pretty exhausted and somehow managed to fall asleep just long enough to miss her stop. As a result, she had to wait out in the cold for an additional 20 minutes to catch the train going in the other direction, but the conductor had pity on her and didn't make her pay for the one stop trip back home.

It took the rest of December for us to recover for the jet-lag and tiredness caused by the red-eye flight, but we're up in the air about whether it was worth it or not. Would we do the same again in the future? Who knows.

Labels: Summary

November was another whirlwind month. After Susan's return from CA, we left that weekend for a church retreat on the "shore" in NJ (that's what the locals call the beach - kinda silly, huh?) The retreat was a great time to get to know more people in the church and to be challenged to live life in abundance.

After the retreat, we drove straight to Connecticut, where Ivan had several days of training. We had a great time lounging around in the hotel between sessions and even made a few runs to Costco to buy some much needed winter gear.

The next week we were scheduled to go on another business trip to Orlando and we had made plans to go down early and spend time with Susan's relatives who we had last seen in 2003, but the trip was cancelled and we missed out on hanging with the cousins.

The week after that was Thanksgiving. Ivan shared his testimony in the Thanksgiving Eve service (he did a great job, considering he only had 3 minutes to share it) and bright and early on Thanksgiving Day we headed off to CA to spend the holiday with Susan's family at Claire's place in Sacramento. She had to work Thanksgiving Day, so it wasn't a problem for us to travel on that day (and it helped us get slightly cheaper tickets). We celebrated on Saturday the 29th and flew home on Sunday the 30th. We decided that, for future reference, it probably isn't worth the 10+ hours of flying to spend 2 whole days with relatives, but it was fun to have the whole family together for the first Thanksgiving in probably 7 years.

Labels: Quick Trip, Summary

Yes. I back date my posts. Is that evil? I hope you don't think so. But I feel bad having a gap in our lives from October to January. We didn't disappear off the face of the earth. We were just very busy. Here's a summary of how the balance of October 2008 (and the first few days of November) was spent.

Susan, being quite frustrated with her research, decided to head to California to take care of business. What business might that be? In no particular order: Jury Duty, Vote, and talk to people at UCLA about research. She also snuck a quick trip in there to visit her sister, who was working in Sacramento for awhile. That was a fun trip - with her parents in their brand-spankin'-new motorhome. Road trips are so much more fun when you can get up and walk around and make yummy sandwiches to eat during the drive. Though Susan still insists that one of the best things about a road trip is stopping to eat at Taco Bell.

In general, the trip was productive, but quite a long time to be away from her husband. We were glad to be together again after 3 weeks apart.

Labels: Summary