Here and there

Yup, he made it there. An hour before he was supposed to get off the train in Dnepropetrovsk he video called me from his seat on the Mennonite couch in the village. We got cut off just as he tried to explain what he meant by "I hitchhiked home". When he called back five minutes later, I found out he got a ride with someone he met on the plane to Kiev, or that guy's buddy? who was driving to Zaporosia (I think).

Apparently his phone battery was dead when he got to Ukraine, so he hadn't talked to Victor when I chatted with Victor earlier today on facebook, because he was going to meet Garry's train at 3:30 am. He said he did call him somehow and let him know he didn't have to get up.  Garry and his three suitcases were selected for searching at customs in Kiev, from what I understood.

Me? I cleaned the boys' deep fryer, and replaced the very brown oil so they can go back to making half their food in it in two weeks. I watched the two younger grand daughters this afternoon- we watched kids TV while I crocheted and they turned the other end of my ball of yarn into a giant spider web stretching around three rooms.

On his way

Last night we had dinner with all the kids and grandkids except our daughter (two hours each way on a school night is a bit much). I made potato salad in the afternoon before going into Steinbach to get my broken filling repaired and picked up KFC chicken and store bought sides to go with it. Everyone arrived right after I got home, so all I had to do was mix up the dressing in the bag of coleslaw... in a bowl, I meant,  not in the bag!

More snow fell than expected this morning, but Garry successfully drove into the city to the airport, he even stopped and bought new work boots to wear back to Ukraine, and arrived not too much past eleven am, his two hour before departure time.  His Nikes are stuffed in his gym bag, which has what didn't fit in the three 23 kilo (50 pound) suitcases of stuff.

What kind of stuff? Fitted twin sheets I bought at the thrift store, jeans for the students, parts for repairing the chopper... really heavy parts, and some links for the TMR mixer chain because they couldn't buy the correct ones in Ukraine. Then I stuffed in other stuff people gave us for students, and even a few presents we got for Christmas. Hopefully all this arrives with Garry and makes it onto the train and home to the village!

I successfully drove back home, although it was an exciting ride back up the St Labre Road wading through snow higher than the tires. I met three pickup trucks and an SUV so I had to desert the tracks for the deeper snow, luckily I made it back into the tracks each time. The rain spitting onto the windshield most of the way home solved the salt spray problem since the washer fluid squirt-er is broken... and the back wiper isn't working either. I think they broke when Garry drove west, but it's the first time I've needed the windshield cleaned off, I had noticed the back wiper wasn't working after he got back.

He should be on a plane to Amsterdam now, enjoying dinner and several movies. He has a book to read in airports, since he left his computer at home in the village in December (he's been using mine here) so I won't hear from him until he arrives there Friday morning!

I am sure the next two weeks with the kids and grandkids (and cleaning the basement) will fly for me before I join him.

There's snow over there

Garry is leaving in a week and a day for Ukraine and from the photo I found, there is a lot of snow.
Victor said that there was a big snow storm on Sunday. The first of the year, it looks like they are having problems clearing the roads, I think Max must be dealing with a tank full of milk he couldn't get any of the buyers into the village to buy!
The photo was taken Tuesday and the plow is just going down a major road!




I read that there is a flu epidemic in Ukraine too, but I booked my flight into Dnepro's airport just before Valentines Day, two weeks after Garry arrives. Prices are really down on flights right now, if you are thinking of coming to visit! Garry will be at a meeting at Emmanuel EFree Church tonight for people interested in joining the building team they are sending in March or April.

Planning

Since Garry came back last week, we have talked to our church in Steinbach, and been busy talking to possible work teams coming to Ukraine. He dropped Max off for his first week back at college, and is off to pick him up for the weekend right now. He has been on the verge of losing his voice and trying to get over a cold which I hope not to catch. He booked his trip back to Ukraine for January 27th.

Today my passport arrived from the US, throwing my plans into turmoil, now I have to decide whether to fly with him, (and all his extra suitcases) or stick to my original plan of early February. I wanted to visit my dad in NJ too.

Home tomorrow?

Garry called today, I asked if he had a cold, but he said he was just talking too much. He finally left BC this morning, after spending the night at AJ's in Salmon Arm. He was out in the barn for morning milking there. He and Max left after breakfast and made it to Calgary, where they are staying with another supporter overnight, before trying to get home for the night milking- Max is on the schedule. If they don't make it there will be some shifting to cover it, since Seth is already doing that milking.

Sounds like everything is going well, not too much trouble with the car. The heat is not blowing on their feet again, and he bought new windshield wipers, it was slushy in BC.

Looks like Max enjoyed his time with Ev Wiens, whom he knew when he was a student the first year of the trade school.  He got to do some sightseeing with her while Garry was busy with meetings, he saw White Rock and the ocean.

They made it!

Garry's trip west and other adventures

For those looking for an update on Garry and Max's trip west, I can't tell you much. I know he went to his cousin's place in Alberta on Friday. I know he phoned to get the directions to Otto and Adriana's place to meet with the team from LaCombe that night, because he couldn't get into the hotmail account because he logged in from a different place, but we didn't talk except about that, because he needed to go there imediately. I don't think he bought a new sim card for the cell phone, so no one can call him.

I know he went to his meeting with the CRMF board in Calgary Saturday and left there around 3 pm and drove to Salmon Arm, but I do not have any details about any of these things, or what Max thinks of the drive or the Rocky Mountains. Maybe when they return on Wednesday or Thursday, I will be able to  tell you all about it.

Today, Monday they are driving to the Vancouver area and are staying with Ev Wiens, they plan to start to head back home on Tuesday, unless plans change.

Meanwhile I have been having fun with the grandkids as planned. Baby Isaac has great eye-hand co-ordination as he did his first grandma's glasses grab this week.



The big sleepover on Saturday with the girls went well, we made crafts, ate healthy snacks. pizza and gingerbread houses fixed their dolls' hair and eventually they all went to sleep after baths... before midnight.

The most elaborate mini house ,
she was still working while her sisters were eating

They had talked of pretending it was New Year's Eve since it was inspired by two years ago, but they were all asleep when I checked at 11:30 before crawling into bed with a 5 year old, a doll and a toy cow, Later joined on the pillows by the cat that was apparently hiding under the bed.


  I drove them back to Piney for church Sunday morning, where the church had a mission day so I ended up having lunch with them, before getting a ride home.



The morning sun is trying to climb over the trees so I have a few things to do today... including a little craft cleanup. The girls like to make their own things with the materials provided. Don't worry I wiped up the glue when it hit the floor. I am trying to decide if the tree can make another weekend.

Going west

Garry is taking Max Boradin with him as he drives all the way to Vancouver, with some stops along the way. I think it is the only way to get Max to stop working on his school vacation, and once he decided I really wasn't going, he is pretty excited about seeing more of Canada, and getting to see Ev Wiens when they get to the Vancouver/Surrey area.

They left at noon on the 31st, and will stop to visit with both of the building teams that came last (this? 2015) year,(excepting Steinbach, of course we'll be doing stuff there on the 10th)  and meet with the CRMF board in Calgary. Hopefully the weather stays good, and the car, as they are driving out in our 2005 Ford! Garry has fixed lots of stuff on it, including the heater, so we'll pray for smooth driving all the way there and back.



I finally convinced Max I really wanted to spend more time with these little people!

I am having a Grandma sleepover with the girls this weekend before school starts up again.

Looks like Garry and Max rang the new year in somewhere in Moose Jaw and will be in LaCombe Friday evening after finding his cousin's place that afternoon. He has good directions, last year he couldn't find them in Ponoka.