Welcomed Back With Frigid Temperatures

Traveling home for Holly and Darren's wedding allowed me to reunite with so many friends and family, take care of some much needed shopping, and most importantly, support Holly in the days leading up to the ceremony. Here's my favorite picture of the recently-married couple:






Holly and Darren had a large wedding, with nearly 250 people in attendance! The bridesmaids wore adorable light blue dresses with a brown lace sash around the waist. Holly looked beautiful as ever. As we were lining up in the back of the church, tears welled in my eyes as I looked back at Holly. "I'm so glad you're here," she said to me.

Here's a picture of Holly and Darren practicing the walk at the rehearsal. Dinner followed at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Portland - deliciousness!

At the reception, we had to capture a picture with old friends. From left to right: Melissa (met in 7th grade), Meghan (met in 3rd grade), Irish (met in 6th grade), Holly (met in 2nd grade), and Kelli (met in 1st grade). I sure miss these girls!

I was able to spend some time in Marysville (north of Seattle) with Irish and her family. Here I am with Makayla (my goddaughter), who is six years old! I can't believe how big she is now...

You can follow the link below to see some more of Holly and Darren's beautiful pictures from the wedding: http://www.beccyhartmann.com/Weddings/Darren/11003575_tXrxr#769500264_T38EF




For some reason, I didn't take many pictures while in the states. Here's a picture that was snapped at Bola's birthday party. Bola is a dear friend that I worked with at WSU Vancouver and we played indoor soccer together.

My last Friday night in the states was spent with Mal, Amy, and Irish. We went to a karaoke bar and had a lot of fun! Irish and I sang (or screamed, according to Mal) Love Shack by the B-52's...classic.

While I was at home, I was able to share some of my Peace Corps experiences at WSU Vancouver and a local church. I enjoyed organizing the presentation because it allowed me to reflect on my experience thus far. Below are some of my favorite videos that I shared with both audiences:

Happy Birthday to Dima! (a student in 7th grade):

Dancing for the New Year with Roma (10th grade) and Marina (11th grade)

Meet Lena, Sasha's Grandma (Sasha is in 9th grade):

Sasha and Dasha (both 9th grade) introduce us to a traditional Ukrainian folk dance:

I returned to find Ukraine in, what some of my community members have referred to as, the harshest winter in nearly ten years! With temperatures reaching as low as -13 degrees Farenheit for multiple days, lessons have been cancelled for the past week.



Here is a picture looking out from the front door of my apartment complex:

This picture was taken from my bedroom window, overlooking the yard. The small houses that you can see are actually small garages/storage spaces for people living in the apartments.

Looking up at my apartment complex from near the storage buildings. Many of these storage units house chickens, turkeys, potatoes, and canned vegetables and fruit.

The white building on the left is the local post office and the wagon near the middle of the picture is where I dispose my garbage. It's picked up about once every two weeks or so.

I traveled to Kyiv three days before my plane was scheduled to travel to the states to have my "mid-service" medical appointment... which consisted of a routine physical and dental cleaning. With the extra time in Kyiv, I was able to enjoy the preparations for the New Year's Eve celebration.







Unfortunately, I missed the New Year celebrations at school, but Inna (an 8th grader) showed me where the festivities would occur.






Here are some old pictures of gatherings with other Peace Corps Volunteers before I traveled to the states. We gathered in Kyiv for Drew's birthday and ate sushi - wasn't the best I've had, but it was a necessary break from the usual borshch.

Evan, Dorothy, and me at the sushi restaurant:

Alia and I hosted a dinner for friends in Kirovohrad. Countries represented at the dinner included Ukraine, the U.S., Germany, and Mongolia. We had some interesting conversation... what a great group of women!

I apologize for taking so long to update my blog... hope you and your families are well. Please drop me a line via email when you get a chance (natbrusseau@gmail.com).

Thanks for following and take care.

Love Natalie