Marius in a carseat waiting to load in the car. He's pretty cute, this one.

We went to Erkindik Park last weekend. It's a pretty popular location around here. We stopped and played and one of the many little playgrounds along the walkway. At every playground there is a bouncy house. When we arrived, Scarlet would want to get on, and would get off within 2 minutes- everytime. This year she LOVES THEM. She will wrestle down complete strangers on these things. She comes ALIVE on these things! Until THIS DAY, Brighton was absolutely terrified to go on them. We convinced him and now he LOVES THEM TOO!!!! It's so fun and exciting to watch them bounce and run around with all the other kids on here. Brighton is QUITE a shy kid. I mean they both are, but Brighton's much more so. 

Marius kept crawling over to the cars so we decided to let him have a ride. He just looked like this the whole time. It was quite comical. Whenever he does something new and exciting he gets very still and very quiet and I just wonder what is going on in that little head of his. About half way through he cried and I grabbed him off. Poor Scarlet's car lost control and started to run off the sidewalk straight into a giant gutter! The kid with the remote grabbed the car and held it back. It was actually a little crazy!

 These are two local doctors that work about the Embassy Health Unit. They have been AWESOME. Chinara and Natalia. It has been so great having them here. We've called them late at night and on the weekends and they met us at the embassy to check out our high fevered sick children. Though we always have an American Doctor there, the majority of our experience has been with these two. 

We walked to Smokie's BBQ to meet some friends from work eat some ribs so I brought my camera to take pics of the road! They are pretty bumpy and full of holes and dips! This is a VERY typical road in Kyrgyzstan. I would say the majority look like this. Some better, some definitely worse.

There's spots like this ALL OVER the roads here. We just drive straight over them, unless they're REALLY deep. But all the locals will swerve this way and that, trying to avoid them- which is SO ANNOYING! Because they're EVERYWHERE! So cars are just ALL OVER THE PLACE here. At first it was really unnerving. You'd be walking on the side of a road and out of nowhere a car swerves your direction and you're like, "What! Are they going to run me over?" Nope, they swerve back eventually, they're just avoiding a pothole.

Everyone hangs their laundry out the window to dry- even in the winter!

This is a very typical sidewalk in Kyrgyzstan. Sort of a bumpy smooth, I'd like to say. The whole thing is dips and bumps, but it's very managable. But just like the roads, there are definitely parts that are better and way way worse. I've almost lost my stroller multiple times because the bumps were SO BAD. Literally, there was no way around this tree root situation so I just went for it and my stroller tipped sideways so badly and man ran to my rescue so it wouldn't flip over. This happened every time I went to the market, or as the locals say "the bazaar". It took me a LONGGGGG time to realize what a market to me, is a bazaar for them.

Along the main sidewalks are these gutters, that are empty/full of trash in the winter, and when summer comes they are GUSHING with water, rushing quite fast. It's a little unnerving when you're walking with little ones and they want to run and look at it or through things in.

Then of course, cars will park on the sidewalk and ruin everything.

This is our cross street so we drive over this everyday!

A garbage truck! I love the garbage trucks! Except this one is EMPTY so it's far less exciting. Usually these things are HEAPING with trash. And I mean, have that guy stand on top and it is just PILED high high above him. It AMAZES me, every time. How does the trash stay on that truck? The trucks always just look like they're rusted through and about to break down. They've all got to be like 50 years old. It's incredible. I just love the garbage trucks. But I DON'T love how they honk they're horn to let you know they're coming- all along the street.

Then there's just random holes that just appear somedays. On the roads these can get HUGE and cars will literally fall and get stuck! I've seen it! When a man whole cover loses it's top, instead of recovering it . . . they stick a big tree branch in it, so you don't fall in.

  

Our street is actually pretty nice. No potholes, for some reason. There are a couple embassies on our street, maybe that's why? Probably.

This is a very Kyrgyz house. Very common.

Piles of rubble and debris are also very common on the sidewalks. When we first moved here I let the kids shovel in it until I saw a dead bird on top! Gross!

This is literally next door to us. We almost never see it, it's sort of tucked away. But it is right next to our house!

Very typical gates and fencing. Unless it's a really nice house, they put up this plastic sheeting. And then there's the rusty gates. That orange house in the distance is ours!

These are my Zumba instructors! The one on the left is Veronica, she speaks english and her sister is on the right- I never remember her name! Probably 'cause I can't pronounce it. They are both awesome. Seriously, Zumba has been my happiest times here. I think if I didn't find them, I'd be really depressed. I came for a couple months when I was pregnant, than took a year off when I was too big, in the states, and then nursing too frequently and without a sitter. Once the nursing and sitter situation got figured out- I started going 3x a week! It saved me. I really hope I can find something in the Philippines.

This is my class! It's grown so much. When I started there was an average of 9 people each class. They are one of 2 zumba classes in all of Kyrgyzstan. They've been advertising like crazy with events and local new interviews. I'm happy for them. They give a great class. There are two other expats that come here and there, but lately it's just been me with all the locals and I often feel a little funny in there, to be honest. I wish I didn't feel uncomfortable, but I always do! It's been really nice though, they all mostly just speak Russian, and I obviously don't, so they all talk in class and I just sort of stand in the room waiting for class to start. But the last month or so, people have been really making a point to say "hello" and smile and it makes me feel really welcome!

Greg and I went on a big date last night- for nearly 6 hours! We were gonna go to a nice dinner, but Greg stuffed his face at lunch and couldn't bear to eat another bite, so we just got me a burrito and I ate it in the car. We had a little time so we went to a little health restaurant and had some fresh squeezed juice and chatted for awhile. It was good. Then we went to the Hyatt for MASSAGES. That was nice. Then we splurged to use the hot tub, sauna and steam room. Except . . . the hot tub was not hot!!!! It was very lukewarm. It was a major disappointment. I don't dig the sauna like Greg does. Since there was nothing to do, I tried the steam room and just kept going in and out. I couldn't handle it very long, it was too intense and felt like it was burning my airway when I breathed in. It was funny. There were too women in there and I think they were so embarrassed that a guy was in there with them. But they quickly got over it and one speak english very well. They kept rubbing honey all over them and offering it to me. They also kept spraying eucalyptus in the air and breathing it in. They were nice. We did that for awhile and even dipped in the PLUNGE POOL (cold water) a couple times after the steam room. Then we ate outside at the restaurant, where Greg got a disappointing cheesecake and I got an incredible pana cotta with berries and a syrup and it was SO YUMMY!!! We'd never had one before. I was expecting something very different.

Then we stopped at the Narodny (sort of like a Kyrgyz Safeway or Albertson's) and couldn't resist snapping a shot of all the vodka. Every store has a BIG section of vodka. What can I say, it's their drink of choice.

Today was our last day with our church group! This is me leading Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

Here is our little Primary! The first Primary in Kyrgyzstan! April taught each week and I did music each week. It's been it's own little challenge, but I'm so grateful we did it. My kids listen to April and continue to learn from her lessons each week and Elec has been able to learn a lot of new songs, since coming here.

This is our Priesthood Quorum. Greg, Chris and Tim (not pictured) would alternate teaching the boys. Once a month the men/boys would take over Primary and Tricia, April and I would have Relief Society and a break from Primary- which was great. When we first started doing church at home, Greg was the group leader, then Tim for a short span, and Chris has been our Group Leader for the last couple months. And he'll continue on with his family, because the Boles and us are leaving! Hopefully another family moves in to join them!

As much as we're excited to move on to a "normal" ward, it's been a privilege to have this experience! We've continued to learn and grow and feel the spirit, just as we always have, in whichever country or city we've been. It was nice not having to haul the kids to church and pack a baby bag. It was nice that I could put the kids down for a nap in their room instead of wrestle a cranky baby. But it was somewhat stressful having to keep the house clean every sunday morning. If we were late, we couldn't sneak in the back unnoticed. People would arrive whether we were ready or not, and often we weren't!

Around a month ago- Elder Bennet (a member of the Seventy) came to visit Bishkek and talk to the government, trying to make progress and feel things out here (right now there are no missionaries and we're not aloud to share the gospel with anyone). A few church leaders in Russia came with him (he lives in Moscow right now with his wife) and we all met for dinner at a REALLY cool restaurant. It's called Supbara. It's a collection of yurts and you eat in one. It's tradition to wash your hands before entering the yurt.

This is Elder Bennet taking everyone's picture. We had met him, before, a couple months prior. He came to our home and visited all of the members just to meet us. He is very kind.

To the left of me is someone that came Elder Bennet (I don't remember her name), to the right of me is Tricia, the two next to her are local members, then it's April, another member and Elder Bennet's wife. So in total, there are 3 local women that meet together for church. They can't even have the sacrament because there are no men to bless it! They believe and have been converted but they truly are alone out here! 2 of the women, I hadn't met before this night. We only knew of one member and had met her a few times at the Carson's house. They were so happy to meet us and said very kind words to us. We aren't aloud to meet with them for church, it's against the law. They found the gospel in a bordering country, where there is a ward. It really was a sweet experience.  I was so impressed with these women of faith! They study together and keep going, despite being alone! We are so blessed to have religious freedom in our country and be surrounded by so many members and so much of the Priesthood! It was really cool. Greg wasn't able to make it. I really wished he could be there.