We saw a lot of Christmas decorations. Sveta had a tree up in her appartment. The city had some decorations up as well. We even saw a kind of familiar figure on the street.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYw7GmDhs3K68Ppi6Qxjvu9tSvqHJyrmXRmCCu5qjNxlY3D87wRsjNOCwm67l7gq90Mvwwvh_iFD7mPHIYIM__bMvlYQ4O_8sMonRs_4-_hP7qRRIBcHmbHPVQQZWpYK__PA72asIm9Go/s320/DSCN0171.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIw8DGq8Is7PpRuFZBR2WnpP_b9jv0OgisB-fDqTBO1Iz2XBkaXQ0-9P0kz2loj_a9ryy4Qj9g_zVMPZeHY5RziT9VtRYfoYUR6p_-fCdIwpmuFr0KsUqM0r7Fb613PKYmFY8Hzo1HmQY/s320/DSCN0169.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XsYVMbsa3KrxDvolZbddhJNHQV8yJ42geAUXNUwW4uAaFz2MalOZnP3DH6n-C_hr3BGmeswuS93P1jAlR4mu-TirJKabhspzilY3iGtPA0HLtQUorD-Nur-tPjTXWyH5zc1hhs4krTM/s320/DSCN0099.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5cFTrXdbGvevcnRrCRgim3rS-7p1mLZoLHV89hRLmOIdZXZOdhf5g5R_AOsbzbgyFupxblSJl8UzWQVoPwXAZI8_ZXK8qtxWGccdBKHPB290YlA5HDdFAllicE0ZUmW4MF2Dvsn4URE/s320/DSCN0100.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhFk3E5AtELLw-cjSHVFMsgBvZK5R5hRsFTgjBSPzr_fJfbR-GulA9XvrCVSKnmkEYlyDMXroIf6H7hMEFc2iYwY3iqp07g9DwXNrPWA8qEmJQRHeIh-wwWa-obnHLdyvVRLdUOq6EcU/s320/166612_10150120839865915_525795914_8126953_4123673_n.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOM46oY0Xk5a3HvJCKpvO8wSKHovdlTjJnwRZYaSB2XIZfXeAFVqpFWI3vod-yYjXuKiyy4Ty4gIfcE-Dj1bKcvpp2PTK5mNY1mdBLyhD4qivZnuGOtKHzSAfCMKN7PMu5n8iPB5EirI/s320/163667_10150120841050915_525795914_8126987_4218642_n.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtI13xIM_r9Hw3MuIo4N5UxdYjeUcp3x3sP71pK8urskFtTu5506IKncGwpPtUp0LDeJhGtJ8H7qyDWar_4h_q58mxNQQ-w7wxpnaFmTdowVUyN37pImfZUzaxF2pqyw8WJxeAt6y0dY/s320/DSCN0118+-+Copy.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lhVQbXNZSv9eKC3q3jEvFylf9tJMZ-7wfZ-VZqqW8NlDkucPHHjhzpKZLk0woiW_Z1LUz5Wkxg4HtIbNBHYjMgg2EB6mzK49o14rZ0bmRuOgRzkN4beX7UlDhK83FPxrf0tg_Q-0W_Y/s320/DSCN0137.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0y_de3jQ4rBttvTl-3M3yZ4ANjMCx4yUx7TibyrvT5UElYm7yfrJIuMVgda35tcDK1a11koEDVgrQYIroIIxgLRDirmVIBMQ2GFpuKK9c7YJ2_vg07pGUbitG3K0B7VMSwDKeZf4L_0c/s320/DSCN0134+-+Copy.JPG)
One evening we got the ingredients to make borsht. The ingredients included: beef, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, beets, tomatoes, spices, and a couple green herbs. I was looking forward to trying borsht for the first time. Borsht is one of Sveta's favoirte dishes. It was very good. I enjoyed it a whole lot.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQwrxKUSwBe24Dnchm0_eM4rGdGzRv17tgL1_vOQfu8evuPyn360-Mrzem0ix9FPwdzvCAWEgRxwrrVEV6aPJUiQGBPUbxq44CUj4oW2XCnkRjibBG34kL1hobe3_4c-Pz3FlFf6bMDs/s320/DSCN0187.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDV-ITKJBlQ6YNGBJ-uBZD7Ykx8GDoLR7eTnvnaHEOyDt2YU7Kq89eM3miDOklEI8W8p_liJKV8qb8IUD7luVrJgg9CLnnSj0H6hR4khni9yP4OLm7V4JN15bhDF2GIJyLovRW-psK3g4/s320/DSCN0185.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7x9mgVrKnV8SCy3TnFo2K3JOOzQJX0e79uvvW335095fn9JVwZvjyvyOkPiIl6NF9HE3wFSPrOrhdkFugapoimfUcF0lHflgQuzoqabpofna5IFex2ib5z91NyNAzGvldDxwdjNofQak/s320/DSCN0186.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeTqtTFOIfwrtaVPvq1moHJuZU_KInEsdT24bnrpVRJYrVwTZsFILpejIAkdlJ2KOXiBON4dzYojT0klBmN3ABH53Z3E1rqU7tvuJHPprwdjwmz4P6FzqrLc0d7NKmsHNkmA2cHm26u0/s320/DSCN0172.JPG)
We had so much fun together. We went walking around down to the river. We went out to eat. We tried to go to a World War II museum, but they were closing when we got there. We did get to see planes, military vehicles, and even a train that they had outside. There was also an old building that had been shot up during the war.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_SK777lNqrJyKGEkpNVAIkX_xK_DeW26R7D71dL_sbdS9PWk6UcoIp6fMROmz26QvxrSkQk_adzEdNvYPU5Icw2fRQGptFjL_NxpkTkAFCkknpWz2Bj3K-cBF37jXr7DsuLDkMqj9jU/s320/DSCN0189+-+Copy.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPA7PYw8SCQXTIAhuRYPfR_wU_sdMjlGpYat0nK7xHx87sX3T9-WwQdEc1c7jbaHj9wNYMZ2g33eOcLsGfdg47EmI_m3xte-WQ02s13mTXgyULjrRDNSmK2cKB3VRcEEg9WjOCZA0fwE/s320/DSCN0202.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aBIdR5DxNhmhb3X5lvm9-ywM8tg447R__BAgnwEFaUqN6imxDhxqve7A4EnBLW0hyphenhyphenko8e1mo2rznxQEH5yVbBr5MIPg90vgohVz3hsvhHJbQkHPN6TzLYR5WLvkZVYKpqYIRISoDzNo/s320/DSCN0111.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHCehnOhsODVq4-awr0Z1tw3a4ccrGFf-HIhjEoXlMot6-alo5pPDz3FJF6XUx-fdv5cYitRNoWFKOOb3TDj1OPvxE0JAQkQX2W6tsp3xbBN6BsMWLBDAAjOJ0ISKtYCFMeh2a-N-sYI/s320/DSCN0161.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumzozdA4kWfm9h-mHLkpkD9opIttF0Sfwt86slp_PSXpXRsbO9SYFrTPtn_thGKpOIICk1W8Z6KbFsubQiSvzOC18KcODuVjzybiB1n2IzK37MsIoQ5HxDaIF54EY9uae_VfdoN5Eyt4/s320/163826_10150120841285915_525795914_8126995_100234_n.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_NHw9UEYVmtE5WDMhUzY1R7toLN69hIADg_i4Uhh9b7dYOTeOMJSaQD4NC7AS0aPwVLSDb8e5KI6YooEs_AB2IwAK1oyPd2ZVLIkCjCOGQk5BmOTUNv5c_idoSfhBh2anKt9OKGQgdU/s320/164846_10150120841340915_525795914_8126997_1956376_n.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5AMk5rKusD8lSqbTpq-aN-fl3Yr8515_r4lTMHwaf6v2c5_BS17e58iBmmqBDdLvKHUa5yyCM2FWECTzqJXUlvDrv9_r4fbjoXiKE7Nn58eBa59nkKqt6RREY01bkanN5cwwZMmWEmo/s320/DSCN0208.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLLIHRgm2K52zfMFKZD8BDdgsWWGUQcey9UWrltv4FbcSWGKChb6ircSPxsyvaT9v7RodmqS9Uliu0pfs9NoF39ltsLn3nrFbiavNvOr0BqML8kM39-ZNWNtd7O-b_r4IzgL0On8E2Sg/s320/DSCN0212.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0I1ReT5mNVaYnwXGjQsm29uts9Z-OQd71CEq9ED6Hp0ERLrSlw9qpOg02R7T_Bteo8u8rr6LQl-aK0_fSvRr73z940M8ObjO7qJF_qRFyHY7_mIBOZMqJkqbOgKs5VQ80Dg9Zb9UdWs/s320/DSCN0238.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MU6O0sDZyAB7NNmK7a3ezUcLnMeeWigc8NZilxIljNIdIctE0hemvEaCjM0hwLwGDbd2omSQcPKdgasLgnenuDttDlUQxIJq_AZ-irHg8GvK4sx3L6hycEQ9eTZHxeGvL1BRk1oFkjw/s320/DSCN0224.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8NoaWt2NTP0NZmcX_nOljZ9iew4lEXqM58XJhSdYUkQP3MtiPl1iqbl6fhTchvNT-m5BEAf4RNYuFEzgDHU-DrejTFsxFW6AzsjTqZgpVuys32hDQE04iSbBZ_Ibro0Cp7voXB4qRaM/s320/DSCN0149.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjO1QCS7_aNw4OVRPmvTLHb0Wn8MWzQlAjecc5f4-cBjb3n_WptVJ60CajnTpCPaIDAIcbgLtXDu7kZLAVkyGsxlJN84Q7VEV0eH1rbRjVqVbbIXhssdvYy3CcqDW8H7PybMec2N5OAcQ/s320/DSCN0167.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitD1HZiRChBzjReO0_tUp-oGmXwnFSaQRJlCQ7eZaYBlBX4rJcn_LJCQpQtnGgAP2o78vSo9Bk9ttIh7XrR3xRooTHf3ahAyEzCwy5nKp61geu0_xJeZxn6AZQIKza3Q-EFkB8N7neUEA/s320/DSCN0156.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9In8zHNSwEEWtkkarGMLIutaLADv5Rw_0WAFmO0M-XnWdqIqjBd4zbLeoCWj8v73HVOz-MSgpfLgkPcLu_4bz4ejVbCOS5DWY34KKOj55zzRT7ptaBU_MzHIv5BL6g1Qxk9A5jK_6sxE/s320/DSCN0245.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarWmUQtC6Z9l1cF_C5gor5oKV8D1X0ItSG_VS-zzgROjG3JYiHZ_grO7RFsM3rjhpZs0JLNx2YRb0Y7y-Paf7ICPAhhzrQqvmsYXTOirUlH-zgDUz3jYkoYhw4XCt1juo-l6f9urB0CY/s320/DSCN0247.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9xYISb-wYPjDXsgFG04V59C8HNDBAFZKSGZzjSao9h6YYoEK7t8W9tJsHxdsL85tKn4XbObIu6lRBOQV73mpdQ1Eh2JAUwvtLeeiB2O-hOK__9oMrhvNMBvEK5YdwvNd8blnAeq-uIM/s320/164133_10150121921335915_525795914_8148452_5731431_n.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzncBgSRGkR0UtD11dmCeoIhwyjQXicf0H_BQw-Pwxz8ZfcA0El-s8XEJBGWsS-mfzaoDSiyPetZiQbgnMgn8i0ewoV3A3bnqRsfhDbydyfrYs2IN8gltHFy_bTGRuqJkpfhW3gUGiCU/s320/DSCN0107.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LcVJx93BUAQGWNlKwYTTl8A7kcaRxjTqt7lueVbOp4aavMUKloX5wsEa5WdBg6faoakIRGKyTo-CR_gGqjCAWqJgCYg5Tm8RxHniVIKk-UOALdiXIehzhZSHRZu6UrSjub_kzU03c1k/s320/165685_10150121921075915_525795914_8148443_2166857_n.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXkEBRP-5q_InVu3B-1BFGVKYf9J3cotsq1wi22CNYacq7Szk61wv0m-YpuyKYX3HfU0bFaoDkL37LIgeHyV8QU_eDCCRdXVQ2_-GCwG7d4r_3fC7_4IDgJFZKSm2tognQWYs3PhCZE8/s320/168863_10150121920920915_525795914_8148436_6165687_n.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-Uor59qMWg4ZXAI9pQ0-cSE7Fz2DIWSNnvW4el2rv8YqklMuGqo26Gldrh08HcJrGEDqZaAqnd0xVNvUc1jsBJAzNnyKwmIRX-yLT5Vil2DDTYvHbb8IEVGgl5AtPID08dekT6kuUxQ/s320/166612_10150121921580915_525795914_8148465_8131374_n.jpg)
We spent New Year's Eve and most of New Year's Day together. We made a nice chicken dinner with potatoes, salads, and carrots. That night we became engaged. I told Sveta that I loved her and wanted her in my life. I asked her to marry me. She said yes. Interestingly, in Russia they wear their wedding rings on the right hand. since then we have decided our date will be June 11th. (The date did not work because of the length of the visa process. Stay tune for an updated wedding date.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_iJs5PDjmVElw2tqBUXNiGrOJMDnaiDQQ5pg0CyxvczaKWukiUeqz7rBxHyF8nYbKcsMb6Ia4SxKZqtqs2P-BlC38fYUXkrAq44xC8-6n4qj02WxAwRpguOwzQQQ_PJ1pK3DI46LDLA/s320/168461_10150121820900915_525795914_8145456_6209345_n.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRYnBiZ5TflKjA51dRtfVHZdIFOE5aEU3rJaYBwcU0r5C7W8FacbYypi-opb6wD8UtiROjta2-B-_3KElXR5XtItSSxhRlUNsaEPD6vGYdcgbU7lxxxD761yPQUhv1DJG-HDf5ctCazg/s320/165218_10150121921830915_525795914_8148473_6971230_n.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23SvQYwNo0DNgB7X5Yj3c-uxBKjjl6IH8BC4Nx24kvSwLGpEUKdmwBpHD_4k0adHuNflqRkYovXAd4owxWdjM6GJVyLwqW6k0ZpwQUD0_DwC853dcl-J7QeesFHJ4Yt6TJhSC7vpJnCI/s320/167545_10150121820935915_525795914_8145457_6739239_n.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_EF4YuqLAOyQf_kJV4iQoLJIm0-3zsH72HagaYw51N7XWMwg23lPggyAplCw7hJN5Y9gHPh_C9ePQd3eoP3_GJx-J9kzcMg4uVGu_x3LL9xOijGLflaMzZRP6L_lwhhBJvMg9OrACQc/s320/166178_10150121821040915_525795914_8145460_5735504_n.jpg)
Unfortunately it was time for me to come home. I left later afternoon on New Year's Day to fly to Moscow. I finished the trip home on the 2nd. We spent as much time as we could together before I left. She came to the airport and stayed until I had to go through security. We waited as long as we could before I had to leave. I had a good trip home. But I missed my sweetheart.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoMWuI0Souvbwb076JAfAg21PlkQSmbr1WC2NV085R1uw34Q04AyJqLVXuFADUThw9barmBm5akAsQE8dxzACOueccWpquC4FW2pd0kBanNhXoH3dJeFpZGEaDCFy6kjPsnvnLjKoXMI/s320/167132_10150121921995915_525795914_8148479_7874791_n.jpg)