Russian feast - Mid-Missouri style

 Steven decided that his 34th birthday celebration should be a Russian feast - in memory of his two- year mission in Russia.   And, in order not to put his poor mother in an early grave by asking her fix every dish, he divided up the cooking duties among the guests and we all go to try our hand at Russian cooking.  Wonderful idea and wonderful results!  Steven made borscht,

 Melanie made shashliki (skewered and grilled meat), Emily fixed pierogi,

I did pelmeni (meat-filled dumplings), Sarah fixed golubtsi (stuffed cabbage rolls).  The Taylor family (Steve Taylor also served a mission in Russia) brought plov (seasoned rice with chicken), and black bread (dark rye) topped with sguschonka (sweetened condensed milk cooked to a caramel-like flavor and color). To finish it off - Elise fixed a tort Napolyon, a layered pastry and custard cake. 

The weather was gorgeous and Steve had just mowed the back lawn (and picked up dog poo) so we set up tables outside. 

 
 
 
 Tamara, Elise, Noah, and the birthday boy...


 Joe, Emily, Quinn, and Lucy

Alicia, Sarah, Steve, Cameron, and Will Taylor.

After gorging ourselves on delicious food...

 we started a fire in the pit.  The kids had a blast finding sticks to feed the fire and, thankfully, I had a handful of marshmallows for roasting.

Here is the birthday boy blowing out his candles

 Earlier in the day, Emily, Steven, Sarah, and the Southerland clan visited Rock Bridge State Park.

I love this photo Emily took of Lucy in our front yard enjoying my daisies.  As they were preparing to leave Sunday morning, Emily made each kid a daisy chain.

Aside from our exciting Saturday, the rest of the week was pretty average stuff.  I did get to visit a miracle woman, though, on Wednesday.  Sarah Everett is a lovely woman I visit teach.  She joined the church about 9 years ago but was never very active - mostly because she really couldn't lick her smoking or drinking habits.  March 16th, she went to the hospital and was intubated the next day and put into the MICU.  Because of her smoker lungs, she was difficult to extubate, even after getting a tracheotomy.  A month into her ordeal and her kidneys started to fail.  Eventually, she was put on "comfort care" and we all just waited for her to die.  But, she didn't.  Her kidneys started to get better.  She was finally extubated.  And, when I saw her on Wednesday, she was out of the MICU and alert and talking and her old self again.  She was waiting to be discharged to a rehabilitation center for physical therapy to regain her strength.   Wow!