a touch of ukraine...

it's been almost 2 years since illya has been back home to ukraine...

...but, i haven't been back in 4 years. i miss it terribly.
so, illya and i both have the goal of making it back there this fall or winter. yay!!

but, knowing that we are going is making me antsy. i wanna' go now! i miss my mama in law, i miss our friends, i really miss the food! i just miss the look and feel of ukraine.

so, i was happily surprised that one of the apx wives found a ukrainian church near our apartments and took us to see it (thanks, vicki!).

it's sad how happy it made me feel when we pulled in. i love the onion-shaped domes on the top of slavic churches.

it's also rare to see churches that speak and write in ukrainian. most churches in ukraine are russian speaking. so, i loved this church already.

we met 2 very nice ladies from the church who told us about another church right down the road that was built completely out of wood.
olga told us,
"it gives you the feel of the churches you would see in the carpathian mountains."

...and she was right. oh, it was huge and beautiful!!

i was on such a slavic high, that i came home and decided to make one of the dishes illyas mom taught me, fried garlic eggplant. it's so good on slices of a bouquet. it was my first time making it. i thought it turned out pretty dang good!...

...i think my mama would be proud.