Some fun before school started

After we came back from our trip to Utah, and before school started again we decided to explore our city again. They just barely opened this new playground and a Botanical Garden very close to campus where we live, so one hot day we decided to check them out. The playground is awesome and our kids are still at the age when they enjoy some good climbing! The Botanical Gardens were neat even though they are not completely finished, there is still construction going on but we had a nice walk. It is supposed to have many native plants as well as some exotic plants. The exotic plants were in these huge green houses that were not opened to public, and most native plants weren't in yet but I suppose in a few years it will look quite nice.

Girls' favorite part of the playground.

Anything that can be climbed is good in our kids' book!

At the parks here you can often find places with these outdoor exercise equipment. In general Kazakhs are very sport driven. This exercise set was at the south entrance to the Botanical Gardens. Of course, we checked it out.

Walking around the gardens. There is still plenty work to be done.

The green houses.

The green houses are huge but unfortunately the entrance is restricted to public.

At the main entrance they have this nice pond.

In the background is the Alau Ice Rink (green roof) where we go skating in the winter.

They are so happy I made them to be in my picture!

I love these flower designs they have all over Astana.

Happy Lexa.

Sophie.

Best friends for life!

Nika.

Lexa.

I always have to sneak up on Lina to catch her with my camera.

The Sphere  (or the Death Star as foreigners named it) in the background which was the main site for the World's Expo last year.

Lexa with Babushka!

Yes, I go on these adventures too. I am usually the one behind the camera.

This year they built these bike and running paths all throughout the city. This one goes all around the Botanical Gardens and connects with others.

Sisters being sisters.

Main Entrance to the Gardens.

These little islands of floral arrangements are all over the city.

Another one.

There were many different events around the city of Astana this summer to celebrate its 25th anniversary as the capital. The National History Museum housed a few traveling exhibits from famous galleries around the world. One of them was from Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow which I always wanted to visit but never had time for it whenever we were in Moscow. I didn't want to miss this great opportunity either. So, one day we all went to the museum. It was very interesting and we saw many famous paintings.

Spencer and Nika admiring art.

This one was one of my favorites; it is so real!

This painting was not part of the exhibit from the Tretyakov Gallery but I like it because it is showing one of the Kazakh traditions which they still follow. When a baby turns one year old, the parents will tie his ankles with yarn, put the baby on the carpet and cut the yarn with scissors. They believe that doing this will help the baby learn how to walk faster. Family and friends gather together to be part of this big step in baby's life.

It was a rainy day but a fun one.

At the end I thought I would through in a random picture of a mushroom just for fun! Actually these mushrooms are edible and come up everywhere on campus in early August and September mornings. One day the girls picked a whole bunch of them and asked me to fry them but by the time I got around doing it, the mushrooms turned into black ink! 

Our Summer Trip to Utah - Part 3

Every year in the summer when we come to Utah, the kids take swimming lessons. They are all very good swimmers but I want them to learn proper techniques and solid water survival skills, so we make them take swimming. Most of them love it. The one that doesn't still has to do. Yep, we are mean parents. And we are good at it!

Lexa making her breast stroke.

Sophie is making her way to the other side of the pool.

Twins were the only ones in their class who would dive head first and they took every opportunity to do so and then some more!

Nika and Lina waiting for their class to begin.

Payson where we mostly spend our time in the summer has Scottish Festival at the beginning of July. This year it took place just a few days after our arrival. People from many different states come to compete in Highland Games. Our favorite event was when they had to throw this haystack weighing 16 lb for men and 12 lb for women up over a raised bar. There were some very impressive throws!

This guy was over 60 years old and a champion in his age category.

A log throwing by women is happening in the back.

Kids watching intently and cheering for their favorite contestant.

While in Utah we also took the kids to the Payson Temple and to Temple Square in Salt Lake City. At Temple Square we visited our favorite place - the Family Search Center. It is a lot of fun for all ages plus you end up learning something about your family. For example, we found out that Spencer (and our girls) are related to a few famous people including a couple of US Presidents. My family on the other hand is a mystery since we all come from Eastern Europe and Russia.

It was Lina's first time going inside the temple.

At Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

Reflection pool

This is one of my favorite pictures of the Salt Lake Temple.

Spencer at the Family Search Center is finding people he is related to.

All of the places his ancestors came from.

Girls are leaving a recording for posterity.

It is funny how when you live in a place, you often do not explore much around it. Since we moved out from Utah, we keep finding these little gems that we didn't know about while we lived there. Or maybe it is just that we are at a different point in our life now and have different interests. I love hiking but there are no mountains in Astana where we currently live. And so I try to find some fun hikes whenever we happen to be around the mountains. Donut Falls up in Big Cottonwood Canyon was such find! I heard about it on one of the blogs I read sometimes so we decided to try it out. It was sprinkling a little the day we went there but it didn't stop us. The area was just beautiful. The hike was easy and led to a nice waterfall.

Twins and Spencer are crossing a little stream.

Two partners in crime.

Mika and Lina trying to get back down from a rock. The rocks were wet, and it was quite an ordeal.

Nika

Lina

Beautiful!

While in Utah we visited some of our dear friends and family... unfortunately, I didn't take pictures with each one of them.

One night we had a dinner with the Stices at their Provo home.  They've been home from Kazakhstan for a year now, and it was fun to see them again.

We saw Mary and Jerry Busenbark who we haven't seen in a few years.

And one evening we met up with Spencer's two high-school friends, Mike Hansen and Dan Haring and their families at Payson Park. We all have kids about the same ages and they all ran together and got along great!

We made a couple of trips up to Logan and ran into Aunt Laura at the Farmer's Market! Of course, later we gathered for a big get together at her house with some of our family.

Twins being twins at her house.

We also stopped at Suzie's house for a couple of days, and the girls had a great time playing with their cousins and Jade the dog.

We are a pretty good team!

Every great vacation comes to an end at some point. We loved seeing our family and friends and having all of the great experiences but it was time to go home. We are now back in Astana having other kinds of adventures.

Lexa walking through the airport in Houston.

When a crew member saw the way I put our luggage in the overhead compartment, he was in awe. He was also a German which makes his awe even more impressive!