Volgograd, Russia- A Girl's Camp to Remember

Camp Sweet Camp 
Sharing our light (candles)
Singing Russian folk songs means having to dance!
Campfire fun
Morning view of the river
Lena is going to the temple in Helsinki to receive her endowments in Oct., but her dream is to go to the Salt Lake Temple.  She wrote on the back of her temple picture, "I am going to the temple in Salt Lake City".
Everyone loved their temple pictures!
Scripture time
relay races
Time to eat

The next 10 pictures are of handmade gifts being presented to secret sisters

(or brothers)



John made a willow whistle for Inna





I learned the proper way to eat roasted sausages (my secret sister-Pres. Einer- roasted mine)
Burying our value treasure
Fun making accordion scrapbooks
Camp 2009-Volgograd District is all over. (2 leaders left before picture was taken)

A day away from the city

Good friends showed us a wonderful day last Saturday, taking us to the Russian countryside.

Joyce and Tatyana "patiently" waiting for adventure to begin!
John on his knees again...looking for frogs!
Lovely Lotus blossoms
Picnic on the banks of a river
Translation: Museum of Russian Fairytales
Ready to race...8 legs and 2 sets of shorts
John charmed Baba Yaga (a babushka witch in many Russian fairytales)
At the fairy tale castle with Baba Yaga
We need lessons from Harry Potter!
By the way, this is what we look like now that we have been in Russia a while!

Celebrating the 4th of July in Russia

We celebrated the 4th of July the way most Americans did...at a picnic.  But ours was on the banks of the Volga River.  It was a fun day that took our minds off of the fun things our families were doing at home!

We rode the ferry across the Volga River: about 15 minute ride.
The embankment park area of Volgograd as seen from the ferry
Waiting for the 2nd ferry and the rest of the branch members
Walking from the ferry to the beach

A mild game of American football
Plenty of good food
Fun game on the beach
Joyce, Tatyana, Katya at picnic.  Tatyana liked John's hat.
Playing on the sand bar.  The beach was located right across from our apartment building which is the tallest in the background.
Our beach looked like this one before the elders and branch president cleaned it up!

KIDS ARE THE SAME ALL OVER THE WORLD!!

I just can't stop taking pictures of Russian kids.  

Playing a game at a branch party
Traktorny Branch primary
Playing grandpa
I tricked her into this picture.  She did not want her picture taken!
Playing grandma 
All babies goo in the same language
3 daughters of members
These kids were rolling down the hill on Victory Day
3 unknown boys on Victory DayOlga and her granddaughter
"She's not heavy, she's my sister"
Alona dancing
Our friend Lena's daughter, Masha
Friends having fun at picnic
Adults & kids playing soccer at Krasnoarmesky branch picnic
The daughter of a Center Branch member
Little boy in Lithuania who waved to us all the way across the lawn.
Masha giving her dolly a bath
Just hanging out!
A sister brought her two grandchildren to family night.