Weeks 41 and 42 - July 11, 2018 - Continued - Visitors from Home

Dear Family,

We are now officially great-grandparents!!!  What a surprise!  Ellie developed a condition called HELLP, a condition that affects the liver and the placenta.  They told her (after she drove herself to the hospital since Taylor was at Scout Camp), that the baby needed to be delivered immediately at 30 weeks.  The poor girl had to be induced and the first 36 hours was terrible with all the medicine she was having to take to get the baby's lungs ready, plus get her own body ready to deliver a baby, but as Taylor said, "Then everything just fell into place and her body cooperated and before we knew it we were in the operating room.  We are so lucky that Ellie followed the Spirit and came when she did or it could have been worse.  We are sooo grateful for all of you and your prayers!  We love you all!!  Little Otteson--and he truly is little--delivered at 2 lbs. 12 ozs.  He looks like the tiniest little guy ever, but he is already off oxygen and both he and his mother are doing great.  Hopefully, he won't have to be in the NICU too long and they will be able to take him home to the beautiful room they prepared for him. 

More Family Fun in Moscow

Touring the Bolshoi Ballet Theater

 Throwing coins at the Zero Marker for Measurement in Moscow.

Visiting the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square.

 Eating lunch at the Gum.

 On our way to Izmaylovo Market.

 Eating at Izmaylovo is not only delicious, but an adventure all by itself!

 While the Andersons and Kevin and Hannah visited the Kremlin, Kent and Natalie, Ethan, Ella, George, and I visited the extension of Izmaylovo.

 Visiting the Wooden Palace

 Dressing up as the Czars and Czarinas.

Packing up from their stay in Moscow, we headed for the Metro, then the train station.

 On Thursday, we all boarded the bullet train for St. Petersburg.

 Upon our arrival in St. Petersburg, our guide, Mikail (a member of the church and works for a travel company there) met us at the train station.

We barely got the luggage for all ten people in the car--Mikail said he had forgotten how much luggage Americans bring.  Hah!  We then headed for the Metro and for our hotel.

We were all excited for our next adventures in St. Petersburg.  I could now relax because Mikail was taking over the tour duties!

(Continued on next post:  Our Adventures in St. Petersburg)