Home again home again, jiggity jig

WELCOME HOME SMITH!!

My friend Amanda Smith got home from her mission today!
Hazza!!
She served a full time mission (18months) for the LDS Church in the Moscow Russia West mission. She also spent some time in Kazakhstan.
I'm sure it was hard for her to leave. After spending a year and a half in one place doing service for the people I'm sure you start to love it as much as home!
In her weekly emails home she would give a "this week's reason I love Russia (and Kazakhstan)", here are some of my favorites:

• their grocery carts. I know, you think that's not a reason to love Russia - but oh it is. They APPEAR to be just like ours, only smaller. But they're amazing. They glide just like mayonnaise. None of this our-carts-back-wheel-is-shorter-than-all-the-rest, theres-a-hair-wad-stuck-in-the-wheel-so-i-cant-drive, our-cart-is-so-noisey-everyone-knows-we're-leaving-the-bread-aisle-and-heading-towards-the-cantaloupe business. They -glide front to back, and SIDE TO SIDE! Oh, so amazing. You have to come drive one. I think it's because their aisles are so tiny, and everyone is always so hurried.... having good carts probably prevents a lot of problems. :)
  
• Russian for ladybug is "god's cow." Russian for chin is translated literally as "under beard." AND, they have a specific verb that JUST means "to have difficulty the sounds 'R' and 'L.'" No joke. Fun huh?
• They play paper-rock-scissors with FOUR elements. I know. Crazy. Paper, rock, scissors, and -- WELL. (As in, I need some water, lets go to the ____) apparently rock and scissors both sink in the well, and paper covers the well so it's the only thing that wins. Insane huh?

Welcome home Amanda!
-not that she'll ever read this, but I just want everyone to know I'm proud :)