Our Week in Simferopol

 Wow!  No time to blog!  We are all happy.  There have been normal ups and downs, but we are feeling very fortunate thus far considering the enormity of the changes these kids are dealing with.  It has been really precious to have this time as a family of four.  Once we get home to the rest of our noisy brood, things will be very different...also awesome, but very different!  So we have been trying to treasure each minute of this special time, beginning to bond with our two precious teenagers!!

Here are a few photos from our very special week in Simferopol together.  Tomorrow afternoon, we hope to have their new passports in hand and be heading to Kyiv on the 15 hour trian to begin US Immigration processing. 



Vitalik master-minded this meal with me as his assistant.  It was so cool, he totally knew what he was doing and it turned out great.  Fried potatoes, garlic, onions, and kiobasa with a side salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions... and of course, bread. 
Me: "Should I add salt?"  Vitalik:  "Potom (later)... maybe 10 minutes."  The boy had patience in the kitchen (something I always lack) and it turned out to be the best meal we've had in awhile!




Vitalik and I had fun practicing gymnastics together... i.e., stretching.  He was very impressed with my flexibility, but I'll tell ya, I sure can't do this!!  Moi spina eto stara! (My back is old!)





Lera and Dad made lunch one day of awesome grilled cheese sandwiches with chips and apple slice.



Lera's new doll, which she named Eleni. :o)

Lera's favorite spot in our Simferopol apartment... in front of the TV.  We've been letting her enjoy it more than we usually would while all of the programming is in Russian! 



Both kids are enjoying practicing English using Rosetta Stone software.  They think the sentences sound so hillarious!  Lera Still cannot say "The girl is drinking." without laughing hysterically!  They are both doing great with learning English.  Vitalik speaks a lot more than she does just because his personality is more extroverted.  She understands a LOT though, so we will have to begin watching what we are saying around both of them!



God's timing brought V&L's missionary friend Esther back to Lezevoyeh only 3 days before they left forever... just in time to hear their great news and give them her contact info to share with their new parents.  She and her friends have been visiting, writing to, loving, and praying for Vitalik and Lera since they were about 8 yrs old. 





Games with missionaries Esther and (her new husband) Jason at their Simferopol apartment.

 

Looking at photos of L&V dating back to 2004!!!  Even a few video clips!  An AMAZING unexpected blessing that they (and we!) will have photos from these years, and even contact with missionary friends in Ukraine and America who remember them as beautiful sweet children!  Just Priceless!!!



After lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Black Sea.

 

an overlook at the black sea




at the black sea

 
  

Enough photos!  Ne Yeshyo! (no more!)




Enjoying her new IPod Shuffle, a gift from our dear family friends in America.



Diggin' the tunes on his new IPod shuffle.




At a Simferopol park which featured strange dark artwork.  Vitalik loved it of course!





We woke Lera up from a nap to go on this outing.  She cooperated, but she NEVER pretends to be happy when she is not!  I admire that quality in her, although, sometimes, a little pretending might be nice!! ;-)



Lunch with dear translator missionary friend Natalya on our last day in Simferopol.