Farewell Ukraine

Today is our last day in Ukraine, and I have to say that while we will obviously be glad to get home, there is much that we will miss about this place.  For sure, our time in Ukraine with Lera and Vitalik has been incredibly precious, and we truly have savored it.  There have been many pillow fights, wrestling matches, many good meals at cafes and at home.  We have walked through the underground (literally) markets of Simferopol and Kyiv, eaten ice cream cones and totally amazing street-vendor hotdogs, watched a lot of Russian film on the computer, and they have done lots of enthusiastic and hysterical singing and dancing to music (Russian and English)... often when we wished they would just sit still and be quiet!  I don't imagine that we will ever again have time with just the four of us, and it has been a real pleasure.  Still, obviously, it is now time for us to go home and become a family of seven... and begin enjoying a new joyful chaos.

Tomorrow morning at 2:30am Kyiv time, we wake up to catch our car to the airport and begin the approximately 26 hour process of getting home.  After we complete this last leg of our journey, the travel statistics for this adoption will look something like this:
- Travel Began: January 15, 2011
- Travel Ended: April 9, 2011
- Number of Trips to Ukraine:  3
- Total Time Away from Spencer, Heath, and Mason:  About 40 days
- Total Distance Traveled:  approximately 32,000 miles
- Total Number of Airplane Flights for each of us:  18
- Total Cost ... Honestly, a bargain at any price!!

Here are a few photos from our last few days in Ukraine...

A few days earlier, before hopping the 15-hr train from Simferopol to Kyiv.  Here are Lera and Vitalik with our amazing driver.  A very special man who visits the orphanage often and truly loves these kids.  He served as our driver, and also as our Russian tutor... he made our time in Ukraine incredibly special.  Saying goodbye was bittersweet. 

Some of the several friends who came to the train station in Simferopol for a lovely send-off. 
Have I mentioned that these kids have been well-loved?  :o)

 

Getting on the train to leave Simferopol was the hardest part so far for all 4 of us. 
There was not a dry eye among us as we waved goodbye out the train window.
"Eto Trudna.  (It is hard.)"

Being adopted can be exhausting.  Here at 10am in our Kyiv apartment, even Eugene's stinky feet did not make Vitalik budge.  Later, when I tried singing to wake him up, he coined a favorite new phrase, "Mouth Off!"

Lera in the kitchen making sliced apples... microwaved to make them warm and soft. 
I loved them... Eugene and Vitalik, not so much!

Lera enjoying "kasha i musica" (cereal and music).

Vitalik helping to give dad a haircut... notice Vitalik's very stylish Ukrainian haircut...
soon-after made America-ready at his request, "It is no-good - America." 

Vitalik getting his hair trimmed. :o)

Lera in one of her favorite positions. :o)

Eugene found this cap and just had to give it a try.  Oh yeah - he looks awesome! 

We did a good bit of walking around the truly beautiful city of Kyiv.  None of our pics were great.  All had eyes closed or someone frowning, so here is the best shot we have! ;-)

Vitalik and I have lots of fun comparing gymnastic abilities.  He has far better tricks but I am still pretty good at stretching - which seems cool to me only because he thinks it is.  :o)

Vitalik doing an ariel (cartwheel w/ no hands) -- Ne trudna (It's not hard). 

Vitalik demonstrating pretty decent flexibility himself. :o)

Goofy family in the kitchen.