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.

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.



Goodbye Lezevoyeh

Today was so rich and full!  I am so utterly exhausted that I cannot begin to describe it.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I suppose these 10,000 words will do for tonight!!  :o) 

Cool new clothes!

At lunch after passport and visa photos.  Two good-looking dudes!



Back at the orphanage for the final "sign-out" which blessedly lasted well over an hour, maybe two before they needed our signatures!  The day was lovely and the kids played freely and took photos of their friends.  Vitalik got to play a bit of futbol with many droogs in his cool new shoes, which he simply could not have been more thrilled with by the way! :o)

Each of the kids were given a few photos and certificates that had been saved for them in the office.  Very special!

I have not counted, but there must be at least 20 photos like this from various points in the day that Lera got the camera!

Vitalik took this picture and was very impressed with how it turned out. ("Very good photo!")    I'm pretty sure it's because it has a car in it! The boy does seem to have a passion for motor vehicles of all types!



Their last moments at Lezevoyeh Boarding School, where they have been since about age 7.



We piled six people into that little car I was standing in front of, which is not so unusual in a culture in which most people don't own a car.  All 4 of us were in the back seat and our driver joked that we still had room for 2 more Eugenes!



Vitalik and Lera walked with Eugene to a very small market near our apartemnt and used their own money to buy something they love which is similar to ramen noodles, except better.  Later in the day, Vitalik used google translator to ask if he could prepare the noodles for our dinner tonight. (Da, con etchno! ... Yes, of course!)  We worked together in the kitchen (I was the assistant)... He closed the door so that Eugene would be surprised.  We set this beautiful table with noodles, bread/butter, water, and a few bits of meat and cheese.  He could not have been more happy!  After we all finished, he quickly got up and washed and put away all of the dishes while Eugene, Lera, and I sat and visited.   When he finished, Eugene led Lera and me in a chant of "Spu-see-buh... Spu-see-buh..."  (thank you) which is what the kids at the orphanage did at the end of yesterdays party.  It was awesome!   

The new computer for our 5 kids to share for educaitonal things.  We pulled it out after dinner and introduced them to the Rosetta Stone program for interactively learning English.  The program speaks simple phrases (The boy is running.  The woman is eating.  The man is swimming.) with appropriate photos and then asks you to repeat the phrases.  They both laughed hysterically because English (without a Russian accent) sounds utterly ridiculous to them both! 

We let them stay up as late as they wanted to - they went to bed around 11 o'clock, which felt extremely late after such a long day.  I hope that we will all sleep in tomorrow!  Tomorrow's big agenda item is going to the supermarket!!  It is so hard to believe that as I type, they are actually sleeping in the next rooms!  Wow... life is rich.  Thank You God...

...Spu-see-buh... Spu-see-buh... :o)

Farewell Party

Yesterday was another rich and full day!  I can not possibly do justice to all of the ways God is at work in our lives this week - let me just say that we are experiencing reminders of the great connectedness of all things, and that we are feeling blessed beyone our wildest dreams.  More on all of that later!

The big thing going on yesterday was a party at 3:00 pm!  I am told by our translater missionary friend that has been a serious buzz at the orphanage this week.  Everyone is so excited - party on Monday and the kids are leaving on Tuesday.  I think it is remarkably similar to living through the days leading up to a big highly-celebrated wedding, with Lera and Vitalik very happily at the center of the activity.  They are elated and excited (and I am sure they will soon realize that they are also emotionally exhausted)!!  This is an amazing time in their lives (In our lives as well obviously!) and we are all doing our best to enjoy each second of it!

The driver picked us up at 1pm and took us to a HUGE supermarket.  He is our dear friend now.  Although we can barely communicate using our very broken Russian, there is a clear mutual respect and affection going on, and it is rich.  He led us through the supermarket, helping us select the best cakes, fruits, and juices for the party.  Then we told him that we wanted to bring candy boxes for the kids to give to their teachers and caregivers.  He very carefully helped us select the best boxes of candy.  We trusted his instincts, because he is afterall, far more knowledgable about what is appropriate than we are!  It was fun!

I cut my thumb while slicing apples.  Vitalik helped me with a bandaid.  I had them in my backpack in case a kid got hurt - it was funny that I was the one who ended up needing to be patched up!

We stuffed all of the bountiful party supplies into the trunk and drove to the orphanage.  The kids met us at the car and were pretty delighted when we opened the trunk.  Lera put her hand on my shoulder and said with sweet delight in her voice, "Zaaavvvtraaa!" (tomorrow!)  The big day of coming home with her parents is finally almost here!  They were both dressed in nice white shirts and had clearly decided that today was a day to look their best.  They did, of course, look gorgeous!!  

The party was awesome.  Vitalik engaged in big negotiations and planning conversations with the social worker and driver about exactly where he wanted the party and how it would all work.  He has serious skills in figuring out what will work and then talking with everyone to make it so.  He is a born leader!  It was a bit of work to get it organized, but he was right - his plan for how and where the party should be was perfect.  We piled both kids classmates into Vitalik's classroom, with the tables and chairs arranged perfectly to accommodate the group.  The kids and a couple of close friends helped set the tables, cut the fruit, lay out all of the food and party favors, and blow up balloons.  It was a good atmosphere!  The kids (about 30) neatly filed in and took their seats.  Also present were both teachers and the translator missionary who is so dear to all of the kids.  She prayed for us and then translated a few sentences from us:  "We have so enjoyed our time at Lezevoyeh.  We think that Lezevoyeh is a very good place.  Thank you very much for making us feel welcome and being so kind to us while we were her.  Please enjoy the party!"  Then Eugene got the tunes buzzing on his ipad. 

Vitalik was a good host.  He went with the driver to take a separate cake, juice, and box of candy to the director's office.  Another time he took a plate down to the driver who ended up waiting outdoors so that he could visit with other kids while we were there.  He also left briefly once or twice to find a few missing friends and make sure they came to enjoy the party.  I refilled juice glasses and handed out extra bananas.  It was a day of bounty! 

The provisions were bountiful!  The tables looked much more festive after we spread out
 the party favors and balloons, but no pics of that!

The teachers said kind words, wishing the kids health and happiness for themselves and their new siblings and parents... telling them to study hard and have a long and happy life... and to never forget their friends at Lezevoyeh.  Vitalik's teacher said that she was so happy for us that we had come to Lezevoyeh to find our  children and bring them home. 

Pretty girl heading back to class after the party.

All-in-all it was an awesome celebration and just a fantastic send-off for the kids.  As I have said before, they have clearly been very well loved and we are just so thankful!

This morning, we will sign them out of Lezevoyeh and become their parents forever.  When they go to bed tonight, they will no longer be orphans.  Thank you God.

Apartment Visit and Circus

Wow, today was full and we are so tired!  We visited the orphanage for a couple of hours and then, with a sudden and happy change of plans, we brought the kids home to our apartment for a couple of hours before heading to the Simferopol Circus!!  There is a lady who has been kind to Lera and Vitalik over the past year or so, and she invited us all to meet her at the circus.  It was a very kind offer, but since she did not have a car, it required a LOT of cooperation from our driver, who, as I have mentioned before is a remarkably kind man and genuinely loves these kids! 

Bringing them to the apartment for a little visit was an awesome treat.  Each step from the car to the apartment felt special...pushing the coded buttons to unlock the outer door to enter the building, watching Eugene turn the key to enter the apartment.  They loved the apartment and thought everything about it was special from the pictures on the wall to the white dishes in the cabinet.  We had a bountiful snack together of summer sausage, cheeses, apple slices and bread.  Vitalik stood at the table and cut the meat and cheeses, arranging it neatly around the edges of a plate.  When he finished, he washed and put away all of the items he had used. 

We showed them the clothing we brought for them and let them choose an outfit for us to bring on Tuesday when we picked them up.  Lera was, of course, very happy to have a stack of new clothing, and liked many (but not all!) of the things we had brought for her.  Girl's clothing is REALLY hard to select and properly fit without said girl being present to approve the fashion and the fit, so I didn't expect her wardrobe to be exactly right , but she was definitely very happy and found something cute to wear on Tuesday.  She went ahead and began wearing a pair of sweet sparkly flower earrings that were included in her goodies... they looked very pretty on her of course!  She was also really pleased with her new little zipper pouch that holds her brand new toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouth wash.  I pray that we will all (on some level) always know to be thankful for such luxuries!

Vitalik's wardrobe was a total slam dunk!  Everything fit well and was totally to his liking.  (At any age, shopping for boys clothing is just a million times easier than girls!)  He tried on clothes and said things like, "Good!  I happy!" while I sat on the bed and clapped.  He had so much fun thinking about which shirt to choose for Tuesday and gave a lot of thought to whether he would wear the black socks or the white ones, asking  for every one's input.  What a joy to have such tough decisions to make!   After making all of the selections and stowing the excess clothing in the suit case, he paused and said with sincerity, "Big Thank You!"  Eugene gave him a big hug and said, "You are welcome...We love you!"  It was awesome!

The circus was a real treat too of course.  It was a round big-top with fountains, bright lights, lots of gymnasts in cool costumes, performing dogs, a jumping bear, trapeze artists, and an amazing strong man!  During our time at the apartment, we helped the kids prepare gift bags for the driver and their lady friend whom we met at the circus.  They were very happy to be able to present gifts to the people who have been so kind to them.  After the circus, we were all pretty wiped out, and we took the kids back to the orphanage and said, "Da Zavtra."

So now we sleep! 

Hands

Yesterday was Saturday, and the weather was gorgeous.  Our driver picked us up and presented Eugene with a new soccer ball (like the rest of the world, Russian-speaking folks call this a futbol).  Today was going to be all about futbol - the young bucks against team "stara" (old)! 

After briefly saying hello, Lera and her pals requested the video gadgets and spent most of the day holding court in the back seat of our car so that the sun would not cause an unbearable glare on their screens as they enjoyed movies and video games.  :o)  I have come to realize that Lera's reaction to her new parents is best described by the famed line from the Jerry McGuire movie, "You had me at hello."  From the minute we showed up, we were her parents and she was our daughter.  She immediatly loved us compltely, and she was immediatly 100% confident that we love her too.  Whenever we are nearby, she seems to just feel safe and I am so thankful!  So yesterday, as she hung out in the car with her friends, we would occasionally check in to stroke her hair, share candy (confeita) and snacks, and to just make sure they were happy, which they always were. 

Meanwhile, outside of the car, the men and boys went to work on the soccer field (a paved area between two old basketball goals... with the bases of the basketball goal towers serving as soccer goals).  They spent the next 2 hours or so sweating, laughing, and banging into one another, and having an awesome time.  I watched, took pictures, provided water during breaks, and shouted affirmation and jeers in my best broken Russian as appropriate.  Vitalik was in heaven, and his droogs were pretty happy too.  It was a really fun day. 

On the sidelines after a game, Vitalik came over for a drink and got out a calendar, pointed to the date for Tuesday and said, "bye bye Lezevoyeh?"  I checked the date, and said, yes, then looked at him and made a "so so" signal with my hand, essentially asking him if he felt lukewarm about it.  He looked surprised and said, "good!"  I said, "You happy?" and he said, "Yes!  You happy?"   I replied, "Yes!  Ochen (very)!"  then he affirmed, "I happy."  I know that leaving will be hard, but for now, it is good that they are both really looking forward to their new life with great hope and excitement.

After the soccer games were over, and I had just about exhausted our snack supplies for the day, I got out a bag of dried cranberries.  Most of the kids are a little shy about accepting food from us.  (It seems to be a culturally polite response in Ukraine to always refuse the first time something is offered.)  After I insisted and made them feel confident that I really did want to share with them, they all accepted a handful of the snack and said in sweet shy English, "Thank you very much" to which I replied, "You're welcome!  Good English!"  Many even came back for seconds.  One very shy boy who almost never talks didn't say thank you until his friend elbowed him and reminded him to use his manners! 

Yesterday morning, as we were hanging around the apartment, my favorite Jewel song ever (Hands - recorded in 1998) came on.  It would be difficult to find a more perfect song to reflect how we are called to live out our faith with simple acts of love and kindness.   One of my favorite memories from our time at the orphanage yesterday is handing out the dried cranberries to all of the boys after soccer.  They are teenagers, all about my size.  In their world, they are almost men, and many will soon be heading to trade school I guess (and I hope).  It is impossible to describe, but for me there was something truly sacred about pouring a small pile of dried berries into each of their hands... a very simple exchange between human hands. 

Just for the record, and for my own enjoyment, I have copied below the Lyrics to Jewel's 1998 masterpiece.  May each of us do our best live out the words to this song (in whatever small ways we may find) every day of our lives.  I'm pretty sure that this is what life is all about.

"Hands"
If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we're all OK
And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these
I won't be made useless
I won't be idle with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear
My hands are small, I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
Poverty stole your golden shoes
It didn't steal your laughter
And heartache came to visit me
But I knew it wasn't ever after
We'll fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what's right
'Cause where there's a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
I am never broken
In the end only kindness matters
In the end only kindness matters
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's mind
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's heart
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's eyes
We are God's hands
We are God's hands

Mango Keifer Spritzer -- YUMMM!

I must digress for just a moment to talk about the special drink that has become a staple of our diets in Ukraine.  This drink is the mango kiefer spritzer, and it provides a great example of how things have worked for us here.  At the end of our first 2-week trip to Ukraine, we stopped in Kyiv for one night before catching our plane.  You would think that by this time, we would know how to go to the market, and we certainly thought we did.  We walked in the freezing wind to the nearby market and managed to get home with what we thought were just the items we needed to survive for our brief stay.  I must say, we were feeling pretty good about our accomplishment of navigating to (and through) the market experience on our own; we commented that we had been far more intimidated two weeks earlier... you know the drill... we had come a long way baby! 

So, the shopping list had included just the few things we would need to get through dinner and the next morning's coffee before heading to the airport at 5am.  Our list had included mango juice which we had come to love, as well as cream and bottled water (both for coffee).   The next morning, as we tried to make said coffee ... the water turned out to be sparkling (here they call it "water with gas!") and yes, of course, the cream turned out to be drinkable yogurt!  We had to laugh at our complete lack of competence in combination with our newly acquired confidence! 

As with many of life's unexpected turns, this ended up being a great thing.  We now LOVE to have mango yogurt spritzers for breakfast, and have pernamantly added kiefer and "water with gas" to our shopping lists!  :o)