Hi folks! I have been thinking about all of the help we received before we traveled and I just want to say thanks again! Really, sincerely, thanks!
Gayle, yesterday we gave the kids the build-a-bear & truck you sent. They really liked them. Anya had fun dressing the bear. Some of the places (hallways, etc.) in the orphanage are very dark, so Dima used his flashlight truck to light the way. Ah… such a parable…the darkness in his life is about to be lifted.  Thanks!
Ginny so glad to hear about Cathy & Caitlin! Praise God. Angela, we are singing praises for the decision for Angelica, too. S&T, how’s Mexico? C&A, are you gearing up for the cruise? Mom, how was the MRI? Let’s see, I feel like I am forgetting several things, so let us know how each of you are doing! We did hear that there was a tornado in Tennessee. Can a Thompson report back on Jeff & Brooke’s safety? Nicole, it will be fun to have girls the same age. Corley’s, so glad the house sold. We have been praying for a “good” family. Foreman’s, thanks for the scripture. And to the rest of you thanks thanks thanks for your prayers! Let us know how things are going.
I am missing my friends, family, “scrapbook girls”, our church family, etc. and will be so glad when we are able to come home. Not that this place is bad, it’s just we want to get on with it. We want to show Nate (Dima, we’ll ease into his American name at home, but the nickname Dima will probably stick for a while) and Hannah (Anya, her nickname will stick, too) their home. We want to just get them in the groove of their life, to go to church, to play in their backyard, to swim in Beaver Lake, to eat at our kitchen table, to sleep in THEIR beds… While this going to the orphanage everyday is respectful (I agree Gayle), it is also tiresome. It feels as if you have a perpetual babysitter and you only get to spend an hour or so with your children. It is tough to start & stop each day. And it just breaks my heart to have to leave them. So it is good in some sense, and drawn out in another. But as I try to remind myself, 5 years from now, this won’t matter. I will have my children home and happy and this will be but a faint memory.
We had a good day with the kids yesterday. Remember the other day when Dima asked when he could go home with us? Well, today, I drew a picture of a calendar. I did my very best to explain “today” Then I circled the 23rd and tried to communicate that this is when he would be leaving. (The only would I could communicate was Americanyets) but he got the idea and we happy. I wanted them to see there was a timeframe for this process and that this daily visiting does have an end. We played in the coat closet again. The teachers are on a 3 day rotation. Teacher 1 is pretty particular and she was on duty yesterday. She kept coming out and telling us to be quiet. But I don’t want to be quiet. When do my children get to belly laugh? Yesterday was a hoot. Anya started out quiet again, but do NOT let this girl fool you. She is anything but quiet. All of the video we took yesterday was at the beginning of our visit. So we have video of this nice, demure little girl, while Dima is doing his best pitcher impression and throwing Velcro balls on a felt target. But about halfway through the visit the tone changed. Anya’s warming up and Dima’s on a roll. Scott is playing with the Dima & Kade doing the felt target thing. I have Anya sitting on my lap and I start bouncing her. The next thing I know is, she is taking the empty water bottle and bonking herself on the head and belly laughing hysterically. Then Dima wants a turn. So I start bouncing him on my lap and Anya thinks it’s a hoot to now hit Dima on the head with the water bottle. Kade & Scott are rolling. I am laughing. Mom’s legs are worn out, so Dad takes over. It all starts again and even Kade wants in on the bouncing action. Then we take the water bottle from the kids and play keep away. Scott and I are bonking the kids on the head and fanny and then tossing the bottle across the room to each other. They are laughing, laughing. What a joyous time! Then Teacher 1 appears and tells Dima it’s time for dinner. What a great day! He said he loved us as we were leaving (in English). Isn’t that precious! I remember Kade telling me the first time, and I will remember Dima’s accented English saying it to me today! Anya gave each of us a hug and kiss and waved her sweet little wave. I just love all 3 of my babies so much!!!!! And really I am giving Teacher 1 a hard time. She has a tough job to do and I respect her for her work.
We had a great lunch with another family from Colorado adopting a 16 year old girl. They are a precious family and we enjoyed an English speaking lunch. They showed us a local café and the food was great. I had a creamed vegetable & chicken soup with boiled potatoes. Kade had a ham & egg omelet. Scott had borscht. Then Scott & Kade had a crepe, ice cream dessert. We are going back there again today for lunch. Yum-O!
So today we are doing are top 3: 1. Internet Café 2. Lunch 3. Play with Dima & Anya
We are doing some school today. Scott’s working on CPE and I am going to draw for KK’s Volume 6.
PG-13: And now here’s another exciting episode of Ukrainian trivia: If you were the equivalent of a paralegal working in an office here, it would be totally okay for you to wear a black bra under a white mesh shirt. We saw two!
Kimmy: How about that trend for ya!
The people are great, and we are enjoying our trip. I just wish Anya & Dima could be with us 24/7 right now.
We love you all. Have a great night and now we are thanking God continuously for you!
Kayla

dear everybody,

Yesterday we went to the orphanage and played with Dima & Anya. Anya really opened up today and Dima tickled me. I felt really glad that both of them opened up more today. We went to a kaфe (cafe') for brunch.

Thank you for all the comments.

pt: Yes, I do think we should have an easter egg hunt. Thanks for asking.

gt: Yes, I'll tell them about Braum's. Thanks for the reminder.

Kade :)

Well, it's my turn. I just checked email and am ready to post. We now get 2 computers when we come to the internet cafe so we can multi task. I have some Ukrainian trivia of my own today. What are 3 Americans and a translator trying to cross the street in Kharkov? A nice game of Frogger. :) I liked the Borscht yesterday it was really good and inexpensive too. Finally I feel like we got to sample some good local quisine. Also we don't have to depend on McDonalds even though it is smoke free and free bathrooms. Speaking of bathrooms, there is a free one in the internet cafe which is unusual, but it was the stand up or squat kind that just has a porcelain hole in the floor, also no toilet paper, no soap and no towels. I am still thankful that it was there so I didn't have to run down the street to McDonalds. Ha! Well we should have an exciting time at the orphange today. If it isn't raining we will play baseball outside, if it is raining we will play inside and color, play with the truck flashlight that Kade and I had to "take to the garage" last night. Dima is hard on his vehicles. It needed a new battery, the bed glued back on and the key chain removed. I hope it will make him happy to have it overhauled. Well, as you can tell we are having the trip of our lives and we are enjoying it very much. Thanks to all of the new posts; we love hearing from ALL of you. If you haven't posted yet, please do, even if you have never used a blog before just try it or ask for help. It is a lot of fun to see what you have to say half way around the world. I'll even reward you with some more fun pictures and they will be portrait layout for easier viewing. Enjoy!!! We'll talk again soon.

Scott