On Our Way Home

Jeff you and your posts on my blog. It is always exciting to see what is new.

We are in the Frankfurt airport. We made it out of the Ukraine. Barely. The guy who stamped our passports took forever with the girls paperwork and even when they started calling our name over the loud speaker, he still took his sweet time and was so rude. When we got to Germany we almost died at how nice the people are. What a change.

Yesterday, when we came out of the American Embassy with Visas in hand the girls cheered and gave me hugs and kisses and said Yeah America.

It has been funny to watch the girls in the German airport where no one understands them anymore. The tables have turned. They tried to spend their grivnas at suprise they didn't work. We tried to tell them but they wouldn't believe us till they tried for themselves. So funny.

I fell asleep on the flight but apparently while I was sleeping Lena and Julee's girls ordered coffee and drank it . Melba said she opened the cream for them and everything without realizing until it was too late. I told them no more coffee, Lena bargained for Coke. I agreed Coke on the plane but no coffee. Oh my word these girls are so funny.

We can't wait to see everyone and to finally be home.

Final Countdown......

I spoke with Amy this morning, all the Embassy stuff is done, she has the Visa's for the girls and they are counting down the time until they leave. She and the girls are Very Excited to come home.

Arrival Information!!!

This is Jeff, Amy and the girls arrive Wednesday night, May 20th at 7:45 pm. United flight 6449 from Chicago. Everyone please come and welcome Amy and the girls home! Yeah!! Amy doesn't like alot of attention as most of you know, so please remember to bring balloons, posters, banners, etc.. and make lot's of noise!!! And if anyone wants to bring chocolate chip cookies per Amy's prior posting, I'm sure you'll be her hero. I would, but I don't think she meant chip's Ahoy?

 

Yesterday we went to the Sanitorium and Dolphinarium.  I love the way they translate those words in English.  Lena wasn't feeling too well, hence the happy face.  She has a cold so I'm sure it is just a matter of time before we all have it.  We share everything, at least only Julee and Mary got lice from the orphanage.  Sorry, Mary I couldn't resist.  That is one thing the rest of us have not shared.  

The town we are staying is so small and the roads are narrow.  Everyone walks everywhere and there aren't many cars.  Melba does all the shopping for food, water and toilet paper so she has made friends with all the lady's in the booths.   They get excited when they see her coming.  

This is Lena outside our apartment helping the neighbor boys fix their bike.  The kids have made friends  and they are always outside playing soccer, riding bikes and running wild.  Everyday they new cuts, scraps and dirt everywhere.   They are so tough and hardly ever cry about a wound.   Lena has 5 really good ones on her body and when I say, Ouch? She adamantly says, "NO!"  She tries to be so tough.   It is really cute.  

The girls love my cell phone and always want to play games on it.  Because they are always using it I have had a hard time keeping track of it and we left one on the train headed to Moscow.  Oops.  For the second cell phone I bought a bright orange cord so we wouldn't lose it.  The girls thought that was awesome and with their 10 grivnas they get everyday they take turns buying fuzzy little creatures for the phone.  Oh dear, I'm so glad this kind of thing does not exist at home.  To date we have a cat, and three fuzzy dogs.  Talk about drive me crazy.  Nothing like talking on the phone with a fuzzy dog snuggled up next to your ear.     If Lena acts out all I have to do is threaten to take the phone.  

 This is a palace in Yalta, where Stalin, Churchhill and Roosevelt met to decide if America would join WWII.

 

We found out yesterday that our passports are finished.  Yeah!  We have two days at the Embassay in Kiev on Monday and Tuesday and then we are headed home Wednesday morning.  It seems unreal.

 I actually have enough clean underwear to make it till I come home. I won't have to do anymore laundry in the Ukraine.  I can't wait for a dryer.  I am so tired of line dried crispy clothes and hanging my underwear out for all the neighbors to see.  

We are taking the train back to Kiev tomorrow so I don't know when I'll be posting again.   I can't believe I can count the days on one hand till I come home.  I have a long list of foods I am dying to eat.  Chips and Salsa are at the top.  Chili's anyone?  Oh I can't even talk about it. I have had enough bland potatoes to last a life time.   For a spice lover like me this country has put me in famine mode.   Anyone who brings chocolate chip cookies to the airport will be my best friend forever.  Mmmmm!!

Melba got her water from the Black Sea.   We get such a hoot out of how the men at the beach dress.  They have no shame as you can see.  

Yesterday we went to Yalta for the Day with Lena.  You can see from the pictures that the kids adore her.  

In many places you go here in the Ukraine they have clothes you can dress up in and take pictures.  We always pass them and laugh but have never dreamed of actually wearing them.  Yesterday, as we passed these places near the sea in Yalta, Lena our friend insisted that Julee and I do it.  We complained, said no, resisted in every way possible but Lena payed and prevailed and this is the result.  After we did it the girls wanted to and then we all managed to get Melba to do a Harley Pose.   

I hated every minute and kept covering my very immodest self with my fan.   The girls laughed and laughed.    

We found out what the girl's would look like with hair.  

Last night when we got home from Yalta Lena told me she had scheduled dance lessons for me.  I told Melba and Julee I absolutely was not going.  I told them I am was tired of doing things I didn't want to.  I feel like I am always eating things I don't like, going places I don't want and have lost total control of my life just to avoid offending anyone.  I was determined not to go and told Lena absolutely no.  Of Course I ended up going to dance lessons.  Oh my word! Latin dance lessons.  Needless to say my hip muscles are so sore today I can barely walk.  I have never moved my hips like that in my life.  Lena, Natasha and my girls laughed so hard at me.  After my coffee scrub and Latin lessons I have lost all dignity.   

I can only choose a few pictures because uploading is slow.  I couldn't resist this one.  We played a game at the party yesterday where we had to race to wrap someone in toilet paper.   This is Julee's daughter Karina.    Since we were on the topic of toilet paper I thought this was funny.  

Today we went on a boat ride off the coast.  We saw dolphins and the kids had a great time.  

This is our translator Natasha.  Her nephew is with us as well.  He is the little boy in the pictures.  Tomorrow our other friend Lena is going to come and join us.   She was one of the translators in Dnipro and now is just going to come to hang out for a few days.  We have been lucky to have such good friends here.  

I look like a dork in this picture but I thought Melba looked cute.  We have had so much fun together.  She is the spider killer in our house and the rest of us are appreciative as we are all whimps.  We yell spider and she comes running. 

Melba is determined to take some water from the Black Sea home.  She was going to put it in a water bottle, but determined later that a small Vodka bottle would be better. This is her buying her Vodka.    You will all have to come see our Black Sea speciman when we get home.

Mary - Julee, Melba and I decided it was good you went home.  If you stayed too long you might have decided this do was for you.    

Somewhere Near Yalta

Well we are in a small town by the Black Sea near Yalta. We haven't been able to figure out how to say or spell it yet. We have to use the internet cafe for internet so I will have to hurry and post. I am not sure if I will be able to add pictures but I will try tomorrow.

The town is beautiful and an amazing view of the Black Sea is out our back door. It is a little chilly and has been raining but it is so nice to have a change of scenery. We are in a small quaint town and the kids love running around and being on Holiday as they call it.

Our translator arranged for us to have a cook for a fraction of the cost of going out to eat, we have loved that and I keep thinking the kids better enjoy their last Ukranian meals, because some of this stuff I will never figure out how to cook. They will miss their food as much as I am missing mine.

Home seems so far away. I have been living out of a suitcase for so long now and the world I used to know seems some fuzzy memory. I am sure this whole trip will feel that way someday.

Today was Julee's daughter's Luiba's birthday. We had a birthday party at a little community center near our house. It was lots of fun. They cooked our lunch, had cake and ice cream for the kids and we had our own music man and party entertainer. It was all Ukranian style and I have great photos and video, but the internet is too slow to upload them. Too bad.

The girl's all bought presents for Luiba, but we didn't have anything to wrap them in so Grandma came up with the great idea of tin foil. What a wonderful shiny pile we had. Luiba was so excited.

We have killed two scorpions in our little house and at least 7 spiders, but they assure us they are harmless. Yikes! At least we have a great view and an outdoor pinpong table.

We never have enough toilet paper anywhere and today Grandma had had enough of no toilet paper so she went to the little booth selling products and bought a whole bunch. She said they really gave her some funny looks. They don't use a lot of toilet paper and we can never figure that out. Hmmmm. I'm just grateful she got unscented, they have some crazy scented toilet paper. The lemon is the worst and the strawberry is the best.

We have tried all sorts of foods and have developed looks that we give each other to indicate good, o.k., and terrible. Our worst so far is what we call hotdog paste they spread on bread. Super super Yuck! My mother in law makes the best faces when she eats something gross and I can't help laughing every time.

Well another day is over, seven more days in the Ukraine.