Days 33 and 34

Yesterday, Tuesday, we celebrated Babushka Luba's birthday, she turned 70 years old. At 4pm we met her out in front of the grocery store and then she escorted us the rest of the way to her daughter Lena's home. I had to really work hard to even keep up with her, she is an amazing woman. We had a WONDERFUL dinner of borsch and a potato-type ravioli, needless to say it was fantastic. Wendy and Christy this is why I don't want to leave... just yet. Don't get me wrong I am as homesick as they come, but Lena asked me to come over tomorrow and she was going to teach me how to make a few traditional Ukrainian meals. The boys simply devour what she prepares and I haven't had that much luck with what I have made them. However, she did teach me how to make her rose fruit juice and then she carefully wrapped up for me a bottle of canned rose pedals with sugar for me to take home. Anyway, we had a wonderful evening, Lena had a Russian to English dictionary by her side and I had a English to Russian dictionary by my side and it worked out wonderfully. After dinner and conversation we needed to head home, it was late and so dark outside. There are very little street lights, if any, and the sidewalks, if you can even call them that, are treacherous even in the day time. Side note...the sidewalks are unbelievable, you are not able to look up and walk at the same time, you really need to stay focused on what and where you are walking. They have manholes everywhere, but the problem is there are no covers for them. Oksana mentioned that people steal the covers and sell them, so where the cover should be there is either nothing or a giant log sticking out. Seriously, you look down the road or sidewalk and see logs and sticks sticking up about every 100' or so. Anyway, back to Babushka Luba ( I love to say her name)...as we were walking home I tripped a couple of times so she had to take MY hand and help me the rest of the way. I am sure it was a sight to see this little, little woman trying to support my 6'1" frame through the streets of Dniprodzerzhynsk. She walked us all they way to our front door and then continued on her way through the dark streets to her home. I felt terrible having her go on alone, but she insisted that we stay home, "Niet, niet, niet," she would continue to say to me. For being such a small woman, you sure feel as if you need to listen and obey her every command.
Today, we met Lena in front of the grocery store and we walked with her to her school where she has taught sewing for the last 24 years. She wanted to teach me some Ukrainian stitching and show us around her school. Ruslan was not too happy about this, but as soon I mentioned that he could take the laptop he was more than willing to go. We spent the afternoon sewing and then she took me on a tour of her school and introduced to me many of her students and coworkers. When you really get to know these people they are simply beautiful. So warm and friendly and willing to share whatever they have. Again, it is because of these friends I have made over the last week or so, that is making my going go home more and more difficult and I still am having a hard time with knowing I will never see the children at the sanatorium again. SIGH.
Well, Facilitator Oksana called last night to tell us we will be leaving for Kyiv Thursday. We have an appointment scheduled for 10am Friday morning at the American Embassy. Then she told us to make our flight plans for Tuesday, the 9th. AHHHH!! She just called and mentioned that she hasn't heard back from the passport office yet, hopefully she will tomorrow, because we won't be able to leave until we have the new passports in hand. The not "knowing" wears on you after awhile, I'm tired of not being able to make long term plans and actually have them come to fruition. We will be taking the train out of Dnipropetrovsk so please keep us in your prayers that all will go well with the passports and if not, at least I will be able to have few more days with Lena and her family...you know, we were so fortunate to meet them. With the thousands, upon thousands, upon thousands of people in this city, we came in contact with the ONLY 3 people that Bogdan considers family...tender mercies.

Sorry if this blog is a jumble of words. It's 1:15 in the morning here, and I FINALLY just got the boys to bed. They are abosolutely crazy. They are so anxious and excited to leave, they are simply giddy, they laugh at everything. They have the giggles non stop!!

Loves and Kisses!!

Babushka Luba's birthday sign made by her granddaughter Lena. For her birthday she received one white towel and a bag and she was thrilled. They are a wonderful family.

Babushka Luba and Bogdan, she hugs on him and hugs on him all night. For her birthday she game ME a photo album of pictures of Bogdan from the orphanage. (Nanette she also gave me a few for you of Benson.)

Lena in her classroom. She mentioned that in the winter time they have no heat, it really gets quite cold inside the school.

The sewing machines the children use...amazing. Yes, they work great too.

More of Lena's classroom.

Our supplies for my sewing lesson.

This is a picture of a museum that is right inside the school. It goes the history of Ukraine. They have received many awards for the work the children have done in making this museum.

I am sewing. When you visit this room they have each guest stitch a cross before they leave. I am standing by the principal, next is Olga (she translated for me) and then beautiful Tanya. Yeah, don't ask...I have no idea what is up with my hair.

This museum show the many different sewing techniques that are common in the Ukraine.

Lena, Tany, Olga and the principal ( I can't begin to say or her name or even spell it).

The gymnasium.

Another picture of the gymnasium.

Days 31 and 32. I'll get back to day 30...later

Before I start I need to ask my SAC family some questions....

For those of you have been on this "ride" before and before I head home next week, I hope, I hope, I hope, what do you wish you would have done, eaten, taken pictures of before you left Ukraine? What do you wish you would have brought home, maybe a decoration of sorts, a picture? What? Also, I think I may have a little bit of room left in my suitcase if there is anything you would like me to bring home for you. Wendy, Oksana told me there is a particular chocolate that you love to cook with, may I bring some home for you? Please let me know.

Christy and Wendy THANK YOU so much for suggesting we go to the Potato House and yes we did find it with no problem at all. It was the building that had POTATO HOUSE written in huge ENGLISH letters on it, go figure. Well, after the boys said goodbye to their friends at the sanatorium we decided to venture down into downtown Dnipro, after much walking and once we arrived to the Potato House the boys decided they were no longer hungry. What? No longer hungry? It had been over 2 hours since they last ate, sigh. So we turned back around and then a miracle occurred. Just as we were walking out the front doors, I heard Bogdan yell, "Lena," what, we ran into someone he knew? Lena and her daughter, Tanya, are close friends of Bogdan's and actually considers Lena's mother, Babushka Luba his grandmother. She would bring Bogdan to her home during the holidays and on long weekends for the past 7 years, but since the orphanage has a new director she has not been able to see Bogdan for a while. In fact, over the last 7 years or so she has cared for approximately 25 children and has seen 10 of them adopted. (Nanette she asked about Benson and I showed her your blog, she cried when she saw photos of him). Lena and Tanya then invited us over for dinner on Sunday and we more than honored to go. So after church, which was sooo boring for the boys, Yura, the couple missionaries' driver drove us to Lena's home. Yura stayed and translated for us, they spoke no English and you know how well I DON'T speak Ukrainian. Yesterday was the ABSOLUTE greatest day, aside from getting the boys, that I have had in Ukraine. They treated us and fed us as if we were royalty. It was an unbelievable afternoon. We had traditional Ukrainian food and Lena made an amazing fruit juice out of roses and a little bit of fruit. Even though I had missed my most favorite holiday back home I would have traded a lifetime of Halloweens for another afternoon like we had. Bogdan, Ruslan and Tanya played the whole day away while Lena, Babushka Luba, Yura and I talked, we were all complete strangers just a week or so ago and now dear friends, isn't it amazing how life is? We have been invited back for dinner tomorrow and we are ALL anxiously awaiting for 4pm to arrive.

Today we traveled to Dnipropetrovsk for passport pictures. They say if all goes well we should have them back in 3 working days, WE all sure hope so. The boys are STILL exploring their surroundings and because of their curiosity we have lost power in our apartment twice today because they are plugging too many things in at one time. Now with the power being out again, actually it's just power to one side of the apartment, but it so happens to be the side where the kitchen is and where our heat and hot water is controlled. So now I sit and type this blog in the cold, with a washing machine that is full of water and clothes that I'm not able to open and with puddles of water on the floor from a freezer that is slowly melting. And to top it all off we just went grocery shopping today and now the food is going bad, but on the bright side it's colder in here then the refrigerator so I actually think the food just might be okay. Also the clothes I washed last Saturday are finally dry and that means I get to sleep in my pajamas tonight instead of my jeans and sweatshirt, yay. Isn't life good...

All in all we are doing just fine. As I have typed this blog tonight I have had to go into the boys room at least a dozen times to remind them it is bedtime and at this moment they are still in there laughing under their blankets hoping I will not hear them. Oh, here I go again...hold please...okay, I'm back. I think it's going to be a long night, but it's a good thing listening to them in there. Their enthusiasm is simply amazing. Goodnight...I hope.

Loves and kisses!!


Tanya, Bogdan and Lena.

Bogdan and Babushka Luba.

Babushka Luba, isn't she beautiful!!

Yura and Babushka Luba right after dinner. We had fruit for dessert, and what wasn't eaten she packed it up for us to take home.

Ruslan, Lena and Bogdan. Tanya and Bogdan have been close friends for since they were seven and five years old.

We were just getting ready to sit down for dinner.