Dear Friends and Family,


Today is Tuesday, and we are safely in Kiev. The last of the process went off without a hitch, and we are legally a family. We are so very happy, and relieved all at once. We are right now full time parents, and are learning how to feed them, bathe them, put them to bed, etc.

The trip back to Kiev was quite the adventure. Because New Year's is the major holiday here, there was no chance of getting train tickets or plane tickets. That left...driving. We asked Zhinia if he wanted to squeeze a drive across the country into his day around his two jobs, and he said yes. Because the day was jam packed with paperwork and running around town, we didn't start leaving until 7 pm. After multiple potty breaks and getting some snacks, we were headed out of town around 8. Since it was snowing and traffic was slippin' and slidin', we knew it would take longer than the stated 8 hours. We didn't have a lot of extra time, because we had a doctor's appointment at 8:30 the next morning, which is a required step before obtaining citizenship for the boys.

We could tell you about the trip, but I think the boys would have the more interesting perspective. Here's what I think they would say, I think, if they could write in English:

William:

It started off as a perfectly normal day, and I was quite happy playing with my friends and caregivers. I was wondering where Mama and Papa, which means "play friends who come twice a day to give me snacks," were. They showed up late, and started talking some nonsense about taking me somewhere forever. I didn't know what to do, so I thought I'd cry and scream for a bit. The director tried to tell me to stop, but I was really upset, especially when she said she needed to change me into some new clothes. She got me naked, but I put up quite a fuss, and she had to give me to my caregivers to get me dressed. After I had them on, I liked them though, so I stopped crying for a little bit.

After that, everyone started talking about leaving again, and I started crying again, but then they said all that I had to do was go for a walk, so I needed to put on my coat. Everyone said goodbye, and were making a big deal about going for this walk. Then they took me outside, and there was...a car! Treachery! I was duped! There wasn't going to be any walk, I WAS leaving! By golly, this really upset me, and I let them know it! They forced me into the car, which was too small for all of us--my brother, me, Mama, Papa, Elena and the driver.

The driver started playing a movie on his little TV in the car, and this was pretty good. I don't know what it was, but Mama and Papa called it something like "A Shark's Tale." I liked it so much, I forgot what I was crying about.

We left the orphanage, and stopped to buy some snacks. Papa gave me crackers and juice, and everything seemed OK, except I started to get a tickle in my tummy. After a while, it got worse, and I tried to tell Mama, whose lap I was on, that the crackers were asking to come back up. She just looked at me funny, but when the crackers DID come up all over her, I think she understood. The crackers kept coming up all night long, but Mama understood and kept catching them with a plastic bag.

I was very excited about all the lights outside the window, and riding in the car, but eventually I fell asleep, and stayed that way until the sun was coming up. I hope these people don't make me sleep in a car at my new home!

Lawrence:

I couldn't wait all day, and was so excited! I couldn't even eat breakfast or lunch! When Mama and Papa finally showed I was smiling all over! My little brother was crying and acting like a baby, though. I was sad when I had to say goodbye to everyone, but was happy because, like the director told me, I was going somewhere new with a new Mama and Papa, and life would be very happy for me (even if my little brother has to tag along...)

The car ride was fun, but my little brother puked all over Mama, as well as all over his new clothes. It smelled so bad, which is maybe why I threw up all over Papa and HIS pants and MY new clothes. The crazy ride in the car didn't help, but I felt better after we stopped and cleaned up.

I was very excited, and stayed awake a very long time, but couldn't help it. I eventually fell asleep on Papa's lap.

(Bill writing)

It was a cramped and hot ride, bouncing all over the place. Zhinia got lost a few times, as the roads do not bypass cities, and it is difficult to drive cleanly through unless you know your way around. It's funny, we were driving straight from the country's second largest city to its largest, but were on dirt roads on several occasions. Go figure.

We don't have too much to worry about these next few days, and plan on relaxing and getting some souvenirs.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and we can't wait to see you all in a few days.


Peace and Love,

Bill, Kelly, Lawrence & William

(Maybe) Our Last Post!!

Dear Friends and Family,


Today is our last day to worry about an appeal, so knock on wood. Yesterday was very nice, as the boys had their going away party. The director arranged a special party so that the two grupas could be together. We assembled in the cafeteria, and provided oranges, cookies, candy and juice for all of the children (about 30 between the two grupas). The director herself led the party, asking children to come up front and recite Christmas verses. After that, she asked for volunteers from Lawrence's classmates to offer Lawrence well wishes. Children said things like "to your good health" and "listen to your Mama." Lawrence himself finished the process by reciting a poem, and inviting the children to eat their treats.

Afterward, we had our translator translate the poems, two of which appear below. (I think there was something lost in the translation).

We are with our friend Katya who has a big cat
Make from the cat fur a snowman
In white fur coat with coals instead of eyes,
Smiling like he’s alive
The snowman looks at us
We give him the sweeper to sweep
So he can take away the snow
And he can go along the street like a sweeping man snowman

(This one kind of creeps me out...I wonder if it's meant to scare children into good behavior)

Snowman, snowman, you’re used to the cold from your childhood
You put the pan very quickly on your head
Your eyes are coal
And here in your mouth is a carrot, your pride and beauty
Snowman, snowman, you’re used to the cold from your childhood

(HUH?!?!?!)

While Lawrence was standing during this whole process, William was sitting and crying! The caregivers couldn't persuade him to join his brother. Apparently, he's not quite up to speed on what is happening to him, but he does understand these parties, and that children disappear after them, and that this one is for him! Whereas Lawrence has had a pretty good understanding and has been asking questions and getting excited, it just suddenoccurredred to William what's about to happen! He was pretty scared, and couldn't be comforted (except by cookies). Our translator later asked him why he was scared, and he replied that he was worried that because he is so small, Mama and Papa will love his brother more. He's been resisting everything, including trying on the new clothes we've bought him. The eight hour flight from Amsterdam to Detroit is going to be a barrel of fun!

We tried some more interesting food. Two nights ago we had dinner with our translator and driver. I had recently heard of "salo," a national favorite, and wanted to order a small plate, simply to take a picture of it, and then to let the two natives eat it, because they claimed they were big fans. However, when it arrived, they successfully persuaded Kelly and me to try it. It was OK, but was hard to enjoy with the knowledge of what it was. Kelly, however, actually managed to eat a second piece.

We finally got some snow, and it looks like we'll have a better chance for a white Christmas than the folks back home. It's getting colder by the day, but it still feels like winter back home, so it hasn't been any problem whatsoever.

If we make it to the end of the day, then we finalize the paperwork on Monday, and the boys will be our sons legally. The last bit of work is in Kiev, at the embassy where we will obtain permission to have them enter the US. This might very well be our last post, so we want to thank everyone who has been writing to us and working hard back home in preparation for our return.

TOP 10 THINGS WE'RE GOING TO DO THE FIRST WEEK WE GET BACK

10. Turn an empty room into the boys' bedroom
9. (Bill) Reacquaint himself with his couch
8. Wear some cotton! (we're wearing synthetics for quick drying after washing)
7. (Kelly) Hug our washing machine, and swear to never leave it again
6. (Bill) Start teaching Lawrence calculus (physics can wait; don't want to overload him...)
5. Shop for boy stuff (if the grandmothers haven't taken care of everything already)
4. Spend half a day going through our mail
3. Hide all the breakable stuff from William
2. Introduce the boys to Jasper and Bosco
1. Watch some football!


Peace and Love,

Bill and Kelly






PS: Oh...what is salo, exactly? Raw bacon.

Friday, Dec 22nd Post

Dear Friends and Family

Today has been a pretty good day so far. We talked to the director finally with a translator (another couple's), and learned a bit more about her concerns. She's not mad or disappointed in us at all, but does want us to discipline the children more. We are comfortable with her telling us this, but we were very surprised to hear what she meant in particular terms. She encouraged me to tell them that if they're not good I'll take them outside and leave them there (apparently she frequently tells them this herself), or that I'll throw them out of the plane. She also encouraged me to buy a good belt for their butts. Kelly and I do not feel sorry for a minute that we've not taken these extreme measures, and are not at all surprised that the children perceive a lack of discipline from us, given what they're used to.

The boys were also very good this morning, especially after receiving "The Talk" from the director. Lawrence seemed to enjoy sitting on my lap the whole time, and William was relatively quiet as well. We scored a minor victory with him last night when we for the first time were successful in persuading him to give his borrowed items back to their owners at the end of the afternoon visit.

In other good news, we have secured an appointment at the embassy for Tuesday. This wasn't supposed to be difficult, but it's nonetheless nice that we got it squared away, especially since they will be operating with a reduced staff and for reduced hours.

Kelly and I are very excited that our translator has arrived in town. She's the one that encouraged us to get out and enjoy ourselves. We're paying her $35 per day for a couple of days of shopping to get stuff for the boys and for souvenirs. Of course, we'd be happy spending time with Stalin if it meant killing some of the boredom! We expect that she will also take us out at night, too.

Either tomorrow or Sunday, we will host parties for each of the children's grupas. We've learned from some of the other families that have preceded us that this consists of fruit and candy and some token presents. Each of the children will stand up and wish the departing child something nice, like: "I hope you grow as big as Papa," or "I wish you good health." If they allow it, you know I'll have the video recorder rolling!

Lunch was interesting, yet again. I thought I ordered a steak hoagie (I should have known it was too good to be true...) as depicted in the picture I was pointing to, but received instead a wrap filled with chopped hot dog, ketchup and mayonnaise. I can't complain about the large beer I received for fifty cents, though.

Since our translator is here and we'll be shopping during the times between visits, we will probably miss a day or two in posting. Also, we'll be traveling to Kiev on Monday, and aren't sure how often we'll be posting once we're there.

TOP TEN MYSTERIES OF UKRAINE

10. Why do all buildings have multiple doors, but all but one are locked?
9. Why can you see ice on the river and women's' bare legs on the same day?
8. Why are all trees painted white at their base?
7. Why is it impolite to cross your legs, but not to spit anywhere outside that you like?
6. Why are there no traffic laws?
5. What happened to all those cool big furry hats you see in the movies?
4. Why do nearly all women wear fancy leather spiked shoes and boots?
3. What exactly do they put in the sausages here (besides horse, of course)?
2. Where does the hot water go between 11 pm and 6 am every day?
1. Why is Ukraine fascinated with dance music, but we've not heard a single BeeGees song, the greatest dance musicians ever?

We hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas preparations, and once again would like to thank everyone for writing to us and giving us well wishes. If you don't hear from us until then...MERRY CHRISTMAS!


Peace and Love,

Bill & Kelly

The Countdown Continues: 8 Days!

Dear Friends and Family,

We have written two posts today this one and the next one about the trip to the monastery.

Wednesday was probably the most difficult day with the boys that we've had. Artem was very physical with a couple of the other children in the play room and Artur refused to listen to us. Boy did they ever test our patience and push the limits!

Because Artem refused to keep his hands to himself, I removed him from the group and set in the hallway with him. He proceeded to scream at me, take swings at me with his fists and spit and cough on me. I took it all in stride, however, and ended up having to send him back to groupa kicking and screaming. Not exactly how I wanted to end the evening:(

Artur had 2 tough visits. In the morning, he chose to take off out of the room so he could show his friends some pictures he took. He's not allowed to leave us until the caregivers come pick him up or he needs to use the restroom. In the afternoon, he came back with a big smile and told Papa that he was sorry. That made Bill very happy. By the end of the visit, though, Artur had resorted back to being a stinker and he also was sent back groupa crying, too:(

The director was very frustrated because our translator was not with us and we couldn't communicate what had transpired in the play room. We got our translator on the phone and they exchanged words. Later, our translator called us again and told us that the director needs us to be more strict and set limits. If only she had the full story and knew that is what we were trying to do.

We went back today and the morning visit went well! When the boys saw us, they had big smiles on their faces and seemed very glad to see us! We know that there are more hard days to come, probably more of those for awhile with a few good ones in between. We love these boys with all our hearts and will do whatever it takes to build a relationship with them and let them know we will always love them no matter what.

Well, I have almost run out of time! Until tomorrow!

Peace & love,

Bill & Kelly

Adventures at the Monastery

Dear Friends and Family,

(Bill writing)

Today is Thursday, but I'm writing about our trip to the monastery on Tuesday. This is a long post, but contains no information about the boys, so feel free to skip it! We will post separately about the boys.

This is not our best post, but perhaps our most entertaining. Read on...

We were picked up at 7am, because our driver, Zhinia, told us that there was a lot to see there. (As far as where "there" is, we're not exactly sure, but think we drove north to get there). We slept most of the way there, but our driver stopped 30 minutes before reaching the monastery so that we could get some drinks. I ordered coffee, and had learned to ask for "coffee Americana" in order to receive a normal sized cup of Joe; otherwise I'd receive something about the size of a double shot. Apparently the Ukrainians associate large servings with Americans...go figure. There were some folks peddling some wares there, so we browsed a bit. The most interesting stall was one that was selling dried fish, which included everything you can pull out of the ocean, including stingrays! Yum!

After that, we finished driving to the monastery; all told, the drive was 2 1/2 hours long. We quickly decided that it was worth the drive. The monastery was a collection of buildings laid out on the sprawling grounds in a symmetrical pattern, each complete with onion domes. There was a fancy stairway up the nearby hill, which itself was ordained with a lot of onion domes. Atop the hill was another nice church-like building overseeing the picturesque Donetski River Ravine. The whole area was limestone, and it was exposed on the hill near this last building. There were several old caves and tunnels that had been carved into it, with several openings toward the river.

There was another hill nearby, with a statue of someone named "Artem" atop it. We still don't know who this fella is, but we think he's some sort of national hero, as the statue was built in the 1920's. It really doesn't fit in with the monastery, but is interesting in and of itself. Across the river was a large park. We first toured the monastery, visiting several buildings and admiring the ornately painted undersides of the main frontal arch. Kelly had to wear a head scarf, which is required out of respect. We also entered the main church, where a service was being conducted. I once again showed my foreign-ness when the attendant at the entrance said something to me a few times, then said, "you don't speak Russian, do you?" He then told me that I was on the female side of the church (see, not everyone thinks I resemble a girl!). I stayed near the entrance of the place, so he later started up a conversation with me, telling me that monks were chanting the most sacred part of the service at that moment, the Eucharist. I thought he was hinting that I should leave, but realized I misunderstood his intention when we were leaving and he said, "you come see us again, OK?"

After touring the grounds, we took a drive up the hill with the statue on it. There were other monuments near Artem, commemorating World War II. The statue was probably 20 feet high. There was a magnificent view of the monastery from up there as well.

After this, Zhinia drove us to the other hill, where we walked to the hill-top building. It was closed, but we still got to enjoy the view. Next we went back to the car, where the driver pulled out a flashlight and told us we were going to visit caves. "Oh splendid," we thought, "we're going to have another jolly trip under the church and see some more tombs, and we'll be done lickety-split. Smashing good fun!"

Not exactly. First we started walking away from the church down a narrow hiking trail. It soon started going down in a hurry, reaching some levels of steepness that required very careful foot placement. We actually went all the way down to the river, and reached a little building that we guess was someone's house. Zhinia yelled to it, but nobody came out. Nonetheless, we followed the trail around it, having to hold onto a chain link fence at certain points. The trail became insane after that...reaching points where we were transversing 45 degree slopes, with some very crude footholds in the clay surface. On the plus side, there weren't that many other tourists (OK, no-one)--apparently they were all doing something sane at the time. (Kelly didn't think that observation was too funny when I said it at the time).

We really had no idea how far away the caves were, but after we observed that we'd been on this crazy trail for AN HOUR, we wondered if Zhinia knew what the heck he was doing. At one point he said what could only have been an expletive, leaving us to wonder what he said: "[expletive], I thought that cave was around here!" or "[expletive], where the [expletive] are we?"

OK, folks, let's recap, shall we? We are in a foreign country, and do not speak the language. We are somewhere in rural Ukraine. We are with a guide, who does not speak any English. We hadn't seen another soul for an hour. We didn't know where we were going, be we knew that we started walking from a point where there was a perfectly good car with a perfectly good heater, parked in a perfectly good parking lot that was perfectly level. At any point, one of us could easily slip and slide into the river 20 or so feet below, whacking a tree or two on the way. I was half expecting to hear that banjo tune from that certain Burt Reynolds flick at any moment...

Enough with the drama, already. We got there finally. At that point we stopped and had a crude conversation using our translation book. I said the following two words in Russian, intoning them as a question: "return--different?" Zhinia said yes, and pointing to the way we had just came and said the Russian word for "beautiful"--apparently, we had just taken the scenic route.

The cave itself was half way up a hill, reachable by getting up a slick slope of clay. Fortunately, someone had constructed a crude ladder out of logs that reached ALMOST to the top. Near the top, I slipped and fell, muddying myself all over, but was no worse for wear otherwise. The caves proved to be interesting, if only to make one stop and think of all the hard work that had gone into carving them. There were hallways and rooms, all precisely carved, thankfully to a height of a little over six feet tall.

The return trip was uneventful, as we walked along farmers' fields. We next went to the park that was across the river from the monastery, where Zhinia treated us to a barbecue. He had a small square grill, into which he placed wood. He lit the fire, and took me down to the river for fishing. I'm not sure what we were fishing for, but it was called "Shooka." Zhinia would point to his teeth after each time he said the word, so apparently shooka have some good choppers. It will have to remain a mystery to me, because the only thing we caught was some seaweed and a ball bearing pack.

After the wood had burned down to coals, Zhinia got to work. Dinner was pork kabobs, which he'd been marinating in something that smelled great. He told me that it was lemon juice, mayonnaise and spices. Mayonnaise--of course, what else? It was very good tasting, however, and the three of us had no problem eating it all. We were entertained by one of the many stray dogs that came up to us. He was a small dog, but could pack away the pork!

After this, Zhinia asked me if we wanted to see a 600 year old oak tree that was nearby, and I couldn't say no. It was...a, um...big tree. Yessir.

After that, we hit the road, and we both fell asleep. We made it home in one piece and went straight to bed!

Peace & love,
Bill & Kelly

Nine Days Until Home!

Dear Friends and Family,

(Kelly writing)

We were back to visit the boys today! It was hard not seeing them yesterday, but they had a fun-filled day anyway. The director had asked for no visitors yesterday because the governor of Donetsk was coming to inspect the orphanage. In addition to the governor visiting, the children had a very special visit from Saint Nicholas. We saw pictures of the visit and all of the children looked so excited!

I'm not going to say much about the trip to the monastery yesterday other than that it was absolutely breath-taking! Bill has planned out in his mind what he wants to say about our adventure, but he's registering for classes right now on the computer next to me. He will type it up tonight and post it tomorrow.

I have been very homesick this week and am very ready to return home. It's not that I'm not enjoying myself, because I certainly have been enjoying the food and sight-seeing and everything else about our trip. This is just a hard time of year to be away from friends and family. I love everything about the holiday season and this year will definitely be one Bill and I never forget!!

We are in the home stretch right now!! After today, we are counting down 4 days until the 10 day wait period is over. We will complete paperwork here in Donetsk on Christmas Day, pick up the boys and fly back to Kyiv. From there, the boys have to go through a medical exam and then we go to the U.S. Embassy to finalize the paperwork. We will have 2 full days in Kyiv for sight-seeing and souvenir shopping and then we fly home on the 29th!!! We are eagerly counting down the days 'til we set foot in Michigan!


Peace & Love,

Bill & Kelly

6 Days to go!

Dear Friends and Family,

We will not be able to visit the orphanage tomorrow, because the director is having an important visit from the government tomorrow, and doesn't want the chaos. We will be visiting a monastery that is 2 1/2 hours away, and barbecuing on the way back, so we won't be able to post until Wednesday.

Our driver insists that we be there early, so we'll be getting up at 6am, which should be tough because we've gotten used to getting up at 9:30 (um...well, Bill gets up at 9:30, Kelly gets up at 8:30). We've seen some pictures of the place and are excited to see it, although we'd rather be with the 'lil guys, of course.

We had a very nice dinner yesterday with an American couple that are leaving with their two sons for Kiev today. It was a strange coincidence, but they were looking for almost the exact same thing we were: a boy and a girl, ages 2-6. As we say ourselves, they say that the two boys they chose "jumped out" and it was an easy decision for them. By further coincidence, they were at the adoption agency 2 weeks before us and were shown Lawrence and William! We said "thanks for not choosing them," and all had a good laugh. After all the wait, delays, heartache, uncertainty, we are at present so attached to these two boys, who very much feel like OURS, that we wouldn't have it any other way. It's funny how things work out...

Bill was brave today and got a haircut by one of the Ukrainian "hair masters." Not only was it a good cut, it was a great cut! It only cost $6! (I wonder if our translator will still think I look like her girlfriend now that my hair is a proper length...)

Our lunchtime entertainment was giving movie quotes to our driver to see if he could name the American movie. He's a bit of a movie buff, so he got most of them. He even has a DVD player installed in his car.

In the spirit of the movie theme, here's our top 10:

TOP 10 MOVIE TITLES THAT COULD BE INSPIRED BY OUR TRIP TO UKRAINE

10. Coming (Back) to America
9. Bill & Kelly's Great Adventure
8. Eurotrip II
7. Band of Brothers II
6. Boys in Tights
5. Lawrence of Ukrainia
4. Dude, Where's My Russian / English Dictionary?
3. Groundhog Day II
2. From Ukraine With Love
1. Three Men and a Kelly


Peace and Love,

Bill & Kelly

Sunday Posting

Dear Friends and Family,

7 days to go! We are starting to be treated differently at the orphanage, since we've made it past court. We also suspect that the caregivers are talking in more specific terms to Lawrence and William about their new family, because Lawrence has been more and more interested in looking at the family album, and has started to memorize everyone's names. He's also giving each of us a kiss when he leaves. Kelly also completed the sweep by getting a "Ya-teeb-ya-lyoo-blyoo" ("I Love You") from Lawrence. The only name William has yet memorized is Uncle Dean, so he appears to be the early favorite.

Hey, Brooklyn, thanks for the email! We can't wait to bring "Larry" and "Bill" home, as well. We can't wait for you to help them learn English. As soon as we get measurements for the boys, we'll post them. Our best guess right now is that William is a size 3t, and Lawrence is a 5. There have been many offers for help from home, but the two grandmothers have mobilized and taken care of everything we can think of. We appreciate all the offers for help; if we can think of anything else, we'll post it! If you want to see if the grandmothers can think of anything, by all means call the nearest one.

Yesterday afternoon we went to a botanical garden. It was closed for the season, but after our driver slipped inside and found a caretaker and gave her 20 greevna ($4), we got the grand tour. It was interesting to see all the tropical plants packed into several atriums, in the middle of Ukraine in the winter. We went before lunch, and were kind of hungry, and had to resist the temptation to help ourselves to some of the oranges that were growing in there!

We had another nice dinner out last night. We really like the European service. In America, your waiter serves multiple tables and stops by at random intervals. At the places we've been to, they serve a smaller number of tables, or only one, and wait nearby until you need them. We haven't ran into a server yet who wasn't patient in trying to help us decipher a menu in Ukrainian or Russian. It's also nice not to have heard "is everyone saving room for dessert?" even once.

Speaking of service, it's kind of ironic, but the worst two incidences of service we've ran into is with two American companies. The first was with Northwest when we were trying to buy return tickets for the boys. The cheapest quoted price was for $2700 apiece. After asking about several different dates and finding none cheaper, the service attendant finally informed me that for one-way fares, there are no discounts. Huh?!? She did not have a reason for why this was, and seemed impatient that I dared probe into the source of this lunacy. I then asked her what the round trip fare would be, and she said "$900." I'm finishing up business school, but still can't imagine why half a trip would cost three times as much as the full flight. I asked if there would be any reason why I wouldn't just buy a round trip and not take the second half. With a cold 'how dare you' tone of voice, the attendant informed me that: "If that's what you choose to do, then this airline can not stop you." The punchline was when she asked me on which date I'd like the return flight! I re-iterated that we had no intention of flying the boys back, when she said "I know, but I still need a return date." Apparently, she needed help picking a random date...

The second poor service isn't as entertaining, but shouldn't surprise anyone. We were in a hurry yesterday, and decided to make a rare visit to McDonald's for lunch because we knew it would be quick. They totally messed up the order, giving Kelly a large regular Coke instead of a medium diet, and me no drink at all and missed one of my burgers. You have to admire McDonald's for making their service standard across the globe, I guess. Lunch was pleasant, nonetheless, as it was nice out and we ate in Lenin Square. There is a large Christmas tree that was constructed using a frame much like the ones we use for our artificial trees, but it was used with real branches, so that it looks convincingly like a 30 foot tree.

TOP 10 THINGS THAT ARE HURTING

10. Bill's back from roughhousing with the boys
9. Kelly's pride when she uses one of those "hole in the ground" restrooms
8. Our ears after a 2 hour play session with 13 kids and 12 adults in a small room
7. My head after asking 4 people where the matches were in the grocery store (to light our stove)
6. Bill's faith in the BCS
5. Kelly's hands after wringing out the laundry
4. Kelly's scalp after her hair gets caught in the blow dryer
3. Our appetites after being introduced to horse sausage
2. Our whole bodies after a night's sleep in the two cot-like beds (only 6 feet long, much to Bill's displeasure).
1. Our hearts every time we have to say "Pah-kah!" ("Bye!") to the boys


Peace and Love,

Bill & Kelly

Friday 15th

Dear Friends and Family,


(Bill writing)

We had lunch with our driver and translator today. It was another interesting culinary experience! For some reason, the driver thinks I like beer, so he brought some sausage from home that the locals there eat with beer. It was very strange looking, but I tried it. I didn't like it, but Kelly had some, and said it was "OK." I asked our translator to ask why it was very dark (it was as dark as pumpernickel bread), and he said in Russian "because it is made from horse meat." That wasn't exactly on our things-to-do-before-we-die list, but we can now say we've had horse.

Our translator has told us that we need to enjoy Donetsk, because we are young. She grilled the driver on places we can go, and we've agreed to a short list of activities: the circus, a botanical garden, an upscale mall, a regionally famous restaurant, and a beautiful monastary that is 2 1/2 hours away. Even though the driver has two jobs (cabbie by day, security guard by night), he seemed eager for the extra hours, so it looks like everyone is happy, including Bill, who is being hit hardest by the cabin fever.

I was humbled by our translator today. She said that I could pass for Ukrainian. She went on to say that she had a friend that I looked an awful lot like. I said, "Handsome fella, is he?" to which she laughed and said "It is woman!"

Say...speaking of our translator, does anyone wonder why we had her in town? It's because we had our court date today! And...we're (almost) parents! We've just got to make it through the mandatory ten day wait period before it's official. We have to obtain plane tickets, but we will fly home as early as December 28th, depending on the flight availability.

We were expecting a different experience than that of an American court, of course, but it was surprising nonetheless. We had a judge that was known to be quirky, and indeed he was. He definitely enjoyed his place of power and was very theatrical and comical. There were two jurors in the room, and he often had side jokes with them. He also made fun of me for not speaking when he expected me to. I also showed some serious breaches of ettiquette, for which the judge was quick to chastise me. I rested my foot upon my knee while sitting, which happens to be a gesture that is considered very rude in Ukraine (crossing at the knees or at the ankles is the norm). I also spoke to the judge, saying "Da" ("yes") to some of the questions, instead of speaking in English to the translator. Lastly, I shook the judge's hand when we were done, with noticeable displeasure showing on his face. I also embarrassed Kelly by handing her her secret stash of toilet paper from her purse when she was standing and getting misty eyed. Luckily, Kelly kept her composure the whole time, and must be why the judge thought we could be parents to these two boys.

The "courtroom" was a small room that was actually the judge's chambers, and was tightly packed with the proud parents-to-be, our translator, the inspector, the social teacher, the two jurors and the judge. When we were asked to stand, there was only room to stand and then take one step forward.

The judge was very thorough, and our appointment took one hour (they usually take much less), after which the judge and jurors deliberated. We already had a good feeling, because during the process everyone was relaxed, and the judge was making jokes, such as "Now you're not going to only feed these kids Pepsi Cola and chips, are you?" and "you're going to learn how to make borscht, aren't you?" When we were let back into the chambers, the judge spoke so fast and with a lot of legal jargon, that we got to a point where he told us we could leave and neither of us were quite sure what the outcome was. Out in the hallway our translator told us the good news.

We've been holding out saying their names until we made it through court. The oldest is named Artur, and we've decided to honor Kelly's father by naming him Lawrence Artur Woods. The youngest is named Artem (pronounced Art-yoom), and will be re-named William Patrick Artem Woods. (OK, Pat, you can finish those stockings now!)

Kelly is crying even as this is being written--it's been a very emotional day for us. We are going to open a bottle of Ukrainian champagne to celebrate today's success, but We still need everyone's thoughts and prayers, as we can be over-ruled if any family members show up during the 10 wait period.

{Friday 15th}

Since it's been two days since the last post, I'll write about this morning while I'm sitting here. When we got to the orphanage, the social teacher told us to go up into the theater, where we found a play in progress. There was a troop of ladies performing a puppet show. It was very cute, because the kids all sang along at certain parts. There were several occasions where the leader asked for volunteers to get up and recite little poem snippets, and Lawrence tried hard to get selected each time, finally succeeding on the last opportunity. We have no idea what he said, but we were beaming with pride. William was allowed to leave his classmates and sit with us, where he was a handful, to say the least. At the end of the performance, each kid got a gift bag with a Santa on it; they were each excited to receive a small stuffed animal toy, 4 juice boxes, a box of cookies and a BIG candy bar. William kept his in his grip the whole time he was playing with us!


Peace and Love,

Bill & Kelly

Friends and Family,

Not much to report this afternoon. Still no final word on whether we have court tomorrow or not. By the next time we post, we possibly might have already been there! We'll have to wait and see. We did see our first few snowflakes today, so we have to quit bragging about the nice weather.

The director came into the playroom when all the kids were very active and it was very loud. She said something in Russian, which we didn't understand, but I'm sure it meant something like, "I can't believe these kids are running all over the place!"

Francessca, we can't believe you had your Mom make borscht! Now that's some good research! Glad you liked it. We'll have to get the recipe from you, because we want to make it at home. Also, Brianna thank you very much for the kind words. You both made us smile today.

Kelly and I couldn't take the cabin fever any longer last night and ventured out of our apartment down to the corner, where we found a small grocery store. There wasn't much that looked too appealing, but we found what we thought were miniature pizzas. After warming them up back home, we were surprised when we tasted them. We don't have any idea what you call them, but they were sort of like donut-bread, topped with mayonnaise, ketchup, chopped ham, and cheese (Francessca, we dare you to try that one!). Ketchup, it seems, is treated as some sort of exotic topping here, even though you can find the regular ole Heinz bottle at a reasonable price in the grocery store.

Bill had fun buying some electronics today (camera and flash drive). At first he had to check out at a traditional cashier. Then he had to take all paperwork to another desk where they did something concerning his credit card, and he had to sign some form. Then he had to go another desk where he signed more stuff (who knows what), being attended to by two gentlemen. There he was handed the goods. On the way out, he was stopped by two security men, who thoroughly went through the contents one more time. Sheesh!

Today's top 10 list (could easily have been top 100!):

TOP TEN TIMES WE SEEMED LIKE WEIRD FOREIGNERS

10. When a street vendor said something and Bill responded with, "Porcupine! Taco Bell!" (don't ask...)
9. When Bill bought a "case" of beer (they only sell them singly here; what I had was a shipping box!)
8. Having to ask a police officer how to dial a public phone (and tipping him $10!)
7. When Bill asked the driver "Tee-gah-lohd-na?" for several days at lunch time which means "are you hungry?"--to a girl
6. When we were at McDonald's and Bill ordered a quarter pounder, which they don't have
5. When we showed confusion that you have to make a deposit to use a shopping cart
4. When we asked for butter for our bread (mayonnaise aplenty, but no butter to be found)
3. When we laughed when a soup at a restaurant was described as "containing marine parts"
2. When we thought that a pedestrian crossing meant that we had the right of way (how silly of us...)
1. Sitting in the internet cafe, wearing casual clothes, drinking Coke Light (Diet Coke), speaking English



Peace and Love,

Bill and Kelly

Dear Friends and Family,

Today is Tuesday, and we just found out our court date will probably be this Thursday. This is great news, as this is the earliest day that we could have gotten it. Happy days!

This would make the day that we get the boys legally...Christmas! That's the 3rd weird coincidence so far:

Oldest boy's birthday: 9-1-00, the same as Kelly's father
Date the boys entered the orphanage: 10-17-05, which was our 7th anniversary
Our Gotcha! Day: Christmas (maybe)

Kelly just had her best day yet here in Ukraine yesterday (warning: tear jerker ahead...) Kelly said "Ya Teeb-ya Lyoo-Blyoo" ("I love you") to the little one, and he paused, then said it right back! She's been walking on air ever since. He's said it a few times to both of us since.

It still amazes me how much these kids share. We got the older one some stickers, and he played with about 3/4 of them. When I took him back to his class, he took the remaining stickers, and had just enough to give one to each of his classmates. He was the hero of the day, as everyone was very excited.

Yesterday between visits we visited a neat monument, probably 60 feet high, commemorating the victory during WW 2. We also communicated to the driver that we wanted to be dropped off somewhere downtown so that we could walk around, which was nice.

I had another chuckle today learning about the food here. They are crazy about mayonaisse over here, with it being included in a lot of dishes or as a dressing by itself. Curiously, however, there's never any butter. We were at a nice cafe today that had an English menu, and I noticed butter was an item on the menu. Since we had a basket of bread, I ordered some butter. The waitress told me that it would be a 10 minute wait...while they made some!

Just to be fair, here's today's top 10 list:

TOP 10 THINGS WE DON'T MISS FROM HOME

10. Buying gasoline
9. Hearing local news from Detroit
8. Waiting to go to Ukraine
7. Snow (We're sure it's coming, though)
6. (Kelly) grading papers
5. McDonald's (because there's plenty of them here)
4. Pesky traffic laws
3. (Kelly) getting up every morning at 5:30 am
2. Having to drive ourselves
1. Christmas advertising since Thanksgiving


Peace and Love,

Bill & Kelly

Sunday the 10th

All,

We're killing time today, since only afternoon visits are allowed on
Sundays. Cabin fever is creeping in, but it's not too bad yet.

Here's the schedule we've settled into:

8:30 get up
10:00 meet our driver to take us to the orphanage
10:00 - 12:00 meet the boys
12:00 - 3:00 get groceries / blog / eat lunch
3:30 - 5:00 meet the boys
5:30 - eat dinner / play computer games / watch 24 / read

We are starting to miss the days of Kiev when we were free to walk around. Downtown is safe here, but we don't think it's safe walking around our apartment, and we only have the driver from 10 - 5:30.

The older boy is taking an interest in his potential family. Whenever one of the children take out a photo album, he asked us for his so that he can show his family off. He also was very pleased when he asked for and received pictures of us so that he could keep in his locker and show to his classmates. As far as the little one, he's main interest is the Bosco pictures and destroying the book.

We've learned that we've got to keep a better eye on what the younger guy has been eating. We bring raisins, yogurt, cookies and juice, and all other parents are bringing snacks as well. As we mentioned before, all these kids seem to have been trained to share, so all the food collectively becomes a community buffet of sorts. Yesterday the doctor warned us that he got a tummy ache after our morning visit, so we'll have to keep his hands away from all the food.

Since news is slower these days, we thought we'd start something new.
When we get around to writing one, we'll add a TOP 10 list for fun
(anything to kill time...) Here's the first:


TOP 10 THINGS WE MISS FROM HOME

10. Buildings with thermostats (it's hot everywhere!)
9. A kitchen with a full set of cookware and tools
8. Public toilets that you don't have to pay for
7. Non-Dance music (that's all they play here!)
6. Our mattress
5. Charmin
4. The Purple Room (Kelly's classroom)
3. Family & Friends
2. Jasper! (our cat)
1. Bosco! (our dog)

It was nice to hear from Brooklyn, glad you approve of the ages. We can't wait to ask you to help teach the boys how to speak English.

Lisa, it was nice to hear that you had a good birthday; it sounds like the fellas gave you a nice day.

We would love to hear some news from home, if anyone wants to update us
on the goings on.


Peace and Love,

Bill & Kelly

Saturday Update

(Bill writing)

Dear Friends and Family,

Still no update on our court appointment. As a refresher to all, there are three more periods that we have to go through. The first is the mandatory 5 work day wait while the paperwork is submitted to the SDA in Kiev (it was submitted Friday morning). The next is the wait period until our court date, and the last is the mandatory 10 day wait period after court (court proceedings take 1 day). We are starting to suspect that we will return in the first or second week of the new year, but who knows?

We learned that the children are taken care of to the point of perhaps overdoing it. This morning we picked up the children, and the oldest had full winter wear on, including a second sweater, a coat with hood, a hat, leggings and winter boots. I assumed that this meant he wanted to go outside like we've done the past 2 days for a few minutes, but when I was asking him if he wanted to go out, he kept replying "nyet." Luckily, another couple's translator was there, so I asked him to ask the boy about the get-up. Apparently, the caregivers put this outfit on in preparation for playing INSIDE (even though the temperature is kept at a toasty 80 degrees or so), because this morning was shower day, and they think that a damp kid runs a higher risk of getting sick, even well after the point that he is dry. Since the boy was so wrapped up, I suggested to him that we go outside for a bit (this is really so that I can have a chance to cool down), and we proceeded to ask the director. She made it clear that kids can't go outside on shower day, so that was that!

Yesterday we got some "parental counseling." The older boy was being particularly mischievous, so we asked the social worker to talk to him. She did...and she also talked to us. Through gestures, she told us to be firmer with the children, illustrated unmistakably with a shaking fist. It was well intentioned, because when we arrived yesterday for the second visit, I jokingly shook my fist at her and she laughed. I tell you, it's tough being disciplinarians when it's our first week on the job, we are packed in a room with a bunch of other parents, are being observed by the orphanage staff, and can't communicate with the boys! (I can almost hear all the veteran parents out there laughing at us).

Sorry for the cliche, but I think the weather is worthy of mentioning. It has been cold enough to require winter coats, but warmer than usual. In fact, Donetsk had the warmest November recorded since 150 years ago! Thank goodness...hope all the Michiganders are enjoying the snow! We haven't seen any yet, but I'm sure it's coming. We have had a couple of days that were remarkably foggy, making the car rides home at night particularly entertaining.

There are currently 6 families visiting the orphanage, including a new couple that starting coming yesterday for a 3 year old girl. There is a Spanish couple, for which I am sometimes recruited to speak with using my shaky high school Spanish. Kind of sounds like a joke, doesn't it? (A Spaniard, American and Ukrainian walk into a bar...) The father in this family has been the mayor of some city near Barcelona for the past 16 years. The remaining families are American, including a pair from Battle Creek that live near where Kelly taught during her college internship!

(Kelly writing)

Our most important message of the day is...HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA! Wish we were there to tell you in person! Hopefully Dante and Imani aren't too much trouble today.

I want to give a loud shout out to the PURPLE ROOM and the ORANGE ROOM! You guys rock. I love hearing from each of you, and hope you are enjoying reading the weblog. Has anyone found Donetsk on a map yet?

We are being introduced to some interesting food. We've already talked about the local stuff, but the packaged food is also interesting. We've had a variety of interestingly flavored potato chips: chicken, onion, bacon, crab, shrimp, salmon and Swiss cheese. Coke products are the only kind of soda you can find, and Diet Coke is called "Coca Cola Light." We just bought some coconut and cherry juice mix for the kids. In short, most of the things you can find back home are here, including the brands, but they've been altered slightly for the local people.

Whew! That was a long entry, hopefully making up for not entering anything yesterday. We miss everyone and can't wait to share more good news.


Peace and Love,

Bill and Kelly

Day 4 in Donetsk

All,

We got the grand tour by the director yesterday. This orphanage is AMAZING! It could easily pass as a daycare in the US. Our translator has said that it is the nicest one she's ever seen. The director seems like a woman who cares about the children very much. There are four "classes," called "grupas," in which children of similar age play, eat and sleep together. Each class has a closet room, where each child has their own locker. There is a play room, with cabinets bursting with toys. We were probably most impressed with the bathrooms, which were very cute. Both the sinks and toilets were green and shaped like frogs, miniaturized for the shorties. There was also a small auditorium of sorts, with a stage and (believe or not, folks) a chandelier! Overall, everything was very clean and neat and tidy. The whole building is in the process of being updated with new modern vinyl windows. This orphanage appears to be the life's work of the director, and you can tell she is very well liked, because the children run up to her when she enters the room.

You would think that these kids would be very selfish, but quite the opposite is the truth. They all share as much as possible! When we first met the director, she got out some candy for the boys; yesterday the little one remembered where she got it and asked the director for more when we were in her office. He got a small fistful, ran out of the room into the common play room, and gave one piece to each of the other kids! This is normal for all the children; whenever the receive something, they share it with the others.

The older boy made us very happy when he asked us for pictures of us to show off to his classmates. Then, this morning, the younger one asked for one as well. He gave it to his caregiver, who placed it on a shelf for all to see. The younger one really is getting attached to us. He cried a lot when we left, hugged my leg and wouldn't let go, repeating "Papa, Papa!"

I had my first lesson in going potty yesterday (not me, I'm an old pro--with the kids I mean). The little one was doing the "gotta go!" dance, so I took him to the bathroom. It occurred to me on the way that I had no idea if he was potty trained or not, but (thank god) he knew what he was doing! Whew!

The older one wanted me to go outside with him today, so we had fun. Of course, the caregivers insisted on him putting on two layers of winter wear, first.

Kelly and I are being cautious, and do not want to share names or pictures until it seems likely that the children will be ours. The two major hurdles that remain are getting through court (in which a jury has to approve us), and making it through the 10 day wait period, set aside for anyone to appeal the court's decision. Please everyone bear with us during this time.

Peace and Love,

Bill and Kelly

Wednesday Post

All,

We had our morning visit today. We found a new weapon in keeping control of them...FOOD! I thought I could eat, but after seeing the little one scarf down a banana and a half, there may be a new eating champ in the family!

Both are getting more comfortable with us, and are starting to explore and find where their limits are. Today the older one kept finding interesting objects and running out into the hallway (where he's not supposed to be) to show his friends. I would call after him, to no avail, when one of his caregivers tracked him down and laid down the law, which straightened him up. I can't be too hard on myself, though, it's only my second day on the job!

Our translator has been working very hard for us, and is keeping the whole process on schedule. As it has gone with other couples' adoptions, there are numerous quirky problems that crop up with the paperwork, but our translator has been driving our case through the bureaucracy. She'll be leaving us tonight to go back to Kiev, so it's Kelly and I on our own! However, our new driver here is pretty good, and is willing to walk with us to stores and help us out. He helped us find ga-ROO-shkees (toys) this afternoon. Donetsk is a big city, so we shouldn't be bored for a while as we spend our afternoons between visits exploring.

We miss everyone very much, and were overwhelmed by the number of emails we received since yesterday (84). Keep 'em coming!

Peace and Love,

Bill & Kelly

PS: Mom (Sue) we received your email about your work email address, but have been receiving an error message when we've tried to use it.

We met the Boys!!!!

All,

We met the boys, and the meeting went very well. The oldest one is clever, and has the noteworthy description of not being behind in his development, a rarity for orphanage children. The younger is a handful, full of energy and having little patience for sitting in one spot. They are both very healthy, for which Kelly and I feel very lucky, even if they are a little small for their ages.

The meeting was kind of torturous at first, because the director kept talking ABOUT them, when we knew they were in the next room waiting to meet us! When she finally asked us if we had any questions or if we wanted to meet them, we both blurted, "we want to meet them!"

The oldest was very well behaved and walked in and stood at attention. He promptly rattled off a long poem much to our delight. The younger was acting shy, but was on Kelly's lap within a few minutes. Our translator asked the older if he wanted us for his parents and he smiled and said, "Da! Da!" (Yes! Yes!)

Before meeting them, Kelly and I had some questions as to how long we would have to talk it over and decide if we thought they were right for us. However, within 5 minutes of meeting them, the director surprised us and asked us if we wanted them. Neither Kelly nor I hesitated, and both said "yes" at the same time. It feels very right, and we both slept like babies last night.

Since we did not have time to find an internet cafe yesterday, what with the travel and having to find an apartment, we have actually visited the boys a second time this morning since our last posting. Today we got to play with them for a longer time, and the little one forgot all about being shy. Both, in fact, were full of energy and very communicative. There are 2 or 3 other couples here adopting, so the room they allow prospective parents to play with their kids in was full today.

The orphanage is very nice, and all the kids seem happy and healthy. We will be able to visit them from here on out for a couple of times each day, for 2 hours each time. We will be renting our Donetsk driver from 10 to 6 each day, so transportation will not be a problem.

Well, we have an empty fridge, and no treats for the kids, so we are off to the market right now!

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!

Peace and Love,

Kelly and Bill

Even Lazier Sunday...

Dear Friends and Family,

There is, again, not much progress to report for today, as we are waiting for our flight to Donetsk at 7:50 am tomorrow (1 am EST) to meet the boys for the first time. However, we're not sure how often we'll be able to get to cyber cafes in this new city, so we thought it would be a good idea to post some more today.

Kerri and Matt, we didn't know what you were asking when you asked if we were in the underground mall, but now we do. We've "discovered" it today, and are amazed at the size of it. There are probably over 100 shops in this mall, which also serves as an alternate way for pedestrians to get around the city.

We ate at a very good restaurant, with a large selection of buffet style Ukrainian food. It is across the street from the TGIFriday's, and we were wondering if this is the one everyone always talks about. If it's not, we heartily recommend it.

It's even colder today, Francessca, but of course you already knew that, didn't you? It feels like snow any day now...

We'll be packing up our things tonight to be ready to meet the driver at 6:30 tomorrow morning. I doubt that we'll be getting much sleep tonight! For those folks to whom we haven't told yet, the procedure is from here on out: meet the children, then decide whether we think they are a good fit or not. Then, if we've decided "yes", then we complete some paperwork in preparation for going to court. We then wait for a court date, and if the judge approves us, then we wait the legally required 10 days before the adoption is finalized. We then travel back to Kyiv to complete more paperwork and get ready for our return flight.

Once again, we are humbled by the many thoughtful responses from friends and family. Reading your email is by far the favorite part of our days. Keep them coming!


Peace and Love,

Bill and Kelly

Lazy Saturday

Dear Friends and Family,

We'd first of all like to thank everyone for their comments and well wishes. In a land that is strange to us and where we only have each other to talk to, your communications keep us grounded and in touch with home. We'd like to offer a special thanks to Francessca and Brianna, who have both warmed Kelly's heart by sending very nice messages. Kelly also appreciates the all of the messages from the purple room!

There's not much to say about today. All we've done for the adoption is go with Luba our translator to buy airline tickets. She woke us up with a phone call at 11:30 today. I think Kelly and I were both so relieved to have a referral with no problems that we finally slept peacefully.

Since getting the tickets, we've been spending the day walking around the city. We are finally feeling adventurous, and willing to "get lost." We've thoroughly explored the Independence Square, the commercial heart of the city. We've also visited the Arch Monument. The monument is impressive because of its sheer size, but is not a favorite of the locals. It was built by the Russians to celebrate their "union" with Ukraine. The tongue and cheek nickname of it is "The Yoke."

Our mobility has been very much enhanced by our "discovery" of the under street tunnels. We have read the subways are a bit scary, especially since the Ukrainian sense of personal space is not the same as it is in the US; we've seen public buses crammed full of people like clowns in a little circus car. Anyhow, we'd decided to avoid the subway, but today Bill noticed two entrances on either side of a busy street that we were trying to cross, and suggested perhaps we could go in one and find our way to the other side and thus safely cross. As it turns out, what we have been thinking were subway entrances are merely tunnels built for the very purpose of crossing streets, and nothing more. We feel like geniuses...

Bill is finally starting to feel better. He threw out his back 5 days before we left. The plane ride over was very uncomfortable, but he survived. Despite the 3 inch mattress on the bed, it has gotten better. He also picked up a cold on the flight over, but that, too, is getting better. Lastly, he had a disagreement with the local cuisine 2 nights ago (and lost), and gave the Ukrainian plumbing a good test.

We are intentionally not speaking too much about the boys, waiting until the adoption becomes more probable. (We apologize to both grandmothers who are dying to hear details). We will say, however, that both boys are well thought of by their caregivers.

Peace and Love,

Bill and Kelly

2nd Appointment

All,

We are in downtown Kyiv right now, at a mall, sitting in an internet cafe. We've ventured out of our apartment farther than yesterday, as we are becoming more comfortable with being here. We had our second appointment today, and have received a referral for two brothers, ages 6 & 4.

If you are one to believe in signs, here's one for you...we were planning on honoring my (Kelly's) father by using his first name as one of the children's first or middle names. Mom, the oldest boy's birthday is the same as Dad's :) My dad's birthday is September 1st.

In other news, we've found some surprises overall with our visit so far. The food has been very good, despite some of the information we've heard beforehand. Yesterday we ate at an "expensive" restaurant, and Bill was somewhat disappointed when his "collection of hunter sausages" turned out to be a plate of smokey links and ketchup (although it was probably "fancy" kethcup)--there was even a fancy squiggle of ketchup on the side of the plate for artistic effect. We have both found borsch (beet soup) to be very good, and have enjoyed it several times.

Phones are another interesting matter. We've been slow to get up to speed. At first we had to ask a police officer to help us dial locally, after which we learned that you don't have to dial the first listed digit (huh?). Then we had trouble dialing locally using our cell phones. We have just learned today that you have to match the brand of the calling card with the brand of the SIM card...who knew? We are finally up and functioning with the phones, however.

Driving is extremely chaotic here. The driving laws are approximate to those of the US, but seem to be followed on a voluntary basis. A parking spot is anywhere you can fit a car, including up on sidewalks, in the decorative planting areas around sidewalk trees, or in driving lanes! When you are driving, you have to dodge parked cars, and when you are window shopping, you've got to dodge traffic! Cars certainly have the right of way, so you've got to be on your toes.

We have a very brave taxi driver that is acting as our driver, and we've seen some amazing feats of driving. He's not shy about pulling a U-turn regardless of the number of lanes of traffic, or the number of cars that have to come to a stop in the oncoming lane as a result, or if it involves venturing up onto a curb. I think he learned how to be brave when he was a mechanic for tanks during the Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan (no joke).

Anyway, thanks to everyone who is keeping in their thoughts and prayers!! We hope and pray that these are our little angels and all will go well in Donetsk!

Peace & love,

Bill & Kelly