Ukraine Adoption - Day 13 (Sumy)

Nate (left) and his best friend Tyler - Thanks, Afflecks, for showing our boy love while we're away on his birthday! That cake looks delicious! And which of your boys is that in the background?

Kayla and cousin Garrett.

This is Sergei (left) and Dima/"Punya" (right) with Matt.

We were allowed to take the kids out of the orphanage today because we needed to get passport pictures taken (for Natasha, Yuri, Pasha and Lena), so we (us and Gledhills) along with Oleg and Masha got that job done, then went out for pizza and went bowling! This is Yuri waiting for his beverage... and yes, we do realize that it looks like everyone is drinking beer, but that's only because they serve every drink in a tall beer glass at this place.

I love this picture - you'll notice that Natasha puts her hands up like that, for fun, when her picture gets taken. See below.

I love this picture, too - Yuri is such a little cuddler with me, and Natasha is definitely more affectionate than I would have imagined upon first meeting her, when she was more removed and guarded. We can't wait to get these guys home!

Lena & Natasha

These are the "socks" they give you at the bowling alley - more like nylons!! These are Matt's feet (please, people... hairy legs!)... I've never seen him in nylons before!

There go the hands again!

So Day 13... This was SUCH a fun day. The kids had a blast together, and it's been great to get to know the Gledhills better. What great people they are, and what a wonderful family Pasha and Lena are going to. We have such respect for them and are glad to have had this opportunity to spend a little time with them. Pasha proved to be the best bowler, by the way... no surprise there!

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A word about our other two kids at home - Kayla & Nate. We miss them immensely, but that goes without saying. I wanted to write today about how completely impressed with them we are. In these last two weeks they have been nothing but selfless, nothing but supportive, accomodating, patient and encouraging. It's so difficult to be away from our kids, as many of you can attest, and then when they truly take care of things back home (including themselves, the home, our animals, the lawn, you name it), we just feel so humbled to be given this opportunity to have them as our children. They have been with grandparents and friends and scout camps these last two weeks, probably feeling bounced around and out of their routine. Yet when we talk on the phone with them all they want to hear about are Natasha and Yuri, and the other children at the orphanage, and us and how we're doing. They have so much love in them that it makes me want to cry. Kayla will send me sweet text messages at night (Utah night time) saying good night and I love you, and she has no idea how that sustains me. They always wants to be sure that we are telling Natasha and Yuri that they love them, and that we not forget! The other day we were in the taxi with the kids and Natasha was teasing that she was going to rub Nate's ears again (that may sound random, but when she was at our home last October, she and Nate were constantly play-fighting... Natasha would sneak up behind him, cup her hands over each of his ears, and then rub back and forth really fast, then she would take off running because she knew Nate would quickly be after her), and cute Yuri says, "I won't let you do that to my brother!" We love the anticipation they have about bonding with new siblings, and we love that Kayla and Nate have established that with them, already.

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On another note, I haven't written about my pregnancy on the blog, as this adoption has been so involved and exciting, and I was mainly worried that I'd remain healthy while on this foreign travel, that I haven't yet shared all of the thoughts and feelings going on in my head regarding this sweet baby boy growing in my belly. I'm at 20 weeks now, so the half-way point. Just last week I began to feel him moving and kicking constantly. Not randomly here and there, maybe once a week, like before, but more like several times a day, all day (first thing in the morning, on). I love it; he's my little buddy (Matt calls him my "passenger"), and it's a comfort to me. I still can't believe I'm pregnant. Matt always knew it would happen, but I didn't. I got to the point where I made the choice to believe it was out of my hands, and what was meant to be will be. We focused on adoption and our own precious kids, feeling blessed enough in them. So now that I'm pregnant, and it's actually turning out well, and I've seen his face and his features, and I feel him every day, I feel pretty emotional, and blessed, and honored. And all this concern that I wouldn't find food to eat in Ukraine and would I be ok traveling and running around from place to place was completely unnecessary. We've eaten VERY well, have fresh amazing produce daily, Matt makes my (favorite) french toast and breakfast burritos all the time, and the running around has felt good to me. Nothing to worry about (other than those attractive swollen feet the first day off the long flight, but whatever).

So there's our post for the day. More to come...