Last Post from Ukraine!!

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go.

 

Well okay, I forgot to pack my toiletries bag into my luggage, and doing so may cause it to burst at the seams, but that's what duct tape is for, right?!

 

THIS IS IT PEOPLE!!!

 

It's 4pm, we are eating our last Oliva pizza for dinner, giving Mr Stinky Pants a bath, Roman and his family are coming over to get the crib and say goodbye, then the girls go to bed, we go to bed, and then wake up (very soon after), and leave!  Our flight leaves at 5:45am for Frankfurt and then just a quick layover this time before the ten hour-I-wonder-how-we-will-all-do-on-that-plane-trip back to Home Sweet Home!

Goodbye Maidan!

 

Am I excited?!

 

We had a rough night with Stinker-more getting used to his transition from orphanage feeding styles-and are still feeling a bit under the weather.  But we left at 9am with Jenya to go get his medical form and then back to that little bit of American soil.  We had to wait and Bard was in the bathroom when they called us up so I went to the counter and there it was-his American Visa.  Do you know how hard it is to get an American Visa?  I almost cried, it was so beautiful and the last step in such a rigorous journey.  The lady reminded me of what I've known for months, as soon as our plane touches down, he will be an American citizen.

 

Do you know how beautiful that is?

 

We stopped by St Andrews descent on the way home because somehow I always need a few more gifts.  Then poor Jenya's car wouldn't start so we walked home.  Which was fine because we've made that walk dozens of times.  It was more than fine, we got to say goodbye.  Goodbye Queen Olga Statue. Goodbye St Michael's.  Goodbye St Sophia.  Goodbye suit store.  Goodbye old apartment.  Goodbye Produkti Store.  Goodbye O Bryans Pub.  The girls got into this game and it was fun but bittersweet.

 

I. Can. Not. Wait. To. Get. Home.

 

But saying goodbye is hard, especially when this country is now part of who we are as a family.

 

We returned "home" and the kiddos had some quiet time while I packed like a whirling dervish.  I was a little stressed, especially about getting Babushka Olga's 3 jars of preserves she gave us safely into the suitcase.  But I think we're good!  One last trip through Maidan, ice cream in hand, marveling at the changes that have occurred in this beautiful square during a few short weeks.  One last meandering trip through the subway mall, where I actually told Bard which direction to go-it only took six weeks people! And one last walk up the hill to our apartment.

 

Goodbye Kiev Inn!

Now here we are.  We arrived in Kyiv almost exactly 6 weeks ago.  As I told my favorite vendor Alex yesterday, now we live here.  This trip has changed more than just the number in our family.  It has changed us, deeply.  We see more.  We feel more.  We know more. We are more grateful.  I love this country.  As the plane takes off tomorrow I will cry tears of gratitude and tears of grieving.  Thank you for walking with us through this chapter in our lives.  I know there are many more to come, but this was a huge one.  It sounds cliché, but we couldn't have done it without you-you are beautiful and you have touched our lives more than you will ever know.  Thank you for everything, and if I can humbly ask for more, please continue traveling with our family as we welcome Max back home.  It's a whole new beginning, mysterious, challenging, a softening.

 

I can't wait.

 

Hello Hello

I don't know why you say goodbye I say hello

Hello Hello