Our Final Days in Kiev

For the last leg of our trip, I spent a total of 10 days in country. From Thursday, January 30th until Friday, February 7th, we were basically just waiting around. 



To pass our time, we walked around Kiev.  We walked to the Mini Markets.  I sent Matthew down the 8 floors to take out the trash.  He swept the apartment.  We cooked dinner together.  We cleaned up the kitchen.  We walked to a restaurant.  I checked my email.  I looked at Facebook.  I watched the clock for 8pm to roll around so I could head to bed.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat.



Of all the adoptions, this was the most fun because we actually were able to meet other couples while in Kiev and have dinner or chat in the lines at the Embassy, or passport office.  It really made things go by faster and seem less stressful.  All of us were in this adoption journey together.  We cheered each other on as we one-by-one received our court dates, then had Gotcha Day, then received passports, finished our medical appointments and our 2 Embassy appointments and FINALLY boarded our planes to come HOME!! 



I am SO thankful to be home.  I am SO thankful God put a hedge of protection around Matthew and I during the Revolution protests in downtown Kiev.  I'm SO thankful He provided the resources we needed, the people we needed, the patience and endurance we needed, good health and our friends who cheered us on and prayed for us faithfully.  Finally, we are SO thankful for our ACTIVE-as-TEN-BOYS, bouncing 11-year-old baby boy!!!

I woke up to "swish, swish, swish" one morning--he was sweeping the apartment

Breakfast of champions!!  Black tea with cream and sugar with these delicious butter cookes.

Trying cereal for the first time & he liked it--at 3 bowls--he's is Daddy's son!!

View from our living room on the 8th floor

View from our balcony

View from the bedroom

Watching cartoons

Grilled cheese and scrambled eggs

Matthew's Lego creation

Ingredients for potato soup.  In America we take for granted the limitless availability of fresh produce during winter months.  It was hard to find these ingredients.  Also trying to cut onions,  potatoes and peel carrots with a VERY dull knife was quite the experience.

Matthew cutting the potatoes into cubes

Stirring the soup

It was delicious!

Best pizza in all of Kiev!

Yum!