Quick Prayer Requests

Hey Friends - been a while since we've written...it's been a tumultuous couple of days here in Ukraine. Please keep the following in your prayers:

• We were under the impression that we would be getting Dima today (Tuesday), which got pushed back to tomorrow, which now looks like it will be Thursday, due to the fact that the computers are down in an entire town (yes, that happens over here). Anyway, pray for patience on our parts, and that the issue gets resolved.
• Pray also for Tristan's behavior, and again for our patience. Six year old behavior tends to be cyclical but as bad luck would have it, he's in an especially bad cycle.
• Finally, there seems to be one power tool produced/sold in Ukraine, and it's the drill. And it seems that everyone in our apartment building is drilling something into their walls at any and all hours of the day. Pray that we don't go insane listening to this.

Sorry this is so curt - just "keeping it real" as the kids say. A kind friend sent us Oceans Twelve, and we're going to watch that for some escapism...the same friend also sent us Boondock Saints, but I'm afraid it would make Ted even madder.

Sightseeing

We took some time the other day to do some traditional sight-seeing, and went to "tourist alley", the place where all the vendors line up to sell things like matchurshka dolls, Klitchko t-shirts, soviet-era hats, hand-carved chess sets, and random other souvenirs. The picture with the cream-colored castle-looking building is looking down on the back end of this lane of souvenir stands. The brown brick castle-looking building is just randomly in a neighborhood near the opera house. I thought it picturesque, so I took a snap of it, and now I'm sharing it with you. the picture of the unremarkable looking building is the outside our our apartment -- we're the 3rd green balcony up on the left (not that it matters, they kind of all look the same.) Note the mass of cars parked on the sidewalk. And there is a picture of Tristan playing on a playground near our flat. There is this huge, beautiful park (I put pictures of the park in one of our first posts) with a little playground in it, and we have to walk through the park (with a massive incline) to go to the Janzens (who live near the Opera House, and across the street from our first flat.) This particular day was another warm, nearly balmy day, and everyone was out at the park (still bundled up) enjoying the milder weather. Despite our advice to play by himself, Tristan waltzed right up to these 2 tough looking 10 or 12 year old boys, and even though he can't speak a lick of their language, started engaging with them and trying to get them to play with him. We were horrified at first -- I would never try something like that! -- especially when we saw them laughing at him (probably at his language which they wouldn't have understood) but watched their laughter turn to grudging respect as he won them over with his touhgness and tenacity. Unbelievable! I guess that's what you get when you adopt a kid -- someone who can and will do things you never would have done yourself!

And speaking of adopted kids, we've had a bit of a dull week without Maxim. We endured the ride out to the orphanage on Tuesday, only to get there and be told he was sick, and we couldn't see him. Without our usual translator to give us more info, we had to just content ourselves with getting back in the car and going home, without so much as a peek at him. We later learned that he has a little cold, with a low-grade fever -- nothing to worry about, but we have missed seeing him. We've waited all week for them to let us visit him, and it looks like we'll be able to go tomorrow morning, so we are happy about that, and happy that he is feeling better. It's very strange to be his parents, but yet have such limited access to him.

We hope that is all going to change really soon... On Tuesday, the Very Official Papers are supposed to be done, which we believe (although we can always be wrong about these things) means we will get to pick him up and bring him back to live with us for good that day. We'll go Monday to look them over, and make sure they are in order, and then to visit him one more time. It's going to be a curious sort of all-to-nothing situation, to go from an hour or two a week of supervised visits, to 100% in charge of him! I'm hoping I will be able to get some basic information about his schedule and care... for example, I think he's potty trained... and does he take a nap? When does he go to bed? When does he eat, and what? It's going to be crazy -- but we are all so excited, and ready. So we're going to get lots of sleep this weekend... in preparation!

Things I miss about home, and things I will miss about here:

Now, I publish this at great risk. I know some of you have not yet had an opportunity to comment (or even read!) the previous blog posting. And I don't want to, in any way, take away from that more substantial post. Yet, I was so inspired that I just couldn't wait to write this.

There are definitely some things I miss about home. So, for all of you who are just dying of curiosity as to what tops the list, in no particular order:

1. My bed. Big, soft, and comfy!
2. A tall glass full of ice, diet coke, and a straw. And free refills. (note: they have coke light here, which is nearly as good as DC. but alas, ice is hard to find.)
3. Church, where my child is in Sunday school, friends are all around, I can sing along in English (or Shona, if Ben Falconer is leading worship :) and be challenged by a good sermon.
4. My kitchen, where pots, pans, dishes, sharp knives, gadgets, and spoons abound! Kitchen Aid Mixer: I miss you!
5. My dryer. Jeans like cardboard are not my favorite! However, a bath towel that can double as a loofah does have some advantages...
6. Independence! If I need something, I can figure out how to get it done on my own (most of the time.)

Lest anyone think that I don't like being here, let me give you my short list of the things I am really enjoying -- it will actually be hard to keep the list short.

1. Shopping and eating "the European way." You get what you need for the day on your way home past the corner market. No pantry stocked full of stuff you forget you have, no leftovers moldering in the fridge. (note: I will still be very glad to get back to my kitchen)
2. Not talking on the phone. Now, I'm not talking about good convos with friends here, I mean all those dumb "business-y" phone calls that have to be made -- to make plans, to check on your electricity bill, to make a doctors appointment, to remind you to return the movie you rented, etc. And sadly I will have a whole bunch of these kinds of calls to deal with when I return. Yuck!
3. Not dealing with bills or mail. Thank you Matt Herwaldt!
4. Not driving. I don't miss it. I think I could spend the rest of my life being driven around.
5. Walking everywhere. Now, this took a little getting used to, and it's not always convenient. But I like it! Gee, maybe I could start walking more at home on purpose!
6. Kofe Xayz. This has become "our" little coffee house, just 2 blocks away, where we can go and get a cheap, delicious latte. We pack a little bag of coloring books for Tristan, and go and plan our day. It's like a little date... and it's very possible I will come home with a raging caffine addiction. Oops.
7. The time we've had together as a family here. Sometimes the time has weighed heavily on us -- especially when we've felt cooped up and restless because of the weather -- but for the most part, it has been a really special blessing to be able to be together, all of us, all the time. It's nice to get a break from the separateness of the rat race!
8. The duvet cover on my bed here. This is actually a bit of a point of contention for Ted and I: I love the duvet, where nothing is tucked in and I can stick my feet out when they get hot. I must be so much more of a free spirit than Ted, who likes everything tucked in. I tried to convert him to the duvet at home, but he would have none of it. Here, he has no choice, and my feet are relishing their freedom!

We Are Thankful

Saturday was a day of many firsts. We started off the day with sunshine -- something many of you have been praying for. Then, on our visit to Maxim, we were actually able to take him outside!! This was great on so many levels -- Tris was able to work off some energy, they were able to really play together, and we were all just able to relax and enjoy each other's company without feeling "watched" and scrutinized. As you can see from the pictures, the boys loved it! (My boys -- what a ring that phrase has to it!) We were also able to take our first real family picture -- thanks to the high-tech auto-shutter-thingy on my camera!

Things since then have been a bit more up-and-down. We've experienced consistent power failures in our flat -- we never really know what thing will blow the circut again. So far, running the microwave, electric tea kettle, and washing machine (one at a time, mind you) have done it. Last night, Ted got quite a little "shock" while poking around in the fuse box (per the instructions of our translator). Luckily, Dr Newman was on call for us to discuss his symptoms with -- and he's none the worse for the wear (well, a little worse, with a burnt finger.) Currently, we have power, but no hot water. Oh, and 2 of the 3 pairs of jeans Ted and I both brought are sitting in the dead wash machine, soaking wet, and with no hot water to wash them and no radiator heat to dry them with, if they ever get washed... so hopefully we can keep from spilling spaghetti sauce on each of our single remaining pairs of jeans until the others wash and dry... Right now there are repairs being done in one of the neighboring flats, and the endless sound of the drill boring into the walls around us has gotten... tedious... after a few hours!

I hope it doesn't sound like all we ever do is complain, I guess I'm just trying to give you guys a little sense of the small but frustrating issues we deal with each day... I know many of you are praying for us, and we are so grateful for this! Keep praying for sunshine, and patience as we plod through the rainy days until 1) Maxim comes home to us and 2) we all come home!

Love, Kristin

Introducing...

As of 10 am, we are officially parents again! Thanks be to God, we went to court and recieved a favorable verdict, and are now the legal parents of Maximillian Dmitri Kluck!

The court procedure went amazingly well. We arrived at the court (after driving around the city for a while, looking for a place to make copies -- do they not have kinkos here?) to stand in a dim waiting area with 30+ people, all ostensibly waiting for various court meetings. We waited, standing, trying to stay out of the way, trying to keep Tristan calm and quiet, for 30 min until we were abruptly escorted into a small room, what looked like the judge's office -- nothing like the official courtroom scene from Tristan's adoption! (Slava, our interpreter, had told us it was "just an informality") In the judge's room, we each stood and recited our name, date of birth, and where we work. We then answered a few brief questions about why we wanted to adopt and if we could provide for this child. Slava told the judge that Tristan had been adopted from Ukraine, and the judge called Tris over to her desk, where she kindly asked him some questions, had him show her our little picture album from home, and touseled his hair. For the first time in his young life, he was awed into silence, and answered her questions "do your parents treat you well?" and "do you wish for this child to be your brother?" simply with "da." (I was thinking it would have been nice for him to elaborate on all the reasons we are great parents.... oh well, next time!) This done, the judge said we were the legal parents, and can have custody of Maxim in 10 days. My eyes pricked with sudden tears; it is scary to get emotional amidst all the uncertainty but this was so quick, so simple, and seems so definite, I was filled with relief and gratitude.

So in 10 days -- I'm assuming it's just 10 days, not 10 business days -- we will pick Maxim up and bring him away from the orphanage to live with us. This will be another little celebration along the way, as will getting him into the US and to our home. We are thinking of ways to enjoy our last 10 days as 3, before the craziness of a 4th arrives!

The countdown to our homecoming also begins: now, we have to get Maxim's passport (which we applied for today) and then his visa (which we will begin to work on after the 10 days.) It is still uncertain exactly when exactly all this will be done, but it is beginning to look like it might be sooner than we had originally anticipated.

We would appreciate your continued prayers: for continued health and safety, profitable ways to pass the time, efficient completion of paperwork, and for a smooth transition when we do bring Maxim into our custody -- as much as we are looking forward to this day, it will present new challenges for all of us. Thank you for your intercession for us!
Kristin

Playing for Pizza

Tonight we made pizza -- real, American-style deep-dish pizza. (well, it would have been authentic if we had pepperoni, or italian sausage, or mozzarella... instead, the random cheese and fresh veggies worked just fine, since we had real pizza sauce and I made the crust from scratch -- comeplete with Russian yeast!) It seems like a little thing, but somehow this taste of home was a big success after a frustrating day.

We had been told we were needed to sign papers today, in the town an hour or so away from Kiev where Dima was born. The initial reaction to this news was disappointment, as Thursday is the day I go to a women's Bible study, and then to the "widow's knitting group" -- the highlight of my week. However, as we are here to do the adoption, I knew these other things had to give way to adoption stuff, so we prepared to go. We didn't know what time we'd leave (which is how things usually work here) so we just got ready early this morning then waited. We got a phone call to give us a few minutes notice to be on the street -- but then we were told that we don't all have to come, just one of us. Well.... if I'd known that, I could have still taken Tris to the Bible study and not missed out! But by then it was too late (as I'd missed my escort to the study, and didn't know how to get there on my own), so we decided to all go together -- a decision that seemed to annoy the driver for some reason. (Thankfully, it was Vadim, not Bogdan, so we didn't get nearly as carsick -- or terrified -- as we could have.) So we made the drive through the country (which was beautiful -- much more green than the city, with alternating pine and birch forrests) and arrived at our destination, where we didn't even get out of the car. Our presence was completely unnecessary! Grrrr! So then it was another hour+ back to the city (meanwhile, we are furtively nibbling on pretzels and snickers -- hazelnut snickers! yuck! -- in the back seat, because it's lunchtime. Apparently Ukrainians have no need to eat. Or use the bathroom --we've never seen any of our guides do either.) and then a wait outside the court building where we are, once again, not needed. At this point Ted asks Vadim where the bathroom is (I guess if you don't eat you don't have to go). Vadim doesn't speak much English, and his first suggestion was to wave at the stand of muddy trees next to the court building. Since it was me who had to go, some gesturing and pointing made it clear this wouldn't work. Once Slava came back to the car, Vadim starts driving around, pointing and grumbling at her about "toilet! toilet!" I didn't realize it was such a faux paux to have to go potty... He finally stopped at a mall and escorted us brusquely to the bathrooms... good thing I had some kleenex in my pockets! Next stop was to pick up Irina -- which brings the count in our car up to six. This is the kind of car that is almost comfortable for four! So Tristan sits on my lap (where his giant melon head clanged against the window at every pothole) and Irina squeezed in beside Ted. Soon we were home again, feeling a real sense of dissatisfaction with what we "accomplished" for the day -- thus the reason for a successful dinner being so significant! Not counting the time we spend visiting Dima (which is still, by necessity, not a ton of time) I would say we are only actually spending maybe 2 hours a week (counting all the time back and forth in the car) doing adoption stuff. Which begs the question -- why, why why do we have to be here for 2 months????

Someone asked Ted (who I must say is having a harder time here than I am, although it is hard for me too at times) if there was anything here he likes. I'm not sure how he answered the question, but I will try here to explain. It's not so much that this is such a terrible place, or (hopefully not!) that we are just big whining sissies (ok, maybe that's a possibility). It's more just the situation of being here: we are not here on vacation, staying at a nice place for a few days with lots of money to spend on eating out and entertainment. Neither though, are we settled in, with basic comforts and infrastructure -- we are kind of squatting. One pan in a tiny kitchen, yet we have to cook. All day with little to do, yet we can't spend money on touristy stuff or entertainment (and we have a very energetic little boy! and it's been cold/muddy/rainy most of the time, eliminating much outside playing, if we knew where outside play areas even were...) No hairdryer (I know, it's a luxury), strange pillows, a bedroom with insufficient curtains to cut out the light from the bright and noisy steet below, one set of sheets that have to drip dry after we wash them (in the cold and rain, I guess I will be ironing the sheets dry tonight before bed). We only have one key to our flat (and you must use the key to get in the building at the street, then into the flat) so we either can't split up or whoever stays is locked in or in an unlocked flat (you must have the key to lock the door from the inside.) It's all these truly little things that, added up, make it difficult to "live" here.

But it is not without it's benefits. Most days we spend the whole day together. And our little victories (successfully ordering at a restaurant, buying a new food item, getting toothpaste that tastes minty, finding a pair of nail clippers, etc) are sweet. Everything seems to take longer, but there is a simplicity in most of the day being used up in food prep, laundry, and schoolwork, instead of the rushing around that is normal in America. And most of all we are thankful that God is still at work here, in Kiev, and in our hearts, patiently stripping away the bad and gradually shaping us more like Himself. So please do bear with us in our seemingly endless complaints -- we don't mean them to be negativity for the sake of negativity, we just want to share with you honestly and from our hearts what our struggles are, and to give you a little feel of what it's like to be here. In so many ways you are here with us -- we appreciate all of your prayers and support.

Court Date

(Ted writing this time)

We finally have a court date set for this Friday, March 20, at 9:30 am Kiev time. This is an important step in the process - as after the court stuff is done we can (dare to dream) start preparing for a trip home by applying for a passport. And after a ten-day wait period post-court, we should be able to bring Dima back to our apartment in Kiev! After a favorable court ruling, Dima will legally be "our" child. We have no idea why we have to wait ten more days for custody...though methinks it has a lot to do with the fact that we'll spend a lot more good ole' American dollars in ten days than we would in, say, one. I'll stop there, in the interest of maintaining a decent attitude (and also not swearing).

We're excited to cross this significant hurdle and, as always, covet your prayers for a smooth and speedy process. We thank God that we've remained healthy thus far - Bogdan's near-vomit-inducing driving notwithstanding. It seems like a little thing to pray about, but...we have to drive 50 KM and back on Thursday to get a document before the court date, and it would be really great to do so with Vadim behind the wheel. (Now is a good time to mention that I really like Bogdan too, as a person...it's just that when I ride with him I feel like I'm getting over the flu for the rest of the day).

Here are a few pics of us sightseeing and doing tourist-type activities in and around Kiev, with our new friends the Janzens, who are awesome and are also Canadians. Also a great pic of Dima admiring himself in a mirror while wearing a construction helmet.

Save the Sofa! And other questions answered

Many of you have asked questions in the comments, which I'll try to answer. Because we really love to see comments!! It makes me feel like all my hard work making this blog so wonderful is really worth it... So kudos to each and every one of you who have made the heroic effort to post a comment on the apparently tempermental blogsite. (and the many of you who have tried to post a comment, not been able to, but sent me an email instead -- big fat pat on the back to you too.)

We do now have internet, in our apartment, although we didn't for the first 2 discouraging days here. Having internet really makes a huge difference here -- lets Ted do his work, allows us to blog and email, stay in touch with our family by Skype, and gives us access to all the wonderful information on the web -- we've been able to look at maps of Kiev, weather reports, even look up local events here, research ministries in the area, and of course stay on top of NFL draft developments.

Dima's name (which is the traditional nickname for Dmitri) is pronounced "Dee-mah". As we did with Tristan, we will be giving him another name and keeping Dmitri as his middle name. Once we go to court and it's all official... we'll tell you what it is!

We do have a TV in this flat, but no DVD player. The TV gets every single channel produced outside of the English-speaking world. So I guess you could say we are "fasting from TV for Lent" -- especially since we discovered that you cannot watch The Office on NBC.com unless you are watching it while you are in the States. However.... we can watch DVDs on our laptop, and boy, do we ever! We didn't bring enough with us (what were we thinking??) but we make every one we have go for several evenings.

I have now baked one batch of chocolate chip cookies here, albeit without all the traditional ingredients (no brown sugar, no vanilla). And since today is Ted's birthday, I think I will be attempting cake today! I have 1 multi-use pan for the oven -- it's sort of like a 9x13, out of cheap aluminum, that I bought for 53 grivna (approx $6). I use it for everything -- I can bake 6 cookies at a time in it, we put a strange frozen pizza (quattro formaggio! which meant mozarella, gouda and edam cheese, who knows what the 4th cheese was) in it, and I use it to make toast (which is breakfast every day) since I don't have a toaster.

Cooking is a real challenge here -- but I still like the challenge! The most difficult part is finding the correct ingredients without being able to read the labels. Some things are easy (juice, for example, has a picture of which kind of fruit it's made from. Still, I mistook grapefruit for orange once...) Other things are tricky -- a picture of a cake on a package might mean it's sugar, flour, baking soda, coco powder, or even salt. And think about how many differnt products have tomatoes as the main ingredient! And I have my handy Russian dictionary to help me, but it is a painstaking process to look up the words from the package, and if I don't find the word in my dictionary, it could mean 1)that word is just not in my dictionary 2)it's a Ukrainian, not Russian, word -- I cannot often tell the 2 languages apart or 3)that word is the brand name, not the contents. Also, every item we consume (including water!) has to be purchased at the store (about 3/4 mile away) or a kiosk (4 blocks away) and carried home and up to the 4th floor. There's no filling the car with bags and bringing them in one at a time from the garage!

Dima has lost all traces of shyness with us, and constantly babbles away to us. And no, we understand absolutely none of what he's saying -- once again, I don't know if it's Russian or Ukrainian (many people here speak an unconscious mixture of both.) I have no doubt he'll pick English up quickly and that we'll soon begin to have ways of understanding each other. He has already begun to call Ted "Dadu" and Tristan "brahti" (braht is Russian for brother). He has the most adorable little voice, we are glad to hear it even speaking words we don't understand.

We do, indeed, hope to be able to ship our awesome Soviet sofa home to Grand Ledge -- as suggested by the always-clever Rachael McAlvey. Feel free to contribute to the "Save the Sofa" fund, a tax-deductible foundation we'll be setting up ASAP. (Megan Brus: this is a joke. Just like Ted's book "The Shaq" was a joke.)

And finally: do we like it here? I think each of us get frustrated with different things that are hard. Everything seems to take a little longer to do here, and more effort. Tristan misses school, having friends his age to play with, and places to run around and play loudly. Ted misses his routine, feeling a little more in control, and the comforts of home. I miss my kitchen and the conveniences of car, dishwasher, washer and dryer, etc. We all miss our friends, family, and church. Speaking only for myself now, though, I can say -- I really enjoy being here. Maybe it's the city-living that I've always wanted to do, or the historic nature of everything around us. I love seeing this place, and watching the people who live here, and hearing the music of the different languages. I like the adventure of going new places and the feeling of accomplishment I get every time I do something successfully (like find a bank, buy a bottle of water, get across the street alive, make a meal out of the ingredients I bought -- everything is harder here!) Even though I will be glad to come home, for now I am glad to be here, and to have this experience.
-- Kristin

That Would Be Terrific

(note: Ted writing)

The title is a reference to one of our favorite movies, Office Space, which came with us on the trip and which (watching movies) is one of the only things we can do in our apartment. We all gather on our garish, Sovietly-uncomfortable leopard print sofa (note: the only thing to sit on in our flat) and watch the videos on my computer. Special thanks to Zach and Erin for letting us bring The Burbs (Rick Ducommun is awesome) and Dead Man on Campus (which sucked awesomely).

(note: The flat came with satellite television, which featured no less than 556 channels, most of which either were unintelligible to us, or sucked, or both. One of which was Al Jazeera, which, much to my surprise, isn't just videos of hostage situations.)

As you can see from the photos, which will in no way correspond with the text, I do my work sitting on an ergonomically disasterous footstool. I'll send the chiropractic bill to our landlord. And Tristan and I do pushups on the living room floor, like Chaz Tennenbaum and his kids in The Royal Tennenbaums. (note: I'm not that fat...it's my shirt billowing out...which, Dad, is my Official Stout Football t-shirt. Go Blue Devils!)

There's another shot of Kristin in our tiny kitchen, in which she prepares lots of delicious meals despite only having three spoons, two plates, no cookie sheet for a while, and a weird assortment of pots. My wife is awesome. You can also see some pretty buildings out our window, and a few ugly ones. Kiev is like that - there's some real, intense architectural and natural beauty here, and then there are some places where everything in the city that isn't a building is, quite literally, a parking space.

And finally, some pics of the reason we're here - our two precious sons (Dima in tan sweatshirt, Tris in black tee). That first one of Dima is especially excellent - taken by Kristin. Enjoy! Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers...God is good. (And my apologies for fishing for comments earlier...writers are small, needy, egotistical people).

Bleak House (a mid-week update)

Okay kiddos - here's the deal: You want new posts, you need to shower us with comments. Capeesh? Zach - nice job bro. You are the king of the comment. Also, a little housekeeping: If your name is "Jen" - we know lots of Jens and believe me when I say we love them all - please include some sort of special identifier (ex: Jen B. or V. from church...Jen from the neighborhood...Jen who used to live in India...etc.). Know that as we're sitting in our sucky little flat in Ukraine this helps us to, you know, think the warm, happy thoughts that come with blog comments. The types of thoughts that will get us through this until we get home.

Ahh...exhale. Glad that's done. (ps - Ted wrote that first section)

Yesterday we moved to a new apartment. Originally we thought we might move to a totally different city, depending on where the child we would be matched with would be located. Even after we found that Dima was here in the Kiev area, we knew we would move because at $95/night, we would run out of money if we stayed there. So yesterday we packed everything up again (much easier than packing to fly overseas) and went and waited out on the curb for Vadim to pick us up and take us to our new place – the place we will most likely spend the duration of our stay. It was a little suprising to see an Italian couple climb out of Vadim’s car, with all their stuff, and move directly into the place we’d been staying. We knew that it had been booked for someone new, but didn’t expect that they would literally take the key out of our hands and put it in theirs! I immediately felt guilty for not cleaning the place better. I had sort of thought that, hotel-like, someone would clean between us and the next person – not that l left it trashed or anything, but I hadn’t cleaned thoroughly. And I hadn’t changed the sheets on the bed – mainly because there was only 1 set. Oh well – another example of how knowing what was going on really would have been an advantage!

So we had gotten rather used to our original apartment – complete with almost American bathroom, a decent kitchen (with a dishwasher, which I never used, but no oven, which I would have used a lot) and 2 totally separate rooms. The bedroom had been small but the livingroom had a nice comfy loveseat and a chair, along with (most notably) a very big TV and dvd player. We had been told, in Vadim’s sketchy English, that "old apartment: very good! New apartment….good.” So we knew this one could be a step down, but were a bit unprepared for the realities of the new place. Let’s just say, a few tears were shed, and last night we all felt rather low. However, after a good night’s sleep, I think we can see these things in a better light. The new place is a lot smaller (probably 400-500 sq ft, although I’m no judge of these things. I just know it’s noticeably smaller than my first post-college apartment, which was a roomy 600 sq ft.) but still in a nice area of Kiev, and thankfully still very close to where we were before, and most importantly our new friends and the church we attended on Sunday. The kitchen actually has a stove and oven, but if I’m going to be able to use either I’ll have to buy some basics – like a cookie sheet or pan of some sort to use in the oven, a dishtowel and even some spoons. As there is no toaster here, I’ll have to learn to toast the old-fashioned way, in the oven (assuming I can buy a pan or something to put in the oven.) But yet, this morning as I was doing my quiet time, I was reading about the Israelites, and their struggle with contentment – how their complaining about the plain diet or their circumstances was really complaining about the Lord. I want to be careful that I am not guilty of the same sin – so, I will list the things about this apartment that are better: there are ice cube trays, so I can make ice! There is an oven, so I can bake! The bed is much softer, and we slept better last night that we had the whole previous week! The washing machine is bigger, so I can do 2x as many clothes at once (which is still about ½ an American-size load, but still.) We have an interesting (if loud) view of the busy street below. We are close to things we had become familiar with already, a big grocery store, our friends and church. And most importantly, we are all together as a family, safe, here for a really great kid, and God is with us – for this we are truly grateful.

More Ukraine

We've spent a lot of time crammed into the back of tiny cars. This is not Tristan's favorite time!

This church is the beautiful, famous St. Volodymyr's church. We went inside, and wow!! It was so old, and smelled like incense; there were candles burning everywhere, beautiful ikons, and devout worshipers crossing themselves and praying. It was positively stunning -- even Tristan was awed into (near) silence!

This is a picture of the park we found -- a huge sprawling criss-crossing of sidewalks, little muddy play areas, and beautiful natural layout. I can't wait to see watch spring unfold here!

This building is right across the street from us -- and, we found out, much to Ted's great delight and excited scheming -- the building that houses none other than the Klitchko brothers! I took this picture simply because I thought it was a beautiful building (there are many of these throughout the city) but now of course it takes on even greater significance. It is also the home of our new friends, Wes and Kim Janzen, and the Mission Music Kiev.

Ok, I can't get the captions to line up with the pictures, but they do go in the same order as the pictures...

I realize I am doing a record 2 posts in one night, but I thought that perhaps some of you (grandparents types) would be more interested in hearing about Dima, and others (everyone else) might be more interested in hearing about Kiev.

In a week, we have come a long way. The very first night we were here, wrecked from our endless day of travel, we stumbled over to McDonalds for dinner. We felt so grimy and tired we could hardly make a decision, it seemed like the easiest thing to do. I was so self-conscious, I felt so out of place and, well, foreign. It was crowded, there were hardly any seats to be had, and we were trying to not stick out as much as we felt we were. We scuttled over to the only seats available, tall stools at a high bar. We had barely unwrapped our food when we really got the whole place looking at us -- Tristan was trying to wiggle out of his coat and tipped the stool backwards and landed with a resounding CRASH! So much for blending in! Poor kid, he was more embarrased than hurt (thankfully!).

By now though, we can confidently move about the city -- we've walked miles (thank goodness for my comfy keens!) and bought stuff by ourselves, cooked with the ingredients we've bought, found a park to wander and play in, and even eaten at regular Ukrainian restaurants! Today, we found a church to go to tomorrow -- part of this Mission Music Kiev (thanks for the idea Mom!) and we met some of the people involved with their many ministries. We also found the Ukrainian circus, which we plan to check out one of these days. We are scheduled to move into a different apartment (one that costs less than this one) on Tuesday, so we'll have new sections of the city to explore then.

More Dima

One of you requested a picture with me in it -- since I am usually behind the camera, instead of in front of it, we really had to work for this one. But here it is -- happy now, Susan?
And take a look at my family -- those are some pretty good looking guys, eh? -- even with Tris hamming it up!

Our 2nd visit with Dima went very well. I am happy to report, that this time he was even willing to play with me! Perhaps because I was willing to crawl around on the floor and chase him... It was really nice, because they let us go into a small playroom (with a sink in it... odd) and close the door and not feel like we were being observed (thus my willingness to crawl around). Dima is so funny -- he has a real sense of how he wants things. Tristan would get a toy out, and Dima would toddle after him and put it back in it's place. He also found a crumbled up cookie on the floor, and spent the next few minutes intently picking up the pieces and throwing them in the corner! It will be nice to have a kid with a heart for a clean house!

Meeting Dima!

Dima and Tristan played very well together

What a face! And huge brown eyes, to match his brothers...

So you can see that we have finally met the child we have been waiting and hoping for all this time. He is as healthy as they promised he would be -- full of vim and vigor even! He kept up with Tristan, racing around the room, never stopping once to walk if he could run. He was not at all shy, but actually ran up to Ted and jumped on his lap, and hugged his neck -- this was precious to see! He wasn't quite as interested in me as he was in Ted and Tristan (after all, I'm not a boy, I don't run around and crash cars or wrestle on the floor) but he didn't resist me either -- at least until I got in the way of his active play! His eager smile and delightful laugh kept all of us entertained, and Tristan was so happy to finally have another little person to get down and play with. Now we will just have to learn how to referee two rough boys playing together, and keep them from hurting each other in their play! Not that I think Dima (or Tris, for that matter) will be too delicate -- he wiped out a few times in his haste to get to the next thing but just popped back up as if nothing had happened!

At this point, we have officially registered the petition to adopt Dima, and will wait for the court date. We are hoping for many opportunities to visit him while we wait for all these official papers to process; unfortunately the orhpanadge is far enough away from where we are staying that it costs quite a lot to get out there and this may limit the number of times we can visit. However, based on Dima's total lack of reticence, we don't have lots of barriers of shyness to overcome so I think each visit will go a long way. And we were very pleased with the orphanadge itself; the staff were friendly and caring -- both of us and the children.

Well, we are off for our daily outing to the park, to run some of the energy out of Tristan. I'll include some pictures of this beautiful area next time, and hopefully some more of Dima too. Thank you again for your prayers, support, and communication while we are here!

Kristin

Ukraine Pics!

Left: Ted & Tris in front of the National Opera House -- Ted's head is just in front of the poster for Madame Butterfly.

Right: hanging out on the street

Left: Ted and Tris in front of a beautiful old church -- there are churches like this all over the city. URC may not look so cool... but we are very thankful for the fellowship and teaching we get there!

Right: this is a typical street scene, one of the busiest streets in downtown Kiev, a few minutes walk from our flat. You can't see it well, but thru the archway is a steep cobbled street leading...?? maybe we'll check that out tomorrow!

General observations about the city:

This place is so vibrant and fast-moving! There are people, everywhere, always walking fast, everyone on cell phones. There is new construction and bustle everywhere we look -- no sense of a recession here! There are many things the same here: teenagers scowl and mock with their friends, it's cold and snowy, families are out together, people walk their dogs, everyone is busy, some people look happy and some people look sad. There are lots of differences too: some of the food is crazy (or seems so to us), we can't read anything (for all my studying of Russian, I just can't keep up! I can study a word and possibly pronounce it, but still don't know what it means), a tiny little grocery store by our flat is considered a "super market" where you have to ask for butter from behind the meat counter, there are tiny little cars flying all over the road at high speeds parking in the most unlikely places and squeezing between lanes of traffic. For all our visiting before, and even living in Lithuania before, we feel very foreign!

Today we did have a really great independent outing: we walked down to the "department store" (which is 5 floors of kiosks, arranged by content -- housewares on the 5th floor, womens clothes on the 4th floor, men's clothes on the 3rd floor, etc) and -- all by ourselves, mind you -- purchased laundry soap, ball point pens, and toilet paper! (this is still e. europe -- you have to supply your own TP). This was a big improvement over yesterday's quest for pens, where I hesitantly asked the scowling cashier in my pathetic Russian "I buy pen?" and she answered with a curt "Nyet!" We have arrived!

Thanks again for your prayers --

Kristin

Just a few pics of Ted, Tristan and some scenery in Ukraine! More to come (hopefully)...

Successful Meeting

We met this morning with the SDA, after a rather sleepless night (less because we were worried and more because of jet-lag -- even Tris had trouble sleeping!) Lesya, our amazing representative, did most of the work. She went in before us, and who knows what she did, or said, or promised, but she came out of the meeting with a wonderful referral for us -- a beautiful, healthy 3 year old boy, Dmitri (Dima for short). To pile blessings on top of blessings, he is in a great orphanadge just outside of Kiev, meaning that we can stay in the city for the duration of our trip! Needless to say, we are very happy...

Tomorrow we go to get permission to visit him, and then on Thurs we will meet him. At this point, we will officially accept the referral, and then they will set a court date. Once we get a successful court ruling (Lord willing) then he would officially, legally be ours! Until this time, it is little steps along the way, each step bringing us closer. We are very excited, but in a guarded way -- Ukraine government is unpredicatable, and (as we know) things can change so quickly. So while we are rejoicing in this good step, there is still a feeling of uncertainty, and we want to guard our hearts (as well as our families who are eagerly awaiting this addition) from disappointment.

We thank you all so much for your prayers on our behalf, and for this child, still unknown to us all but yet so deeply loved! We would ask prayers for the following:
-- a good meeting with Dima that will confirm that he is the child for our family; a chance to really get to know him and that he and Tristan would bond.
--that our paperwork would continue to be well received by the decision makers.
--for a speedy court date and a positive ruling.
-- for the ability to trust in God's faithfulness for all the unknowns.

Stay posted, as we will try to add pictures today (of Kiev) and hopefully some of our little guy on Thursday!
Kristin

Greetings from Kiev!

After an exhausting (but blessedly uneventful!) 26 hours of travel, we entered our 5th floor apartment, right in the heart of downtown Kiev!

The trip went great, no delays, no trouble finding our connections, and Tristan was an absolute champ (largely due to the glorious gameboy, and several exciting new games). He loved riding on the plane, and watching out the window -- the whole thing. Even hanging out in the airport was pretty fun, with lots of things to hear and see. We were able to meet up with one of Ted's friends, Shortenhaus, during our 6-hour layover in DC. He took us to chic-fil-a where we enjoyed our last big greasy American meal and laughed with Scott while Tristan romped around in the playland. Then we boarded the plane to Vienna, where we had a row to ourselves, which was really nice. Tris slept about half of the time -- cashed out with his big head on my lap and his feet jabbing into Ted's leg, crotch, or head alternately. Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep but were so thankful that Tris did.

Our arrival into Kiev was also easy -- we breezed through passport control and customs with no problems, and then met our interpreter (Lesya, the same person we worked with last time) who brought us to our apartment. We were so tired we didn't have the energy to do much -- so we decided to just go to good old McDonalds for dinner (which is conveniently across the street from where we are staying). After that, we cleaned up and all went to bed for a good 12-13 hour night's sleep!

This morning, we got out and walked around a bit. We got a little food at the local market, although our search for a pen (we forgot to bring more than one, which we promptly lost filling out our customs form) proved fruitless. We also tried a random Ukrainian restaurant, which was fun -- although the "macaronni cheese" that Tristan ordered turned out to actually be fried cheese sticks, which was also ok. Our apartment is actually fabulous -- we have a lovely, clean bathroom including a washing machine, a nice bedroom with a balcony, the kitchen is great (although it doesn't have an oven, weird), even a big TV with a dvd player! But by far the most exciting part is the internet connection, right here in the apartment! Ted is really hoping that we'll be able to stay here for a while... but that all depends on what child we get matched with in tomorrow's meeting and where they are.

So tomorrow's meeting is at 10am Kiev time (that would be 3am for you in Eastern time). This is where we will meet with a "psychologist" from the State Dept of Adoption, who will match us with a child. We learned that Lesya will be able to go into this meeting with us, and be our advocate -- this is a real answer to prayer! She is absolutely dynamite, a real go-getter, and she has lots of friends in the SDA -- and personal connections are always the way to get things done here in Ukraine.

Please pray for this meeting tomorrow, that God will give us favor with the people we meet, and that we will recognize the child He intends for our family. We are eagerly awaiting this meeting, and learning all about our next child -- as well as figuring out where we will spend the rest of our time in Ukraine. We'll keep you updated as Internet access allows!