Day 9 of 10

Almost there - "there" being to pick up Karina on Monday. This is a long trip. We still do not know when our flight home will be. Passport timing changes (takes lot a longer now), birth certificate regulations also changed for the worst in terms of time required, holidays (Easter - closed Monday the 25th, then Labor Days here closed the first week of May basically) all equals high uncertainty for us in terms of how much time remains to finish our business here and settle back at home with our new family. More as we know more. (sigh). International adoption is not for the impatient, for sure.

On a positive note, which we are staying, we awoke to the "IKC фактор" outdoors in Lviv's city center brought in by the StarWagon, UA. This equates to American Idol in Ukraine. Yes, we walked over this morning and watched performers and outdoor crowds cheering, clapping, singing and waving flags! The translation is eeeeeks fact-tur! That would be X-Factor in English. We practice our Russian alphabet everyday so we can actually read many words that are similar to English words once you sound them out. Letters just require a bit of thought sometimes. Like, P is R, and B is V, and C is S, ф is F, etc. The crowds are yelling as I type in the hotel room - eeeks fact-tur! eeeks fact-tur! And performers are doing their gigs.

Today, we will board the train later this evening for the 25 hour ride back to Mariupol arriving Sunday night. Then, sometime on Monday the 18th we will be able to pick Karina up from the Children's Home where she has lived for the past 7 years taking her from the best life she has known and start our life as a threesome. We have been in Ukraine for so long sometimes things feel a bit out of context and also like "wow - really? she is our daughter to stay with us now? can it be true? finally!" We will post when we have a chance but it may not be for a while after today given that one never knows what the train may offer.

Here are some more miscellaneous photos from the past week (again). Right now, the "Idols" are singing the words "We will rock you" (Stuart says it sounds like Smurfs are singing it) - hilarious! We look forward to a terrific day ahead. Bright smiles and happiness abound as the sun is shining, people are singing outside, and there is much to be grateful about - lots and lots of gratefulness. Staying positive.

Memorial to war heroes in a rural Carpathian town, paid for by the local residents, not by the government.

 

 Petting stray dogs at the market.

 Atmasfera band playing.

  Trying on pretty hats.

Carpathian Resort town - the neighborhood where we stayed.