Our First Day as a Family!!

Our hands were quite full on our first full day as a family. We arrived in Kyiv around 9:00 am and were met by an awesome driver (Sasha) who took wonderful care of us and our stuff. We went back to the same apartment where we had stayed at the beginning of this journey and tried to get settled in with the girls.
Kostya was also on the train with us ... but in a different car. At the train station we met his beautiful wife and son ... then connected with them later in the day.
We bought one stroller in Kherson ... and both girls fit in it. Usually we were pushing one and carrying the other ... but it did come in handy getting us around Kyiv and then from Ukraine home to the USA.
As Chris and I were walking down the street in Kyiv on that Saturday afternoon ... I said to him "I spy a family! And it's us!!" I had been waiting many long years to enjoy that feeling of being a family!!
We walked to meet Kostya and his family at a favorite Ukrainian restaurant of theirs and it was wonderful to have his wife help me know what things the girls would enjoy eating. Kostya and Olga are still very dear to us and the girls. We have two dolls in our house named Olga! :o)
Later in the evening we attempted a bath with the girls. Juliya did not think this was such a great idea ... it wasn't pretty. But after she got out and had the remote control back in her hot little hands ... she was just fine!!
Getting the girls to sleep was another major undertaking! :o) Chris recalls singing "Jesus Loves Me" to Juliya until he almost didn't have a voice.
Fast forward a year. Tonight I have the girls a bath and while they were in the tub I was putting away laundry. During that time they managed to empty the contents of the shampoo and two bottles of conditioner into the bath water! Oh yes, they have gotten over their fear of taking a bath!!! Little stinkers!!!
These were some beautiful and equally really tough days a year ago ... but we made it through!!
Celebrating our life together ...