tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30735133556899660062024-03-05T06:09:36.295-08:00Loundas Family AdventuresLoundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-78436841666167194622010-07-24T19:37:00.000-07:002010-07-25T07:09:46.591-07:00Home Sweet HomeYahoo, we made it! We had a wonderful reception at the airport with posters and balloons from Craig, Pat, Evan, Uncle Dwight, Aunt Katie, Aunt Amy and Caroline. Yesterday was a very long day of travel from Kyiv to Frankfurt to Philadelphia. We are glad to be home, unpacked and several games of FIFA 2010 on X-box already under our belts. Final pictures to come....Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-87510731148302341092010-07-22T22:21:00.000-07:002010-07-22T23:53:30.565-07:00It Does Indeed Take a Village Far and WideWe are in the home stretch and man does it feel good. I was tossing and turning all night thinking about the past five weeks and what it takes to complete an adoption in Ukraine. The people we have enountered have been incredibly gracious, loving and dedicated to their work. Honestly, I don't think that I have fully realized the power of a village like I have here. Below are some pictures of the key players. I am missing one very special person stateside and that is our Tonya Boggs from Options4Adoptions. She is the force behind getting the ball rolling and that does not begin to describe her incredible work. Nastya and Alexey, below, are our facilitors in Kyiv. They dedicate their livelihood to helping orphans find forever families. They work with families all over the world.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvZ7tOulEOqAxW7O39BibDkd1A3GaP5lkKaXukHISD0-0XxYbzq91K-q-b2gtTQYcsp3YKtFdNyP70BzX_IJkYNWigc19W8N4NotxQmreNlgdLKiDw7qkmXFYuXjfK_EkiNDos-Mw9uw/s1600/P1060597.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496979310329417778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvZ7tOulEOqAxW7O39BibDkd1A3GaP5lkKaXukHISD0-0XxYbzq91K-q-b2gtTQYcsp3YKtFdNyP70BzX_IJkYNWigc19W8N4NotxQmreNlgdLKiDw7qkmXFYuXjfK_EkiNDos-Mw9uw/s400/P1060597.JPG" /></a> There is no other word than amazing to describe Sergey below. When you want to get the job done, he is the one to call. He worked hard in a system that is broken or doesn't make sense. We could all learn a lesson on dedication from him.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwge53fe2jryd8dXe0dVBW-mWBTvKxMGEmWu7mC69YXsBH3GxDHaTnCwAzPedAG_AVpLyBYfoBMtem57RMcM12wEhe-QWhSRQBJ1nUIniptH66bno6jK0ghSFkbBT_MJ1iaeVoHn_x91s/s1600/IMG_0452.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496979305662456674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwge53fe2jryd8dXe0dVBW-mWBTvKxMGEmWu7mC69YXsBH3GxDHaTnCwAzPedAG_AVpLyBYfoBMtem57RMcM12wEhe-QWhSRQBJ1nUIniptH66bno6jK0ghSFkbBT_MJ1iaeVoHn_x91s/s400/IMG_0452.JPG" /></a> It's hard to imagine that you can form a bond with people you've only spent a few hours with but that is just what happens when you enter this process with other adopting families. Bridgette and Kyle Lawlor (below) are from Atlanta. We began our journey in Kyiv with them as they were preparing to depart to adopt their new son Roman.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMynZXUaNqDicggO7QfAxQL5lxajVqx7fuBwQsDlIHHaYMDwsjV5AAejI0NGTWDYXMYDKhdsf9km_PiCWoMCxcgkshIwzI0PlkoJTQx4y4sERhpmOrGJq9E_B8wyxTxExMEkECYmZ_GtI/s1600/P1060565.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496979294255043650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMynZXUaNqDicggO7QfAxQL5lxajVqx7fuBwQsDlIHHaYMDwsjV5AAejI0NGTWDYXMYDKhdsf9km_PiCWoMCxcgkshIwzI0PlkoJTQx4y4sERhpmOrGJq9E_B8wyxTxExMEkECYmZ_GtI/s400/P1060565.JPG" /></a> <div>We spent many many days and MEALS with the Trumps, also from the Atlanta region. We were so fortunate to overlap with another family in Severodonetsk. <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCwQx_BZbEbFcarYuUjeIAaZ69pdXJh6teQ9Otch-d2XFDJwnzSnpCcEdzMGrqxYBVR2IJa99QXaX8azgfoVjJR0lJT5bHEVqSttHS9BkPOUrs2msGbBfvf70hLH51s61mNt1Pa9kVXY/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496977599042966706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCwQx_BZbEbFcarYuUjeIAaZ69pdXJh6teQ9Otch-d2XFDJwnzSnpCcEdzMGrqxYBVR2IJa99QXaX8azgfoVjJR0lJT5bHEVqSttHS9BkPOUrs2msGbBfvf70hLH51s61mNt1Pa9kVXY/s400/IMG_0493.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdrU6H_guWa6IPYFJYvs9bUmiROGOGOooXr4T383LalfPnv_scndpSPovII6d7mItAqq-hDDAcoOfPT9l-UsRWrfIaBsjs2RlRfoGo0Hu7ARnFLR_chohOso1I3OmOvNpEL0jJc0AorI/s1600/P1060496.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496977589657033922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdrU6H_guWa6IPYFJYvs9bUmiROGOGOooXr4T383LalfPnv_scndpSPovII6d7mItAqq-hDDAcoOfPT9l-UsRWrfIaBsjs2RlRfoGo0Hu7ARnFLR_chohOso1I3OmOvNpEL0jJc0AorI/s400/P1060496.JPG" /></a> Above is our first day in Kyiv with the Lawlors and the Dunmires from Pittsburgh. They adopted Andre from the same orphanage as Roman. They spent many days together visiting the orphanage and the camp in their region. The Dunmires also traveled with their son Dustin.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-pjlKqrst7YDHNinq8vsgEauK1GGO1gRCwgquatsfb0UjT0fJZiN1-mnUepx9N-DwfCwe4QNUKbpyq_p-U7M7DdIcJOYYMgf7IkvGxQ9gMeVtlp_WRhYUevq1COCm8GeSk0SZ59rOZk/s1600/P1060493.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496977580591737330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-pjlKqrst7YDHNinq8vsgEauK1GGO1gRCwgquatsfb0UjT0fJZiN1-mnUepx9N-DwfCwe4QNUKbpyq_p-U7M7DdIcJOYYMgf7IkvGxQ9gMeVtlp_WRhYUevq1COCm8GeSk0SZ59rOZk/s400/P1060493.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfppv4e3Zf3G4D4IFISI3j2UW7s2zVWfWUzh0Aqs-gxsMsUR5QvVohgwgAYcmn9Fh_U94Ubw3NeczGs9sanTcDMNoeurwTFiRXWGZWEAbajeK_v5pekgxjQt_Rbhn1HQfZSqkhodtSmA/s1600/P1080927.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496974439253285170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfppv4e3Zf3G4D4IFISI3j2UW7s2zVWfWUzh0Aqs-gxsMsUR5QvVohgwgAYcmn9Fh_U94Ubw3NeczGs9sanTcDMNoeurwTFiRXWGZWEAbajeK_v5pekgxjQt_Rbhn1HQfZSqkhodtSmA/s400/P1080927.JPG" /></a> I will cherish this picture above for a very long time. Sergei considers this the best picture of his two moms. Larisa has been his teacher since his first day in the orphanage. Without a doubt, she and her family have a special bond with him. Larisa and I had lots of time together. It is a total blast when you can communicate some serious stuff without knowing each other's language. We will continue to skype with her and hope that she visits the East Coast on a hosting trip with New Horizons or possibly a vacation. It is very difficult to get a visa to leave Ukraine.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUr6ANTNacsM4yPHm_CB6f6lzdUstgM-bWoJNAeLr8R78JKPcHt5NaSx8xwZiy0gnrvJ_SE6V2mKoFN4qp-R76GKxjCbr8QBDm6UqCYPie_uT4XEGwO2xZ63vKlFebWxb4WAaYPDszedc/s1600/P1080926.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496974427693586066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUr6ANTNacsM4yPHm_CB6f6lzdUstgM-bWoJNAeLr8R78JKPcHt5NaSx8xwZiy0gnrvJ_SE6V2mKoFN4qp-R76GKxjCbr8QBDm6UqCYPie_uT4XEGwO2xZ63vKlFebWxb4WAaYPDszedc/s400/P1080926.JPG" /></a> <div>Below is one of the camp directors with two of our buddies. We saw him on our daily visits. He was a key playing in helping me throw an ice cream party for all of the kids. The big director and the medical director said no at first, it was too hot for ice cream. I couldn't believe it. I kept pushing and pushing and he helped to get a thumbs up.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEydao-wWmmzmp3DkB8ZLuGUx-l2UmzwJTJPDGhev4tw3CmxSVTkPVJnOltr0R3ZyYuLXFpqyvTe-_Bivk8rYVI1h63pItZ5tpTz_Os_niRcoMdWzK-tlY1xmpoZHcDYwvxvl91Sc58Y/s1600/P1080863.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496974421091760914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEydao-wWmmzmp3DkB8ZLuGUx-l2UmzwJTJPDGhev4tw3CmxSVTkPVJnOltr0R3ZyYuLXFpqyvTe-_Bivk8rYVI1h63pItZ5tpTz_Os_niRcoMdWzK-tlY1xmpoZHcDYwvxvl91Sc58Y/s400/P1080863.JPG" /></a> The teachers of the Internot love these kids. They are supportive of adoption but defnitely feel their own loss. Many of them work long days and spend time away from their own families, especially if they are on camp duty. I did learn that their salaries about about $250 a month.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkOxwP596_2W3UOpnYGXTGJ5Tyy2M1T-It-QWkaT1vcbHWe9OcPnUckhhxyRkJjsmYEVwBCkCxbpAma8LDxfR2ajjDn8W2k3AM6LUhDM1kGgsfAQvqu4HbeaN0jtFGvRmTun6ecQRlQA/s1600/P1070361.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496972691642797730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkOxwP596_2W3UOpnYGXTGJ5Tyy2M1T-It-QWkaT1vcbHWe9OcPnUckhhxyRkJjsmYEVwBCkCxbpAma8LDxfR2ajjDn8W2k3AM6LUhDM1kGgsfAQvqu4HbeaN0jtFGvRmTun6ecQRlQA/s400/P1070361.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZvrJClt2Z8ZkZqqwEjenwlwBM71jWna9mdj4AKbMBjjjxC4D_e2u1cnp55wFvovzGwWKqm0ioAxRomnws2_2S0h57kg-_voY8EKvokYLYPBnOd5CAwfMYRaoAl2B005k_ImuWZVQFJ4/s1600/P1080944.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496971341415057746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZvrJClt2Z8ZkZqqwEjenwlwBM71jWna9mdj4AKbMBjjjxC4D_e2u1cnp55wFvovzGwWKqm0ioAxRomnws2_2S0h57kg-_voY8EKvokYLYPBnOd5CAwfMYRaoAl2B005k_ImuWZVQFJ4/s400/P1080944.JPG" /></a> Hard to believe that I would call the hotel Mup (Mir) home, but it was my home for almost five weeks. The staff was wonderful and of course we had our favorites. Above is Margherita at the front desk. She helped me translate letters from kids (Rusian to English) and email them to several American families. She would also help me to print out letters from parents and deliver them to kids. Just imagine their delight to receive mail at camp. I remember the days of sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for a time to skype with Sergei. I was thrilled to be able to keep communication open for these families. Below is Tonya, my favorite waitress in the restuarant. Breakfast was included in the room rate so I saw her just about every morning.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSL3dTm6ag1LDTYAX0ZcY_5rJ55MNYqzo3fW1E_Vw-ihTElTWqes3S9cgD1YdA5F_VpWwO85mCso78tc1TuhNDrAtiRz_yAEz3x8lLEdQodOL5Yw4WAxvBcOUSD5eGOeEKEawR8fNF5s/s1600/P1070591.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496971337272399522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSL3dTm6ag1LDTYAX0ZcY_5rJ55MNYqzo3fW1E_Vw-ihTElTWqes3S9cgD1YdA5F_VpWwO85mCso78tc1TuhNDrAtiRz_yAEz3x8lLEdQodOL5Yw4WAxvBcOUSD5eGOeEKEawR8fNF5s/s400/P1070591.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjju2ORbTQZDU5cLm93x4jjrua75HzrFbQTZWyRmahKpdTvTMxRfag2LEZXF-mEZlmoUge5EiBlWgkE6x1miKVH15zEYRgyYoRiYNrk35ANLy11GkIlUSuE49ba0gIpzL0LIFG0xytH1OQ/s1600/P1080638.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496971326826106882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjju2ORbTQZDU5cLm93x4jjrua75HzrFbQTZWyRmahKpdTvTMxRfag2LEZXF-mEZlmoUge5EiBlWgkE6x1miKVH15zEYRgyYoRiYNrk35ANLy11GkIlUSuE49ba0gIpzL0LIFG0xytH1OQ/s400/P1080638.JPG" /></a> Constantine and Gena were our dedicated drivers to and from camp. Yana,below,is the young lady we are trying to fix up Sasha, Larisa's son. Gena was so happy to learn a the new word match maker.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Lg7S3k3eOWS8p7eBDbYF2m1EEMD2tr7DXLp6kC36p7SaptUmdX7-ezKpdo9bSd8oW7GFcU7vIZn44Yeza3s9xWsnDahLqZmBZJ4JaHDrfJssycEgaXa9YrlrhyFNDGS6zOnUT3STtq8/s1600/P1070600.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496971323352276450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Lg7S3k3eOWS8p7eBDbYF2m1EEMD2tr7DXLp6kC36p7SaptUmdX7-ezKpdo9bSd8oW7GFcU7vIZn44Yeza3s9xWsnDahLqZmBZJ4JaHDrfJssycEgaXa9YrlrhyFNDGS6zOnUT3STtq8/s400/P1070600.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKoUEysgYFqWicz5iOsZeDiuncY87q8DDRsGXCQH8DR-CaLUkiXKsXKPq64zmfMJuktpyBVOdEWoab8M6XvybagZJn4BcHLlbGA9BDRUD8YIreXDPWPU46BEUAoKW7pA1YtKwvMRcLnQ/s1600/P1080161.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496969214165212242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKoUEysgYFqWicz5iOsZeDiuncY87q8DDRsGXCQH8DR-CaLUkiXKsXKPq64zmfMJuktpyBVOdEWoab8M6XvybagZJn4BcHLlbGA9BDRUD8YIreXDPWPU46BEUAoKW7pA1YtKwvMRcLnQ/s400/P1080161.JPG" /></a> I didn't get her name above but we saw her EVERYDAY in the convenience store where we bought bottled water and yogurt for lunch. She was always happy to greet us. Below is my favorite cookie vendor who new me by name "Dah-na" like so people at home call me. <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozFFnV9tWLlcJ1agwQBcyJzhJLXoB3HtmdLyOFM01nzktK6a8GyHcFH3D-c5ndKQ8v5CbWOj7nA43cFnFYUVErhe7KECX42rRooFuGeJlxMEyaEnNE3j2-WdjTQ2KMygBJ9XqeA0kcXg/s1600/P1070915.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496969200386767954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozFFnV9tWLlcJ1agwQBcyJzhJLXoB3HtmdLyOFM01nzktK6a8GyHcFH3D-c5ndKQ8v5CbWOj7nA43cFnFYUVErhe7KECX42rRooFuGeJlxMEyaEnNE3j2-WdjTQ2KMygBJ9XqeA0kcXg/s400/P1070915.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHx5Cs0g2L4L-runlYi-eNW14jtue8go-tktfO1TYs1DqdxBOZNTA8aks0GfiHvXGp7akvJhvZ4zrMwyeBia35xQnvOy3YeEvYc0FL8HalTTOs4iTnZ9XKNzCseEJnQuzs8EGDf2kBTUE/s1600/P1080160.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496969196135671362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHx5Cs0g2L4L-runlYi-eNW14jtue8go-tktfO1TYs1DqdxBOZNTA8aks0GfiHvXGp7akvJhvZ4zrMwyeBia35xQnvOy3YeEvYc0FL8HalTTOs4iTnZ9XKNzCseEJnQuzs8EGDf2kBTUE/s400/P1080160.JPG" /></a> I loved going to the market daily because I got such a kick out of seeing my vendor friends. The lady above worked at the cross stich and needle point booth. I stopped there many times. The picture below is the fruit lady. One day she asked me to see our picutre. The following day, I delivered a black and white print out in a plastic protector and she was thrilled. In fact, she was so thrilled that she gave me a lemon. I am not sure what the significance of the lemon is but I game it to Margherita at the front desk and she was happy to receive it.<br /><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcSXxzyyUPTpZ6dcz666PBtzYMLZNsPsGpyBNMF0c5pbohXol7jSEnczt9T8hkxcTeVEzYpXMZuTkibcqIaBNL64DwXsWHV9x6BYFSsA7S12flPB7UGJFX7nwiI_z4PjwiMcRkklbbs8/s1600/P1080157.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496969188089823730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcSXxzyyUPTpZ6dcz666PBtzYMLZNsPsGpyBNMF0c5pbohXol7jSEnczt9T8hkxcTeVEzYpXMZuTkibcqIaBNL64DwXsWHV9x6BYFSsA7S12flPB7UGJFX7nwiI_z4PjwiMcRkklbbs8/s400/P1080157.JPG" /></a> And finally the meat vendor...I actually didn't meet her but when I was with Sergey the translator, we asked permission to take her picture. Not only did she agree, but she brought out her BEST cow's head just for that purpose. Talk about being proud of your wares!! <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrgB8PtGmK_i8R1twz0jkFzs1jWX_yrAGDrDYFFO6EDKaNU4zpnqbi3AL380-OU96yRAqZTqJD2RYFGQ-KxI4R0PUN5rrDXzSgfNAePKL_VTyJoaELbODs0PAV4juljHPVvBjTYIxu8U/s1600/P1080154.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496969179496022114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrgB8PtGmK_i8R1twz0jkFzs1jWX_yrAGDrDYFFO6EDKaNU4zpnqbi3AL380-OU96yRAqZTqJD2RYFGQ-KxI4R0PUN5rrDXzSgfNAePKL_VTyJoaELbODs0PAV4juljHPVvBjTYIxu8U/s400/P1080154.JPG" /></a> So, today is my last day in Ukraine. It is time to wake up Sergei and do a little shopping. I didn't want to leave without an appropriate recognition of the amazing people I have encountered on this journey. Ukrainians are beautiful and kind people. They have opened their hearts and their world to us and we are so very thankful.<br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-5241780438558968442010-07-22T09:51:00.000-07:002010-07-22T10:51:20.996-07:00KYIV and the American Embassy<div align="justify">We made! We were up at 5:00 a.m. to catch a plane to Kyiv. Alexey met us at the airport and we headed straight for the American Embassy which is a very busy place. Honestly, I am not even 100% sure what we were doing there but I can tell you it went smoothly and only took an hour. Afterwards, we headed out to complete Sergei's medical evaluation which was also pretty simple. Below we are sitting outside of our apartment in Kyiv waiting for the key to be delivered.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHtB7ciX_8vMcKcNrKatW8RwxW1FMYhKJe7I6ILocmjt8oRFY3JlaiEVP1dJ-w_ihSRo65VXfi_jqYP_3yNbotEbNRwp_d9_0V1OV2_NAn2fcva8qYnkFvr-3b2k0BkV67_mA_heY440/s1600/P1080986.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496778952330431858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHtB7ciX_8vMcKcNrKatW8RwxW1FMYhKJe7I6ILocmjt8oRFY3JlaiEVP1dJ-w_ihSRo65VXfi_jqYP_3yNbotEbNRwp_d9_0V1OV2_NAn2fcva8qYnkFvr-3b2k0BkV67_mA_heY440/s400/P1080986.JPG" /></a> Kyiv is a beautiful city and packed with of people of all ages. The architecture is really interesting because there is a noticable Russian influence from the Soviet Union days, as well as many ornate Ukrainian buildings and churches. Eating out is a big part of the life style in Kyiv, especially dessert. There are many traditional Ukrainian restaurants and there you will find lots of other Ukrainian crafts, embroideries and folklore. The eggs below are from an exhibit at the Upper Lavra which a functioning monastery with tons of history.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHhXaMaW37QnTPMU70Y695eclUwp31lPnsUBUFSD6ToxfhQd6Lc2FHy6A0I1jDYq9ZtfhQx82AO1m_QPs0Yxf8VuzRTJR0708g0QbTSW61YUwaN79drN7736-4GQBm40DILe-p3x8qtM/s1600/P1060563.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496778942785015906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHhXaMaW37QnTPMU70Y695eclUwp31lPnsUBUFSD6ToxfhQd6Lc2FHy6A0I1jDYq9ZtfhQx82AO1m_QPs0Yxf8VuzRTJR0708g0QbTSW61YUwaN79drN7736-4GQBm40DILe-p3x8qtM/s400/P1060563.JPG" /></a>We just happened to be walking down the street and found this storage area for the church domes.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lk8s2m551C1JE_Gj5xrWu-6WxcaYwnDy2N3nXYnntFiXiGEDPgKphT7BgoyvRUGRgbRdq_J5HPqeP2UfXAyuD8Mvf301vBGHWPe-GAsSFVT7feEbvXObTe3sZD_HY91TEsvHFNvC10M/s1600/P1060566.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496778933037263058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lk8s2m551C1JE_Gj5xrWu-6WxcaYwnDy2N3nXYnntFiXiGEDPgKphT7BgoyvRUGRgbRdq_J5HPqeP2UfXAyuD8Mvf301vBGHWPe-GAsSFVT7feEbvXObTe3sZD_HY91TEsvHFNvC10M/s400/P1060566.JPG" /></a> Below is is St. Andrew's Church is going through a renovation. It is directly across from the SDA which is where we had our very first appointment to start the entire process.<br /><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7j6RCLTx1NU4bVddkuHenta4rzpu91Zed-yg_mJDgjbh82PWI_zeJ5stT5XwqAk_HzNBLo13eIi6b9xBlf7cYpTodlhOTGz4tyk_D4XJRPc4YglcH75wRfvZxLDtLbXnpf3yv5duRC8/s1600/P1060485.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496777418881232226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7j6RCLTx1NU4bVddkuHenta4rzpu91Zed-yg_mJDgjbh82PWI_zeJ5stT5XwqAk_HzNBLo13eIi6b9xBlf7cYpTodlhOTGz4tyk_D4XJRPc4YglcH75wRfvZxLDtLbXnpf3yv5duRC8/s400/P1060485.JPG" /></a>Below is one part of St. Sophia's Cathedral. Underneath that picture is a long shot walking towards St. Sophia's. The church is over 1,000 years old and I believe it is the oldest in the city. Parts of it were destroyed and rebuilt throughout it's history. The interior is absolutely spectacular with a very ornate altar, mosaics that are a millenium old and original frescos. Very very special. Craig and I toured when we first arrived. It is the one place that Sergei would like to squeeze in tomorrow.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxNSQzsBs38u9_mjJhTOnD_HUfB9TkdbioT8Du-kFjPax0L9Y674aq-kKWK_Q0inEVodk0r6aN3D8ptLhhAf5prlibZUEy-DEBG_8WiwuandSrBEkdRCg7QKPnNG60PpzUGcvPZm130k/s1600/P1060598.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496777416488158434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxNSQzsBs38u9_mjJhTOnD_HUfB9TkdbioT8Du-kFjPax0L9Y674aq-kKWK_Q0inEVodk0r6aN3D8ptLhhAf5prlibZUEy-DEBG_8WiwuandSrBEkdRCg7QKPnNG60PpzUGcvPZm130k/s400/P1060598.JPG" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKxlFGndYc02jwxn91qAuteX6lExkAcjIUs_Uo6bsaXZ5ZB4cQPDXzPB7W9RXCcabRRt76QIWAPT2XaTHGWjGjiZwNisSUfbEgzrsDuvsEExMMv59IMzT7HWaA7tgamwuOxUTrFKFNuA/s1600/P1060600.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496777408222750402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKxlFGndYc02jwxn91qAuteX6lExkAcjIUs_Uo6bsaXZ5ZB4cQPDXzPB7W9RXCcabRRt76QIWAPT2XaTHGWjGjiZwNisSUfbEgzrsDuvsEExMMv59IMzT7HWaA7tgamwuOxUTrFKFNuA/s400/P1060600.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8hQ6TyBON16NlQ4vKQdtjp54CxZ5wYD0zPE5LgmuScHIkJR5e0AWMy2Pm_zASaw-1tqJquZkh3lY6kbbOorclGZMuihDGd8TunJR6jX_9XEbfop9Jm-isuPDcxSEV4zapZ9u-AUd0XM/s1600/P1060557.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496777399602349634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8hQ6TyBON16NlQ4vKQdtjp54CxZ5wYD0zPE5LgmuScHIkJR5e0AWMy2Pm_zASaw-1tqJquZkh3lY6kbbOorclGZMuihDGd8TunJR6jX_9XEbfop9Jm-isuPDcxSEV4zapZ9u-AUd0XM/s400/P1060557.JPG" /></a>Sergei was in Kyiv last summer for a program with school. Funny thing is that tonight he told me he would take me to a restaurant that he likes. Low and behold, he knew exactly where he was going and had me fooled the entire time. We walked into a restaurant that he was completely familiar with and had a delicious meal. Typical Ukrainian restuarants offer a wonderful buffet spread of salads, meats, fishes, verenekes, pancakes, breads, desserts and more.</div><div> </div><div>Tomorrow we have our final exit piece at the Embassy at 2:00. That's the last piece of business before we pack up and head home. We are both a little punchy at this point in time. He is too cold with airconditioning and I can't sleep without it. Makes for a great roommate combination, especially with the language barriers. I am not worried though.... we have great faciliators waiting for us at home.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-64957414817912540572010-07-21T01:43:00.001-07:002010-07-21T07:03:18.601-07:00SJL is a Permanent Resident of USAThe past 24 hours have been a whirl wind in 95 degree weather. Just imagine how that feels!! In any event, we have a passport and are finished all that we need to do here. It is a Ukrainian passport with his new name that will get him out of Ukraine and into the USA where he automatically becomes a citizen once he steps foot on American soil. Below are a few pictures to capture the past hours. More to come later but I wanted to keep you all posted as we spend one night in Lugansk, preparing to fly to Kyiv.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcemlGTT1fBlrTj9pR9lfqc7smpGxd5KxhVY7_gefqCGzBOY9RlRgd4m14mjO0KTeDRd0sSH4AuWAL1aQ8K9nao2UKAvYs3aXTL6HNKx89pHj1ryKbSUzI9rRyJcbJavavfIDoONcUs8/s1600/P1080912.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496354487657532146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcemlGTT1fBlrTj9pR9lfqc7smpGxd5KxhVY7_gefqCGzBOY9RlRgd4m14mjO0KTeDRd0sSH4AuWAL1aQ8K9nao2UKAvYs3aXTL6HNKx89pHj1ryKbSUzI9rRyJcbJavavfIDoONcUs8/s400/P1080912.JPG" /></a> Above is Sergei's final walk to the front gates of the camp with suitcase and friends in tow. Below are just a handful of friends gathering to say their final goodbyes. A few tears....... but I think the past five weeks have offered a softer, more subtle way to say goodbye.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgn33ncSFISkMWVUN0yQNEoWdOlPrwTD5WiP1f0kKyIOrACICpRGxlPQKkT3VehPEbTiCBDsIDT4wcTBPRvR1gU66kdE1bzqrEUugmWruAR_aubq6qBfvpVILEdl8FubnwspHmtubPejM/s1600/P1080914.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496354480919006274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgn33ncSFISkMWVUN0yQNEoWdOlPrwTD5WiP1f0kKyIOrACICpRGxlPQKkT3VehPEbTiCBDsIDT4wcTBPRvR1gU66kdE1bzqrEUugmWruAR_aubq6qBfvpVILEdl8FubnwspHmtubPejM/s400/P1080914.JPG" /></a> We left camp, picked up Larisa and headed to the school for Sergei to grab a few momentos. Below is a picture of Sergei's two favorite mamas. We had a wonderful dinner and send off at Larisa's house. Without a doubt, she is going to miss him very much. <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklaJEUXiNF1aFptiiJ96kvq3yDlnDkgsrJo04q8R7UaxBMofUQx8TxsTJ4b3DSx5zd1jF1AogFFuipVBLFo2nRa79ldYv_baCLKJjq7Nq68nbwWTFg1lZ9njjsnQ5RhziRKqfG8V0Iec/s1600/P1080927.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496354471161087826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklaJEUXiNF1aFptiiJ96kvq3yDlnDkgsrJo04q8R7UaxBMofUQx8TxsTJ4b3DSx5zd1jF1AogFFuipVBLFo2nRa79ldYv_baCLKJjq7Nq68nbwWTFg1lZ9njjsnQ5RhziRKqfG8V0Iec/s400/P1080927.JPG" /></a> As we were driving from Lisichantsk (Sergei's birth town) to Lugansk we passed miles and miles of fields with beautiful sun flowers. The government grows them for the oil and the seeds. It was a spectacular sight and quite different from much of the scenery we have experienced. How lovely to take it all in and be reminded of all that has happened since we arrived on June 21st.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1IbGPB-RRfxAzp2l5LR5nXviTpnPx8a-VJLW49gQ031sZXYZybaZNV1OSy9sreiUrnIGMhbxW06ZJC53V9Vcql75ydb3AfTEU9TtPGFXI-mCL3EB1z-gNnw7MJIQeS08vrzgRFq0jXE/s1600/P1080968.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496354462070339394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1IbGPB-RRfxAzp2l5LR5nXviTpnPx8a-VJLW49gQ031sZXYZybaZNV1OSy9sreiUrnIGMhbxW06ZJC53V9Vcql75ydb3AfTEU9TtPGFXI-mCL3EB1z-gNnw7MJIQeS08vrzgRFq0jXE/s400/P1080968.JPG" /></a> At last, Sergey and Sergei with the new Ukrainian passport. Not sure how we accomplished it all as the office was closed today (it's a big Ukrainian secret and who am I to question). However, when we rang the bell, they let us in and had the new passport ready for pick up. Phew and Alleluia! <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUoigkzU9flZ4bguAXIvf3Ud5hSF_iI4GJStwKwG_ZyHgp2GuI0i-UGhsdwyYoPGg23ElmOprrTe-6qyH12IUKIYYJ9VCTwoUJ7cbdjdwyOADyqSzWzjixm46LSwkwkpbBBzE00q5o9k/s1600/P1080975.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496354454196348354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUoigkzU9flZ4bguAXIvf3Ud5hSF_iI4GJStwKwG_ZyHgp2GuI0i-UGhsdwyYoPGg23ElmOprrTe-6qyH12IUKIYYJ9VCTwoUJ7cbdjdwyOADyqSzWzjixm46LSwkwkpbBBzE00q5o9k/s400/P1080975.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-33633663545732218372010-07-20T12:49:00.000-07:002010-07-20T12:53:28.314-07:00Sergei John LoundasThis is Craig blogging from stateside. I just skyped with Dana and Sergei at 10:30 p.m. their time. The petition to adopt is approved, final, over and completed! Dana spent the whole day running with Sergey (facilitator) for birth certificate, passport, and other records. She then went to camp, picked up Sergei and they got some things from the Internot (school). Sergei will spend the night in the hotel, he wants to watch TV all night long (sound familiar, Pat and Evan?), and they will head to Lugansk tomorrow to pick up the passport. Then..fly to Kyiv on Thursday for US Embassy work and back home on Sat.<br /><br />Dana will update with some photos, but for the blog followers....the adoption is official!Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-48526706880779750602010-07-19T13:14:00.001-07:002010-07-21T16:03:51.283-07:00A Day NOT to Remember!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcAwr2FQobZpFrACCTs37PVynIGqTQ1IhGm9HJ-zDfgQo6yTb3PgEGSfB2WGLKrUh54eny1Ui-T8MvUgshkHghyvtm4pv28gCsivaX7sxlyOw1SeBWI6-tpUScARs_7KaFedWhMtiqUY/s1600/P1080952.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496396857622918578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcAwr2FQobZpFrACCTs37PVynIGqTQ1IhGm9HJ-zDfgQo6yTb3PgEGSfB2WGLKrUh54eny1Ui-T8MvUgshkHghyvtm4pv28gCsivaX7sxlyOw1SeBWI6-tpUScARs_7KaFedWhMtiqUY/s400/P1080952.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoSgYaDmHzyj8nDhuOl5LsCOuTGDw4mDfjLZnXU2g9zeT33aYi1IL2PqgvhAwxd-pyKe5vN0K3D0uXOVdCI4JitWK_xeegpHc53WFSWNbxeLg7brkcJZveeC77jj1yh9VpDhg8VTyhVo/s1600/P1080921.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496396840239153618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoSgYaDmHzyj8nDhuOl5LsCOuTGDw4mDfjLZnXU2g9zeT33aYi1IL2PqgvhAwxd-pyKe5vN0K3D0uXOVdCI4JitWK_xeegpHc53WFSWNbxeLg7brkcJZveeC77jj1yh9VpDhg8VTyhVo/s400/P1080921.JPG" /></a><strong> 6:45</strong>: Wake up alarm</div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>7:15:</strong> Breakfast</div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>8:10:</strong> Arrive at court house to pick up decree. Many Babushka (Russian grandmothers) already accumulating.</div><div><strong>8:30: </strong>Court House doors open and Sergey sprints to the consigliere (prothonotary) office. NO DECREE. He calmly asks the woman to look again. She agrees to call him in from the hall once she does. No call. He goes in one more time. She becomes irritated because she is busy. Sergey gets the court secretary to come in and she locates the document. Yea.</div><div><strong>8:50:</strong> Depart to go to Office of the Records in Lisichansk (Sergei's home town)</div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>9:10:</strong> Arrive in Lisichansk and wait in hallway.</div><div><strong>9:40:</strong> Sergey learns there is a problem with Sergei's birthcertificate. We must have the judge amend the decree. Back to Severodonetsk.</div><div><strong>9:59:</strong> Arrive in Severodonetsk. Judge not available because he is in a session.</div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>10:15:</strong> Court must be over and I see the judge. He does not want to change the decree as the problem exists with the records office and not what he processed. Sergey convinces him to help us.</div><div><strong>10:56:</strong> One copy of amended decree in hand to bring to Lisichansk. If approved,we will return to pick up additional copies..</div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>11:13:</strong> Arrive back at the Records Office in Lisichansk</div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>12:26: </strong>Get the new birth certificate listing us as parents and the adoption certificate. Off to the Records Office in same town (Lisichantsk) which is where Sergei was born.</div><div><strong>12:35:</strong> Arrive at Tax Inspector's before the office closes at 13:00. SNAG!. We need to hit the Tax Inspector in Severodonetsk (return trip #2). She does not know their hours or their phone number.</div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>13:03:</strong> Arrive at Tax Inspector in Severodonetsk. Entire office closed for lunch. Tax IDs are not issued after 13:00 but we could return at 13:45 and try.</div><div><strong>13:20:</strong> Hit the court house to pick up additional copies of amended decree.</div><div><strong>13:35:</strong> Return to Tax Inspector and wait for 10 more minutes.</div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>14:13:</strong> Got it! Off to Internot (school) to get paperwork from the lawyer.</div><div><strong>14:40:</strong> To the passport office with Yana, the Internot's lawyer. Oops....needed a notarized copy of both birth and adotption certificates.</div><div><strong>14:54:</strong> Off to notary.</div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>15:13:</strong> Back to Passport Office. </div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>16:05:</strong> Back to Internot. One more stamped document for passport office and then pick up release papers to pick up Sergei from camp.</div><div><strong>16:40:</strong> Last trip to passport office. finally, all paperwork submitted. We will pick up his new passport in Lugansk on Wednesday.</div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>17:30:</strong> Head to camp to retrieve Sergei and say good bye to children.</div><div><strong>18:00:</strong> Arrive at camp.</div><div><strong>19:15:</strong> Depart camp.</div><div><strong>19:45:</strong> Pick up Larissa at her home and head to Internot to pick up last minute things of Sergei.</div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>20:00:</strong> Dinner at Larissa's with her husband Gena , son Sasha, Sergei and me.</div><div></div><div><strong>23:00:</strong> Return to Hotel Mir with my new son Sergei. Mommy wants airconditioning. Sergei insists he is cold. OMG!!! Someone please help me!</div><div></div><div><strong>00:15</strong>: Sergei is STILL playing computer games. </div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-73442761112293566802010-07-18T02:32:00.000-07:002010-07-19T03:10:42.198-07:00Day #10 - Dyesyat (d'eh-s'uht') Futbol Mania!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJ68MVPs5io7AaUsxOditSt1u61gJJcO3UbdroD6EK2IMbgBKpNW3XLQfvJO5YEFwHpf8K2CrfA_LyBw5cSn_06TCiRwdiNwFGgoJ7F8u-ZNurL9N_vXV8TH9Asks9MaiilxPTiCDBwE/s1600/P1080024.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495197590320776322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJ68MVPs5io7AaUsxOditSt1u61gJJcO3UbdroD6EK2IMbgBKpNW3XLQfvJO5YEFwHpf8K2CrfA_LyBw5cSn_06TCiRwdiNwFGgoJ7F8u-ZNurL9N_vXV8TH9Asks9MaiilxPTiCDBwE/s320/P1080024.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Closer Look at Futbol </strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>in Severodonetsk: </strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>Stadiums & Players</strong></span></div><br /><br /><br />You might have already guessed, but futbol is not just a hobby or recreational activity, it is a way of life. These kids are always ready to play a game, kick the ball around or practice skills by keeping the ball in the air. Not a surprise and obviously a major time filler.<br /><br /><br /><br />It was fun being here during FIFA 2010 because the kids were all cheering for any team Eurpopean. Ukraine did not have a team represented in the World Cup. I do not know the reasons why. In Severodonetsk, there are many fields and they accommodate many playing levels and ages. There is a professional Lugansk Regional team that plays in the stadium below. It looks a little run down but that seems to be an understatement at this point. I am told by the kids it is a very nice stadium.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkGwa_SLl8CRI2TbduorwH-BLB16rJUCH33GtIOBy51FQykGPYgiYs1d6usxlMAaMJw4tHsNV31TcxHXVS9fAngkKzhQJF5NFW6o_8YOfTpG8VK5nnfqMO5Tug1PSuRHA8nCFDLTALW0/s1600/IMG_0571.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495197256774498066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkGwa_SLl8CRI2TbduorwH-BLB16rJUCH33GtIOBy51FQykGPYgiYs1d6usxlMAaMJw4tHsNV31TcxHXVS9fAngkKzhQJF5NFW6o_8YOfTpG8VK5nnfqMO5Tug1PSuRHA8nCFDLTALW0/s320/IMG_0571.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40k0WQaHoj2FF2y1HFPyMio9cjomxDBHbuNl11-h8Y2GSt_N18wl0VR6q1pdI0veAqwFGpveB73txgEYHvoYmoHLzLBpmk0aTndZ-zp4bWw-NrhdkOxaGBEFFzxaESZ24ijCp0qNWM0k/s1600/P1080019.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495197248729392962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40k0WQaHoj2FF2y1HFPyMio9cjomxDBHbuNl11-h8Y2GSt_N18wl0VR6q1pdI0veAqwFGpveB73txgEYHvoYmoHLzLBpmk0aTndZ-zp4bWw-NrhdkOxaGBEFFzxaESZ24ijCp0qNWM0k/s320/P1080019.JPG" /></a>One block down from the Internot is another stadium. From the outside, it looked like it was ready for demolition. There was graffiti, broken glass and missing concrete. Craig and I couldn't figure out how to walk inside the stadium because the cement threshold was completely gone and there were tons of broken bottles. We tried to peek in but gave up.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The next Saturday morning, I was walking to the market and there were tons of cars parked outside and I could hear the crowd cheer. I found my way in by following a spectator and witnessed a pretty serious game. The stands were full and people were cheering. The referees were in official attire and were working hard. The coaches were vocal, throwing their hands to their heads and pacing along the side lines. My guess is that this equates to our Southern Chester County Club. The players appeared to be between 16 & 18 years old. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Below, Cheryl and Tatiana are in this very same stadium but no game is being played. They are standing in the center in front of the preferred seating or the announcers booth. The next picture shows one side of the spectator's stand. The cement bleechers are behind the tall shrubs. It is hard to imagine that any one of us would be attending a game in a stadium with these conditions. The third photo is a long shot of the field. I don't recall if the goals had nets on Saturday or not. It is also hard to know if the grass looks like this permanently or if it is a result of the drought and extreme temperatures.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkI9heoCnYwqiYILa6MPuna6r2jkxX-SeHWKiLpVpYnayWE29B1hHhLgwcXh2avrr1l6QB_Weqayf8EHxIRw4SVhDur6mnohuXiAAyhnCbtmGWwqRydxjdN6U5gc-w0_7TcMLMZCvANS8/s1600/P1080428.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495196293274931570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkI9heoCnYwqiYILa6MPuna6r2jkxX-SeHWKiLpVpYnayWE29B1hHhLgwcXh2avrr1l6QB_Weqayf8EHxIRw4SVhDur6mnohuXiAAyhnCbtmGWwqRydxjdN6U5gc-w0_7TcMLMZCvANS8/s320/P1080428.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTPlbKJc11y0LuHK5uqOFJ9F5T0TsfW_96P9oDs1re3uQAPxl34-emWbjMcClYS1SPo3DQ4Ie3y6mlejoZnwu-xxEEoqcVuK1SwqogtsUyuOTqHKRT9PlWrNzwQXSiRaNHCkAQ2M6H9I/s1600/P1080421.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495196284843989826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTPlbKJc11y0LuHK5uqOFJ9F5T0TsfW_96P9oDs1re3uQAPxl34-emWbjMcClYS1SPo3DQ4Ie3y6mlejoZnwu-xxEEoqcVuK1SwqogtsUyuOTqHKRT9PlWrNzwQXSiRaNHCkAQ2M6H9I/s320/P1080421.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1CzaRyJRRYwoY5LhyphenhyphenU04hBCUgvutM1pSO_x9EEWz0lzxkeYUZJUxyEYgXWewL2RhCsy2OQ4G0Z3kvzjCUAziUTHynI9Kvtqm8UjLd-crYWkXuOEqLo6NXCVRvWkJaPpuNMS8_p6CIWI/s1600/P1080424.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495196279842522434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1CzaRyJRRYwoY5LhyphenhyphenU04hBCUgvutM1pSO_x9EEWz0lzxkeYUZJUxyEYgXWewL2RhCsy2OQ4G0Z3kvzjCUAziUTHynI9Kvtqm8UjLd-crYWkXuOEqLo6NXCVRvWkJaPpuNMS8_p6CIWI/s320/P1080424.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6VXQAzvyIfWsu_MQ3VazuYwKZUgOypWHGNh4DLnAimbbcZSh8YleK7uM5oc4zadvBte2xMEHXPb9hOrGyw0SbN3WmmjID6FgXLEpF7kPSk4iKFjw10oueFmX4oMPxYpDOafNzxlkc9I/s1600/P1060844.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495196272754015826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6VXQAzvyIfWsu_MQ3VazuYwKZUgOypWHGNh4DLnAimbbcZSh8YleK7uM5oc4zadvBte2xMEHXPb9hOrGyw0SbN3WmmjID6FgXLEpF7kPSk4iKFjw10oueFmX4oMPxYpDOafNzxlkc9I/s320/P1060844.JPG" /></a> Below is an enclosed turf field that is halfway between the school and the lake. On my birthday, we walked with a large group of teenages to the lake about two miles away. Afterwards, the boys were hurrying because I think the word was that another group of boys was ready for a match up. We quickly followed behind and watched from outside of the fence. This view also includes a very typical highrise apartment building adjacent to the field.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKTOj6FusNH5oZR9MHxnUYWQ9uUBk1veZ9fSb0vIoNOdDmxXPk-FIRPjIs8Eix2PgPq2Oni3_NB2miOAfSlILVyr75XSigZmitAFXBHnGH3SsneIxfK2rzg3ZYK67SfiuBNwYJphpYoI/s1600/P1070289.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495195336156381746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKTOj6FusNH5oZR9MHxnUYWQ9uUBk1veZ9fSb0vIoNOdDmxXPk-FIRPjIs8Eix2PgPq2Oni3_NB2miOAfSlILVyr75XSigZmitAFXBHnGH3SsneIxfK2rzg3ZYK67SfiuBNwYJphpYoI/s320/P1070289.JPG" /></a> If you look closely at the photo below, you will notice some interesting details. These kids were playing either without shoes or with flip flops. There was no complaining and no holding back on the attack. By taking a closer look, you will also see that two kids are sharing one pair of shoes. Consider yourself lucky if a friend is willing to share half of his footwear. Of course, that is only beneficial if you are a right footer and your buddy is a lefty. Who cares about sizing? After the first 30 minutes of playing, another team started gathering. These kids had matching team shirts and socks. It was a sobbering sight for us but one I think these kids have grown accustomed to.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhayVvGwDELPSFw_XUEnhis7QuFts49R3qfm9kmy9O2ld5oZsVns-BCoB7-BOLnfzdnGLE24EGrcRrgFyLMfQAYMl_32f5C_BXZSItbuIKvWEPdgMoJ9KLBjvZVWOxDxUW8yZmLfDswvA/s1600/P1070278.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495195327417716258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhayVvGwDELPSFw_XUEnhis7QuFts49R3qfm9kmy9O2ld5oZsVns-BCoB7-BOLnfzdnGLE24EGrcRrgFyLMfQAYMl_32f5C_BXZSItbuIKvWEPdgMoJ9KLBjvZVWOxDxUW8yZmLfDswvA/s320/P1070278.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69l42GIssb4s3rVYthyPzcFm9TYhl7K9KJhqtukIWTGoAg2zvhXOo2AwvEFFLJAQMllES1CjEDC46Tg3lBp4TicXK3fUzYnTVKv-sqSZYrqhMP_EiSZU6EgOmi2cxvukT9RT5cLTfF7s/s1600/P1070279.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495195324373801794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69l42GIssb4s3rVYthyPzcFm9TYhl7K9KJhqtukIWTGoAg2zvhXOo2AwvEFFLJAQMllES1CjEDC46Tg3lBp4TicXK3fUzYnTVKv-sqSZYrqhMP_EiSZU6EgOmi2cxvukT9RT5cLTfF7s/s320/P1070279.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQI61UvaeSz2EYsU_9-fur3WJ6eFhC0G0ZDt-wcB1yA_MEDm2ORha4cImAV5awMrBEkTVIs1ufyN18OJzqUDaWePX09kbuIylRyxNCQeCBBv9yqkBUKYlQzE_Wz6U7bfprUJnxfaEUvWY/s1600/P1070280.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495195319648465458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQI61UvaeSz2EYsU_9-fur3WJ6eFhC0G0ZDt-wcB1yA_MEDm2ORha4cImAV5awMrBEkTVIs1ufyN18OJzqUDaWePX09kbuIylRyxNCQeCBBv9yqkBUKYlQzE_Wz6U7bfprUJnxfaEUvWY/s320/P1070280.JPG" /></a> Below is a small sand field at the school. The goal is confugred out of play ground equipment. Next to it is a full sized field with real goals. I never learned any specifics about this other field and assume it is used in season.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjqm5srb51nKspejUu7sHOM4haYixsVPkaH6nWXiUZSLFMyi4-J1uPOnB8TBC01iYcEjlAiDMquYNDrqTIHFYHfQID4ezUW9_CjoxlfobBQcwwwxRjFvBCSpU2M4ww6M4mxFCGj8iDG8/s1600/P1060858.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495195312516449746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjqm5srb51nKspejUu7sHOM4haYixsVPkaH6nWXiUZSLFMyi4-J1uPOnB8TBC01iYcEjlAiDMquYNDrqTIHFYHfQID4ezUW9_CjoxlfobBQcwwwxRjFvBCSpU2M4ww6M4mxFCGj8iDG8/s320/P1060858.JPG" /></a> The two pictures below are from Camp Alliance. There is very little grass here and you can also see how dark the soil is. Just think about the condition of these kids feet with this black soil, no shoes and playing futbol. I have witnessed these feet first hand. Yikes!!!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGA28bqyYtarkdbPY08E5sFMK8-nlc9PRtG9vxVsagi99UZ4sb3Mnn3PtXz6atg_whPgL5kHvcUYgNyAxaOmiJXvXEFzMU1IEHI86-b37DBmCBdA3c-GjGBaG501-i3vNhdtwcPO6gXg/s1600/P1070666.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495194646629635634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGA28bqyYtarkdbPY08E5sFMK8-nlc9PRtG9vxVsagi99UZ4sb3Mnn3PtXz6atg_whPgL5kHvcUYgNyAxaOmiJXvXEFzMU1IEHI86-b37DBmCBdA3c-GjGBaG501-i3vNhdtwcPO6gXg/s320/P1070666.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5n28V_-lbdl93NMzrcaxO4xTKt6IfDwk4BzFGj0Adu6_xa-n1vLmZ3_G9_a5CyQumZDJPLHNQW6KusHS_Khx46Enh2vKoc0bejhyphenhyphenHIiNDH95ic7o9gzn1eBZfNA6uBZ4-NyNZsgnm7Y/s1600/P1070668.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495194640660520210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5n28V_-lbdl93NMzrcaxO4xTKt6IfDwk4BzFGj0Adu6_xa-n1vLmZ3_G9_a5CyQumZDJPLHNQW6KusHS_Khx46Enh2vKoc0bejhyphenhyphenHIiNDH95ic7o9gzn1eBZfNA6uBZ4-NyNZsgnm7Y/s320/P1070668.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwyR_8g_zcC4GnfIKE9PevWbJaQHxEng2GpIFPHfewRAk-3efKFxMTzE0yZ1tPjiLCIwWHZhVEBaGVs7rh84Xe1wHjgrdXmRxqGAX7_KSOsCMuUrUB2WCd6rWfxInQMMEslfbquPw0Ok/s1600/P1060887.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495194185617708530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwyR_8g_zcC4GnfIKE9PevWbJaQHxEng2GpIFPHfewRAk-3efKFxMTzE0yZ1tPjiLCIwWHZhVEBaGVs7rh84Xe1wHjgrdXmRxqGAX7_KSOsCMuUrUB2WCd6rWfxInQMMEslfbquPw0Ok/s320/P1060887.JPG" /></a><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></strong></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdaNfdsyeRTGXM4jtMt_NTgFeXleUh-V0-GwRVvxHWyDNchf7YViIITGPKCw9YknprJjh7XI6KiVNmDZ4r5JOzuToefzZVzR9jGXaOhG3KhHnd4K7azgtbT3qM1hHCDoSBmHt4hnPlkbc/s1600/P1070290.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495194182675048594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdaNfdsyeRTGXM4jtMt_NTgFeXleUh-V0-GwRVvxHWyDNchf7YViIITGPKCw9YknprJjh7XI6KiVNmDZ4r5JOzuToefzZVzR9jGXaOhG3KhHnd4K7azgtbT3qM1hHCDoSBmHt4hnPlkbc/s320/P1070290.JPG" /></a> The players of Severodonetsk (l to r):<br /><div>Denis, Artur, Sergei and Vlad.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wdhHQo3VRp24Pm_Xjipa-tu4DFKTa3U-upsRX2cX4t4XpDlkWi-swkOEOsTARndiUarBkDqzKnDLZucyfUJ8bih4Hw2bvpWFxrRN2FGpVcKc_b1GeixWAMEI5efEM_QQVLZg2s7-f-g/s1600/P1070287.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495194177390460690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wdhHQo3VRp24Pm_Xjipa-tu4DFKTa3U-upsRX2cX4t4XpDlkWi-swkOEOsTARndiUarBkDqzKnDLZucyfUJ8bih4Hw2bvpWFxrRN2FGpVcKc_b1GeixWAMEI5efEM_QQVLZg2s7-f-g/s320/P1070287.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div align="justify">It has been fun listening to their banter about the World Cup. Craig and I would bring newspaper updates of FIFA to camp for Sergei. He loved it and they would devour the details. Below Gena is wearing a Mexican team shirt that we actually bought and mailed to Sergei. We might have mentinoned earlier, but Craig and I purchased soccer socks for these kids after we saw the condition of Sergei's. At some point in time, they had been white and they had an enclosed toe. Crazy how they make things work regardless of the conditions.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGtoCreWszVjbkKYZ_SmjYB40c4cdOoWRoen9lHfYHOjqiU1AY7k7UPUxAiY_hr1WprR7bHNTiugFJ3AhvRAIp4jC4HvgFuK2nrb6JLMfYVw0Bshu9dtYUPregNisbmbtLslCVREjraE/s1600/P1070483.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495194168909295506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGtoCreWszVjbkKYZ_SmjYB40c4cdOoWRoen9lHfYHOjqiU1AY7k7UPUxAiY_hr1WprR7bHNTiugFJ3AhvRAIp4jC4HvgFuK2nrb6JLMfYVw0Bshu9dtYUPregNisbmbtLslCVREjraE/s320/P1070483.JPG" /></a> <div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7HzEgYxIPy4IR15Fop2S81ad6LQTw4loOQSoI1B-J5jyBgGhuFy5I3XMBXoMydBLocISBk6J2Ny5qRwOzIA71KJ8fpsDKBB9eMzfSkMqXEoounGViPuCRlDmPP2NFn-PLBqZ1CWUlFY/s1600/P1070261.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495193520955429234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7HzEgYxIPy4IR15Fop2S81ad6LQTw4loOQSoI1B-J5jyBgGhuFy5I3XMBXoMydBLocISBk6J2Ny5qRwOzIA71KJ8fpsDKBB9eMzfSkMqXEoounGViPuCRlDmPP2NFn-PLBqZ1CWUlFY/s320/P1070261.JPG" /></a>Above, Sergei practicing his corner kicks at the lake. His buddies were way out in the water and ready to receive. He is excited to be a part of Unionville High School's soccer program. he also has a dream of becoming an American soccer super star. Below is Gena holding a towel that he is very proud of. The team is Shahtyor out of the Donetsk region. They are the best professional team in Ukraine.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuh8fBigkLAPWjaKxVrnUF4pB-GLQQ0g52Y2H9MmPBb6vq-k2rJ1lNK9mhkQ4rg1n5Xf8j6-qzCZnW2Mav6MP18wc5SNHrR7Y7V7REF1d_yUT6hAMBsd8x6gLczxCqgWy8P7aTHZtWhg/s1600/P1070488.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495193513135603730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuh8fBigkLAPWjaKxVrnUF4pB-GLQQ0g52Y2H9MmPBb6vq-k2rJ1lNK9mhkQ4rg1n5Xf8j6-qzCZnW2Mav6MP18wc5SNHrR7Y7V7REF1d_yUT6hAMBsd8x6gLczxCqgWy8P7aTHZtWhg/s320/P1070488.JPG" /></a> The younger Sergei at camp.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRoWX6nVkoZH8a44CwrmhYcTnc8XtaT-RIhivdI-Fv3tGzAng3pVW4VmM8aOMK-ysgekBI-Vu_66iqxjrEq4S2GtBpdwG0FIzUBohdvS9K9GKMvJxdSNUjytyh22R9RfICQZ4TN_w-AI/s1600/P1070522.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495193504707354434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRoWX6nVkoZH8a44CwrmhYcTnc8XtaT-RIhivdI-Fv3tGzAng3pVW4VmM8aOMK-ysgekBI-Vu_66iqxjrEq4S2GtBpdwG0FIzUBohdvS9K9GKMvJxdSNUjytyh22R9RfICQZ4TN_w-AI/s320/P1070522.JPG" /></a>And who DOESN'T love Cristiano Ronaldo? He certainly makes your heart skip a beat!!!!!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiywMgxJTemLamUixQZd_DX3II6pWK6ULRy0GnmONhp7QhRqSbUeTahSShXtoeIlD1156p0xr5jLtXX-H6QpnLW_22bVaJjQA2dWTeyBFmNkIQQB21D96A3K__xsV9YRe7-98nDYmvCU/s1600/P1080191.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495193498010462850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiywMgxJTemLamUixQZd_DX3II6pWK6ULRy0GnmONhp7QhRqSbUeTahSShXtoeIlD1156p0xr5jLtXX-H6QpnLW_22bVaJjQA2dWTeyBFmNkIQQB21D96A3K__xsV9YRe7-98nDYmvCU/s320/P1080191.JPG" /></a>And finally, Day #10 is here but we really have two more days to wait. The days passed by more quickly than I thought. We are headed home in six days and can not wait.<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-11584080114528625722010-07-17T04:37:00.001-07:002010-07-17T11:26:14.411-07:00Day #9 - Dyevyat (d'eh-v'uht') How To Beat The Heat<span style="color:#33cc00;"></span>It seems like extreme heat has been the top news story for the past month and it is no different here. The temperatures have ranged between 32 & 35 degrees celsius and we do not have the advantage of air conditioning, Dairy Queen or even shade for that fact. The conversion equation is as follows: F=C*(9/5)+32. The temps have been between 90-95 degrees.<br /><br />So how can you beat the heat when you are 9,000 miles from home, don't speak the language and have to walk just about everywhere? Below are a few international suggestions that would work just about anywhere.<br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"> <span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>Ukraine's Top Ten List </strong></span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>How to Beat the Heat!</strong></span></span></div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#33cc00;"></span></strong><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#33cc00;"><strong>#10 - Learn a New Card Game</strong></span></div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZKTmxAGOEGMKBmgq-g509pmTix3v4s894eRdO8sMzCTBCSeP4qjMviaShNqAIRXNgigH5d0DtJqu1cy2mlk3Qd8c1xyQqUObl0MB2KdVW61kuboj1Ydep9ULFSJEUsfiSHjL1fVP9_c/s1600/P1080265.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494929560618942882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZKTmxAGOEGMKBmgq-g509pmTix3v4s894eRdO8sMzCTBCSeP4qjMviaShNqAIRXNgigH5d0DtJqu1cy2mlk3Qd8c1xyQqUObl0MB2KdVW61kuboj1Ydep9ULFSJEUsfiSHjL1fVP9_c/s400/P1080265.JPG" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="color:#33cc00;">#9 - Perfect your American football spiral</span><br /></span></strong><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1F5AOJ52JtJfL7h6coPjomxgcgwP4F0U0ZACPsZoABjz_AMGIlOt5dG5JSc4F4_mMnOQrGmOHsolOa1sKVNKjYFakKLbdRUwFoduhxYCpRiGNwbuP2y16ZWY5AOYQS_gra3FmC3jWFJA/s1600/P1060759.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494929550085699538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1F5AOJ52JtJfL7h6coPjomxgcgwP4F0U0ZACPsZoABjz_AMGIlOt5dG5JSc4F4_mMnOQrGmOHsolOa1sKVNKjYFakKLbdRUwFoduhxYCpRiGNwbuP2y16ZWY5AOYQS_gra3FmC3jWFJA/s400/P1060759.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#33cc00;"><strong>#8 - Master a new level at JAX</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#33cc00;"><strong> maybe "twosies" or "threesies"</strong> </span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugshbVtC8ePPEr8QM_RcreX-ocOU3skwshIuQmaEzZOYMstDRQ8Jm-fRwWoShdbF9VRy0EEfnHaDy8HsMz3P17_9VU9SMeasWsp-rd8vhefRTJy6Q64hHtebS7Vz_pZ7dMzULKkZd6U0/s1600/P1060748.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494929537349109570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugshbVtC8ePPEr8QM_RcreX-ocOU3skwshIuQmaEzZOYMstDRQ8Jm-fRwWoShdbF9VRy0EEfnHaDy8HsMz3P17_9VU9SMeasWsp-rd8vhefRTJy6Q64hHtebS7Vz_pZ7dMzULKkZd6U0/s400/P1060748.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>#7 - Break out the water guns!</strong></span><br /></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaNme47MbNj831s5ElGWOwDLWWN9BTe0WMrrUzSLjHze9XvV9bKzyAV56BB8nSbjPZqbmncEAfQzozKB14ccaX91C1bMoigYo9UvwPjs18FOBrg3jX98n51FYG7OFcajd07YQZ_DHLoY/s1600/P1060722.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494929534492123394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaNme47MbNj831s5ElGWOwDLWWN9BTe0WMrrUzSLjHze9XvV9bKzyAV56BB8nSbjPZqbmncEAfQzozKB14ccaX91C1bMoigYo9UvwPjs18FOBrg3jX98n51FYG7OFcajd07YQZ_DHLoY/s400/P1060722.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">#6 - Play Bingo in a foreign language</span><br /><br /></strong></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPW39C_JzrrnasnePPI5eDP5-xO_6AtuI59YMx5RQNwyVbk1Lu623WIFC_PQdpwpMju0fD2LJOVLEuXnEeU0pA94aL_RFVTfU8w2AN2zYBa7TVhYlmRinW8UAJACaam5bsPB8Ji7orTZs/s1600/P1070091.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494927684108790930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPW39C_JzrrnasnePPI5eDP5-xO_6AtuI59YMx5RQNwyVbk1Lu623WIFC_PQdpwpMju0fD2LJOVLEuXnEeU0pA94aL_RFVTfU8w2AN2zYBa7TVhYlmRinW8UAJACaam5bsPB8Ji7orTZs/s400/P1070091.JPG" /></a> <div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#33cc00;">#5 - Organize a Thumb Wrestling Tournament</span></strong><br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AAKDJe1aOyZLNDQWj6QGkysED1eus-yLkS7BKsUDYbRGyVwAd_G7bkHP8GPb9xuvOXRfs4S4C4KrIfasV9-a3nLt9ylyHOFiqiKFGGmiWj_y9v9UENrP8vamrUpk-fc9VXTsylfilp4/s1600/P1070103.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494927663109512754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AAKDJe1aOyZLNDQWj6QGkysED1eus-yLkS7BKsUDYbRGyVwAd_G7bkHP8GPb9xuvOXRfs4S4C4KrIfasV9-a3nLt9ylyHOFiqiKFGGmiWj_y9v9UENrP8vamrUpk-fc9VXTsylfilp4/s400/P1070103.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">#4 - Round up the girls and hit the beach</span></strong><br /><br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-UWekeS_SoazZSHCiDu50QQRQYlskYkjtnVZLJZT9uBBdEo92PUjvOXqVzKJsaverovsk4fb_54FTPC6rhCiwR4ZV3eRkKGTtTZHcbP_N1kgquwY0gG2v8nN48NOedVHj9h5Djuvje8/s1600/P1070241.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494927657880300114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-UWekeS_SoazZSHCiDu50QQRQYlskYkjtnVZLJZT9uBBdEo92PUjvOXqVzKJsaverovsk4fb_54FTPC6rhCiwR4ZV3eRkKGTtTZHcbP_N1kgquwY0gG2v8nN48NOedVHj9h5Djuvje8/s400/P1070241.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#33cc00;"><strong>#3 - Bury a friend in the sand </strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#33cc00;"><strong>(but not too deep, could be dangerous)!!</strong></span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7v_BkemlWx5HaygElDemfPcDBCqFBJHWipAjKbfAsYPI9HIBNNxoAXJTUnv0WPEj0Mo8Px2ZP-emLbg7Kdq42_8jVudB9PA5qVHStWAuDYMcUzitwQj0rK2yaEW_6BVVZX2neis7Drk4/s1600/P1070325.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494925791398025426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7v_BkemlWx5HaygElDemfPcDBCqFBJHWipAjKbfAsYPI9HIBNNxoAXJTUnv0WPEj0Mo8Px2ZP-emLbg7Kdq42_8jVudB9PA5qVHStWAuDYMcUzitwQj0rK2yaEW_6BVVZX2neis7Drk4/s400/P1070325.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#33cc00;"><strong>#2 - Create sand angels and make a wish!</strong></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkYFyRMsjU-y7Yn2eXQnwqsLqWXuWiHALZSb6fMpfwl3k34xhdtGOT1TfWcaSJ49g20Ykb4nDtT35R6njqX54fF2fuo1eyxNbOTEfZP9Pn9WdTxhImqOZhJa8-nyTsOczadWS9Ko3Uxg/s1600/P1070331.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494925787221376818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkYFyRMsjU-y7Yn2eXQnwqsLqWXuWiHALZSb6fMpfwl3k34xhdtGOT1TfWcaSJ49g20Ykb4nDtT35R6njqX54fF2fuo1eyxNbOTEfZP9Pn9WdTxhImqOZhJa8-nyTsOczadWS9Ko3Uxg/s400/P1070331.JPG" /></a><span style="color:#33cc00;">And.......#1 Top thing to do to beat the heat.....</span></div><div><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#33cc00;">TAKE A WALK WITH YOUR DAD!</span><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaQ05Nq7dw1w9ZwfO-m02e3dAyRIOVCkQt6lcqgWaosMDQyN6WNJq3WUBP8xwqWB7_gjIZ_dDeCwpCl_AjM_ITqjdL_uADxszZZ3C7mnC2rY9gUdlMlBuqTG3qiZhCxdqqEz8GbJPNAw/s1600/P1070263.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494925780958721954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaQ05Nq7dw1w9ZwfO-m02e3dAyRIOVCkQt6lcqgWaosMDQyN6WNJq3WUBP8xwqWB7_gjIZ_dDeCwpCl_AjM_ITqjdL_uADxszZZ3C7mnC2rY9gUdlMlBuqTG3qiZhCxdqqEz8GbJPNAw/s400/P1070263.JPG" /></a> <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-2gJIlXDNJoRSYpnd61rMW0u9J-osvCn4y9qkCbcqEbdaPGSdRCbyBY5FdgAKeM3acyx_i76jIu5VQI0y9S36r2y9wIX38EnL-mC95SHPJlsJRXCt5HIQDvbxjzgeRhNkwOzBgvhHBk/s1600/P1060722.JPG"></a><div><div><div><div><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-78389812201533833032010-07-16T03:09:00.000-07:002010-07-17T07:32:55.601-07:00Day #8 - Vosyem (voh-s'ehm')<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4RfXSTMb-ZozwKM7iF-cqjEfVW_m3DYPEJ7xP9Z3YAuL79WTUjYZLwpd1fAqSiFtACM3abIKSVBuuMvgBeaPRclhZQ7utsdt5eBgEHP2cU2I1jK3-P6MAzMLoD_rKl78FsDhKR7vqoo/s1600/P1080392.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494599341049051362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4RfXSTMb-ZozwKM7iF-cqjEfVW_m3DYPEJ7xP9Z3YAuL79WTUjYZLwpd1fAqSiFtACM3abIKSVBuuMvgBeaPRclhZQ7utsdt5eBgEHP2cU2I1jK3-P6MAzMLoD_rKl78FsDhKR7vqoo/s320/P1080392.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6Well3wMUSDZmuAXFN4hhKEmIq66o9W9UyTCxSMkRkfYkweoNNIj3_P4KZnryLmUhUB5HDDBEuhlavuazV-Y87jkIppANhJPJtTKdPGLpiiDuE0paBczV77v3MPrYIR3FGu3e7L-g7Y/s1600/IMG_2098.JPG"></a><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div align="justify">As Craig mentioned earlier, the days are starting to run together. It is Friday and it is the eighth day of our ten day waiting period. However, due to the tenth day falling on a Sunday, the official tenth rolls over to the next business day. One might think that would be Monday but in our case it is Tuesday because the local offices are closed on Monday. It is sort of like playing <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong><span style="color:#ff99ff;">DORAK,</span> </strong></span><span style="color:#000000;">the Ukrainian card game that I can not quite master.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">At this point, even Sergei is getting itching about our departure date. We are anxious to get home. On Tuesday, 7/20 I will retrieve Sergei from camp. That evening, he and I are invited to Larisa and Gena's home for a final send off dinner. I can only imagine the emptiness she will feel having been his teacher and mother for the past eight years. She truly loves him.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Yesterday evening, I was cutting through the school property on my way home from dinner. As I entered the gates, Larisa was walking out of the school front doors. I waived and she laughed because she is amazed by how we have assimilated into Severodonetsk life. It is funny how I bump into her everywhere. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">We started walking together and then she stopped and pulled out a small batch of photos. She had been in her office digging through pictures so that Sergei had some of his history to take with him. You can spot him immediately in all of the pictures. One b&w brought me to tears because it is a precious portrait where he is holding a small daisy. I am certain Larisa knew I was more than appreciative of the gift.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">Today I sent her an email before I went to camp and shared that I am completely alone. The Trumps left for Kyiv yesterday and Sergey the translator went home until Monday 7/19. I was thrilled when she wrote back and said they were free for dinner tonight. We met at Edem and had a delicious dinner with Tatiana, our favorite server. After dinner we made plans to tour a monastery on Sunday.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">So that's it for now. We have our plane reservations to fly from Lugansk to Kyiv on Thursday at 6:00 a.m. We will be in Kyiv doing American Embassy stuff on Thursday and Friday. Saturday we will begin the final leg of our journey home. I am looking forwad to being reunited with Pat, Evan & Craig. I guess for the record I should also include Ginger and Dolce. By the way, Sergei asked me the other day if he could have his own dog. I'll keep you guessing about my answer on that one.............<span style="color:#ff99ff;"><strong>let's just say he should have asked his father!!</strong></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;"></div></span><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-57881020512354170032010-07-15T04:54:00.000-07:002010-07-18T02:40:48.400-07:00Day #7 - Syem (s'ehm') Band of Brothers<div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#cc0000;"><em><strong>BAND OF BRATYA</strong></em></span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01BVyNg5_KWi9g5Xj4vh7_G_0SGQmhw-aCvffydiEMHelVdKxHtO2MZqOh9hERqFR_PWI_7TGrcj4eERVZB7JW7oePSq5JYEfEEiA_qX_EBE6Mnvw5swrfGhpE4jIguftmNySd0T8Ysc/s1600/P1080468.JPG"><em><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494583866095868546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01BVyNg5_KWi9g5Xj4vh7_G_0SGQmhw-aCvffydiEMHelVdKxHtO2MZqOh9hERqFR_PWI_7TGrcj4eERVZB7JW7oePSq5JYEfEEiA_qX_EBE6Mnvw5swrfGhpE4jIguftmNySd0T8Ysc/s320/P1080468.JPG" /></span></strong></em></a><span style="color:#cc0000;">The four brothers plus an honorary brother: Sasha, Vanya, Sergei, Gena and Volva</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKUTw8ytBWUZ65ezAiDKDIBrF9_M_I71rLIChwJWbKoivgED_A0-iZCdBBtuL5d-77dXDsBeiUzeWshKH_XmtVYXDZc-sh5QMN2ktvTw_Nb3S-V2DR5IiNct_enBO_HFSDQi1gTUrUgM/s1600/P1080469.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494583863657660850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKUTw8ytBWUZ65ezAiDKDIBrF9_M_I71rLIChwJWbKoivgED_A0-iZCdBBtuL5d-77dXDsBeiUzeWshKH_XmtVYXDZc-sh5QMN2ktvTw_Nb3S-V2DR5IiNct_enBO_HFSDQi1gTUrUgM/s320/P1080469.JPG" /></a> <span style="color:#cc0000;">Happy birthday to Sasha & Vanya</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfY-TUkcj34-SctAPUNl8TNTJM-4udB1ADR2r3KFjcZKLHrp6CiLh8SBPNDNsSwLgPIlq5fJ7eETGpwJy9wK1A43ZRC973DtCTkYb98HY3UjiNNpEnFUCWXZR8BmMAuZwQPoCIyskEgOg/s1600/P1080477.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494583422161765506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfY-TUkcj34-SctAPUNl8TNTJM-4udB1ADR2r3KFjcZKLHrp6CiLh8SBPNDNsSwLgPIlq5fJ7eETGpwJy9wK1A43ZRC973DtCTkYb98HY3UjiNNpEnFUCWXZR8BmMAuZwQPoCIyskEgOg/s320/P1080477.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtbiVA1Q4aZBvTjt8dRI9Nfr8xbfwhkZQ-XJkniczdhPkfFSH5Tt72BVh7jlmczJaw9Hxe5TvNc-001rIhA2a5guQP2aRAjBZEPn9QuYO7UexPbaYb6TP4HcCj-2aGa1fzVwlm34kLBA/s1600/P1080480.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494583418354130722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtbiVA1Q4aZBvTjt8dRI9Nfr8xbfwhkZQ-XJkniczdhPkfFSH5Tt72BVh7jlmczJaw9Hxe5TvNc-001rIhA2a5guQP2aRAjBZEPn9QuYO7UexPbaYb6TP4HcCj-2aGa1fzVwlm34kLBA/s320/P1080480.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZuEdaiHznUkstQh5dD9uEOX_2MhscBTZx5dUXpSYFRmtzL5SM5u3a6MQzyk8bxQHk00TMlw3SIjdjGUG9amRZMFqsuFpkf28_EcE9qr0RwA0eUwMiJCysBbvR-o5JCvGTxyE5Hr32yg/s1600/P1080479.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494583406575538082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZuEdaiHznUkstQh5dD9uEOX_2MhscBTZx5dUXpSYFRmtzL5SM5u3a6MQzyk8bxQHk00TMlw3SIjdjGUG9amRZMFqsuFpkf28_EcE9qr0RwA0eUwMiJCysBbvR-o5JCvGTxyE5Hr32yg/s320/P1080479.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKKUTCHLZ8g0w9p-eWtkYFQMziG44KxYh33xLVzNd0B4-MQbO9ugW6y6UghNHUgIjggPjAOqElUotJ5t8XhuNyHunHG8fEHLdmoC6ojfWsYIHFGCbLB0oBKIxxCf6qj7XF-cYJmS2hGo/s1600/P1080488.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494583402017457810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKKUTCHLZ8g0w9p-eWtkYFQMziG44KxYh33xLVzNd0B4-MQbO9ugW6y6UghNHUgIjggPjAOqElUotJ5t8XhuNyHunHG8fEHLdmoC6ojfWsYIHFGCbLB0oBKIxxCf6qj7XF-cYJmS2hGo/s320/P1080488.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqa19Sn8U3gPXMK_oGxvCo-A-erkMYdj0lGIuc3yS_j44cWEXq_PPkoaZYHFpx9Wepih0ORuDuFKDFGu_IMpo4YCmlf1ocgv2YbcxpbUh6g7bmauuUlJcZtRuiU9LcAdxFgcJrqSJRCx8/s1600/P1080483.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494583394193542210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqa19Sn8U3gPXMK_oGxvCo-A-erkMYdj0lGIuc3yS_j44cWEXq_PPkoaZYHFpx9Wepih0ORuDuFKDFGu_IMpo4YCmlf1ocgv2YbcxpbUh6g7bmauuUlJcZtRuiU9LcAdxFgcJrqSJRCx8/s320/P1080483.JPG" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-56rY1hjt1tldM9rHDv752Gr3RmED0mIMbL4vlGi0zi0YZhSgbQhcIwZmChhNj9TskuC5aledTQmTqzk567ilqkC-4UNSdsB6Kb-I7Q-gyXhk-_tmT4oa5RHrVlDuvclkHpq1KZmqpc/s1600/P1080484.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494582407215194930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-56rY1hjt1tldM9rHDv752Gr3RmED0mIMbL4vlGi0zi0YZhSgbQhcIwZmChhNj9TskuC5aledTQmTqzk567ilqkC-4UNSdsB6Kb-I7Q-gyXhk-_tmT4oa5RHrVlDuvclkHpq1KZmqpc/s320/P1080484.JPG" /></a><span style="color:#cc0000;">A new soccer ball, two decks of playing cards, sugar babies and mike & ikes!</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GvafC8fBG7WPOfmuHndKRAebgq-OL_NgIjX66apUu-9kNvjgDIxX4XUawWYRUJr4Ftp32IqLgrIV1Hc-XpMaldr1tJwTvwcgtqaRJLXfOnLj7m2izhzhAQ1iAbL1yyMnCaKqODDt59E/s1600/P1080535.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494582403063919522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GvafC8fBG7WPOfmuHndKRAebgq-OL_NgIjX66apUu-9kNvjgDIxX4XUawWYRUJr4Ftp32IqLgrIV1Hc-XpMaldr1tJwTvwcgtqaRJLXfOnLj7m2izhzhAQ1iAbL1yyMnCaKqODDt59E/s320/P1080535.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5XdfhjjZCvyA53ge5JgDqVuJnMokdg8tEloRTwx-AoZRJhXqrLF06LT3asx3fQDwcGoYvLNGrvxOhTTX5rShzoSDVRoPvMtl3eqJOr6N03EBVNBYJdCy-aloJev_uwVe7Yw6fBK0vmg/s1600/P1080512.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494581671091806482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5XdfhjjZCvyA53ge5JgDqVuJnMokdg8tEloRTwx-AoZRJhXqrLF06LT3asx3fQDwcGoYvLNGrvxOhTTX5rShzoSDVRoPvMtl3eqJOr6N03EBVNBYJdCy-aloJev_uwVe7Yw6fBK0vmg/s320/P1080512.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZqfQMBc5OjPmQHgXiS4JKdJ7fbItmU3E5ltRRqnTgEU05tQZQ2O66L0k0W8YnAdwOmV059xhiVsJrhSLc96u7IS5JArf-fZ6SXBMPVlLowFpQA9b3HdPpmG8jouRgTyXd5ENjGP_afI/s1600/P1080506.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494581667935806210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZqfQMBc5OjPmQHgXiS4JKdJ7fbItmU3E5ltRRqnTgEU05tQZQ2O66L0k0W8YnAdwOmV059xhiVsJrhSLc96u7IS5JArf-fZ6SXBMPVlLowFpQA9b3HdPpmG8jouRgTyXd5ENjGP_afI/s320/P1080506.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdw2U0JqUA0TrQMlTpN-30uhHRs9eqCLu1YSbw1XIAOZeCIG5tuDGq3hsOUPWyFGiLqbLjA2veVQMettdVdhJHwehuyY4Qx8-1NAFBDQB5DehAAwwdj0QdS3br3SNpqHRxrbTnk2GoC0/s1600/P1080500.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494581664842202418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdw2U0JqUA0TrQMlTpN-30uhHRs9eqCLu1YSbw1XIAOZeCIG5tuDGq3hsOUPWyFGiLqbLjA2veVQMettdVdhJHwehuyY4Qx8-1NAFBDQB5DehAAwwdj0QdS3br3SNpqHRxrbTnk2GoC0/s320/P1080500.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazyhXWHnnf8Frs9Gw1VwRrTUF1kXrESPdADx4UW1cqlD4oGeScWnINljyFr33h3xub-nwcuU1hbUj9BKPgMwkbfCckCilOh6zLQDnFw_LuAsH0ddI6ahClIv2l2buexLbZ5dwgrbpYKg/s1600/P1080549.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494581653709065218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazyhXWHnnf8Frs9Gw1VwRrTUF1kXrESPdADx4UW1cqlD4oGeScWnINljyFr33h3xub-nwcuU1hbUj9BKPgMwkbfCckCilOh6zLQDnFw_LuAsH0ddI6ahClIv2l2buexLbZ5dwgrbpYKg/s320/P1080549.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5m5Hs7jFECtR7qcppAqmRtxxYuxcOLHAAQn0PcvJeSlfuPJ3H8THmHQ9eMRZsc29ltj34ADZRq87W2n0X7kkTOQECA5U-NHgL3MjXqEh9SKGoZSlvf_iAPuw88LuXNEdd2gLjahULJI4/s1600/P1080554.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494581647720152866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5m5Hs7jFECtR7qcppAqmRtxxYuxcOLHAAQn0PcvJeSlfuPJ3H8THmHQ9eMRZsc29ltj34ADZRq87W2n0X7kkTOQECA5U-NHgL3MjXqEh9SKGoZSlvf_iAPuw88LuXNEdd2gLjahULJI4/s320/P1080554.JPG" /></a> <p align="justify">Today was an OUTSTANDING day. While nothing was really out of the norm, it was a total blast. Constantine, our trustworthy taxi driver arrived right on time at 10:00. I had a lot of stuff to pack into the car today because I was bringing birthday gifts, a full cake and my usual Trader Joe's bag full of stuff. We headed off to Camp Alliance in a slightly new direction. I think he was trying to avoid some pot holes in order to preserve the cake which was sitting on my lap.<br /><br />Sitting in the front seat offers an entirely new perspective of the country roads in Ukraine. Frankly, I am thrilled to graduate from the back seat where I had to focus on the horizon in order to avoid getting car sick on a daily basis. The front seat however, is not for any lightweights. The first order of business is to alleviate your fears of speed. Check--no problem. The second bit of business is to toughen up your skills at playing "chicken". I am not exaggerating when I tell you that the potholes are so bad, a small car could get lost forever. There are so many large holes that cars zig zag to avoid them. It doesn't matter what is coming towards you or how fast you are moving, you just need to avoid them and let the on comer deal with the tight squeeze.<br /><br />I arrived at camp and was greeted by Vanya, one of the birthday boys. He guided me back to Sergei's dorm. When we found Sergei, he rounded up the four brothers Gena, Sasha, Vanya and Volva. Sasha & Vanya were turning 14 today. The six of us went into the dorm, put 14 candles on the cake, sang happy birthday and then I got them to make a wish. Sergei and I quickly jumped into gear and realized that we could cut the cake AND make plates out of the cardboard from the cake box. The boys all enjoyed a big honking piece of chocolate cake. </p><div align="justify">We took tons of pictures with the brothers and their fifth brother as they refer to Sergei. I know the five of them look out for one another and their love for each other is completely evident. They invited me in for some of the pictures as well. Afterwards, Sergei resized the cardboard box and tucked the cake into a cubby for a snack after swimming. As I have mentioned before, they are resourceful and they are creative!!</div><br /><div align="justify">The pool water was recently replaced and it was clear and clean. The kids were having a blast and calling my name to take more pictures. After a while, they were egging me on to join then so I figured why not. At the next go round, I joined in the orderly decent and swam in my clothes. Of course Sergei, Mr. Competitive wanted to race his mama. He had a little speedo on and I had a cotton t-shirt and shorts that weighed me down a few pounds. No problem for the mama. It was fun, I think they were totally surprised I went in and it was a perfect dip in the pool.</div><br /><br /><div align="justify">Afterwards, we headed to the dormitory to get a comb and dry off a bit. I was walking slightly behind the boys when I heard quite a bit of yelling. Little did we know that while we were swimming, the cleaning crew had discovered the crumbs from the cake that were on the floor. Tonya, their counselor had them lined up against the wall and was yelling at them. To me, Russian sounds angry much of the time so I was not certain how much trouble they were in. I did feel responsible for the incident, however. Once she was finished talking with them, I looked at Sergei and we got the giggles. After all, it was a b-day celebration. I couldn't find Tonya to apologize and fess up so I asked that Sergei follow up on my behalf.</div><br /><div align="justify">And as Pat & Evan used to end their stories..........<span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong><em>THE END</em></strong></span>.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-12235567811137140122010-07-14T03:21:00.000-07:002010-07-15T10:57:18.449-07:00Day # 6 - Shyest (shehst')<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:180%;color:#3366ff;">The Tastes of Ukraine</span></strong></div><br />If you enjoy food and dining like the Loundas family and you want a huge bang for your buck, you might want to consider experiencing Ukrainian cuisine. We have not skimped at any meal, nor have we denied ourselves any delicacies. We have stayed on budget which is a plan of $30 per day for two. It's hard to believe but dinner for two with beverages, salad, entres, side dishes, dessert and coffee is typically under $15.<br /><p>Only the larger restaurants or hotel resturants have English menus. However, many times that still keeps you guessing. We have enjoyed many laughs trying to decipher what we are really ordering. We've tried boiled tonuge with mustard sauce & crap, chicken with caucasian sauce, meat filling and homely sour cream, rich clear soup with chicken plucks and crisp breads, cuddle fish wish squid and of course, the famous dessert world tower. It has been quite the culinary adventure.<br /></p>The other day I was thrilled to receive an email from Larisa that extended an invitation to her home for dinner. It was a shame that Craig had already departed because he would have enjoyed it very much. Larisa and her husband Gena live about two miles from the school & hotel. Gena walked to the hotel to pick me up at five and we headed out on foot to their home for a delicious homemade meal. While I was there, their 26-year old son Sasha came home and we had fun speaking English and learning a little more about him and his job as an electrical engineer.<br /><br /><br /><br />The best part of the evening was when his parents and I tried to explain to him that Craig and I had met a beautiful and wonderful Ukrainian woman who was just perfect for him. A few days back, Craig and I met Yana in the bank and we quickly jumped into match making mode. Sasha agreed that he would like to meet her and Larisa immediately dialed her number. Long story short, the two of them plan to meet for a walk or a coffee when she returns from her summer vacation in Bulgaria. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5RwbH08DE_3uekeygsybEnP7t9bu8gNIJ-4UeW7hpMrcAwzcEMMCZJSIo50EhejyhF9XI8yLcYHLeMsKdZkaEoa4RkdzmV96Lv3GdMUaVED1nmyg0eIa_1MYLOeZdppGHXV-sb6TLwg/s1600/P1080401.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493864111469717778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5RwbH08DE_3uekeygsybEnP7t9bu8gNIJ-4UeW7hpMrcAwzcEMMCZJSIo50EhejyhF9XI8yLcYHLeMsKdZkaEoa4RkdzmV96Lv3GdMUaVED1nmyg0eIa_1MYLOeZdppGHXV-sb6TLwg/s320/P1080401.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9wAkjnkEAtU9nTKbwFKQLDPSw88ALQZoSDeRZKZ1YGzgW3xYEv0qhl-qm668MQfcCQNUWioN41LV4KmTASpZ1_ek_SkO1Hr567oPfWL8EqK45Y-ZAzwOCW5ZuYfmIh1e6VXRj6ODwpg/s1600/P1080399.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493864109700625394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9wAkjnkEAtU9nTKbwFKQLDPSw88ALQZoSDeRZKZ1YGzgW3xYEv0qhl-qm668MQfcCQNUWioN41LV4KmTASpZ1_ek_SkO1Hr567oPfWL8EqK45Y-ZAzwOCW5ZuYfmIh1e6VXRj6ODwpg/s320/P1080399.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsif_ug65EGFT4OY_Trr85YLjtBObgEMYomfkHPvk68Gna61ZeFh76TfAIplHWlyxkFgFGL3YNxkukVB_qXNSbEZH_alEDOwd6yMoW6RpqghzlpNpd3QTIJe4t7z99Mx8t7vN9hiv0__k/s1600/P1080407.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493864100352720050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsif_ug65EGFT4OY_Trr85YLjtBObgEMYomfkHPvk68Gna61ZeFh76TfAIplHWlyxkFgFGL3YNxkukVB_qXNSbEZH_alEDOwd6yMoW6RpqghzlpNpd3QTIJe4t7z99Mx8t7vN9hiv0__k/s320/P1080407.JPG" /></a>Last night was the Trump's final evening in Severodonetsk. Tatiana selected the Golden Palace for dinner which was a wonderful resturant. Below is Sergey our in-region facilitator outside of the gates.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-Zi2TtZ7DYdtnATRnSO9pINufumvzbzaRAKwU30msYndK29D4rUuBDgGgFSr2jcKzn6d-2QPWazOBFnYjA9LxHRPLMlPaTD0NblHkjAs7KCSCmWediUsNPRIkxbJgJCLRBaP7KB-qGE/s1600/P1080440.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493863325492600402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-Zi2TtZ7DYdtnATRnSO9pINufumvzbzaRAKwU30msYndK29D4rUuBDgGgFSr2jcKzn6d-2QPWazOBFnYjA9LxHRPLMlPaTD0NblHkjAs7KCSCmWediUsNPRIkxbJgJCLRBaP7KB-qGE/s320/P1080440.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RE0NiUQSTj-Qomjb9rBrnCCtC8dya6LO5xa1kjGrhRrTWA6emjT2a8TzlTE2mFXhN6Yafa07rCd8oQtgjby9aXHuyINrDBXYcweNSyLV6RPkofJ9Zc8KgzadfXRVI3KoxxwRvj3kaH4/s1600/P1080458.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493863322562979010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RE0NiUQSTj-Qomjb9rBrnCCtC8dya6LO5xa1kjGrhRrTWA6emjT2a8TzlTE2mFXhN6Yafa07rCd8oQtgjby9aXHuyINrDBXYcweNSyLV6RPkofJ9Zc8KgzadfXRVI3KoxxwRvj3kaH4/s320/P1080458.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREFuHxXsXilYV1Y7sYwqCYQDU3G0tD_Bu1lm_uJxk072Y4ANl1douV052QugmIkvlmaxKuRJJq-7c4Rr-Db5u7MmfV4ljvpypnpmS7dvVuF2w4A_hmF-CVREHGg3PpMzTPhupcMHszSw/s1600/IMG_0785.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493863312940708002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREFuHxXsXilYV1Y7sYwqCYQDU3G0tD_Bu1lm_uJxk072Y4ANl1douV052QugmIkvlmaxKuRJJq-7c4Rr-Db5u7MmfV4ljvpypnpmS7dvVuF2w4A_hmF-CVREHGg3PpMzTPhupcMHszSw/s320/IMG_0785.JPG" /></a> Above is a picture from our second evening in town at a restuarant called Edem (Garden of Eden). Prior to Craig's departure, we achieved official "regular" status with the staff at Edem. Our first dinner there was a bit strange. The outside temperature was over 90 degrees. We were inside a small room off of the main dining room that did not have AC. Our little room had a door that remained closed because there was a loud party in the main room. Needless to say, the conditions were quite unpleasant. Ever since that evening we have opted to dine al fresco and now have our favorite waitress Tatiana who speaks English and loves to share information about Severodonetsk. <div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJPzHTgw52NbhJ1PjdMstBFbpHorRPgofzG6l-zzcnB0pS_YsNiX3rYOXdiPhMTt6EAdHtGJxPJM_tubT1JFqkvEF2eEBV2t9Hw34Fq4gWY_tj3ho4GtvmeCCnYE4vxsF5ZBzUkU6He4/s1600/P1070898.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493863306977540786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJPzHTgw52NbhJ1PjdMstBFbpHorRPgofzG6l-zzcnB0pS_YsNiX3rYOXdiPhMTt6EAdHtGJxPJM_tubT1JFqkvEF2eEBV2t9Hw34Fq4gWY_tj3ho4GtvmeCCnYE4vxsF5ZBzUkU6He4/s320/P1070898.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIdRU4C4jCK-cmh2454tf1b9zgtIzFS-EmBS4IK5SIxeqTbTCZR2IIVwk7aQAPecz1NnU9Jn_2DnhlYIn7bO1DL7mlhz_766U982-1Y6HFJPp1G-T9huoaIG3b3bHXdcy3bdCR6flbck/s1600/P1080151.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493863298650180498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIdRU4C4jCK-cmh2454tf1b9zgtIzFS-EmBS4IK5SIxeqTbTCZR2IIVwk7aQAPecz1NnU9Jn_2DnhlYIn7bO1DL7mlhz_766U982-1Y6HFJPp1G-T9huoaIG3b3bHXdcy3bdCR6flbck/s320/P1080151.JPG" /></a> There is seafood galore in Ukraine which of course has me very happy. The salad above was out of this world. Sauteed mussels and mushrooms on a bed of lettuce with croutons. LOVED IT! Underneath is a side of more mussels with onions. Dinner that night was 78 hryvnia (pronounced "grievna") which is less than ten dollars.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOS6zOQGm3100Q_DcWHXzuB87-LXVbuEtOJI2li75jW-nOhfZ_knPelUXTbQcoqDmIBlsNROWXREQIaMzO4vVCYYuEJPyC8kfsn4sANapC1JLzk5KqV5t_L65jQLyWT5BA0zYrofF7OM/s1600/P1080152.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493861933836720674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOS6zOQGm3100Q_DcWHXzuB87-LXVbuEtOJI2li75jW-nOhfZ_knPelUXTbQcoqDmIBlsNROWXREQIaMzO4vVCYYuEJPyC8kfsn4sANapC1JLzk5KqV5t_L65jQLyWT5BA0zYrofF7OM/s320/P1080152.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ_-7YqqUdeU1FU0_eZuClXEiE3VUtl9trdiwD3CBgNr26IV45YuY9b5Q4dlYJuaP_0I_bWmXFBuj6SDPwkIoOCS8twCRqeE9W8fvWljwyRLxeCcMAB-iqouhfXQh_kV7rYKQJWpOHEA/s1600/P1070364.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493861930871697106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ_-7YqqUdeU1FU0_eZuClXEiE3VUtl9trdiwD3CBgNr26IV45YuY9b5Q4dlYJuaP_0I_bWmXFBuj6SDPwkIoOCS8twCRqeE9W8fvWljwyRLxeCcMAB-iqouhfXQh_kV7rYKQJWpOHEA/s320/P1070364.JPG" /></a> Above was the table of treats the teachers prepared for the joint birthday celebrations for Larisa and me. We had cherries, cheese, cookies and apples. Below is a lunch table at the orphanage before the kids left for camp. I think most every meal includes a soup. We have grown to love akroshka which is a cold mayonaise based soup with minced chive, potato, hardboiled egg and ham. I am not sure what the soup is pictured below but it is a staple, that's for sure.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZyQyRVEKHIGpqmb-55D5N4YpJqB_9uHe38QQkxFc1TFZaxEbb5bcvUg2gQTgKpGjpIUgQt2PMowzQsNVN-h8Nr6IvXL3vFBHIqQEx1BNi9VluvtxVmj7n94QJ-v3mWMsa5hA35npXtE/s1600/P1070097.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493861925440883346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZyQyRVEKHIGpqmb-55D5N4YpJqB_9uHe38QQkxFc1TFZaxEbb5bcvUg2gQTgKpGjpIUgQt2PMowzQsNVN-h8Nr6IvXL3vFBHIqQEx1BNi9VluvtxVmj7n94QJ-v3mWMsa5hA35npXtE/s320/P1070097.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJyb3LFnT1M4RkQARyfn11nL51zzN6REYM_zx1ngOaVN3WZSLdoNu419Abz7qSQ2gmQMFEEbkWcxWs-7ponz_AJRzcAx8uy7_usa3QIXdfeLe4v_2xkKKVDMcrvtJxNzkB-3lv3PDEZU/s1600/P1070099.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493861923882777314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJyb3LFnT1M4RkQARyfn11nL51zzN6REYM_zx1ngOaVN3WZSLdoNu419Abz7qSQ2gmQMFEEbkWcxWs-7ponz_AJRzcAx8uy7_usa3QIXdfeLe4v_2xkKKVDMcrvtJxNzkB-3lv3PDEZU/s320/P1070099.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpn6ZgmHsuZtbQYBBe87BMqPBjOP3TvkdB2ur_b8ZQbkSFGK22jhz1zcfmj1u6_ojHOlHJgCmDoBxg788A7un4NlL1z7LgIc11xSm8NuN0AXVLahXlvDBfok-gy8a1Q5ATSYG0th-HLCo/s1600/P1070111.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493861912345041842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpn6ZgmHsuZtbQYBBe87BMqPBjOP3TvkdB2ur_b8ZQbkSFGK22jhz1zcfmj1u6_ojHOlHJgCmDoBxg788A7un4NlL1z7LgIc11xSm8NuN0AXVLahXlvDBfok-gy8a1Q5ATSYG0th-HLCo/s320/P1070111.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLZM00fr4eV1eNKcV_o8UNXCZCeX9DuAPfsZTZQ0Mh28loaWOUAmRAsimIR5YpwkcpTRYU_1Ni-kUO-Vr9DVxN2YtvcQzd1pS_ugD9WtvQ3SD1JDHlBnPMhATCCQz2CoxSl2kmpobbzo/s1600/P1070558.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493860766508727602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLZM00fr4eV1eNKcV_o8UNXCZCeX9DuAPfsZTZQ0Mh28loaWOUAmRAsimIR5YpwkcpTRYU_1Ni-kUO-Vr9DVxN2YtvcQzd1pS_ugD9WtvQ3SD1JDHlBnPMhATCCQz2CoxSl2kmpobbzo/s320/P1070558.JPG" /></a> Of course we have enjoyed several birthday cakes. Look closely at the one above for Sergei's birthday. When we went to the market, someone had already purchased a cut of the cake so one end was missing. In the stores, one buys a slice and then pays by the weight. It did not bother Sergei one bit that his cake was missing a chunk. In fact, on his birthday we sat outside of the camp gates and watched him finger scoop off all of the top layers of icing before we cut the cake. Below you can see there are no decorative swirls of icing remaining in the center of the cake. That did not slow Gena down from enjoying a big healthy piece.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcn1YKk8yN4Tj9HKWayniLrL4BKUNIbioQodwpw98Xbu6Yju7uu9OO1v5TRl1lNxZ9YiMWeeZ5Yp5aPiRE1U7WkWB9sud-ITdNkXjNm6fM-KiQJUZXne3vl98tpAtCfs6dHpB4xcG1x84/s1600/P1070579.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493860756795661474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcn1YKk8yN4Tj9HKWayniLrL4BKUNIbioQodwpw98Xbu6Yju7uu9OO1v5TRl1lNxZ9YiMWeeZ5Yp5aPiRE1U7WkWB9sud-ITdNkXjNm6fM-KiQJUZXne3vl98tpAtCfs6dHpB4xcG1x84/s320/P1070579.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4UtpWRX1NtC-_JULltuH1Wxp9S8sVIyjRdV8LHdeuSkn-xqx-m5yjG51_L2j1FYcRGQ0hUQC_M6EJMcP94TGrgHv_V9_I9acZ6sT89ZXMmVucIhK_p3vER42ELnra8orZfArq5fB6zE/s1600/P1070588.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493860752998516466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4UtpWRX1NtC-_JULltuH1Wxp9S8sVIyjRdV8LHdeuSkn-xqx-m5yjG51_L2j1FYcRGQ0hUQC_M6EJMcP94TGrgHv_V9_I9acZ6sT89ZXMmVucIhK_p3vER42ELnra8orZfArq5fB6zE/s320/P1070588.JPG" /></a> Breakfast has become a favorite meal. It is included in our room rate which is $45 per night. Breakfast is more like dinner but we have quickly become accustomed to a broad array of foods first thing in the day. There are four choices called complexes: #1 is an omelette, #2 dumplings, #3 fish and #4 chicken with bulgar wheat. Craig, the traditionalist, stuck with the omlette for the duration of his stay. I tried every one and found #3 fish to be my favorite breakfast meal. Each variety comes with a bowl of shredded cabbage, cheese, butter, bread and a sweet of some sort. We loved our morning meals with Cheryl and Rusty. Most days we would eat outside until the cat became too much of a nuisance. One morning (above), I used my best Russian to order cappucino and brought them up to the room. No such thing as room service here.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9P0__TbrmNnI4c3eikXSRkdKfKSuyv2PgzkfUwijJIdbdASPUWsQp6cAawhuInBVZrCq9eD4rRtVwlXE22bZXyBEGQuBlQ_qNtLUBF8Y956J1pML-rbVjyrORdi15WCoFAc67vnq7nxs/s1600/P1070495.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493860749824996146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9P0__TbrmNnI4c3eikXSRkdKfKSuyv2PgzkfUwijJIdbdASPUWsQp6cAawhuInBVZrCq9eD4rRtVwlXE22bZXyBEGQuBlQ_qNtLUBF8Y956J1pML-rbVjyrORdi15WCoFAc67vnq7nxs/s320/P1070495.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunySWkPSKXFXda_DP-AWEQBCS-btOQQdAG_qiWuu30ENlhJJ_-vnGkhyyefnPRCixy28pILdQlDNQ1V5E7XLIfXris9qW-BlR5viAbJYVt2qVwyhdaEqcZVuiLg7Vh2mdxgyFuubzxCE/s1600/P1070299.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493860739052165650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunySWkPSKXFXda_DP-AWEQBCS-btOQQdAG_qiWuu30ENlhJJ_-vnGkhyyefnPRCixy28pILdQlDNQ1V5E7XLIfXris9qW-BlR5viAbJYVt2qVwyhdaEqcZVuiLg7Vh2mdxgyFuubzxCE/s320/P1070299.JPG" /></a> <div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItAKLmjBsjFVd1Hc-igTjiQiK8SyPl8wF6z0ZBGWI8TQZ-6aso54dDZU7-rULVl4P8utz2bRMdNc0aTFpPqdW9h8Dpb2r8wobzClb42jjHZRjZ45bTtyj3UXAThm69G0T9NnJaBpNX2U/s1600/P1070496.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493858664610227266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItAKLmjBsjFVd1Hc-igTjiQiK8SyPl8wF6z0ZBGWI8TQZ-6aso54dDZU7-rULVl4P8utz2bRMdNc0aTFpPqdW9h8Dpb2r8wobzClb42jjHZRjZ45bTtyj3UXAThm69G0T9NnJaBpNX2U/s320/P1070496.JPG" /></a> Below is our reunion dinner with Sergei on our first night in Severodonetsk. We joined the Trumps, Sergey and Yana the lawyer from the orphanage. She was the responsible party for Sergei and Tatiana . This restaurant is called Salvadore Dali. I think it is the first time that either of them had dined in a restarant in Ukraine. Morozhenoye (mah-roh-zhih-nuh-eh) or ice cream is a very common dessert and most people end their meals with a bowl topped with sauces, fruit, nuts or coconut. <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoaPRVFNWF1WStDy2yZ6bSiCHipfRqn3ZpqzjO7DZ3w8Cx7zXNP0eySNhVUIvDvv3QA6n9Eer_UltMCUaUiBpS9KUyn2-4trA-RgUM8SRIiF9iuIKcVGIqDGJLjvexgEsJRBh-NCtflA/s1600/P1060681.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493858659775973442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoaPRVFNWF1WStDy2yZ6bSiCHipfRqn3ZpqzjO7DZ3w8Cx7zXNP0eySNhVUIvDvv3QA6n9Eer_UltMCUaUiBpS9KUyn2-4trA-RgUM8SRIiF9iuIKcVGIqDGJLjvexgEsJRBh-NCtflA/s320/P1060681.JPG" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7ZBsdq-MNw_pjHPc6ezFbMs8wxIOhyj2-3Gaxzm_iITtTKyFTvz8XP8h6lbNdz1-qdUGjAu1yfUv9qQlxTwtPwzY0uk7wVpz0nDGKzP-B1S1kmwlTvN1fa7DP-Yfl8TJhzBWUyskEYA/s1600/P1060702.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493858648295710050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7ZBsdq-MNw_pjHPc6ezFbMs8wxIOhyj2-3Gaxzm_iITtTKyFTvz8XP8h6lbNdz1-qdUGjAu1yfUv9qQlxTwtPwzY0uk7wVpz0nDGKzP-B1S1kmwlTvN1fa7DP-Yfl8TJhzBWUyskEYA/s320/P1060702.JPG" /></a> This picture below brings us to the beginning part of our journey in Kyiv. We were browsing through an outdoor market outside of the SDA where our very first appointment occured. Craig and I decided to have a bite at a small cafe in the middle of the market. He ordered a Ukrainian sandwich (below) and I ordered something called the Mother-in-laws tongue (last picture). We have had many laughs over the translation from Ukrainian or Russian to English on the menus. The descriptions still leave you guessing.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMzCdRpEQ-tO3U1KjfECvsUMrO92LAfyvd_2QthpgEoa9RdFDLIkow0hyphenhyphenhDnYbyROk0rJ7XlWgN3YVoiphlv45qiFeFdNwqn7zRBdi_u1mt25FMbQJh3uqq0iXftUpZMu6wkL9ki8R-I/s1600/P1060585.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493858643325389522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMzCdRpEQ-tO3U1KjfECvsUMrO92LAfyvd_2QthpgEoa9RdFDLIkow0hyphenhyphenhDnYbyROk0rJ7XlWgN3YVoiphlv45qiFeFdNwqn7zRBdi_u1mt25FMbQJh3uqq0iXftUpZMu6wkL9ki8R-I/s320/P1060585.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfxEW1GIx_61ye7NtaptUFMHwUskXQm1IovsiDpoTNREKBSokXS4IDGuWefNy66Rt9KhBVatmyGc8aQaU6gjOoOrw5TFjyo1ydDlCbuFUQmNzLtXfvBjPCCdkyzVg2N5Ln_EUY41c1f0/s1600/P1060496.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493855469361916466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfxEW1GIx_61ye7NtaptUFMHwUskXQm1IovsiDpoTNREKBSokXS4IDGuWefNy66Rt9KhBVatmyGc8aQaU6gjOoOrw5TFjyo1ydDlCbuFUQmNzLtXfvBjPCCdkyzVg2N5Ln_EUY41c1f0/s320/P1060496.JPG" /></a> Above is our first dinner in Kyiv with the Bridget and Kyle Lawlor from Georgia and Rita, Robert & Dustin Dunmire form Pittsburgh. Below Craig was missing his Philadelphia street vendors and stop for a coffee at Indpendence Square.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAWT9-LbhbVJVOsggu2vkVmL5DFXwY5UNUDLKTYLFZVrAq6d1vBesN4W95UgBJBfdT22ZPRJiNmOcXxiFV236Aiy6i47_To3VxUlbXX7hT5Fui4jz9WPNwquLdUCQOq9ziluOsFWRvaY/s1600/P1060578.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493855460876281250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAWT9-LbhbVJVOsggu2vkVmL5DFXwY5UNUDLKTYLFZVrAq6d1vBesN4W95UgBJBfdT22ZPRJiNmOcXxiFV236Aiy6i47_To3VxUlbXX7hT5Fui4jz9WPNwquLdUCQOq9ziluOsFWRvaY/s320/P1060578.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqN_7q6RqPTmnY5o8qQtGzEpKkFSKoaHDpbcn7Teg-7IpMHI5G-sBfvSuPLJ0DqKhtyz35uVM1MhZ9fNcp6Nh6ChKYArZ3g-X4wu_XpDfZdqdqla-HFG0IdkskYuGsek6WqBWQRu0Nj0/s1600/P1060582.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493855458955042322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqN_7q6RqPTmnY5o8qQtGzEpKkFSKoaHDpbcn7Teg-7IpMHI5G-sBfvSuPLJ0DqKhtyz35uVM1MhZ9fNcp6Nh6ChKYArZ3g-X4wu_XpDfZdqdqla-HFG0IdkskYuGsek6WqBWQRu0Nj0/s320/P1060582.JPG" /></a> This is the mother-in-law's tongue which was delicious fried eggplant, tomatoes and a mayonaise dressing. Very delicious.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZf7YcL17Y-Ah1nSSKwz12JwpjLwt5Iqri3w4VjSJqr9JHbM7Zs16ocKzqPa3fBOiVLRJXwzQcZ2Hm83dVG5Hhp_YQiailSEk1x2VYba3farj1B2C-Bq47fHmuEXK0YZjKNlVavCzktsQ/s1600/P1060586.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493855449684190114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZf7YcL17Y-Ah1nSSKwz12JwpjLwt5Iqri3w4VjSJqr9JHbM7Zs16ocKzqPa3fBOiVLRJXwzQcZ2Hm83dVG5Hhp_YQiailSEk1x2VYba3farj1B2C-Bq47fHmuEXK0YZjKNlVavCzktsQ/s320/P1060586.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-89617367421333332162010-07-13T03:54:00.000-07:002010-07-14T07:49:21.614-07:00Day #5 - Pyat (p'aht')Craig and I both arrived with our own visions of what the orphanage looked like and I must admit that I thought it must be pretty dismal. The only physical evidence we had was a picutre of the front of the school but that did not provide us with any clarity of what life here is really like. However, for the first seven days in Severodonetsk we experienced first hand the loving and warm environment Sergei has lived in for the past eight years. By walking the halls, meeting the teachers, and playing with the kids we were able to peel off the layers of a delapidated building, overgrown shrubs, and cracked black top and realize that this place is the best home many of these 200+ children have ever known.<br /><br />This is the front view of the internot, a boarding school for orphaned childred between the ages of 6 & 16. There is not a direct English translation. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaPesNewOVcVDCRBBRXpDOkqcr53zMOZo3cWKVw2JwVxZOXv-seEn1yojw3WpaIYcKS2HmXqRkcjiwOyuCbK2qP99Oq9eUXvcznYY7keO0GBqC-2t2zEsimNpRYuiK37m0jb8cWQ4M2w/s1600/IMG_0267.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493755254178078530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaPesNewOVcVDCRBBRXpDOkqcr53zMOZo3cWKVw2JwVxZOXv-seEn1yojw3WpaIYcKS2HmXqRkcjiwOyuCbK2qP99Oq9eUXvcznYY7keO0GBqC-2t2zEsimNpRYuiK37m0jb8cWQ4M2w/s320/IMG_0267.JPG" /></a>When we first arrived, we had no idea how to contact Sergei directly. Word at the school was that you only need to tell one kid and they would pass the information through the ranks to locate Sergei. However, he was still a no-show. He knew when we were coming because Cheryl & Rusty Trump shared our arrival information with him.. After about 45 minutes of waiting, we learned that he was swimming in the lake with a group of kids. We left for a while to do some paperwork with Sergey (translator). Finally, after a couple of hours, we returned and word spread that we were there. Sergei sprinted out to the front court yard and greeted us with the biggest hug you could ever imagine. It was a glorious reunion and I look forward to the day that he can share all that he had been thinking about for the past six months. <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0miSZJtYOZZasHGjTait0uFVUVsSGwqdicuOoeAVmQCMsb7g1a624UL414wvdcRBrlAQ6ZdDjNjGu_r3cDeRTrZgmAWWJIOYsRd2RCu_22dITDWj2dlo1k-O2DgFPsWQa2JozHCek_Z8/s1600/IMG_0472.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493755248738250578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0miSZJtYOZZasHGjTait0uFVUVsSGwqdicuOoeAVmQCMsb7g1a624UL414wvdcRBrlAQ6ZdDjNjGu_r3cDeRTrZgmAWWJIOYsRd2RCu_22dITDWj2dlo1k-O2DgFPsWQa2JozHCek_Z8/s320/IMG_0472.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi973QRF0j97DP5kMC9n2NaxgHDVT9C_6u5giaRnFSUpg2RLEjkB096yMqFicTg-teUuHk2pebDUH9Q1G_YBLTle7Z7zTcIlDZCEomTd7SYlmj_s_j-nDhIUcawgZeyVyIcsJFUaA8uN-w/s1600/IMG_0407.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493755238747684066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi973QRF0j97DP5kMC9n2NaxgHDVT9C_6u5giaRnFSUpg2RLEjkB096yMqFicTg-teUuHk2pebDUH9Q1G_YBLTle7Z7zTcIlDZCEomTd7SYlmj_s_j-nDhIUcawgZeyVyIcsJFUaA8uN-w/s320/IMG_0407.JPG" /></a> Olena has been the director of the internot for 19 years. She is pictured in her office with Cheryl and Rusty Trump who have become our wonderful and dear friends. Olena is a big advocate of the New Horizons hosting program and she admits that she is happy when her children are adopted into American families. She is a strong and busy woman but her love of these children shines through loud and clear. Below is a shot of the lobby with a picture of the Ukrainian president. The entire first floor is finished with these white textural tiles.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__ek4WdaIM248AurSofMiy7psgr0MmAipfuVibqUAtd5UfElg0Twoe0O2dIAs_2RjkXgR4C1YvtRNj6Xzn6IxJYYhauWFECb0mxcaLbLNuBim8LNgB6x4GVM4589vnE_BKOIP4gljYa0/s1600/P1060834.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493755230057511698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__ek4WdaIM248AurSofMiy7psgr0MmAipfuVibqUAtd5UfElg0Twoe0O2dIAs_2RjkXgR4C1YvtRNj6Xzn6IxJYYhauWFECb0mxcaLbLNuBim8LNgB6x4GVM4589vnE_BKOIP4gljYa0/s320/P1060834.JPG" /></a> I included the picture below because there is something very interesting to me about the location of the school relative to the community. One might think that the orphanage might sit on the outskirts of town or on a dark corner but that is not the case with this particular school. It actually resides at the end of a major road that is open only to foot traffic. Directly in front of the school, there are high rise appartments tate extend for several blocks and end at a piazza where there is a beautiful performing arts building and a very popular restuarant. What I have found to be interesting is that the school is not separated from the community. In fact, local residents cut through the gates of the school as a shortcut to the apartments behind the building or to use the playground equipment. There is also a convenience store behind the school and infront of our hotel where this community shops on a daily basis. So while one might think that orphans are segregated from everyday life, that is not really the case here. There appears to be little differentiation and one blended community.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUDTylz_oaXQPkR-Hx4sx6yCYNIbDAHXFjX5VahWn6Vt_iZXTA7-NB0Rrja0MTO2LoJP2hVa526Cj59cO5aTwAO6mExun1O3iE-h7XmN-6iOAuS6Sklc2IyKuYYnSsvxv61hyphenhyphendoqZYMc/s1600/IMG_0437.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493755221184256546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUDTylz_oaXQPkR-Hx4sx6yCYNIbDAHXFjX5VahWn6Vt_iZXTA7-NB0Rrja0MTO2LoJP2hVa526Cj59cO5aTwAO6mExun1O3iE-h7XmN-6iOAuS6Sklc2IyKuYYnSsvxv61hyphenhyphendoqZYMc/s320/IMG_0437.JPG" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbsanB60V6onx9Nd18RZ3vprmOTnH5y92vkdkHIzrB7gR1SBDD7EnX1mSmijI-vl41jTyO2NFSZZUeY1jq-DVt7ABpvPfauVI-iERaUXbXILFHXLStXxhyphenhyphenPuf8zUeKDfWUgPrsg2tH8CA/s1600/IMG_0720.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493752693790608610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbsanB60V6onx9Nd18RZ3vprmOTnH5y92vkdkHIzrB7gR1SBDD7EnX1mSmijI-vl41jTyO2NFSZZUeY1jq-DVt7ABpvPfauVI-iERaUXbXILFHXLStXxhyphenhyphenPuf8zUeKDfWUgPrsg2tH8CA/s320/IMG_0720.JPG" /></a> Our first week in Severodnetsk, we spent the entire day at the school. We would hang out either in the back of the building where there was a shaded area with benches, the front of the school where kids were playing with the animals or just relaxing, or we would be a little more active around the corner at the fields. We got to know the entire area pretty well.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvq6EyqCly36WkT4OeXCpbbVsdyEn0plXBu3fc7amr7C_MVlURs7LuW_OIrBj_FxBbT2MpxRNGNCqcEI03aNNfM7tIh8bTwjL__BZD1Vvt_2fbe5hEPySzCwJijkR4wEMAhIu4MV9EiYE/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493752680567557090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvq6EyqCly36WkT4OeXCpbbVsdyEn0plXBu3fc7amr7C_MVlURs7LuW_OIrBj_FxBbT2MpxRNGNCqcEI03aNNfM7tIh8bTwjL__BZD1Vvt_2fbe5hEPySzCwJijkR4wEMAhIu4MV9EiYE/s320/IMG_0304.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheeMCbLP4VA7OddwZWrxYooxKl7V-ni5pxy174bAYjX___heWcn6a-rFX3wpzHbsaPc6m0FaogPTHOfBPdYum78LXX2dZQRKIUwrTj4ro8oYK8KXaQS0a7KoJTBnk9HJHyslS0cWY60c/s1600/IMG_0449.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493752673114705746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheeMCbLP4VA7OddwZWrxYooxKl7V-ni5pxy174bAYjX___heWcn6a-rFX3wpzHbsaPc6m0FaogPTHOfBPdYum78LXX2dZQRKIUwrTj4ro8oYK8KXaQS0a7KoJTBnk9HJHyslS0cWY60c/s320/IMG_0449.JPG" /></a>There are plenty of pets and they do get a lot of attention. Above is Zicco (who did take a bite out of Craig's thigh early in out trip). All is OK....no worries. His bark was definitely worse than his bite.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3j0eJkqgVLUVoQ4DO2SiG4t7mZeHUd8_A3Zx8np-xBpWmqxOfX3B3t5SaMr54HsKDurdZ3c5apCE2T46GmLtn1mViXjbbljx88BTl5Xne7yIM4sVYWp7QQMdj6tBrFCbxHVFeu18aCBs/s1600/IMG_0411.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493752662072673714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3j0eJkqgVLUVoQ4DO2SiG4t7mZeHUd8_A3Zx8np-xBpWmqxOfX3B3t5SaMr54HsKDurdZ3c5apCE2T46GmLtn1mViXjbbljx88BTl5Xne7yIM4sVYWp7QQMdj6tBrFCbxHVFeu18aCBs/s320/IMG_0411.JPG" /></a> Of course we were very curious to see Sergei's room. The first day he would not allow us to see it. My thoughts were that it was probably messy but then I had to think back about how neat and orderly he was in our home. Finally, Larisa his teacher for the past eight years insisted and took us into his room. It was not a mess and all beds were made. How can there be a mess when all you have is a bed, linens and a small cubby for your personal effects. Sergei was happy to show us his accumlated "poshta" from home, some neddle point he had started and a small wood craft project. <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKs8P-V334rGp_jprmJQs_pGqgJHSi5Um6UeMclWoK_mh788RKItur_snwD_sEXmt1afXnUX-QwgHwfvEhWjKBcGM-5x9kmp1FKRKw97sWqtmCeed8zKrs2IhjTccsDdMENN1kzA2qnA/s1600/P1060784.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493751648420959970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKs8P-V334rGp_jprmJQs_pGqgJHSi5Um6UeMclWoK_mh788RKItur_snwD_sEXmt1afXnUX-QwgHwfvEhWjKBcGM-5x9kmp1FKRKw97sWqtmCeed8zKrs2IhjTccsDdMENN1kzA2qnA/s320/P1060784.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3PIA7gLlIR_H67xL0sVGiXHEcFXljhT5JXGa1EWhMZSf-ddlSvkO6ri1P8nOZiArhXsZ_Q4FtqTXXT17f3KFxateNqr2rmffr13QtKHzIuNpGfRA8zD-7zE9th8z4kTNWIw-w86VHQs/s1600/P1060775.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493748594551551378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3PIA7gLlIR_H67xL0sVGiXHEcFXljhT5JXGa1EWhMZSf-ddlSvkO6ri1P8nOZiArhXsZ_Q4FtqTXXT17f3KFxateNqr2rmffr13QtKHzIuNpGfRA8zD-7zE9th8z4kTNWIw-w86VHQs/s320/P1060775.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYlMK-5zE9Sl5zbDcj-e5pkkNwMgRwa5To3Gz_7Hjq5-ll-XlN2YC0gtIh2zUBesmliCgLPJ7PQR_R1ifrwhkHQBLohYrce1BjKBaXEmvNSC3vprO3A8d3hiBmC513yufLm2Abd_QP28/s1600/P1060801.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493748587578462498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYlMK-5zE9Sl5zbDcj-e5pkkNwMgRwa5To3Gz_7Hjq5-ll-XlN2YC0gtIh2zUBesmliCgLPJ7PQR_R1ifrwhkHQBLohYrce1BjKBaXEmvNSC3vprO3A8d3hiBmC513yufLm2Abd_QP28/s320/P1060801.JPG" /></a><br />Sergei is standing next to a wardrobe closet that is in a room down the hall. All five guys in his room share the same closet.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGdUz7tOIc6e38zthtLaAWjW3JIVGTG8OJkxVcpghKIGtWmQSLRnGbp3yiN_iExsXVa0yi2tgcrBPP8E9FaSbn21yiXE-mBK7O_2pavbV6nhMUwlyN1XiUTrQZIOhHsMGi4QAWgIlRQQ/s1600/P1060799.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493748583972924866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGdUz7tOIc6e38zthtLaAWjW3JIVGTG8OJkxVcpghKIGtWmQSLRnGbp3yiN_iExsXVa0yi2tgcrBPP8E9FaSbn21yiXE-mBK7O_2pavbV6nhMUwlyN1XiUTrQZIOhHsMGi4QAWgIlRQQ/s320/P1060799.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK2VN_VsG4h56apoBiYZto2XdQVs0q7z6EuVFrviOOZ4s6QwTSZYAx-146BDWUdrEQkhoJDBPZh3J41WvlEouI47eCyOn66F-lWwigRSsAOMBGq2cNy9CKA9mRWRDmVAU5gh0E_e9cRk/s1600/P1060804.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493748573868305554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK2VN_VsG4h56apoBiYZto2XdQVs0q7z6EuVFrviOOZ4s6QwTSZYAx-146BDWUdrEQkhoJDBPZh3J41WvlEouI47eCyOn66F-lWwigRSsAOMBGq2cNy9CKA9mRWRDmVAU5gh0E_e9cRk/s320/P1060804.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />This wash station is for their feet. We never saw where they showered but I think there are shower stalls somewhere.<br />Below are the lavatories.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDms-46mFLqA7MMylTNurGuTuD-Qa84_nQyyfuU8errbuDCfx6IPkDhZkE8O7genKMdbnD5n5k7a7WnMHeC8TNdnat4AeuBz7ZesdxJw5vI1KXt3JvPoH_Ue1hI10Q3R1e0oxnbOkVqNE/s1600/IMG_0427.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493748563874349042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDms-46mFLqA7MMylTNurGuTuD-Qa84_nQyyfuU8errbuDCfx6IPkDhZkE8O7genKMdbnD5n5k7a7WnMHeC8TNdnat4AeuBz7ZesdxJw5vI1KXt3JvPoH_Ue1hI10Q3R1e0oxnbOkVqNE/s320/IMG_0427.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Pretty much everything during the school year happens on one floor . (sorry I had a picture but just deleted by accident.) Their bedrooms are here, dressing rooms, bathrooms and also classrooms. Some of the pictures below show the classrooms which are not set up for the summer and are being used as lounges.<br /><br /><br />We spent a lot of our time in the cafeteria. With the extreme heat, it was a cooler place to congregate and play cards or bingo. Below is a peek into the kitchen and some of our new friends having lunch.....family style!!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNkNEx_mZcNmhAw2_1zq1K2iQmeQog7NRMe_lp3GgJlgEGgn0v-Oqfyh5kAG1SIfnDKUrsrncpyJiC2CGbU0W-kvsLJ-Knk25qSlTuB2dLuPPUvMWvuQ892Mz5lujfDMLUgZrN1xj1kc/s1600/P1060824.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493746966651997746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNkNEx_mZcNmhAw2_1zq1K2iQmeQog7NRMe_lp3GgJlgEGgn0v-Oqfyh5kAG1SIfnDKUrsrncpyJiC2CGbU0W-kvsLJ-Knk25qSlTuB2dLuPPUvMWvuQ892Mz5lujfDMLUgZrN1xj1kc/s320/P1060824.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ3mGw4enfcr0anrhFrw6KqdbuEPQHfkx77abKc-VkJTz9QIsqWH_cFoDB2bhVKanb_9QHBdQ7YREtGTtIlma635XPmbtb1BcS1uIylpZRLNS8RzIe2J7epRv8_Y5oQiuKGreCG_pY9E/s1600/P1070101.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493746964530735426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ3mGw4enfcr0anrhFrw6KqdbuEPQHfkx77abKc-VkJTz9QIsqWH_cFoDB2bhVKanb_9QHBdQ7YREtGTtIlma635XPmbtb1BcS1uIylpZRLNS8RzIe2J7epRv8_Y5oQiuKGreCG_pY9E/s320/P1070101.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHm8fETvn4VFiG-l8aktFbzMZGTNwLysUmYQWmLgsBBX_Ap3evsnhrMmRJIuI7AqRZNtMQVz3lSW30tLkMk0bO3fzOUqp8blmBXQaeOGyWYP0NPJxmsGIiCcSt5R7bAfFMoclcqCI2XQ/s1600/P1070102.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493746954371019330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHm8fETvn4VFiG-l8aktFbzMZGTNwLysUmYQWmLgsBBX_Ap3evsnhrMmRJIuI7AqRZNtMQVz3lSW30tLkMk0bO3fzOUqp8blmBXQaeOGyWYP0NPJxmsGIiCcSt5R7bAfFMoclcqCI2XQ/s320/P1070102.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_Yu6Ru33h09aKCS1XsoI-3hK7EMCNGd0EL0e1V0O25oYl7VIZBSzegMdf8jrdCR8FcAzMWr8jPMZ1xGxtKesxlhhPP6HmSSeKFGj24e8fJuC02BKzti0zm528HB-8dtR97pPHYbIQnU/s1600/P1070096.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493746949052335890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_Yu6Ru33h09aKCS1XsoI-3hK7EMCNGd0EL0e1V0O25oYl7VIZBSzegMdf8jrdCR8FcAzMWr8jPMZ1xGxtKesxlhhPP6HmSSeKFGj24e8fJuC02BKzti0zm528HB-8dtR97pPHYbIQnU/s320/P1070096.JPG" /></a>Our first couple of days of getting reunited our family along with the Trumps spent hours outback just talking and picking up where we left off. As we talked, we knotted friendship bracelts, did some beading or even took naps. Friends of Tatiana & Sergei would come out back to check in with us. It was a really nice and quiet way to interact with some of their friends and get to meet the kids. Everyone was up for some craft project or another.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaX9VHLkIkDbvOyERPR1DGdbfon57MHizHELlGtgOS0k6tJTCSs0mBUSbj_Ty8GSWf4T7cakYOmXe8L3H0P0zv5A9XlPop7malpTNazXcZyk6MU6nMALSeLfIfkMsxRBer3O8u2z40XDg/s1600/IMG_0641.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493745203785143106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaX9VHLkIkDbvOyERPR1DGdbfon57MHizHELlGtgOS0k6tJTCSs0mBUSbj_Ty8GSWf4T7cakYOmXe8L3H0P0zv5A9XlPop7malpTNazXcZyk6MU6nMALSeLfIfkMsxRBer3O8u2z40XDg/s320/IMG_0641.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubltHqhFvEgfv_UKYogoDkR6yWGGw94IUhkw4Owo1GWniqkLC3q1V8sIc0Ze6ucGa_r0PDTiqOldgCdYr6Tqs6QfHJ3QDgjT_5Tn_XrNq-vnROGlsnZn8fG7Pkm7CwdfBNXnQf1-Lmmc/s1600/IMG_0596.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493745198093916482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubltHqhFvEgfv_UKYogoDkR6yWGGw94IUhkw4Owo1GWniqkLC3q1V8sIc0Ze6ucGa_r0PDTiqOldgCdYr6Tqs6QfHJ3QDgjT_5Tn_XrNq-vnROGlsnZn8fG7Pkm7CwdfBNXnQf1-Lmmc/s320/IMG_0596.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBMnHTdrDzabTcvOM8_-Q-h2k0ZCeDUxy3x9XNS7X-BGTThQMrGlpaueV3Odtls5pK9nbeiYKfe7-9zkXK7cUL14ILuAHY_WUQJ-YTxBfrNAFmwggZWeZuPZ7hyphenhyphen3GbJ0irGIhmZy8KFM/s1600/IMG_0600.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493745190302838722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBMnHTdrDzabTcvOM8_-Q-h2k0ZCeDUxy3x9XNS7X-BGTThQMrGlpaueV3Odtls5pK9nbeiYKfe7-9zkXK7cUL14ILuAHY_WUQJ-YTxBfrNAFmwggZWeZuPZ7hyphenhyphen3GbJ0irGIhmZy8KFM/s320/IMG_0600.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWMewvnxQ336Mez6EAVCH-Q9ms9vX2nvROrBY7Hv6NUyP9tODX1FudC0-__rhLCLvycXV78wILAoIZcil6LU11sGn2brpxCmO4456VfgLHP4aWDMab5vQA-REUoomnCyv7AnTcV0hruI/s1600/IMG_0594.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493745186504150882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWMewvnxQ336Mez6EAVCH-Q9ms9vX2nvROrBY7Hv6NUyP9tODX1FudC0-__rhLCLvycXV78wILAoIZcil6LU11sGn2brpxCmO4456VfgLHP4aWDMab5vQA-REUoomnCyv7AnTcV0hruI/s320/IMG_0594.JPG" /></a> I was adorned with gifts of homemade jewelry on my birthday. Tatiana made beautiful earrings and a beaded necklace for me. Nastya, her dear friend knotted a friendship bracelet AND gave me a pretty needle point. Sergei presented me with the double heart necklace that I am wearing.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfih25lFMj0pQKBE6bWMxizT1owoXfbR2ESHIorsar2It5p2Uf9k1utWnzHDpk2d0RoGpgt9OrVkqFHK1r0e_lmXyLu_1YpHx95ZeVOgigl0w3AGGsyexFlUJqNAspoDvUikO0eJvatlI/s1600/IMG_0793.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493742597905701234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfih25lFMj0pQKBE6bWMxizT1owoXfbR2ESHIorsar2It5p2Uf9k1utWnzHDpk2d0RoGpgt9OrVkqFHK1r0e_lmXyLu_1YpHx95ZeVOgigl0w3AGGsyexFlUJqNAspoDvUikO0eJvatlI/s320/IMG_0793.JPG" /></a>Above, we were celebrating Larisa's birthday in the teacher's lounge at the end of the hall where the bedrooms and classrooms are. It was a wonderful celebration with many of the teachers. I also think it was a special gathering for Sergei and Tatiana so that teachers could say goodbye. The kids pulled out their photo albums from Americcan and were showing the teachers their new homes and family members. It was a wonderful surprise and tons of fun. Afterwards, we moved down the hall to a lounge and experienced Russian karioke and some Ukrainian dancing.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3VVaR_XdZ7uyRTIiOTFtB-cN8pp4oMhnADOBhxNyx5WkKJnavSAg8-hMRtoITDIIrtOV2qfkKY5lzXfO2vbOsmQCprFmMSRNR_HcduuIU1CvT7MUUHdd4IFnihWvxcrKtZnUF6nX8x8/s1600/IMG_0814.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493742582723497842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3VVaR_XdZ7uyRTIiOTFtB-cN8pp4oMhnADOBhxNyx5WkKJnavSAg8-hMRtoITDIIrtOV2qfkKY5lzXfO2vbOsmQCprFmMSRNR_HcduuIU1CvT7MUUHdd4IFnihWvxcrKtZnUF6nX8x8/s320/IMG_0814.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHFcKSOGEtKnfTVfbDY4m9uXwl3DYN4ZtA0ErfZN3e5BnMAtJdhVR6gZOx6dJbfQN8B_RsfVZKG1UOSQnhnj40xQJvilOS0gXEscEMoR2bSEIbNIRlSASOIANXsSJ3Us_CvHd073_2WU/s1600/IMG_0848.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493742563681593138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHFcKSOGEtKnfTVfbDY4m9uXwl3DYN4ZtA0ErfZN3e5BnMAtJdhVR6gZOx6dJbfQN8B_RsfVZKG1UOSQnhnj40xQJvilOS0gXEscEMoR2bSEIbNIRlSASOIANXsSJ3Us_CvHd073_2WU/s320/IMG_0848.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqTK8dkdyxbhlKnp3YBbD2Kz8PUvAKW8t6rF_5zPqgUbf_K6vjy3czjhosWdubDMOqvkb-qroKPvuRcHqzxAC7eUG7ikdCSpqBmi1iVRhxV-VCMxSWZfvnhyaDFD2GNxoAa4XyQq_cNw/s1600/IMG_0851.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493742550834543090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqTK8dkdyxbhlKnp3YBbD2Kz8PUvAKW8t6rF_5zPqgUbf_K6vjy3czjhosWdubDMOqvkb-qroKPvuRcHqzxAC7eUG7ikdCSpqBmi1iVRhxV-VCMxSWZfvnhyaDFD2GNxoAa4XyQq_cNw/s320/IMG_0851.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2wD3rdlIudTuSfcHNbOB8Z_4LGFnYXkDnCg_YOsyOxPUhZqmkKp8khdoXL1xOoPMH9U_ElSN6fGijmMg0wHsOLPjForelRO3AOJRrg53GcCHsuh1605kZYEwDe2APEsSNvNaLUW1rUQ/s1600/IMG_0836.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493742533225085010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2wD3rdlIudTuSfcHNbOB8Z_4LGFnYXkDnCg_YOsyOxPUhZqmkKp8khdoXL1xOoPMH9U_ElSN6fGijmMg0wHsOLPjForelRO3AOJRrg53GcCHsuh1605kZYEwDe2APEsSNvNaLUW1rUQ/s320/IMG_0836.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-78305437925322741322010-07-12T03:59:00.000-07:002010-07-12T15:00:45.564-07:00Day #4 - Chyetyrye (chee-tih-r'eh)<strong>Chyetyrye </strong>is my favorite number because it sounds so unique. Go ahead. . . . say it out loud! It is three syllables long and does not sound anything at all like the number four. It also happens to be one of words I can say without being corrected by a room full of kids.<br /><br /><br />Today was a great day for the Trump family. They picked up their court decree and Tatiana is finally 100% in their custody. (Sergei is 40%) As a result of their timing and processing, we visited camp twice. The first was to retrieve Tatiana. The second visit was so that Tatiana could participate in her final performance and say good bye to all of her friends.<br /><br /><br />Just about every evening, there has been a performance of some type. Sometimes it would take place in the auditorium and other times it would happen outside. Craig and I never quite perfected our timing. We would catch the beginning of programs but then have to leave for our taxi. I finally got it right the other night and caught an adorable program which was a tribute to King Neptune.<br /><br /><br />Each program has had a different theme and I think the force and energy behind them is the camp counselor pictured on the right. She definitely pours her heart and soul into all events. The kids love it, have absolutely no stage fright and definitely strut their stuff.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPAxjcKeh8TvmTzMogdwMR2ehrMuNODu0jnwMFIK0ba5O_pCY6XUpKQa1mZ4x1IZc2rpZA8oav9b-pPCfaVMCAoDabrSCX9A7jD1dU_aE3KEkVmyFKSbabPuFlcfV9Rp-ZwYlSwEiB_A/s1600/P1070462.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493129934000436370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPAxjcKeh8TvmTzMogdwMR2ehrMuNODu0jnwMFIK0ba5O_pCY6XUpKQa1mZ4x1IZc2rpZA8oav9b-pPCfaVMCAoDabrSCX9A7jD1dU_aE3KEkVmyFKSbabPuFlcfV9Rp-ZwYlSwEiB_A/s320/P1070462.JPG" /></a> This evening's program was a wrap up of the current camp session and a chance to recognize high achieving campers with certificates of merit. In between the announcements, various groups performed. As usual, the costumes were colorful and involved the waving of a scarf. Below the 11 year olds, performed a tribute to Goldilocks (who was played by Maxim in the next picture).<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6L10MMO_B8eDqc2kOj-SxDVQO6yKAnWCwBTAnnNXPnPY6pBHFD3QQbgwUKuWRC34V9eTHX8wmzy6p32HfBeGFovuaZjcBVkN141hsywEogM2_GHBn1E7HxOgGksn7VIm7tH5vI9ldZ0A/s1600/P1080369.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493129928789852178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6L10MMO_B8eDqc2kOj-SxDVQO6yKAnWCwBTAnnNXPnPY6pBHFD3QQbgwUKuWRC34V9eTHX8wmzy6p32HfBeGFovuaZjcBVkN141hsywEogM2_GHBn1E7HxOgGksn7VIm7tH5vI9ldZ0A/s320/P1080369.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XA0LX204mJ2nl71wRkYSjNJclneikWoIVv6UEX1rv6e8mSI0jxi32lWzDI8Syg3b-Enpiz_eNcfWxkxQBIn8C3w17-xCpUgZvq3rFY_HRabgA32RAoocdgzofozaAO4g6-Oi-fMWkgo/s1600/P1080363.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493129466358647154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XA0LX204mJ2nl71wRkYSjNJclneikWoIVv6UEX1rv6e8mSI0jxi32lWzDI8Syg3b-Enpiz_eNcfWxkxQBIn8C3w17-xCpUgZvq3rFY_HRabgA32RAoocdgzofozaAO4g6-Oi-fMWkgo/s320/P1080363.JPG" /></a> This counselor has lots of personality and speaks a little bit of English.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWR9QdvxMlutfyiGmol2P-S8Oy3CusJcKtO4Xx3XTq4SiCIuXN3qsal55xrYS8vp9IcN-WeufY-92PBaqw0-ID2eUps89QA_DhTur_twOFDfKpAZA4TxKplSbeNq3h2yotR-PN1XQNYA/s1600/P1080360.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493129464159364098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWR9QdvxMlutfyiGmol2P-S8Oy3CusJcKtO4Xx3XTq4SiCIuXN3qsal55xrYS8vp9IcN-WeufY-92PBaqw0-ID2eUps89QA_DhTur_twOFDfKpAZA4TxKplSbeNq3h2yotR-PN1XQNYA/s320/P1080360.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99bUCq_zalJ2Koca7AXlHEiKUwzmtHi-4SLcB5KlLIrTMm_AC7oG09HpKE-UHUksEhj3XmCyUTaPqCfDZNxftueqcG7nh9qiq0OsWhR_CYkZLfQrInCCPkv45_sdRymYxmA732dPTyGQ/s1600/P1080289.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493129451065077602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99bUCq_zalJ2Koca7AXlHEiKUwzmtHi-4SLcB5KlLIrTMm_AC7oG09HpKE-UHUksEhj3XmCyUTaPqCfDZNxftueqcG7nh9qiq0OsWhR_CYkZLfQrInCCPkv45_sdRymYxmA732dPTyGQ/s320/P1080289.JPG" /></a> The younger kids were getting ready with their pink scarves.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6uj7OVfCMqGPvzSsctdk3IGdNc8USPwhAvNZLjt9GunhETujPvWzMNzdifyRMwA85gf-VA0CFJQBMVGae5a5kjAJOQpJ9HbI9WDSqZKMhkPRoqJIKNWbN5LsPBpKe3ffJVGULQs0hck/s1600/P1080273.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493129440921080722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6uj7OVfCMqGPvzSsctdk3IGdNc8USPwhAvNZLjt9GunhETujPvWzMNzdifyRMwA85gf-VA0CFJQBMVGae5a5kjAJOQpJ9HbI9WDSqZKMhkPRoqJIKNWbN5LsPBpKe3ffJVGULQs0hck/s320/P1080273.JPG" /></a> Tonya, a teacher from the orphanage was getting the older boys ready for their performance. Sergei had mentioned he was performing but I didn't know what he was doing. Six guys performed and mime act. Very cute.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXUBVzfn_VDiPVMOZfS3qTezR3DJ3vLEpmoqqvIiSW2sKjXNcIjwCcyPbLCVHJYYSXfHPQTChNc_pQW1XYylYLFjGajgQ6ZKgQ-Qjr2qnwT6KWPlAIC1cNtm4v6DDU5NrxWREuE_yFzM/s1600/P1080310.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493129430909788018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXUBVzfn_VDiPVMOZfS3qTezR3DJ3vLEpmoqqvIiSW2sKjXNcIjwCcyPbLCVHJYYSXfHPQTChNc_pQW1XYylYLFjGajgQ6ZKgQ-Qjr2qnwT6KWPlAIC1cNtm4v6DDU5NrxWREuE_yFzM/s320/P1080310.JPG" /></a> Sergei and Artur.<br /><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11vH0JHPxTwKnxmvplpT4tUrkaoUx5HpxWAjY__dcw1AU7LjScLdsLQvda0Xstex02OBu-J9Vk-Ztg5II9GYojgQhPusb-570bAzhe6vzsIrjiVl8xAxWcji9nXsF9FxivOcZYTASCDU/s1600/P1080301.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493127550228204722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11vH0JHPxTwKnxmvplpT4tUrkaoUx5HpxWAjY__dcw1AU7LjScLdsLQvda0Xstex02OBu-J9Vk-Ztg5II9GYojgQhPusb-570bAzhe6vzsIrjiVl8xAxWcji9nXsF9FxivOcZYTASCDU/s320/P1080301.JPG" /></a> Boys in the audience.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZmxWNGgINRW113_IWFK-bymPaOtkFyTGjwP4c7YUTipM0BbdJfRW7OIq7yyrP2NTf_hpNGG0H35GRHC1mi136o0b6yGaUZl9i7OpZ5ja5R6COncrN52mb5HYvzy3lbyGqEHkJJ5dEyc/s1600/P1080309.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493127545858498242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZmxWNGgINRW113_IWFK-bymPaOtkFyTGjwP4c7YUTipM0BbdJfRW7OIq7yyrP2NTf_hpNGG0H35GRHC1mi136o0b6yGaUZl9i7OpZ5ja5R6COncrN52mb5HYvzy3lbyGqEHkJJ5dEyc/s320/P1080309.JPG" /></a> All of the counselors were introduced and called up to the stage one by one. It was an opportunity for them to thank the campers for a great two weeks of spirit.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4LRQp7hqaypiQTYKzNrEgKpudAw4zLGAGOIx7peDqN29iexETRe5yaRdMYCj0gEMf5RTuEp1TgyqyF-IXxdXeZpYchn9jKB9MIe3Xr0lnq75RXZtxg-iLmY6rg5iLCyr9Ev47yAsYzM/s1600/P1080372.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493126328437078466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4LRQp7hqaypiQTYKzNrEgKpudAw4zLGAGOIx7peDqN29iexETRe5yaRdMYCj0gEMf5RTuEp1TgyqyF-IXxdXeZpYchn9jKB9MIe3Xr0lnq75RXZtxg-iLmY6rg5iLCyr9Ev47yAsYzM/s320/P1080372.JPG" /></a>Tatiana (above) and Sergei (below) received a special gift. This counselor was sharing with the crowd that their group represented many continents. She highlighted that two of their campers would be leaving for America soon and the counselors wanted to send them with a CD of memories of Camp Alliance. It was a touching surprise.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARHJeZKZcLm-JFAJEoeCIYoYsS8ZQ3zI7oOuvID1UfigwW35RMz_7sPrO9fKnOaVfPFm8IVYXzUOXUugBjOsAHm0x7YrpUTEzeIq2pP__bagFjI8QUk7Co_uY6e76R2QQK305y2fphF0/s1600/P1080373.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493126311436042162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARHJeZKZcLm-JFAJEoeCIYoYsS8ZQ3zI7oOuvID1UfigwW35RMz_7sPrO9fKnOaVfPFm8IVYXzUOXUugBjOsAHm0x7YrpUTEzeIq2pP__bagFjI8QUk7Co_uY6e76R2QQK305y2fphF0/s320/P1080373.JPG" /></a> Below was the kick off act for an evening called "Celebrating the Forest". The costumes, music an dances were so creative and colorful. Below is the performing arts counselor.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4gJg0QNK_Q0ELqivlKuuNNw21xdbzdU8v2OBZU9BJD5_vS5EnA-88_t1YgsM9qwvzwqyInjBVqZuftnmGYEDsO8WT0tsylPvQ3IGNK9nlpkUuFrvqN6lrGkXnLaHIcphadHVq8AnowI/s1600/P1070629.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493126307316503602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4gJg0QNK_Q0ELqivlKuuNNw21xdbzdU8v2OBZU9BJD5_vS5EnA-88_t1YgsM9qwvzwqyInjBVqZuftnmGYEDsO8WT0tsylPvQ3IGNK9nlpkUuFrvqN6lrGkXnLaHIcphadHVq8AnowI/s320/P1070629.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlm4Za80r_-sI0aPnPyfuQXiOKf3oyN6D7I5r58jRKZdEicdk0wFspFV5LzApOXxGknJ_o_X3sYMWa8D4zi7xUsDwSlV3eN9ke1oE785KK9TNKfFqAtn_emI95XpiHc_8b0yleQGnEXE/s1600/P1070633.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493126298408033330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlm4Za80r_-sI0aPnPyfuQXiOKf3oyN6D7I5r58jRKZdEicdk0wFspFV5LzApOXxGknJ_o_X3sYMWa8D4zi7xUsDwSlV3eN9ke1oE785KK9TNKfFqAtn_emI95XpiHc_8b0yleQGnEXE/s320/P1070633.JPG" /></a>In this parade, every costume had some element of nature.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQroxCdFHVwkD3jjCUD9XgE2LrmkFFgWwkRPAa0JVc1iCfYymAKw3krAkLIv_st8tj89gkilf1pSPJAkw1lXHJ48A2PQceMnanzKrR6s0naC6jci8Js7sO0Ewhvm6SdLzuhi57czGjm8/s1600/P1070634.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493126290562499618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQroxCdFHVwkD3jjCUD9XgE2LrmkFFgWwkRPAa0JVc1iCfYymAKw3krAkLIv_st8tj89gkilf1pSPJAkw1lXHJ48A2PQceMnanzKrR6s0naC6jci8Js7sO0Ewhvm6SdLzuhi57czGjm8/s320/P1070634.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjHkUNLrHFRtTNDh-Ni2D-9m4XQjNmycOJ6F8LTSKVkdlyCUsQy3VBkeNfVnUp4Oh6DxoO_HqPrshBCclcXCATR-rTVOJf7Jfi515FmNFF0CJ-dP8V7xH0vc9YZtIT92Olz5MXYYxV48/s1600/P1070638.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493125184467512466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjHkUNLrHFRtTNDh-Ni2D-9m4XQjNmycOJ6F8LTSKVkdlyCUsQy3VBkeNfVnUp4Oh6DxoO_HqPrshBCclcXCATR-rTVOJf7Jfi515FmNFF0CJ-dP8V7xH0vc9YZtIT92Olz5MXYYxV48/s320/P1070638.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrSqO0GYNLdqHjCJYwDd5R4sQ9z0_Cg6JEg5wMsALN84HNHGytlIaYbXW9aXwIY0cC-K9bN2NwubRQGmv8XEp5dbIre4eWjjZSoqmFKzfLNVyLTMZkD3wlXRjA0Lzb9ezdm82lXtmhhc/s1600/P1070648.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493125176873802530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrSqO0GYNLdqHjCJYwDd5R4sQ9z0_Cg6JEg5wMsALN84HNHGytlIaYbXW9aXwIY0cC-K9bN2NwubRQGmv8XEp5dbIre4eWjjZSoqmFKzfLNVyLTMZkD3wlXRjA0Lzb9ezdm82lXtmhhc/s320/P1070648.JPG" /></a> I think the girls in yellow represented the sun.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWnnQaRIUDrPYYfcqtRZH-wDIV1n8rq5hIAHXyNaenn7ZHUUXl7jgPycip9C5FkZ1WOz9HcNwmkGnS2PoaDbQ2Cn6hwyzoYs3p21FZ2EBYn0JZ1fwvaww1xsuyYDkgc0_U16JtlY8asg/s1600/P1070643.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493125171617384386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWnnQaRIUDrPYYfcqtRZH-wDIV1n8rq5hIAHXyNaenn7ZHUUXl7jgPycip9C5FkZ1WOz9HcNwmkGnS2PoaDbQ2Cn6hwyzoYs3p21FZ2EBYn0JZ1fwvaww1xsuyYDkgc0_U16JtlY8asg/s320/P1070643.JPG" /></a> <div>The young ladies below represented fire. They had a dramatic and flowy entrance and then after a brief dance, they lit a small camp fire. At the conclusion of their dance, a fire truck came to extinguish the fire and then openned the hoses on the crowd. It was a refreshing end to an adorable program. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UuffNiGPRM9eM3z5oHYcStug411t7bOPBYKd1yHrerxQQbYqxmXtoYqzHdu6ox8IFZSSxux-a__jCJfENicqjmacFVPUMqBzFUaaTWQH6_JyRl32xUQ-UXI14rUoy_DCMhz_-2fiV20/s1600/P1070651.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493125163754421506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UuffNiGPRM9eM3z5oHYcStug411t7bOPBYKd1yHrerxQQbYqxmXtoYqzHdu6ox8IFZSSxux-a__jCJfENicqjmacFVPUMqBzFUaaTWQH6_JyRl32xUQ-UXI14rUoy_DCMhz_-2fiV20/s320/P1070651.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTmBQvhLzbBoAC1qDze_V2KpZRIXk0QkWQHWzgLimfZO7TiueEC_8iCTtQS983DNAUVt0wMnfg64U86qkqv8YJD7fqHSVDTgz686oY4BX9E8otjX_WW0yUrqapc8F_MuSoXQyYpD_yvE/s1600/P1070659.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493124463312780194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTmBQvhLzbBoAC1qDze_V2KpZRIXk0QkWQHWzgLimfZO7TiueEC_8iCTtQS983DNAUVt0wMnfg64U86qkqv8YJD7fqHSVDTgz686oY4BX9E8otjX_WW0yUrqapc8F_MuSoXQyYpD_yvE/s320/P1070659.JPG" /></a> The pictures below were from an evening program that was all about "romance" or "love". It was a total scream. There was love, heart break, ball room dancing and of course...the dreaded pirates stealing the maidens.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvY-2TNtXu9x9R6iUK1aILehJ4XJTXROsz_eVAbE5Nl9iRp39p0jGyyt1CkKUXakWSU-fI9aMtidCuXs2vDA-x3m214RVSxSLuE8aKCpLXD7eTQ4uXbxJV3UD_9P8NNglTYqcee0UE-Po/s1600/P1070707.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493124456451710466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvY-2TNtXu9x9R6iUK1aILehJ4XJTXROsz_eVAbE5Nl9iRp39p0jGyyt1CkKUXakWSU-fI9aMtidCuXs2vDA-x3m214RVSxSLuE8aKCpLXD7eTQ4uXbxJV3UD_9P8NNglTYqcee0UE-Po/s320/P1070707.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ei4bsLKR2s_XJW02LW6h32OvfzEyhSPRAG41iGnT0__RECOvPxVnPpGpauReFmQ042kX8Gsn0t302B8i8PDPSXOKsmVxXbqswcSmIrbya3Jj9AdNaqnBVtk4lgSmqMqR41Vd5xB62nQ/s1600/P1070945.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493124449154800690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ei4bsLKR2s_XJW02LW6h32OvfzEyhSPRAG41iGnT0__RECOvPxVnPpGpauReFmQ042kX8Gsn0t302B8i8PDPSXOKsmVxXbqswcSmIrbya3Jj9AdNaqnBVtk4lgSmqMqR41Vd5xB62nQ/s320/P1070945.JPG" /></a> Gena and Igor (above) and the younger kids practicing in the lounge (below).<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYh7C1Ovxa48fgY5RndnYuB66AWjlATKqXqba9vICdcYqa00yfVIfPOnzXvYWzzk-scq6_zTHTCa_eN0UDCQ4zKJHAXmbcNdO0deJlihOmZRxtt7UQ6FodjiCxb8LG7clMpciRXD1rnY/s1600/P1080027.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493124440043299634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYh7C1Ovxa48fgY5RndnYuB66AWjlATKqXqba9vICdcYqa00yfVIfPOnzXvYWzzk-scq6_zTHTCa_eN0UDCQ4zKJHAXmbcNdO0deJlihOmZRxtt7UQ6FodjiCxb8LG7clMpciRXD1rnY/s320/P1080027.JPG" /></a>Bravo!!!<br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-12003997877394355532010-07-11T03:27:00.000-07:002010-07-11T10:34:44.581-07:00Day #3 - Tri (tree) Lazy Days of Summer<div align="justify">A big thunder storm rolled in today and it is pouring rain. Everyone seems to be glad there is some relief from the heat & dryness (sound familiar?). I opted to skip camp today not knowing how long the storm would last and I've been working hard at uploading lots of pictures. </div><br /><br /><p align="center">As far as I can tell, no complaints about a boring summer here. The days, while kind of lazy, seem to pass by quickly. Hopefully you can all get a sense of what it's like for the campers at Alliance.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrHleTGQaS93uqbEt3X1wZRXVsKec7Wp1v3Cvo7lYlZLjTcpus-RORCHKSNI4nIU8BdegSUAohuSx7OZvJ87mY3PdYm0H_JASa6rARACCidBQci46ZLNmueZmc02s5rQaPc9neFmzOAc/s1600/P1080126.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492615457690139906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrHleTGQaS93uqbEt3X1wZRXVsKec7Wp1v3Cvo7lYlZLjTcpus-RORCHKSNI4nIU8BdegSUAohuSx7OZvJ87mY3PdYm0H_JASa6rARACCidBQci46ZLNmueZmc02s5rQaPc9neFmzOAc/s320/P1080126.JPG" /></a> Sergei and Gena in the pool.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rfT5BjxL4dpGN6qne3MsV5kD-ELNoaUMMGDISisVQmwPpmwGbC7kS9QaThQkOp3dR_7qx5sX86l-mbsGl_QdkMBOnWUn_uj4smJXTyL6qq6YmTPqu_nclBlsA706OlZ03KUHhzd_kX8/s1600/P1080115.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492615451517212530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rfT5BjxL4dpGN6qne3MsV5kD-ELNoaUMMGDISisVQmwPpmwGbC7kS9QaThQkOp3dR_7qx5sX86l-mbsGl_QdkMBOnWUn_uj4smJXTyL6qq6YmTPqu_nclBlsA706OlZ03KUHhzd_kX8/s320/P1080115.JPG" /></a>Orderly entrance into the pool.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNnXnl1oYZ71v2GQ2t1QCXU-4VGD78KcXJN5nepZ92N4J0c4C344xHnvq629NORlocYjzUU1BlPEbhtzzkS6eZ1p83JU1scFXlXya7zotLgfqK2cHu1H5rDM5bmtKmEs25vZjwJQhWhM/s1600/P1080131.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492615446030406194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNnXnl1oYZ71v2GQ2t1QCXU-4VGD78KcXJN5nepZ92N4J0c4C344xHnvq629NORlocYjzUU1BlPEbhtzzkS6eZ1p83JU1scFXlXya7zotLgfqK2cHu1H5rDM5bmtKmEs25vZjwJQhWhM/s320/P1080131.JPG" /></a> Olga & Julia hanging on the side of the pool.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7g1bMl85lSHTZiglK9HXWN89501vJu18qlJkY7-qHoxL47A9dtbISTZK1n0Nu80sKbh_Bq8EaVHwxcXlm8wp_AD52pkzvforMitILpOGXRiu7Dq5tZijJ9x4lKG1w4TmsXou9VDznBuQ/s1600/P1080127.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492615436399342178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7g1bMl85lSHTZiglK9HXWN89501vJu18qlJkY7-qHoxL47A9dtbISTZK1n0Nu80sKbh_Bq8EaVHwxcXlm8wp_AD52pkzvforMitILpOGXRiu7Dq5tZijJ9x4lKG1w4TmsXou9VDznBuQ/s320/P1080127.JPG" /></a>Sergei's friend Artur.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDx14_NqlpWaRBy8VTHVyOdx3lRWNoo0P_gwwobghxk_DzwOtFpg0xoTV5wkkL36V_qz-Vj4iL8L0Q41SVID-rSO5HtDuza5Ix1_hMAXvdwnxI3gZJwpQWHR1CRyonYy7SudfH8QO6IM/s1600/P1070850.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492613192968086994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDx14_NqlpWaRBy8VTHVyOdx3lRWNoo0P_gwwobghxk_DzwOtFpg0xoTV5wkkL36V_qz-Vj4iL8L0Q41SVID-rSO5HtDuza5Ix1_hMAXvdwnxI3gZJwpQWHR1CRyonYy7SudfH8QO6IM/s320/P1070850.JPG" /></a> </p><br /><div align="justify"><div align="center"><br />The dormitories are two story cement buildings. There are ten rooms on each floor with 5 or 6 kids in each. Every day from 1:00-4:00 there is a mandartory rest time. Most of them actually fall asleep. However, in Serger's room, they are usually playing Pokeman on the game boy or talking about FIFA updates.<br /></div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjQvxbCckYSjwT6djxj_QxTPsmEVcc55-WsmDvnd3wZOM3Ua9kHYWm6pZS1ukZNGLFqqiq1vJxKG_iwv0WEXm-DQeZIFBUDUf2chL0xxR1NRVTHepVfUQICGVC1JGV8kvEZllKjiaEQ4/s1600/P1070601.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492613184702354482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjQvxbCckYSjwT6djxj_QxTPsmEVcc55-WsmDvnd3wZOM3Ua9kHYWm6pZS1ukZNGLFqqiq1vJxKG_iwv0WEXm-DQeZIFBUDUf2chL0xxR1NRVTHepVfUQICGVC1JGV8kvEZllKjiaEQ4/s320/P1070601.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div align="center">Sergei has thoroughly enjoyed receiving mail from home. Thank you to all who have written. It has been a fun way to reconnect with many people he met in December, as well as those he will be meeting soon. Next to him is Igor and another Sergei who we refer to as "Game Boy Bob" because he has not looked up in days!!<br /><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBigFRRFq8GwMOR4S-X9qBpnf2l8WWUJ4c1Or2qqm6R76Fq7DB-aHHbvuWLyWS4loD4E5iaHq3rBGcXUje8KrybcQMo1Y1S89g1hC5_NRaMLmRSsa_QmwfzKwDuvSXoJg3eU7WkhJNfg/s1600/P1070611.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492613179419153330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBigFRRFq8GwMOR4S-X9qBpnf2l8WWUJ4c1Or2qqm6R76Fq7DB-aHHbvuWLyWS4loD4E5iaHq3rBGcXUje8KrybcQMo1Y1S89g1hC5_NRaMLmRSsa_QmwfzKwDuvSXoJg3eU7WkhJNfg/s320/P1070611.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">These kids are all creative and make the most of what they have. The boys have been busy making sling shots from plastic bottle necks and the fingers of latex gloves. Very clever and definitely annoying to the girls.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">They also manage to sneak in a workout when ever the spirit moves them. There is playground equipment in most of the parks and all around the school. But who needs equipment when a ladder will suffice. Chin ups, pull ups and push ups keep them in shape.<br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7B-hOPryc3f0mRhwgUogAQlnJYRbpi7DGmqnMz6OY15iCckl3b-YtDkyXN5lHxnv4VYAjGxWyx50FmyhMtyq1-PWmHpENaoNiepvSOFRnOlkQuDJ4qfm6gf132ZAnbgZnFhl7i3LWe0/s1600/P1080061.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492612393665670690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7B-hOPryc3f0mRhwgUogAQlnJYRbpi7DGmqnMz6OY15iCckl3b-YtDkyXN5lHxnv4VYAjGxWyx50FmyhMtyq1-PWmHpENaoNiepvSOFRnOlkQuDJ4qfm6gf132ZAnbgZnFhl7i3LWe0/s320/P1080061.JPG" /></a> Below, some of the younger kids are in the lounge of the dormitory. They are pracitcing for a performance. Most nights there is some sort of performance in the auditorium. So far we have seen a celebration of the forest, a evening of romance, a fashion show and the crowning of Miss Alliance. The boys and girls are always working on a routine or some ball room dancing. And..there are always costumes. It is adorable!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQLYbBAuEoqy-Dn93NRPpiTa__KUlIJgIQmaW1EooZ47yjrBgcN1MLpoWFZS7pUGw9zcvq94W2NqbBaXucC7xH0nlCWYZjWxS-5PAMCaj8QS5k_4M-FUGtiwVPgfNm0p3nWDFlf1iRQk/s1600/P1080027.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492612382278007122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQLYbBAuEoqy-Dn93NRPpiTa__KUlIJgIQmaW1EooZ47yjrBgcN1MLpoWFZS7pUGw9zcvq94W2NqbBaXucC7xH0nlCWYZjWxS-5PAMCaj8QS5k_4M-FUGtiwVPgfNm0p3nWDFlf1iRQk/s320/P1080027.JPG" /></a> Sergei (other Sergei) below is quite the gynmast and breakdancer. It doesn't matter what the ground is like, asphalt, grass or concrete. All he needs is an audience which was usually Craig or me. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPYCM3_wP_EbZUeZXzJFe6yUSMaCv0hXCKpwFg_qPmRsvOJsR9i_ifjKmEmOzRbVlHk05Gxqe8kTXI1SLIxLuM29DAnGHvui_FoAzvMCFssEputeO-578wasrvAqIkTsWLCieqpIVjNU/s1600/P1070538.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492611760027135538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPYCM3_wP_EbZUeZXzJFe6yUSMaCv0hXCKpwFg_qPmRsvOJsR9i_ifjKmEmOzRbVlHk05Gxqe8kTXI1SLIxLuM29DAnGHvui_FoAzvMCFssEputeO-578wasrvAqIkTsWLCieqpIVjNU/s320/P1070538.JPG" /></a><span style="color:#000000;">Below we are playing a game called <strong>ELEVEN</strong><strong>. </strong>It took me a few minutes to catch on. Everyone stands in a circle and passes a volley ball. The person receiving the eleventh pass has to bounce (or smash if you are one of guys) it in the center. If you miscount or make a bad shot, you are sent to the center in a crouching position. As the game continues, the owner of the eleventh shot can smash the ball at anyone in the center and if it connects with a person, the entire group is free to come out. Boys and girls play together and the boys show absolutely no mercy...especially our happy go lucky Sergei! </span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WQi1DFffXcdHH0C9-NcaNvjWxr9VAOdmbCXXLZtkeLLcc41Yqch949hCAvEr0LKmx0SGCRM4-Kgfyn5kbK03CMv9dPi8hwWeCRGBcdEb_T99zH4NCjMorI6fuJB11ACDNb-fkoEp6Mw/s1600/P1080121.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492611756894707266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WQi1DFffXcdHH0C9-NcaNvjWxr9VAOdmbCXXLZtkeLLcc41Yqch949hCAvEr0LKmx0SGCRM4-Kgfyn5kbK03CMv9dPi8hwWeCRGBcdEb_T99zH4NCjMorI6fuJB11ACDNb-fkoEp6Mw/s320/P1080121.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kCALuqksRFTcTpvGe9gn673dpruAxg7Fcd3WNXC361UGE4HtnWHi1FdHbJ4xYJIFunbnf9TlDCr7vFDZHx5NI1CE4Bu4Wg0Ql2XpBbDUCibXvN5C3XFu9DuXKSe3uD91m-tGKsWjXAk/s1600/P1080117.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492611746966970290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kCALuqksRFTcTpvGe9gn673dpruAxg7Fcd3WNXC361UGE4HtnWHi1FdHbJ4xYJIFunbnf9TlDCr7vFDZHx5NI1CE4Bu4Wg0Ql2XpBbDUCibXvN5C3XFu9DuXKSe3uD91m-tGKsWjXAk/s320/P1080117.JPG" /></a> Many of our camp visits have been been spent sitting on a blanket under a tree. Eventually, just about everyone from the orphanage checks in to say "ha-ll0". We have passed the time doing a little bit of language practice, playing cards, sharing black sunflower seeds or knotting friendship bracelets.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxMZYvd6hxU4pors7Wj0MVKOIUTCsG4jh74ydbvaH0biHXneCIFKg5Wy4nxWv6t4talt32RPHcNbwFHQ1AmT19cBsOiXjek5TPtDXGYoFNiqxuehaCN88q5ZZ81IUA9nML13dATK7Fso/s1600/P1080035.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492607693428251666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxMZYvd6hxU4pors7Wj0MVKOIUTCsG4jh74ydbvaH0biHXneCIFKg5Wy4nxWv6t4talt32RPHcNbwFHQ1AmT19cBsOiXjek5TPtDXGYoFNiqxuehaCN88q5ZZ81IUA9nML13dATK7Fso/s320/P1080035.JPG" /></a> Above, I am sitting with Katia, Tonya, Olga & Dasha. Olga was teaching me how to make oragami segments that will eventually be used to construct a bird. Below, Svetlana (Sveta) is holding a partially completed bird. I have not yet seen the completed project but will sometime this week.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXOtGodKBTffRNn_fMDfoQoo8Sl1WIgaqX_UdTr1cCybbW1o6T0kTjOFmNQLDjYFwL991FiZNlQMuK_jSkuSvx438EShxtixmzn4XhtOzOe9_jj2bZ6HgG8aEjmSPeQgqaQCbFfFlGq0/s1600/P1080048.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492607688265463682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXOtGodKBTffRNn_fMDfoQoo8Sl1WIgaqX_UdTr1cCybbW1o6T0kTjOFmNQLDjYFwL991FiZNlQMuK_jSkuSvx438EShxtixmzn4XhtOzOe9_jj2bZ6HgG8aEjmSPeQgqaQCbFfFlGq0/s320/P1080048.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEJVuWCqImmu2xqo2IGuyKRX7USA188rzUZahtjV1pyIvA1jCTRrPfQjDvV7OZHp6zaMOwTtosXomFd1xKdYKm6V_SPbeBrrPO0KOthN84rt56lsppe4ZkcwdAm0kkN-QLkDalNWeabA/s1600/P1070470.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492607679565366770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEJVuWCqImmu2xqo2IGuyKRX7USA188rzUZahtjV1pyIvA1jCTRrPfQjDvV7OZHp6zaMOwTtosXomFd1xKdYKm6V_SPbeBrrPO0KOthN84rt56lsppe4ZkcwdAm0kkN-QLkDalNWeabA/s320/P1070470.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOUCQR6PyYsAR7yCiUrvk0cs9smFCSW3dEZFjtZ6eazrdLjqbolLVfQrDVgBzfytwmEH9rbP49KjWnxE649vLE89p9odKI4RrbA8I0uh-FR-R1Py1q6a-Kw7Bg3NvjLWCv_6DNIkInTM/s1600/P1070509.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492605842403652978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOUCQR6PyYsAR7yCiUrvk0cs9smFCSW3dEZFjtZ6eazrdLjqbolLVfQrDVgBzfytwmEH9rbP49KjWnxE649vLE89p9odKI4RrbA8I0uh-FR-R1Py1q6a-Kw7Bg3NvjLWCv_6DNIkInTM/s320/P1070509.JPG" /></a> </div>Nastya is the MVP of the camp. She is always ready to dance, rally a group or play a game. We actually met her in JFK after her hosting experience in upstate New York.<br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_AvrXsS2klWfk2EmZs66sKZGbvgi6kWYwtE01FsD19skWVDGJSPbTpu0M9hyRyZamVxYkia_7WyGwTdFLdv2GL4XJZQqLGEPoYp6DrMUxmtN11P5bg9wCj-VKFYMubQEG-3ZJQjvPzI/s1600/P1070511.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492605831820679954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_AvrXsS2klWfk2EmZs66sKZGbvgi6kWYwtE01FsD19skWVDGJSPbTpu0M9hyRyZamVxYkia_7WyGwTdFLdv2GL4XJZQqLGEPoYp6DrMUxmtN11P5bg9wCj-VKFYMubQEG-3ZJQjvPzI/s320/P1070511.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Some outdoor adventure skills were being conducted by the activities director.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKwOZx93s2fBxUwdCBiPZmJLADP8qc-NpVT03an4EGfsWxJ_Lvh3m7zxKscDjHVYA9o17lyB_C8UOnQuafQWKkauEca3OnzcORDexecTUs3DaqQ3aMij6sposyuSZhOfsUm2y9N3dc7k/s1600/P1080052.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492605823613425778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKwOZx93s2fBxUwdCBiPZmJLADP8qc-NpVT03an4EGfsWxJ_Lvh3m7zxKscDjHVYA9o17lyB_C8UOnQuafQWKkauEca3OnzcORDexecTUs3DaqQ3aMij6sposyuSZhOfsUm2y9N3dc7k/s320/P1080052.JPG" /></a><br />This was one of my favorite days. They taught me (not really) a card game called <strong>DURAK</strong> (means "fool" in Russian). For the life of me, I could not catch on. Of course, no one really explained ANYTHING to me. I knew it involved a trump card but that was all I could figure out. In any event, when I shuffled the cards they were completely fascinated. It defintely drew a crowd. So for the next half hour, we all practiced shuffling the American way. In the meantime, Sergey (translator) has explained the game to me and it will be fun to teach at home so that we can play with Sergei.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div> </div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0auBx0i7cF0flQN5oWONfEwhfogJal16HhJxrfRbMedCZMlTuejDjF7W2vvaFzufJWAk6Ovv-dAm4V1gtl5em3edP-ChjTbVV9eb3bBrgY14c4Mp7-_d3nC7wZ8qvGtqgY9-GB-f3sWc/s1600/P1080038.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492603610251173410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0auBx0i7cF0flQN5oWONfEwhfogJal16HhJxrfRbMedCZMlTuejDjF7W2vvaFzufJWAk6Ovv-dAm4V1gtl5em3edP-ChjTbVV9eb3bBrgY14c4Mp7-_d3nC7wZ8qvGtqgY9-GB-f3sWc/s320/P1080038.JPG" /></a> </div><div><br />Sergei and Sasha playing a game on Craig's blackberry. Everyday, these two would check in with a big smile. Eventually Craig got the message that they were itching to play games with his blackberry and he would oblige.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjogZBrwMXrgXTxX23rgSE0vLK4XV_jzScxgUHL449fm5IDQ7BYavchVSdH1vSzi7g63OQ8ZWP5IVCUoUtmioAOnYnkmZto4mSOqSifZU68T-KTyKWHVfZQxbuCMqn7x80zgqzZBlaH5I/s1600/P1080039.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492603598555109410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjogZBrwMXrgXTxX23rgSE0vLK4XV_jzScxgUHL449fm5IDQ7BYavchVSdH1vSzi7g63OQ8ZWP5IVCUoUtmioAOnYnkmZto4mSOqSifZU68T-KTyKWHVfZQxbuCMqn7x80zgqzZBlaH5I/s320/P1080039.JPG" /></a> </div><div><br /></div><div>This picture captures how I will remember my camp visits. Everyone squeezed together, all ages, boys and girls and just hanging around on a blanket under the tree with some peanut m&ms, a journal and a deck of cards.<br /></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSVrCqlwtbW9DCXLy5lMJVjO2sfG6MJvcKDKmANBNtxR7lPxHn7v-LWNEzHp3SjUQ93MS2IYutfmJx4VS3zN71nror1N9ZZkWHnOLv6tJpfoEk5TqZfWZvIlrfEMYmsAn2ho5YhpOvYY/s1600/P1080036.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492603594354986690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSVrCqlwtbW9DCXLy5lMJVjO2sfG6MJvcKDKmANBNtxR7lPxHn7v-LWNEzHp3SjUQ93MS2IYutfmJx4VS3zN71nror1N9ZZkWHnOLv6tJpfoEk5TqZfWZvIlrfEMYmsAn2ho5YhpOvYY/s320/P1080036.JPG" /></a><br />Perfect picutre of summer. Great times, great friends and overall good memories. I know Ssergei is preparing in his own way to say goodbye to these kids.</div><div><br /><br /><br /> </div><div><br /> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2wrsEfALOP62KsPLT2KxrvTRrDXh3_o0fQ1NZJZWDfSz4W5ktFECtJEBmZsRHTcMjoZR7Ps4RhksC1KbvjRr2JVwQJwd7odI_fdVsNZ-oXb4zbqtunxuYVF691OWD3qix1kSwhwaPFI/s1600/P1080056.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492603580920632210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2wrsEfALOP62KsPLT2KxrvTRrDXh3_o0fQ1NZJZWDfSz4W5ktFECtJEBmZsRHTcMjoZR7Ps4RhksC1KbvjRr2JVwQJwd7odI_fdVsNZ-oXb4zbqtunxuYVF691OWD3qix1kSwhwaPFI/s320/P1080056.JPG" /></a>Some he has known for many years. Most of the older kids will graduate to a technical school next year. It is sad to say that while they have the opportunity to learn a trade, most will drop out because of the lack of support and supervision.<br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-56042215793239587032010-07-10T03:49:00.001-07:002010-07-10T12:39:50.832-07:00Day #2 - dva (dvah) Market Day<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZxtJ6v6uVbYIoz8QEaxElxsHdf2HQrh2nBvGjRMu_VZOg0Gb8XyKC8qwjDKE1hiq1jFxtU5Yl0yPuinlQDvHaLNvTVA4AGC11omwneHY_qptXhxsMnR4YdmPIqVPvSQWW7MESRH_QnM/s1600/P1070598.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492230863324053794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZxtJ6v6uVbYIoz8QEaxElxsHdf2HQrh2nBvGjRMu_VZOg0Gb8XyKC8qwjDKE1hiq1jFxtU5Yl0yPuinlQDvHaLNvTVA4AGC11omwneHY_qptXhxsMnR4YdmPIqVPvSQWW7MESRH_QnM/s400/P1070598.JPG" /></a>Saturdays are the big market days for vendors and shoppers. The streets are lined with lots of people from the villages selling herbs, veggies, fruits, milk and lots of potatoes. In the middle of the block is an area with rows and rows of vendor huts selling everything from shoes to architectural molding to baby chicks. Craig and I were shopping for flip flops one day when I felt a tap on my shoulder. As I turned around, I was surprised to find Larisa (above-Sergei's teacher since first grade) and her husband Gena. We definitely felt like locals at that point.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNzgUYCfrluxHFt8IBySjUWH7LN6ARP2TtTuq-IZpZQEnK94d7xjPvs8U4OEo3X_JDZ8UtAPtGphmaAnp5hJtI7F3-emhtl-eAdhpPOEFzKYCg1J6kA3mDNfIFPDVZ1MMUzc5efsnk2g/s1600/P1070915.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492230139821202834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNzgUYCfrluxHFt8IBySjUWH7LN6ARP2TtTuq-IZpZQEnK94d7xjPvs8U4OEo3X_JDZ8UtAPtGphmaAnp5hJtI7F3-emhtl-eAdhpPOEFzKYCg1J6kA3mDNfIFPDVZ1MMUzc5efsnk2g/s320/P1070915.JPG" /></a> Adjacent to the vendor huts is an indoor arena that is packed with all sorts of food items. There are cookies, candies, fruits, beef, pork, cheese, sausages, fish and lots of other stuff. It is an energetic place fill with people trying to sell their inventory. To the left is my favorite Ukrainian cookie vendor.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />We have been buying lots of fresh fruit and taking it to camp for the kids. They do not eat fresh fruit often at the orphanage so it is a real treat. A bag of fresh cherries is more appealing than a candy bar and disappears quickly.</div><p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOy9UUKnXANK0m6NDMasGinUNKCE0dFDGbNBciLA4clpwM9Oq1qsfWr4KKe0XONWQg2xYP3cSwZtywj2-pjjEJ9n4LX6dvbl6v9npssY-HFrsaflrBQkij7GSLtiVFp6RtREKIdTjuv80/s1600/P1080157.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492229551318565906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOy9UUKnXANK0m6NDMasGinUNKCE0dFDGbNBciLA4clpwM9Oq1qsfWr4KKe0XONWQg2xYP3cSwZtywj2-pjjEJ9n4LX6dvbl6v9npssY-HFrsaflrBQkij7GSLtiVFp6RtREKIdTjuv80/s320/P1080157.JPG" /></a>To the left, I was buying <strong><em>vinograd</em></strong> to take to camp. Sergei's last name was Vinogradov so we were pretty excited when we understood the Russian word <strong><em>vinograd</em></strong> for grapes. We have similar fruits at home at this point in the summer. The tomatoes are red and delicious just like Jersey tomatoes.<br /><br /><br /><br />Of course the most interesting part of the market is at the end where the beef, pork and chicken areas are. I believe every body part was considered valuable inventory. It is very European and completely different than anything we would ever see at home. Many of you might remember when Craig was a certified food safety instructor. Well, picture his face when we got a closer look at the piles of raw meats, fats and carcasses. No refrigeration, no gloves and no covers. </p><p align="justify">Our friends the Trumps insist that pick knuckle is a delicacy. I asked Sergey (translator) what people do with the whole cow heads pictured below. He did not have an answer. Nor did he know what people do with pig's ears.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjr3Xqvu2OgopNIuWaucRa6wekmzzrkxsO6ljKs5e7iQX6ruWLdgqMJGIYWqyRh9Rw4FcTzY0AqeYNfTJ-JngdYFYebJpopzettN0sD7TLuD9MvpJSdqoxAHkRvHHFMdJJXmxZJ2UO9U/s1600/P1070681.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492229202867908706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjr3Xqvu2OgopNIuWaucRa6wekmzzrkxsO6ljKs5e7iQX6ruWLdgqMJGIYWqyRh9Rw4FcTzY0AqeYNfTJ-JngdYFYebJpopzettN0sD7TLuD9MvpJSdqoxAHkRvHHFMdJJXmxZJ2UO9U/s320/P1070681.JPG" /></a><br /><br /></p><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-nLWwISxWzfuBJ2XvVUZwgu_eYZUTeX3u_EYO0jAk6wbLXNr85TDLNxqiwymUjlxyWKs97mNPzwTt4CqYZMX9JkEnEX0t274UXg3PFY3myNYOp9fBtJsptkKVjgGYZPPec5w7ez8vw0/s1600/P1070677.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492229024286629826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-nLWwISxWzfuBJ2XvVUZwgu_eYZUTeX3u_EYO0jAk6wbLXNr85TDLNxqiwymUjlxyWKs97mNPzwTt4CqYZMX9JkEnEX0t274UXg3PFY3myNYOp9fBtJsptkKVjgGYZPPec5w7ez8vw0/s320/P1070677.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRIfTYLfuYV-mJoUjNTym3sQKsYyJjd3Jmn_MMfM8lucs2zI3e0sbDt-fpxzMRgxskWDX6euAtl4MhlmoAJV_ie9lnccZi9jnjQBaOp8_J_anqHyhJFGJdnem71pfwd29ryzoAbeHjtI/s1600/P1080154.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492228886781737810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRIfTYLfuYV-mJoUjNTym3sQKsYyJjd3Jmn_MMfM8lucs2zI3e0sbDt-fpxzMRgxskWDX6euAtl4MhlmoAJV_ie9lnccZi9jnjQBaOp8_J_anqHyhJFGJdnem71pfwd29ryzoAbeHjtI/s320/P1080154.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrEfk-lB_6B2vjrdJY_O_asK0bC9md0S0rRkwYXzpC26IhZbm3DGvfWP1uN5VmXX5V_7NXrPC5b1b4l4_edH5j7VOphRn2CiD9BZC3j5i4a2sJxz9Nok-SAoA_l2Ou91N1ixCeEwFHyA/s1600/P1070680.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 225px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492228586156046850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrEfk-lB_6B2vjrdJY_O_asK0bC9md0S0rRkwYXzpC26IhZbm3DGvfWP1uN5VmXX5V_7NXrPC5b1b4l4_edH5j7VOphRn2CiD9BZC3j5i4a2sJxz9Nok-SAoA_l2Ou91N1ixCeEwFHyA/s400/P1070680.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-12773649959789709152010-07-09T07:08:00.001-07:002010-07-09T19:15:40.003-07:00Day #1 - Odin (ah-deen)Just another ordinary day at <span style="color:#009900;"><strong>Camp Alliance</strong></span>. The kids are always so pleasant and exicted to see you. Today Sergey (translator) and I made the trip to camp. For the first time, we saw all of the kids swimming in the pool. They take turns swimming by age group in an above ground pool which is probably 25 yards long.<br /><br /><br />One thing we haven't really shared just yet is how children and animals co-exist in Ukraine. Below is a picture of Sasha with a <span style="color:#009900;"><strong>salamander</strong></span> on his shoulder. We hadn't really noticed the salamanders but the boys always seem to be catching them. One afternoon, Craig was walking past the dorm room of the young boys (ages 10&11). They were all under the covers during the mandatory rest period from 1:00-4:00. "Cr-eggh, Creggh" they all whispered. When he walked into their room, all six of them had salamanders in their beds and they wanted to show him.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiignQfW3-QGNq1wbP9g2fa0pjL4sbyySd8g5RWru3hfzQ2gv72rAafN8wW2ZadYtH0rnY8wWe5wxt_YoLqc8Y-xwshTOz9z0qa8nsTsKSlTMmTQCZejqGrlkbRGiiy6IeFh9CR-_dnEKI/s1600/P1070500.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491910114282670690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiignQfW3-QGNq1wbP9g2fa0pjL4sbyySd8g5RWru3hfzQ2gv72rAafN8wW2ZadYtH0rnY8wWe5wxt_YoLqc8Y-xwshTOz9z0qa8nsTsKSlTMmTQCZejqGrlkbRGiiy6IeFh9CR-_dnEKI/s320/P1070500.JPG" /></a> And, as boys will be boys, this fish was sitting on the window sill in Sergei's room. The first day we visited camp, Sergei was showing us the room. I pulled the drapery to the side and was surprised (as was Sergei) to find this dried, <strong><span style="color:#009900;">whole fish</span></strong> sitting on the window sill. We never did find out who placed him there. He was probably intended for someone's dinner somewhere.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU97r1LlWWeSNblDPyfjWtWm4IRcIiaVwTyrJ-u1ZtEdNZ8LiAso0wKdUlBl-RD_0q87bM_nbtAHYpr2tZBhyxxtX01HmboJ5wR-wDOGflW4ocSLa2nVX-OxGBwLpv2SiR9nNjsHfsusk/s1600/P1070466.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491910105464190722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU97r1LlWWeSNblDPyfjWtWm4IRcIiaVwTyrJ-u1ZtEdNZ8LiAso0wKdUlBl-RD_0q87bM_nbtAHYpr2tZBhyxxtX01HmboJ5wR-wDOGflW4ocSLa2nVX-OxGBwLpv2SiR9nNjsHfsusk/s320/P1070466.JPG" /></a> Every once in a while, Sergei keeps the camera and takes pictures of the evening activities which usually includes a dance or a mid-night swim (shhhhh). One night they all found this little <span style="color:#009900;"><strong>hedgehog</strong></span> (or maybe a porcupine)? I think they were kind and returned him to his natural habitat.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jrggvpO1FhxkV3ooJhpRHeK-mHH9VT6OVMDKUzf-KRBSOYbd55OdPLjfe0qT63o-OLfbCoe8vytaJzbUq1BuRfGyOBTzd5apVIzrrgL4CaBw4-fqLjN6S934fY0r90rgzW2tX4NH9XA/s1600/P1070835.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491910088022740770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jrggvpO1FhxkV3ooJhpRHeK-mHH9VT6OVMDKUzf-KRBSOYbd55OdPLjfe0qT63o-OLfbCoe8vytaJzbUq1BuRfGyOBTzd5apVIzrrgL4CaBw4-fqLjN6S934fY0r90rgzW2tX4NH9XA/s320/P1070835.JPG" /></a> Today when I was at camp, they were all excited to show me the<span style="color:#009900;"><strong> baby bat</strong></span> they found at the pool. No one really felt comfortable handling him, especially Sergei as you can see by his resistance below.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaCCaVl4d9J-SxeVccOjGAYWNvQUr-RjH-7OD9nNmPMcJIiLKLnh4WgXqz9dxUjO3fBrZGGEv099BH3okaX2Q-Nd5gFwUi0VS-VtIT_NIwWkgLBjBU7VbBtX3N6FLvbgQ8d7llIPgxRQ/s1600/P1080134.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491910078377992658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaCCaVl4d9J-SxeVccOjGAYWNvQUr-RjH-7OD9nNmPMcJIiLKLnh4WgXqz9dxUjO3fBrZGGEv099BH3okaX2Q-Nd5gFwUi0VS-VtIT_NIwWkgLBjBU7VbBtX3N6FLvbgQ8d7llIPgxRQ/s320/P1080134.JPG" /></a> So, boys will be boys whether in America or across the Atlantic in Severodonetsk, Ukraine.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-68413937409353237962010-07-08T10:35:00.000-07:002010-07-08T10:43:09.839-07:00I drank two glasses of wine on the plane to MunichThis is Craig---Dana will be taking over as solo blogger as of today! Our court date went well- Sergei (our son) sat with the school official and Sergey (our facilitator/translator) sat between Dana and me and translated. About 45 minutes mostly reviewing our dossier and asking if we were able to support Sergei from a family and school perspective. Dana will add some more but we are approved and just have the standard 10 day waiting period---no worries on that.<br /><br />We left court at 1:03 p.m. and had to stop by Sergei's home town's records office on the way to the airport so that I could sign some documents for his birth certificate since I won't be here on the release date and was there about 10 minutes. The airport should be a 2 hour drive and Lufthansa had said that the latest I could check in was 3:15 p.m to make my flight to Munich. Sergey put the pedal to the metal over mostly country roads. Pulled in the airport at 3:08 p.m. and Sergey (facilitator) and I ran up the stairs and got me through the gate with about a minute to spare. Whew...hence the title of this entry.<br /><br />In Munich- sad to leave Dana and Sergei, but psyched to catch up with Pat and Evan. They have been troopers in this whole ordeal and will be both be home this weekend. Thanks again to our friends and family that have been their support network while we are gone. <br /><br />Standard timing and flights should put Dana and Sergei home to West Chester the weekend of 7/24!Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-9309869969970579342010-07-08T08:36:00.001-07:002010-07-09T05:33:03.043-07:00Court Approval!!<p align="left"></p><p align="right">On our way into the court house.</p><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXU-zr8cs2NhK115XWc5wGErcgHjUwXbgiOLDfYgF_Re1gIANgCFfKpMefOED09ZOtVPcLIA7ohZCkFSIYONX65IYMfCPYuEaLguYXNST9xgb8d8BmzJVWjWllCSrGyxWbdDIeUCjNF0/s1600/P1080105.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491870201508603138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXU-zr8cs2NhK115XWc5wGErcgHjUwXbgiOLDfYgF_Re1gIANgCFfKpMefOED09ZOtVPcLIA7ohZCkFSIYONX65IYMfCPYuEaLguYXNST9xgb8d8BmzJVWjWllCSrGyxWbdDIeUCjNF0/s320/P1080105.JPG" /></a><br />Our first (and hopefully only) Ukrainian Court session at noon was a success and we were approved to adopt Sergei! Even though most everyone here speaks Russian and we are slowly recognizing and speaking everyday phrases, the court session was in the native Ukrainian language. Sergey our translator repeated the Judge's every word in English.<br /><br />The court proceedings were quite similar to court in the US. All participants rose upon his entrance and the session was called to order. Present in the small court room were the judge, a court reporter, two jurors, a prosecutor, a representative from the orphanage, a child welfare counselor, Sergey our translator and the three of us. He spent most of the time reading our dossier out loud and asking us to confirm information included in the report. Several times he inquired about Dana's part time job as a librarian which I confirmed was not accurate. The judge commented (jokingly) that someone would be in trouble for the inadequate translation. It wasn't until afterwards that we realized librarian was a literal translation of my part-time job as bookkeeper at Harbor (keeper of the books=librarian). </p><div><div><br /><div></div><div></div><div>The judge came across as a compassionate man, especially considering he hears all of the cases for the kids living at the orphanage. Sergei was definitely nervous because he really had no idea of what to expect, nor had he ever been in a court room. After reading the specifics about Sergei's earlier years and the reasons he is now living at the orphanage, the judge asked Sergei a few questions about why he wanted to live in American. Sergei shared that he lived with us in the winter, he loved all four of us, and he wanted to be part of our family. The judge then lightened things up by joking about America being too clean and that the roads being pothole free. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>After a brief deliberation with the two jurors, they returned to the courtroom and announced that this adoption was in the best interest of the child and that we were approved to adopt Sergei. What a relief to have that behind us and how happy we were to know we are moving forward.</div><br /><div align="center"></div><div></div><div></div><div>Afterwards, we learned that the judge was really trying to accommodate our schedule and was pushing through the proceedings because he knew Craig had a two hour drive to the airport and a 3:50 pm international flight. What he didn't know was that Craig and Sergey needed to stop in Sergei's home town to sign a document to retrieve his original birthcertificate. Everything was tight time wise but they were successful. Sergey managed to travel 150 kilometers in 90 minutes. His return trip to the hotel in Sevrodonetsk took 2.5 hours just to give you a sense of their velocity.</div><br /><div></div><div>All is well. Friday begins day #1 of the mandatory ten day waiting period. Craig is on his way home via Munich to Frankfort to Philadelphia. Dana has downgraded to a single room at the hotel. Sergei is still having fun at Camp Alliance in the country. We are happy and thankful to be moving forward and closer to home.</div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-62201991377143256202010-07-07T07:51:00.000-07:002010-07-07T08:23:33.704-07:00We have a court date...Well this morning, we were kind of in a funk. We were sitting in the restaurant having breakfast, which is included in our room cost, determining if we wanted Complex #1, 2, 3 or 4 today. Dana is more adventurous and goes for variety, which includes chicken and fish for breakfast; Craig sticks with #1 which is an omelet, pancakes, cabbage salad and some cheese. We were laughing that we felt (Craig felt?) that we had ICU syndrome where all the days were beginning to seem the same and we needed a whiteboard in our room to say "Today is Wednesday, July 7. The day is sunny. Your nurse is...."<br /><br />We went out to camp early and just hung out with a bunch of the kids- playing cards, tossing around the nerf football, watching them play "futbol". Sergei was back and forth- it was very similar to visiting Pat for Family Day in his first year at Boy Scout camp when he was in 5th grade- he was happy we were there but kind of did his own thing. Sergei was bouncing between friends, scraped his foot playing futbol (they usually play barefoot), and keeping us posted where he was. It was a great day for our mental health to realize that these kids appreciated us being there and there was a reason to keep coming to camp.<br /><br />We got back to the hotel and met up with Sergey, our in-region facilitator/translator who took our passports to be notarized in prep for the legal proceedings. We walked into the market, snagged some ice cream, bought some odds and ends, including two pairs of flip flops for kids we had met who had major holes in theirs, and while we were walking back, Nastya in Kiev called to let us know that she had our packet from SDA, complete with Interpol clearance. Yahoo and thank God...our prayers were answered. We debated if this was a miracle but Craig didn't want to use up his miracle resource just yet, so we just called it divine intervention.<br /><br />The packet is on its way here and will arrive around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday by train. Sergey (facilitator) will pick it up and we will have court at 12:00 noon. Sergei (son) will get transported to court from camp via a school official. This usually lasts an hour but hopefully Sergey can convince the judge to be a little briefer so Craig can make his flight at 4:00 p.m. in Donetsk (about two hours away) and begin his journey home. Worst case: miss the flight, stay near the airport....fly on Friday and get home Saturday. We'll take that!<br /><br />Decree date will then be 7/19!<br /><br />Sergei has our camera ....so no photos to upload on this one. More later!Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-16103678694856296702010-07-06T21:25:00.000-07:002010-07-06T22:34:32.046-07:00Court Date Still Pending<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5lWP82uLico2UNC-q6MCyR4-973r4g5K8Gc_jQNIMcBmNkEISIRQpZYUofQeWbr2oEke3AsNvStnLoI-EsBaNI52uYzBWRmAENySdV_4ebKvQ2p65ZduUI_TbfeyNlN-OgvveZhr_Sc/s1600/P1080028.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491031068734474146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5lWP82uLico2UNC-q6MCyR4-973r4g5K8Gc_jQNIMcBmNkEISIRQpZYUofQeWbr2oEke3AsNvStnLoI-EsBaNI52uYzBWRmAENySdV_4ebKvQ2p65ZduUI_TbfeyNlN-OgvveZhr_Sc/s200/P1080028.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyfLcCRoKvSYdyQ559XUXtcBHtGGxRRsD94PgI0mlawsadRn3PyIiCehABPLBe0TqDkOfDSUd-n6L96u00dLuDppY2vKvz6lamwUVlvtnH-LG9lwu7OSYxkS6YlmchOktScG0r5idYFE/s1600/P1070686.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491030590296735138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyfLcCRoKvSYdyQ559XUXtcBHtGGxRRsD94PgI0mlawsadRn3PyIiCehABPLBe0TqDkOfDSUd-n6L96u00dLuDppY2vKvz6lamwUVlvtnH-LG9lwu7OSYxkS6YlmchOktScG0r5idYFE/s320/P1070686.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0i4MvATN76eEmz-c_75wL6IhJf9IVmQeOCKnYhIFHMVslOR6Eu3Fzy8-Xrzxsb5uwKLRCo6Zvu4PKCcY8h0ySdBuUnUp6M9C49yQjYDCmBz-g3jgG6-umcHBqm5G-syQLDE0PWX0PzBc/s1600/P1080019.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491029730958856146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0i4MvATN76eEmz-c_75wL6IhJf9IVmQeOCKnYhIFHMVslOR6Eu3Fzy8-Xrzxsb5uwKLRCo6Zvu4PKCcY8h0ySdBuUnUp6M9C49yQjYDCmBz-g3jgG6-umcHBqm5G-syQLDE0PWX0PzBc/s200/P1080019.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">We</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">could</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">put</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">few</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">thousand</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">words</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">here</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">about</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">process</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Interpol</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">but</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">will</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">keep</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">simple</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Thanks</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">good</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">work</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">our</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">facilitator</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">back</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">in</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kyiv</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">our</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">Interpol</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">clearance</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">was</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error">approved</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> 7/06- <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error">but</span>- <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-error">then</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-error">gets</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" class="blsp-spelling-error">mailed</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_40" class="blsp-spelling-error">across</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_41" class="blsp-spelling-error">town</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_42" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_43" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_44" class="blsp-spelling-error">SDA</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_45" class="blsp-spelling-error">office</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_46" class="blsp-spelling-error">We</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_47" class="blsp-spelling-error">did</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_48" class="blsp-spelling-error">offer</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_49" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_50" class="blsp-spelling-error">pay</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_51" class="blsp-spelling-error">for</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_52" class="blsp-spelling-error">courier</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_53" class="blsp-spelling-error">from</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_54" class="blsp-spelling-error">office</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_55" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_56" class="blsp-spelling-error">office</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_57" class="blsp-spelling-error">but</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_58" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_59" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_60" class="blsp-spelling-error">something</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_61" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_62" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_63" class="blsp-spelling-error">just</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_64" class="blsp-spelling-error">not</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_65" class="blsp-spelling-error">typically</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_66" class="blsp-spelling-error">done</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_67" class="blsp-spelling-error">here</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_68" class="blsp-spelling-error">We</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_69" class="blsp-spelling-error">do</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_70" class="blsp-spelling-error">hope</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_71" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_72" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_73" class="blsp-spelling-error">can</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_74" class="blsp-spelling-error">be</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_75" class="blsp-spelling-error">received</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_76" class="blsp-spelling-error">by</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_77" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_78" class="blsp-spelling-error">SDA</span> on Wed. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_80" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_81" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_82" class="blsp-spelling-error">could</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_83" class="blsp-spelling-error">then</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_84" class="blsp-spelling-error">be</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_85" class="blsp-spelling-error">put</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_86" class="blsp-spelling-error">along</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_87" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_88" class="blsp-spelling-error">our</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_89" class="blsp-spelling-error">approval</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_90" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_91" class="blsp-spelling-error">flight</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_92" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_93" class="blsp-spelling-error">Severodonetsk</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_94" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_95" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_96" class="blsp-spelling-error">could</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_97" class="blsp-spelling-error">go</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_98" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_99" class="blsp-spelling-error">court</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_100" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_101" class="blsp-spelling-error">Thursday</span> 7/08. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_102" class="blsp-spelling-error">It</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_103" class="blsp-spelling-error">seems</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_104" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_105" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_106" class="blsp-spelling-error">worst</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_107" class="blsp-spelling-error">case</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_108" class="blsp-spelling-error">would</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_109" class="blsp-spelling-error">be</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_110" class="blsp-spelling-error">court</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_111" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> 7/12. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_112" class="blsp-spelling-error">At</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_113" class="blsp-spelling-error">this</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_114" class="blsp-spelling-error">point</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_115" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_116" class="blsp-spelling-error">days</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_117" class="blsp-spelling-error">are</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_118" class="blsp-spelling-error">kind</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_119" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_120" class="blsp-spelling-error">blending</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_121" class="blsp-spelling-error">into</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_122" class="blsp-spelling-error">each</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_123" class="blsp-spelling-error">other</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_124" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_125" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_126" class="blsp-spelling-error">just</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_127" class="blsp-spelling-error">want</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_128" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_129" class="blsp-spelling-error">get</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_130" class="blsp-spelling-error">this</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_131" class="blsp-spelling-error">next</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_132" class="blsp-spelling-error">step</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_133" class="blsp-spelling-error">completed</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_134" class="blsp-spelling-error">After</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_135" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_136" class="blsp-spelling-error">first</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_137" class="blsp-spelling-error">court</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_138" class="blsp-spelling-error">date</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_139" class="blsp-spelling-error">there</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_140" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> a 10 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_141" class="blsp-spelling-error">day</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_142" class="blsp-spelling-error">waiting</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_143" class="blsp-spelling-error">period</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_144" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_145" class="blsp-spelling-error">then</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_146" class="blsp-spelling-error">you</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_147" class="blsp-spelling-error">pick</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_148" class="blsp-spelling-error">up</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_149" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_150" class="blsp-spelling-error">court</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_151" class="blsp-spelling-error">decree</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_152" class="blsp-spelling-error">pick</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_153" class="blsp-spelling-error">up</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_154" class="blsp-spelling-error">new</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_155" class="blsp-spelling-error">passport</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_156" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_157" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_158" class="blsp-spelling-error">new</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_159" class="blsp-spelling-error">name</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_160" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sergei</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_161" class="blsp-spelling-error">Loundas</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_162" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_163" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_164" class="blsp-spelling-error">get</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_165" class="blsp-spelling-error">his</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_166" class="blsp-spelling-error">medical</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_167" class="blsp-spelling-error">records</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_168" class="blsp-spelling-error">birth</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_169" class="blsp-spelling-error">certificate</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_170" class="blsp-spelling-error">then</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_171" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dana</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_172" class="blsp-spelling-error">will</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_173" class="blsp-spelling-error">fly</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_174" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_175" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kyiv</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_176" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_177" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sergei</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_178" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_179" class="blsp-spelling-error">outprocess</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_180" class="blsp-spelling-error">through</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_181" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_182" class="blsp-spelling-error">US</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_183" class="blsp-spelling-error">Embassy</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_184" class="blsp-spelling-error">After</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_185" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_186" class="blsp-spelling-error">decree</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_187" class="blsp-spelling-error">those</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_188" class="blsp-spelling-error">last</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_189" class="blsp-spelling-error">steps</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_190" class="blsp-spelling-error">take</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_191" class="blsp-spelling-error">between</span> 4-6 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_192" class="blsp-spelling-error">days</span>.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_193" class="blsp-spelling-error">Craig</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_194" class="blsp-spelling-error">has</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_195" class="blsp-spelling-error">flight</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_196" class="blsp-spelling-error">booked</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_197" class="blsp-spelling-error">for</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_198" class="blsp-spelling-error">Thursday</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_199" class="blsp-spelling-error">night</span> 7/08...<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_200" class="blsp-spelling-error">this</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_201" class="blsp-spelling-error">was</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_202" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_203" class="blsp-spelling-error">liberal</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_204" class="blsp-spelling-error">date</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_205" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_206" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_207" class="blsp-spelling-error">thought</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_208" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_209" class="blsp-spelling-error">gave us</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_210" class="blsp-spelling-error">plenty</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_211" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_212" class="blsp-spelling-error">room</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_213" class="blsp-spelling-error">so</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_214" class="blsp-spelling-error">if</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_215" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_216" class="blsp-spelling-error">are</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_217" class="blsp-spelling-error">going</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_218" class="blsp-spelling-error">later</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_219" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_220" class="blsp-spelling-error">all</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_221" class="blsp-spelling-error">has</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_222" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_223" class="blsp-spelling-error">be</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_224" class="blsp-spelling-error">switched</span>. YUK. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_225" class="blsp-spelling-error">Craig</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_226" class="blsp-spelling-error">was</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_227" class="blsp-spelling-error">talking</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_228" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_229" class="blsp-spelling-error">Evan</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_230" class="blsp-spelling-error">last</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_231" class="blsp-spelling-error">night</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_232" class="blsp-spelling-error">about</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_233" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_234" class="blsp-spelling-error">lack</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_235" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_236" class="blsp-spelling-error">contol</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_237" class="blsp-spelling-error">in</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_238" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_239" class="blsp-spelling-error">process</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_240" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_241" class="blsp-spelling-error">got</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_242" class="blsp-spelling-error">reminded</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_243" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_244" class="blsp-spelling-error">not</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_245" class="blsp-spelling-error">everything</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_246" class="blsp-spelling-error">always</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_247" class="blsp-spelling-error">falls</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_248" class="blsp-spelling-error">perfectly</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_249" class="blsp-spelling-error">into</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_250" class="blsp-spelling-error">place</span>.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_251" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sergei</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_252" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_253" class="blsp-spelling-error">having</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_254" class="blsp-spelling-error">lot</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_255" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_256" class="blsp-spelling-error">fun</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_257" class="blsp-spelling-error">at</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_258" class="blsp-spelling-error">camp</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_259" class="blsp-spelling-error">which</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_260" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_261" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_262" class="blsp-spelling-error">upside</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_263" class="blsp-spelling-error">They</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_264" class="blsp-spelling-error">have</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_265" class="blsp-spelling-error">lot</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_266" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_267" class="blsp-spelling-error">room</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_268" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_269" class="blsp-spelling-error">play</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_270" class="blsp-spelling-error">some</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_271" class="blsp-spelling-error">type</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_272" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_273" class="blsp-spelling-error">show</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_274" class="blsp-spelling-error">or</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_275" class="blsp-spelling-error">performance</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_276" class="blsp-spelling-error">each</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_277" class="blsp-spelling-error">night</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_278" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_279" class="blsp-spelling-error">good</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_280" class="blsp-spelling-error">chance</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_281" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_282" class="blsp-spelling-error">connect</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_283" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_284" class="blsp-spelling-error">his</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_285" class="blsp-spelling-error">friends</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_286" class="blsp-spelling-error">We</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_287" class="blsp-spelling-error">have</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_288" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_289" class="blsp-spelling-error">cab</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_290" class="blsp-spelling-error">ride</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_291" class="blsp-spelling-error">down</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_292" class="blsp-spelling-error">pat</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_293" class="blsp-spelling-error">now</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_294" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_295" class="blsp-spelling-error">know</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_296" class="blsp-spelling-error">every</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_297" class="blsp-spelling-error">bump</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_298" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_299" class="blsp-spelling-error">pothole</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_300" class="blsp-spelling-error">in</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_301" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_302" class="blsp-spelling-error">road</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_303" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_304" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_305" class="blsp-spelling-error">trip</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_306" class="blsp-spelling-error">out</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_307" class="blsp-spelling-error">there</span>. You can see from the photo that the Gameboy we brought over is a hit and the kids have learned the game boy pose we know back in the US.</div><div><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_308" class="blsp-spelling-error">For</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_309" class="blsp-spelling-error">little</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_310" class="blsp-spelling-error">something</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_311" class="blsp-spelling-error">different</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_312" class="blsp-spelling-error">Craig</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_313" class="blsp-spelling-error">woke</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_314" class="blsp-spelling-error">up</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_315" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_316" class="blsp-spelling-error">puffy</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_317" class="blsp-spelling-error">eye</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_318" class="blsp-spelling-error">yesterday</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_319" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_320" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_321" class="blsp-spelling-error">thought</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_322" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_323" class="blsp-spelling-error">would</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_324" class="blsp-spelling-error">be</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_325" class="blsp-spelling-error">better</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_326" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_327" class="blsp-spelling-error">get</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_328" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_329" class="blsp-spelling-error">checked</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_330" class="blsp-spelling-error">rather</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_331" class="blsp-spelling-error">than</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_332" class="blsp-spelling-error">wait</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_333" class="blsp-spelling-error">Our</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_334" class="blsp-spelling-error">adventure</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_335" class="blsp-spelling-error">ended</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_336" class="blsp-spelling-error">up</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_337" class="blsp-spelling-error">at</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_338" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_339" class="blsp-spelling-error">local</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_340" class="blsp-spelling-error">hospital</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_341" class="blsp-spelling-error">diagnosis</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_342" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_343" class="blsp-spelling-error">NOT</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_344" class="blsp-spelling-error">pink</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_345" class="blsp-spelling-error">eye</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_346" class="blsp-spelling-error">but</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_347" class="blsp-spelling-error">just</span> a "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_348" class="blsp-spelling-error">cold</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_349" class="blsp-spelling-error">in</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_350" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_351" class="blsp-spelling-error">eye</span>" (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_352" class="blsp-spelling-error">they</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_353" class="blsp-spelling-error">blame</span> a/c <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_354" class="blsp-spelling-error">for</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_355" class="blsp-spelling-error">many</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_356" class="blsp-spelling-error">things</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_357" class="blsp-spelling-error">over</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_358" class="blsp-spelling-error">here</span>), <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_359" class="blsp-spelling-error">but</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_360" class="blsp-spelling-error">appears</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_361" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_362" class="blsp-spelling-error">be</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_363" class="blsp-spelling-error">moving</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_364" class="blsp-spelling-error">along</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_365" class="blsp-spelling-error">in</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_366" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_367" class="blsp-spelling-error">right</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_368" class="blsp-spelling-error">recovery</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_369" class="blsp-spelling-error">direction</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_370" class="blsp-spelling-error">Total</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_371" class="blsp-spelling-error">cost</span>- <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_372" class="blsp-spelling-error">including</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_373" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_374" class="blsp-spelling-error">cab</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_375" class="blsp-spelling-error">ride</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_376" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_377" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_378" class="blsp-spelling-error">nurse</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_379" class="blsp-spelling-error">who</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_380" class="blsp-spelling-error">came</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_381" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_382" class="blsp-spelling-error">get</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_383" class="blsp-spelling-error">us</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_384" class="blsp-spelling-error">physician</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_385" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_386" class="blsp-spelling-error">prescriptions</span>--- $22.50</div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-24888252350280112352010-07-03T12:49:00.001-07:002010-07-04T12:22:26.316-07:00Adoption Plus Some Matchmaking<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGnNFjahNd1JQu33ne5SB9_8RtxWZAG-5p5ye-M3RU3G8Tqzo2MgfaQBWSWVmYGFG_JFOVYULLUjiLIinleI3itsRpuUvW7AWGr6AEpR606YHktHMR7kS7rmNuLemWa6umKko91SsIsQ/s1600/P1070891.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490128289116128722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGnNFjahNd1JQu33ne5SB9_8RtxWZAG-5p5ye-M3RU3G8Tqzo2MgfaQBWSWVmYGFG_JFOVYULLUjiLIinleI3itsRpuUvW7AWGr6AEpR606YHktHMR7kS7rmNuLemWa6umKko91SsIsQ/s320/P1070891.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUTrns6u1O4XBvRW1XTPkKYjvZAxpz2zM90_meYXJuOLMcEuUqvJQSLsAajVmWK_9jmIsV_9IRyYzOKI4-VMf2yrsp7sMxfQt0OxBQz20t7jZA58j3WolWCVGkHzWNVYTDtcxJDNg8s8/s1600/P1070686.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5eZOWOHdx9VZuQsAyQOnhO-6tdvAC3XY-2rAjtrqywjNuqDn8nXvwUfdIjxkcBpaygPXUX-7u5DAGCncSyGy4KAwwqIts8ntDZPmSKFAjAd3S7JXpyp1UAAUe0J1u4UVdKF-933aixE/s1600/P1070676.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490127506151856034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5eZOWOHdx9VZuQsAyQOnhO-6tdvAC3XY-2rAjtrqywjNuqDn8nXvwUfdIjxkcBpaygPXUX-7u5DAGCncSyGy4KAwwqIts8ntDZPmSKFAjAd3S7JXpyp1UAAUe0J1u4UVdKF-933aixE/s320/P1070676.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0QfsZ2I9BgmmPdwM115sSBGy_uwYEUBTgcp6jyDsuPIghBPfSwPttKXCat-R4-tsX1YP8BA7E1Fo6Zpo_OCAYOJ_ESq1J2Qj8JDLbhIxl_p3KtzCaY90LFOm4ZoD9ciZNbWXRmi-J8E/s1600/P1070679.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490127236355397810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0QfsZ2I9BgmmPdwM115sSBGy_uwYEUBTgcp6jyDsuPIghBPfSwPttKXCat-R4-tsX1YP8BA7E1Fo6Zpo_OCAYOJ_ESq1J2Qj8JDLbhIxl_p3KtzCaY90LFOm4ZoD9ciZNbWXRmi-J8E/s320/P1070679.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>We have a pretty good routine going here...get up, grab breakfast..go to the local farmers market, and then head out to the camp to see Sergei and the rest of the kids. Calling it a farmers market really doesn't do it justice...fruit, vegetables, meat, pig knuckles, deoderant, bathtubs, fabric, etc. We picked up a soccer ball and some soccer socks since there was obviously a deficit at camp. We don't write this blog to make everyone at home cry, but when we gave a pair of soccer socks to Sergei's friend, Gena, he smelled them and said "new!!!!!" </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>Sergei was working the gate when we got to camp, since all of the older kids have some required duty there. We hung out with him and a buddy, as well as about five men who work there and ate some great cherries from the market. Sergei has a future as a paparazzi as he took the camera and went to town taking photos of everything. Before dinner, there was a talent show which also ended with a Miss Alliance (name of the camp) being crowned. We crack up at all the kids who come up to us now and want to speak English..."What is your name?" "How are you today?".....we answer this about 100 times a day at camp.</div><div></div><br /><div>We had dinner with Sergei's teacher, Larrisa and her husband, along with Yana who we met in the bank yesterday. Yana speaks great English so we were able to use her skills to ask some more questions about Sergei and his background, his work in the classroom, and anything else we should know about him. We found out that actually the earlier the child is placed in the orphanage, usually the better they turn out, so it caused a change in our thinking about the time Sergei has spent here...it's all been in very loving hands who guided his development.</div><br /><div></div><div>As dinner ended, Larrisa and her husband walked us back to our hotel and we both thought that Yana would be a good match for their 25 year old son....so...the matchmaking thing may work. We told them we'll come back for the wedding. </div><div></div><br /><div>No news on Interpol since it is the wekeend. Wait, pray and see.</div></div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-58413844564037038682010-07-02T12:14:00.000-07:002010-07-02T12:33:14.121-07:00No clearance yet but an interesting dinnerWell the bummer is that our Interpol clearance did not come through yet. The processes don't map up time wise so the first SDA appointment was 6/23 but we were only at the 28th day in Interpol clearance space, and they require that you allow up to 40 days, so we have been waiting for that and the 40th day is 7/06. So, we will not be in court on 7/05, hopefully on 7/07 and last resort on 7/08. Craig has a flight out the night of 7/08 so please send some prayers our way that the timing works out. It is frustrating that everything was going so smoothly in the beginning and we've hit this snag.<br /><br />We were going to camp in the afternoon so we went to the local bank to exchange $$(completely on our own) and met a young woman who heard us speaking English. She asked if she could help us ---and it turns out she worked at Hershey Park when she was in college for the summer. She loves to speak English and walked us to the local marketplace where we ran into Larissa, Sergei's teacher; we are becoming locals. Larissa tapped Dana on the shoulder, Dana turned around and inadvertently tapped another woman in the head and got chewed out in Russian for about 60 seconds. We decided with Larissa and her husband to all have dinner together tomorrow night and Yanna (the delightful young woman) can be our interpreter!<br /><br />We did spend the day at camp INSIDE THE GATE and just hung with Sergei and his friends. Thanks to those of you who sent birthday cards and I am sure there are more on the way. We went over to the orphanage and picked up 11 and delivered them to camp. He had a blast opening them and reading the messages. There was a show @ camp celebrating the forest with music and dancing....Sergei tried to blow it off to play soccer (futbol) but got reeled in by the head counselor. He then got some soccer in with socks with more holes than you could imagine, along with a very dirty goalie shirt and we sat on the sidelines and cheered.<br /><br />So..here is the dinner deal. We have been eating mostly in the hotel and decided to walk to a restaurant very close by that had outdoor dining. Upon arrival, we realized that the menu was all in Russian and we couldn't read it, so we said thank you and began walking away. A guy called for us and told us that he could speak English and could help us intepret the menu. His name was Valery and his English was not good at all. He also was smashed but harmless. He kind of sort of helped us pick out a chicken dish (which WAS one of our best meals ever) and then sat and attempted to talk about World War II, the Flyers, why the heck we were in Severodonetsk (we said we were visiting a friend who was a teacher---easier that way), how old we were, if we wanted to do vodka shots....again, harmless but not how we anticipated our night to go. You gotta figure that some of this stuff is bound to happen on a three week trip!<br /><br />We should have a more positive update on the local scene after dinner with Yanna tomorrow night! And again...any Interpol connections???? Send them our way.Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-57961012619455186462010-07-01T08:10:00.001-07:002010-07-01T08:11:29.370-07:00Are we in the pile?Quick update. There was a pile of Interpol clearances received today by the SDA and hopefully we are in there. We'll find out by about noon tomorrow.Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-81699109451949405362010-07-01T06:54:00.000-07:002010-07-01T07:52:17.947-07:00Outside the Gate<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2eoGik2iKIKf1pcovhfTLcRoAm3sGmB3ovsfHVbABIbk_1JxV9dQYHhWvqeU6IYj-_GNMsrXsQwH6bKK5qQUVNjotZMByw9HU1Tvyj1flQPVVz3VGQT2k0ir6CHX4bYOgsHOgltkPK8/s1600/P1070516.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488949881665984450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2eoGik2iKIKf1pcovhfTLcRoAm3sGmB3ovsfHVbABIbk_1JxV9dQYHhWvqeU6IYj-_GNMsrXsQwH6bKK5qQUVNjotZMByw9HU1Tvyj1flQPVVz3VGQT2k0ir6CHX4bYOgsHOgltkPK8/s320/P1070516.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4IqpoAVhXPv8KOuA_bd_IKwy-2Rw-n1MMyMGK1NvQak7FQEE2kQjEBspbsweV-AKYgvC8QTN1IxYrZkpPX9w6bB8BNOoh9e00JM0R1JlqyrAofOLAq3JxSSKPd6azioPIDp7Ad-7NhU/s1600/P1070510.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488949735024115634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4IqpoAVhXPv8KOuA_bd_IKwy-2Rw-n1MMyMGK1NvQak7FQEE2kQjEBspbsweV-AKYgvC8QTN1IxYrZkpPX9w6bB8BNOoh9e00JM0R1JlqyrAofOLAq3JxSSKPd6azioPIDp7Ad-7NhU/s320/P1070510.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpU-DdWQmd7Z1Z2j8Kga7_7yyILYzoXpRwHE7K3g98QbjvSB3ql-TqYHBh9I0mgyGRq9TThxUeWWAawcshYlNLk-ExjfYp36ROY-O1XXSG1YUSkbLCu68MVzW_mYZ2EMIorUQT7IzvOc/s1600/P1070495.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488949538496432610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpU-DdWQmd7Z1Z2j8Kga7_7yyILYzoXpRwHE7K3g98QbjvSB3ql-TqYHBh9I0mgyGRq9TThxUeWWAawcshYlNLk-ExjfYp36ROY-O1XXSG1YUSkbLCu68MVzW_mYZ2EMIorUQT7IzvOc/s320/P1070495.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO5OiCzXKsnBd4i8MZVeaQ_HRLWSq1kxUUQXBABdX8cv5kSAmWSuz6m0k-MYUFxgXxd1V88f1WEidVoprgMGcEyn2w8WuhYHY9f02AxKfBtM1Q3tlZ4jZ3-RwntzXouDmiqf3Yv0lnms/s1600/P1070587.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488947252542810514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO5OiCzXKsnBd4i8MZVeaQ_HRLWSq1kxUUQXBABdX8cv5kSAmWSuz6m0k-MYUFxgXxd1V88f1WEidVoprgMGcEyn2w8WuhYHY9f02AxKfBtM1Q3tlZ4jZ3-RwntzXouDmiqf3Yv0lnms/s320/P1070587.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXQQfz0mGptazzIlMMvw0X_dROePn8FRI7vaSyH2KI6hSrQK_5fCTc5yURACPhxhjwIQLRJolE99O9O9TgcvAafXs7_StjXmFFEivGzfIPw_NM1BQ0eCumCnQ_VCUukku2PWgGOeHSiU/s1600/P1070582.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488947175214442194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXQQfz0mGptazzIlMMvw0X_dROePn8FRI7vaSyH2KI6hSrQK_5fCTc5yURACPhxhjwIQLRJolE99O9O9TgcvAafXs7_StjXmFFEivGzfIPw_NM1BQ0eCumCnQ_VCUukku2PWgGOeHSiU/s320/P1070582.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWa7S8dsAeeHXMNxdgVOgbSVNfU1KRKVX8JC67d3iPCe6eMm0_ZEuBYPAaZRa-LLAtL98Gjx7Yhxz1vdY-l9LV8Nf53RV47od9XUP4EcRc1d4halcwJhOlLpKVOVGO_QPfaYWRjhLCGcU/s1600/P1070554.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488946998579741026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWa7S8dsAeeHXMNxdgVOgbSVNfU1KRKVX8JC67d3iPCe6eMm0_ZEuBYPAaZRa-LLAtL98Gjx7Yhxz1vdY-l9LV8Nf53RV47od9XUP4EcRc1d4halcwJhOlLpKVOVGO_QPfaYWRjhLCGcU/s320/P1070554.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>We rode out to camp again by taxi- the roads are pretty full of potholes and when you hit a half mile stretch that is pothole free, you are thankful- while our driver had Barry White singing on the radio. It's about a 30 minute drive and we have found a reliable driver that we rebook for the next day! </div><br /><div></div><div>Yesterday, we played a lot of volleyball at camp and learned quickly that the kids all want to hit the ball to the visiting adults- a sign of respect that they want you to play, no bad intentions. We brought out bananas and juice and it just cracks us up that the first thing the kids do is break the banana in half and offer you part of it. </div><div></div><br /><div>We had dinner with Sergei's lead teacher, Larissa and her husband, last night at the restaurant at the hotel. She gave us a lot of background on Sergei - teachers follow kids through the orphanage, so she has had Sergei in class for the 8 years he has been here. She is thrilled he is going home with us and will have parents who will help him with homework- that is the missing link here. There are about 35 kids in the class and due to sheer numbers, there is little ability to follow through on homework after class is over. </div><div></div><br /><div>Today is Sergei's birthday- we arrived at camp with two cakes from our local market. One sheet cake already had a slice taken out of it and one full round cake...just to give you the full picture of how life is a little different here. We had some yo-yos from the US and got some goodies from the Severodonetsk grocery store. But---we got to the gate of the camp and with some hand signals from the security guard, realized that there was a "commissioner inspecting the camp" and that we were not allowed in. So--- we spent our three hours sitting at a covered picnic table. Sergei and his friends Artur and Ghena joined us and once we realized that was going to be our spot for the day, we actually had a good time. We talked a lot about what is going to happen next in the move to the US. Sergei got tears in his eyes when we asked him if he would miss the orphanage- this is his entire world and network of friends. We kept talking about what would await him at home...good stuff and he is ready to go. </div><br /><div></div><div>Our picnic table conversation also got us to dig a little deeper with the friends. Artur lost his home in a fire and we were not sure if his parents died in the fire, but we learned that the parents are dead and that he has no siblings (he is in the photo with Dana- any takers?). Ghena is the oldest of four boys who are here at the orphanage and we've played with all 4 and he sees himself as the quasi-dad responsible for his brothers. </div><div></div><br /><div>As we sat at the table, just like Pat and Evan used to do, Sergei was trying on Craig's watch and wedding ring....funny how that seems to be a universal dad/son thing. He also kept sticking his finger on the frosting on the cake and reducing the level bit by bit. Before all of the frosting was gone, we lit candles, sang happy birthday, Sergei took a long time for his wish, and then cut the cake and these boys went to town. We had the extra cake too and Sergei wasn't sure it was going to be ok to have with him, so when it came time to say goodbye, Sergei smuggled it under his shirt back into camp. </div><br /><div></div><div>We are going to venture out for dinner away from the hotel tonight on our own, as the Trumps from Atlanta have gone to Germany/Austria on their 10 day waiting period. We hope to hear tonight or tomorrow that the Interpol clearance has come through and that we'll be in court on July 5. Dinner for two with appetizer, entree and a beer or two runs about $25....and the food is excellent. Who needs Cape May when you can come to Severodonetsk?</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073513355689966006.post-482644542849201572010-06-29T12:21:00.000-07:002010-06-30T12:58:08.531-07:00Sergei At Camp<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKqqHVCAkR_rshRV3WRi0ocwxTCC7-OVbd10ID_NbplPv-nV57sjJX9tvzj_Cjg_M25kQ4toB0WIUwMxzJ0c6ayuzIv2MaXutfIyBKu0uRlngYt181S8LsOX43uBxs9vUuhSWPt5_m3U/s1600/P1070473.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488295202213791986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKqqHVCAkR_rshRV3WRi0ocwxTCC7-OVbd10ID_NbplPv-nV57sjJX9tvzj_Cjg_M25kQ4toB0WIUwMxzJ0c6ayuzIv2MaXutfIyBKu0uRlngYt181S8LsOX43uBxs9vUuhSWPt5_m3U/s320/P1070473.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a 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id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488293665092397506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyKrxN14ZxK7WO1kkSregl2qSPtsYFLjD5V4LuCY0PCAsjIkzvAbd3HRplfsA_jv2iTZlZ9EKtRg43N9iekQjZcj8gu4LexxqtBSxmCuImmLa6db-LFEPVnAWlu3gEH0xzujEKX3bcnI/s320/IMG_1124.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_gVJxKXisZc_VXCM0I0MXByl_stJv2FixGB72K38wyuWhZFfMVNX6W_jT3RpGtL5Mavcoi2tmP_RhV48MvbMwJXNv5pHIGaoDOSdv58Hi_xygHOFHgYVC0kFNTR1qa56BPk_vnlG2DE/s1600/P1070469.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488292502624645554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_gVJxKXisZc_VXCM0I0MXByl_stJv2FixGB72K38wyuWhZFfMVNX6W_jT3RpGtL5Mavcoi2tmP_RhV48MvbMwJXNv5pHIGaoDOSdv58Hi_xygHOFHgYVC0kFNTR1qa56BPk_vnlG2DE/s320/P1070469.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a 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href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06oJEtDhg7hBSC45xuLePmeV5R-T89r_dQu2NBMGpNfMIwgXLTrYMyU6PiAOIe6Et2h03ccqT9PYDq4PvzvKD83y6gVa_mGDmDydg7WfilhtHqbT-ulm-VCNvBHQgKqcOeCgsNFkqUD0/s1600/P1070477.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97KtZyoAExutzjnvieiAnX9hiwI9nQASPa5OKxGGmNVwp45blzWAdCuQivkpQjRTPQL4W_MNaYcPIOSAUEzgQVskH5RdhZvhPPtcBOjX6b-sX6IURc-nfhLtqjbbIs-j36rLZBlDdzBA/s1600/P1070481.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 112px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488291543816334386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97KtZyoAExutzjnvieiAnX9hiwI9nQASPa5OKxGGmNVwp45blzWAdCuQivkpQjRTPQL4W_MNaYcPIOSAUEzgQVskH5RdhZvhPPtcBOjX6b-sX6IURc-nfhLtqjbbIs-j36rLZBlDdzBA/s200/P1070481.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dpbcYqGeCXKUkts971xs3ic2r_7B8WGQ5FG5EETsVINETactcVQsB4imiO8NHODAsGaS_8I8LAMdaTnb3Yow_74jHmFKOd8OGIQG1EkEyiSC_33hXSBHdmoaLECANB_7mZIOrAc80lA/s1600/P1070469.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Who</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">needs</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Disney</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">World</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" 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class="blsp-spelling-error">cab</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">ride</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">through</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ukrainian</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">countryside</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">get</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">camp</span></span>? <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">We</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">had</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">an</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">interesting</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">adventure</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">our</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">cabdriver</span></span>- <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">knocked</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">off</span></span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">hubcap</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span></span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error">pothole</span></span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dana</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error">were</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-error">sure</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" class="blsp-spelling-error">had</span></span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_40" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_40" class="blsp-spelling-error">flat</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_41" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_41" class="blsp-spelling-error">tire</span></span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_42" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_42" class="blsp-spelling-error">but</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_43" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_43" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_44" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_44" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn't</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_45" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_45" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_46" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_46" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_47" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_47" class="blsp-spelling-error">made</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_48" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_48" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_49" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_49" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_50" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_50" class="blsp-spelling-error">camp</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_51" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_51" class="blsp-spelling-error">safe</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_52" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_52" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_53" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_53" class="blsp-spelling-error">sound</span></span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_54" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_54" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cab</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_55" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_55" class="blsp-spelling-error">fare</span></span>- $8.00. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_56" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_56" class="blsp-spelling-error">Imagine</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_57" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_57" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_58" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_58" class="blsp-spelling-error">in</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_59" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_59" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_60" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_60" class="blsp-spelling-error">US</span></span>! <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_61" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_61" class="blsp-spelling-error">The</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_62" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_62" class="blsp-spelling-error">camp</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_63" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_63" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_64" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_64" class="blsp-spelling-error">actually</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_65" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_65" class="blsp-spelling-error">really</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_66" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_66" class="blsp-spelling-error">nice</span></span>- <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_67" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_67" class="blsp-spelling-error">all</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_68" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_68" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_69" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_69" class="blsp-spelling-error">kids</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_70" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_70" class="blsp-spelling-error">are</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_71" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_71" class="blsp-spelling-error">in</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_72" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_72" class="blsp-spelling-error">dorms</span></span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_73" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_73" class="blsp-spelling-error">there</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_74" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_74" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span></span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_75" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_75" class="blsp-spelling-error">full</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_76" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_76" class="blsp-spelling-error">dining</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_77" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_77" class="blsp-spelling-error">hall</span></span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_78" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_78" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_79" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_79" class="blsp-spelling-error">schedule</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_80" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_80" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_81" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_81" class="blsp-spelling-error">activities</span></span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_82" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_82" class="blsp-spelling-error">The</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_83" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_83" class="blsp-spelling-error">camp</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_84" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_84" class="blsp-spelling-error">also</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_85" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_85" class="blsp-spelling-error">has</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_86" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_86" class="blsp-spelling-error">kids</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_87" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_87" class="blsp-spelling-error">from</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_88" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_88" class="blsp-spelling-error">outside</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_89" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_89" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_90" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_90" class="blsp-spelling-error">orphanage</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_91" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_91" class="blsp-spelling-error">attending</span></span>. </div><br /><div></div><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_92" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_92" class="blsp-spelling-error">We</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_93" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_93" class="blsp-spelling-error">got</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_94" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_94" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_95" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_95" class="blsp-spelling-error">camp</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_96" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_96" class="blsp-spelling-error">around</span></span> 11:30 a.m. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_97" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_97" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_98" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_98" class="blsp-spelling-error">hung</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_99" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_99" class="blsp-spelling-error">out</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_100" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_100" class="blsp-spelling-error">before</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_101" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_101" class="blsp-spelling-error">lunch</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_102" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_102" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_103" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_103" class="blsp-spelling-error">were</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_104" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_104" class="blsp-spelling-error">invited</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_105" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_105" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_106" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_106" class="blsp-spelling-error">have</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_107" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_107" class="blsp-spelling-error">lunch</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_108" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_108" class="blsp-spelling-error">which</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_109" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_109" class="blsp-spelling-error">was</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_110" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_110" class="blsp-spelling-error">very</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_111" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_111" class="blsp-spelling-error">nice</span></span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_112" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_112" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hot</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_113" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_113" class="blsp-spelling-error">stew</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_114" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_114" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_115" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_115" class="blsp-spelling-error">hot</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_116" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_116" class="blsp-spelling-error">tea</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_117" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_117" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span></span> a 90 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_118" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_118" class="blsp-spelling-error">degree</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_119" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_119" class="blsp-spelling-error">day</span></span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_120" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_120" class="blsp-spelling-error">but</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_121" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_121" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_122" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_122" class="blsp-spelling-error">were</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_123" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_123" class="blsp-spelling-error">happy</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_124" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_124" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_125" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_125" class="blsp-spelling-error">be</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_126" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_126" class="blsp-spelling-error">included</span></span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_127" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_127" class="blsp-spelling-error">The</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_128" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_128" class="blsp-spelling-error">kids</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_129" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_129" class="blsp-spelling-error">then</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_130" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_130" class="blsp-spelling-error">had</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_131" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_131" class="blsp-spelling-error">required</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_132" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_132" class="blsp-spelling-error">down</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_133" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_133" class="blsp-spelling-error">time</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_134" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_134" class="blsp-spelling-error">from</span></span> 1:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m. - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_135" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_135" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_136" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_136" class="blsp-spelling-error">hung</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_137" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_137" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_138" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_138" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sergei</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_139" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_139" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_140" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_140" class="blsp-spelling-error">his</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_141" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_141" class="blsp-spelling-error">four</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_142" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_142" class="blsp-spelling-error">roommates</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_143" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_143" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_144" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_144" class="blsp-spelling-error">played</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_145" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_145" class="blsp-spelling-error">quiet</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_146" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_146" class="blsp-spelling-error">Uno</span></span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_147" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_147" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_148" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_148" class="blsp-spelling-error">learned</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_149" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_149" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_150" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_150" class="blsp-spelling-error">count</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_151" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_151" class="blsp-spelling-error">in</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_152" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_152" class="blsp-spelling-error">Russian</span></span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_153" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_153" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_154" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_154" class="blsp-spelling-error">just</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_155" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_155" class="blsp-spelling-error">shot</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_156" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_156" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_157" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_157" class="blsp-spelling-error">breeze</span></span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_158" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_158" class="blsp-spelling-error">We</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_159" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_159" class="blsp-spelling-error">got</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_160" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_160" class="blsp-spelling-error">shhhhhhh'd</span></span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_161" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_161" class="blsp-spelling-error">few</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_162" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_162" class="blsp-spelling-error">times</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_163" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_163" class="blsp-spelling-error">from</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_164" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_164" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_165" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_165" class="blsp-spelling-error">counselors</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_166" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_166" class="blsp-spelling-error">but</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_167" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_167" class="blsp-spelling-error">they</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_168" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_168" class="blsp-spelling-error">knew</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_169" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_169" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_170" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_170" class="blsp-spelling-error">were</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_171" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_171" class="blsp-spelling-error">just</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_172" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_172" class="blsp-spelling-error">having</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_173" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_173" class="blsp-spelling-error">fun</span></span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_174" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_174" class="blsp-spelling-error">We</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_175" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_175" class="blsp-spelling-error">had</span></span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_176" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_176" class="blsp-spelling-error">bag</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_177" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_177" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_178" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_178" class="blsp-spelling-error">candy</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_179" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_179" class="blsp-spelling-error">from</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_180" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_180" class="blsp-spelling-error">CVS</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_181" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_181" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_182" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_182" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sergei</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_183" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_183" class="blsp-spelling-error">decided</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_184" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_184" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_185" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_185" class="blsp-spelling-error">HE</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_186" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_186" class="blsp-spelling-error">would</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_187" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_187" class="blsp-spelling-error">be</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_188" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_188" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_189" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_189" class="blsp-spelling-error">one</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_190" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_190" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_191" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_191" class="blsp-spelling-error">distribute</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_192" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_192" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_193" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_193" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_194" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_194" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_195" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_195" class="blsp-spelling-error">kids</span></span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_196" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_196" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ok</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_197" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_197" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_198" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_198" class="blsp-spelling-error">us</span></span>. </div><br /><div></div><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_199" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_199" class="blsp-spelling-error">As</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_200" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_200" class="blsp-spelling-error">you</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_201" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_201" class="blsp-spelling-error">will</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_202" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_202" class="blsp-spelling-error">see</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_203" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_203" class="blsp-spelling-error">from</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_204" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_204" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_205" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_205" class="blsp-spelling-error">photos</span></span>- <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_206" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_206" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_207" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_207" class="blsp-spelling-error">kids</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_208" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_208" class="blsp-spelling-error">at</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_209" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_209" class="blsp-spelling-error">camp</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_210" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_210" class="blsp-spelling-error">have</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_211" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_211" class="blsp-spelling-error">very</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_212" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_212" class="blsp-spelling-error">little</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_213" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_213" class="blsp-spelling-error">personality</span></span> :-) <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_214" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_214" class="blsp-spelling-error">including</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_215" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_215" class="blsp-spelling-error">our</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_216" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_216" class="blsp-spelling-error">new</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_217" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_217" class="blsp-spelling-error">friend</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_218" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_218" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kola</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_219" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_219" class="blsp-spelling-error">who</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_220" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_220" class="blsp-spelling-error">was</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_221" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_221" class="blsp-spelling-error">wearing</span></span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_222" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_222" class="blsp-spelling-error">babushka</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_223" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_223" class="blsp-spelling-error">while</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_224" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_224" class="blsp-spelling-error">playing</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_225" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_225" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_226" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_226" class="blsp-spelling-error">harmushka</span></span> (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_227" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_227" class="blsp-spelling-error">mini-accordion</span></span>). </div><div></div><br /><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_228" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_228" class="blsp-spelling-error">We</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_229" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_229" class="blsp-spelling-error">were</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_230" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_230" class="blsp-spelling-error">checking</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_231" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_231" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_232" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_232" class="blsp-spelling-error">our</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_233" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_233" class="blsp-spelling-error">court</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_234" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_234" class="blsp-spelling-error">date</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_235" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_235" class="blsp-spelling-error">today</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_236" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_236" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_237" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_237" class="blsp-spelling-error">our</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_238" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_238" class="blsp-spelling-error">Interpol</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_239" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_239" class="blsp-spelling-error">clearance</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_240" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_240" class="blsp-spelling-error">has</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_241" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_241" class="blsp-spelling-error">not</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_242" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_242" class="blsp-spelling-error">come</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_243" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_243" class="blsp-spelling-error">through</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_244" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_244" class="blsp-spelling-error">yet</span></span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_245" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_245" class="blsp-spelling-error">Our</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_246" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_246" class="blsp-spelling-error">dossier</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_247" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_247" class="blsp-spelling-error">was</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_248" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_248" class="blsp-spelling-error">approved</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_249" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_249" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_250" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_250" class="blsp-spelling-error">May</span></span> 26 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_251" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_251" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_252" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_252" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_253" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_253" class="blsp-spelling-error">can</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_254" class="blsp-spelling-error">take</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_255" class="blsp-spelling-error">up</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_256" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> 40 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_257" class="blsp-spelling-error">days</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_258" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_259" class="blsp-spelling-error">get</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_260" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_261" class="blsp-spelling-error">Interpol</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_262" class="blsp-spelling-error">clearance</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_263" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_264" class="blsp-spelling-error">prove</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_265" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_266" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_267" class="blsp-spelling-error">are</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_268" class="blsp-spelling-error">not</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_269" class="blsp-spelling-error">international</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_270" class="blsp-spelling-error">criminals</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_271" class="blsp-spelling-error">So</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_272" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_273" class="blsp-spelling-error">will</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_274" class="blsp-spelling-error">not</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_275" class="blsp-spelling-error">be</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_276" class="blsp-spelling-error">in</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_277" class="blsp-spelling-error">court</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_278" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> 7/01 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_279" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_280" class="blsp-spelling-error">hopefully</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_281" class="blsp-spelling-error">will</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_282" class="blsp-spelling-error">make</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_283" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_284" class="blsp-spelling-error">for</span> 7/05. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_285" class="blsp-spelling-error">Our</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_286" class="blsp-spelling-error">facilitators</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_287" class="blsp-spelling-error">here</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_288" class="blsp-spelling-error">are</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_289" class="blsp-spelling-error">working</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_290" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_291" class="blsp-spelling-error">contacts</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_292" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_293" class="blsp-spelling-error">hopefully</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_294" class="blsp-spelling-error">make</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_295" class="blsp-spelling-error">it</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_296" class="blsp-spelling-error">all</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_297" class="blsp-spelling-error">come</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_298" class="blsp-spelling-error">together</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_299" class="blsp-spelling-error">but</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_300" class="blsp-spelling-error">please</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_301" class="blsp-spelling-error">add</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_302" class="blsp-spelling-error">prayer</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_303" class="blsp-spelling-error">for</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_304" class="blsp-spelling-error">us</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_305" class="blsp-spelling-error">also</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_306" class="blsp-spelling-error">After</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_307" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_308" class="blsp-spelling-error">first</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_309" class="blsp-spelling-error">court</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_310" class="blsp-spelling-error">date</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_311" class="blsp-spelling-error">there</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_312" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> a 10 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_313" class="blsp-spelling-error">day</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_314" class="blsp-spelling-error">waiting</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_315" class="blsp-spelling-error">period</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_316" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_317" class="blsp-spelling-error">then</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_318" class="blsp-spelling-error">about</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_319" class="blsp-spelling-error">six</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_320" class="blsp-spelling-error">days</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_321" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_322" class="blsp-spelling-error">paperwork</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_323" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_324" class="blsp-spelling-error">complete</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_325" class="blsp-spelling-error">so</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_326" class="blsp-spelling-error">add</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_327" class="blsp-spelling-error">about</span> 16 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_328" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_329" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_330" class="blsp-spelling-error">court</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_331" class="blsp-spelling-error">date</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_332" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_333" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_334" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_335" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_336" class="blsp-spelling-error">when</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_337" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dana</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_338" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_339" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sergei</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_340" class="blsp-spelling-error">will</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_341" class="blsp-spelling-error">get</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_342" class="blsp-spelling-error">home</span>. (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_343" class="blsp-spelling-error">Craig</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_344" class="blsp-spelling-error">will</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_345" class="blsp-spelling-error">head</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_346" class="blsp-spelling-error">home</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_347" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> 7/08 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_348" class="blsp-spelling-error">unless</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_349" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_350" class="blsp-spelling-error">first</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_351" class="blsp-spelling-error">court</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_352" class="blsp-spelling-error">date</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_353" class="blsp-spelling-error">hasn't</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_354" class="blsp-spelling-error">happened</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_355" class="blsp-spelling-error">yet</span>:-( )</div><div></div><br /><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_356" class="blsp-spelling-error">As</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_357" class="blsp-spelling-error">you</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_358" class="blsp-spelling-error">check</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_359" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> blog <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_360" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_361" class="blsp-spelling-error">our</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_362" class="blsp-spelling-error">adventures</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_363" class="blsp-spelling-error">overseas</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_364" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_365" class="blsp-spelling-error">want</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_366" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_367" class="blsp-spelling-error">point</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_368" class="blsp-spelling-error">out</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_369" class="blsp-spelling-error">what</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_370" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_371" class="blsp-spelling-error">happening</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_372" class="blsp-spelling-error">stateside</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_373" class="blsp-spelling-error">as</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_374" class="blsp-spelling-error">well</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_375" class="blsp-spelling-error">We've</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_376" class="blsp-spelling-error">been</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_377" class="blsp-spelling-error">able</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_378" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_379" class="blsp-spelling-error">Skype</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_380" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_381" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pat</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_382" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_383" class="blsp-spelling-error">Evan</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_384" class="blsp-spelling-error">almost</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_385" class="blsp-spelling-error">every</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_386" class="blsp-spelling-error">day</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_387" class="blsp-spelling-error">which</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_388" class="blsp-spelling-error">has</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_389" class="blsp-spelling-error">been</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_390" class="blsp-spelling-error">great</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_391" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_392" class="blsp-spelling-error">keep</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_393" class="blsp-spelling-error">pulse</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_394" class="blsp-spelling-error">as</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_395" class="blsp-spelling-error">well</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_396" class="blsp-spelling-error">as</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_397" class="blsp-spelling-error">see</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_398" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_399" class="blsp-spelling-error">dogs</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_400" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_401" class="blsp-spelling-error">camera</span>! <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_402" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dana's</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_403" class="blsp-spelling-error">sister</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_404" class="blsp-spelling-error">Carla</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_405" class="blsp-spelling-error">has</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_406" class="blsp-spelling-error">been</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_407" class="blsp-spelling-error">keeping</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_408" class="blsp-spelling-error">an</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_409" class="blsp-spelling-error">eye</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_410" class="blsp-spelling-error">on</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_411" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pat</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_412" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_413" class="blsp-spelling-error">Evan</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_414" class="blsp-spelling-error">our</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_415" class="blsp-spelling-error">nephew</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_416" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mac</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_417" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_418" class="blsp-spelling-error">now</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_419" class="blsp-spelling-error">there</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_420" class="blsp-spelling-error">for</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_421" class="blsp-spelling-error">couple</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_422" class="blsp-spelling-error">days</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_423" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_424" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_425" class="blsp-spelling-error">are</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_426" class="blsp-spelling-error">so</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_427" class="blsp-spelling-error">blessed</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_428" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_429" class="blsp-spelling-error">have</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_430" class="blsp-spelling-error">neighbors</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_431" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_432" class="blsp-spelling-error">friends</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_433" class="blsp-spelling-error">having</span> the kids <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_437" class="blsp-spelling-error">over</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_438" class="blsp-spelling-error">for</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_439" class="blsp-spelling-error">dinner</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_440" class="blsp-spelling-error">getting</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_441" class="blsp-spelling-error">them</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_442" class="blsp-spelling-error">where</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_443" class="blsp-spelling-error">they</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_444" class="blsp-spelling-error">need</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_445" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_446" class="blsp-spelling-error">be</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_447" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_448" class="blsp-spelling-error">overall</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_449" class="blsp-spelling-error">adding</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_450" class="blsp-spelling-error">layer</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_451" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_452" class="blsp-spelling-error">reassurance</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_453" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_454" class="blsp-spelling-error">all</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_455" class="blsp-spelling-error">in</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_456" class="blsp-spelling-error">West</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_457" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chester</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_458" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_459" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_460" class="blsp-spelling-error">Craig</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_461" class="blsp-spelling-error">was</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_462" class="blsp-spelling-error">randomly</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_463" class="blsp-spelling-error">emailing</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_464" class="blsp-spelling-error">Greg</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_465" class="blsp-spelling-error">Klimovitz</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_466" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_467" class="blsp-spelling-error">youth</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_468" class="blsp-spelling-error">minister</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_469" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_470" class="blsp-spelling-error">our</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_471" class="blsp-spelling-error">church</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_472" class="blsp-spelling-error">today</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_473" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_474" class="blsp-spelling-error">Greg</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_475" class="blsp-spelling-error">bounced</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_476" class="blsp-spelling-error">back</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_477" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_478" class="blsp-spelling-error">say</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_479" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_480" class="blsp-spelling-error">he</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_481" class="blsp-spelling-error">was</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_482" class="blsp-spelling-error">taking</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_483" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pat</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_484" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_485" class="blsp-spelling-error">Evan</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_486" class="blsp-spelling-error">out</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_487" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_488" class="blsp-spelling-error">lunch</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_489" class="blsp-spelling-error">You</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_490" class="blsp-spelling-error">can't</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_491" class="blsp-spelling-error">imagine</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_492" class="blsp-spelling-error">how</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_493" class="blsp-spelling-error">good</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_494" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_495" class="blsp-spelling-error">feels</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_496" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_497" class="blsp-spelling-error">know</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_498" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_499" class="blsp-spelling-error">our</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_500" class="blsp-spelling-error">family</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_501" class="blsp-spelling-error">at</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_502" class="blsp-spelling-error">home</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_503" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_504" class="blsp-spelling-error">well</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_505" class="blsp-spelling-error">taken</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_506" class="blsp-spelling-error">care</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_507" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span>. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_508" class="blsp-spelling-error">Please</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_509" class="blsp-spelling-error">keep</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_510" class="blsp-spelling-error">us</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_511" class="blsp-spelling-error">in</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_512" class="blsp-spelling-error">your</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_513" class="blsp-spelling-error">prayers</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_514" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_515" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_516" class="blsp-spelling-error">Interpol</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_517" class="blsp-spelling-error">clearance</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_518" class="blsp-spelling-error">comes</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_519" class="blsp-spelling-error">through</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_520" class="blsp-spelling-error">this</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_521" class="blsp-spelling-error">week</span>!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Loundashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09143044275887050755noreply@blogger.com1