Thursday Journal

Despite only 5hrs of sleep in the hotel on way back to Kiliya, Alla the slave driver had us sitting in the van ready to go at 7:30am. Around 9:10am we arrived back in Kiliya, drove directly to the bank to complete final paperwork. From there we drove to notary to drop off paperwork for him to complete. Then we drove to hotel to meet up with Vickie and Astrid and regroup. During our regrouping, Alla went to the orphanage and took the boys to a toy store for a toy so they would reward her with good behavior during the following visit to the photographer downtown for passport photos. Then returned them to the orphanage and came to hotel from which us guys all went for breakfast/noon lunch (11:30am)
After lunch we went to orphanage during the boys siesta during which time we finalized all our paperwork and loose ends with the orphanage and director. 2:45pm saw us in our kiliya hotel room packing up and saying good bye to our home on various occasions over the past 2 months. 3:45pm saw us on drive over to orphanage with the boys new own clothes and belongings all ready for the quick checkout of the orphanage for the last time.
Yes its a apprehensive, sad, yet hopeful time as the twins said their goodbyes to all their friends and caregivers. Sad to see the numerous faces who stay behind in this place. A flood of emotions go through your mind as you stand there in the cool autumn breeze in the grounds of a Ukrainian orphanage. This remote part if Ukraine so resource stricken it can't afford to mow a lawn, pave the roads, have public restrooms in restaraunts or gas stations, or build new infrastructure, yet the faces of the older generation meet you with this content, a life well lived look, the laugher of the younger generation in the playground makes you ponder the idea that perhaps its not what world we live in, or what house we dwell in, or the car we drive that defines our sense of being and happiness but rather what we make of the place we were planted in.
My own personal experience here in Ukraine these past few weeks has been one of sheer amazement, personal reflection of our own world setting, our livelihood and our life goal. I must admit I truly appreciated coming here and experiencing the culture and people. The older people we see here on the street corners each morning as the sun rises chatting with each other about this and that makes you appreciate the simpler life these folks have lived and still live. It makes you reflect on the validity of our lives madness and stress so sped up we barely go to sleep or take time to appreciate the sun rise.