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Look Who's Graduating!

Kiev

Seeing the Sites in Kiev

Today we went site-seeing all over Kiev. For the last three weeks Heidi has been teaching at an Ukranian summer camp for kids who want to learn English. One of 12 year old girls that Heidi met at the camp met us in Kiev with her father. Her father does not speak any English, but has lived in Kiev all of his life. He showed us all over the city and insisted on paying for everything: bus fare,lunch, entrance fees at several cathedrals. It was so nice not to get lost at all today (as opposed to yesterday!)


At one point he left on the subway to go to a place he knows that sells Ukranian "hotdogs". We went our seperate ways and then met up in a park where he produced the hotdogs with a flourish. I guess they are one of a kind and that's why he wanted to cross town to buy them for us.From the outside they kind of looked like a fritter that we might have in the states. When you bite into them you find the smoked frankfurter in the center. Kind of a cross between a corndog with no stick and a doughnut. They were surprisingly good!


I think I took 300 pictures today of the beautiful cathedrals, monuments and other sites.

Tomorrow we travel by bus to the town where Heidi lives and teaches to spend the day.

This Is It

I'll be leaving for the airport in about 90 minutes. I think I only slept two hours last night. My stomach is in a knot.

All of my stuff is laid out on the living room couch. As soon as Kellen's caregiver comes to take him out for the day, I'll be doing the final packing.

Please send positive thoughts my way!

Code Word: Costner

I leave for Ukraine in four days. I'm working on being more excited than scared...but scared has a slight lead.

A few months before Heidi left for Peace Corps, we were having one of our typical, yet crazy, Mother-Daughter conversations. She was trying to explain to me that despite the fact that "I" liked Kevin Costner as an actor, "she" did not. In fact, "she" did not like Kevin Costner as much as "I" did not like drinking tea (despite the fact that "she" loved tea.)The conversation became very funny, but the point was made: even though we are mother and daughter, she is not me and I am not her. It's okay to like and dislike different things. Whenever I try to encourage her to like something I like, she simply says "tea!" and I instantly get it and back off.

Heidi has been living in Ukraine for about ten months now and she has become used to many things that at first seemed strange or different. The other day, on the phone, she encouraged me to let her know when I'm uncomfortable during my visit as something strange to me just might escape her notice at this point. I told her that we should have a code word so that I can discreetly let her know. We both agreed: Costner!

Here's to hoping that I'll have just enough Costner moments to keep it interesting, but no more than that...

It's Been A Long Time!

Hello out there!

It's been a long while since I've regularly updated this blog. I'm reviving it now because I am about to embark on quite a journey and I'd like to record it. Next week I'll be traveling to Ukraine to visit my daughter who currently lives in Radomyshl and serves in the Peace Corps. I haven't seen Heidi (formally known as DQ)for ten months! I miss her dearly...and now I have the opportunity to spend two weeks with her in Ukraine, and then we'll travel together to Prague.

Am I excited? Yes.
Am I nervous? YES!
Am I freaking out inside? Pretty much.


Heidi, June 2010 in Ukraine

Grateful

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
Marcel Proust

I've been thinking on this quote during this season of Thanksgiving. I've been thinking about people who make me happy and thinking about being grateful for them.

We spent Thanksgiving over at Sweet Husband's sister's house and Kellen got to hang out with some of the people who make him happy...his cousins. He enjoys being in their presence. Just after the Thanksgiving feast, Kellen was getting tired and needed to go home. Everyone at the table got up and lined up for a goodbye hug from Kellen. I was touched...Kellen is having an impact.


Hamming it up with the cousins.



Today as we were leaving church Kellen went to say good-bye to one of his favorite people on the planet, Terry. At home we call him Rock Star Terry because he sings in our church band and he looks like a rock star. As Kellen was giving Terry a bear hug, Terry said, "You make me happy, buddy."...and I melted just a little. Grateful. Happy.


Kellen dressed up as Rock Star Terry for Halloween.