Halle Grace in the Big City

I just put Halle Grace to bed, and it was easy-peasy! Hooray! She was READY because we had a very exciting day (and very little sleep last night!). After getting back from the Embassy, we rested for awhile at the apartment, then headed out to explore. Really, she just wanted to take her coloring book and crayons to one of the benches in the courtyard, but it turned into an all day event (so, yes, we ended up carting the coloring book and crayons all over town!). We walked down to Independence Square, which she was dazzled by! Everything must feel so new to her - so exciting.
I also took her through the underground mall beneath the square for her very first escalator ride! I wish I had videoed it, because it was just priceless. She must of thought it was a carnival ride of some kind, because she just giggled the whole way and wanted to go over and over again.
Then we sat on a bench in the square and watched the skateboarders. It's amazing to me that fashion can be so different in Ukraine, but the skateboard-look is exactly the same here. It must be universal.

I called our adoption friends, Drew, Michelle, Luke, and Tatyana and we got to meet them for dinner. They knew about this great place that has a little indoor play area, and really good pasta dishes. :) I had spaghetti (with the real tomato/basil sauce, not the ketchuppy stuff you find in Ukraine). I ordered Halle spaghetti carbonara. She picked at it a littie, then ate all the cherry tomatoes out of my dish. It was so funny to see Halle meeting new people and feeling all shy again - it reminded me of when we first met her. After awhile, she warmed up, and even went to the play area with Luke and Tatyana. She had a great time, and so did I. I'm so proud of how she's adjusting! That Tatyana is amazing as well - you'd never know those girls were orphans!

Those of you that will meeting our daughter over the next week or so, you will most likely see the shy little Vica at first. Stick around, and you'll get to watch her warm up and become the little Halle Grace we know and love! It's quite a transofrmation!

Another change of plans...(when is there not?). We're heading out of here TOMORROW at 3:45pm (that's 7:45am Texas time). We'll go to London, and then to New York. We'll have to stay the night there because we'll get in too late to connect to Dallas. We'll be in Dallas sometime Thursday morning (depending on how early we decide to head to the airport in New York!). Our plan-A Thursday Delta flight is getting too full to risk flying stand-by, and this is the best plan B we had that didn't mean staying until Saturday. At this point, I really don't care how I get there, I just want to get home!

Pray for me tomorrow as I have to try to explain through pantemime that we have to turn off the electronic devices for landing and take-off, as well as keeping the tray tables up. This was a challenge on our flight to Kiev! :) We are getting quite good at pantemiming, actually. I'm sure we're quite entertaining for the Ukrainians to watch. Now that I think about it, I might need a little more praying than that. What I really want is supernatural patience for both Halle and me as we make this journey across the globe. I once went to Hawaii with the boys by myself to visit my friend, Lyndy. I thought that was brave. At least they understood me when I yelled at them... hehe. No, of course I won't be yelling at sweet Halle (because of the supernatural patience you will all be praying for...:)

I'm off to weed through our stuff and make sure we'll still be able to carry-on our bags. Flying through London makes that crucial because of the new terminal at Heathrow and all the craziness that goes along with that. Too bad I can't pack socks and things inside all those stacking dolls! :)

I can't believe it, but I'm signing off from Ukraine! Hallelujah!

I hope I still have things to talk about when I get home. If you read the blog, you've already heard all the good stories! I'll have to be thinking up some more on the way home so I'll have something new to say when I see ya'll in person! :)

Love and hugs to all!
Julie