Did I say shy and scared???

Well, not today! Victoria was very interactive today. Both of our visits went very well. She is quite the little firecracker. I think she is going to give Morgan a run for her money. I also think she is going to be a Daddy's girl, as she has taken quite the liking to Joe.

We got to spend a lot of time together today. We played separate from her "groupa" for the most part and every time one of the other kids would come near us Victoria would chase them away. She definitely understands that we are there for her and doesn't want anyone else taking our attention. I brought a picture book with me and she kept it with her. It was so sweet to see her keep looking at the pictures and pointing to all of us. I also brought bubbles today and she had fun with them. She also really liked my camera and taking pictures with it (although I'm not sure if all of the settings are still correct now).

There is another little girl in Victoria's groupa that I am just in love with. We are going to try and find out on Monday if she is available for adoption. If she is we will see about getting her referral. If not, we will just be coming home with one.

I can't say enough how impressed I am with the orphanage and the director. The place is such a contrast to many of the pictures I have seen of orphanages and what I pictured in my mind. The place is so clean and cheery, and you can really tell how much the director cares for the children. He is very proud of all of them.

The adjustment is going to be hard for us all, but we will work through it. We really feel like we are blessed.

We have decided to stay in our current apartment. My facilitator was able to negotiate a monthly rent with the land lady that everyone is happy with. I really like it here. We have everything we need and we are very close to a lot of restaurants, shopping, etc. We joke that we must be in the rich part of the neighborhood. There was a Bentley on the corner today and then an Aston Martin on the same corner later, then we Joe took the trash out tonight a pink Lamborginii (sp?) drove by. We are on the other side of the river from the orphanage so we do have to arrange transportation. Right now we are taking cabs back and forth but my facilitator says she is also going to show us how to use the subway. She says it is much, much cheaper so we will have that as an option too.

We will continue with our daily visits with Victoria and hopefully some more paperwork towards our court date will be started on Monday.

Amanda - I hope you aren't losing your mind yet! Give the puppies a kiss for us. Thank you so much for everything. We love you and miss you.

Mom - you can cancel your Wizzair ticket. I will pick you up in Kiev. Jacqueline will still be flying from JFK to Kiev with you. I'll explain the "immigration card" that you have to fill out on the plane before you land. Other than that customs was a breeze and our luggage was out before we even got over there. We'll keep you guys posted about Joe and Morgan's return. Love you all!!!