One year ago today we met Victoria for the first time. It is so surreal to me to be here in the same place today. I will never forget the moment when we were all sitting in the director's office at the orphanage and they brought this shy little girl in to meet us. It is amazing to see how far she has come in the past year. It has really shown me being here just how far she has really come.
This is the very first picture I took of her and Morgan together when we met her on July 31, 2009. Victoria is so serious and unsure about what is going on.
I compare that to this picture I took on her birthday a little over a week ago. She is so happy and really has a light in her eyes.
This picture is from two days ago at the orphanage visit. I took the boys a few little trucks and some cookies. I just love these boys. They are such boys one minute and then the second you sit down they just jump on your lap and want to be held.
Today we went to Shevchenko Park. Shevchenko Park was my saving grace for the last week or so when we had Victoria with us in the apartment. My mom and I took her there every day. We ate lunch in the restaurant there and I had the mushroom soup and deruny (potato pancakes) that I have been craving. We got to go with another family that is adopting an HIV+ little girl and is in Kiev on the tail end of their trip. They are actually finished, they are just waiting for their flight home. They were so great. The little girl, Irina, is such a delight. She is almost 9 years old. We got to spend time with her, her mom and her big sister Amy. Amy is going to be the best big sister ever to Irina. I can't wait to see her at home with her family and how she will blossom.
This is the back of a statue of Taras Shevchenko looking at the "Red University" or more formally Taras Shevchenko University.
The outside of the restaurant. It is so, so charming inside.
Just a cute little thing in the park.
This picture is from two days ago at the orphanage visit. I took the boys a few little trucks and some cookies. I just love these boys. They are such boys one minute and then the second you sit down they just jump on your lap and want to be held.
Today we went to Shevchenko Park. Shevchenko Park was my saving grace for the last week or so when we had Victoria with us in the apartment. My mom and I took her there every day. We ate lunch in the restaurant there and I had the mushroom soup and deruny (potato pancakes) that I have been craving. We got to go with another family that is adopting an HIV+ little girl and is in Kiev on the tail end of their trip. They are actually finished, they are just waiting for their flight home. They were so great. The little girl, Irina, is such a delight. She is almost 9 years old. We got to spend time with her, her mom and her big sister Amy. Amy is going to be the best big sister ever to Irina. I can't wait to see her at home with her family and how she will blossom.
This is the back of a statue of Taras Shevchenko looking at the "Red University" or more formally Taras Shevchenko University.
The outside of the restaurant. It is so, so charming inside.
Just a cute little thing in the park.
I love seeing the "then & now" pictures. I can't wait to see the changes is Lil over the next year.
ReplyDeleteHave fun in Kyiv!
Wow - a whole year has gone by! So happy for you V. I love seeing all the "new" kiddos going home with their families including Daria, Zoya, and Iryna. Now if we could just find some families for those boys...
ReplyDeleteI love the joyful one year later shot!!! Love the hugs to the boys in the orphanage as well. What an amazing journey so far!
ReplyDeleteI love the comparison pics! And the park looks so nice when it's all green!
ReplyDeleteI was diagnosed as HEPATITIS B carrier in 2013 with fibrosis of the
ReplyDeleteliver already present. I started on antiviral medications which
reduced the viral load initially. After a couple of years the virus
became resistant. I started on HEPATITIS B Herbal treatment from
ULTIMATE LIFE CLINIC (www.ultimatelifeclinic.com) in March, 2020. Their
treatment totally reversed the virus. I did another blood test after
the 6 months long treatment and tested negative to the virus. Amazing
treatment! This treatment is a breakthrough for all HBV carriers.