Trip 2 Day 10 Tuesday May 25

We weren’t visiting Julianna until 4 PM today so went to the foster home to make some overdue blog updates. Their computer was broken but help was on the way so we visited with Pasha, Oksana and daughter Katya. We really feel welcome here and with Katya interpreting we were able to have a great conversation. Oksana knew Julianna before she went to the orphanage so we were able to fill in a lot of gaps in our background information. This is the last we’ll see of Katya as she’s headed to Odessa to prepare for her wedding. She was appreciative of our wedding gifts (collapsible colander, oven mitt, scrub brush & towels) saying that nobody else will have anything like it. I invited her to America and she said “I will dream of it and maybe some day my dream will come true.”

We went over to the orphanage at 4 PM and hung out with Julianna and her friends Sveta and Valia. Jillain gave Valia a bracelet she had made for her along with some shampoo, which is very hot item for the girls. We played some cards, looked at pictures of extended family on the computer and watched the beginning of High School Musical 3. With all this exposure I’ll probably dance my way off the plane if we ever get home. After looking at the pictures she said “I have a very big family”. The girls followed us out to the car and we hugged them all goodbye. Although the kids are often affectionate with each other I think they like this adult attention. Julianna has started squeezing me very tightly around the waist during the goodbye hug. Given that all our digestive systems are in an uproar this is a risky maneuver on her part.



She informed us that she will be dancing in a show tomorrow and we should arrive at 2:00 PM. She also asked me for 50 grivna (about $6) to buy flowers for the show. She’s getting the daughter thing down pretty quickly. We’re really looking forward to the show.

We’re starting to get a little depressed when we think about the long road still ahead of us. Jillian is having a difficult time dealing with the emotional challenges without the support of her friends and other family members. At the same time we realize that we’re very lucky that Julianna is so happy and loving. Most people don’t get this feedback so early in the process.