A Whirlwind of Activity

Today has been non-stop action. In fact, it is not over yet.

Natasha went to Lutugino to work on the passport issue. She was able to secure us the old form passport. That was a big deal. The old form is processed in one day. The new form of passport (which is being phased in) takes 10 days to process if expedited. We were lucky to be in a district that still has a few old form passports.

While she worked on that, Nancy and I went with Sergei (our driver) to an open air market to get some last minute items for the boys. We bought a couple of sweaters and socks. We also found a CD of children's songs that the boys would know, 2 small suitcases, and toys for their class for their going away party.

Natasha called as she needed more signatures from me for the passport. She drove from Lutugino back to Lugansk to meet me and get the signatures, then returned to Lutugino (about 1 1/2 hour round trip).

I got a really good pork gyro sort of thing. Very messy and very good. Nancy got a pork kabob.

Afterward, we went to a bakery to get some cakes for the party. It was in the basement of an apartment block behind an unmarked door. We got two large, very nicely-decorated cakes for 130 hryvnia (or about $15).

I went home to clean the flat, to finish packing the boys things, to get the gifts for the ladies at the orphanage, and to get our monetary gift for the orphanage ($1000, $500 for each boy). Meanwhile, Nancy went to get some flowers and a photo album for the orphanage director.

Finally, we scrambled off to see the boys at 3:30.