Last Sunday in Poltava?????

Stephan's Supervisor with package


Jeff, Max, and Ruslan


We attended church today. There was probably 60-70 people there. The people are very nice and we enjoyed conversations with several of the branch members again. We brought the missionaries some of our food we haven't been able to use such as cake mix, complete with frosting, brownies, blueberry muffins, microwave popcorn, stuffing, gravy and Evenson's cheese and crackers and jam. You would have thought it was christmas the way those boys eyed their new stash. We told them we would take them to dinner sometime this week.

Today we were able to take Max and Ruslan for the afternoon and evening. Ruslan asked if we could get Max today as well. It was nice to have the boys together and they really lightened up and had a good time. When we returned the boys to the orphanage, Stephan Fuhrman's supervisor stopped us and asked if we would give him a package from his old class. There was a picture of Stephan when he was young incorporated into a drawing, some Poltava chocolate (hope that makes it back to America), and some post cards with messages from former classmates. Stephan, we will make sure you get this when we get home. We snapped a picture of his old supervisor and headed home for the night.

More Pics from Ruslan's Class

Cabin Fever Setting In


Ruslan's class TV room

Hala in her room

Ruslan sitting in his seat in the cafeteria. Great smile.

Ruslan and Sasha joking around in the hall

Ruslan's Class

Ruslan in the homework room, with Supervisor in background. Ruslan's face says it all.


Ruslan's Class


The boys really liked the ping-pongs and paddles. Who needs a table!

Ann with Leila as we headed to Ruslan's class

Iryna's classroom

Today is day 10 of the waiting period. We left for the orphanage with Natasha around 2:00pm and arrived and visited with Iryna in her classroom. We snapped a few photos and headed for the meeting with Ruslan's class. We brought them ping-pong paddles and balls and enough chocolate to feed an army. We also had pictures of Utah Jazz player Fesenko for the kids. We visited for quite a while. Some of the kids asked questions about Utah. One asked Ruslan if he was going to live in Utah and he quipped, "no, Jamaica." Yeah man! Ruslan seemed to beam today as he sat on the couch with us with his classmates sitting around us on the floor. It was his moment. We had previously agreed to buy the kids some computer games and blank CD's to assist them in their school work. Ruslan will pick those out in the next couple of days.

We had a great visit. Ruslan came with us back to the apartment where Ann fixed him a gourmet meal of Macaroni and Cheese with fried ham and cucumbers....ymmmm! The Evensons leave in the morning for Kiev. They fly home on Wednesday.....lucky ducks. Ray Evenson has enjoyed finding traditional Russian-style hats so we all put on a hat for the obligatory photo op. The joke at work was that I was not leaving for an adoption, but rather that my boss had banished me to Siberia for a month. Natasha commented I looked like I belonged in Siberia. I guess they weren't that far off. We will miss the Evensons and wish them well on their trip home. It will be quiet around here. They have been great roommates. Hopefully, we won't be too far behind them.

Another bump in the road

Ruslan's wall. Notice the Curled Small Family Photos


Ruslan's Wall of Fame

Utah Jazz Poster with Tanner's Photo (Center)

Ruslan's Bed and Postered Walls

Photo of Front Door of Courthouse taken from Cab

Today is day nine of our waiting period. The Evensons left this morning for a visit to Sumy Orphanage so we watched Tonya and Tamila today. Natasha had some paperwork for us to help her with today, so we traveled with her to the notary, the court, and the birth certificate office. At the birth certificate office we hit another bump in the road. We learned that new legislation takes effect on December 1, 2008, which requires Poltava region to use a new computerized system. The legislation allows the office THREE MONTHS to process a birth certificate. After Ann and I woke up from fainting, Natasha informed us that the office will be closed on December 1st to train on the system. That was the day we were set to begin processing Ruslan's new birth certificate, usually a one day process. Natasha said that it could be 2-3 days now and we can't start the passport process until we have the new birth certificate. We are trying to stay positive, and we still may be able to make our revised time to come home, we will know more after we actually get the birth certificate.

On a positive note, when we got to the orphanage to pick up Ruslan, they didn't have anyone to go get him, so we were allowed to venture deep into the orphanage dorm area. Ruslan resides on the third floor and rooms with Max. We got to the room and his wall is covered with pictures of soccer teams. At the head of his bed he has several posters and pictures of the Utah Jazz and smack in the middle of his largest poster is a picture we sent him of Tanner from the Deseret News as he played against Bountiful in the state basketball tournament. Additionally, we had sent him several pictures we photocopied onto sheets of regular paper and sent with a letter back in September. He had cut out every one of the pictures and tacked them to the wall between and on top of his soccer and jazz posters. They were pictures of the entire family, Grandma Richardson, and Grandpa and Grandma Carr. Some of the pictures were curled and worn but they were all there! Ann and I were so excited to see his room. The dorm rooms are very old but clean. It has the feel of a very old hotel or boarding house. We saw the homework room where the kids do their homework and use one computer. The supervisor asked us through Natasha, if we would consider buying some blank CD's for the kids' use as well as some computer games. We will visit the orphanage tomorrow and visit with Ruslan's class and hopefully take some additional pictures. Hopefully, the bump we hit today will be a small one, but we will have to wait and see.

A Day of Thanksgiving

Ruslan and Kola


Ruslan, Hala, and Max


The play with kids who were previously hosted

Romeo and Juliet

A very brisk day in Ukraine, but the sun was out. We left the apartment around noon headed for the orphanage. It was a nice walk. We were going to see Ruslan's class perform a play today at 3:00pm. We were excited to see some of the kids we recognized in the play including Oleg, who we hosted two years ago and Hala and Max who were hosted this year. The kids did a great job. The theatre was on the third floor. We sat on wooden chairs and the stage pretty much looked like any school auditorium. It was great fun. We also got to deliver a few packages to kids who were hosted this year.

We met an American family from Alabama who are here to adopt four kids. They are planning on coming back in May for another. It was nice to meet another American couple and spend a few minutes learning about the great things they are doing. We hope to see them again before we leave.

Natasha took us to the Metro, which is like Costco, and we bought some groceries that should sustain us until we leave for Kiev. We then took Ruslan and Natasha and had our Thanksgiving dinner at Botanica. We had chicken and mashed potatoes (not quite the same as a typical Thanksgiving dinner). We talked to the kids later. We miss you guys. We all have a lot to be Thankful for today.

Additional Pics from Today

Giant spoon and bowl full of dumplings...ymmmmm!

Ruslan at the White Rotunda

White Rotunda changing colors

Poltava Church at night. This picture doesn't do it justice.

Barber Shop Duet

The guys after the haircuts

Ahhhhhhhhhh.......

Does she understand what a "2" on the sides mean?

Off with those locks

Ruslan getting his hair cut

Day Seven of the waiting game. Today was an interesting day. We ventured out to the orphanage with the Evensons and Natasha. Tonya and Tamila were meeting their brother there to say their final good-byes. We were waiting in the foyer when Oleg appeared. We hosted Oleg two years ago. Man, how he had grown. He was quite tall and still very handsome. He had to be coaxed over but I insisted by motioning to him. He shook my hand and Ann gave him a hug. We asked him how he was doing and he answered "good" but there little more than that by way of conversation. There was a sadness in his eyes that both Ann and I noticed. He kept looking down. The meeting actually only lasted maybe a minute and he was gone. We were unable to get his picture, but we will visit again this weekend and will be allowed to take pictures of Ruslan's class so maybe we will get the chance to see him again.

Natasha had promised Ruslan's supervisor that she would see he got a haircut since he apparently missed the opportunity being with us so much. We headed into town and stopped for a quick bite to eat at Botanicas, a small cafe that is very nice. Natasha then took us to a very nice salon where Ruslan and I had our hair cut and shampooed! I might say, one of the best haircuts I have ever had. Ruslan went first and Ann made sure to document the event with pictures. Then it was mine turn and Ruslan made sure my haircut would be remembered as well, as he snapped several pictures. By the time we finished it was time for a little shopping and dinner. We tried to find Ruslan another shirt but were unsuccessful. We stopped back at Botanicas for dinner and then drove to a look-out point where there is a beautiful church and stunning monument that overlooked the city. The monument is called the "White Rotunda," white pillars in the form of a horseshoe for good luck. They light the monument at night and play music and the lighting changes colors. There is a saying that loosely translated means "In the house where there is harmony, peace, and quietness, people are blessed." The monument is really spectacular. It is actually not far from the orphanage. On the way back to the taxi, Natasha told us that Poltava is known for its potatoes. Apparently it is quite famous, since there is actually a dumpling monument very close to the look-out point. We couldn't resist taking a photo, how often do you get to sit by a giant spoon and a giant bowl full of dumplings? We all had a good laugh. We thought we were at Disneyland at "Honey I shrunk the kids" for a minute. We dropped off Ruslan at the orphanage and headed to the apartment. It was a fun and interesting day, one we won't soon forget.

This little piggy went to market

Laundry Day


Our Cleaning Lady

Our Favorite Pizza Place

View Towards City Center. Our apartment is to the right about two blocks

Wow, it is cold out here

Today is day six of the waiting period. Louise Evenson and Natasha left early this morning to start the final leg of their journey home with passports etc. I left at 7:00am this morning for a three mile run. It was quite cold this morning and Ann snapped a picture of me as I returned all bundled up. It was cleaning day today as well so our cleaning lady showed up around 11:00am. Ann and I left for the market to pick up a few things. It is several blocks to the market. We are about two blocks off of one of the main arteries in Poltava. We snapped a few pictures showing the main road in both directions and our favorite pizza place.

Ruslan and the Evenson's girls, Tonia and Tomila (Angelina) arrived around 4:00pm. We watched Harry Potter while Ann fixed dinner, scrambled eggs and fried potatoes with cucumbers and tomatoes. This is the first night the Evanson girls are staying with their parents. Ruslan had to ride back to the orphanage without the girls this evening. Very sad to see him go back alone.

Pizza and Patience

Louise and Ann preparing the Pizza Feast


The staple of our diet Salami and Tomato Pizza



Ruslan relaxing and watching a movie

Ann Blogging, E-mailing, and checking You-Tube

Day five of captivity, we mean the waiting period. It is Monday morning and it is NOT raining. However, everything is FROZEN. Ray and Louise ventured out this morning for several hours and we sat and talked with Natasha for a while until she left to work on ensuring that the translation of the court papers are done. We tried to fill the time with a little laundry, a little reading, and a little nap. I know, exciting!!! The kids came around 4:00. Tonia was not able to come tonight. It was strange not having her here. Another game of Yahtzee between Jeff and Ruslan, a favorite, and then Jeff and Ruslan went out to go get pizza. When all else fails for dinner, there is the pizza place around the corner. The kids returned at 7:30 as usual. It is always sad to see them go. Only five more days and then Ruslan can stay with us. Now we are having a pillow fight and telling ghost stories with the Evensons and Natasha. Okay not really, but it might make the night go faster.

Zamboni Anyone?

Ruslan ice-skating for the first time


Sergei (center in black) ice-skating for first time

Had to add the Zamboni to prove it was in the mall!

Sergei and Ruslan resting while skating. Oh yeah, they have shopping carts at the mall as well!

Today we went to church for the second time in Poltava. It is a friendly little branch with maybe 40 people attending. Everyone stopped to say hello to us as they entered the chapel. Once again, it was the only day of the week where we were able to visit with Ruslan's brother, Sergei, as it is his only day off during the week.

We decided to meet Sergei at the mall again. He was there ahead of us this time. We ate at a nice cafeteria next to the ice rink. Ruslan and Sergei both had chicken and fried potatoes. They have a great Russian Salad here that is to die for. Ruslan gave me the thumbs up when I tried what he and Sergei were eating. The salad is a little like our potato salad but has pickles, ham, potatoes, peas, and some other ingredients, I am not sure what, mixed with a mustard & Mayo-type creamy paste. It is very good. The boys finished off their meal with a large slice of chocolate cake and a Coke, so all the basic food groups were covered. Anyway, we decided to go ice skating since neither Ruslan or Sergei had ever done that and they both wanted to try it. Both boys had a great time and actually did quite well ice skating. I am still amazed at the Zamboni in the mall thing!

The Wheels on the Bus....

Well surprise surprise. It was raining today when we got up. What a great way to start a Saturday. I decided I was still going to run so off I went sloshing along through the puddles. There were not too many people out this Saturday morning, first I suspect since it was early Saturday morning and second because it was RAINING! Anyway, all went well until I ventured to close to what looked like an old junkyard. I sensed someone was following me and turned just in time to see a large German, uh maybe Ukrainian, Shepherd closing on me bent on making my right calf his next meal. Now it is always amazing how you react to these types of situations. I could have run faster, well maybe not much faster, but still. I could have panicked, which I think I did to some degree, but I just stopped, turned, and yelled "NO, NO" but not in English, in my best Ukrainian. The dog began to bark and I began to walk away very slowly. Natasha told me I had to worry about the drivers and the drunks when I ran, I guess she forgot about the dogs.



Anyway, I have to tell the Ann-on-the-bus story. Two days ago, we were headed to the city center and the Evensons wanted to take the bus. Ann and I were game so we ventured out to the main street. As the bus approached you could see it was jammed packed with people. The bus stopped and a few people got off. We were towards the front of the line, if you could call it a line, and we were soon stepping onto the bus. There was no way all of us were going to get on the bus, that was clear. We hesitated a little and weren't sure what to do. We were on the steps and there was no room on the bus. Just then, a old lady pushed Ann right in the back and it dropped Ann to her knees. The woman was saying something, who knows what. It became quite apparent there was a bus protocol we were not aware of. The protocol demanded that you push yourself with all your might until all that wished to ride were on board. Let's just say we got to know a few Ukrainians better than we would have liked. Kris and Cort, you got your wish. We rode the bus!

Day Two of the Waiting Game

Just for Maggie, a cute street dog that followed us for a while

Ruslan trying on Ann's scarf. He looks a little like a cross between his new Grandmothers

Ruslan and Max outside the orphanage

Sight-seeing at local monument

Visit the Chocolate Factory...ymmmm!!

Well it is very wet here today and Ann and I decided to stay inside today. Natasha had to travel to her home town this morning and she left very early. She may not be back until tomorrow. The Evensons left this morning for a morning walk and returned a little while later and pretty soaked. Natasha arranged for the children to be brought to us around 3:00pm.

Ruslan had enjoyed the PSP that my mother loaned to us. Thanks Mom! He even brought a game from one of the boys at the orphanage that had been given a PSP by the Howick family. We also worked on English tonight for a while. I thought I would include a few photos that we hadn't had a chance to share. Yesterday we did do some exploring and Natasha showed us some sites. We went to a chocolate factory and a museum and a few other sites. The next eight days are going to be quite long I am afraid. We plan on seeing Sergei again sometime this weekend.

The Waiting Game - Part 2

Ruslan wanted to say hi to the family!

The Waiting Game

Not sure what to talk about today since everything we were working towards is done, at least for the next 10 days anyway. So we borrowed the Evenson's digital camera that has a video capability and recorded a couple of short videos. We weren't sure what to say as we were discussing it and Ruslan said "Hi, my name is Ruslan and I don't speak English." We laughed so hard we had to record it for everyone. The video you saw was the first take with the video running and as you can tell he could hardly get it out before cracking up. We are having a great time getting to know him better. With his sense of humor, he is going to fit in real well. Enjoy.

Here Comes the Judge

Louise and Ann with celebration rose


Ireyna and Natasha at restaurant

First picture of Ruslan Matthew Carr and his parents

Today was court. Natasha told us this morning that the fax had not returned from the SDA which was needed to actually schedule the court time. She was concerned we would not be in court today. Around noon, Natasha called and told us to prepare for court and to be ready within the hour. We were excited and apprehensive about it at the same time. She called us a little later and said our court time was actually going to be at 3:00pm. She sent the taxi to the apartment and it arrived with a smiling Ruslan in the front seat. He was dressed in the same suit he had on for the interview with the city. When we arrived at the courthouse I was a little surprised. It is rather a small building and very old inside. We were delayed and were still sitting waiting to see the judge at 6:00pm. I really feared that he would cancel the hearing and ask us to come back tomorrow. Luckily for us, the judge agreed to hear the case even though everyone had left the courthouse except those associated with the case and two police officers who sat out front of the courtroom. The hearing itself was rather short, maybe 30 minutes or so with Ann and I testifying then Ruslan, and the City of Poltava, and the Orphanage (Ireyna). Sorry folks, no pictures here, it is strictly forbidden and can result in arrest. They simply don't allow it. Soon the judge pronounced that Ruslan's name would be changed and ordered his birth certificate changed and it was done. Ann was crying and so was I. Ruslan seemed relaxed and had a smile on his face, probably knowing the hardest part was over. A few hugs later we were headed to a celebratory dinner at a very nice local restaurant, Zefir, with Natasha and Ireyna. Ruslan will be officially part of our family after the 10 waiting period which starts tomorrow. Unbelievable! Louise and Ray Evenson and the girls were kind enough to purchase a rose for us to congratulate us on our new family member. Very thoughtful.