Ukraine Adoption

Ukrainian Festival

We went to the Sunflower Ukrainian Festival on Sunday at a nearby Ukrainian Catholic church, Tara dressed in her festive outdoor wear. It was a special day. My friend Susan, a Ukrainian-American, and my neighbor Kirsten, who is 10, went with us. We saw  Ukrainian dancers from Toronto, they were fabulous; Tara Vika was mesmerized.  And we saw jewelry, clothes , artwork and other Ukrainian wares. It was almost like being back in  Kiev, only these were  a lot more expensive! I knew I should have  listened to my sister and bought more souvenirs!

At the petting farm area, we bought tickets for Kirsten and Tara to go right into the pen with the goats, rabbits, llamas and other friendly animals. They were holding food for the animals and boy, were the animals friendly! OK, too friendly, they wanted that food! Now! Like, NOW! So the girls grabbed the gate and scrambled to get out, and the worker was helping, and in all of that commotion, I turned around and somehow Susan ended up holding a runaway baby goat...!

After the dancers, the band and  tasty food, we came upon a display of lovely artwork. Rivers, trees, all kinds of things in water colors. They were all done by children living in orphanages in Ukraine. This was sort of a reality check for me. There are still so many children out there who may never find homes. I told the women there about little Tara Vika, who was hopping around and laughing. I have had her for four months, I told them as I picked her up. They started to speak to her in Ukrainian. She buried her head in my shoulder, I spun around so they could see her face, she did the same thing. I have noticed that she doesn't like when I speak Russian to her, she says, "don't want that." Maybe she is just trying to live in the present, and the future, but we won't let her forget about her past.

Ukrainian Children's Aid & Relief Effort, Inc. donates all proceeds to benefit the children. www.ucareinc.org

(More new pics in the photo album)