I left for Ukraine on September 20, 1999. There was a few reason why I went back just for vacation. (See below)

1. To visit all my friends that I made while I was there in 1998 completing the adoption of my three wonderful Ukrainian toddlers.

2. To bring money to spend on the orphanage as donations to get them ready for the cold winter months.

3. To host a surprise birthday party for my friends mother.

4. And to meet my daughter Shayla's, Birth mother...

Please feel free to read my Ukrainian vacation story and click on the highlighted words to view pictures.

EXACTLY one year after my departure to adopt my 3rd Ukrainian child. (Zoya) My mother and I left on September 20, 1999 to visit Ukraine. We took a new airlines named Lauda Air, which is a Australian company. They are a fairly new company which only fly's from Orlando, and Miami Florida. The airline was wonderful. Very nice and new planes with excellent food and service.

We arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine on September 21, 1999 at 10:45pm. We were greeted by a couple of my Ukrainian friends. We went to the Tourist Hotel and talked for a while, and then went to bed. The very next morning (Bright and early) we met my friend Michelle who I helped with her adoption paper work. We all left to visit the adoption center. Once we arrived at the adoption center, Michelle was greeted by all the women who would help her locate her new forever children. Since we were friends, and I was heading to Simferopol, Ukraine Michelle was offered to be shown available children in Simferopol that matched her criteria. She immediately picked several children that she would be interested in adopting. We sat around the adoption center and talked with all the women about my children and showed everyone a photo album I had brought. Everyone was very pleased to see these pictures of my Ukrainian children.

We left on a plane heading to Simferopol that evening at 7:30pm. The flight was much better than the train ride that I experienced in both of my adoptions. Two hours in the air, we were in Simferopol and greeted by my friends father and boyfriend. We drove to the apartment in which we would all be staying for the next couple of weeks. Michelle, the facilitator and I were all in the same apartment building, but we all had our own nice, cozy, clean apartments. That evening we surprised my friends mother by knocking on the door just a few minutes after her and Michelle went in. When momma (My friends mom who I call momma) answered she was shocked, surprised, and very happy to see us. She immediately made us come in and eat some famous Ukrainian borsh. We sat up all night talking about everything that has happened in our lives for the last year.

The following morning we left for the orphanage. We walked into the orphanage and everyone could not believe that we were there. We were all hugging and kissing each other and saying how much we missed each other for the last year. We sat down and everyone looked at the photo album of my children, and then Michelle was shown the babies available in the orphanage.

Michelle was shown three girls infants. One was 9 months old, and the other two were 11 months old. And then she was shown other girls and boys that were from 1-4 years old. She immediately decided to adopt one of the 11 month old girls, but wanted to adopt a toddler boy around 3-4 years old. But the only other boys that were available were younger than what Michelle wanted. So she ended up adopting a little boy who was 2.5 years old. Both of her babies are adorable and very happy and healthy. Her daughter NEVER cries. She is a very happy baby and has a wonderful personality. (Just perfect!!!)

On Friday night (September 24th) the care takers from the group that my children were in decided that they would have a party for us. So Michelle, the facilitator, my mother, and I went over there to find that they put together a BIG meal, and wanted to do choo choo's.. Which means that they wanted to do Russian Vodka shots. Well... Michelle and I usually do not drink alcohol, but the care takers would not take NO for a answer. It is very customary in Ukraine. So within a couple of hours everyone was a bit tipsy, and having a great time. The music was playing loud and everyone was dancing and then they started stripping.. (LOL) But it was all women, and I DID NOT strip.. (smiling)

On Saturday night (September 25th) we went to momma's party. Momma was very pretty in the black velvet dress that we bought her. We even bought a "happy Birthday" banner to hang on the wall, but since they do not have them in Ukraine, Momma thought that it was to wrap around her. We did not say anything, because she looked so nice with it on her. It was a VERY beautiful restaurant and everyone had a great time. There was plenty of food, wine, vodka, and friends there. The bad part was, again they would not take no for a answer and made Michelle and I do more choo choo's which we ended up tipsy again. We all danced and had a wonderful time.