Explore and Relax ~ Day 3

Today we woke up very early so that we could skype and talk to our kids at home.  They were so funny and darling.  Ethan was very involved with playing with the features on the computer rather than actually talking with us, but he stayed there and was funny.  Mason was very darling and very chatty.  How would anyone ever do something like this without the ability to video call home?!  It's really been great and it's only the first few days of the trip.  Ezra was darling and just wanted to show us things.  He's having such a great time.

So after we called home and chatted with family we ate breakfast and just relaxed in our apartment until it was time to get ready to go.  Natasha arranged for a taxi to pick us up at our apartment and travel to the Kyiv temple.  Our driver was great, but the gossip is all true about the fearlessness the drivers have here.  There were a few close calls, but we made it safe and sound.  It wasn't really that expensive, maybe $15 to get there.  The temple is very beautiful.  It was a little strange that it was just on the main road and not tucked away behind huge grounds or parking lots like I am used to.  I loved it.

I'm sure the grounds are going to be gorgeous when the season changes and they are able to landscape.  When we walked in the man at the front desk didn't speak English.  He actually spoke a lot more English than we did Russian so we went with that.  He showed us what turned out to be the coat closet, we both misunderstood that and changed our clothes in that room!  We learned of our mistake when we went upstairs to the dressing rooms!  At least they are very understanding and nice. 

The temple President came and talked to us and assured us that they would accomidate us with English headphones and any other translation services we would need.  That was very nice.  It was so amazing to be in such a comfortable familiar place so far from home surrounded by people we couldn't communicate with!  A great first day activity.  We met the missionaires who are serving in the area we are staying in and they offered to take us back using the bus and the metro.  That was fun.  It was great to have them to translate and to get us where we needed to be.  They were very nice.  We are meeting them for church tomorrow.   As we were paying for tokens to ride the metro I pulled my camera out to take a picture.  Bad idea.  The woman in the booth monitering the token slots was very upset with me.  She yelled for several minutes at me.  The missionaries wouldn't even tell me all that she said!  I felt really bad but had no idea that picture taking in the metro was prohibited.  Live and learn, but it sure did make me a lot more uneasy of taking pictures anywhere I wanted to.

This is a picture of our apartment building.  It is the one more in the background.  We walk down that small alley way to get to it.  It doesn't seem like the nicest of areas as you approach the door, but as you saw in my pictures yesterday the apartment is very nice and we are less than a block away from the main center square.  Great location.  We have no complaints.

In the afternoon Natasha met with us to walk us around and orient us with some places we can venture off to when we are on our own.  She is so amazing and very good at making us feel welcome.  We walked to the main square and she told us some history of the statues and the area.  Very amazing.  I feel like we live in such a young country after visiting this area.  So many beautiful old buildings with so much history.

This is the statue of the founders of Kyiv.  I love how so many of the statues have their arms outstretched in some way.  Finally a picture of us together here!  As I mentioned before, I got so nervous taking any pictures today.  I kept asking Natasha for permission to take them.  She had never heard of a rule of no taking pictures in the metro, or at the airport for that matter.  I didn't even try there after the stories I've heard.  It's different, but we'll live by the rules while we are here!

After our shopping, (I think I ruined my flat iron using the wrong wattage of converter so now I have a new European one), we went to dinner at a delicious restaurant.  The decorations were so fun and eclectic.  It was called Prego.  It was very reasonable and delicious!  I've been so impressed by how clean everything is and how nice everyone dresses.  It's much more formal for lack of a better word and is actually nice.  People are more respectful of one another and of their enviornment.  The streets were surprisingly clean, even underground!  I'm not suggesting that I live in a dirty city, but for such a large city with so many people on the streets it was amazing to me. 
The other things that we have noticed that are interesting to us are that the buildings aren't really handicap accessible at all.  We are interested in such things for obvious reasons, but there really no accomidations for wheelchairs especially.  I'll get up the nerve to take a picture of one of their 'ramps' but there is no way I would dare wheel my son down them!  Natasha explained that they are adding more and more accomidations, but really there aren't a lot.  I'm sure it's not something the government wants to spend money retro-fitting such an old city with. 
I did also find it pretty ironic that I got yelled at pretty intensely for taking a photo in the metro, but nearly was hit by a car driving on the sidewalk and that really is OK around here! 
At dinner Natasha went into further details about the process of our adoption.  So comforting to have such experienced people helping us.  I am glad I can place all of my trust in them and not worry about the steps in the process!

Natasha and I found the signs in the restrooms pretty funny.  This is the door to the women's restroom.  The men's was just the reverse!  Funny.

Natasha's dessert, tirimisu.  It looked delicious so I had to get a picture.

My dinner was these delicious spinich ravioli's.  Spen had lasagna.  I loved it, but it is really my first real meal in several days.  Glad to not be eating dry cereal again!  Very thankful I brought peanut butter.  It has already come in handy as a quick meal on bread.

I loved how the restaurant was decorated so I took some pictures.  Loved the cookware hanging in the chandaliers.

And the lights by the windows..

The entrance to the restaurant.