Zoo, Ballet, Visit From a friend, and Passport!

Yesterday was a free day for us. We were anxiously awaiting news of Alona's passport. It needed to arrive in her hometown so that it could be sent to us here in Kiev. We were praying and hoping that it would arrive early enough in the day yesterday, so that it could be sent to us here in time to complete her medical and visa application today. Of course, that did not happen:( By 4 pm yesterday afternoon there was still no sign of the passport. We were told there would be one more delivery at 6 pm yesterday, so we did what any normal person does in the land of social media, and jumped on facebook to beg and plead with our friends to pray that the passport would arrive in that last delivery. 

At 6:10 pm we got the call...the passport had arrived!!!! It was too late to get the stamps and signatures needed in order to send it to us, but at least it was accounted for! Praise the Lord.

So, to rewind a bit...earlier in the day, Alona wanted to go to the zoo. Me....not so much. It was 45 degrees and raining and Alona and I do not have coats with us. Not to mention, I had already visited one pitiful zoo in Ukraine. I wasn't really chomping at the bits to go to another one. I tried to convince Alona to visit a museum...inside...where it is warm and no rain...but she wanted to go to the zoo. So, to the zoo we went! From the outside, the zoo looked more promising than the one we went to in Alona's hometown. On the inside, well, take a look at the pics and you be the judge!!

Deer

American Bison

Hand sculptures holding ladybugs

Little Ducks were just wondering free all over the place

Stairs leading up to bird houses

Bird houses

Petting zoo...hello lil Donkey!

I'm sure this was once really great...

Alona checking out the bears

After the zoo, Alona and I grabbed lunch at a little bakery near our apartment. I ordered a yummy tomato based soup that was served in a bread bowl. Alona thought it was hilarious....she had never seen soup served that way. She thought it was so funny when some of the bread would come off in my spoon and I would eat it:)

We spent the afternoon inside our non heated apartment (the apartment has old school radiators and the heat for the whole building has to be turned on for them to work...which hasn't happened). Since our apartment is right behind the opera house, I decided to check out what events were going on this week. I found out that a ballet performance of Swan Lake was going on last night, and bought us tickets to go see it. I was super excited, and you can't beat spending only $5 total for tickets to a fabulous ballet! The opera house is gorgeous, and I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. Alona on the other hand, was not a fan of the ballet. Oh well, I guess it was payback for making me go to the zoo;)

Alona inside the Opera House

Waiting for Swan Lake to start!

Today, we had a wonderful surprise!! Our dear Angelina had to conduct some business at a bank here in Kiev, so she came early this morning, and we got to spend the afternoon with her! We ate lunch at a sushi restaurant and then spent the afternoon window shopping. We bought Alona a beautiful scarf for the grand price of $10, and I decided to buy some shoes that are very popular here. I'm sure most people back home will think I have lost my mind for purchasing them, but they are really comfortable, and I think they are cute:) It was such a joy to get to spend some "bonus" time with Angelina before we leave Ukraine. We were too busy having fun, that we forgot to take pics!

While we were with Angelina, we found out that the passport had been stamped and signed, and is currently on its way to us in Kiev!! Tomorrow we go back to finish up the medical exam, and then will go immediately to the embassy to finish up the visa application, and have the visa issued!! Please pray that there are no complications tomorrow, and that we will have the visa in hand by tomorrow afternoon so that we can fly home Friday!!! We are so ready to get home. Hopefully this time tomorrow I will be writing my last blog post from Ukraine!