Enjoying the Little Things

We wandered in the misty morning looking for an open cafe for breakfast. Today was another May Day holiday so most places were opening late. We hiked way across town to the park with the best vending machine lattes. It's hard to get a regular cup of coffee here.  They serve very small lattes and no one comes around asking you if you'd like a refill. Portions tend to be smaller here too and one side benefit has been losing weight between the smaller meals and all the walking. This morning's walk was pleasant in the cool air and quiet streets. We noticed a greater police presence and wondered if that was due to the holiday, BinLaden or both.

The day was a quiet one of laundry and reading. Mark studied Russian and I read Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton until my head started spinning and I switched to Parenting your Internationally Adopted Child which my friend recommended. 

We met a group of parents for dinner at another cafeteria restaurant and had a nice meal and great company. Getting to know other parents is a great blessing and has encouraged me a lot. I'm not freaking out like I was before.

On the way home, while  crossing the main street through the underground passageway, we stopped by an shoe store and I got a pair of black flats. Then we went to McDonald's and I got a coke. I was thrilled when Mark handed it to me and  it had ICE! It was one of the best cokes of my life.

As we walked back close to our apartment I was lightheartedly telling Mark how happy I was to have my shoes, my coke with ice and to be in this beautiful city. Minutes later that peace was diminished by the sound of a man yelling in an angry, wordless animalistic way. He was roaring loudly and sounded crazy. Seriously, we never heard anything like this before in all the hours we've walked around Kiev until yesterday and today. It was creepy but once again, everyone around us just ignored it and we're fine. There's always a strange element somewhere in a big city.

I'm glad to be back at the apartment, finishing up my delicious coke, getting the laundry going again and preparing to watch a movie with Mark. 

Thanks so much for your faithful prayers. God is so gracious to us and is providing for our needs. It'll be wonderful to see what is next. 

I don't know how to turn the photos around on the iPad yet but at least I can post them! Here is evidence of my icy coke:

And here is Mark about to enjoy his vending machine machiatto: