On Monday we skipped our visits as Paul wasn't feeling well and didn't want to risk spreading anything to anyone at the orphanage. By Monday night he was feeling back to normal, so we resumed our visits Tuesday. Our friends, who are also adopting from the same orphanage, were very kind and took some pictures of Lizzy while she was outside happily playing with her friends. They emailed the pictures of our "sweet little doughnut" to us, as they affectionately call Lizzy. Like a doughnut, Lizzy is so small and full of so much energy! A perfect analogy we think! We thought maybe she didn't miss us, but Tuesday morning when we picked her up she greeted us with lots of kisses and hugs! Good to feel we were missed. Maybe she only missed the treats we bring her, but never the less we were missed! Great weather again on Tuesday, and we played outside in the morning and afternoon. As usual, I think we played on every single piece of playground equipment on the campus! We discovered the playground equipment with the stairs, rope, and slide. Lizzy LOVES the slide. Paul decided to slide down with her the first time, and due to his excitement and haste discovered at the bottom a muddy puddle of water! We counted as we climbed the stairs, and she loves saying "GO GO GO GO GO!!!" as Paul helps her climb up the rope to the top of the platform. This provided about a hour and 15 minutes of entertainment, which is approximately 3,297 times more than the longest she has ever spent on any other single piece of playground equipment! We finally figured out how to keep her from screaming and crying when we take her inside; bribery. We give her one of her treats as we take her back inside at the end of our visit. We aren't proud of it, but based on our environment we have to make due with what we've got! Wednesday morning we came a little later than usual, and she was already outside with her group playing. The last time she joined her group during a visit, was the last we saw of her (already embarrassed of mom and dad!). So, we thought that was it, no visiting today. However, she surprised us. As soon as she saw us she came running with her arms held out saying mama and papa and gave us huge hugs and kisses; took our hands, and lead us away from her group so we could play together. This has been the most obvious sign of love we have experienced yet, and it really warmed our hearts. We played on all the equipment again, slid on the slide, chased a cat with a rake, and said hello to Arnau, the orphanage dog. After the morning visit, we went to Boshka, a small restaurant and Internet cafe nearby. We enjoyed some french fries (its been sooo long, we never thought we would miss them!), some sort of sweet cheese pierogies, and Ukrainian beer with our friends from Israel. We shared some customs, views, traditions, and daily life experiences; some similar, some could not be more different. We really enjoy learning about other cultures. One interesting difference was the general order of priorities. After reconciling and reflecting on the conversation, neither for better or worse, family and general well being seems to be at the top of the list in Israel, and the 'drive for more' seems to be a considerable factor in America. Our friends admire all that we have available in America, and we believe that is a result of that 'drive for more'. Wednesday evening's visit was a bit more trying. I think this was a great experience for all of us, a good mini-preparation for what life of a parent will be like. She greeted us again with love. After being outside for a few minutes, we saw another woman from Ukraine who is also adopting who was playing with her child. Lizzy, being the social butterfly that she is, loves to interact with anyone who speaks Russian, so she followed the two around for a while. At the slide, she cut herself short of saying "GO GO GO" as she was too embarrassed. We took her inside to use the bathroom, and when we came out she was upset that the Ukrainian woman and her child were not outside. Lizzy started acting up, and tried to push Candace away from her and her toys by throwing her entire body against Candace and in Russian tell her to get away in an ugly tone. Candace quickly recognized this as a power struggle, and did not move and told her she loves her and gave her a kiss. Lizzy gave up, packed up her toys and walked to another piece of playground equipment. There she began demanding her cookie from Paul, who also did not relent. She began crying and throwing a fit for a while. After she calmed down we gave her the snack after she asked for it nicely. We then played together nicely the rest of the evening, and at the end of the visit she gave us kisses and hugs again. A great experience of setting expectations, limits, and despite everything, showing love for each other.