Hello, Avon calling! November 10, 2008

We saw the most unusual thing today—an Avon Lady!! We had gone to Vasalivik to see Petya and to check on our paperwork. Sergey had allowed us to stay in the car and wait on him while he went up to the inspectors office to check on our paperwork. I think it had something to do with the fact that the inspector’s office is up 5 flights of stairs. I did climb them the first day, and after we took the oxygen mask off I was just fine. Anyway, as we were sitting in the car I looked up and low and behold a red car drove past us in the parking lot and on the side, in big bold letters were AVON. I just hee-hawed! God bless Avon! We all just looked at it and read and reread the words because they were in English. So now McDonald’s and Avon have arrived! I almost flagged her down for a make-over! I felt the need to purchase some Skin So Soft! After Sergey returned WITHOUT the paper we needed we went to see Petya. Again his first questions was if we could go home yet. It is so hard on us all. Imagine leaving your newborn baby in the hospital and only seeing him for a few hours a day and having to wait for a few weeks before you could take him home. Oh, I know he is 15 and all, but still the emotion is the same. Everyday when we leave and he waves goodbye my heart just leaps to the top of my throat. Jon won’t even look. Jerry just smiles and holds back tears. O.k. so enough of that. Petya is doing good and we are very welcomed at the school. His teacher… oh funny thing here… her name is Svetlana – Jerry called her Fitz-lanna today. WPL (that stands for wet pants laughing). She has been fabulous in helping us with everything. The deputy director, who is equally as kind, has a son that is the same age as Jon and he wants to play soccer with Jon one afternoon. The timing is best for Saturday, so we hope they can get together and play for awhile. Petya is getting a haircut tomorrow, even if he doesn’t want one. I have made an executive decision that a hair cut is due and thus as the Queen Mother my orders shall be followed. Jerry is needing a hair cut—desperately!! I have yet to see anyone with his particular style. He is fine with getting his hair buzzed off. I, on the other hand, am absolutely, positively, most certainly NOT o.k. with this option. I have only seen Jerry’s scalp one time and that was enough for me. He came home the first summer we were married with a buzz cut and I cried until he put a cap on. He had to wear a cap when he was around me until his hair grew back out. I have this thing about hair and hair cuts. Buzz cuts bother me, I envision a person being tied down in a chair and being force to get their hair cut against their will. I know—call me crazy, at least its better than some of the things I’ve been called in 15 years of teaching! So I don’t know how we will resolve this problem. Well actually I do, I will get my way and Jerry will look like a mop head until he gets home, but at least he thinks he might have an option—that keeps him happy. I also plan to do a little more shopping (don’t tell Jerry or we will have to start the whole “where are we gonna put this stuff” discussion again). O.k. back to Vasilivik. It seems word has gotten around that a bunch of Americans have arrived in town. As if we don’t stand out enough as it is. We are somewhat of a novelty. I am planning on setting up a booth for autographs because I am sure my fame has spread. I mean how many times have these people seen a Queen up close and personal. I am hoping that Jerry just doesn’t embarrass the family. You know how he is. Jon is as handsome as I am beautiful so naturally he is a hot item everywhere we go. Now when we arrive it seems like the locals all whisper and spread the word “the foreigners are here”. I am thinking about getting a fur coat and 3 inch black leather stiletto boots just to fit in better. Then again I am afraid that I might punch holes in the pavement with the heels so maybe I will just stick to the fur coat! So tomorrow we should make headline news in that we will go to the center of all news—the beauty salon. Now I am not a “beauty parlor” hater. Actually I LOVE IT! Where else can you go and get caught up on all the news for the past month in under an hour, have your scalp massaged, get your age turned back 10 years, and have someone else fix your hair, all while relaxed in a chair and nobody bothering you? I wonder if the Ukrainian salons will be the same? Perhaps I will take some pictures to share. I will tell you the news if I can get Sergey to translate. We are STILL waiting on ONE document before we can proceed to the next phase. The regional director has given his approval, the document has been typed, it is resting on his desk, and just needs his signature!!! It seems that today he was not in his office because of business in Zap. He has promised to sign the document first thing tomorrow. Please say a prayer that he cannot sleep a wink until he gets that thing signed. If he doesn’t sign tomorrow, we can’t get the documents on the train in time to get them back to Kiev in order that they can be turned in on the days that the SDA accepts those particular documents—in other words it would set us behind a week. Everything thus far has gone amazingly smooth, that’s to God’s help and we are asking you again to have us in your prayers today and first thing in the morning. So that’s the news today—kinda slow, but Jerry’s been really boring here lately. I am hoping that tomorrow he gets a Ukrainian hair cut. That should liven things up a bit. Hey maybe I’ll locate that Avon lady and get him the whole works! He could use a facial and I could use a few good laughs! Much love from us to you!