Kiev, Ukraine Temple Groundbreaking

After the last blog, I remembered that we had also been there before the temple was.  This was a great experience!!  A small group - no more than 50 members, gathered on the field and had a nice ceremony for the groundbreaking in June of 2007.  Paul and Elder Manzhos (area 70) on his right and on his left is the stake pres. - Pres. Kanchenko - dig the first official shovel-full of ground.   

Later I joined in just so I could get my picture and post it on this blog.

One of my favorite memories is after the ceremony the sisters went into the field and gathered bunches of wild flowers that grew in the field.  It was as if they were saying 'this is ours and we want to take some of this marvelous experience home with us'.  It was so sweet.  These people love going to the temple - they sacrifice a lot so they can go, and they go quite often!!  

Kiev, Ukraine Temple

I still haven't quite remembered how to 'blog' - I still do my pictures backward... oh well...

Here we are at the building site of the temple.  It was pretty fun to have a tour.  We all got/had to wear the hard hats and we started in the low white building to the left.  That is the construction office.  The building with the pink on it is the patron and temple worker (as in Pres. etc.) housing.  

The ground for the temple has always been a 'clean ' area - only farmland and people have enjoyed coming to this area to get out of the city.  

The workers have to sign an agreement to not smoke or drink while on the premises. 
Also, no inappropriate calendars and pictures, etc.  (We wondered how they would get any workers if they couldn't smoke and they do have a special trailer for smoking)  So, right from before beginning the place is sacred and clean.  

Inside the temple the sheet rock is going up.  (I just think this is a really cute picture of Paul!!!)

Here we are up on the roof - Mission Pres. and wife (red tie), next to Paul is Hanno Luschin the chief architect for the building.  (If you remember one of Elder Uchtdorf's conf. talks he mentions him) Yes, we are walking with famous people!!  Next to him is the boss of the construction company.  The man on the right is the mission driver - Alexander.

Even the tunnel with all the pipes is clean and orderly and well constructed.

There the temple is in the background - waiting for the marble to come from Italy to put on the outside.  It is at least 4 stories and sits up nice and high and is visible from the road as you drive up to it.  It will be beautiful!!!

A One-Horse Open Sleigh

Russian Troika Ride

A truly Russian experience is the Troika Ride.  It is a traditional sleigh ride with three horses pulling the sleigh - with sleigh bells and all.  Dora loved it.  We kept singing songs about horses and sleigh rides.  We teased her about being 'upsot' and she held on real tight to the sleigh when we went over a bumpy,  swaying spot.  It was great fun.  The day was perfect - a light snow was falling, we were in the woods and it was such fun to have this troika ride!!!

Isn't that a pretty sleigh?  And the driver - a sweet Russian girl who has been around horses all her life and 'I just know how to work with horses since I was very young' - all dressed up in a traditional Russian shirt.

Going through the woods in our 'one-horse open sleigh'.  Now you know why they have to specify how many horses!!!

After the lovely time riding horses we all had lunch together

More on the 8th of March

We went with our friends the McGhies. 

Do you love our Russian fur coat and fur hat???

Clari and Reyna and Sage on the troika ride.

Our family 

On the Troika ride.

Vosmoya Marta

The 8th of March - International Women's Day!!!  All the girls in our family love it!!!  And that is because the boys in our family spoil us - especially on that day!!  I walked into the kitchen and this is what I saw....

Flowers and chocolate!!!  Lots of chocolate!!!  What could be better?

I love you, Paul!!!

Another try with Dora's video.

Okay, obviously that didn't work like I thought.  Who knows how to put a video on??? 

 Okay, put your hands down and now tell me how to put a video on.  

Dora's video

Dora is working with her 'exercise specialist'  - we really don't have a term for it in America - generally I call her the physical therapist, but Jane is more like I first said Dora's exercise coach.  Anyway, they have been working on walking up and down stairs.  Dora is doing great - I am the one that is scared!!

(sorry, you have to tilt your head to watch this)