Ice Skating

Ella and Anne had their first skating experience this weekend. All things considered, they did amazingly well.

Surprised there's an in-door skating rink in Lviv? Told you they have just about everything here!

balboa bars

Well, sort of.

 Nutella on frozen bananas is delicious - even if it isn't a real Balboa bar.

ella and anne walking to the neighborhood park

Flowers

Photo by: Ella Jane

Benj surprised us and brought home flowers for each of us today. Turns out Anne was a bit distraught that Ella got the all pink flower, and her rose was white with pink tips. Look out teenage years!!!
 Mary and Ella, however,  were gleeful and appreciative. Thanks for being such a wonderful and thoughtful husband and father, Benj. We are so blessed (and spoiled!) by you.

Oh, and here's a picture of the bouquet from our actual anniversary. I love the flowers here!

10 Months

Mary turned 10 months old today ... which means she has proportionately spent more of her life in Ukraine than Benj:) Ella picked out Mary's outfit for her 10 month picture, and I found it very fittingly Ukrainian patriotic - blue with yellow flowers. Mary's hair is coming in a bit on the strawberry blond side, and not so curly ... which is sort of new and exciting.

We did snap a few photos of Mary a month ago, when she turned 9 months, I just was a little slow to post them I guess. It was nearly (and still is for that matter) impossible to get her to hold still for a picture.

Zolochiv Castle

When we first walked through the gate and saw the pink building directly in front of us, I said, "look Anne, a pink castle just for you." She put her hand to her heart and took a deep breath, and said, "For me?! Oh, thank you, thank you so much!"

Zolochive Castle was built as a citadel in the 1630s. In the 17th – 18th centuries the castle belonged to the rich Polish families of Sobieski and Radziwill.  During the Austro-Hungarian empire, and again under Stalin, Zolochiv Castle was used as a prison. Somehow my "world history" classes never got this far.

I love the old furniture and housewares in each of these castles - either things were made a lot better hundreds of years ago, or people took much better care, because I'm not so sure any of our furnishings would last centuries.

 We walked around the outer perimeter defense wall, and had a better view of the town/ city Zolochiv. Here's a quote from the tourist brochure - "Tourists would be taken to the old magic stone in the castle courtyard. It has engraved inscriptions in unknown language and a hole in the middle that will help fulfill your wishes if you put your finger there and turn."
Okay, now wish and turn.

Of course, everyone's (under the age of 5) favorite part was finding a water spigot and playing with "waters!" Mary was belly-laughing. How royal to have sisters - a true princess traveling with an entourage of built-in entertainment!

Olesko Castle

Olesko Castle thrived from the 13-18^th centuries. It was a strong fortress of old Rus in the 14^th century. Later in the 15^th-16^th the castle was turned into an aristocratic palace, and remodeled in the Italian Renaissance style in the 1620s.  The famous Polish King Jan III Sobieski was born here in 1629. Now it’s a type of museum – housing hundreds of icons, portraits, still-lives, sculptures, furniture, and applied arts.