Some photos

Kids in Motion - Great program for involving children to volunteering and making difference in world. I'm so impressed that kids in their 10 think about community and help it in different ways.

Day Camp in Eau Claire Y - useful program for parents and kids especially at summer time, having fun inside and good for health spending time outdoors. Also there is another good Day Camp - Riveredge, but actually only outdoors, so close with nature!


Lovely Ukrainian BBG at Lena's house.

Visiting beautiful landscapes, Elbowfalls - amasing nature!

PARTNERSHIP

Partnership!
Great word, which is based on _caring honesty respect responsibility_ values! We've learnt a lot and we are thankful for the chance to share the experiences and to improve some points of Volyn YMCA. We also would like to run some very nice programmes, you have, in Ukraine. Kids in motion seems to us very special programme, that impressed greatly! Tiny little children do huge work for the community. They care about nature, they are honest, respectful and know about responsibilities. They build a better world!

i ♥ Canada

Another land, another traditions, another views... the same people, although with different understanding. Full of feelings again =) some changes in my mind and I'm happy! I'm observing this special world, we've flighted in, thinking a lot. There is so much differences between the people and that's really very interesting way this world is built: different languages, cultures, spiritual worlds... I'm so interested in everyone! Each person, each child is like a tiny separate world, full of beauty and there is a lot of special things that belong to the only it's master. Everyone is very special! And while we differ so greatly, it makes us the one unit, the community... Y, even though we've created this special world just because of having one goal in common - to make a better world! We are very thankful for having an opportunity to know such nice people, who work for this reason. It's really great work, you do!

Thanks a lot to everyone for hosting, days, full of expressions, understanding, support, smiles =) hugs and especially great big thank you for love, you all give to us.

kids!!! they are the best =)

Enjoying stay!

Over one week ago we came to Calgary, but feeling like we've been living here many years. So many pleasant impressions are inside of me, don't even know how to express it!
I remember when we just arrived in airport... Nice people and lovely country music met us.

Every day is full of nice meetings and events. Thank's a million for all spent time with us, especially for Stampede day with Christie and Katie, lovely day with Dan's Family, interesting dinner with Helene, Briggite and Dan, for visiting Christie's parents (they are so cute!) and so many things done for us!

YMCA Calgary is great organisation, and I'm happy that we have this partnership.
Want to add that Eau Claire Y Day Camps are awesome! (I used to say often this word :-)) I like them! Councelors that work there do good job! And kids are so smart!

P.S. I know that we gonna be here 20 days yet, but don't wanna think about leaving Calgary!

We're back!

...although the exchange is far from over. As most of you know, we arrived back in Calgary on the evening of July 1, Canada Day, a fitting day to introduce Vika and Natalia to our home and native land. It was a long journey home, with some minor delays and difficulties, but everyone performed well and even caught up on some much needed rest. Vika and Natalia showed no signs of being nervous about their first ever flight (see picture) and were rewarded on the Amsterdam-Calgary leg by being upgraded to business-class seats! A big thank you to our friends and family who welcomed us home at the airport (and had to wait a long time listening to country music while we sorted out missing luggage).

We've been busy adjusting back to work and family life here in Calgary, but we are having a great time hosting Vika and Natalia here. Their hosts, Angi and Matt have been taking very good care of them, and this weekend they also experienced Calgary Stampede with Katie and Christy, and Spruce Meadows with me and my family. Yesterday Analu introduced them to their first day at Eau Claire YMCA Day Camps, and they experienced getting caught in one of Calgary's drenching summer rainshowers.