Flip Flops in Kyiv

I'm an intelligent, educated moron.  That's what I felt like pretty much every second I was in Kiev.  I know a lot, but what I know about life and the world compared to what I don't isn't even a comparison.  My knowledge and wisdom could fit into a thimble, and what I don't know would equal the volume of 10 Pacific Oceans.  

I grew up in the Midwest in a very nice, stable family.  I had a brother, a sister, a Catholic school education and a curious attitude about things in general.  I wanted to go places and see and experience things, but I liked being home as well.  That really hasn't changed, and I saw all of that in large doses in Kiev.

I went to the University of Wisconsin, where I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism.  I moved out to Oregon and got my law degree.  Why?  I'm not sure I'll ever be able to answer that one.  I made some good friends and did actually learn things that I use regularly in life, but that's about it.

I met my lovely wife in 2008.  We got married in 2009.  We tried to have children but were unsuccessful.  Finally, in 2012, we were blessed with a daughter, who will be a shining light in the world throughout her life.  She's that special.  We had to go the IVF route to get her, which was long, difficult and expensive.  Regardless, it was more than worth it.

We knew we'd face a struggle if we wanted to have any more children.  The IVF results were not getting us anywhere except poorer and sadder.  As you'll see with some of the stories yet to be told, happenstance brought us to a fertility agency that specialized in surrogacy births in Ukraine.  This is our story.