Yana's First American Dance

October 25th, marks the date that I am sure our headaches will begin. We send our beautiful daughter off to her first dance here in America. I begged her to buy a raw fish and bring it with her and eat it with the head on. Now way, that kind of stuff happens at home, not in front of her American friends.

We are hosting a student from France for the week. She arrives in time for the Jamestown High School homecoming dance. Anne-Laure is here for a cross cultural experience. I told her she is getting more then one cultural experience. We have taken Yana out of the Ukraine, but the Ukrainian will never leave Yana. That is what gives Yana so much of her charm, she loves who she is. We love who she is too, our little Ukrainian daughter.

The picture is Anne-Laure, Yana, Ella, and Erica. Yana's dress is from the Ukraine. When Marina was here for the summer, she and Yana did a dress exchange. This is the dress that Marina bought for her birthday with the money we gave her for a present. Yana was so excited that no one would have a dress like hers. The day of the dance, the girls got together at Ella's house to do make-up, hair, and have dinner. Erica pulls out her dress to show everyone and Yana announces that Ella has the exact same dress!!! That is not acceptable to happen, so off to J.C. Penny's they go to buy Ella a new dress, just hours before the dance. I am so proud of the girls, they were so sweet to Anne-Laure. Ella and Yana are friends from Berdyansk and Erica is one of their closest friends. It was so wonderful that they could open their hearts up so easily to Anne-Laure. Beautiful girls and a wonderful night, that is a success story.

Fran