In 17 years of marriage Olena Kozlovets has never been apart from her husband for more than two weeks.
It has now been 10 months since the mother of two has been able to hold his hand or give him a hug and there's little hope of a reunion any time soon with the Ukrainian war still raging in their homeland.
With Christmas around the corner, the 36-year-old is trying to find some joy in the festive season for her teenage daughter Alina and eight-year-old son Dima as they embark on their first Christmas away from home.
The family fled the south of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on a humanitarian visa two weeks after war broke out in March to live with Olena's twin sister Luidmyla "Luda" who has called Queensland home for more than a decade.
"My husband and I speak every day — 20 times a day sometimes on the phone or through FaceTime — about our day, our plans and the kids," she said.
"But it's hard because we are apart for so long now, but we understand we must live 'life' and for now our life is here."
Male Ukrainian citizens aged 18 to 60 are not allowed to leave Ukraine while it remains at war, unless they have three or more children or are a main care giver.
This means many of the 4,500 displaced Ukrainians living safely in Australia have left sons, husbands and grandfathers to either fight or support the war effort.
Delivering goods to the front line
Tears fall from Olena's cheeks, as she speaks of the dangerous work her husband Oleksandr "Sasha" does every day delivering good to the front line.
The truck driver also delivers generators to families who have had their houses destroyed and need power during the harsh winter.
"He is in danger every time he is driving during the air alerts and those come without warning," she said.
"We were thinking it would be a little holiday, some time off, because we expected the war will finish in two weeks' time or even less.
"It's horrible now, because we do not know how long we will wait."
Despite the small family's despair, there is joy and laughter in Olena's sister's home in Beenleigh.
The family sit cross-legged on the floor wrapping Christmas presents — gifts for family back home and "new friends" who have helped them settle in to a new country.
'My dad is my best friend'
As 16-year-old Alina writes a card to her "dear dad," the memories flood back of a carefree life full of hope and joy, before the bombing.
The war taught Ukranian people "to say the most important words," she said as her eyes filled with tears.
"It is difficult to say as I am crying, but it is 'I love you'.
"My dad is my best friend, every evening we FaceTime, it's like a tradition. We miss him so much."
Alina said it was "impossible" to feel happy during the festive season with all that is happening in Ukraine.
"But we are trying to make a little special happy day for us here. We have my aunty, her daughter and some relatives here to try to be as happy as we can."
"We sing carols usually with grandparents. Dad has such a beautiful voice so we will do something like that on Christmas Day on the phone."
Her little brother Dima is already practising their family's favourite song — a Ukranian winter folk song known as Carol of the Bells.
Olena's sister Luda — who works as a teacher — and her 10-year-old daughter Yulia are the family's rock.
The mums and daughters each share a bedroom in Luda's modest home while eight-year-old Dim gets one to himself.
As they stack their wrapped Christmas gifts into a huge pile, a hand-made snowman that was delicately placed on top topples to the floor, sparking laughter, tinsel throwing and hugs all round.
Christmas season brings hope
Ukrainians of the Orthodox or Eastern Catholic traditions often follow the Julian calendar, meaning they celebrate Christmas on January 7.
But many displaced Ukrainians who are being hosted by Australians will also share in celebrations on December 25.
"It's difficult knowing we will not be celebrating Christmas together, given that it is war and we do not know what is going to happen in the next hour, in the next day," Luda said.
"So we do not know what Christmas will bring for them, for our family back home.
"But Christmas will still mean hope that it's going to be alright, hope that they will be alive and safe and hope that we will be able to share next Christmas together.
Brisbane Ukranian community leader Anna Golovchenko has provided a safe haven for her sister Nadia, her seven-year-old niece Jenya and her 65-year-old mother Kateryna, whose home was destroyed in Mariupol in the early days of the bombing.
She too breaks down when she recalls how her niece has learnt to ride a bike here.
"She talks to her dad on the phone and says: 'You'll come tomorrow and I'll show you how I do this', but we all know this is not going to happen," she said.
"She started school here for the first time so her dad was not able to be present either.
"So for the first time in their lives they are without dad and without other grandparents celebrating Christmas.
"I know there will be tears in our family as well.
"But I know parents here of Ukrainian refugees are trying their best to bring joy back to the kids.
"They do not want to traumatise them any further, they are already traumatised enough."
Locking away their grief for now, mothers are focusing on their children.
Even Saint Nicholas, known as St Mykolai, has made an early surprise visit to displaced children who attend school at the Ukranian Community Centre in the Brisbane suburb of Holland Park, by handing out gifts such as little Aussie koalas.
"We had fun, laughter and joy, so lovely to see the happiness and cheerfulness and have that community feeling and know we have these traditions here," principal Kataryna Miljenovic said.
In turn, the big man with the white beard, was entertained by a nativity scene with flashing coloured lights from a huge Christmas tree flashing in the background.
Refugee Sanna Plaka, who fled Odessa with her youngest daughter in April, leaving behind her 25-year-old son, husband and parents, said it was so important to see joy on the children's faces "as they are our future".
The koala will be treasured as a sign of incredible kindness they have been shown by so many Australians, as they continue to pray for an end to the war and be back in the arms of those left behind.
