Mama Eli’s Duka aka “my Kenyan garage sale”

 So months before our departure from Kenya I told Ian that I had hatched a fabulous plan that would allow us to fairly distribute all of the things we had accumulated that would not be returning to the US in our alloted 8 suitcases. That’s right.  No shipping things home.  I’m about reducing and recycling [...]

I am not lost

Habari ya siku mingi!  Do you remember me posting in the past of the Kenyan saying, “You’ve been lost” when you haven’t visited someone for a long time? Well, I know that I haven’t visited my blog much in the last few weeks, but rest assured, I am not lost from it. Life has been [...]

Therapy

Ameena is now [gulp] 10 1/2 weeks old (I think?). She had her 8 week doctor’s appointment last week at 9 weeks. We had the usual developmental checklist.  All fine. She’s gained plenty of weight…..getting pretty close to doubling her birth weight, which isn’t nearly as hard when you start out so light (6 1/2 pounds). [...]

Comin’ home

From the moment Ian and I committed to coming to Kenya we knew that we’d be short-term missionary-type folk, staying until summer 2010, which is now upon us. There were SOOO many pieces that were brought together in this crazy adventure puzzle that it was IMPOSSIBLE for me and Ian to deny that coming to Kenya was [...]

Hair

  Ian has always had a special relationship with his hair.  He won’t admit it though.  When I met him in college he had long straight hair that went past his shoulders.  I used to watch him mess with it during chapel.  He’d pull it back into a ponytail and flip it up and down [...]

DeJa Vu

Today Ian and I had a conversation that I am almost positive we had before Eli was born. It has to do with the baby’s sleeping arrangements. Before Eli was born, I had THE most difficult time justifying why we needed a cradle (borrowed) for him.  Ian was empathic that we could just use a [...]

3AM blogs are just wrong….

Well, I tried to chat up my friend, Erika Lee, on facebook since it is about 4:30pm in Portland, Oregon and 3:30 am here in Thika, Kenya….but she must have more pressing matters on her hands like kid pick up from the bus stop, and homework, and diabetes snack time etc. etc.!  So, you get a [...]

And the ‘fari continues….

So we did this all more than a week ago, but it is Africa, and we were t.v. and computer free for essentially 2 weeks.  It was a nice break…..learning to just be still and smelling the dampened earth, exhaust free air, plumeria on the warm evening air.  I could go on and on.  Have I [...]

Happy Birthday Ian!

Today (8/22) we celebrate Ian’s birthday! He’s a big whopping 35 years old.  He is an amazing husband, father, friend and leader!  I am so proud of everything he has directed here in Africa.  He really knows how to get things done! Here’s what he looked like when we were first married, I think this [...]

One Week – Settling in and Making Friends

Anne and the kiddos resting inthe shade after our little walk off the compound.          Eli has been cooped up and whenever we get out he climbs, runs, throws something,  or just plain spazes out.  We Went for a little walk today and the kids made some new friends.       [...]