Nippers in Nairobi

recent cute pics

2010-04-18T04:33:00.000-07:00

This is just to show off my cute girls right now. They change so fast I want you to see what they're like right now. Abby is 6, Kaylee is 4, and Sydney is somewhere between 18 months and 2 years old. =) Abby has just recently lost two of her bottom teeth. Kaylee is LOVING knowing her letters, and Sydney is starting to talk up a storm!

2010-04-18T04:25:00.000-07:00

So, we kept Gabe, Caleb and Madeline during Spring Break for the week while Jeremy and Ann celebrated their 10th anniversary in South Africa. We had a great time all together. The kids get along so well...like brothers and sisters. Yes, fighting and fussing included! =) Anyway, here are a couple highlights we got pics of.

The kids decided to play cowboy safari. The bikes were the horses and they were roping the animals they "saw". This game lasted about 4 hours!!!! It was awesome!

Some of you may recognize what's going on here...this is Daniel's REMIX 2010!!!! woo woo!!!! (done in a very loud voice with the woo woo cut short at the end of the word and in a high voice). So, he had the dance mix going and the kids were loving all the noise and jumping around. They are just too cute!!!!!!!

I DID IT!!!

2010-04-18T04:14:00.000-07:00

Got my bathroom painted over Spring Break. I did it myself and am very proud of it! =) So, I had already started painting before I thought of taking pictures, but you get the idea...cream walls, white tile...blah!

LOVE the blue! The photos are bath pics of the girls.

Yes, that's me taking a pic of myself. Oh well, never claimed to be a photographer. =)

There's a blue grey dot in the shower curtain that works great with the walls.

Easter

2010-04-18T04:01:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter. Church was wonderful with worshipful, celebratory songs, a meaningful message with an invitation, and we could feel God's presence. We came home and the girls went down for a nap before we went to some friends' house for a brunch lupper. Does that make sense? ha ha So, we tried to take family Easter pictures (FAILED MISERABLY) and then had lunch and an egg hunt. The girls loved hunting the eggs. Pam'ma made their Easter dresses and the girls looked so cute in their coordinating dresses. Their Easter baskets are from Masai market. I did not know what Syd's favorite color was yet....but I found out (through the throw down fit she threw trying to get Abby's) that PINK is her favorite color but she calls it purple! Next year I'll make sure she gets to choose her color basket. =)

2010-02-21T03:02:00.000-08:00

Super Friends!!!! Gabe and Caleb were the ONLY boys at the party...almost the only boys on campus!!!!

Super Kaylee (otherwise known as KimPossible) fighting off the evil Dr. Dan-gerous with her super loud horn!!!

The blows were flying between Super Girl and Dr. Dan-gerous!

Super Kaylee's cake...chocolate, of course...pink, of course (only because I told her I couldn't make a pretty purple). =)

Kaylee and all her superhero friends at her 4th birthday party!

Pancakes for breakfast on birthday morning.

Goofing around and having fun at Brackenhurst...a conference center with GREAT mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, marinara, and honey mustard. woohoo!!!! (of course, this picture is so cheesy, who needs mozzarella sticks?)

Random "statue" of a former president on the side of the road. We drive by it every time we go to the grocery store. Jamie and Daniel finally HAD to get their picture taken beside it. It's pretty bad. =)

Picture update

2010-02-21T02:38:00.000-08:00

So, it's been another little while and I have more pictures to show what's been going on. We went to Egypt for Christmas and spent 3 weeks with Mom and Dad, Dema and Steve. We all LOVED it! Abby turned 6 in December, Kaylee just turned 4 on the 11th of this month, and we've had lots of "stuff" in between. Here are some pictures so you can see...
We went to the beach house while we were all there. The girls played in the waves. It was so beautiful and refreshing!

Who wouldn't be excited by a pile of presents twice as tall as yourself??? =)

Syd enjoyed getting to know Pop and Tayta again, and Aunt Dee got the "privilege" of being Syd's bud. We're still working on Uncle Steve... =)

Pop and Tayta took the girls out for a birthday treat. They got to ride rides and get their faces painted. They felt so pretty! Tried to get Syd's done too, but she would NOT have it.

We had fun being tourists and sightseeing with Dema and Steve. Here we are at the pyramids and, yes, we rode camels...again. =)

Getting ready for Christmas

2009-12-10T04:43:00.000-08:00

I must say that it really is hard to get into the Christmas spirit here. It's hot, sunny, tropical...beautiful, but not Christmas. Even thought the shopping areas here have put up Santa Clauses that play music (last year it was The Yellow Rose of Texas) and there are lights and trees everywhere...it somehow makes it a little silly. We did get our tree up and have wrapped a few gifts to put under it. We're listening to Christmas music and trying to watch lots of movies, too. It's fun. We're really looking forward to our trip to Egypt to see family and to be in "cold" weather.

Thanksgiving in Watamu

2009-12-10T04:02:00.000-08:00

Jess and I trying to stay afloat and not EAT our too-big life vests!!!

Exploring for hermit crabs and sea slugs at low tide.

Daniel and Jamie took the girls out to what we called Crab Rock at low tide. Although slightly freaked out, the girls were in awe.

Enjoying some pool time together!

We had a GREAT time on our trip to Watamu, Kenya...the coast! We went with Pam and Gary and Jamie and Jessica Dunning. I have to admit, there was some apprehension about "the ocean" on the girls' part. Abby was nervous about a HUGE body of water you couldn't see the end of. Kaylee was actually pretty excited, but did continuously ask about "swimming with fish". I was a little nervous myself taking this trip with the 3 girls and other adults. All that worry was for naught! Abby LOVED the ocean (after a true screaming and hysterics fit walking through the 3 feet of seaweed to get to the clear water) and had a great time making a sand castle. Kaylee enjoyed the ocean, the fish, and the sand but, in the end, decided she liked the pool better because "it is cleaner". Sydney is a true water baby! Unfortunately, she is fearless in the water so we had to have someone keeping a constant hand or eye on her. She loves the ocean (drank half of it) and had a blast walking off the ledge of the pool into the deeper water. Daniel and I enjoyed the snorkeling (after an hour and a half on VERY rough water looking for dolphins we never did find) and the girls even got in to "snorkel" too. I was so proud of them for getting in and trying! Syd slept on the snorkel boat, so that was also wonderful. We got tons of lounging time on the beach, which was also by the pool! Jamie and Jessica, Pam and Gary all helped us out entertaining the kids and keeping an eye on them, so Daniel and I got to kayak together and enjoy our own lounging and down time. It was wonderful...we WILL go back!
The girls and I getting a glimpse of the Masai warrior show while Daniel went to get our afternoon ice cream and crepe snack!

Sand 'n Sun....what the beach is all about!

Kaylee having fun getting wet sand from the surf.

Daniel enjoyed showing the girls how to make amazing sand towers. And Pam'ma brought flags for the turrets!!!

On the snorkel boat...No, I did not mess up with the picture...the water was SO rough it was hard to keep the camera steady!

Pam'ma and Grandpa taking care of Syd. What can we say? She LOVES her grandparents!

Too Precious

2009-11-21T07:58:00.001-08:00

I took these pictures before church a couple weeks ago. I just think they're all SO incredibly cute. I can see little peeks at each girl's VERY individual personality in each picture. As crazy as my mind is during this stage of life...I love my girls.

2009-11-21T07:48:00.000-08:00

"Fake an Injury Day" with my class during Spirit Week. 16 kids here, one absent, and Ruth, my co-teacher. Lots of fun, great participation, and WE WON the pizza party!

Okay, so this is Halloween for me and Daniel. Great, isn't it? We went to a murder mystery dinner. It was a 50's high school reunion. Dan was the "bad boy" and I was the boring intellectual nerd. In the middle is Sherene Horton (whose husband didn't run to get in the picture before our defective timer on the camera went off). Next is Jess and Jamie, our next door neighbors. Far left is Matt Elmore (other nerd in the story) whose wife, Kelly (the slutty cheerleader) also did not make it before our timer took the pic. Lots of fun.

October

2009-11-21T07:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween! from our two princesses and our pumpkin.

Abby performed in Kindergarten chapel last month on the topic of kindness. Her part in the skit was being mean to the kid who was different. Then she and Gabe recited their line "Kindness is giving your dog food and water every day". She did great and had a lot of fun.

2009-10-24T00:24:00.000-07:00

Lots of friends at Sydney's 1st birthday party! Ann with Madelyn, Jess holding Syd, and Wendy! Very important people in our lives.

Dan and me with a happy, one-year-old Sydney.

Yum, yum, yum! Mickey Mouse cake with "brown" icing. Well, I tried.

2009-10-24T00:07:00.000-07:00

First day of school with our great friend and best babysitter, Becca.

Kaylee has a letter or the day at Eaglets and they often make a craft. "N" is for "nest". She is always VERY proud of her work.

Gabe and Abby on the elementary playground on the first day of school. They are so excited!

Don't really have a lot to say, but am going to post pictures. We've been through 1st day of school for me and Abby, Eaglets and staying with Pam'ma for Kaylee, and half-time with Mama Margaret and half-time with Pam'ma for Sydney. Syd is walking all over the place. She LOVES to play in the buckets of water in the bathroom (we're in water conservation mode), including the bucket of water commonly called the toilet! Things are getting busy, but we are all happy and so blessed.

SuperBowl

2009-06-22T03:24:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time this past Saturday bowling at Village Market with Pam and Gary. The girls got to bowl for the first time a few weeks ago with my dad while he was here. They LOVED it, especially Kaylee. We had gutter guards when we went with dad and they helped ALL of us. =) Kaylee would trot up to the line and spread her feet and be ready to send that ball down the lane. It was super cute. This Saturday with Pam'ma and Grandpa was a little different. There were quite a few people there and the lane we were in did not have gutter guards. So, we had fun, but...our scores were a lot lower. =) I got a few pictures of the girls and of the crazy contraption that the place gave us in lieu of gutter guards!

End of Year Bash

2009-06-22T02:53:00.001-07:00

So this post is a little late...but it's me, what do you expect? =) I was collecting pics from friends of our end of the school year event. The staff was treated to a very nice night out at the Muthaiga Country club for dinner and speeches and farewell performances. It was a fun time to dress up and hang out with friends. So, here are some pictures of our friends here.

This was our table for the evening. Left to right: Daniel and me, Paul Bedsole, Jeremy and Ann Greenwich, Tricia and Ed Berngen, Matt and Kelly Elmore, Jessica and Jamie Dunning (our neighbors).

Here are the girls. It's always fun to have an excuse to dress up, huh? Me, Ann, Tricia, Jess, Kelly.

Preacher Dan..or Teacher Dan

2009-06-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Daniel and I went to our first Kenyan church (slum Kenyan church...not mega church). Our househelp, Eunice, invited us and our neighbors, Jamie and Jessica, to come to her church. Her husband is the pastor and she wanted the four of us to come visit the church. Of course, that meant that Jamie and Daniel were expected to teach and preach. We still haven't understood the difference between teaching and preaching except that teaching comes first, preaching comes second. =) So, technically, Daniel "teached" and Jamie preached.

It was really an interesting experience, and enjoyable in an odd way. We left campus at about 9:15 and started our walk to the slum that is a 2 minute drive from campus. About 35 minutes later (up and down some serious hills) we met Margaret (Eunice's daughter and Jamie and Jessica's househelp) at the entrance to the slum. She walked us through the muddy, rocky, UNEVEN one lane road through the kiosks and people and children and dogs to a small wood and metal room PACKED with benches and people. I could not believe how many people were crammed into that room. Now, they had already started church (we were to come after the praise and worship). So we walked in and SQUEEZED onto a bench with about 4 other people. It was an amazing time of worship for the people. They had a keyboard and sound system going and everybody was very ready to hear the teaching and preaching from the white people. Both Jamie and Daniel did a great job and it was so encouraging to see God at work in their messages. They had not planned together, but Daniel's message of new life/new heart tied right into Jamie's message of new life. Very cool. Anyway...after church we sat in the church office and visited with a few different people, drank Coke and ate some cookies.

Eunice has invited the four of us back in July sometime and wants Jessica and me to "speak to the women". If you know me, you know I don't' "speak" to anybody!!! Jessica pretty much feels the same. So, if you think of it, please pray for Daniel and Jamie as they prepare more teaching and preaching, and for me and Jessica as we figure out a way to get out of it...I mean, as we figure out what God would have us do and say. =)

Daniel "teaching" the Word with his

translator at his side.

Us squeezed onto our bench with the kids that wanted to come see the white people. We had 5 kids clambering in and out of our laps the whole service.

Me, Eunice (our househelp), her daughter Abigail, Margaret (Eunice's oldest daughter and Jamie and Jessica's househelp), Jessica. The brown curtain in the background is the door to the church office and the church is to Jessica's left and back.

Daniel and Jamie at the entrance to the church. The area we are in is called Runda. This church is in a transition time...having difficulties with the government over land and money. Please pray for them as they try to buy a plot and build a bigger, more easily accessible, church.

Getting Bigger Every Day!

2009-06-13T04:34:00.000-07:00

These kids never cease to amaze me! Each day I see something in at least one of my sweet girls that shows how much they grow each moment!!!

Abby has lost her second tooth now. We can see her big teeth growing in now. She asks every day if they're bigger? will they feel different than my baby teeth? Is it going to hurt to have big teeth? what will they look like? Her brain is working overtime with all her changes right now. She's had friends leave for the summer, some not coming back. She's thinking about getting ready for school. Today she was asking what nap time in Kindergarten would be like. She thinks about her back pack we got int eh states, her new lunch box...what we're going to put IN her lunch box. So big, so smart, so sweet...so overloaded! Kaylee is getting easier to understand...little by little. She's trying really hard to pronounce certain words the right way. She LOVES to talk, though, and MUST be heard. Therefor...she yells a lot. =) I am so excited to see how she grows and develops next year while Abby is at school. Kaylee talks all the time about being in Eaglets with Pamma next year and getting to go to Monkeynastix. She's always saying, "When I was 4...." and then finishing with something that Abby has gotten to do. (meaning WHEN I'm 4...) Kaylee is so brave and adventurous. She likes to try new food and clamber and climb...okay, not so brave int eh pool, though. She is ready to know it all and do it all. Kaylee is my sweet cuddler, though, and we enjoy snuggling in the mornings.

Sydney is 10 1/2 months old! It's really gone by so fast with her. She is almost weaned, loving milk, eating almost anything you give her. She's lost some of her fat rolls with all the walking around she's been doing. She cruises around the furniture and loves it. We are borrowing a walker from some friends for the summer and Sydney was super excited to discover she can reach shelves ad pull things off when she's in her walker. =) Her third tooth finally came in and I think she's working on her fourth this weekend. She loves turning pages in books and playing ball. Much to daddy's delight, she really enjoys kicking a ball, too. Here she is making her "football face". It comes along with heavy sniffing through the nose. I am thoroughly enjoying my last couple months home with my almost 1 year old!

It's been tons of fun having Daniel home with us this summer. He loves playing with the girls and they love having Daddy coach them and teach them and play with them. it's such a relief for me to have him here at the house during this transition summer and he has been so supportive. Over all, it's a great time for our family...we're loving it...and each other.

Paradise Lost

2009-06-13T03:43:00.000-07:00

I have been struggling with fighting boredom this summer. Although I have a million projects in my mind that need to be dealt with, I can't seem to find a starting point for any of them...or maybe it's that I can't see the ending point of any of them. Anyway, yesterday was a nice break from my inner turmoil. Our friends, Scott and Lara, invited us to join them for a picnic and fun day at Paradise Lost. The group consisted of our family, Scott and Lara, Wendy, the Greenwich family, and two friends of friends visiting Kenya for the first time, Keith and Laura. We piled into our cars with our picnic gear, sunscreen, diaper bags, etc., and got on the road at about 10:30. This place is only about 15 minutes away!!! I love finding places so close to home. I guess I wouldn't say it's Paradise, but it is a really nice place to have a day out with the family. There is a small lake, little boats to go out on, tons of picnic tables (and you can camp there and build fires). I think the girls' favorite part (probably the Greenwich boys' too) was the cave! There was a waterfall (that didn't have much water flow) and the kids could climb on the rocks and scamper everywhere. Then we went behind the waterfall in to the cave. Scott let the kids explore all the cave holes with his phone flashlight. They LOVED it. Our picnic lunch was great. we all sat under a nice shade tree close to the water...and then became the main attraction. There were about 5 or 6 Kenyan schools there with kids on a field trip. All the kids started circling us and saying hi and watching us eat. Madeline was definitely their favorite "thing" to look at. So, we were entertained watching them watch us for a while. Kaylee wanted to ride a horse, so we did that after lunch and then fed the ostrich (which was hilarious because none of us trusted that thing enough to hold the food in our hand very firmly)! There was a camel to ride, but the line for the camel ride was a mile long. We'll have to do that next time. It was a great outing and nice to find something different and so close to home that doesn't break the bank and we can enjoy as a family.

The Tooth Fairy

2009-05-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

Well, as I told many of you, Abby lost her first tooth yesterday. It's been loose for a couple weeks and she finally pulled it out yesterday during nap time. She was so proud of herself, but also traumatized...she cried when she showed it to me. My sensitive big girl.

2009-04-12T21:35:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday Jane Loewer, a very thoughtful wife of a science teacher, organized an egg decorating party/egg hunt. Abby and Kaylee got to decorate a few eggs and get spoiled by the older kids on campus as they hunted for candy and eggs. We had a good time.

It was pretty funny watching them hunt for the eggs. Kaylee has her Daddy's talent for searching for things...yeah right. Abby is so into being one of the big kids right now, she was all over the place finding everything. Kaylee tends to get a little frustrated if she feels left out or left behind.

Here's a shot of them after hunting. Kahly Amber is on the right, a good friend of the girls'. Center background is Tyler, he is in Kindergarten this year, but is a friend of Abby's and Gabe's. The other boys are Matlack boys, 4 brothers. Are we spoiled to have playgrounds like this and friends so close or what? =)

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

He is risen! Happy Easter everyone! I hope you have all had a great time celebrating with friends and family. We've had a great Easter weekend. Daniel and I have been reading the crucifixion and resurrection passages with the girls. They ask so many questions! IT can get overwhelming sometimes thinking, "Are we saying the right things? Are we leading them to Christ?". But then we remember that they are His children and He is drawing them to Him, it's not on our shoulders to answer the perfect way, but to show the way to Him and show His love. Whoo...what a job! =)

So, we had a great Easter Sunday. There was a kid-friendly service at church this morning and then we went to Pam'ma and Grandpa's for lunch with the Greenwiches and the Dunnings (our duplex neighbors and good friends). The food was great, the fellowship was wonderful, and the kids had a fun Easter egg hunt. Also, they LOVED getting to dress up so cute in the dresses that Pam'ma brought them from the States this Christmas.

house changes

2009-03-29T00:22:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally got our headboard made and painted our bedroom! Yay! Also, I moved Sydney into the bedroom with the girls, she sleeps better. Her nursery is now half office and half playroom. We are all loving it. The playroom makes it easy for the girls to entertain themselves even while Sydney is napping. Their kitchen is still in the bedroom, but they are cool with that being something they can do while Syd's awake. The whole set-up will change even more this summer when (I HOPE) we get bunk beds. Then the dresser in the office will be moved into the bedroom, the rocking chair will go to our neighbors, and I will get one more desk for the office. Then I will set up an L of desks, one for computer and one for scrapbook space. Yippee! Also, I am hoping to get beanbags for the girls for Christmas to make their play space have a little comfy corner for reading in. Anyway, here are some pictures of how it is right now.
I got the bookshelf painted too. The walls were a glossy sea blue (think cheap Florida resort). =) They are now brown, called Apache. Daniel and I are both very happy with it. Here are the nursery/playroom/office pictures (remember, it's a TINY room, so I coudn't get many angles).

Chef Abby

2009-03-23T01:57:00.000-07:00

You all know how much Abby loves cooking and cooking shows and everything. Her life's dilemma right now is deciding if she is going to be an artist or a chef. I told her there is art in cooking and there can be cooking in art. That made her happy. SO, she is going to open a restaraunt and be an artist. So, all this to say, we have started one night a week "fancy dinners". The girls help me cook and we do candles and special place settings and all. The other week we did chicken nuggets and french fries. Here is a picture of how Abby set each plate. She went to teh garden and picked little purple flowers to put one in the center of each plate. Then she made a "sunshine" with teh french fries adn placed a nugget on the side. She was so proud of her artistic creation! And, of course, we're so proud of her. =)

found a little time

2009-03-23T01:17:00.000-07:00

We cut Kaylee's hair about two weeks ago. Her hair is so fine it gives it more body to have it shorter. It was down past the middle of her back. After we cut it she was so proud that she had "short" hair...like Finley! =) Of course, she wasn't thrilled with getting her picture taken. I'm tellin' you, Dee, she reminds me of you in SO many ways.

Also, this silly green t-shirt looks SO good on her with her coloring...yes, I have to force her to wear it! Silly battle of me to pick, I know. I try not ot pick it too often.

life

2009-03-22T23:33:00.000-07:00

Well, so I know it's been TOO LONG since an update. I apologize, but what do you expect from me? =) Well, life is just life right now. It feels like things have been really busy, but I can't tell you what we've been doing. Someone here said it just right this weekend...we've jsut been being a family. When there are so many people involved, plus campus community family, life just gets busy. You all know exactly what I am talking about. Anyway, my big thought for today is just that Abby did her Kindergarten screening test today! I mean, I have been thinking about her starting school for a LONG time, but it's so fun and big to me to think it's starting now! She's going to be in school next year and she'll never NOT be in school again as a kid!!!! Craziness.

I subbed a couple days this week in first grade. It was fun...and tiring. I got to meet some of the kids that will be in my class next year. That was fun. I will be teachign second grade for sure now. I am looking forward to it, but of course and prepped for a long hard haul at the beginning (like, the whole first year).

Anyway, I am just going to search through some pics and post a few. I know the girls have grown SO much since I last posted.

These are a couple shots that a friend of ours took here. The one with me and Syd isn't fixed or anything, but it's a shot of her.

So, have run out of time, kids need snacks of course. I will hit this again today and post more pictures. I PROMISE!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

Abby and Kaylee enjoying watching us make fools of ourselves attempting to square dance!

Our newest friend...Madelyn Alana Greenwich! Two weeks old and sweet as can be. Of course she'll be Sydney's best friend forever. =)

Yay! We caught a smile!

First family photo, I think.

October 2008

2008-10-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

So, here is our chunked up Sydney! Every time we get her smiling and laughing, it stops JUST when we get the camera out. Someday we'll get you a smiling pic.
The school social committee planned a hoe down Oct 11th. This horse was there for the kids to ride. Abby and Kaylee had been pumping themselves up for a WEEK saying "I'm going to ride the horse!!!" Of course, when it came time to do it, Kaylee just flat said NO and Abby kept thinking she would get on and then chickening out. One time she even said she would ride with this older girl that's here, but then SCREAMED when the man started lifting her up! Yeah, it was embarrassing. THEN, she decided she really did want to ride, but with me and she wanted Daddy to lift her up. SO....here is our brave girl!
Dan had a fun time roasting hot dogs and marshmallows with the girls over the bonfire.
This is Sydney at the hoedown, so it's a nice recent picture. Like her double...or triple...chin???
CUTE!!! So Caleb missed out on the photo op, but the kiddos were "cheesing" so well we couldn't pass up the chance.

2008-08-05T00:23:00.000-07:00

Here is the first Nipper baby that takes a pacifier! =) She sleeps ALL the time, night and day. Doesn't her hair remind you of Abby?

Woooo! Pig Sooie!!!! The shade of blue gray of her eyes makes us think she might be a blue eyed brunette.

Sydney Danielle hanging out on the couch during one of her FEW awake moments. I guess some of you might be interested in some stats. She was born July 28 after a 3 hour labor. Fast and furious...get Dan to tell the story, it's like a sitcom, with "Just give me the drugs!!!!!" moments and everything. =) It was a drugless delivery since it happened so fast. She was 6.9 lbs, 19 in and had a nice, small head.

Dan's birthday party was fun. Abby baked him a cake and insisted we light candles and sing to him. So, Dan had the spectacle he didn't want for his 30th. Looking at this picture I can see how pale I am. I lost a lot of blood and am still trying to get my hemoglobin levels up. Anyway, this is our happy family!

July 8, 2008 Nursery

2008-07-08T02:25:00.000-07:00

Got the nursery painted!!!! The walls were already this gray blue. Our desk is to the left and I am standing in the doorway. This is the room that was added on to this house a few years ago. It is long and narrow just like it looks. We're doing polka dots as our theme. I was doing polka dots and stripes, but have not found stripes that I like here. So, right now it is polka-dots in cream and brown. If the baby is a girl, I will add a few pink dots.

Okay, the cream looks pink right now...but it's brown and CREAM.

The bulletin board is my next project, but after the baby is born. I will do pink ribbon if it's a girl, and don't have anything yet if it's a boy. I also got some big brown buttons to put at the cross-sections.

Other projects are the curtains and the rocking chair covers. I am getting the campus seamstress to do that for me and make a few pillows too. Fabric is chocolate brown and tan. I am excited to get these things done. =) As of tomorrow, 4 WEEKS til due date! Long time, but finally down to one month.

4th Of July!!!

2008-07-08T01:53:00.000-07:00

The girls loved having their faces painted for the 4th. I got some face painting crayons from the Eaglets room and decided what better day than the 4th to bust them out. Are those the cutest little sisters or what!?!?
Dawn sent the girls these ADORABLE headbands and they are so excited to wear them! The little decorations on the table beside them are made with toilet paper tubes by Abby, Kaylee, Gabe, Caleb, Ann and myself. Aren't you proud of our crafting abilities? =)

So, we celebrated the 4th at Pamma and Grandpa's house with the Greenwich's and the Canadian Krymusa's. The kids had a blast playing together and we even had some sparklers and spinner fireworks that surprised us all!

Here is our family! Tried to give you all a belly shot, but it isn't angled enough. Oh well. Happy 4th everyone!

Kiddos having a blast acting CRAZY and SPAZZY!!!! It took a while to get Caleb in the picture, but Jeremy bribed him with cookies.

July 1, 2008 Canada Day

2008-07-08T01:18:00.000-07:00

It's Canada Day! Yes, we're wishy washy and will celebrate any country as long as it means free cookout! =) Kaylee with her Canada flag tattoo from our neighbors. She did NOT like me putting it on her, so the water got under it and it stayed on for all of 15 minutes.

Magdalene is a true Canadian, but Abby didn't mind being Canadian for the day either. She didn't really appreciate Phil's rendition of "Oh, Canada" though. =)

We had a fun time in our front yard and the Krymusa's backyard having hot dogs and sodas. It was fun chat time and the kids loved roasting marshmallows.

Probably talking about golf...but who knows. Wes and Phil are being greatly entertained by Dan's stories. =) The baby is Josephine who is just now 2 months old. Kaylee LOVES holding her!

June 18, 2008

2008-06-18T00:42:00.000-07:00

Abby and her friend Julia (who is TOO CUTE for words) playing in the sandbox outside Gabe's house. We caught a rare smile from Abby for this picture.

Kaylee swinging at Gabe's house. When she wants something "extra" she uses the word "double". So, when swinging, her request is, "Push me double high!!!!" =)

Some friends of ours are on furlough for a year, raising money to come back. They loaned us their swingset for the year since they'll be living on campus when they come back and will be our neighbors. Dan got it up in a couple days and the girls have played on it every day since then. Kaylee LOVES to swing and asks to be pushed "double high". I can't wait for the day when she can get on teh swing and pump by herself! Abby is a very sweet adn helpful big sister, though and happily pushes Kaylee.

We had an end of the year school banquet at a really nice restaraunt called Lord Errol's. The dinner was nice, the speeches weren't too long and it was fun to dress up. Yes, that's my belly.

This is at Gabe's b-day party at the end of May. THere are so many pregnant people on campus right now! Well, my friend Kirsten just had her baby, the secretary Josephine had her baby. Amy, on the left, is due July 24, then me August 8, then Ann, Oct 3. Aren't our bellies lovely?

Here are the girls and their friends here on campus playing fireman at Gabe's birthday party! Aren't they cute!?!

Masai Mara Safari

2008-06-12T04:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I know, it's been a LONG time. Oh well, I warned you. =) So anyway, just thought I would let you all know about our safari trip this past weekend. We went to the Mara with Pam and Gary. We left on Friday the 6th and came back on Sunday. Kaylee was sick Tuesday evening and Wednesday with some kind of stomach bug. I caught it the night before we left. I was well in the morning, but weak. We were all in a van that was pretty roomy and comfortable. The driver took us to the main office in Nairobi so we could pay up and then we had to make a stop at the market to pick up food for the hotel restaurant. =) After about two hours, we were on our way! It was about a 6ish hour drive after that. The girls traveled really well (thanks to Pamma's bag o' tricks). When we got there, we had an evening game drive and the girls enjoyed seeing animals. Kaylee's favorites were cows, goats, and zebras. =) She was VERY easy to please. Dinner was European, served at 7:30!!!! Needless to say, we were all ready to crash. The rooms were fine, nothing special, but the funny thing was that the whole place was under construction!!!! I should say, renovation. Anyway, we slept well until about 3 int eh morning when Abby woke up with the stomach bug!!!! Well, Saturday was our all day game drive, but Abby really wanted to go and see the animals, and none of us could really see the point in sitting in a hotel room with no TV or anything for the day. SO...we packed a trash can, sacks, extra clothes, and medicine, and we all went on a game drive. Abby laid in the back seat with a fever and threw up into a trash can every hour or so. BUT...she sat up every time we saw animals and was actually able to enjoy seeing the lions, hippos, elephants, lion kill, ostrich, zebra, secretary birds fighting over a cobra, and monkeys. When we got back from that drive, we knew that Dan was coming down with the bug!!!! SO, while Kaylee, Pam, Gary and I ate dinner Dan and Abby went and slept the bug off in the hotel room. Abby was well in the morning, Dan was okay. Pam and Gary went on one more short morning game drive while we slept in a little. Breakfast was at nine and then we were off, back to Nairobi. The drive was MUCH faster coming home. We didn't make stops and it was mostly downhill so our driver was going quite a bit faster! We were all a little more uncomfortable, but we got home quickly. =) Overall, it was a fun trip and we did get to see quite a few animals. Abby and Kaylee LOVED it and are already asking to go on safari again. I have pictures I will post from Ann and Jeremy's computer this weekend...really! =)

March 28

2008-03-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

This has been a fun week having Daniel home for Spring Break. We started the week with Easter celebrations and ended it (almost) today with a date. It's been interesting in between though. Kaylee had a visit to the doctor for some ongoing stomach issues and ended up on an IV for dehydration on Monday. We took her back for a check up on Tuesday and by Wednesday evening she was doing just fine. She had RotaVirus. So, we've enjoyed some time at home with the girls. Dan has had fun taking them to the playground and messing with them here at home. we've gotten to enjoy time with Pam'ma and Grandpa, too. Dan starts back to school this Monday, but no more coaching for the year. We're both looking forward to a little more family time. I am still working on new recipes, more meatless, or less meat meals. So, if any of you have great recipes to pass on, please do! Oh, we're going for our sonogram Saturday April 5, so it will be fun to get that on video. We aren't finding out gender still, even though Abby has asked if she can know. =) She desperately wants a baby brother. Well, I am working on posting some pictures, but our computer is not reading the drive right now. I will try to get over to a friend's or to Dan's classroom tomorrow to get it done before the week starts. Okay, I am off to bed.

March 11, 2008 Pictures!!!!!

2008-03-11T03:23:00.000-07:00

Abby and Kayle enjoying the beach at Silver Beach in Egypt this past Christmas. The water was chilly, but it didn't keep us from wave splashing and sand castle building. Dan even took a quick dip in the water (after making sure Dad promised him a Starbucks mocha).

On Sports Day there was a race for all preschoolers before the events started for students. Abby and Kaylee were both hesitant to run and the crowds definitely intimidated them! Both girls were zoned out (imagine that!) when the started sounded so Brent (the man in the red shirt) gave them each a friendly nudge to get them going. Abby started and ran her little heart out. Kaylee fell face first into the dirt but, instead of crying, she hopped up and started running...then walked the rest of the way holding my hand. By the way...Abby came in first! Yep, we're proud of our preschooler!

Yee-ha! Ride 'em cowboy! Our version of rodeo here in Nairobi. We went to the Ostrich Farm with a group of people and had a nice time. It was a relaxing environment and we ate at the restaraunt while we were there. Dan had an ostrich burger. I had chicken. We got to tour the farm and see ostriches at all ages and stages. Abby held an ostrich egg. Dan and I both took an ostrich ride. I'll tell you...there's not much to that saddle. Three guys HANG on the ostrich (one on the tail feathers, one on each wing) as they guide the ostrich in circles. They are hanging so the ostrich won't take off in an all out sprint! VERY awkward ride, but fun to say we've done it.

February 26, 2008

2008-02-26T02:33:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Trying a new thing her. Thought I would start a blog and see if it's worth the effort. =) Hopefully I can post a few pictures every once in a while. I have to do that on a friend's computer, but still, it's something. Anyway...let's see if I can update you all a little on what's going on.

Daniel is coaching JV basketball and enjoying it pretty well. He is coaching with Jeremy and they are having a pretty decent season. I think they only have three more weeks of games. Schedules are iffy right now because with the school we missed and games that have been rescheduled (due to the unrest) nobody is sure which ones we'll make up and all that jazz.

As far as the political stuff goes...we're just waiting to see what happens. All these possible solutions are on the line, but it all comes down to stubbornness. We'll see if Kibaki and Odinga can FINALLY strike a deal. Then we'll see how it goes from there. There are, of course, still violent areas and many refugees, but there has been an amazing recovery also. Churches and camps have really taken care of people and they are getting food, homes and jobs. There is definitely progress, slow as it may be. just pray that God is glorified through all of it, and not man .

The girls and I are still at home just living life. I am working on potty training Kaylee...not going so well yet. =) Abby is still loving Eaglets twice a week. The lady that's doing Eaglets leaves March 16th, though, so I don't know what will happen then. I am considering taking over Eaglets just to finish the year out. I will OBVIOUSLY not be doing it next fall. Oh, I think anyone reading this probably knows, but just in case you haven't heard, we are expecting baby #3 August 8. =) Abby and Kaylee are both very excited. Abby is really hoping for a brother. We are not finding out the gender, so neutral is the name of the game so far. =)

Also, TERRIFIC news...we were just informed that our LOVING and WONDERFUL family want to bring us home for Christmas!!!! =) SO...we're coming home for Christmas! We are still working on tickets, schedules, money, etc., but plan to be int eh states for three weeks. We will most likely fly into Dallas, spend a few days there, and then be in AR for the rest of the time (except for a week in Branson with the Nipper clan). We will come in around the 19th or 20th. SO, hopefully we will get to see everyone. Just keep that in mind and plan all of your family activities around us. =) Just kidding!!!!

Okay, that's enough for a first blog update. WE love you all and get in touch when you can.