June 18, 2008

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

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! =)