We haven’t made very much progress on the adoption since we’ve been here, but in the last few days we’ve finally talked to the right people and have gotten some good information and good news!

Ben talked to a woman named Susan at Little Angels in Nairobi and she told us that since we already have custody of Eden, we can go ahead and file for an exemption on the 3 year residency requirement.  We should be going to court soon to apply for the exemption.  Even better is that the 3 year residency requirement isn’t actually a law, but a recommendation that the adoption agencies have.  Also, the three months of post-placement visits that have to be made by a social worker are not necessary for us.  She told us that is to allow time for bonding between the child and the family, but obviously we have already done that.  The last good thing Susan told us is that as soon as our exemption is approved we can go ahead and apply for the adoption.  That should take 2 court dates but then we should be done.

Today I talked to the District Children’s Officer in Kapsebet who used to be over the Eldoret area.  She helped with the adoption of another little boy from Sally Test several years ago.  She said that we can go ahead and do the adoption here in Eldoret, then we can go to Nairobi and see the Children’s Officer there.  They will give us a letter saying that the adoption is finalized and that’s what we take with us to the US Embassy.

It sounds like it should be fairly easy and move pretty quickly, but even so, we probably won’t be able to come home before October.  That’s because the US has a law that says a child adopted abroad (not through the international Hague convention route) has to live with the family for 24 months before they can get a visa to return to the States.  Our 24 months roll around on October 13.  We will certainly ask for permission to come home earlier, but doubt that will happen.

Please continue to pray for the process.  That the magistrates will be kind and willing to help us and that we are able to get court dates in a speedy fashion.  Finally, pray that the US Embassy employees will be compassionate and let us come home early!

Our baby boy is quickly disappearing and being replaced by a toddler!  Andy is into everything these days and is definitely all boy.  He constantly wants to push buttons, play with wheels, and climb on everything.  He’s figured out how to climb up on to the dining room chairs and help himself to any food that happens to be laying on the table.  He runs every place and really likes to play in the dirt and mud, which there is plenty of here.

Andy has entered a destructive stage which I’m hoping ends quickly.  Poor Rahab (our house help) has to keep the doors closed after she cleans or Andy will make a complete wreck in the room within moments.  While Mom, Dad and Colin were here, Mom started comparing him to Dennis the Menace and I’m sad to say that there are a lot of similarities.  He still has brief moments of sweetness where he will run up and give you a hug or a kiss, but those are usually followed immediately with a quick slap to the face or a pinch on the lips.

He is talking a lot and says more than 20 words consistently.  We hear a lot of “No no no!” and “Up please.” Yesterday we clipped the end of his baa (pacifier) in an effort to end the habit.  He still tries to suck on it but ends up just holding it in his hand.  We’re planning to give it a week or so and then get rid of it all together.  Last night he went down without a fuss and slept until 5am.  He cried a couple of times between 5-6 but then slept until 8:15.  We’re counting it a successful first night without a paci!

Last Friday night, Deda, Papa and Uncle Colin arrived in Eldoret! Papa arrived without his luggage, but everything else made it. We’ve been very busy touring around Eldoret and the surrounding areas and have had fun spending time together.

Last Saturday we visited Kruger Farm, which is a farm, but also a sanctuary for giraffes and many different deer-like creatures. It was a bit cloudy, but we rode around in a truck (the boys rode in the back) and saw quite a few animals. After the farm, we went to Kerio View for lunch, which sits on the edge of the Rift Valley. We were treated to a “Choma” which is a lunch of different roasted meats. We had chicken, beef, pork and lamb as well as several side dishes. It was delicious and we had fun walking around the resort. After lunch we hiked out to Robert’s Point which is basically a large rock sticking out over the drop off. Dad almost made it his final resting place when he slid down the hill which led to the rock.

On Sunday we went to church. I think everyone liked seeing where we have been attending worship and the family met one of the pastor’s and his family. Colin was very quick to note “what a big boy” the pastor’s daughter is. 🙂 It’s hard to tell the difference here because almost all children have shaved heads and clothing is ambiguous. But it was still funny! Sunday night Mom had a run-in with Kenya’s version of Montezuma’s Revenge. Once she started her cipro she bounced back pretty quickly and was back to her normal self by Tuesday.

Monday Colin and Dad went to Sally Test Pediatric Center with me to lead a dance session. They were troopers, even though Dad told me he felt like he had just been through an aerobics class! We were all sweaty and tired, but had fun. Tuesday was a relaxing day around town. We hit a local hot spot for lunch called Sizzlers Cafe (Mom actually went in to the restaurant, but didn’t eat)- check out the pictures and you’ll understand, and then spent the afternoon around the compound. Wednesday we were back at Sally Test for crafts. We made masks, which the kids and workers loved!

Thursday we took a ride out to Kakamega Forest, which is a remnant of the rain forest that used to cover this area. We had a rough ride for the last 12 km, and were thankful for the 4-wheel drive vehicle we were in. We lunched under a mango tree and then started our 2 hour hike through the forest. We saw many interesting plants, some giant snails, several monkeys and a lot of butterflies. Eden fell asleep on Colin’s back and Andy was more interested in digging in the dirt then our hike, but overall it was very fun.

Today we went to Poa Place which is a local amusement park. We visited the zoo and saw lots of animals then made a quick stop at the trampolines. After that Eden played on the playground and Andy dug in the sand with his new shovel. We lunched (Dad LOVED his lamb chops) and the rest of us enjoyed chicken. Then we changed into bathing suits and played in the ice-cold swimming pool for a while.

This weekend we are traveling to Nakuru for a 2 day safari. We’re staying at the Lion’s Hill Lodge and are looking forward to our trip.

We hope you enjoy the pictures that we’ve posted!

Eden turned 2 1/2 on June 12.  She is so grown up these days.   Her speech is very clear and she speaks in long sentences now.  She sings non-stop and loves to go in to the bathroom by herself where she echos to sing.  She has learned how to ride a bike with training wheels and although she hasn’t quite mastered how to pedal all the way around, she can move pretty quickly on it.  She still loves to play with Andy, but has also enjoyed playing with some of the other kids around the compound as well.  She is a good leader and likes to decide what they are going to play.

She is a lot of fun to play games with because she now understands rules and follows them.  Uncle Colin created a tag game that she plays with him here in the house.  She has to run from wall to wall (which is a safe zone) without him catching her.  It’s entertaining for both of them and they play for long periods of time in the evenings.   She also likes to play I Spy and Hide and Go Seek.

She really likes babies these days and takes pretty good care of her doll.  She comments on her little fingers and toes and wraps her up in blankets to carry her around the house.

We had a great time at Lake Baringo this weekend!  It took us about 3 hours to get there.  We drove down the hills of the Rift Valley to get to Lake Baringo and the temperature climbed as we descended!  We arrived around noon, were welcomed with fresh squeezed mango juice in the lobby and toured the grounds where we saw lots of birds and monkeys.  Then we quickly changed into bathing suits and were served lunch by the pool.  We spent part of the afternoon inside because it was just too hot and sunny for the kids.  We ate an enormous dinner and then went down for an early bedtime.

Unfortunately, Ben and I were awakened at 1 am by Andy crying.  His enormous dinner had revisited all over his crib and pajamas. We changed him and cleaned up then spent the rest of the night taking care of him while he battled an upset stomach.  By morning he seemed much better and we had a quick breakfast, with fresh squeezed watermelon, mango and pineapple juice as well as omelets made to order, assorted breads, fresh fruit and other yummy foods.  Then we took our boat ride to see the hippos.  They gave us an extended tour because it was such a nice day and it was just our family, so we spent almost 2 hours in the boat.  It was really beautiful and the kids loved it.  Andy fell asleep about 45 minutes before the tour ended.  We went back to the room, got on our bathing suits and headed to the pool again.  After a quick swim we lunched and then took naps (all of us!).  After naps, poor Andy was sick again, Ben and I each had a massage at the salon and then we all went swimming.

At dinner Sunday night, the entire staff came dancing out of the kitchen in a conga line singing birthday songs (and then other random songs) while carrying a birthday cake for me!  It was really fun and everyone in the restaurant sang and clapped.  The cake was pretty good and we shared with the other people that were eating near us.  That night, in hopes that the sickness was due to heat, Andy spent the night under the AC with just a mosquito net over his bed, instead of a blanket.  He seemed much happier like that and didn’t have any more problems.  On Monday morning we had breakfast and went for one last quick swim.  Then Eden had her hair braided at the salon and we headed home.

The kids were great travelers and we all had a wonderful time.  The staff was lovely and the hotel was very “American” compared to most places here.  Our room had AC, TV and a mini fridge!  I told Ben several times that I want to live at Soi Safari.  🙂