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.  🙂

Just a quick update on what we have been up to recently.

Ben: Ben led a conference that lasted two really long weeks.  He taught from 8-5 and then came home and worked most evenings until midnight.  He didn’t have a whole lot of time for anything else, but has squeezed in a couple of soccer games, taken out the trash and developed a way for us to have internet at the house.

Meghan: I’ve been busy keeping up with the house, the kids and new friends.  There are always dishes to be done and floors to be swept as well as kids needing to be put down for naps.  I’ve managed to find some time recently to read and have appreciated new friends being willing to run to the store or around town with me to help with the kids.  We have been going to the Sally Test Pediatric Center about once a week and yesterday went to visit three orphanages.

Eden: Eden has been very busy growing up!  As we realized how low we were on pull-ups, we decided it was time for Eden to stop wearing them for her naps.  She doesn’t like going to bed without her milk, but hasn’t had an accident since we started 5 days ago!  Eden also started “school” this week.  Each day during Andy’s morning nap we sit down to do some pages in a preschool work book.  She’s quite proud of herself and is doing really well.  It’s fun watching her think and to see how much she already knows.  She talks about home a lot saying things like, “Remember when Eden went ice skating?” or “When I go home from Kenya, I’m going to the jumping place!” My very favorite is when she talks about people.  She’ll ask me, “Mommy, do you remember my friend Clara?” or “Do you know my Papa?”  However, most important in her mind these days is my birthday.  She really NEEDS to have birthday cake and has been drawing pictures of cakes every day.

Andy: Andy is quickly becoming a big boy.  He is talking much more and runs around like he owns the place.  He’s getting more independent with his eating (which is very sad for the person who has to clean the floors in this family…) and he loves to be outside.  He knows that no matter what, he can do anything that Eden can do!  He’s still easy going and laid back and definitely charms the people in the compound.  He’s always being carried, hugged, thrown in to the air or being given treats by the other people that live here.

Please pray for the adoption process.  It’s taking longer to get things rolling than we anticipated and we’re stuck waiting for approval from the Little Angel’s adoption agency who we have been waiting to hear from since 2009!  Everything else seems to be in place, so once we get over this portion, we’re ready to roll! We know that God has a perfect plan and we’re trusting Him to direct us, but it feels like time is wasting away while we sit here not moving forward.

We really miss some of the conveniences of back home and of course miss our family, but we’ve all adjusted well and are having fun on this little adventure.  Please keep us up to date on your lives at home.  We love hearing about what you all are doing and what exciting things are happening in your lives!

We apologize for this post being so long in coming.  We haven’t had internet at the house and it’s quite hard for me to load up the kids and the computer to go someplace with internet.

We moved in to our new house on May 1! Our first guest arrived May 3 so we settled quickly and then poor Jeremy Keiper (a good friend and co-worker from back home) had to be here while we worked out all of the kinks.  We’ve had just a few major problems, such as the guest shower not having hot water and the sink not draining AND leaking.  Also, during the first big rain, water came pouring in to the kitchen from under our side door.  The door has since been fixed, the sink has kind of been fixed and nothing has been done with the shower.  We are living off of our landlords electricity right now so at night when a lot of people are using it you can get quite a shock from touching the stove, microwave or toaster.  Andy learned his lesson the other night when he touched the stove. Other than that, things are great and we’re all happy to have so much space.

It’s really nice to be in our own place and for everyone to have their own rooms.  We’ve started to accumulate furniture and carpets which have helped to cut down on the echos.  The front porch is one of our favorite things because we can close the gate which allows us to leave the door open for the kids to play inside or on the porch.  We now have 3/4 of our sidewalk which is great but we’re really looking forward to it being completed so that we can push the stroller right to our door.  They’ve also planted grass which they tell us will be looking good in about 3 weeks.  When everything is finished it will be REALLY nice, but living through the process is a bit tiring.  Fortunately, the workers are really nice and the kids love to play together.

I’m including some pictures, although there have been quite a few changes since I took them.  I’ll look to update more over the next few days!

We are filled with joy today as we were able to celebrate Christ’s resurrection with wonderful friends here in Kenya. We attended an early worship service this morning then came back to the compound to throw an Easter party for children from a local shelter.

It was so neat to be able to bless some of the OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) patients today. We threw an Easter party they won’t soon forget. The kids had brunch, made bunny hats, Easter baskets, had an egg hunt, threw water balloons, did the Bunny Hop, played Pin the Tail on the Bunny and much more! The kids loved it and went home with full bellies, lots of candy and hats!

The best part was that a very dear girl that was a patient at the Sally Test Center when Eden was there was a part of the group that came today. Miriam is an orphan that has had so many challenges in her life, but she is quick to laugh and smile and is a wonderful leader in this group. She is very bright and it was such a JOY to see her today!

We hope that you were able to celebrate the resurrection with friends and family. Enjoy the pictures!