More Picts from Kenya (July)

Here are some of our favorite pics of the children and the way they look in real life. Facial expressions can say so much about a personality! (you can double click on the pictures to see them larger on your screen)Debbi Omondi with Priska, swinging and singing.

Shadach in our driveway, trying to tricycle

And Priska on the MGH slide. She spends a lot of time happily playing out there.

your news

And while I'm here, and you're all about to come here, let me mention that I would like to hear about David/Dad's weekend in KS, and Mom/Brooke's time together.

And the latest update on Grandma's shinanegins.

We had lunch with Diane's today, and it was fun. Aram is going with them to Kitale later this week, he's really excited. They are well.

Also, Tirzah got engaged last week to Chadwick Miller. They are set to get married in October, in Columbus. So at least Aram will plan to fly home. He might take Priska, might not. That's yet to be decided. But just so you know. Mid October

Love you all!
Debbi

Game drive

We just got back from spending two days out of the city at a game preserve. It was an amazing experience, to be outside under a huge sky, look for miles across the endless wild savannah. We took the kids and sat on the roof of a landrover, as Aram drove slowly though the prairie—now passing an ostrich alongside the road, now a herd of wildebeest, a lone eland, then a family of giraffe. The earth and sky swept us up into their own silent, ineffable drama.

It takes about 45 minutes to get from Nairobi to Africa. But once there, Africa carries a sense that little has changed there since the beginning of time. Living here is giving me new windows to see through: I feel like I am able to understand more deeply the world of Native Americans—what their lives might have been like, so close to the earth and the elements. It also makes too much sense why “we” caused them to disappear, and why their lifestyle is now lauded for its mysticism. I also understand better the world Jesus lived in, with hand-fired clay pots, homemade wine (ok, I understood that before), people who sell live animals at market, the poor day laborers. In general, the experience of living here is making my world deeper and broader, and it’s fun to add those thoughts to the other small widgets banging around in my head.

This picture, my favorite from the trip, is Priska sitting on top of the landrover, watching a herd of zebra. You mighgt not be able to see the zebra very well; I made the picture small so it might hope to load. If you click on it, you might be able to see it bigger.

This is the whole group of us--us, and another family, on top of the car, watching animals. The other family we were with are becomming dear friends. They remind me a lot of David and Brooke, which makes them even more endearing.

July in Kenya

So right after I wrote that email saying how hard it is for us to upload pictures, I decided to try it, and it managed just fine. Anyways, welcome back to our blogspot. It has been a long time.

This is a picture of Priska and me when we got your packages from the Goods. We were very happy! (Priska expressing her happiness with a scissors.)


We are enjoying a quiet and chilly Sunday afternoon here. Yes, in July it is quite chilly although you wouldn't know it to watch Priska whose habitual preference is still nudity. We have already braved our church service, which for me today included lots of mud and drizzle as I walked a 20 pound baby to sleep (Shem Shadrach--the ensuing backache will remind me to take the stroller next time), and had a picnic outside with my kids. Aram was preaching, so it seems to just be better for us to stay out of the service completely or else Priska invariably ends up marching up to the podium, when I have turned my back, to give her father a flower or a pretzel or something. (It's cute the first time...) Church right now is for us--at best--a sociological study, although I probably shouldn't admit that on the blog spot. But we go faithfully. Always with a notepad in hand to copy down new Swahili words.

I have really been working to make Sunday be a day that we don't dread. I am reading one of Mom's books, Making Sunday Special, by Karen Mains. It's been helpful, and inspired me that it is worth it to have Sunday hold the meaning that God intended it to. It is supposed to be the hight point of the week, not the abyss. So I've been trying to do what it takes to bring it up off the bottom, although with small children that is difficult. I wonder how Jewish moms were supposed to do it. For now, that includes me packing our diaper bag the night before (diapers, bottles, snacks, toys), planning / finding everyone's clothing and shoes, and planning and shopping for meals. It helps. Although I must admit I don't totally look forward to Sundays yet, but it is coming.

ANWAY, Love you all, and I hope your Sunday is great.

This picture is Priska "talking" on the phone as Baby comes after it. Also notice the small rabbit in the background, who soon thereafter met his demise.