paperwork

Our life these days is all about paperwork.  Let me give you a little run down:

Passport, Social Security Card, and Consular Birth Abroad report applications for Kyalo.

Green Card application for Dexter.

Dental School applications for Dexter.

Maybe I should state that our life is all about applications. That's a bit more accurate.  And there's so much work that goes into all of it.  We need certified or notarized copies of a lot of our documents. It took 10 weeks to get Kyalo's birth certificate (we got several copies because we were told this would be the only chance, make it worth-while).  Getting a passport (and US Citizenship) for Kyalo is a challenge.  The US Embassy is not helpful. We have to submit documents to them for pre-screening on "Mondays and Wednesday between 9 & 11.  Except for any Kenyan or American holiday, or the last Wednesday of the month."  Gee, thanks.  Fortunately, I can email them. But that means printing at one friends' house, and scanning at another! geesh.

Needless to say, I'll be glad when I don't have to look at another form!

We would appreciate your prayers as we wade through everything.  All the schools need different things and have different deadlines (the first is due July 1).  I'll talk more about the school stuff in a future post.

Today is the first Saturday in a long time that we've both been home with nothing to do. Dexter has spent a lot of time running around to get some of these things taken care of.  He'll be glad when the errand running is completely behind us.

In the mean time, I will leave you with the latest round of photos of our little man. He's getting so big! 

a little smile!

we survived!

Dexter's home!  In fact, he came home early -- on Wednesday afternoon because things went reasonably well for him in the UAE. It wasn't as bad or as hard as I thought to be alone, but I was glad to have him return early. The hardest day was Monday when Kyalo got shots in both legs and had a slight fever and probably some pain. So, he spent the day and well into the night screaming. Oh, the screaming.  It is heartbreaking because there was nothing I could do for him, but hold him. He did seem to be satisfied with that.

While I was holding the fort down at home, Dexter was running around Al Ain and Abu Dhabi where the temps were soaring well over 100*F.  Of course, the police station in Al Ain doesn't do the report he needed so he hopped a bus for two hours to Abu Dhabi, ran around there til he found a helpful station, and did his business.  The document should be mailed to us next week, and we're one step closer to gathering everything for the US Green Card application.

I was sad not to be able to go, because I knew he'd get some good time with good friends.  I had a list of places (restaurants, mostly) he should go on my behalf, and sent him with our small camera with instructions to take a lot of photos.

 Dr. Koshy, Dexter's work mate.

Jomy. He's the marketing director at Oasis. We did a lot of projects together.

Hi Jomy!

Aside from all the quality time with friends I knew he would have, I was most sad that I wouldn't be able to join him for a venture to one of my favorite restaurants, Al Sahari.  I'd never had most of the food before, and loved it all, especially the hummus that came with roasted pine nuts in some sizzling butter or ghee.  To.Die.For. I was sad to say good bye to it when we moved.  I could almost taste it again when talking about his trip back there.  He was kind enough to take pictures.  I've taught him well!

 there it is! the hummus with pine nuts.  A little taste of heaven. Surely, this is what angels eat.

the spread: fatoush, mixed grill, and the hummus

This is Shiny.  Shiny was the first person I met when I moved to the UAE in 2008. She took me to KFC and we talked, and soon became fast friends.  She made the days at the hospital and in Al Ain bearable and enjoyable.  We started walking together (yes, even in that heat!) after work, and making meals together. She taught me a lot about her culture which baffled me, and introduced me to a lot of new foods.  I can't imagine how I would have survived without her for the two and a half years I lived in the desert.  Her friendship, laughter, kindness and company were the true oasis for me. 

Since he came home early, Dexter's visits were cut short. And since it is JUNE in the desert, a lot of the people he'd hoped to see had wisely escaped the heat.  He was eager to return to cool Kijabe, and we were eager to have him home.

Of course, I was hoping for a little token of love from his trip.  Kyalo got a lot of new clothes from Shiny and our friend Rita, as well as from Dexter.  But what could he bring me?

Hummus with pine nuts!!

 {happy}

{heaven}

I couldn't believe it when I saw the packaging!  In an effort to recreate the authentic experience, I scraped the nuts off the hummus and microwaved them for a bit.  It was almost as good as being there.  I then proceeded to eat it.

All by myself.

It was a happy reunion.

And it was good to see Dexter, too.

rain

The rains have returned to Kenya.  The fog has settled in, thick and foreboding, and makes everything dreary.  But the rain is so welcomed, for it brings relief and new life to Kenya.  It is truly amazing how a few days of rain transform the dusty landscape into a sea of green.  The weather people are predicting low rainfall for the year, so any rain received is received with joy and thanksgiving.  Shambas (small farms) will flourish now, and families will have food to eat and to sell.  I don't like the cold rawness of it, but it is hard to begrudge it! Plus, after two years in Al Ain, where temps are reaching 120+ every day, I can really enjoy it! I like to sip tea by a fire, not sweat from just thinking about going outside.

Here are a few updated photos of our own garden.  I wish I could take credit for it, but alas, I can not.  Our gardener Daniel is always bringing in new flowers to our compound, adding color and life around the house.

But the rain also brings with it something else, something unwelcome (to me, anyway) and uninvited. Something that coats the ground and sometimes the floor around my door as they crawl under the doorway during the night: flying ants (or termites? I'm never really sure!)  Here's what our front door looks like this morning:

 a mountain of bugs.  yuck.

At least the birds are happy!

Of course, I have to leave you with a few photos of the boy, bundled up against the cold.  This sweater was hand made by my friend Nancy, for my friend Brooke's first child (I think!), and was worn by all three. I love that this is hand made and is passing through the community. 

home alone

Yesterday, the little man turned 10 weeks. Kind of a big deal being double digits and all, wouldn't you say?  Today, he was weighed, measured and immunized.  13 pounds and 23.6 inches.  I'd say that's pretty good.  He's filling out nicely. . .I've started putting him into a few 3-6 month clothes (but that may be more because he has very few outfits than he really fits the new size).

 {13 pounds, 23.6 inches and proud of it!}

The other big event of the day yesterday was that Dexter left for the UAE for the week. Five days and five nights, to be exact.  In order to apply for a US Green Card he needs to get a certificate of good standing from the police in Abu Dhabi because he lived there over a year. And they take fingerprints so he had to go in person.  He also needs to pick it up in person, so we're hoping everything can be completed by Thursday so he can travel home early Friday morning. Prayers welcome!

So far, it is going well.  Yesterday I managed to clean all the dishes, pick up the house, get my work out and a rain-shortened walk in! I hope the rest of the week is like that.  The evenings are the hardest and certainly feel LONG, so I was grateful to spend time with Francis and Evelyn last night, and let them take turns holding, burping, walking the baby.  I lounged on the couch, natch.  Today he got some shots, so I hope that means he is calmer and sleeps more for me for a day or two.  I'll take whatever I can get!

And, to keep me busy while Dexter's away, I plan on organizing our closet. Fun times!

A few more photos for the adoring fans (or, Grandma, anyway):

 {enjoying a fire by papa}

 {maybe not so much}

{10 weeks and looking a little surprised}

saying goodbye

This is the time of year when people pack up and head home.  Rift Valley Academy, where many of the missionaries in Kijabe work or have children, closes out for the year in mid July, so it is a natural breaking point for many people.  This year, a lot of the long-term missionaries are leaving.  One couple has been in Kijabe 33 years (!!!) and are heading back to the US in July.  Dr. Rich, the dentist who has been here for 25 years, (and who Dexter is replacing) will leave in July as well. I'll save his story for another post. 

Dr. Tim Mead, Medical Director of CURE Kenya and his wife Jana are leaving Kijabe in July as well.  But they aren't heading home.  Instead, they are heading on to new adventures at CURE's Oasis Hospital in Al Ain.  They're trading in the familiarity and comfort of 10 years in Kenya for a totally new environment and culture.  Tim came to CURE when it was just beginning and built up the orthopedic program here into something pretty spectacular. There are now many Kenyan trained orthopedic surgeons, there's a recognized orthopedic residency training program that will turn out even more surgeons.  This is, for the most part, a direct result of Tim's vision, hard work, and pushing to make things happen.  Kenya is a better place because he followed God's leading to come.

Francis (who is in the orthopedic residency program) and Evelyn and we decided to host them for a farewell BBQ.  Having moved internationally a few times now, I know how chaotic the last few weeks can be. Suddenly, everyone wants to have you over for a meal, take you out to coffee, learn your deep secrets.  Wanting to avoid the rush, we opted for a Friday night in June.

Typical of me, I spent more time taking photos of food than of people, but here are a couple of pictures from the night.

 the guys tending to the fire

Jana tending to the baby

Jana is the one who took time to teach us some Lamaze breathing -- which probably saved me during my 24+ hours of labor -- and to encourage us to talk through disappointments if labor didn't go as planned.  Since I had a VERY different labor planned in my head, this turned out to be a true godsend.  She is also a very gifted quilter -- and has used that gift to share the gospel with Indian women in Nairobi -- and gave Kyalo a beautiful quilt that hangs on his crib.

I'm sorry they're leaving, but think that the UAE needs Tim's passion and expertise now.  He'll be starting from scratch again: no residents, no other orthopedic surgeons at Oasis, etc.  It will be an adventure, to say the least.

And, as a side note: Dexter decided he wouldn't let the monkeys and birds have their say when it came to our (pathetic) corn. So off he went to harvest what he could. We boiled it and ate what we could.  It was actually quite tasty which makes me sad that it didn't do so well, and determined to figure out a way to make it work!

It was good, but not for public consumption! 

two months

It is hard to believe that our little buddy turned 2 months yesterday.  He celebrated by refusing to sleep most of the day. . .but then he slept until 5 AM so I'm okay with that! Kinda hoping he'll stick with that.  He is definitely getting bigger! I won't have him weighed and measured for a couple more weeks, but he's growing and he's healthy.

Here's the latest round of photos:

Probably, I get carried away with the picture taking. But I just can't seem to help it!  I haven't really figured out a good way to get a picture of Kyalo that will mark his changes month by month, so I'm just taking lots of photos.  I'll probably figure a good way somewhere around six months or something. . .