last one

I forgot one photo in my December recap yesterday, and I just can't resist sharing it.

You may remember that Kyalo's favorite toy has been the clothes pin.  This continues to be the case, so much so that I have given him a handful of his own to keep around the house so that I don't have to hunt for the main supply when hanging laundry.  The other day, he found that main supply, and couldn't have been happier.

note the clothes pins strewn about. . .

At least he's easy to entertain! He has been happily playing with an empty plastic container the last couple of days. Who needs fancy stuff?  

Again, Happy New Year.  Here's to a fabulous 2012!

December happenings

Just like that, 2011 is coming to a close.  I really can't believe it.  It has been a full and wonderful year, even if a bit on the sleep-deprived side of things. 2012 will be a year like no other for us with a big move to the US, school for Dexter, and experiencing life again in the US for me.  I am not sure who will have more culture shock - me or Dexter.  In the meantime, we enjoy the slow pace of things happening in Kijabe.  Here are a few glimpses into December.

 {our happy guy}

There has been a lot of standing going on in the house. And a lot of happiness and excitement about it.  I think Kyalo can't really believe he's standing, even though he's been doing it now for a few weeks. He still giggles and laughs a lot when he's stands up.

We've been making a lot of pizza around here...and it just keeps getting better and better.  My brother makes some serious gourmet-type pizza, which he grills and puts fancy toppings on.  Ours is in a whole other category from that, but we love it and it is quickly becoming our Friday tradition.  I continue to look forward to trying lots of different toppings when in the States. 

These are my favorites, I think. First, Kyalo is just so cute in these fatigues. Too bad he's not doing his army crawl thing any more.  But I love how he's trying so hard to get to the books on the little cushion there. So determined! 

We have been having a lot of fires around here.  The rains have slowed down but the evenings are still cool.  Of course, Kyalo wants to lend a helping hand!

{I guess it is time for us to get some new stockings, and add one for Kyalo}.

Now I'm off to sit by one of our many fires and enjoy a few moments before Kyalo wakes up. 

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas in Kenya

This was Kyalo's first Christmas!  Kind of hard to believe that last year, he came to the festivities like this:

 "Baby Mulandi" December 25, 2010

and now he looks like this:

 barely a baby any more - December 25, 2011

What a difference a year makes!  Even though it was his first Christmas, we didn't make a big deal about it. Like, at all.  He must have been extra naughty this year, because Santa brought him 0 gifts. Or perhaps Santa just got lost?  This is actually one of the things I like most about Christmas in Kenya: no gifts exchanged, which makes for a stress-free (and cheaper!) holiday experience.  We still gathered together with Dexter's whole family and had a big meal, enjoying the time together, but without the pressure of finding the "perfect" thing for each family member.  Next year, when we have Christmas in the US, it will be much, much different.  Grandma is totally dismayed at our lack of parenting in giving no gifts, so will probably feel the need to make up for this serious oversight. I bet she's shopping already! :)

We hosted Christmas here in Kijabe again this year, but we made it a simpler affair than last year.  I tried to bring in a lot of the traditions I started last year.  Christmas eve, we had my vegetable chili with cornbread and cheese.  It was a little spicier than I intended, but it was good!  I made cinnamon rolls on Saturday and popped them in the oven Sunday morning.  They turned out even better than last year!

Sadly, I had to share this ooey-gooey goodness.  Though, maybe that's a good thing!

We weren't intentional about getting group shots like we were last year.  I was too busy actually working in the kitchen, unlike last year when I had the "oh, I'm pregnant" excuse.  I really wish I'd managed to get a family picture of Dexter, Kyalo and me. It may be Kyalo's only Christmas in Kenya for a while!  At least we got these pictures. . .

 Kyalo, Dexter's mom (sho sho), Andrew (10 months)

Victor, Andrew & Kyalo

:cousins:

There were lots of cookies, and decorating sugar cookies again.  Ice cream, and home made chocolate sauce. And this was in addition to the Christmas lamb and three chickens we cooked up. No one went home hungry!

I should probably think about eating a salad or two one of these days.

All in all, (and even though we don't have the pictures to show for it), it was a great day and a success.  I really do love hosting people here, even with all the work involved. I'd do it again in a minute!

a big deal

Dr. Henry Ndasi, Dr. Francis Mbugua
Newly minted Orthopedic Surgeon Consultants

See these guys?  They have both just completed an arduous five year residency program in Orthopedics. Dr. Ndasi, who is from Cameroon, did the general surgery part somewhere other than Kenya, and joined in the third year.  Francis, who has appeared here on this blog many times, did all his training in Kenya.  Annnndddd....he is the first Kenyan Orthopedic Surgeon to be entirely trained in Kenya. The first!  All the other Orthopedic Surgeon Consultants have gone elsewhere to do their training...Uganda, India, South Africa, etc.  There's a doctor who is based here in Kijabe who did the training with him, but he went to South Africa for six months, so Francis lays claim to the title alone.

Ndasi has already returned to Cameroon, to be with his wife and three children, and to be one of ten Orthopedic Surgeons for the entire country. (And the only one in his town). He's setting up an Orthopedic department at the hospital in his town.

It is entirely possible that I think this a bigger deal than they do.

But come on, it IS a big deal. They have worked long and hard to get where they are.  Thankfully, Francis remains in Kijabe for many years to come (another reason to be sad about leaving, sigh).

This is one of the reasons I like CURE International -- they train local doctors to be specialized in something (orthopedics, nuero) and then have them STAY in the country (or go elsewhere within the CURE network).  The doctors here in Kenya who work for the government just went on strike because (among other things) they work long, hard hours and earn roughly about $6,000/year.  Who can blame them?  The strike is over now, but they didn't get close to what they were hoping for, and many are threatening to leave, and my guess is that fewer people will become doctors if things don't change.  So, in the meantime, CURE is there, treating the untreated, and training doctors to be specialized and encouraging them to stay put.  It seems like a win-win all around.  

Am I gushing too much? Can't be helped.  I'm proud of the work that CURE does, the work that Francis & Ndasi have done (and continue to do), and for their significant accomplishments.  And it helps that Ndasi is in Cameroon, and Francis is off celebrating five years of marriage with Evelyn (another accomplishment!) so they can't do anything to me!  They won't brag, so I will on their behalf.

laughter

Kyalo brings us so much laughter...mostly because he laughs so much.  Often when we're out for our afternoon walk, he'll just start laughing at. . . ? I never know. I wish I could be in on the joke!  I love that he's so happy and just breaks out into spontaneous laughter.

I think he was laughing for 20 minutes straight this afternoon, but of course, when I got the video camera that came to an end.  I did the best I could. Kinda of wish I could have had a hidden camera around. 

This is a double-whammy of videos: crawling and laughing all in one.  Enjoy.

I'm sorry if it feels like Kyalo's a little too much in your face there at the end.  He got to me a lot quicker than I expected. 

(And, let's hear it for my quick mothering-reflexes when he toppled over. Score.)

christmas caroling

To wrap up the stories about our whirl-wind weekend, I bring you: Christmas Caroling.  We are part of a large Bible Study, and one of the members is in another Bible Study as well. She was planning on having that group over for Christmas carols, and wanted to invite us, but her house is too small. I quickly offered ours, and suddenly, we were having a Christmas potluck!  The idea was to come together and sing some Christmas songs, of course, but really it was just a nice time to get to know new people, enjoy food and fellowship.

But sing we did!

And we won't win any awards for it. 

In the middle of the singing, the power went out, of course.  But that didn't stop us!

I'm sorry I didn't get any group shots of everyone.  I think the final count was 23 adults and five children under the age of two.  A pretty good gathering, I'd say!  I loved every minute of it.

At one point I was in the back, nursing Kyalo, and listening to the off-key, can't-sing-the-song-even-with-the-words-in-front-of-us, signing, and I smiled {ok, I laughed a bit, too}.  I have been so blessed by this community that has welcomed me in as one of their own.  I came in 2005 single and alone in so many ways, and will leave with a husband and son, and the richness of friends and community.  It is hard to leave, but I take them all in my heart.  And, I have the memories of nights like this to keep me going!  I hope and pray that we can find a community half as good when we're in Newark.

Wednesday night, Dexter and I ate popcorn and lounged on our couches, because that was all the energy we could muster! It took a couple of days to fully recover from the fullness and richness of activities, but we wouldn't give them up for anything.

wedding bells

On Monday (yes, Monday - a holiday here in Kenya) our friend and fellow-Bible Study member, Levis, got married.  Thankfully, the wedding was here in Kijabe so we could have a relaxed(ish) morning getting ready.  We were part of the "wedding committee" so had jobs to do later in the day.  Weddings in Kenya are organized, planned, and paid for by committee.  Friends gather around the couple to help with all the details, and many are assigned jobs on "D-Day" so that the couple can be blissfully ignorant of all the drama.  It is a good plan! Plus, the friends help to pay the various costs (or help raise money), so who wouldn't want a wedding committee?

Dexter had the job of picking the groom up and driving him to the church.  That meant the car had to be presentable! This was not a hard job for Dexter.  My job had been to organize wedding photos at RVA and then take the bridal party there after the wedding.  The hardest part of my job?  Making sure everyone kept time.  Have you ever tried to get a Kenyan to keep time?  Try a blissfully happy Kenyan, who is having fun?  Yeah, it was tough! 

Let me tell you a fun little story...a little behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the day went. The decorator was in charge of providing chairs for the reception, and they were to be to the church by 8 or so in the morning.  Unfortunately, the truck delivering the chairs broke down about half way between Nairobi and Kijabe.  The kind souls who stopped to offer their assistance to the truck driver and his partners ended up robbing them of cell phones and money. Ah, Kenya, how I love you!  Let's hear it for Good Samaritans!!

Anyway, on to the pictures.

 Specky was already crying walking down the aisle, which made me teary. I love a happy wedding!

 I love these adoring looks here:

the clouds rolled in, but no rain fell, fortunately; clouds make for interesting pics

I hope I didn't go over board there. Since I was at the photo shoot session, I took advantage of the time to get lots of pictures.

After the wedding, I had to dash home to finish a batch of buckeyes for a Christmas party at Jenny's house.  After a full day, it felt really great to not have to think about dinner.  Plus, a Christmas party with lots of Christmass-y goodies is always a nice thing to go to.  I'm feeling more in the Christmas spirit now, thanks to that little party.