Sunday, August 31, 2014

Afton's Birthday Party

We are so proud of our sweet Afton. He is a treasure.
For his first birthday in Africa he wanted to celebrate Seahawk style.
We had big plans for a fancy cake, but aquiring food coloring did not work out.
He was disappointed at first, but decided to roll with it and quickly set about making decorations.


12 years old - 12th Man party. 
The paper and lego decorations on the right were were made by Afton.


We walked down to our local "green space" for a game of American football.

 getting ready to play


The game is on. 
A few locals even stopped by to watch.
In the end, the birthday boy got to score the final touchdown!

 back on the front porch for snacks and Fanta

present time. 

 Afton received some yummy snacks and a soccer ball.

 cake


12th man and his birthday drum

Celebrating a week late (due to sickness) turned out just fine.
Afton missed getting to play with his buddies from home, but had a great time with his new friends in Kigali.
We love you, Afton!!!!

Monday, August 11, 2014

Tour of our House

Hello, Muraho, maybe even Bon Jour
It's time to begin our guided home tour.





On your left is the room where we play games together,
watch movies, read, color – no matter the weather.


Across on the right is our dining space.
We share crazy meals and take turns saying grace.


Ahead is our hall, it’s nice and it's wide
It leads us through to the other side.







This room is not pretty. We won't stay long here.                       
It holds extra stuff and Chad’s biking gear.  





OK, now that's better, shutting the door.
It's time to move on. Storage rooms are a bore.



                
If you look on the left, the stairs are inviting.
We’ll wait to go up, though I know it’s exciting.


Watch out! The floor might be covered with toys.
This is the entrance to the room for the Boys.



 Trinkets, Nerf guns, and Legos galore
Bunk beds for sleepy heads - whom we adore.















Here’s the boys’ bathroom, which had a leak issue.
It’s fixed now and comes with a shower and tissue.






 Utility Closet and Pantry in one
It’s all in order, we’re calling it done.

*One of our favorite snacks is POPCORN


 Michal is fixing our favorite snack. 
We'll show you the kitchen and then head right out back.
The steel pot is our filter
(step 3 out of 4)
for cleaning the water. Want to hear more?
First we must boil to kill the amoebas,
Never just drink it, that's for the zebras.
Step 2 - let it cool. Now hold on to your pants.
Step 3 will take out all debris, dirt, and ants. 
Step 4 is a bonus, not everyone does it.
Make cold in the fridge – that’s how our kids love it.



The rest of the kitchen has all that we need 
for cooking our meals, though not with great speed



It comes complete with a window for dishes.
Or give us your order, if that’s what your wish is.


A spot to stick pictures, you know that it’s true
We’d love to add to it a photo of YOU!

To the right of the fridge is the metal pot
That electrically makes our water hot.
If you think that's just a small thing, well
– it’s not!


A few steps outside takes us to the place
Where laundry is washed – a pretty big space.

After the washing it hangs on the line
Or a door or a bush is also just fine.


Concrete and dirt that’s hard as clay
It’s where these two buddies like to play.


 That’s it for the back yard. If you’re ready for more
Let’s go check out the second floor!


As you can tell, our ceilings are high
this hallway lets in the light from the sky.
When you visit and bring stuff for yourself
You might want to put it on this shelf.






The Girls' room has bunk beds too
and dolls and books and a pretty nice view.
Every bedroom has a wardrobe spot
For storing clothes. They hold a lot.


Here is another toilet and sink.
The water’s not safe. Remember -don’t drink!
This room has its own bath and shower
To fill it would take nearly an hour*.

*This would be a poor idea, especially with water shortages in the dry season.
We only mention completely filling the tub for rhyming purposes.
  
Final stop, the master bed
The mosquito net might hit your head.
We don’t really need to use it
Just tie it up nicely, and don’t abuse it.


That’s all to show of our little home
Maybe sometime you’ll come and roam.



Thanks so much for stopping by 
 Adieu, mwaramut, and now goodbye.


Monday, August 4, 2014

Water!





We made it through our first time of the city water being shut off. When we realized that had happened, our water tank was half-empty. Honestly, it was half-full, because many (like our neighbors) were completely out. Albert, our neighbors' worker came with a bucket to borrow water. Glad we were able to help and glad the city water is back on now. Our water tank is full again and we are relieved - until next time.
Conservation is always a good idea.

Update: We are nearly in the last month of dry season.
Some of our friends have been out of water for days. Even the wells in their area are dry.
Last night we had some rain. We are praying that those wells will have water soon.