Saturday Morning Coloring

Wordless Wednesday: The Boys and The Girls

An Update on the Fence

Remember that fence we were raising money for while we were in the US? 

A lot of you gave and prayed and asked about it.

Well, it's still a work in progress. 

Actually, it's still a work in progress in our hearts.

Because it seems we still need more money.

No work has been done thus far. And the children are back at the orphanage. Back in danger. 

You see, Rosemary decided that it would be better to use concrete posts instead of wood posts. Surely they will hold up better in the long run. But right now that means we need more money upfront. 

We'd really like this fence going up soon.

We still need at least $2000 more. 

Please. 

Would you pray about helping?

Monday Fun

Our Children...

Ezra says "hi," "uh-oh," and "Mommy." "Mommy" is not always used in the right context though.

Ruth puts boogies on the wall next to her bed. Uh, gross!

John goes upstairs to get ready for bed and puts on his jammies. Then right before getting into bed, takes them off and sleeps in his undies.

The other day I gave Ezra something and he signed "thank you" all by himself. Melt this Mama's heart!

We went out for Chinese the other night. On the way home, there was about 10 seconds of silence, and Ruth says, "I'm still alive!" Hilarious!

Dinah, Ruth, and John have been playing baby dolls a lot this week. They have both brown and white babies and boy and girl babies. They like to pretend they are adopting the brown babies, but sometimes, Dinah and Ruth also give birth to the brown babies!

When we go to a new place, Ezra likes to be held until he's sure of things.

Dinah calls Ezra brown chocolate and the rest of us white chocolate.

Summer Time in Nairobi Means...

...it's time to get the pool out!

Peanut Butter Granola

Since we came back to Nairobi we decided that we weren't going to buy processed cereals. For one, they aren't very good for you. And two, they are super expensive here! So, one of my bestest friends gave me this super easy and yummy recipe! And our kids really like it!

Peanut Butter Granola

6 T. oil

1 c. peanut butter

1 1/2 c. brown sugar (I use 3/4 c. brown sugar and 3/4 c. honey.)

7 c. oats

raisins, optional

Melt together oil and peanut butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Pour over oats and stir well. Spread into large cookie sheet and bake at 350 fro 18-20 minutes. Add raisins in last 5 minutes of baking.

recipe by Jessie Chilson

A Package!

When we were in the US, we visited some kids who wanted to be our kids penpals. My childhood friend is a kindergarten teacher at one of the schools in the county we are from. She asked if our kids would like to be penpals with her class. Of course, we said yes! We went to visit them and tell them a little about where we live while we were in the US.

And last week we got a package from them!

The kids always enjoy getting a package!

 Nathan had to dump everything out of the box so he could fit it in his backpack to carry home. So we put it in a basket for the kids to look through the next morning.

 Dinah and John were digging through trying to see what all was in it. 

 Crayons, toys, stuffed animals...

 Tissues and washcloths (they really like those washcloths)...

 Ezra liked the picture of the horses.

 Ezra and a caterpillar.

Dinah with all the loot!

Thanks, Julie, Abby, Ella, Ethan, Evan, Fisher, Hailey, Jacob J., Jacob W., Joselin, Mikey, Rosa, Rylee, Sarah, Skylar, Zackary, and Zuri!! The children really enjoyed their package! 

Thursday Thoughts

I've been thinking about this post for a while now. It's always fresh on my mind right after we get to the US or right after we've returned to Nairobi. Nathan and I talk and talk and talk about all we want to do, where we want to eat, who we want to see before we head to the US. When we talk about it, we refer to the US as "home". Although when we get there, and are getting settled in, it doesn't quite feel the same as before we left. After we've been in the US for a while, and it's getting close to time to leave again, our kids ask and ask and ask some more when it's time to go "home". Nairobi has become home for them. And as I've thought more and more about it, how there are so many things we enjoy in the US and yet, there are so many things we enjoy in Africa, too, it's just reiterated over and over and over how this world is not our home.

Since I've been pondering this post for a while, I had to smile when I was reading Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis. After each chapter, she has a few pages from her personal journal. This particular entry was about home. I'd like to share it with you because she says what I'm feeling in my heart so much better than I could.

"Some Sundays I go to my parents' Catholic church where I grew up. My favorite part of the mass is communion, and I never miss a chance to pass it out. Being able to look into each person's eyes and know that on some level they are experiencing the same hurt that I am, the same joy that I am, the same separation from the Maker we long to be with, is the greatest blessing. This week as I was giving communion to one lady in the long line of people, she looked at me and said "Welcome home."

I don't know this woman, but for that instant she knew me. When she said "Welcome home," it was as though a floodgate broke open from behind my eyes and the tears came in an unstoppable river. "Welcome home."

I wanted to ask her, "Where is home?"

I have come to the realization that I am somewhat of a nomad on this earth. I am learning to be okay with that. Human beings long for a place to call home, a nest, a sanctuary of their own. I have many and none. For so long my parents' house was my "home," my safe place; now it is a place where I strangely feel disconnected. My apartment is "home" for now, but it doesn't feel personal yet. My room there is plastered with pictures of my children in my other "home" in Uganda, the only home that truly feels like my place, the only home that I created for myself, and yet a place I cannot be.

"Welcome home," the lady said to me at church. And in my mind, eight little bald, brown people ran toward me shrieking "Mommy, welcome hoooooome!" and squeezed me until I threatened to burst. My heart lives in so many places. With so many people. But God whispers to me that I really have only one home, and that is with Him. I will never be content on this earth. I will always be a nomad. It was meant to be that way. My heart was created with a desire for a home, a nest, a sanctuary, and that can be found only with Him in Heaven. And I will continue bouncing from one home to another, loving with everything I have in whatever location I currently reside, excitedly awaiting the day when I am called heavenward and He says to me, "Welcome home." 

Wordless Wednesday

Ingenious

This past Saturday we went out to do our grocery shopping. The kids have also been asking to have a fire in our chiminea, and I have been wanting to visit this candle shop that makes candles to see if they had a citronella candle. So, we headed up towards Karen to get groceries, stop at the candle shop, and get wood. I hopped out at the candle shop and found what I needed right away. I almost told the lady checking me out that I didn't need a bag, but then I took a closer look. Do you see what the bag is made out of? It's pretty much a gift bag made out of old newspaper. They used some twine to make handles and have some sort of stamp to put their logo on with. What an ingenious idea!

Our Children...

Dinah calls her favorite things her bestest things.

John is so sweet to run and help Ruth when she falls down and gets hurt. He's a great big brother!

Ezra finally smells like a Roberts.

Ruth is the family talker. She can talk your ear off and can ask tons of questions. She uses words like "usually," "apparently," and "evidently."

Dinah can swing like a crazy woman.

We've tried just about everything we can think of to get Ezra to like taking a bath. Nothing works. He still screams. I think we might just scale back to one bath a week and a scrub with a wipe every now and then since he doesn't like those either.

Dinah, John, and Ruth are learning from the "Children's Prove It Catechism." They can now answer "Who made you?," "What else did God make?, and "Why did God make you and all things?"

Ezra seems to be getting a little more picky about what he eats. He still likes to eat, but he's not a big fan of tuna or cabbage. :)

Thursday Thoughts

Adjusting to driving in Nairobi is much easier than adjusting to driving in the US. Maybe that's because we spend the majority of our time here instead of there. I guess I should clarify and say adjusting to actually driving the car. You know. Driving on the right hand side of the car on the left hand side of the road. With your blinker on the right instead of the left. That sort of thing. I don't think I'll ever fully adjust to driving with the traffic here. It's just plain terrible.

I think Jessie Chilson has been without the internet for far too long, and I'm going through withdraws not being able to chat with her.

Everyone should read "Kisses from Katie." An amazing story of a girl who simply said, "Yes" to God's call.

Wordless Wednesday: He's Not Gone Yet