Fingerpainting

While Kira and Brynn were gone with Daddy on Sunday, Laney got to stay home with Mommy! At first she was sad that her sisters were going somewhere, and she wasn't. Then I told her she would get some time with just Mommy. (Silas was napping)
She put her arms up high and said "Yaaay!" We had a fun time together reading books, snuggling, eating lunch. But the highlight was fingerpainting. She loved being the center of attention for a little while, and getting to make a mess at the same time!

Our NUTS weekend

We had a lot of fun over the weekend! It was NUTS- the name of the tournament, that is. Kevin played on the Niamey competitive team, and had a lot of fun. They won first place this year.

We were sunburned and happy cheering for him. Elayna would say "Go Daddy!" every time she saw him. The very end of the last game when Kevin was up to bat all three girls starting cheering "Go Daddy go!" It was so cute hearing those three little voices cheering for their daddy! I think the girls had more of an audience than the softball game! Kevin got comments about his great cheering section!
Silas even "cheered" with his little outfit that says "Home Run!" He was so good, even with our busy schedule. He even took his afternoon nap here in the stroller.

The Sahel students set up a snack shack outside for the games that were played there. I had brought lots of snacks and treats for the girls, but their favorite part of the weekend was their first experience with the cotton candy Daddy bought them! I'll say- "What fun- we got to go swimming three times this weekend!" their reply "and we had cotton candy!" Me: "We got to have milkshakes for breakfast!" Them: "and we had cotton candy!" You get the picture...they loved the cotton candy! I only wish I'd had the camera to capture them enjoying it.

One thing I did get a picture of is one of the unique things about softball here at the rec center.
This is Kevin in the outfield, accompanied by George the tortoise. He wanders around the rec center, and occasionally gets himself in the middle of a softball game in his search for more leafy greens to eat.

The busy softball weekend didn't give Kevin a break! Friday he flew to Ghana, Saturday was softball all day, so on Sunday he and Dave went to refuel the plane, and get ready for yesterday's flight. Kevin took along our older two, and Dave took his 3 year old, Andrea. They all rode bikes, and had lunch with their daddies at the hangar. Those were some happy little girls! They returned for the last softball game, and we went home for supper after a quick swim, then put the kids to bed. A tired Kevin got ready for his early morning flight to Tombouctou. He stayed there last night, but I look forward to a text message any time now saying he has landed here in Niamey. We can't wait to have him home! It's not the same with him away.

At home!

It's been fun sharing about some of the more unique happenings in our lives, but I thought I'd take a little time to take you into our every day life.
Kevin is gone on a flight today. He'll be flying for 7 hours by the time he gets home! He left this morning at 5 am. He hopes to make it back home, and drive into town in time for the first game of this weekend's softball tournment. Missionaries, US embassy personnel, and Sahel Academy kids will be playing, among others.

The kids just returned from playing in water outside. I took the hose and sprayed them all down a little while ago, as well as filling their sand buckets with water. What could be more fun on a hot day than playing in water? Silas had his morning nap. We are enjoying a comfortable 90 degrees in the living room- it's much hotter outside! After reading some books, and talking about how SOME places it's fall... the girls decided we should make a pumpkin pie. That's next on the agenda, followed by lunch and nap, then off to watch daddy play softball. (If he gets back in time!)

Silas is sporting his Red Sox outfit from Aunt Amy, and is ready to watch some softball.
The girls might watch a bit- in between playing on the playground and chasing lizards.

There are a few recent happenings that I haven't yet shared. One was Brynn's half birthday. She turned 3 1/2 on Sept. 19, and we had Andrea over for a half birthday party. We celebrated with a "half" tea party. We cut paper plates in half, served half cups of tea, and the girls each had half of their hair fixed. I think they had a "whole" lot of fun, though! ;)

Kira's has really been doing well with her reading, and enjoying any time I take to read with her. Brynn is starting to learn the sounds of a few letters, and wants to read like Kira! She's a ways from that though. Elayna is still her funny self! She has decided that Silas is now named "Buddy." I've always called him "little buddy," and the girls have picked up on that. Well, this week Elayna dropped the "little" as well as the Silas! Now he's just Buddy. "Mommy, I give Buddy his cup?" "Mommy, I play with Buddy?" Her other new phrase that she uses all day long is "Could you, Mommy?" She tacks it onto almost every thing she has said in the the last few days. She's doing great with potty training. She even tells us when she needs to go at the pool, so we can get her out and to the bathroom in time. We're not attempting night quite yet!
Elayna's biggest news is her move into her big girl bed. She has slept in it for two nights now. Silas is still in the pack and play, so yesterday we asked her if we could move Silas into her crib now that she was in the big girl bed. She said "Yes!" followed a minute later by "Actually, no." We agreed to wait a few more days before her crib gets handed down. Silas likes the pack and play anyway, and may be not be too thrilled to move.

After coming and going on this post multiple times- Kevin is home and we are ready to head to softball! Bye for now!
I just wanted to share another picture of "Buddy" with you. This was the day of his haircut, after his curls were gone, and he looked like a big boy. (and after mommy was done crying...)
He does, by the way, have more clothes than just this outfit- he just happens to be wearing it all the pictures lately. =)

Our day in Makalondi

Yesterday we, along with our SIMAir team, had the privilege of spending the day with our friends and fellow SIM missionaries, Gary and Joy at their home in Makalondi. We drove the hour out of town in a caravan of three vehicles. For me it was especially exciting, since it was the first time I've ever been that far out of Niamey. Kevin gets to fly all over West Africa, but I'm usually "town-bound." Being out of the city not only changes the view, but also my perspective on the ministry we have here in
Niger. Along the road, besides herds of sheep and goats, cows being chased by young boys with sticks, and the occasional camel ,we were able to enjoy a lot of green. Rainy season just ended, so things are about as pretty as they get around here!
We arrived at their house, and settled in for some good fellowship! They barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs, and served us under a shady tree outside. While I wouldn't say life is completely modern and easy where we live in Niamey, there is no comparison having electricity only when you run a generator, and water hauled from the local well by their house worker! Surprisingly, with their open windows, and a slight breeze, the house felt fairly comfortable even without fans! When our power goes out and I'm in the hot, dead air at home, I need to just be thankful that I have electricity most of the time!

Silas enjoyed being outside, and watching the other kids play, as well as some hammock time with fellow SIMAir MK, Chris.
After our meal had a little time to digest, and the babies tried to nap under battery operated fans, we took turns having tours of Makalondi, and the ministry they have there. The men went out first, and upon their return to keep the kids, we women ventured out around the town.

The first things we saw was the tutoring program Joy has started. The public education system here is greatly lacking! Often teacher strikes or lack of funding mean missed weeks or months of the school year. Sadly these days are not made up, and students are forced into the next level, even if they are not prepared. If they fail their exams to move on, then they are kicked out school, to make room for others. Often they fail simply because the year wasn't completed, even though they are bright and want to learn. The tutoring program just finished a session of summer school, where a Nigerien tutor worked with several kids to catch up for the time they had missed. The parents were able to pitch in and pay the $1/hour fee he charged. Now their kids have a hope of continuing their education. With donated books in French, and donated computers these kids are being trained so that they can have a possibility of better jobs in the future.

Another neat ministry they have going is a dorm for Christian students. (the building pictured with blue doors and windows.) Students who live in the bush come to Makalondi for school, and board with local families. Often the boarding families are Muslim, and they do all they can to make life miserable for these Christian kids! They even give them extra work to do on Sundays so they can't attend church. With some US government funding, they were able to construct this dorm building. There is a room for about 15 boys, and a small room for 4 girls. The dorm parents are a neat Nigerien Christian couple who are doing a great job according to Joy! They have had nine children, but seven died when they were toddlers. (likely due to RH issues during pregancy) Now they are doing a great job caring for a whole dormful of kids! Living in the dorm also means they don't have to be separated from their two living children, which would have been hard for the mom!
This year they will have a helper, as cooking and caring for so many is quite a chore!
Here is the stove built outside for the dorm mom to cook with. There is a hole for a large pot, and one for a small pot. With just one stick of wood in each side, she can cook the whole meal!




Next to the dorm is the church "building." There are between 60-120 people who attend this church on Sunday mornings. I imagine it's quite hot all packed in that little building together. It kind of makes some of the fights churches have over paint and carpet seem even more ridiculous! They are getting ready to undergo a building project.-now that rainy season is done they will redo the sticks and the roof mats. It has taken quite a beating due to the rain and wind!
The church building is not the most common way things are made out here. Most things are built with these mud/ straw bricks. They mix it all up, put it in molds on the ground, and then let the sun dry and harden them. I can almost picture the Israelites making bricks in Egypt when I see them working hard in the sun making bricks. Unfortunately over time the rains take quite a toll on these bricks as well, if they don't get covered in cement.

After a great day we loaded up to drive home. After seeing where they lived, I have a little better picture of the lives of some of the other missionaries we are serving here in Niger. It's so hot here, and they sleep with just these little 8-inch battery operated fans to keep the air moving! I think it was a good lesson for me in thankfulness for the situation we have here in Niamey! Life here is not like North America at all. There are things we do without, and many extra things to do just to live each day. And have I mentioned that it's hot? =) But it's nothing compared to some of the things they deal with on a daily basis. Even with what they face, they are not in a remote location like many missionaries in Niger.

Our trip to Makalondi was a lot of fun, but it was also a great experience, and exposure to other ministries in our area. I'll end with a picture taken heading out of Makalondi, and on the way
home.

Chez nous... (at our house)

Looking into our house today could be a bit overwhelming for some! (at times me included! ) But just so that you can know what our day is like I'll share a bit. We have toys strewn everywhere, and the girls are dressed up in various things: Kira and Elayna in hula outfits, complete with grass skirts. Elayna's is even topped with a bonnet that would do Laura Ingalls proud! Not sure how Laura would have felt about the bikini top accompanying it though...




In the midst of the chaos Silas happily jumps in his johnny jump up. He hops forward a few times until he reaches the end of the spring, lets himself swing back, and starts over. And over. And over. And over.









He has a new favorite person- our house helper Emilie! When she arrives each day he greets her with a big smile, waves, and now even gives her five. Yesterday while he was napping I left him with Emilie and took the girls to our neighbor's for play group. Emilie called to say he was awake, and when we got back home he was enjoying a ride on Emilie's back African style!

Oreo is loving the season with all the baby lizards hatching and coming out of the sand. She hunts them, catches them, and plays with them like a cat. Emilie calls her a "chat-chien" or "cat-dog." She still has way too much energy, and scares away the guy coming to read the electric meter. If only that meant we didn't have to pay that bill...

Kevin is gone on a flight. It's raining a bit, and near dark, so I'm hoping to get a text message soon that he has arrived back at the airport.

While he's been gone, the kids and I have been busy. Kira and I made carrot/zucchini muffins while the others napped. This has been a two week process believe it or not! You can't buy whole wheat flour here, but you can buy the wheat. So a couple of weeks ago Emilie went to the market for me. She bought a couple of kilos of wheat, and brought it home. The next step was about three hours of sorting out all the little tiny stones from the wheat. Once that was through, it had to be washed and spread on the tablecloth to dry for a couple of days. Once it was dry, it was put into a container to wait. After watching for awhile, I found some decent carrots, and the first good zucchini of the season a couple of days ago. So today Emilie and I tackled the project of peeling and grating (with my kitchen aid) 22 cups of the veggies. Before making the muffins, the flour also needed to be milled. You can go to local mills to have things ground, but if something exciting like hot peppers have been ground before your flour it can give your flour an exciting taste! We opted to use mill at home! Following that whole process we made a huge recipe of muffins and loaves. Now the freezer will have some yummy treats for awhile.

That gives you an idea of today. The biggest things I accomplished were a couple of games of Angelina Ballerina Uno and carrot muffins! But we've had a good day.

This month is the muslim fast of Ramadan. It's a sad thing to see so many people giving up eating and drinking during the day in hopes of earning Allah's favor. We often see people at prayer near the mosques and along the streets. But this month it's multiplied. It's hard enough when it's someone we don't know. But it made me so sad to see the friendly guard at the rec center stopping to do his prayers along the road. He always greets us with a big smile, and chats as he inspects our vehicle and opens the gate for us to enter the rec center. But until Ramadan I had never seen him stopping to pray at work. Pray for us to have opportunities to share, especially this month. Pray that we will find those who are hungry, not just from fasting but hungry for the Lord.

As the heat rises...

Well, it's back! What the local missionary crowd affectionately calls "mini-hot season" ( the month of October) has begun. I realize October is not here yet, but someone forgot to tell the weather! So our house is heating up more every day. It think it's about 92 F/ 33.5 C in here as I write. That may not sound hot to you, but most of the places we have lived you either have air conditioning, or it cools down somewhat at night. Not so here. In fact as I had my shower I was feeling the heat radiating into the room from the tile walls. This was AFTER the water had been beating on it for several minutes! We do have air conditioners in the bedrooms, but it's way too expensive to keep them running for long. As as soon as you turn it off, the heat rises again. Our electric bill is already more than our rent, so we only resort to the A/C when we need to sleep. It's hard to keep functioning as the temperature rises. Temperatures rise and tempers rise! It's hard to be patient with each other, and especially with the kids. We can't go to the pool EVERY day- too many things to do!

It's been fun having Amy and her baby daughter Claire (here for a month with husband/daddy Joe, to help SIMAIR,) over during the day. It is a great distraction from the heat, and encouragement to spend time with her! When we are each sitting and roasting in our individual homes it's a lot harder to be thankful! But together we can spend the day chatting, and sweating, and it's so much more fun! =)
I'm trying to come up with a list of things to be thankful for during hot season.
1) I'm thankful that I don't work in the hangar! No matter how hot it is here, it's hotter there in the "oven!"
2) I'm thankful that we live three minutes from the pool, and can get there often!
3) I'm thankful for cold water out of the fridge.
4) I'm thankful for kids who don't seem to notice the heat, and just keep on playing!
5) I'm thankful that Kevin just turned on the air conditioner for the night- I think I'd better go to sleep and enjoy it! Good night!

Cleaning out!

With a group garage sale coming up tomorrow, we are digging through our house and trying to get rid of things! There are so many things that we brought thinking we would need them. Now that we are here, they are either not useful, available here, or we brought too much for the time we are here. So instead of having a house full of things we are storing for no reason, we are hoping to share the wealth. =) Kevin, of course, is more that thrilled to see junk go. I, the packrat, have a little harder time letting go. But what if we need it someday...
But I'm frustrated with having no place to put everything, so even I am on board with this one. Off to see what else I can bear to part with!