Ten years ago on this very day, Pete and I stood before a church filled with family and friends, speaking vows we had written for one another. I promised to follow him wherever God would take us and to strive to love him more every single day. He vowed to lead us toward God and to always seek His direction for us. We’ve had our share of ups and downs through the last decade, but those promises have remained strong. God has been faithful in carrying us through the rough spots, which has always made us stronger. And now, at the mark of ten years, we’ve made it to the place we dreamed of being before either of us met. Words cannot express how it feels to be celebrating this day in Kenya!
Today we’re back in Nairobi while our new house at Tenwek gets painted! I am super excited to get it all painted white, because it’s sure to brighten the entire interior. The fumes from the oil-based paint, however, are awful, so we were told to leave for a nit while it’s all being done. Pete starts work at the hospital on Monday, so this is a great time to get away, visit another mission hospital, see friends, and pick up a few more things we need that we can only find in the city. Things like shower curtains, yoga matts, weights, yogurt, etc. Sam loves his yogurt. Until I start making it at home, we need to travel a ways to a grocery store to buy it.
While we’re in Nairobi, I’m going to squeeze in a few posts of events that happened before we left the States but that I really don’t want to miss getting up on the blog. Here’s the first!
I adore planning parties. So even though we were in the middle of packing and moving and wrapping everything up in Duluth, I wanted to have a party for the kids. I also thought it would be a fun way to get the family together before we left. The party was at the very end of April, one month before Sam’s birthday and two before Ella’s. I asked Ella what she thought the theme should be and was thrilled when she asked for Disney World. One of my favorite places!
I mentioned in yesterday’s post that we attempted to have some photos taken by a friend on the beach, but Sam dove immediately into the water. Well, we got a few pictures back today that turned out! We haven’t had a family picture taken since my sister’s wedding three years ago, and we’ve used it on all of our mission materials. (It’s there in the sidebar of the blog, too.) The kids have grown a lot since that was taken!
After taking a week to wind down from all the working, packing, and traveling, we spent the past week fully enjoying the sunshine!
Ella and Pete have had a few opportunities to snorkel since we got here. Ella’s in love! We might need to get this girl certified some day so she can dive with us.
This guy can’t resist a mirror.
So much water time.
We tried to take a few family pictures on the beach, but Sam wanted nothing more than to be in the water.
Vacation also means lots of date time for Ella and Daddy. She couldn’t be happier.
Life was a little hectic on Mother’s Day this year, so we postponed for a bit. This past week we picked a day and Pete and the kids made it so special for me! It started with coffee in bed and this card made by my loves.
Then they treated me to a morning at the spa with a massage, mani, and pedi. I love when my nails match my ring.
With my book in the shade and this view, I felt very celebrated. It was an amazing Mother’s Day!
Two days ago we took Sam on a glass bottom boat. He yelled each time we saw a fish swim under the boat. I would have been happy only watching him on that trip. He was so happy.
Sam actually liked watching the boat hit the waves more than seeing the fish. I knew he would. He adores the water.
Life is pretty good with this one.
My cozy boys, watching TV with Grover and Abby Cadabby.
We’ve got more family days ahead as we wait for Pete’s Kenyan work permit to be approved. We’ve been told it will be soon, but we won’t know exactly when until word is sent to our team at Tenwek Hospital. We keep praying and trusting it will come through in God’s perfect timing!
We had a wonderful Easter surprise this weekend: Pete had Sunday off! We hadn’t expected it, but he was asked to switch shifts just a few days before. Ella helped me decorate to get ready for the special day, and we spent the week reading stories from her Bible and other various books about Palm Sunday, The Last Supper, Good Friday, and Easter.
We stayed at the hospital with Pete on Saturday night, then drove back to Duluth Sunday morning to meet my parents at church. Afterward, we went back to our house to find what the Easter Bunny had left!
The Wizard of Oz was the very first play I was in back in 4th grade. I was a munchkin in a high school production, caught that theatre bug, and it never left. The kids have seen the stage production at The Children’s Theatre, but Ella hasn’t yet seen the movie. Can’t wait to watch it with her!
Miss Ella was beyond excited to help Sam look for his basket. This is the first year he’s been interested in finding his own treats.
No one needs to teach this kid about the amazingness of chocolate bunnies! He was ready to rip right into that box.
Oh, that first nibble!
My boys! I was ready to donate both these purple shirts a few weeks ago as I continue packing, but then I realized they would be perfect for Easter. Immediately following this photo, we took Sam’s shirt off to spare it the chocolatey mess.
Sadly, I don’t think I captured any pictures during our annual egg hunt! Papa brought eggs, in addition to the basket I had prepared, so the kids had quite the hunt. Two days later and Ella is still asking me to hide all the eggs again. And again and again. Happens every year!
We took Pete back to work Sunday evening, incredibly thankful to have spent the day together! We hope you had a wonderful day celebrating, too.
We recently made our very last trip to North Dakota, and we’re not sad about it one bit. Of course, we may certainly have other trips in the future, but this was our last to visit my sister, Becky, and her family. The drive from Duluth to Dickinson is about nine hours, and we’ve made the trip many times in the last two-and-a-half years. But no more! And it’s not just because we’re leaving soon for Kenya. Nope! They are now back in Minnesota!! I’m really close to my sister, and our kids love being together, so having them so far away was tough. I know I shouldn’t complain since we’ll soon be on the other side of the globe, but it just feels different. We’ll be able to visit them in Pequot Lakes (where we all grew up) one or two times before we head off, but when we come back in two years, they’ll be close enough to visit regularly. That makes me very, very happy!
My parents still live in Pequot, so we drive the two-and-a-half hours frequently. We always start a trip to North Dakota by visiting them. One, it cuts down on the drive. And two, my mom hops on board and makes the trip with us! It’s a far better journey with another adult along. I usually make the trip when Pete is scheduled to work, so I’m very thankful to have my mom with us.
Sam is a fan of the big dog crate at Nana and Papa’s. Play away, my boy!
During our visit, Ella got to have a day of homeschool with my dad as her teacher. I’m pretty sure both were thrilled. This was a little project they did for fun. Ella is a huge fan of maps, especially when they include our future home.
We were also able to visit my grandma while we were in the middle of Minnesota. It’s always such a treat to see her. Also, she puts together the best afternoon snacks!
This is how we all feel about Great Grandma. The kids adore both of their great grandmas. I’m incredibly thankful they’ve been able to spend time with them.
Back at my parents’ house, Ella was introduced to Snow White. Clearly, she agreed that the Evil Queen is pretty awful. Being such big Disney fans, it was really fun to watch this one together.
After a day at in Pequot, we headed toward North Dakota. The magic of homeschool? It can be done in the car! Not one complaint from this girl. She LOVES math. (Not from me, mind you.)
We made the trip to North Dakota primarily to celebrate my niece’s sixth birthday. (Miss Maira is in the middle below.) We celebrated at Texas Roadhouse so Maira could sit on the saddle while everyone cheered. Pretty cute.
Sammy, do you love Texas Roadhouse??
We spent a lot of time at the pool back at the hotel. Sam is hit or miss when it comes to the pool these days. He doesn’t want to be splashed, which means we don’t really play in the water. But he doesn’t mind kicking his feet or letting me hold him while we float a bit.
Best part of the hotel? The water slide!! The kids were in heaven. Also, it saved us from finding other random ways to keep them entertained. Winning all around.
Oh, but we did find one other crazy piece of fun. I’ve seen Pie Face on the feeds of so many Instagram friends and decided we needed it. Have you played this game? It’s hilarious! We put a dollop of whipped cream on the hand and then each player takes turns twisting the crank until – splat! – someone gets it right in the face!
We only ran into two problems.
One: The girls got crazy loud with excitement, which was probably not the neighbors’ favorite.
And two: We ran out of whipped cream too fast!! But seriously, it was amazing fun.
The girls eventually played with a wet sponge when the cream was gone. It equaled about the same amount of excitement.
These two adore babies, so spending time with their cousin Liana was delightful. Sammy either wanted to give her kisses…or wrestle. He tends to switch in lightning speed from the first to the second, so we have to keep a very close eye on him. Liana may have two playful big sisters, but she’s not quite ready for wrestling. Sorry, Sam.
After making the drive back to Pequot, we were able to celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday! Yay, Papa! It was a really fun way to end the weekend.
Today my nieces went off on their first day of school in Pequot Lakes. I’m so happy they get to go to the same school we all did. Lots of the same teachers are there! They’ve since built a gorgeous new elementary school, so they’re not in the same building, but they will be eventually. They now live only ten minutes from our parents and twenty minutes from my little sister and her kids. Going ‘home’ is going to be such fun!
Are you curious about our progress toward Kenya? I know I haven’t been keeping up on the updates very well. I’ll tell you now that we’re sorting the house for what we’ll pack and what we’ll give away, which is keeping us very busy on top of our new adventure of homeschooling. I’m working on an update today and will have it posted in the next couple days. So be sure to check back! And thank you for continuing on this journey with us!
