highlights

So, here are some highlights from the last couple / few months:

We had dear friends over this last year, Peter and Verena, who were SALTers (Serving and Learning Together)with MCC. Pete did a year in Shirati about 2 1/2 hours north-west of Mugumu, and Verena did a year teaching English at a Bible college in Musoma. We often had them over on weekends and we grew to love them dearly.

In July their term was up, so we had to say goodbye to them in Arusha...

we miss them a lot already. They were great friends.

Ben and Aaron just being cute...I think this picture is old but I hadn't posted it yet!


Ben got a puppy, Lobo, for his fourth birthday. Our good friends Kristopher and Rebecca Hartwig were nice enough to pass him along to us. He's a pretty good looking dog, 1/4 ridgeback, 1/4 shepherd, and we don't know the other half!

A couple of months ago he looked like this:



and now:

I wonder who's winning:

These two make a good wrestling match as well:

Ben's FOURTH birthday:

My little baby is growing up too fast:

We have "birthday week" at our place since Kurt's, Ben's and my birthdays all come about the same week. This year we celebrated our 30th by going to a resort on Lukuba Island on Lake Victoria. It was beautiful. We stayed in a thatch-roof stone banda, enjoyed a beautiful hike to watch the sunset, and lots of swimming with the boys.

We also took a game drive in Serengeti just for kicks:

In early September, our good friend from Winnipeg, Amanda Furst, came to visit us for a week. She was AMAZING...she made us HAMBURGERS...grinding up the meat, lighting up the little charcoal stove, and BBQing them. She also can make some awesome jewellery. We loved having her around. She's already at Tanzanian local so she was easy company - spoke great Swahili and could navigate her way around town in no time.

Yes?

And one final note:

So this picture was actually taken when I was expecting with Aaron. Now I just need to get another picture like this with the boys...because we are expecting again. MUCH to our surprise, and delight, and trepidation. This next one is due end of March!