The day after my birthday was Joanna's baby shower. She and Simon still don't know what they're having, so we had to do a generic-gender party. I spent the entire morning making the cake, and took a picture of it to post here (mostly for my mom), but apparently the memory card wasn't in completely, or it was full, or something, so the picture ended up on my camera's hardware, not the memory card! As soon as I can figue out how to get that on here, I'll post it. It was the cutest giant baby rattle!
The shower was at Arusha Coffee Lodge, which is a lovely place with wonderful outdoor seating under the trees, but it was so cool and overcast I kept wishing we were inside by the fire! We had hot drinks with our cake, and Joanna got some lovely and some practical gifts for her elephant-themed nursery; we are in Afrca, after all! She and Simon leave next Monday for New Zealand, and will come back in mid-January with the newest addition to the Joshua Family!
Me with my sponsored children
Me with my sponsored children
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Birthday, Tanzania style
It's been over a week since my birthday, but with power shortage, internet "issues," etc. this is the first time I've had to write. Last year I was in Karanse for my birthday, and this year I was in Arusha. I was having a meeting at Imara the day before my birthday, so I made a cake (!) to take and share with them. On my actual birthday, one of my housemates, Shelley, had me a carrot cake for breakfast, and pancakes! So, with that sugar rush, the day was off to a great start! We had an education department meeting right after breakfast, and Joanna had made a big birthday brownie for morning tea to celebrate!
I had brought back a present and cards from home, so all day, I doled those out to myself. At team lunch, there was another carrot cake (good thing I like carrot cake!) from the Joshua "family." Later, my friend from Imara, Jenny, and Carly (newbie here from Australia that met last summer), and I met for drinks before dinner. Then, several of us met at my favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. (I also took some carrot cake to share for dessert!)
To top off the sugar content of the day, Jenny, Carly, and I went out for dessert and hot tea after dinner! (Something other than carrot cake!)
All during the day, I also got to check emails and facebook, and I heard from so many people that it made it a very special day. Finally, that night I got to talk to family and friends at home, as my birthday was winding down.
Good day.
I had brought back a present and cards from home, so all day, I doled those out to myself. At team lunch, there was another carrot cake (good thing I like carrot cake!) from the Joshua "family." Later, my friend from Imara, Jenny, and Carly (newbie here from Australia that met last summer), and I met for drinks before dinner. Then, several of us met at my favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. (I also took some carrot cake to share for dessert!)
To top off the sugar content of the day, Jenny, Carly, and I went out for dessert and hot tea after dinner! (Something other than carrot cake!)
All during the day, I also got to check emails and facebook, and I heard from so many people that it made it a very special day. Finally, that night I got to talk to family and friends at home, as my birthday was winding down.
Good day.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Almost time to head back to TZ
Boy, that month flew by! But, it was a great month! I sooo enjoyed seeing old friends - thanks for all the breakfasts, lunches, dinners, ice creams, pounds I gained! and, oh, yes, water aerobics so I didn't gain any more! Loved seeing various family, too; thanks so much, Bethany, for driving over from B'ham; several meals and shopping trips with Mama; talking to my sister, not on skype or across 7 hours' time difference! It was good, too, to be back at Perimeter, both for church (love the new chapel): a TZ luncheon where I got to tell my favorite stories from this past year, running into people I love, Tz Wednesday night prayer and school: talking to 2 classes about TZ, wandering the halls hugging people, impromptu meetings, discussing various sponsored children, etc., etc.!
Daddy's still in rehab. Thanks to all of you who have prayed faithfully for him and my mom. Don't stop! Pray for him to continue to gain strength in his legs so he can walk out of there, pray for the chemo to work in shrinking the tumor, pray for him to keep up his spirits as the days get long, and pray for Mama to juggle her 2 patients (my uncle who lives with them is the 2nd one) and still find time to rest and take care of herself.
People kept asking if it felt weird to be here, or if I missed TZ. I guess I am more a person of the moment than I realized. It felt perfectly normal to be here, because this is my other normal. I did miss people in TZ, but not like I would if I weren't going back. That's probably the secret - I knew all the time that this was a "furlough," not forever, so I couldn't get too attached here, or miss TZ too much since I'll be back there so soon.
However, judging by my suitcases, I'm going for a decade this time! I'm praying that I don't have to pay too large a fortune for overweight baggage. Good grief - even my luggage gained weight!
Next blog will be from Tanzania!
Daddy's still in rehab. Thanks to all of you who have prayed faithfully for him and my mom. Don't stop! Pray for him to continue to gain strength in his legs so he can walk out of there, pray for the chemo to work in shrinking the tumor, pray for him to keep up his spirits as the days get long, and pray for Mama to juggle her 2 patients (my uncle who lives with them is the 2nd one) and still find time to rest and take care of herself.
People kept asking if it felt weird to be here, or if I missed TZ. I guess I am more a person of the moment than I realized. It felt perfectly normal to be here, because this is my other normal. I did miss people in TZ, but not like I would if I weren't going back. That's probably the secret - I knew all the time that this was a "furlough," not forever, so I couldn't get too attached here, or miss TZ too much since I'll be back there so soon.
However, judging by my suitcases, I'm going for a decade this time! I'm praying that I don't have to pay too large a fortune for overweight baggage. Good grief - even my luggage gained weight!
Next blog will be from Tanzania!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)