Please God, not Africa!

So, I'll start at the very beginning, turns out it's a very good place to start. Almost two weeks ago now, (it was a Sunday) Kylie complained of a sore foot.  I didn't think much of it because she had just played a big game of "water soccer" (we've invented a new pool game here) that afternoon, so may be she twisted it or hurt it somehow. By Monday morning, she refused to walk normal on it, so I took a good look.  It wasn't red or swollen at all.  Later in the day, it seemed to be worse, so we took her to the Mango hospital.  The medical guy (I don't think he was a doctor.  you'll understand why in a moment.) took a look, wrapped it in a tensor bandage, prescribed ibuprofen, tylenol and vitamin C, and told us to go home. Oh, and this is where it got weird.  Before we left, he poured rubbing alcohol all over the tensor bandage on her foot and told me I needed to do that twice a day.  (I'm telling you, I cannot make this stuff up...) OKay, ...

This blog post has a two-fold purpose.  First, it's to share with you some of the exciting events that have occurred over the last few days.  Second, it's to show you the great need for a new hospital in Mango. Last Thursday, Anna felt that she was coming down with malaria.  So she started some malaria drugs and rested at home.  By Friday night she was very sick.  Vomiting, high fever, increased heart rate, general nastiness.  Emily and I decided that desperate times called for desperate measures, which meant an excursion to the Mango "hospital" on Friday night. I had never been to the Mango hospital and from the very outset,  one gets the feeling that this place is pretty sketchy.  The only way to find the "road" into the hospital is to follow a dark and creepy path, past some rusty old gates that make you feel like you are entering an old asylum.  This is no exaggeration, my friends. And so we helped Anna into the hospital. ...

Last night was Friday night -- which is usually a pretty low-key kinda night at our place after a busy work week.  Last night we planned to have pizza (homemade, of course, no Pizza Hut here!) and chill out.  But just before dinner, we received a CARE PACKAGE from some very sweet friends at home!! So here we are eating our pizza.  Nate and I told the kids we could open the box after supper, so although you can't tell from the photo, the kids are scarfing down their dinner. The big moment arrives!!  Ethan is opening the box! See?  It really is for us! First peek inside!  Look at Jack's face. We see a soccer ball and a football! And then we started diggin' in... Plastic containers FULL of chocolate chips!  Woohoooo! Nate and Ethan were thrilled with new hunting magazines (in fact, I think they kissed them)! Teddy is looking at a book on African elephants -- and he's not letting go o...

 I thought I'd do a little post on shopping here.  I think you just need to know how/where/when I shop for a few reasons. Reason #1.  So when I come home and you see me in a grocery store or mall you'll understand why tears of joy are running down my cheeks. Reason #2.  So that when I show you photos of what we eat, you'll understand why our food looks the way it does. Reason #3.  So that even when you go to No Frills, you won't ever complain again about the produce for sale.  The fact that the carrots at No Frills are more orange than mold is something to be thankful for. This is the Mango market.  On Market day.  Which is Sunday.  This is just outside the actual market where people set up their stalls.  You can't see what's for sale in this shot but it does show that market day is busy. This is the Kara market, the one that has really nice produce that we have to drive two hours to get to. We love the Kara market. ...

 It's December.  I can't even believe it.  It so does NOT feel like December.  The weather here has gotten hotter and hotter.  Last week we reached 40 degrees celsius and thought we might actually cook inside our own flesh.  Thankfully, the weather has come down a bit in temperature and it's a nice cool 32 deg outside today.  In the shade. Life here is good, thanks for asking.  We have been really busy. I'm not sure what has kept us so busy but it's been busy nonetheless. So here are some photos of life here, just so you feel like you know what we're up to.... Here's Teddy enjoying the dogs. Teddy gets peanut butter on his face EVERY SINGLE MORNING.  So the dogs enjoy it when he gets down and lets them wash him.  He giggles and giggles.  I love this shot. Last Sunday was Ethan's fourteenth birthday.  FOURTEEN!!  As if!  I can't believe that either.  When I think that time here in Africa is going slo...