What do we Focus on?

 

I've been taking pictures around town, to be able to show people what it's like to live here.

 

 

 

 

The thing is, what do you take pictures of?  What represents this town?

Is it the picture of mud house crumbling down or the picture of the mansion?

 

 

The picture of the sailboat on the ocean, or the picture of the beach littered with trash?

 

 

Should I tell you about the 90 degree weather, when the power goes out and trying to do school with no fans as the children are sweltering at their desks?  Or should I tell you about being able to watch a troop of monkeys play in our yard everyday?

 

Because both is true.  So, which do you focus on?

 

Should I tell you about the agreements, pleading my children to do school and trying to get them to focus, or should I tell you about the days when they studying independently, and retain what they read? 

 

Living here has many challenges: the heat, the feeling of oppression, power cuts.

But, there are many blessings: friendships formed, ministry opportunities, and living in a tropical paradise!

 

There are many reasons for focusing on the negative-- complaining spirit, or negative attitude. 

 

However, I think there can be other reasons.

 



As homeschool moms we don't want to see "better" than others, or lording it over other people when we are having a good day, or things are working well in school.  So, when we speak to other moms we tend to downplay the good and talk about the negative.  It can be a way to even out the playing field, so we all feel we are in this together.  

 

I have done it myself many times.

 

Another reason, is that we can feel that leaving out the challenges and negative aspects can be untruthful.  We feel it is only honest to "tell it like it is".  To be brutally honest.

 

A few verses

 

Galatians 6:4, "Each one should test their own actions.  Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load."

    (Don't compare yourself or your homeschool to others, but only do the best you can do for your family.)

Another verse a little later in the chapter-

 

Galatians 6:9 "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

    I just like this verse, and think it's very encouraging.

 

Also, Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

 

  That's not to say that we can't be honest about the struggles we are having in homeschool or with our children.  It means that we should not  focus on them.  We can focus on the positives, without thinking we are bragging.  (As long as you aren't bragging!)  Give all of the glory to God!  He's the only reason that our children learn anything, and it is to Him we pray when we need help.



 

What is your homeschool style?

"You desire structure, with flexibility built in. You shop for just the right curriculum, and you feel free to change when something isn't working. You are likely to purchase a student text without the teacher's manual, or to substitute one science experiment for another if just the right supplies aren't handy. While you usually rely on traditional textbooks, you probably purchase curriculum from several publishers."
              This was the result of the online quiz I took about my homeschool style and it is right on!
If you like quizzes try it at http://www.home-school-online.com/2009/11/quiz-what-homeschooling-method-is-right.html

     I happen to love quizzes.

Thinking outside of the box

Right now, I am writing this at a restaurant, and I wanted to order "Paneer Tikka", and Indian dish that is basically cheese cubes barbequed in Tikka sauce.  It wasn't on the menu.  I did however notice that they had "Chicken Tikka" on the menu and a different paneer dish as well on the menu.  So, I asked if they would be willing to make me Paneer Tikka.   They were!  Yum!  This is one of my favorite meals, and I wouldn't be eating it if I had stuck to the menu.

          The reason I bring this up, is that as homeschool moms, sometimes we can get "stuck on the menu".  We can become curriculum obsessed, and feel like we can't think outside of those terms.  I was like this for many years.  I was stuck in the idea that I had to follow the curriculum word for word (they literally put in the words to say as the teacher).     (Ironically they didn't put in the words to say if you were met with any resistance, boredom, or just plain NO!) 
     
   Eventually, I realized that there is no "Homeschool Police" ---at least, not yet!--- looking over your shoulder to see if your child did every math problem, or just did a few on the sheet.  No one cared what my Kindergartener's "grades" were in Reading, Language, or Math.  Even when I put my children into public school for a year, they didn't even ask for their "grades", but just placed them at the grade level that I told them they were in and they did fine.  A transcript doesn't really matter until high school.  Before that point, grades are really more of a nuisance, if you feel like you have to "grade" every paper your child does.  You can easily look at their work and see where they need more practice and what they understand already without assigning a number or letter to it.  And if they "fail" in that, it's OK!  Just repeat the lesson, again and again and again if needed until it's a "pass".  You can continue this until it's 100% understood if you want!!

        I'm getting off on a tangent.  The point is, you can think outside of the box.

           No....... YOU MUST THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX!  Think "off menu".  Pick and choose what works for you and your child? 

               But HOW, you ask?  Ok, stick with the curriculum.  For now.  Order what's on the menu.  You might like what's on it.  Or, parts of it.  Parts of it you and your child may hate.  So, try something else next time.  Don't be afraid to mix it up, and use different resources for different subjects or interests.  If you want to use a boxed curriculum to begin because it feels safer, please do so.  But, by all means, feel free to branch out once you feel comfortable with your child's learning style and your teaching style.

It's different eating out here

We went out to dinner with a group of friends the other night, and I thought about how different it was from eating out in America. 

      -The restaurant was called "The Ice Cream Parlor", but no ice cream is sold there.
      -There is only outdoor seating.  Very few restaurants here have any indoor seating.
      -There was about 8 children there, and they spent most of the time running around barefoot in the paved courtyard that we were eating in.  This was not a concern to the owners, or other guests.
      -Dinner took 2 hours to be prepared, which is normal here. 
      -The power went out during dinner, and no one seemed bothered.  The generator was started, and a few minutes later the power came back on.
      -The restaurant is next to a Hindu temple, so our dinner was serenaded by the ringing of bells and Hindi chants.  It was very beautiful.
      -There is a sink in the courtyard, so you can wash your hands before dinner.


Yes, things here are different.  And much slower.
                                                    
         Which I like.

Have a Great Week in Homeschool

     Step one:
                    Pray, pray, pray!  Spend as much time as you can the weekend before praying alone, and with your husband for the school week to go well.

     Step two:  Plan, plan, plan!  Sit down and plan out the week's lesson plans, if you are more of an unschooler list out some ideas of activities or trips so you aren't scrambling when Monday hits.

     Step three:  Sunday night-- Get the kids to bed at a descent time, and go to bed at a descent time yourself.  Keep this up all week.

      Step four:  Start Monday morning with some worship songs, sharing a Bible verse or devotional thought and pray for the school day together.  Do this every morning.

      Step five:  When there are irritations, interruptions, or arguments during school, think of it as a bump in the road and not a stop sign.  Try to keep positive, and move on without thinking "Well, there goes the day (week, year, etc.)". 
 
      Step six:  Focus on the positive times, like when they are actually studying quietly, (or eager to play a learning game for those active ones).

      Step seven: Take breaks and end school at a decent time.  Even a positive school day will degrade as the day drags on, and hungry, tired and bored kids want to just GO PLAY! 

     Step eight: Take a little time each day after school's "out" to pick up the school area, sharpen pencils, and pray for each student as you clean up their area. 

     Step nine:  If possible, add a fun learning activity that isn't in the curriculum like a field trip, watching an educational video, or studying art or Classical music.  I have learned that it is often these "extras" that my children remember most about their school year.

 
        Hope these help YOU have a good week in homeschool this week.
PS.  If you are having a "bad" school week-- kids are sick, there have been SO many distractions, etc. go ahead and have "half-days".  Do Math and Language and call it a day.  You DID SCHOOL (even if it only lasted 30 minutes)... mark that down as a school day!  Maybe you'll be able to do more tomorrow, but don't discount doing a half-day.  Public schools often have only half-day due to assemblies, fund-raisers, Parent teacher meetings, etc.  So, you don't have to do EVERY subject to think of it as a school day.   Blessings!

Strange sightings in Tanzania

Some things that I have seen in Tanzania that I doubt you'll see in America

      -While grocery shopping, a worker walking barefoot through the grocery store carrying a tray with tea to serve to the cashier, so she can take tea while she rings you up.

      -A cobra in our yard (ok, I didn't see it, but our guard did)

      -A mongoose in our yard.  The dogs chased it, and the guard caught it and threw it over our wall.

The mongoose who braved our dogs

      -A tigerfish while swimming (they are poisonous, so watch out)

      -A thorn spider.  They aren't poisonous, but they do look really cool.

thorn spider in our yard

      -An iron for ironing clothes, that uses a piece of coal to heat it.

      -A man selling fish from the back of his bike.
 
      -A jackfruit tree, cashew tree, coconut tree, custard apple tree, and mango tree growing in my yard.
      -A troop of blue monkeys coming through our yard, at least once a week.

      -Mudskippers-- fish that breath air and skip across the top of the water.

Have a nice day!

Are Kids Growing up too Fast?

It's all over the web.  Kids are growing up too fast!  They are acting too mature!
The Pre-Tween Years-How to Keep your kids from growing up too fast

Whatever Happened to Childhood?

Modern Childhood ends at age 12

     Most of the concerns with kids growing up too fast is obvious-- wearing revealing clothing or make up a young age, dating at a young age, maybe smoking or drinking underage, becoming concerned with personal appearance.

      Ok, I get that none of those things are good.  But, since when do those things make you "grown up"?  As far as I can tell, none of those things signal real maturity, even in adults.  Therefore, I have a different point of view.

   Kids aren't growing up too fast.  They aren't growing up fast enough!  In ways that really make someone mature.  Such as thinking of someone else instead of yourself, putting the needs of others ahead of your own.  Taking responsibility for your own actions, and being self-motivated in studies and hobbies.  Being kind to others, and respectful to elders and family members. 
   THESE are the things that show that you are "growing up".  Not whether you get to wear make-up, or go to the movies unchaperoned. 

We should be encouraging our children to grow up, to "act mature"... that is, real maturity.  The maturity that is gained by taking our Christian faith seriously and becoming more like Him everyday.

                 

Where the Rooster Crows

Where we live, there are a handful of roosters that leave near us and we hear them crowing throughout the day.  There is rarely a time that a full minute passes that we don't hear a rooster crowing.  (I used to have the impression that roosters only crowed first thing in the morning, when the sun came up. What a laugh!) Most of the time, I don't notice, or if I do, it doesn't bother me.  But, sometimes, for unknown reasons, it bothers me. A lot.  Like do these things ever shut up?? 

  That seems to be a symbol of living here.  There are so many little things here that are different, or that don't seem to work as we expect, and I usually don't notice or it doesn't bother me at all.  Once in a while though, I feel like shouting, "Can't anything work right!?" 

   So many things here are different.  We have a milkman that rides his bike up to our gate and sells up fresh milk in washed out soda bottles.  A man rides his bike down our street selling fish from a basket on his bike.  We can't go on a walk anywhere without stares, points, and "Mzungu! Mzungu!" (White person).  We have to buy bottled water, or use a filter because the water is literally sandy when it comes out of the pipe.  You can see a layer of sand if you fill a pot with it, and it is a brownish color.  You are expected to greet everyone: the shopkeeper, the guy riding by on a bike, the strangers walking down the road.  The electricity can go out at any time, for unknown reasons, and stay off for hours without any explanation.  There are so many things that are different from our culture.

  Sometimes, I don't even notice, like the stray dogs that wander the neighborhood, or the chickens that roam free on the street.  It doesn't phase me to see 4 people on a motorcycle, one of them an infant (no helmets of course).  I don't bat an eye to see several men hanging off the back of a semi truck on the highway.  Most of the time things don't bother me.  I enjoy shopping for vegetables at the market every week.  We are used to seeing monkeys in our yard all of the time.

  But sometimes, occasionally,  Things Bother Me.  I'm glad these times aren't very often.  The other day, I was at the market, and the stall vendors were shoving vegetables in my face (as usual), and asking me what I wanted, and how much of what, etc.  They do this every week. But, for some reason, it suddenly was too much.  I couldn't figure out how to say "Leave me alone" in Swahili, because I was so flustered.  Finally, I was able to buy what I needed and get out of there. 

  It's like you never really  get over culture shock.  No matter how long you're here, it will sneak up and grab you unexpectedly out of the blue.  I'm very thankful that it doesn't get me very often. 

What do we do for fun?

We are still on school break, although school will be starting up again next week for us. 

      As most families during a school break, our kids act bored and want to be entertained.  If I allowed them, they would sit in front of a TV, computer or Wii all day.  However, I want more for them. 
 
    I want their childhood to be filled with memories of tree houses, bike rides, playing with Barbies and Legos, coloring in coloring books, and making forts.  If everything they do is on a video game, what real memories will they carry of their childhood with them into adulthood?  This is a magical time, where imagination can grow and dream.  I don't want an electronic device deaden that imagination.

 Nature Valley put out a video about what three generations did for fun as kids. Nature Valley Video

 Another concern I have is that if they are entertaining themselves electronically all the time as children, what will they do as adults? Will they only know how to interact with the world through their phones? I forgot my Phone video 

    One thing that we do at our house, is have "No TV or electronics day" on Sundays.  No movies, video games, e-mail, etc. for one day.  At first (for a few months) the kids would complain most of the day.  But, they have started to find things to do.  We usually go out on Sundays and spend time as a family, or have company over.  I like to remind ourselves that we don't "need" to be entertained electronically.

Fostering Self-Motivation in Children

Can you create self-motivation in someone else?  Isn't that an oxymoron?  Yes, in a sense.  However, you can help foster self-motivation by doing certain things and limiting certain other things. 

        This is based on my own thoughts and observations, nothing from a book.

-As toddlers, allow them to do as many things "by themselves" as they want.  Feeding themselves from 9 months old, dressing themselves at 2 years old, walking when it would be easier to carry them or use a stroller... you get the idea.  It may seem that everything takes twice as long (and it does!), but this will pay off with encouraging them in their ability to do things on their own.

-As preschoolers, encourage them to do things on their own even if it would be quicker and easier (and less messy) if you did it for them, such as pouring their own juice, buttering their bread, tying their shoes, etc.

-For all ages, limit screen time, which gives children instant gratification.

-For preschoolers, try to limit the toys and games that do all the playing for them, like dolls that talk, walk, and pee, and "learning games" that play music at the touch of a button.  Let them play with dolls without batteries, so they can make up the words the doll says themselves.  Give them play instruments like toy drums or xylophones so they can make their own music.

-For all ages, have them play outside a little everyday.  There is no schedule and no activities director, so they will have to come up with something to do on their own.

-When older children have an idea or suggestion, don't laugh or mock them.  Listen to them and their ideas.  If feasible, help them accomplish their ideas.

-If you have allowance, consider having a base-line amount, and then they can earn more if they decide to do more chores without being asked.

-Pray for your children to have self-motivation.  Since it comes from within, the only one who can really change a child is the Holy Spirit.


-If you are homeschooling, consider not "grading", but teaching for mastery.  When they have fully understood a concept to 100% or close, then move on to the next lesson.

-Show pride when they do something without being told, or start a hobby that interests them.  They are doing something on their own initiative.

                  What do you think?  Is self-motivation something you can learn, or does it have to be something you possess already at birth?

Why my kids aren't in ANY activities

 Ok, to be fair, where we live, there aren't any activities for the kids to be involved in like sports, co-ops, dance classes, etc.
          But, even when we lived in America for a year and had the kids in public school we didn't have them signed up for ANY activities.   Why?  There are many benefits to NOT being involved in organized sports, classes or groups. 

       I believe in lots of free time for the children to explore their interests, to learn to bake or cook, to read, and to play outside in nature.  Having them busy all of the time takes away from what I think is more important for them at this age- free time.

Katrina cutting fabric to sew doll clothes

      More time for family.  I for one don't like the idea of all of my family time spent driving the kids from one activity to the next.  Instead, I like to spend our time together. 


Katrina cross stitches and Heather knits while I read to them



      We are able to travel when we want, and make plans on our own schedule.  This is a big one for our family, as we travel almost every weekend when we are living in America doing support raising.  We need to be able to pick up and go whenever is convenient for us and not worry about missing a game or recital.

Helping Jonathan snorkel on one of our impromptu trips last month

     It's a lot cheaper. We are pretty cheap people. :)

                                                   This is not to say that organized activities for kids is wrong in any way, but it's just something we have chosen not to participate in as a family.   What do you think?  Do the benefits for being in activities outweigh the benefits of not being in them?

      

Are we done yet?

       With only two weeks left of school, I'm thinking "Are we done yet?"  If you have seen the movie "Are we done yet?", the sequel to "Are we there yet?"  it seems like everything that could go wrong, does go wrong when you are just trying to finish! 

    That being said, we have made it farther in the school year than most years.  Usually about this time I say, "Close enough!" and call it a year.  This year, I was determined to make to the end of the school year (180 days).  Ok, it will be 175 days, but... "Close enough!"

       We took an impromptu trip to Kenya last week-- this is the kids at the beach.

     That is what I love about homeschooling!  We are able to travel when we want, and take off a day now and then... of course, we have to make it up at the end of the year!

Enjoying Nature where you are

 

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy nature.

     Whether you are able to take a vacation to the beach, and observe tidal waves, or go camping and listen to the crickets at night and cook over a fire, summer is a fun time to get outside and enjoy nature. 

 

 

We went on a nature walk, and saw some unique creatures-- Mudskippers.

 

 

These fish can breath out of water, and walk about of their front fins.  When startled, they will skip across the top of the water. 

 

So, get out there, and explore the nature that is near you, and unique to your area. 

 Set up a bird bath, and watch the birds that come every day.

Let the kids dig in the garden and find some worms and beetles. 

Plant some seeds and see what grows.

 

Nature is all around us, and it's one of the ways that God interacts with us.

 

So... Get out there!

Traditions equal Stability

We have a lot of instability in our lives.  We tend to move about once a year, and things change for us a lot.  Because of that, I try to make some simple traditions that add some stability for the children.  These include meals that we love, movie and pizza night, special time with the kids, holiday traditions, chores, reading together, etc.

       One tradition that has sort of developed over the years is, having a 'cook out' when Bill has to travel.  He traveled last month for 10 days with John and Hannah for a seminar in Arusha, and to go to Nairobi.  It's always a bit quiet around the house when Bill travels, so I try to do something different and fun to make the days go quicker.

    We sometimes will all sleep in the living room and watch movies until late at night.  Or, play board games all day.  But, we like to have a cook out.  This time, I decided to up the ante and to actually "camp out" on our upstairs balcony.  We put up two tents and cooked hot dogs and marshmallows over a tiny charcoal grill.  We stayed up late singing camp songs.  We lasted pretty long, but ended up coming inside to actually sleep. :)

  

The point is, the children miss Daddy while he's gone, but know that something fun is going to happen too.  Jonathan saw a bag of marshmallows in the cupboard and said, "Are those for the next camp out when Daddy has to go on a trip?"  Yes. Yes, they are. :)

Battlezone school or Fun Learning Environment

 

I've had a bit of an epiphany.

 

Homeschool can be as fun or as stressful as you make it. 

 

If this sounds strange, hang on with me for a minute. 

 



 Just like everything with our kids, we can make it a battle or enjoy it.  ("But wait, it's THEM making it a battle not ME!" I've often felt the same way.) 
             Take eating vegetables.  Or bedtime.  Or anything else.
We can make it a battle where we are arguing, and there are tears.  Or we can encourage them, make it fun, or just sit patiently with them until they do it.   
                                  I happen to have a child who enjoys a battle, so if there is any way we can cooperate, please, let's do that.  Let's NOT make a battle.  Yes, I do make them clean their rooms, eat their vegetables and take a shower.  HOW?   A big part is schedule. Do the same thing at the same time so it's expected and less likely to be argued against.  Make it fun.  Make taking showers a race, and have a small snack afterwards before bed.  Do it with them. Sit down and read before bed so it's more of a fun activity than a dreaded one. 

   Ok, how does this play into homeschool?                

Trust me, homeschool can be a battle zone.  And, it has been, at my house.  For days, weeks, years.

                But, lately, it hasn't been as much.  WHY?
Schedule-  Everyday, we start at (about) the same time.  They are less likely to pitch a fit or start an intricate game if they know school is starting.

Make if fun- Watch a video about the subject you are learning in Science.  Do learning games online- www.spellingcity.com is a great one for spelling, and there are lots of math and English games too.  Everything doesn't have to be drudgery to be learning.
 
Make it age or ability appropriate- Don't make school overbearing by demanding something of them that they cannot do.  If your 5 year old can't sit still to read, have him read some, and then jump on a small trampoline or run up and down the hall.  If your 9 year old struggles to read at age level, read the text books aloud, and let her read something she enjoys for her "reading" time.  If your 10 year old struggles with memorizing math facts, keep practicing them, for months or years if need be.  You can make school work FOR you not AGAINST you.

Do it together- Start the day with songs, prayer, or exercise-- get in a good mood!  Share a relaxing breakfast together, and talk about your dreams.  Stay positive, and try to remember that these little people are first and foremost your children, not your students.  Do projects together. Read together. Go on walks, go to the library.... always be learning, always be doing things together.

Let go of FEAR-  For a long time, I was afraid to swerve from the curriculum even a little bit.  I didn't want to miss a day of "school" to take an exciting trip because that day would have to be "made up" at the end of the year.  Part of this comes with experience, and personality, but let your homeschool be truly YOURS and don't let what you perceive others (including that curriculum) think of you.

      Hope this can encourage someone! Blessings.

Some random photos of homeschool

            

 

Have a nice day!

Leaving a Legacy

   It's been awhile since my last post.   A lot has happened.
My father-in-law, Bill DeLaughter, passed away on March 19th.  He and his wife, Carolyn, were missionaries in Zimbabwe and had done mission work in South Africa as well.  His major life work was Bible Studies written for each book of the Bible, and they can be found at www.word4world.com/        We are still using his studies in our work here.

Working on his studies

      We went back for the funeral, and to help Carolyn for two weeks.

Now we are back.    

       Our teammates, John and Hannah, arrived in Tanzania the day that Bill's dad died.  Quite a shock.  We had to leave them shortly after arriving, and had them go and stay with disciples in Arusha.  It's been a lot for them to go through as well.

      We feel in a way that we are living in two worlds right now. 

Helping Carolyn continue to figure things out long distance
                                       and hosting our teammates.   

         We have started homeschool again as well, and Katrina is studying for her SAT 10 test that she will be taking in the fall. 
         
             When Bill died, I realized how much of a Legacy he had left behind.  How many people he had lead to Christ, how many people he had discipled, how many people he counseled, how many projects he lead, how many Bible Studies he wrote.  I don't think we'll ever know on this side of eternity the impact he made.
                              

                        I just pray that we will also leave such a Legacy behind when it's our time to go. 
Something to think about.....

      
   
     

Hot Vs. Cold

Ok, I have just a short funny "story" today.

        In our bathroom shower, the hot and cold tapped are reversed-- so the blue means the hot tap and the red means the cold tap.
              BUT.... we hardly ever turn on the hot water since it's so hot that we like a nice, cold shower. 
       AND.... the water tank is on top of our house, and it's black, so the tap water gets very hot when it's a sunny day.

         SO.... the hot water which comes out of a small heater tank inside the house often comes out colder (when it's off) than the cold water from the cold tap,

                    WHICH MEANS.... that the red tap ACTUALLY does have the hot water, and the blue tap has the cold water.... how weird is that?

Just a short strange story from Tanzania!

What counts as Screen Time?

We have all heard about "screen time" and how we're supposed to be limiting it with our kids.  So, my question is, what exactly is screen time?  Officially, it's anytime you are looking at a screen whether it be a computer, TV, iPad or phone screen.  But, what do you count as screen time for your kids?

For instance...
      Does Skype Count as "screen time"?

      Does Reading on your Kindle count as "screen time"?

     Does doing homework or educational games on a computer count as screen time?
 
     Does watching Praise and Worship DVD's count as Screen time?
      
     Does doing a Wii Fit work out count as Screen time?

To be honest, I DO NOT count these things against my children's screen time, but they are only allowed 30 minutes of "free" screen time each day where they can watch a TV show or play a video game.
      It's difficult to balance screens and imaginative play/getting exercise.   So, what do you count/not count as screen time?   

Shopping Day

Shopping here is a little different.  There are "grocery stores" but they never have everything you need, so multiple stops are required.  Here is a typical shopping day for me.

1.  The first stop is at the small duka (shop) where we exchange our 20 L water bottle for our water cooler.

2.  Next we usually stop and check our PO box, and mail any letters that need to be sent at the Post Office down town.

3.  The ATM is next, if we need to get money out.

4.  A quick stop at the bakery to pick up 4-5 loaves of bread.

5.  Next, to the dairy to pick up our cheese and butter.

6.  On to the first grocery store to pick up most of our canned foods, and eggs.  We buy eggs by the tray (30 eggs). 

7.  Pick up some frozen mince beef at one duka, and some chips, cookies and bread sticks and another small duka.

8.  Next, we stop at a small grocery store attached to a gas station to pick up frozen chickens, and sometimes they have apples.

9.  Another grocery store next, the "expensive" place in town where we pick up dog and cat food.  It's the only place in town that sells pet food. 

10.  The market to pick up vegetables and fruits.  Also, rice and beans.

11.  We are finally on our way home.  We sometimes stop and pick up some ice-cream or candy at another duka.

            So, there you have it!  It usually takes about 2 hours to do all of our grocery shopping.  We've been blessed to find everything we need here.

Slower Pace

It's been over a month since my last entry, and it's hard to think about what to write. 
    My days are pretty much the same, doing school with the kids in the morning, in the afternoons baking, cooking, spending time with Bill and the kids, reading.  Weekends we watch movies, shop for groceries and go swimming.  Things are very pleasant, but there is not much new to report.

  Life here is very laid back, relaxed.  Nothing is rushed.  We are enjoying this slower pace of life.
         We have had very busy times in our lives.  When both Bill and I were taking 18 hours of seminary classes, and we had two small children, as well as driving to report to our churches every weekend.  Times when we were raising support that we would send out 50 letters a week to churches and then spend the rest of the week calling those churches to try to set up appointments, as well as taking seminary classes and taking care of our baby (Katrina) and finding out I was pregnant.
    So, we are enjoying a time of a slower pace.  For now.  Because nothing stays the same forever.... change is the only constant!