Anna's Book of Wonders

This morning, Anna decided she wanted to create a book. She said she wanted it to be a Book of Wonders. When I asked her what she meant, she said, "I just want to draw all of the things that I wonder if they are real."

The following is the result:

"My Book of wonders is about what I dreamed and wished to be real:
I want that mermaid castle to be true. I wish I could be a mermaid someday.

I wish I could be her, swinging in the hammock in the desert. I wonder if it is real.

I wonder if Santa Claus would come to my house when I am awake. I wish that reindeer would be seen and Santa Claus.

There are different types of houses in the world that are real, that I like. (note the top of the picture) I am learning about this in school.

Garden Fun

Ben, the avid bird watcher

Miniature marshmallow pit

Fresh air TASTES good!

One of four picnic spots chosen for afternoon play...

Nothing better than fresh lemons from your own lemon tree.

Have you ever tried grilling lemons?
Here's Anna's recipe for grilled lemons:

Pick ripe lemons

Get it opened

Squeeze the juice out

Cook it on a grill

Put honey on it

Cook it a little more

Put some salt on

That's it!

Yes, we tried it and it tastes just as good as it sounds.

Those beautiful garden fairies often arrive just in time to rescue Benjamin from peril...

But sometimes they don't quite make it in time. :(

Here is Benjamin on the lookout for garden fairies.

Yeah, that's not a fairy. Look a little farther.

But it is one of their prize ingredients for the soup they like to make...

Climbing Trees

Our garden fairies can climb AND fly!
We found a garden fairy in our trees!

Here comes the little boy who likes to eat fairies!!!

(Insert girlish giggles and squeals as he gets closer...)

Crazy kids!!!!

This is a bit more like "THREE peas in a pod!"

Silly girls tickling each other in the warm sunshine of a Moshi afternoon.

Benjamin swinging in the breeze with a "howdy" to all of you!

Ephesians 4:32

Join us as Benjamin attempts to help us learn Ephesians 4:32:

"Be kind to one another. Tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you!"

The Many Faces of Benjamin...

"What chu talkin' about Willis?"

Could somebody pass me the remote???

"Yo, Yo, Yo!"

First Day of School

Anna and Sarah raring to go on their bike ride to school!
Annalise in the doorway of her new classroom.
Sarah (and Mommy and Ben) in her new classroom.
So, they took the plunge! The morning started with being woken from thick slumber in their comfy "bonk"beds. Anna bolted upright with,"Mommy, I JUST fell asleep, but I can wake up now. Is it really the first day of school? I was awake for a long time last night, but at least I got a little bit of sleep,etc....." And on she talked as she rubbed her eyes and climbed from the top bunk. Sarah was less talkative but equally excited as she let me cuddle her for about a minute before bounding to the breakfast table.

Bleary eyed Ben joined us for breakfast and worked hard to be grumpy, but still ended up in giggles as he usually does when we are together at the table. We went over our verse, prayed together then gathered up backpacks with water bottles and snacks, put Ben in a backpack too, snapped a few pictures and we were all off.... The whole family riding on a dirt road filled with potholes, in the cool Kilimanjaro morning air. Ben was in his glory, on my back, filling his cheeks with brisk air and saying "Go, go, go!"
I believe it was adrenaline that allowed the girls to reach the school in record time as it is uphill the entire ride! Anna was in her glory, and said "Goodbye Ben, Bye Mom, Bye Dad!" Quick hugs all around and she disappeared to meet up with her teacher, Miss Narelle. Only half a second of fingers in the mouth, when she caught herself and ran off with big smiles.

Sarah clung tightly to my hand as we toured her classroom, met her teacher, and greeted friends she knows. She asked if I could stay for a while. So, Ben and I helped her choose a puzzle to start with and about halfway through she planted a kiss on Ben's cheek and said goodbye to him. Then she gave me a nice hug and said, "I guess I'll see you in a little while!"

A few hours later I returned and an excited and chattering Sarah raced on her bicycle to beat me home so that she could tell me all the exciting things she did in her class that day. WHO CAN STAND SOOOO MUCH EXCITEMENT IN THEIR LIFE?!? These girls of ours.... :)

We biked, wait, no I biked up to the school with Ben on my back, Sarah and lunch in the bike trailer (thanks Aunt Joy Osborne!). Talk about an initiation into the world of exercise for mom!!! Anna was beside herself trying to discern which thrilling event she would tell me about first.
We enjoyed eating lunch together at the playground before Daddy went back to work and the children and I coasted all the way back home...
And so begins a new chapter in the life of the Holcomb family.

One of those days...

Today was a rough day for Annalise. The rough patch started when dirt reentered a wound from yesterday. The wound was a scratch on her pinky, and it stung when the dirt came in from playing outside.
Next,we were visiting some friends and on our way home (on our bicycles) she was riding quite fast on our washboard dirt road, and wrecked completely. The heavy Dutch bike pinned her knee to the ground. She was very distraught as a passerby, who happened to be Tanzanian, picked her up and held her until I could reach her.
After some quality time with an ice pack at home, the throbbing subsided and the day continued. However, when she attempted to go outside again, the heavy sliding door lock disengaged from the door and landed on her bare toe. This resulted in a nice bruise on one toe and a slight cut on another toe. It began to bleed and a couple of minutes later the bleeding stopped, but Anna was even more hysterical. "Anna, what is the matter?!" Anna tearfully replied,"My toe has lost all of its blood, and I don't know what I am going to do!" After a brief biology lesson on how God made our bodies to help stop bleeding, she managed a feeble smile and the courage to put her shoes on and go outside....

Just to wrap up the day... tonight Anna, Sarah and Ben were engaged in their nightly dance and chase ritual around the house. After multiple ballerina twirls in a row Anna became very dizzy and face planted in our fireplace (without a fire). But this time all we heard were slap happy giggles coming from an ash smudged face!

Ben's First Haircut

BEFORE
DURING
AFTER

Happy Birthday to Sarah!!!!

So, how do you celebrate a special birthday on a cold, rainy day in Moshi? Sarah's plan was to have a family tennis date, go swimming and then have friends over for dinner. When the weather argued with us the next morning we had a backup plan... How about a cinnamon roll breakfast, open family presents and package from Gramma, Pop-Pop and Aunt Joy Holcomb, play inside with the presents, go out for lunch, play some more, have a dinner and movie night with friends? WOW! What a day we had! Sarah turned 5 for sure and informed us the next morning that it was STILL her birthday until her package from Gramma and PopPop Osborne arrives... therefore, depending on how efficient the Tanzanian postal service feels like being will determine the true length of Sarah's birthday. We'll keep you "posted" on that one!

In the meantime, Sarah is enjoying life as a five year old and is already looking forward to becoming 6...