The Eagle has Landed

             Scout Law

A Scout is trustworthy,

loyal, helpful,

friendly,

courteous, kind,

obedient,

cheerful,

thrifty, brave,

clean, and reverent.

Every boy who begins his journey as a Boy Scout of America dreams of making it to the rank of Eagle one day. This is Scouting's highest rank. A boy that earns this rank has exhibited determination, perseverance and leadership qualities that set him apart. Earning the rank of Eagle is an accomplishment to be proud of.

Last night Kevin passed his Board of Review and became an Eagle Scout.

(His Court of Honor will be held sometime this summer).

Wasn't it just yesterday that I put his first neckerchief on him as a Tiger Cub? Now, 28 merit badges and several ranks later, my son has "earned his wings." My how the time flies as you watch your son change from a fidgety little boy into a fine young man. It does a mother proud!

Kevin, I am proud of you and honor you for your accomplishments, and I thank God for His faithfulness to you!  Don't ever forget Who your strength comes from! I love you!

Ordination Celebration

We certainly do have cause to celebrate! My cousin Jacob was ordained a temporary deacon in the Catholic Church on Saturday, and he preached his first homily on this Pentecost Sunday. His homily, by the way, was Holy Spirit inspired, anointed and powerful!

As Mass began, and the processional hymn was being sung, the grandeur of the music filled the sanctuary, and the power of the Holy Spirit filled my heart. It was at this moment when yet another wave of gratitude hit me. There, processing to the altar, was not only Deacon Jacob, but Fr. Aaron Pidel, S.J., another first cousin, who was ordained a Jesuit Priest last summer. What an awesome sight!

Does it get any better than this?

The answer, of course, is yes, as Jacob's brother, Nick, pointed out. Next year Jacob will be ordained a priest, and that will still be even better than today.

It is a good thing that God doles out His goodness in increments that we can handle. If he dumped it all on as at once, we would never survive!

Sense of Adventure

Seven  Quick Takes (vol. 10)

My husband honored me on my birthday for having, among other things, a sense of adventure. He went on to say that it was my same sense of adventure that approached him about taking our four young children to Kenya for the summer back in 2006. (Our youngest was only three years old at the time). He concluded by saying that he looked forward to future adventures together.

I like to still think that my sense of adventure is high, but I have also recently been gleaning signs that it might not be what it used to be.

Seven signs of a dwindling sense of adventure:

1.  Your teenager isn't sure what your husband was talking about during the above honoring.

2.  Your son tells you that you're a cool mom after he is surprised to learn that you like shooting.

3.  Your teenager adamantly tells you not to worry as he is leaving for the rope swing down by the river with a couple of friends.

4.  You don't even own a pair of "river shoes" or grungy jeans anymore.

5.  Your chemo legs can't even hike to the top of Cliffwood without feeling like Jell-O.

6.  You can't remember the last time you were on a horse bareback, racing like the wind.

7. Your children are shocked when you want to go skiing, and that you actually know how.


For the past 17 years I have been the pregnant mom or the new mom who stays with the infants and toddlers, making sure they are safe in the shallow water and on sure footing. I have had my bout with breast cancer and have residual side effects that keep my energy levels from bouncing back.

No wonder my older children see me as adventureless. If only they could see me in my younger days.

Seven things my children would have a hard time envisioning:

1.  When I would race  my horse bareback across the fields on a daily basis.

2.  When I would capsize the canoe in the pond for the fun of it.

3.  When I needed four stitches in my knee after a biking accident.

4.  When I travelled to Germany as a foreign exchange student in high school.

5.  When I would play tackle football with my brothers and cousins.

6.  When I would wade through the creek waist high and come out with blood suckers all over me.

7.  When I knocked my front teeth out jumping snowdrifts with the snowmobile.

I really can't say that I was ever reckless. I calculated all my activities, sometimes quite erroneously, however, my intent was to always play it safe.

Maybe it is time to let my kids KNOW my sense of adventure, and not just read about it here.

However, I must make the following qualifications:

Seven things I will not do:
(This list is not all inclusive).

1.  I will not ride the Ninja at Six Flags or any other ride that requires Dramamine. (Been there, done that, not good!)

2.  I will not jump from an airplane no matter how many parachutes I'm attached to.

3.  I will not get a tattoo.

4.  I will not kayak down the Colorado River.

5. I will not take the Marine Mud Challenge.

6.  I will not substitute for Chemistry Class.

7.  I will not bungee jump anytime, anywhere or anyhow.

Hey, everyone has their limits, and the sooner they realize them, the better.


You can add your own seven quick takes here.

Project Passport

One of my favorite activities to do with my students the last week of school is to wrap up the year's history and geography studies with a craft. This craft is not only fun, but it is educational as well. And it fits in so nicely with fourth grade's foreign country theme.

We make passports.

First I let them see my family's real passports. They are free to look at them, laugh at old pictures, and see the different countries we have travelled to. I explain to them how a passport is used, and why it is necessary to have one for international travel. They always find this fascinating.

After all questions have been asked and answered, the real fun begins. I give each student their own passport that I have put together previously by cutting a piece of blue construction paper in half, and then adding five sheets of printer paper cut in half and stapled down the middle to create 10 pages when folded into a book. Then using a pattern I have cut out, I spray paint a golden eagle on the front. A gold paint pen works nicely to add the lettering.

I give each student the laminated picture of themselves that I have been using all year for bulletin board displays. They tape or glue their picture on the inside cover.

Since our history and geography books are in the form of lifepacs, I let the students cut out pictures of all the places we have studied this year to use as "stamps" to fill their passports. To ensure that each student will have all their lifepacs at the end of the year, I always collected them before starting a new one.

Students cut out flags of Australia, Turkey, Kenya and  Brazil. They had flags of Hong Kong, Great Britain, Argentina and Ukraine. There were platypuses, penguins and anacondas. Some had visited the Sydney Opera House, while others preferred pictures of the Crown Jewels.

Great explorers like Christopher Columbus and Henry Stanley filled their pages. Tropical rain forests, grasslands, deserts and polar regions stamped their books. Some even travelled to outer space, a place where my passport will NEVER get stamped!

One word of caution: When it comes to glue, less is best! Every year I have at least one student who has to prop their passport open to keep the pages from gluing shut.
















This project is a huge hit with even the most art-resistant students. This year I turned it into a gradable project. Everyone earned an E+ for their efforts, and produced a fine souvenir of 4th grade in the process.

Make Eye Contact With Jesus

I was sitting in my chair at Thursday night's prayer meeting, singing along to "Open the Eyes of My Heart" when I really felt that I was in the presence of Jesus. I was asking Him to open the eyes of my heart so that I could see Him better, but His response was not what I expected. He was asking me to look at Him with my actual eyes. He wanted me to make eye contact.

I thought about this for awhile, and realized that when I really want to connect with someone, I want that person to look me in the eyes.  I ask my students to make eye contact when I am speaking directly to them at school. I ask my own children to make eye contact when they offer me the sign of peace at Mass every Sunday. I expect Andy to make eye contact when we are conversing.

In this electronic world, texting and Facebooking have taken away the personal touch of making eye contact. It is easy to get careless with our remarks when we aren't in the presence of the person we are addressing. If we stay disconnected, we are safe from vulnerability, and any kind of accountability is put off for the immediate future. The human experience involves connectivity through touch and eye contact. Could it be that we are treating Jesus with the same disconnect?

It wasn't until yesterday, however, that I realized how much Jesus wanted this to be an actual physical event. Last week was a real upper for me. I referred to it as "Appreciation Week Extraordinaire" when I blogged about it. I definitely knew I was one of God's favorites.

This week, however, has been a real struggle for me. I've gone from one of God's favorites to feeling like I've been dumped. I've been crabby and irritable, and my sense of humor has taken a vacation. So during the height of my struggle at school on Friday, I asked another teacher, Mary, if she had a picture of Jesus with His eyes open. She looked at me rather puzzled so I explained.

About an hour later, Mary knocked on my door and handed me a beautiful picture of the child Jesus that she had printed out and pasted onto a piece of construction paper. I wanted to cry. I had pictured Jesus on the crucifix, telling me to "buck up" and sacrifice for my students. Instead, He came to me as a child, tender, merciful, innocent.

I held that lovely picture of Jesus to my chest and simply said, "Thank you, Mary."

She smiled and said, "How could I not to respond to a request like that?"

I closed the door and looked into Jesus' gaze. He must have been pleased with my act of obedience to Him, and with my desire to look upon His face, because instantly I was flooded with peace. Thank you, Jesus.

Mother's Day 2012

What comes to mind when you think of Mother's Day? If you are like me, words like tenderness and love, sacrifice and generosity fill your thoughts. You may think of pink roses and bouquets of wild flowers, homemade cards and family photos. It is the simple things that mothers seem to treasure the most. I know it was true of mine.

I think it is also true that children love the simple things about their moms the most. Take a look at what my students honored their mothers for:

"I know my mother loves me because..."

~ she comes to my baseball games

~ she helps me with my homework

~ she told me so

~ she plays games with me

~ she buys me new toys
~ she cooks dinner for me every night

~ she prays for me at bedtime

~ she makes me awesome food

~ she lets me have pets

~ she takes me to the mall

~ she spends time with me

Kudos to my class for recognizing the love their mother's have for them!

We also did a class project that has become a favorite of mothers over the years through a company called Makit Products, Inc. We make plates. I have had mothers of high school students come to me requesting that their child be allowed to make another plate after theirs was broken or destroyed in the microwave. Yes, these plates are not microwavable!

I now have a complete set of plates, since my own baby, Lucia, is in fourth grade this year.

Kevin's Plate

Ania's Plate

Philip's Plate

Lucia's Plate

And while I am sharing my favorite Mother's Day gifts over the years, I cannot overlook this one, given to me by my husband and four children back in 2003.

Excalibur

Okay, so maybe not all Mother's Day thoughts are pink roses, cute puppies and airy butterflies, but I am so very honored to be found worthy of being dubbed Sir Mother.

Appreciation Week Extraordinaire

Seven Quick Takes (vol. 9)

I can't even begin to describe how blessed I have been this past week. How can I put into words the feeling that my heart is overflowing all over the place. Hopefully if I try to share just a little glimpse of this feeling, you can catch a few splashes yourself.

God is so good to me, and this week especially He is reminding me that I am one of His favorites. I bet He is just waiting to remind you the same thing, because you are one of His favorites, too!







1. Teacher Appreciation Week began on Monday with a special tribute to each teacher by their students, and a hall of fame posted in each of our three buildings.






2. Sometime during math class, a refreshment cart came to my door filled with a variety of drinks and snacks. And get this, the parent that was serving wore a black dress and pearls. Nice touch, Rachel!





3. On Tuesday and Thursday our students' parents brought in fresh fruit, muffins and a tray of cupcakes to show their appreciation to the teachers. On Wednesday a gift was found by each teacher on their desk. And on Friday, moms served us lunch while another mom, dressed in an evening gown and heels, took lunch and recess duty. God bless you, Patti!




4. My lovely daughter, Ania, left this on my desk Thursday morning.










5.  Friday was my pre-birthday celebration. My students each shared something sweet about me at assembly, as did my own children and husband. At home, my family cooked dinner for me, fried chicken salad and Mexican Sundaes for dessert. My cousin gave me a gift that was a real blast from the past. Yes, cows were my life growing up on a dairy farm, and everyone USED to give me cow gifts. I haven't received one of these in decades. Thanks, Kath!





6. Saturday was my birthday, and it was a day for me to give back some of this wonderful appreciation, which only served to intensify its effect. Ania was asked to participate in the Marine Mud Challenge at Fort Gordon, but their team needed an adult member. Andy stepped up to the plate and signed up for Ania's sake. I just love that man!






7. Saturday night was Spring Dance for our high school. Kevin's class of nine boys came over to our house for a barbecue before the dance, put on by two of Alleluia Community's youth leaders (one of whom also happens to be my sister-in-law's fiance). So while the rest of the family was at the mud challenge, Kevin was having a cook out for his class at my house, but did I have any worries? Absolutely not because our youth leaders are awesome!



P.S. This morning as I laid in bed thinking about my seven quick takes, Philip crawled in next to me and said, "Happy Mother's Day, Mama. I love you." Heaven help me....stand back, I think I may just spontaneously combust!

Add your own seven quick takes here.

Day at the Museum

Wednesday dawned bright and early for my fourth grade class as we gathered at 6:00 a.m. to board the bus for our final field trip of the year. Where were we headed? To Discovery Place in Charlotte, North Carolina, three hours away. 

Every year I begin planning this trip in March, and every year I am amazed at level of ease that this trip comes together. I NEVER have trouble finding enough chaperones. In fact, this year I had a nearly 1:1 parent/student ratio. And with this being Lucia's fourth grade year, I asked Andy to be our bus driver. He agreed.

 Even at 6:00 a.m. everyone SEEMED bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. We circled up for a prayer, climbed in the bus, got the kids settled and began our pleasant marathon day.

Here are some of the highlights of our day at the museum.
 

Our handsome bus driver

Happy Trails

Lucia pulling the high rope

Daddy pulling the low rope

Andy challenged Lucia to a rope pulling contest in which two ropes were attached to a lever. Lucia won with a little help from a chaperone who couldn't bear to see her lose. I'm not sure if Andy was giving it his "all" or not.

The bed of nails

The bed of long nails

Ugly frog from the front

Ugly frog from the back

Students enjoyed visiting the museum's rain forest and aquarium where they could pet a ball python from West Africa as well as some small marine animals such as hermit crabs and horseshoe crabs.


The students had a great time with all the hands-on exhibits. There was an area for duct tape creations, an area for stop-motion movies, building with wood, aluminum foil art as well as simple machines such as levers and pulleys.

Lucia's stop motion movie.

We also visited their Imax theater which held a three story dome screen that warranted gasps, oohs and ahhs from the group.

When we pulled into our school parking lot at 5:45 p.m. there were many happily worn out children, almost as many happily exhausted parents, a done bus driver and one fourth grade teacher thankful for yet another memorable trip to  Discovery Place.

50th Anniversary is Golden

My parents recently celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary without any hoopla or fanfare. They simply spent the day together at their lake cottage, relaxing in each other's company.

Last year, however, was quite another story!

The planning began the year before, with my brothers and sisters-in-law at the helm. I remember the night my youngest brother called, asking for input concerning Mom and Dad's party. I knew it was coming, and I wanted to be excited, but I had to tell my brother that I wasn't sure if I would even be able to attend. I had just received my diagnosis for breast cancer, and my treatment plan wouldn't be determined until after surgery. I was looking at possibly a year of treatment, and Mom and Dad's anniversary was only 10 months away.

Well, as it turned out, I had nothing to fear. They pulled off the biggest surprise party our parents have ever received, and I was able to be a part of it after all, since the worst part of my treatment ended six weeks prior to the party.

The pavilion where we waited to surprise
Mom and Dad, and Mike's devious little sign
to divert any suspicions.

The plan was amazing. My brothers put together a list of invitees that would span the years of Mom and Dad's life together. There were friends from their high school days, Dad's stock car racing days, old neighborhoods as well as new. There were farmer friends and musician friends and cousins, siblings, children and grandchildren. We all gathered in a nicely decorated park pavilion and waited for a cleverly master-minded plan to bring Mom and Dad within feet of the large garage door. Then, at the appointed time the door was raised, and Mom and Dad were reeling from shock as we shouted, "Happy Anniversary!"

We enjoyed a lovely dinner prepared by my sisters-in-law, live bluegrass music, wonderful fellowship and a slide show to end all slide shows put together by my brother John and his girlfriend Sara. We all gave up another cheer when John announced that Sara had agreed to be his wife earlier that same day.

How wonderful it is to be given the opportunity to honor parents who have lived out their marriage vows for 50 years, and at the same time raise a toast to their youngest son who is preparing to take this same journey.

I'd say it was a GOLDEN opportunity!

And congratulations to everyone who pulled off such a wonderful tribute to such a wonderful couple. I cannot say, "Thank you," enough!

  

Seven Quick Takes (vol. 8)

National Day of Prayer

Yesterday was our nation's 61st annual National Day of Prayer, and Augusta Georgia joined its forces to plead for God's mercy upon our nation as we gathered in His name.

The event was put on by our South Augusta Pastor's Alliance and by the Office of the Mayor, Deke Copenhaver. The Pastor's Alliance is an amazing group of pastors from the churches and congregations in our area that set aside their differences to work toward unity in the Body of Christ. They include the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Bible Church of God, United Methodist, Church of the Nazarene, Baptist, New Creation Christian, Episcopal and Catholic Churches, Messianic Jewish Synagogue, Order of the Cross Motorcycle Ministries, as well as the Alleluia Community.

Rev. Mike Freed, Pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church emceed the evening, Ft. Gordon's Color Guard posted the colors, and  Alleluia Community's Music Ministry led us in patriotic song.

1. Mayor Deke Copenhaver - presented the Mayor's Proclamation to the South Augusta Pastor's Alliance, urging all our citizens to join him in pleading for our country. He said it is not secret that he is a man of prayer. He thanked God for blessing Augusta with many new programs and buildings, but to be careful not to worship the blessings. Give God the glory because it is God, not him, that accomplished this.

2. Chaplain Eugene Mack, Fort Gordon - prayed for strength and courage for our military men and women. Comfort them, restore them, and always return them to a grateful nation when you bring them home.

3.  The Honorable Daniel Craig, Superior Court Judge - prayed for wisdom and justice, and for the courts. For 38 years a man laid by the pool until one day Jesus was able to say to him "By your faith you are healed." "OBJECTION!" cried those who were hoping to judge Jesus guilty for healing on the Sabbath. Jesus replied that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath, and your objection is out of order! Jesus, source of all wisdom, hear our prayer.

4. Helen Minchew, Richmond County Board of Education - prayed for our students from many walks of life, that God would pour out His special favor on them. She prayed for parents, mentors, teachers, social workers, counselors, administrators, bus drivers, custodians, that God would give them strength, wisdom and patience to serve our children and prepare them for their future.

5. Chief Deputy Sid Hatfield, Richmond County Sheriff's Department - prayed for our law enforcement officers and first responders, that God would bring people of integrity to the force. He commended them all to God's loving care, and prayed that God would unite them safely with their families when their day was done.

6. Rev. Thomas Healy, Pastor St. Joseph Catholic Church - prayed for our local churches and unity among all Christians. He prayed that all Christians would realize that God's love knows no bounds of race, class, or ideology, and that we all have a common Father. He prayed for persecuted Christians around the world, and that the Christians in Augusta would stand in solidarity with them, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.

7. Rev. Edna Bradshaw, South Augusta Pastor's Alliance - prayed the closing prayer, in which she came before Jesus with thanksgiving on her lips, claiming His victory over our petitions, boldly proclaiming that "All the glory will be thine, in Jesus' name. Amen!

And All God's people shouted, "Amen!"

Conversion Diary hosts Seven Quick Takes Fridays.

24601 is Not My Name

If our family ever had a favorite Broadway musical, it would have to be Les Miserables, hands down. Our children could sing the songs, word for word, before they could read or write. What a wonderful story about the strength and beauty of the human spirit, and of the interconnectedness we have with our God.

The musical is based on the book by Victor Hugo, who wrote: "So long as there shall exist, by virtue of law and custom, decrees of damnation pronounced by society, artificially creating hells amid the civilization of earth, and adding the element of human fate to divine destiny; so long as the three great problems of the century—the degradation of man through pauperism, the corruption of woman through hunger, the crippling of children through lack of light—are unsolved; so long as social asphyxia is possible in any part of the world;—in other words, and with a still wider significance, so long as ignorance and poverty exist on earth, books of the nature of Les Misérables cannot fail to be of use."

Now, I have never read the book, but ever since I heard the music I have been a follower. I love the movie in which Anthony Perkins stars as Javert, and I have seen the live musical version twice over the years when Les Mis travelled to my area. The most recent time being last weekend when our whole family drove to the fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta.

I have to admit that I have wondered about allowing my young children to be exposed to these "artificial hells amid the civilizations of the earth." We are very careful about what movies we allow in the house. We have a no "R" rated movie policy that we have only a few exceptions to. Prostitution, exploitation, mercilessness and debauchery are situations that Les Miserables brings into question, and there is no sugar coating its ugliness.

(At this point I must say that I do not care for the movie version which stars Liam Neeson. In my opinion it focuses too much on the darkness and not enough on the redemptive value).

However, when I look at the story as a whole, there is no doubt that the moral of the story is all about love and mercy.

**Warning....contains spoilers **

The story takes place in 1815 France, where the main character, Jean Valjean, an ex-con, spent 19 years on the chain gang, after stealing some bread to keep his sister's child from starving to death. His heart has hardened and he is consigned to a life of depravity. This changes one night after Valjean steals from the kind Bishop of Digne who takes him in, and then lies to the police to save Valjean from going back to prison.

"...And remember this my brother, see in this a higher plan, you must use this precious silver, to become an honest man. By the witness of the martyrs, by the passion and the blood, God has raised you out of darkness; I have bought your soul for God." (sung by the Bishop of Digne to Valjean).

From that night on, Valjean is a changed man. His heart becomes soft and pliable in God's hands. He becomes involved in others' lives, and extends mercy to those in need. He goes above and beyond what any good person might do, even if it places his own interests at risk.


Valjean's missions of mercy take him into a house of ill-repute where he befriends a woman who has resorted to prostitution out of desperation for her daughter, into a beggar's inn where he rescues the daughter, a court house where he proves a man's innocence by condemning himself, and a front-line barricade during a student uprising against the dictatorial French government.

All this while being hunted down by Inspector Javert from Tuolon Prison, where Valjean broke parole. Javert is merciless in his pursuit, and believes that it is his duty to rid the streets of thugs such as Valjean, whom he refers to by his prison number 24601, and never by his name.

"...if I speak, I am condemned, If I stay silent I am damned...

Who am I? Can I condemn this man to slavery, pretend I do not see his agony, this innocent who bears my face who goes to judgement in my place. Who am I? Can I conceal myself forever more, pretend I'm not the man I was before? And must my name until I die, be no more than an alibi, must I lie?
How can I ever face my fellow men, how can I ever face myself again? My soul belongs to God I know, I made that bargain long ago, He gave me hope when hope was gone, He gave me strength to journey on...

Who am I? Who am I? I'm Jean Valjean!

And so Javert you see it's true, That man bears no more guilt than you! Who am I....24601!"(sung by Jean Valjean at the court house).


Valjean's mercy does not stop there. He truly lives out the "love your enemies" command when he spares Javert his life, and lets him go free, a favor that Javert pledges not to return should he ever find Valjean again.

"..Who is this man, what sort of devil is he, to have me caught in a trap and choose to let me go free? ...all it would take is a flick of his knife, vengeance was his and he gave me back my life....I'll spit his pity right back in his face....there is nothing on earth that we share, it is either Valjean or Javert!" (sung by Javert who is trying to get his mind around the concept of mercy).


The whole story revolves around the daughter, and the lives of the people who loved her, and those who used her. There is romance, a love triangle, freedom fighters, valor and chivalry. My favorite character is Eponine, the girl who is caught in the love triangle, who ultimately sacrifices her life for the other two. The story is beautiful by itself, but the music just pushes it over the top!

There are some points that the story doesn't resolve that I have used as discussion starters with my children:

1. When I am hungry it is a personal problem, but when my neighbor is hungry it is a moral problem. Jean Valjean never should have had to steal bread to keep his neighbor alive.

2. Sin is never a good solution to a moral problem. It is wrong to resort to prostitution to provide money for your child. The story never addresses this, and turns the one who does resort to this into a hero.

3. Suicide.

But with that said, I want to end by quoting the last few lines of the musical, when Jean Valjean is at the end of his days, and he is being led  home to heaven by the characters who have died before him.

"...Take my hand, and lead me to salvation, take my love, for love is everlasting, and remember the truth that once was spoken, to love another person is to see the face of God."

May you always "see the face of God" in those around you!

On Safari in Kenya: Part 3

We spent 9 days in Amagoro with Fr. Zak and his household, during which time we were treated like royalty. I learned valuable skills in preparing African food as well as how to accomplish daily tasks without the luxury of American gadgets. When we left Amagoro and headed for  Rongai, we felt as well prepared as possible.



When we arrived at Sacred Heart Boys' Secondary School, I knew we were in it for the long haul. I'll never forget waving goodbye to Fr. Zak and Bob G. as they drove off, leaving the six of us behind. It was like saying goodbye to everything familiar.



We were made to feel at home immediately by the students and staff alike. Our children quickly made friends with many of the 100 freshmen boys at the school.













Our home for the next eight weeks...

Our Kitchen

Our Dining Room

Children's Room
(2 beds, 4 kids)

Master Bedroom
With Mosquito Net

Tropical Paradise
Our Front Porch

Banana Trees
Our  Backyard

Soccer (Football) Goal
Beyond the Banana Trees

Acacia Trees
Beyond the Football Goal

We had many adventures during our stay in Rongai, which have forever changed our lives. It is my intention to relive some of those adventures with you this summer....