Adventure: the move to the new house and a visit to the crater

So we finally made the move to the new house. Our crate still isn't here so we are with borrowed furniture and a few new pieces. Every single pipe was not working at some point but now are working and we are settling. The kids took some pics for you. I had to erase the 8 million of every corner, bath, and lock. We do have a lot of security though. We also have back up batteries for when there is no electricity- a lot..

David got back in town and we immediately left to visit Gibbs farm and Ngorogoro Crater. The crater was great. We saw a lion at every turn. A magnificent rain storm passed us while we were in the middle. Total animal list for the trip- hyena, rhino, hippo, baboon, lion, ostrich, wildebeest, wart hog, gazelles, flamingos, elephants, jackals, crane birds, and giraffes on the way to the crater. One crazy baboon jumped on our car and tried to get a bag of bread.

Kids doing great in school. Cole took his video camera for the letter V

Planning a big Kenya trip in March.

I celebrated 42 and Birch celebrates 7 soon.

Some of the pics are for popi to paint and some are Cole's artistic impression.
Peace joey

Lesson: Get involved in school fast and you will love school

Birch and Cole were part of the ISM Safi Circus after just one week of school. Cole was a minibeast and Birch was a P1P2 acrobat. Birch's partner missed the night show so Birch had to do his balancing on his own. Great fun at the school. See some video highlights. Check out Cole's mouth for the last song. During the strong man act when they asked for volunteers Birch yelled mom- raise your hand raise your hand. Then a girl was picked and he said" she always gets picked"- Birch was at all the rehearsals but still thought I had a shot. I love their little brains.

These are some random videos. This is the roof on our temp housing and Birch and Cole got everyone involved in football one day when bored of mom. The second is Cole practicing with his camera. He has lot if "Indy style" videos. This is one of his favorite of his feet walking. I left the one of Birch on the toilet off because that was a mad actor!!

Lesson: Friends make school easier

First day of school in our new uniforms. Handholding with new friends ( Cole and Ashlyn). After school one day we went to a friend's house that had a pet zebra. They have been here for over 15 years and have daughters in college now in the USA that went to ISM for elementary and high school.

Lesson: many snakes in Africa are poisonous

Snake Park about 30 minutes away. We went with new friends and started to learn all about which snakes in TZ are poisonous- pretty much all and even if not you can't tell by looking. Kids loved the day until the heat attacked their little brains and they had melt downs. Luckily a german woman opened a rest stop on the way home that had real strawberry sorbet. Saved again by sugar.

Line those tortoises up now.

Chameleons- the hardest word in the world for me to spell.

pancake tortoises

the boys at the entrance

Travel: Arusha National Park

This is Arusha National park which is 30 minutes away. We went last weekend with our friends. Matt, Lisa, Tierney, Ashlyn, and Anderson came form Colorado to work with David also. Lara, Charles, Sierra, and Elismiere have lived here over 10 years doing work with Wildlife Conservation Society.

Tierney, Birch, Cole, Sierra, Ashlyn, Elismiere. Cool picnic site.




Cape buffalo- not water buffalo Birch reminds me.
One of a million different kinds of chameleons.

This close to giraffes. Really Flamingos for my mom.


The end of the trip I move to the back to keep their heads form bouncing on the land rover.




Birch's warthog video.



Giraffe eating just by our car.

Travel: Safari

These are pics from David's camera at Tarangeri National Park. The kids loved the slide. The view with the river behind is our lodge and often elephants and giraffes were there. Cole loves the pic of the elephant butt. We all loved to watch the baboons up close. The Baobob tree is as huge as the car.

Vacation: Beach and Mouintains in Tanzania.

Start at the bottom and then work your way up.

Our xmas beach trip on the Pangani coast of western Tanzania.

So far all is good. Boys adjusting.

Birch's nose after the african sun. Yes mom sucks. Healing now.

The Usambari mountains.



Usambari mountain lodge on the way home. Boys slept in their own tent.



Boat ride at a sand island for snorkeling




Love this one of Birch reading to Cole as he overlooks the ocean

Xmas at our hut 6:00 am of course

No soda for years in America and within a week Cole is the Fanta poster child.

Our hut at Emayani beach.

Ferry to Pangani

Me telling Cole not to suck African ship bars.