Koski Coffee

We are harvesting coffee at the Jericho house.
It is really amazing to see and learn the process of how we get a cup of coffee.

Jonathan is holding the picked, fermented, dried, and hulled coffee beans and roasting our first batch of coffee, a cross between arabica and robusta beans.

We have also been picking loads of guava's from the tree in the front yard.
We have been making a weekly batch of delicious guava sauce.

Not only is it coffee and guava season, we have been picking and eating zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins, oranges, cocoa nuts, papaya, lemons, tangerines and passion fruits.
This place is really amazing with all the trees and the large garden.
We are indebted to Godfrey the day watchman/gardener here at Jericho for planting, harvesting and helping us learn all about life here.

Another birthday!

Miriam Emma turned 7 years old!

Her friend Keene and her celebrate birthdays 3 days apart so they had a little party together.

And she helped make cupcakes for her birthday.

This girl is also the most fantastic chicken caretaker/owner.

Miriam and "John", the little hen

A birthday!

Max turned 3!

He requested an airplane cake for his birthday.

He got a very special gift from his cousins and auntie and uncle in Juba. It was sent via airplane to Arua. A digger!

A quick Koski news flash

Nani has lost her 1st tooth!

Before

After, with tooth and note to the tooth fairy

Auntie B has been to Arua!

We had our first visitor to Arua!
My sister Becca came to see us for a week and a half. 
Woohoo! 
What fun to show her life in our new "home".

Moving to Arua

Miriam arriving in Arua with her important things

Max arriving with a story to tell John

The kids watching the unloading of our stuff at our temporary house.

Safety never takes a holiday (for Max)

Glipse of Arua life

I have been very delinquent in blogging lately.
Life has not been normal for the last few months either.
October and November was spent in Arua, Uganda.
Here is a LITTLE glimpse of life.

Miriam loved playing with the dogs on the compound we lived at.

Max with our neighbor Maggie and her daughter Vicki

Miriam with playmates

There was enough room on the kitchen counter for two helpers

The kids with Sunday-the watchman who the kids loved!

New Skill!

She did it! 
She can now ride her bike! 

And then there is Max on his "piki".

We "have" to go on many rides each day to practice the new skills.

Two!

Max turned 2 years old! 
He had lots of little celebrations.
The first was with Babu. The July birthday boys got pumpkin pie!

The second was with friends on his birthday.

Max (along with Sister, Mommy and our friends) went on the 
Safari Walk for a fun birthday outing.

Finally, we had a few neighbors from our estate help us celebrate with him.

Here are a few pictures from life around here lately-

 Max, our wild man (with a little help from sister)

a visit to the giraffes

Miriam and Max on their banana phones

Miriam and her neighborhood friends

Like father- like son

What's been going on?

Miriam goes to 1/2 day Kindergarten each day and really seems to enjoy it.

Miriam "face painting" Max's feet and legs.

And this is where Max spends time each day as we walk
sister to school and pick her up.

Back home

So for the past few days since returning, I have been realizing the little things I appreciate about life here in Kenya.
Here are a few things with pictures...

The Jacaranda trees in bloom (and so many other beautiful trees and flowers)

Hanging clothes out on the line 

The kids being able to play in the yard (a snail has been found!)

And a few without pictures:

*all the fresh vegetables and fruits available

*the familiar faces with smiles, hugs or handshakes

*the warm, sunny days

Life in Kenya

Here are smiles and views to share from the last couple of weeks.

Not sure what is going on here. Maybe Max is getting a ticket for speeding.

You need a boa to go with those sunglasses for sure!

Miriam and her friend Maike (singing in the backseat of the truck while on safari)

Easter Sunday

We got to fly for the first time as a family to a visit a missionary station in a remote part of Kenya. Jonathan was the pilot and it was the first time in one of the airplanes he flies.