Happy Birthday Makai!

Makai turned 3 years old February 16!
Makai is so very LOVED!  He is full of life and very expressive.  He is a character.  He fills our lives with joy and hope.  He is finally getting use to calling Obule home, making friends, and even speaking and singing in Ateso.  His siblings adore him and take good care of him.  Makai's blankie has brought him great comfort with all the change this year (and pacie which we are trying to work on).  He is a fun loving little boy.  We are so grateful God chose us to be his family!!!

He wanted a monster truck cake!

He sat and looked at it till it was time to celebrate.

Just had to add this video because it is so Makai and so cute!

We got to celebrate Makai's birthday in Kampala too so they could sing to him at our favorite restaurant! 

I have to add Luka's birthday because I think I missed posting it in the mist of a busy couple months.
Happy 14th Buddy!  You are a special young man.  We love you!!!

Luka wanted to have his friends over for his birthday.  He loves them and they love him!

And we swam as a family for his birthday!

 Happy Birthday my sons!  You are loved!

Too HOT!!!

 Oh my word, it just keeps getting hotter and hotter!  You can't escape.  It's oppressive now.  One hundred degrees IN our house each day.  It is thankfully dry heat, but still heat is heat.  I am so glad nights and mornings cool off but even that seems to be getting less.  All you do is endure this time of year.  Today I am sick on top of the heat but my temp of 99.5 is just normal.  It's hard and if I had any thought that I was special to be a missionary, I am reminded again how simply human I am right now. 

This is the temp in our house. 
Incase you are wondering there is no AC only fans to blow around the hot air - no they do kinda help.

Trying to keep cool!

Makai loves water balloons!

Wedding Number Two

Here we go again!  The second wedding in two weeks.  Hours of cultural fun in 100degrees.  As always, it was great to be apart of this with our friends.  I wont say too much in this blog since I explained it all in the last post.  I will let the pictures speak for themselves.  Enjoy!

The second youth from our church to get married was Katie.  Katie lives next door to us and has become a good friend to our kids.  This is their wedding invitation - don't you love the photo shopped pictures of their heads.  What a hoot!

All three of our girls were in the Give Away - aka traditional wedding.
The girls got ready with the others in a hot, sweaty little cement house.

Grace was in the first group this time wearing the traditional Ateso cloth.

Lydia was in the gomesi group - the traditional dress here.

Emalai was thrilled to be a flower girl in this wedding!

Beautiful girls!

Super fun to get dressed up in things you don't usually get to wear.

Waiting for the party to begin...

Emalai proud as can be to dance down the "aisle" with her friends.

They love to play here!  This is the "security" for the party.

Going out again!

A few people at the party!

Katie and Anthony - Bride and Groom

Beautiful wedding party!!!

Makai endured by playing with friends, having treats and trying to stay cool.

Katie's church wedding.
Her husband is what they call a born again Catholic - meaning he trusts in Jesus as Savior - so the wedding was done by the Catholic church.  It was very different and interesting.  My kids kept asking why do they do that, why do they wear that, why do they say that...  Unfortunately it looked a lot like religion, rituals  and rules. 

By the forth big event in two weeks (actually 5th because we had another separate one too) we were all a little weddinged out.  Good thing we were not involved in this wedding.  It was still good and important to be there to love and support Katie and our friends. 

Cutting the cake.

I was called up to greet everyone.  We never go unnoticed!  They do appreciate when we come.

Giving gifts.

And for now we are done with weddings!  So thankful and so glad rest!