There is so much SPACE to run and play!!!! Now that the rains have returned, the grass is lush and green, the bushes are full and the trees are full of new leaves to hide in!! This past weekend we had a sleepover with two of Toby and Kevin's friends and they all stayed up til 2a.m. Then, Saturday night we had the pleasure of having Anya Brown stay with Acacia. The Browns are our staff family that now lives in Kampala and handles much of the Investment Year programs details and interactions with the kids in the IY placements in Kampala. They live in a lovely house in the city, but there is not much grass or greenery to speak of, so playing outside in the wide open spaces was a sure treat for Anya! We are so thankful for friends! And no visit to the Britton house is complete without a time of ROUGH HOUSIN"!!!

Acacia and Anya on the hunt to tackle Geoff

Before rough housing, the kids were playing some sort of game in which they had to act something out for the others to guess.

As soon as they noticed the camera, they were up and running away while screaming to hide from the photo!

Then Geoff was coerced to "rough house" -- a favorite game for our kids and one that most of their friends seem to love as well.

The idea is to chase Geoff and then dog pile on him. Of course it also means that each kid gets picked up and hung upside down or whirled in a circle.  I love watching them--I'm not a part of the rough housing, in case you wondered! 

And speaking of NOT rough housing, I am following the instructions of the doctor and am seeing results! Each day I get stronger and notice small changes for the better. I start my fourth week tomorrow of nightly traction and wearing the neck brace all day long. I am glad that we are at the half way point and I'm thankful that we are seeing progress! Thanks for your prayers!!!

Handling Disappointment

Toby loves to spend time with his friends: reading, riding bikes, building lego creations, working on mind storm creations, going on an "explore", making movies, having water fights, etc, etc, etc, ALL THE STUFF OF A TEN YEAR OLD BOY!  He also enjoys being a part of the student government at the New Hope primary school. This year he ran for the position of library prefect--the student who assists the librarian when classes are having "library time." He was not elected to the position and was very disappointed.  I thoroughly probed him for the reasons behind the disappointment, wanting to discover if there were any feelings of rejection, hard feelings toward those who didn't vote for him, embarrassment, etc. He simply was disappointed that he won't get to be in the library in the position of the prefect. He realized that it would be another two years before he could run for a student government office again (because of when and how long our next time in the U.S. falls)  and the thought of not being able to serve was the sad point. 

Geoff and Toby were able to sit and talk about the disappointment he experienced.  Having Daddy home to talk with (the vote was cast on Geoff's day off) was a genuine blessing. Toby recovered well and is off playing hard with friends again!

Hunting in the bamboo

Brandy, our orange tabby cat, frequently hunts in our bamboo for weaver birds. One day I saw her gingerly balancing on a moving reed while peeping into a nest!

The weaver bird is VERY aware of Brandy's presence and signals to family members of the danger.  

Kisses for Acacia when the hunt is over.