Coolest Farm Ever

 On Saturday, a group of us at the village were invited to visit a neighbor's farm. As well as the Kenya staples of maize and beans, he grows pineapples, avocados, bananas and sugar cane! They were very generous hosts and we had an amazing time!  

                       <----Pineapple plants!

It was so cool to see the plants in real life! Much cooler than the FarmTown version....=)

We bought the whole wheelbarrow!

The beginning of our walking tour. This way to the water hole!

The natural water hole they use for irrigation - it's 15 feet deep.

Honeybees! =) He had at least seven hives. 

Avocados! We bought 50 of them for about the price of two in the U.S.

Walking into the banana grove....so amazingly awesome!

bananas!

The bunches grow so large they can pull the tree down, so every tree is supported with a brace pole. 

How they look when they are just starting to grow... gigantic purple flowers!

Lumquat tree! Sweet and sour at the same time - very yummy!

The flower house

 In addition to the tour of the farm, we were treated to a lunch feast of fried chicken, chapati, potatoes, salad, stew, rice, and fresh mango and pineapple juices. He also gifted us a bunch of sugar cane and bananas to take to the kids at the village. So we left with a truck full of bananas, pineapples, avocado, and sugar cane! He also gave us seedling pineapple plants for the kids to grow in the village garden! Before we left, they made us chai and mandazi! What a day!

The kids unloading the produce in the rain....

Sugarcane!         

Kerio View

Saturday I went with the team to Kerio View. We drove about 45 minutes to a beautiful view overlooking the Rift Valley and then went to Kerio View hotel for lunch. Had a great time hiking around the hotel grounds and taking pictures before our relaxing lunch of salad, fish sticks, and french fries!

Classic!

The Rift Valley

 

It started pouring down rain on our way home but we stopped on the way back to buy trees for the new playground. Can you believe I was the only one who got out of the bus to take a picture of the rain coming down the road? Isn't it amazing?! 

New trees, riding back to the village with us. =)

Kim and Joanna giving Dave some feedback on his driving skills....



Speed bumps + back of the bus = THIS

It's twins!

Dinah

We have recently welcomed twin girls Dinah and Diana to Open Arms Village! They were found abandoned and taken to the hospital. After being treated for pneumonia for about two weeks, they were committed to Open Arms custody and we brought them home!! They are identical and we are keeping their hospital bracelets on until we get to know them well enough to tell them apart!

Diana

 

I soooo wish that videos uploaded easier so you could see more of Agnes in action. She is absolutely hilarious! One of the sweetest, funniest, most adorable babies you will ever meet!

 Benson got his hair cut! This is the before photo....

And...one more! He's just so cute!

And...After! So handsome! 

Mark is growing up! He laughs and smiles all the time now and he has long babbling conversations with himself. He's really starting to show us his personality! So fun to watch him grow up!

Sweet baby Grace is growing and getting strong!! She is gaining weight and becoming really heavy compared to the feather she was when she arrived. And between the time I wrote this post (two weeks ago) and now, when we have internet so I can post it  - she has learned to crawl! I really love this little girl! I bought an "African baby carrier" sheet in town the other day so I can learn how to carry a baby African style! Grace seemed to like it!