Never Easy Saying Goodbye to Your Pets

Milo

Levi

A sad day in the Okken house yesterday. A beloved dog and 

a sweet little kitten both passed away in the same day.

Camping...local style

After much asking, Dad finally consented to a sleepover in the tent. It took him a while to warm up to the idea because all three kids and two friends were going to be involved and Dad got the privilege to be out there with them! Being the dry season, it was a nice breezy night which is good for keeping whatever malaria mosquitos might be out there. With only experiencing few interruptions to his sleep, Dad survived the night and the kids had a blast even though they woke up way too earlier for Mom and Dad's liking. Oh where was Mom during the night you ask? Nicely tucked away in bed...in the house!

January Freeze

Well, there is no freeze in the weather here, just more like in my writing! The holidays are over and we have begun the grind of school again. I must confess I am not the most enthusiastic home school mothers. It is a daily struggle that I have to give over to the Lord, and still feel like I fail miserably. But everyday is new, right? God is faithful even when we aren't. I'm not good at New Year's resolutions, but my prayer is that patience and love will be on the list this year!

Merry CHRISTmas everyone!

Christmas Greeting

Christmas greetings from Nakaale! It seems the dry season has finally come upon us which means wind! Yes, and some warmer temperatures. It is hard to believe that we are at this Christmas season again. It seems like so much has happened this year, but looking back, everything seems like a blur. We are thankful to God that He has given us another year. 

This Fall was full with birthdays. Caleb is now 9 years old and still blond. People say he is looking more and more like his dad. I have to be honest and say that his 4^th grade schoolwork overall might not be his favorite thing, but he does enjoy History and Science. So, at the moment, it is all about Vikings and bats. His fairly constant companion is his Karimojong friend, Tony, who at the moment is on a school break so Caleb gets to see him more often.

Megan is now 6 and enjoying 1^st grade. She still enjoys her dolls and her jewelry, but her two brothers definitely influence her interests. So we often see Iron Man and Cinderella playing together J. She has also become quite skilled with her bike which she also enjoys. I must confess I am thankful to the Lord that He only gives us what we can handle. He must have known that I could only handle one girl! She is very girly and has the stuff that goes along with that – emotions! But this provides a good opportunity for me to learn patience. I definitely need to learn it better. Maybe that’s why God gives me so many chances.

Jacob is now 4 years old and insists that he is getting bigger and bigger and will soon be bigger than daddy.  Everything is about size and age. We do a bit of preschool and he enjoys being at the table with his brother and sister for little bits at a time. He has also enjoyed spending time with our neighbor, Jenny Knox, who recently began taking him once a week for some structured preschool fun. Jacob loves it and I welcome a little break!

Just a few months ago David and I celebrated our 12^th anniversary! The years pass by so quickly in some ways. Hard to imagine that in just a few short years we will have a teenager. Yikes! As with all parents, we pray that our children will grow into servants of godly character who love the Lord and one another. What a task set before us to train them up, only possible with the strength of Christ! How thankful we are to the Lord for each other as well as these three precious gifts and for all the gifts He gives us.

We hope you will have a blessed Christmas and experience the peace and joy that only Christ can give.

Market Day

 

Yes, it was market day in nearby Namalu and we decided to make it a family outing! It can be quite a scene on Wednesdays where everyone in the surrounding areas come out to buy and sell. I decided to do some 'window shopping' while David and the kids waited at a nearby 'hotel/restaurant' where we had some lunch. So, a little sunburn and a few things purchased and some lunch, we were on our way to a nearby tree farm to bring some little trees home.

A day on the town!

O Dry Season Where Art Thou?

Well, the rain continues. We thought for almost a week we were headed back into the dry season, but we were wrong. We just spent this week down country doing some shopping and spending some time with teammates and friends over Thanksgiving. I'm thankful we made it down through the mud and bumps and even made it home safely today, even though now the rain continues as I type. God is good and sovereign...and yes, praying the 'dry' would come and the Ugandan government would keep their promise and pave that road!