Oh, Shame!

After living the last year in a Muslim dominated country in West Africa where shame is such a negative and powerful part of the culture, it is so odd to hear South Africans say, “oh, shame” as such a natural part of almost every conversation. I have finally discovered that “oh, shame” is similar to saying “okay” or “that’s too bad” in American culture. It is one of the weirdest adjustments I’ve had to make.

On a lighter note, when you go grocery shopping and look for strawberry jelly just make sure you buy jam because if you buy jelly you’ll end up with jello!

Adventures in August

August 2009

Hello everyone! Thank you for your patience as I gradually get more updates on our blog. This pregnancy has slowed me down a bit more than I would have imagined. We spent the month of August mostly getting settled into a routine at home and exploring various parks on the weekends. There are many parks but it's tricky to find a public park. Many parks are gated so you have to be connected to the school/business/neighborhood to get in or you have to buy something at a restaurant to use their park/play area. We did have some success and found a great park near our house and have enjoyed several picnics as well. The next few pictures of the kids are courtesy of Allison's portrait studio. Haha. Since we haven't had access to getting some really nice pics done of the kids, I've decided to practice my photography skills and see what happens. So, we hope you enjoy the pictures and have a great weekend!

Lucas on his bike

Lucas on his bike

Well, a couple Saturdays ago we went to a nearby park to play and let Lucas ride his bicycle. He saw a girl a little older than him riding without training wheels. He decided he wanted to ride like her. So, the following day we went back to the park. Lucas hopped on his bike without training wheels and took off! Dan walked near him for the first few minutes but Lucas didn’t need help. There’s no slowing him down now!