Ok – so it’s almost 6 months since I last wrote on here! Where has that time gone! Well, it has been filled up to be sure! A wonderful time with family and friends back in UK for a month over Christmas, and then back into the throes of The Beehive.
Our family has grown by 4 since end of last year: Ruth who was pregnant with our beautiful Ben (now 4 months old), & Rachel who was pregnant with gorgeous Nathan (now 2 months old). We also had 16 year old Josephine join us, but very sadly she didn’t stay with us beyond 2 months as she could not adjust to life in a “normal” home. Both Ben & Nathan were born by caesarian section, which always adds more work for me, but they are both more than worth it. Ruth then had a couple of bad episodes of severe ill health and was hospitalised on two separate occasions. Right now she is in great health though.
Ruth & Ben
Rachel & Nathan
Over Easter we had a wonderful visit from our eldest daughter Mckenna, who fell in love with all the babies, She enjoyed spending time at home with us, and with her new sisters and also enjoyed seeing some more of the Kenyan countryside on a couple of trips out. We were very sad to see her go!
When we returned from Uk in January we felt that the time had come to employ our own part-time teacher. So, after 2 not so good attempts, we now have teacher Jackline with us, and she is doing a great job teaching all the girls who are not yet back at school.
We also got to the point where we felt it necessary to employ a care-giver Aunty to assist mainly with the babies, but also with the mums. So two weeks ago Hotti joined us, and so far so good!
We have had a bit of a struggle finding a housemum/ housekeeper who ticked alot of the boxes, but lady number 5, our lovely Agnes, joined us in early February, and has settled in very well in The Beehive family.
So, with Dennis, our groundsman who comes once a week, we have quite a team now: Mary, social worker and acting manager, Agnes, Hotti, Jackline & Dennis! And of course, Alan & I!
What else? Oh yes, it has been a very busy time preparing our registration papers. Here in Kenya, to be working in such a capacity with children, we have to be registered as a Charitable Children’s Institute. The paperwork compilation and policy writing is not a quick affair! I think I started last September,. There are the necessary inspections too from Public Health and the Area Children’s Committee – all very scary! But finally last week the paperwork was all handed in, ready to be submitted to the governmental committee in Nairobi next week. Phew!
Throw into this mix, the thinking and planning about a house move for us all (more news on that another time) and launching an appeal for a bigger vehicle so that we can actually take our family out, and even just take them all to church in one trip
(if you would like to donate to our Vehicle Appeal, please follow this link to our giving page: https://www.give.net/20136543, or use Paypal: partingseas2013@gmail.com)
Trying to figure out how we can all fit!
So, added to all the normal day to day stuff with having such a big family & a house full of teenage girls, I can see now why I haven’t thought to sit down and write a blog!
