Sneak Peek- the Africa wedding

Yesterday I spent all day at the wedding of a dear African friend with Rebecca and Katherine. We have known Aminata and her family for almost two years and is a family we visit with weekly.

My job- Photographer for the day for the family. Which I learned was way different from shooting a wedding in North America! Don’t expect any smiles from the bride or even a shot of the Groom!

We were there from 10:30 am to 10:00 pm. It was fascinating, insightful to their culture, funny at times, and sad at others.

Over this next week I am going to put up a series of blogs about the event. But today is Sunday- and I am truly trying to have a day off!

So I leave you with a sneak peek and a link.

To read Katherine’s synopsis of the day go to: Katherine's wedding blog

 

Alphabet pride!

Yesterday I was so proud of my little guy. Like any Mom I am generally always proud of Bennett and Arielle, but Bennett had a special day yesterday!

He is really excited to be learning to read at school. Almost everyday he tells me new things he wants to read or little words. He is in the first month of Kindergarten for those of you who don’t know.

I was out yesterday morning buying a bunch of little chalkboards for the training centre we are opening up. Bennett and Arielle were drawing on some of them and Bennett called me into the room that he wanted to show me something. I sat and watched him slowly write out all the letters of the alphabet in order (he missed the letter i only!) without any help and then read them all back to me! I was so proud! We had been working on some letters ,but I had no idea he was this good already!

Then he proceeded to take a pile of the little chalkboards and go around the house and copy down letters and words from packages, games, machines, boxes etc! Anything he could see, he wrote the names and spread out all the little chalkboards on the table, so proud of his writing skills. Now we are working to sound them out!

That first chalkboard with the alphabet? I have it displayed in my office now and I am NOT going to erase it . Your momma is so proud of you!

Our own garden of Eden

 

It seems like this past rainy season has done wonders for our garden. When we moved into this lot 2 years ago there were 3 scrawny short trees and nothing else. What a different a few years (and some gardening TLC) makes!

When we first moved in- June 2008. Our tree on the left was so small we were almost taller than it! That tree now has three levels and is a good 4 feet taller than the roof of the house!

And NOW!

 

Trying to plant a few things….

 

That same corner 2 years later!

 

The front of the house. You can see the mats hanging down (wet from rain) in the screen porch behind.

My basil bush shrub! I have two kinds of Basil grown here – a native Niger one and one that I planted from seeds bought in Italy. I am interested to see which will last longer, but they both taste and smell amazing! Anyone need some basil?

And if course Harriet likes all the foliage- to hide in and to eat!

Our front gate

Our fig tree! Last year I got maybe half a dozen full grown figs. Now this picture is just a little look at one part of a branch. I probably have 50 figs growing on it today alone!

 

 

So I have learned that things CAN be grown here in Niger! Even my poor attempt at a green thumb can’t mess it up, especially when our guards remember to water and weed even when I don’t!

So come visit our very own garden of Eden! It sure helps cut the sand and bleakness of the country!