Independence Day Celebrations

Even though posting so long after the actual event makes these happenings kind of stale, I still like to document them nonetheless. This post covers July 3rd & 4th and our annual boat trip to Smithfield Station.  As we normally do, we pulled out of the neighborhood early in the morning on the 3rd so that we could get to the marina before lunch and enjoy a full day there before the fireworks that evening.

After we got the boat all tied up and ate a quick lunch from food we packed, we headed to the pool. It's a rather small pool that can sometimes get crowded, but we always enjoy meeting other fellow boaters. Most of the gang on the pool deck in this picture are friends of ours that met us there.

The clouds did roll in at one point and drop some rain but it didn't scare us away from the pool and the storm passed quickly.

Another beautiful evening at Smithfield Station (we have been fortunate to have great weather most years)...

Patriotic Dad & Mom

 

The sunset at Smithfield Station seems to never disappoint

Relaxing on the dock in prime fireworks-watching seats

My view of the fireworks from the back of the boat...doesn't get much better!

Unlike many years in the past, this was a very short boat trip. We left in the morning to head back and celebrate the rest of the 4th closer to home.

What's left of the Idle/Ghost/Mothball/Reserve Fleet...

Hundreds of surplus ships used to be anchored in the James (about a 30 minute ride from our house) but because of the high likelihood that these ships were leaking harmful oils and chemicals into the water, the ships are being removed and disposed of gradually. It's hard to believe that there used to be too many for me to count as we rode by when I was little and now there's only a handful. If you ride some of the taller roller coasters at Busch Gardens you can see the ships from the top.

Tools on the boat...never a good sign

Halfway home we had some boat problems and, of course, Dad tried his best to fix it while we were floating. After a small engine fire (!) that scared me to death, we limped home slowly on only one motor.

It takes AWHILE to get home when you can only idle...I drove so that Dad could take a break. It's frustrating to have a broken boat but the weather was wonderful so we really didn't mind the longer ride to enjoy it.

We headed back early from Smithfield to make it to a cookout on the river. We intended to go by boat, which didn't exactly work out because of our earlier problems and delays, but at least we made it...

Never a bad sunset from their dock.

Because we still had things to unpack and a boat to take care of and we had seen fireworks on the 3rd, we decided against fireworks on the 4th. As we were putting the boat on the lift and covering it in our backyard in the dark that night, one of our neighbors across the water from us was setting off large fireworks right over our heads. They were so big and loud that I felt like I needed to duck each time they went off. We were a little unnerved by the size of them in our little neighborhood, but at least we did get to see real fireworks on the 4th! 



Kenya {Day 13} - Homeward Bound

As I have just passed the one year mark of this amazing trip, I will finally wrap up my Kenya blogging (I am not sure if my few faithful readers or yours truly is more relieved!). This has been a fun way to remember all of the moments that pieced together to create one of the greatest trips I have been on so far in my lifetime (and I have been to a fair amount of neat places). The combination of an absolutely awesome team who felt like family, an amazing part of the world to explore, wonderful new friends in Kenya who are a part of God's amazing work at Mattaw, and feeling incredibly blessed each step of way made this adventure in Africa an unforgettable one.

We left Nairobi bright and early on Saturday morning and pulled into the parking lot of the Chapel back home just shy of midnight on the same day. 26+ hours of travel all squeezed into one day! Despite it being the longest day of my life (literally) with not a lot of sleep, the flights were smooth and easy and seemed to pass by quickly thanks to movies and food and card games and music and entertainment from my teammates. For as much angst as I have about flying (and even more so across the ocean to another country), all of our flights were a breeze. Bring on more international trips! 

Nairobi -> Amsterdam -> Dulles -> Home

Only a sneak peek at the landscape of Amsterdam as we landed

After a brief layover in Amsterdam, I remember boarding our final flight for Dulles feeling more relaxed now that 7-8 hours of our trip (air time) was already complete and comfortable enough to actually get some sleep this go round. But I ended up being wired from the trip and all I had just experienced and also sad to be heading home so much so that I do not believe I got even a wink of sleep on the last leg of our trip (also a 7-8 hour flight).

 

It was hard to say goodbye to our new friends at Mattaw and it was equally hard to say goodbye to the team that had become my family after two weeks together in another country. It has been a blessing to see them more than expected on weekends in Williamsburg since we returned. In fact, just last weekend I randomly saw 10 of my "Kenya family" around town. How sweet it is to stay in touch and what a blessing it is to have them in my life.

 

For any of you who have read along and have a desire to be a part of God's work in other cities, states, or countries, my only advice is to GO! It may change the lives of others, but it will most certainly change yours.

 

And I will end with the beginning...

  

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting (mattaw) of the LORD for the display of his splendor.  Isaiah 61:1-3 

Kenya {Day 12} - Last Day in Nairobi

Our last full day in Nairobi was more leisurely as we enjoyed some additional attractions around the city. We were able to get some good sleep (after our huge (and exhausting!) meal the night before) and have a relaxing breakfast at our modest but comfortable "guest house" before heading out on our adventures that day. Because we were only there in the dark on the front end of the trip, I did not take or share many photos. Here are a few to show our accommodations while in Nairobi... 

They fixed breakfast for us each morning in one of the other houses. We ate with other guests who were also staying at the property.

Shards of glass...interesting type of security fence

 

Some sights along the way

Lots of road work and traffic...

We spent the earlier part of the day at The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an elephant & rhino orphanage dedicated to protecting and preserving Africa's endangered species. At first, I was disappointed to not see any elephants at the game park the day before, but getting to see baby elephants up close and personal here more than made up for it!

A few other animals were wandering around before we got to see the main attraction.

Seeing the backsides of the animals was a common occurrence on this trip!

The elephant keepers awaiting the arrival of the babies with a wheelbarrow full of milk bottles

The elephants were only available for viewing during a certain time period so a lot of other guests and school classes gathered as well to see the show.



 

The baby elephants were led in by an elephant keeper and it was quite a sight.

We were told to be quiet while the elephants were close but many in the crowd were so excited that they could not keep the noise down. The keepers reprimanded us numerous times.

While we were in Kenya, the temperatures had been perfect and mild. This was a more rare day and it actually felt hot. The keepers continually shoveled dirt on the baby elephants' heads and down their backs to keep them cooled. What a mess!

These elephants are babies and already covered in wrinkles!

Different groups of elephants (based on age) were brought out for viewing at different times. The elephant below was the youngest baby who they made sure to protect the most from the sun. 

Extra protection from the sun while they drank their bottles (and dripped milk everywhere!)...

More water splashes and dirt baths for cooling

Some of the bigger/older elephants made their way to the "pool" for relief from the heat.

Many piled in together and ended up on top of each other. We laughed out loud as they sat on eat other and acted so indifferent to it. I suppose they like being close...even when it's hot!

The milk in these bottles was gone in a matter of seconds when the elephants go a hold of them...

So neat to watch them hold the bottles with their trunks 

There was only a thin rope separating us from the action. In fact, the babies being fed bottles underneath the shade of the blanket happened RIGHT in front of us. 

After the elephant "show" was over, we made a stop by the rhino cage before leaving the orphanage...

On to our next adventure... 

After the elephant orphanage, we went into town to a local mall to grab some lunch. There were multiple places to eat so the team divided up, but when it was all said and done, we all ended up at the Nairobi Java House. 

The mall had a market attached so we all did a little shopping after lunch.

Bud waiting patiently for all of the slow shoppers to make our purchases (this was our second and last opportunity to find some African treasures to bring home).

And then on to the Giraffe Centre

We were so close to the giraffes that I could hardly get a picture of an entire giraffe inside the frame!

Feeding the giraffes

I love the giraffe's tongue sticking out 

 Photo courtesy of one of my teammates (and one of my absolute favorites!)...

Our last dinner all together and with Bud was outside in Nairobi at an Italian restaurant. It was a lovely evening and meal.

We made a stop by a local ice cream shop after dinner before heading back to our lodge and turning in early. We would have another early wake up call the next morning to catch our flight home.