Waterfall Adventures

The rainy season is just around the corner, which means we needed to sneak in some final trips to the waterfalls before the trails become impossibly muddy and slippery.

We hadn't been to the big waterfall in several months and everyone was feeling the itch to go.  Plus there's a new missionary family and we wanted to show them one of the best places in Chogoria.  So everyone piled into a couple cars and off we went.

The waterfall did not disappoint!

We're also in a new season in which the kids outnumber the adults for the first time.  There are 10 expat kids on the compound now!

So much exploring.  So much rock-throwing.  So much slipping in the water and soaking shoes!  No one found any tadpoles this time, but this crab was hanging out in a pool of water and was the cause of much excitement.

And despite all the kids needing constant monitoring, Lauren and I snatched a chunk of time to sit for awhile and enjoy the view.

Here are the parents (minus Derek who had to stay home this time).  I'm so thankful for grown-ups who are willing to haul their kids on adventures like this.  It's a lot of work and there's always some kind of cleanup required afterward, but it's so worth it.  Every time.

In addition to the big waterfall, there's another amazing waterfall at a different place in the area.  It's actually on the grounds of a riverside restaurant that we enjoy.  While we wait for our food, we hike down a short nature trail along the river which dead ends at this beauty.

There are lots of rivers and waterfalls in this area because we're so close to the mountain.  We live in such a beautiful place.

Also, this picture perfectly captures our little ham!

I'm thankful we have adventurous kids, and thankful for these places which beckon us to come and have adventures.

Art Class

For the past month I've been teaching an art class once a week.  Well, teaching is a relative term.  It would be more accurate to say I've been organizing and facilitating an art class.  I do not know much about art, but I know kids love to create and I decided to make space in our school schedule for that.  And it's been a success.

There are two classes - one for the older kids and one for the younger kids.  We gather in the community house where there's a big table for everyone to spread out, and the creativity unleashes.

I love seeing how varied the final products are. The same project produces such different results and I love it!

I will admit that the older kids are easier to work with.  No surprise there.  They're more independent and capable.  But they also take a lot longer because they're more particular about their work, especially the girls.  The younger kids have fun doing their projects as simply and quickly as possible.  Usually the younger kids are done in half the time the older kids took!

Most weeks I end up digging through our craft bin to see what supplies I have on hand, then cobbling together an art project.  It's taken creativity on my own part to create creative opportunities for the kids!

It definitely takes time and energy, but it's been well worth it.  By all accounts, the kids love it.  Which is all I care about.

With all the hats I wear these days, "art teacher" is currently one of my favorites.

Sometimes these art classes make me wish I had an art class of my own :)