Buddy's Vet Visit

This weekend we took Buddy to the vet for an overall check-up and to talk about any vaccinations he may need before going back to the U.S.  We did some quick research and discovered that as long as he receives a clean bill of health and is up to date on his rabies vaccine he can enter the states.  (So much easier than getting him here!)

Now Buddy is really the first pet I've ever had.  Despite growing up on a farm, we never had animals in the house.  I love having him around but it has been a lesson in taking care of him on some aspects.  Anyways, we packed him up and took him across town.  At first he didn't seem to mind the carrier but I quickly learned he HATES the car.  As soon as we started to move he started crying and it only got more and more desperate   It just broke my heart.

Getting the evil eye 

Luckily at the vet we were able to let him out and explore a bit.  We learned that our research was right and it seems that getting Buddy back to the states will be a fairly easy process (I say this now but as with all things here only time will tell).  Buddy got three vaccines including rabies to get him fully up to date.  He also had to have a de-wormer which was the real excitement of the visit.  After spitting out the vet's initial try to get him to swallow the pill, he had to be put in what can only be referred to as a cat straight jacket and force fed the pill.  (I really wish I got a picture of this)  Poor guy!  On Buddy's defense the pill was huge and I don't know how they expect a cat smaller than him to get it down.

With updated records,we headed back home.  Again Buddy cried the whole way.  We were just thankful we had decided not to run any errands we originally thought we'd do.  We just wanted to get him home and out of the crate.  Buddy spent the rest of the day sleeping.  The trip outside must have really wore him out!

Passed out

Kit Mikayi

This weekend I was feeling a bit restless, to say the least, so we decided it would be nice to get out of the house and explore a little of the area around Kisumu.  Yesterday Josh and I got up early and headed out to a local attraction about 30 minutes outside of Kisumu called Kit Mikayi.

Sign pretty much says it all

Kit-Mikayi  is a rock formation, around 40 m high.  Kit-mikayi means "the stone of the first woman", or "stone of the first wife", in Dholuo, the local language.  The stone is sacred to the people of the area and I've heard a few stories of how it got its name.  The legend behind Kit Mikayi is that: Long time ago, there was an old man by the name Ngeso who was in great love with the stone. Every day when he woke up in the morning, he could walk into the cave inside the stone and stay there the whole day, and this could force his wife to bring him breakfast and lunch everyday. The old man became passionately in love with this stone to the extent that when people asked his wife his whereabouts, she would answer that he has gone to his first wife (Mikayi) hence the stone of the first wife.

I have also heard that a woman was so upset at her husband for taking a second wife that she went to this stone to sit and started to cry.  The stone has a mysterious water source from the top that is said to be her still weeping today.

Another more practical explanation may lie in the shape of the stones themselves. The structure represents the Luo cultural polygamous family which had the first wife’s house (Mikayi) built further in between, on the right hand side was the second wife’s house (Nyachira) while the third wife’s house (Reru) was built on the left hand side of the homestead. This rock is also seen to have a nuclear family whereby the father (Ngeso) being the middle stone followed by the bulky Mikayi (first wife), then Nyachira (second wife), followed by Reru (third wife) and further in front they have the child which is representing Simba (which is the house for the first born boy in the homestead).

At the top 

Whichever you choose to believe, the place has a unique history and we were excited to check it out.  We spent the morning climbing through crevices and under rock.  Josh headed into a bat cave which I happily opted out of.  We weren't able to make it to the top of the stone as that requires some serious bouldering but we did get high enough to get a beautiful view of the country side.

The "resting place"

After a quick snack and a few pictures we headed down to a smaller rock formation on the same property.  There was a large tree coming out of the top and Josh wanted to try his hand at some climbing.  With little to no trail I decided to stay on the ground and document the climb instead.  I'm sure glad I did as Josh said there were a few hair raising parts.  He didn't get up in the tree but he got really close!

Josh at the top of the second formation

Overall it was a great day.  I'm so thankful Josh suggested getting out of the house and exploring a bit.  It helped me relax a bit and not be so focused on completing my never ending to do list.  I don't know what's gotten into me lately but I'm craving a project.  Luckily for me I'm headed back to the states soon (8 days) and can probably cook something up there!

The Little things In the U.S.

A trip to the U.S. brings a whole lot of excitement and usually a long list of things to get done and people to see.  This upcoming trip will be no exception as we have the wedding :) and all things related.  Although the wedding is the "main event" so to speak, there are a few other things that I'm looking forward to on this trip as well.

In no particular order....

1. Stephenitch girls Night (otherwise known as Taco Tuesdays):  This event has been one of the highlights of my time in the U.S. ever since I've lived abroad.  All the ladies on my mom's side get together over a pitcher of margaritas and yummy tacos and discuss life.  This usually results in a lot of laughter and a whole lot of fun.

2. Manis and Pedis with my mom: I guess on some regards this is related to the wedding but I'm still excited to spend some time at the spa with my mom.  She's going to get a manicure while I'm getting both my feet and hands done.  Walking around Kenya in flip flops everyday does a number on your feet!

3. Seeing family and friends: This trip we will get to see both of our families and the best part of it all is they will be in the same place.  I love getting to see everyone when I come back but honestly sometimes its really hard to make time to do so.  Traveling to them requires driving (or even flying) across the country and there just isn't time.  I always end up feeling guilty for leaving my family too.  BUT this time everyone will be in one place!  Super exciting!

4. Organizing: Ok so I know this one sounds weird, but I love me some organization.  Right now it just kills me that all my possessions are scattered around my parents house.  So in all that free time I'll have leading up to the wedding (lol) I'm planning on going through as much of my stuff as possible.  I'd like to try to pack up a few things and sort through some others.  I figure anything I can get done now is one less thing for us to do when we come back to the States next year.

Happy 50th Aunt Julie!

Now I'm thinking she may kill me for announcing her age on here but I couldn't resist.  And frankly I don't know any other 50 year old with as much spunk and laughter than her so here's to embracing the number!

1 Month

I can't believe the wedding is in one month!  Where did the time go?  I know I keep saying this but it feels as if it was yesterday that we got engaged in Zanzibar and were calling up our families to let them know.

Nothing has really changed since the 6 week mark.  We are still anxiously waiting for RSVPs.  I am really hoping there's going to be this huge influx of cards before I get back to the U.S.  I can't tell you how much I am dreading calling 70+ people and asking if they are coming.  I mean lets go folks.  The envelope is pre-addressed and stamped already!  Do this girl a favor!

I'm starting the countdown to head back as well.  I'm going to go a few weeks early and spend some time with my family.  I also have my first dress fittings and a few final meetings with vendors.  Josh had some changes to his schedule as of late and will join me in IL about a week out.  Together we have to do a few small things such as you know get that marriage license and all.  Nothing major :)

I am also really excited for Thanksgiving in the states this year.  It is by far one of my favorite holidays mainly because of all the amazing food that's prepared.  My mom never does anything over the top but its really nice to get together with them and indulge in the turkey day staples.  This year will be extra special as Josh's parents will be able to sit down with us as well!

One more month.    One more month till we get to say our vows in front of family, friends and the Lord.  One more month until I marry my best friend.  One more month till forever.

From Garden to Table Part 4

My pumpkin making adventures continued this weekend with Josh's birthday and the party we threw in his honor.  First I had to make pumpkin pie as it is his favorite and he's not a huge fan of the traditional cake.  Thankfully my mom has a great recipe for it that's been passed down through the generations.  Its just amazing and I think the fresh pumpkin made it even better!  I am still on the search for the perfect crust.  This time mine bubbled up in the middle and left bits of crust in the batter.  Overall it didn't really affect the recipe but would be something I'd like to fix in the future.

Mmmm pumpkin pie

My favorite pumpkin creation thus far has to be the pumpkin snicker-doodle cookies I made.  I'm a huge fan of snicker-doodles anyways and adding the pumpkin just made them all the better.  I think it actually helped them stay softer longer as a snicker-doodle tends to dry up fast.  I made a huge amount of these (about 4 dozen) and managed to get rid of all but 10.  Not bad I think!

Josh insisted that his new beer cozy also be in the picture. Pyramid of pumpkin snicker-doodles!

The crazy thing about all this pumpkin is we still have a ton in the fridge!  I'm pretty sure we are down to about 6 cups which is probably the amount I've used thus far.  I can't even fathom what we would have done with all four pumpkins out of the garden.  We would have been eating pie for months...

Buddy Loves the New Carpet

We just got new carpet upstairs mainly to prevent Buddy from using the nice rug as a scratching post.  So far he's been pretty good about not doing the same with this new one but he does love it, maybe a little too much.

All stretched out

Weekend Wrap-Up

Our adventures have been semi-limited as of late and this weekend was no different.  We did however have a great time hanging out with friends and celebrating Josh's birthday.

Friday evening I spent in the kitchen doing a little baking to get ready for all the guests coming over on Saturday.  Although I knew Josh wanted pumpkin pie for his "cake", I thought others may be interested in some other treats as well. First I made pie crust and stuck it in the fridge to chill overnight.  I can't wait till I have the proper baking tools again because cutting in butter with two table knives is just a huge hassle.

I broke out the tried and true bailey's brownies.  This time they were a little gooey but in the end that just makes them better!  I also thought I would try a pumpkin snicker-doodle recipe.  Let me tell you they turned out amazing.  I will even forgive them for being a cookie.  (Note: I hate baking cookies.  Too much work putting in batch after batch)  In the end I'm glad I stuck with them as they ended up being a huge hit on Saturday.

 Besides the baking, Josh and I just hung out.  It was nice to have him in the kitchen with me for a change.  We also tackled the daunting task of gluing our 4000 piece puzzle (details here).  Its only been sitting on the dinning room table for close to a year now.  I am so thankful for Josh's problem solving skills because I'm not sure I could have done it on my own.  We had so much trouble getting newspaper under the puzzle that we ended up taking it apart into approximately 6 pieces.  Currently its still in these pieces.  Hopefully we can finish it up before heading back to the states in a few weeks.

Saturday I dragged myself out of bed early to get started on the party details. I quickly whipped up the pie filling and got them in the oven.  While that was cooking I made some guacamole and finished doing the dishes (I hate having a dirty sink at the start of a party).   Next I decided I better get in a workout as I knew that day I would be consuming large amounts of food.  Jillian Michaels and I bonded over level three of her cardio shred and by bonded I mean I died.  There was a ton of explosive moves and hard ab sections.  Overall I think its going to be great and I'm excited to keep at it.  After a quick shower it was back down to the kitchen to pull out the pies.

All the while Josh was busy goggling a meatball recipe that I had mentioned the night before.  You know that recipe with frozen meatballs, chili sauce and grape jelly.  Throw it all in a crock pot and a few hours later you have an amazing tailgating snack.  Well it sounded awesome minus the fact that we didn't have grape jelly or chili sauce in Kenya.  No worries though I headed to the store and came back with ingredients that did the trick.  Mmmm delicious!  The pig went into the oven and we were ready.

People started coming around 4 and we basically just hung out the rest of the night.  It was nice to catch up with everyone and spend some time together.  The roasted pig was a huge hit and I'm so thankful the food went over well!!  The kids loved trying their hand with the slackline and the adults had some pretty intense games of corn hole.  In the end we just had to bring out a pie covered in candles for Josh to blow out.

Sunday was pretty chill as per requested.  We caught up on sleep and basically spent the day on the couch.  We did get a few wedding things accomplished but were mainly focused on how to expend as little energy as possible.  I gave Josh his presents and made a really good breakfast of egg burritos as per request.  

Overall the weekend was great.  Sure we didn't do any major traveling but sometimes its great to just hangout with good friends and we definitely have a good number of those here!

Happy Birthday, Babe!

Happy Birthday Babe!  I hope you have an amazing day.  I feel so blessed to have you in my life and love you more each and every day.  

Happy Birthday!

From Garden to Table Part 3

The quest to make amazing pumpkin treats continues!  Last Friday I decided to give pumpkin scones a try as Josh was due back home the following day and I thought it would be nice to have a little treat waiting for him.

I've made scones before and just love having them around in the morning to grab as I head out the door.  It had found this receipe online earlier and thought it sounded pretty much amazing.  Overall I can't complain about them.  They were moist and had that amazing pumpkin spice to them.

I do have to complain a little about the icing.  Instead of siting nicely on top it soaked through the scones.  Now some people would say what's the problem with that?  Nothing normally but it sure got messy.  Also I felt that if we hadn't eat them as fast as we did (they were all gone by Sunday), they would have been pretty soggy.

Overall I've been pretty satisfied with these pumpkins.  The true test comes at the end of this week.  Josh's birthday is this weekend and I'm whipping up his favorite pumpkin pie to celebrate!

Work-the Wind Down

It seems a little surreal to me that I started this job almost a year and a half ago.  I was fresh out of graduate school and ready to get started on my own project.  I really didn't have any background on encephalitis but was very interested in this ground breaking study.  Encephalitis and the causes of it really hadn't been looked at in Kenya.  Everyone was focusing on malaria, TB and HIV.

I can't say it hasn't been challenging at times, but I think that every good job should be.  There should be times where your knowledge base is pushed and you emerge as a better leader and more informed in the end.  This project definitely saw those times as we struggled to get off the ground at Siaya and now as we try to expand to Mbagathi.  But we're still pushing and we'll get there.

With only one more month in the office (technically two but with holidays and the weddings its going to cut that time in half!), I can only look back and be thankful for the opportunity.  Its been such a blessing to be able to come back to a country I love and work for one of the world's leading public health organizations.  You can't get much better for a first job!

It'll be sad to go at the end of the year but I know I am leaving the project in capable hands.  I am excited to see the end results and wish I could work with the data myself.  All the staff at the office have been amazing and are such dear friends.  I can't imagine not seeing them on a daily basis.  But every opportunity in life is a stepping stone and this one is only going to lead to bigger and better things!

6 Weeks

I can't believe the wedding is in less than 6 weeks.  The time has gone by so fast and seems to be speeding up as we get closer to the date.  The invitations are out and my mom is already receiving a good number of RSVPs back.  I've started thinking about getting ready to fly out and Josh and I are trying to finish up the few little things on our to-do-list.

Luckily we've been so blessed with amazing family and friends who have helped us get everything planned and ready for the big day.  This past weekend Josh and I were talking about all the help we've gotten and I am just amazed at how its all coming together.

I am so thankful to Brianne, our wedding planner.  Every time something pops into my head as "Oh, I need to do that!" I remember, "Wait, Brianne has that covered." I cannot tell you what a great feeling that is.  I think we've avoided a lot of frustration by having her to take care of the little things. My mom has also been awesome.  I don't know what we would have done if she hadn't taken the time to address all the invites.  There's no way we could have done it from Kenya.  It would have been too frustrating to weigh and mail everything yet alone the amount of time it would have taken them to reach the U.S.  To my aunts who are throwing me a shower, totally unexpected, yet very appreciated.  I am so excited to spend a day with them and other close friends laughing and catching up.  I know that whenever they get together its going to be a blast.  To our families in general, everyone has been so supportive of our day and making sure its perfect.  We are so excited to have everyone in one place and spend some time with everyone.

In the days to come we're just trying to focus on us and how excited we are to start our lives together.  Although the to-do list seems long, I am trying to reel in the "type A" personality and enjoy this time leading up to November.  I say this as I'm getting ready to write down this list that has been floating around in my head for the last few days.  Let's pray that I don't drive Josh nuts with my last minute "Honey can you do this?"  :-)

Traditional Countdown to the States

Its become a little bit of a habit to make a countdown when a trip to the States is on the horizon.  When we do make it back, our time is usually spent with family and friends and is always very busy running around seeing everyone.  This trip may be our busiest as I expect there will be a ton to do with the wedding and then there is the actual day of course! Even though we were just in the states a few months ago, its always great to have the chance to visit with family and enjoy some of the creature comforts the US has to offer!

I am really looking forward to this trip but also keeping it in perspective.  Its probably our last trip back before moving back next year.  The time just seems to be getting away from us!


7 days till Josh is back from the States
15 days till his birthday
31 days till I leave Kenya
32 days till I land in Chicago
33 days till my wedding dress fitting with my lovely aunts
35 days till my bridal shower
37 days till a spa day with my mom
38 days till the infamous "Taco Tuesdays" with the Stephenitch clan
41 days till Josh arrives in IL
47 days till Josh's parents land in IL and Turkey day
48 days till the rest of the Bast family comes in
49 days till the wedding rehearsal
50 days till the WEDDING and the beginning of forever with my best friend :)
51 days till we say goodbye to family and friends who celebrated with us
53 days till we leave for Kenya
54 days till we land in Nairobi
55 days till we're back in Kisumu