The last snow....

About a week ago, just after Easter, we got what will probably be our last real snow storm for this year. I cannot believe how much snow we have gotten this year. I sent the boys out and I was even able to go outside and play too, while Dylan took a nap inside the warm house of course. We all had fun shoveling the deck and most of the yard. We were even able to make a snowman. Although we kept rolling up rocks and grass off the ground with each roll. Bruin wiped it off when the snowman was finished and even put some bigger rocks on the face for its eyes. Now the snow is almost all gone except for the huge snow fort (pile) that Alex made just before he left. That is going to take a long time to melt away. We are even starting to find some flowers (maybe tulips?) starting to poke through the ground! So spring is definitely here!! And now Bruin will finally be able to start digging in some MUD!! He is SOOOO excited!!

Lake Asal Trip

Last friday we loaded up a couple of cars with a cooler full of lunches and drinks and headed out to Lake Asal the lowest point in Africa (500 ft below sea level), and the saltiest body of water in the world. We're going to probably go back there when it gets really hot, like 130 and go see if we can float hunks of metal on the water. Plus it's like one of only a handful of trips to take in Djibouti.

Lake Asal Trip

Goat Rope - aka Giving stuff to the locals

Last week my boss and his translator went out into town and bought a pile of supplies with money he had raised through his hometown church. The Marine's patrol between our base and the Somali border (11 miles to the south) and find local villages in need of some American compassion. They then worked with the town chieftain to setup 10 families that needed a helper gift - a goat and a wheelbarrow, and 10 families that needed a food charity gift - a bag of rice, a bag of tea, a bag of sugar, a cooking pot and a thermos. Then after that we handed out toys, flip-flops and balls that the XO had collected from his family and friends. The kids there were very excited to see us, the adults were initially shy, but came around when they realized we were giving them stuff. One of the kids came up to me and said, "Sir, Mr. Allen, water, water please, please give me water Mr. Allen." He had read my nametag. Smart little kids! One of the teenages gave me one of those long MTV handshakes with the slapping, and knuckling and the whole bit. We'll probably go back out in a few weeks. If you want to send stuff for us to hand out, e-mail me and I'll send you my address. If you want me to buy a goat or something, the prices are :
$ 6.75 - bag of sugar
$ 16.88 - bag of rice
$ 7.32 -tea kettles
$ 10.13 - thermos
$ 6.03 -bag of tea
$ 28.14 - goat
$ 33.76 -wheelbarrow
The kids liked the flip-flops and sports balls the best, especially soccer balls. Maybe even super colorful rolls of cloth. There is no color other than dirt and leaves except for the clothes people wear, and the women seem to make their own robes.

Goat Rope

Its been a while...

The Easter bunny also made a stop in Vermont (after he went to Kansas City, maybe?LOL) and the boys were able to get there picture taken with him. Bruin was trying to "tickle" the bunny until he realized that he gave him candy. Then he calmed down and was able to focus for the next task at hand.....the great egg hunt!!

Bruin and Logan did a great job and collected dozens of eggs...Logan getting less (it was naptime, so he was tired). As you can tell by the amount of eggs in their baskets.
Bruin even found a "super duper huge egg" that the bunny left with a little green bunny inside and he has been sleeping with it ever since!! I hope everyone else had a wonderful Easter too.