Hi all!
Just realised I haven't written at all this year yet so happy... March / Lent / Spring! Afraid a certain new member of the family has made it a little tricky to keep up with blogging and emails - sorry about that.
We hope you're all well. We've enjoyed a fantastic start to the year spending new year in Amboseli with Dan's parents and having just had Rach's parents to visit over February half term. We've enjoyed exploring some new parts of Kenya and took Rach's parents to the Aberdares, which is a national park in central Kenya... and a bit similar to Scottish countryside! We stayed at Treetops, where Princess Elizabeth became Queen and even stayed in the suite they'd stayed in over 60 years ago... very exciting!
Unfortunately the place seems to live on its reputation for that and is in reality quite run down. We had a lovely time at the Aberdare Country Club, however, which is a lovely spa hotel with giraffe, gazelles and zebra roaming peacefully in the grounds and on the golf course! We also enjoyed one night in Nakuru park where we saw three lions and a leopard, which was amazing - we generally only see buffalo and the occasional warthog, giraffe or a hyena there so that was a real treat. Rachel's parents have had an amazing time and Josh enjoyed his third safari... at the age of 4 months, which is pretty impressive hey?!
We're back working pretty hard now and are looking forward to Easter, where we hope to catch up on sleep. Dan's parents are coming out for another short trip and we'll enjoy a rest. Rach has enjoyed taking on a few more pupils this term and has been helping with some string ensembles as well as looking after Josh, house-parenting and continuing with a theology course she started in September. Dan is being kept very busy with management duties, house-parenting, Music and Maths teaching and working towards a variety of events. He's very proud of his drum pupils who all got merits and distinctions for their exams in January, where the head of LCM was their examiner! Inter-house music, which was the week before half term, was also a massive success with the whole school performing a medley of Beatles songs, some lovely solo and group performances and even a group doing a Stomp-style junk percussion performance, which showed their innate African rhythm that British kids would die for!
Josh is growing well and keeping us very entertained. He has an amazing gummy grin that melts people's hearts and is generally a very happy, sociable chap. He's grown loads and loves his food... we've start him on baby maize, sweet potato, carrot and a few other things and he's managing to sleep through from 7 or 8pm til almost 6am - praise the Lord!
Anyway, better dash but sending loads of love to you all.
Looking forward to hearing from you as well and sorry again for the major delay. Looking forward to seeing lots of you soon - we fly back in on 9th July and will hope to catch you all in the summery months.
Love Dan, Rach and Josh xx
