Days 2, 3, & 4

(Entry written on March 24)
Where does the time go? What a fun week we're having here in our former city! We just love it here and cannot wait to live here again! Seriously, this is an amazing city! (Come visit us and you'll agree!)

Day 2:
We had an appointment at the US embassy to get more passport pages. Fun times. Our passports are seriously fat now! Reminds me of George Castanza's wallet...

That night, we headed to our closest local friends' house. I got to go with N to the first of the week's wedding festivities. N married M. M's sister, another M is getting married tomorrow. We're very close to this family, so they consider us family, too. And I get to be involved in all the wedding fun - just like a sister! (Oh, how I cannot wait for the day that we truly are Sisters!) This night was the night when all the close, married women in the family go over to M's new house and take all her stuff - stuff she's bought with her massive amounts of dowry money and gifts she's received from people - and basically make up the room. When we got there, the furniture and TV and carpets were in place, but nothing else. (1st picture) We brought all the stuff from her childhood house to where she'll live afterwards. (everything that's piled on the bed and in the floor next to the bed) We had a big meal with the ladies and then we all headed upstairs. The older women all sat around singing and talking, while the younger ones unpacked everything and put it away. With each gift, it would be shown off around the room and the ladies would hoot and holler (not like you'd think...but impossible to describe in words the actual sounds they make!).

Strangest part of it all to me: The Bride, M, is NOT at this party! She doesn't participate at all! She bought her stuff, but then the family is the one who unpacks and puts it all in place.

The best description I can give you of this night was it was like all the pre-wedding showers, including the lingerie shower, all rolled into One Big shower - except the Bride is not a part of it all! Kinda nice, but I can't imagine not getting to unpack everything myself.

Here's the room before it all started:

This is her dresser, with all her perfumes and such:

These were all unpacked and folded and placed so nicely into the shelves.

It was a real blessing to be involved in it all! And I got to share some Truth with several of the ladies! :) So that's the best part!

Day 3:
Yesterday was WONDERFUL! We went down to the Marina and swam in the pool. It was so fun and so relaxing! Lucy was a little apprehensive to start, but she very soon warmed up to it and was back to her usual self in the water. It's so fun to see her "swim" and play in the water! She loves her water wings and the sense of independence they give her! Yep, she's pretty precious.

Last night, Brad and I had our anniversary date! We went to an amazing place and had steaks, then sat on an upper balcony of a 2 level Starbucks and drank coffee and enjoyed a double chocolate muffin. It was a great night!

When you have dinner reservations at 6 in our country, you get the whole place to yourselves...

We got yummy NON-ALCOHOLIC drinks. We're fancy.

Day 4:
This morning we started out easy. You know, this IS vacation...sort-of.

We headed to our friends' houses (Me to their actual house with all the women, Brad & Lucy with the men to an uncle's house) to have lunch. All the aunties and some cousins were there and the bride was getting Henna done all over her arms and legs - up to her shoulders and up to her knees. This is a tradition for brides. They can get as much or as little as they'd like. My friend, apparently wanted A LOT! And it cost around $117 for all that! (Oh, that I could take a picture of that and show you! You'd be really impressed. I'm sure you could find pictures of henna on the internet...hers was SO pretty!)

After we ate, the ladies wanted me to sing. Yesterday, I sang a love song in Swahili for them (Malaika). They were all very impressed that the white girl knows a song in Swahili. So today, they asked me to sing again. That's the only non-God song that I know. I sang that one once, but then I told them that I knew many more songs, but these are love songs for God. (YAY!) So, I sang 2 of my favorite ones for them: Twa Kuabudu and Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe. Oh, how I love praising the Lord in ANY language! Yay, Jesus!!!

After that, my friend N, her sister S, and I headed to the salon to get our own henna done. (See picture) Mine, covering my hands only, cost around $10. Much more reasonable, if you ask me. But then, I'm not the bride! :)
This is after it was all applied...but not dry yet. When it's dry, you peel off the black stuff and you're left with a reddish color on your skin that lasts about 2 weeks. (If you ask me, it's only pretty for a few days, though...then it just looks like your hands are dirty!)

It took about 2 hours for N and I to get our henna done. (S had hers done yesterday) It was a lot of fun, just girls in the salon. I love hanging out with N and her sisters. She's always the most comfortable with them, rather than her sisters-in-law/cousins. I love seeing people in their element! Afterwards, we headed to the mall and got some amazing frozen yogurt from Pinkberry. Oh, I love that place! I love the coconut/passion fruit swirl yogurt with strawberries and chocolate shavings. Yum. Yum. YUM!

Now, I'm home. Lucy had a bath in the amazingly huge bathtub. We played, watched some Charlie & Lola, and now she's in bed. Brad's gone out for a visit with a friend.

Life is good. :)
Praise you, Jesus, for an amazing week so far!

The wedding is tomorrow!!! My day starts with makeup and hair at 10 with my friends again. You just wait for the pictures! Should be some good stuff!