Third Annual Tanzgiving

For me Tanzgiving started with an early two hour mountain bike ride with a couple of friends.  I returned home to a completely peaceful house – so lovely! (Have I mentioned lately how much I love my husband?).  Matt took our kids, Elizabeth and kids, and Mama Jackie and one of her other granddaughters on a nature walk and breakfast in the bush and then back to our house for a few hours of play.  The girls loved Barbara (the littlest) and Anderson was fast friends with Laurenti.  Ash:  “There is so much that we can give them”.  Great morning for all. 

We then continued our Tanzgiving tradition and headed to the Foley’s for a traditional Thanksgiving feast.  Once again, it did not disappoint and was a great evening with friends (but we did miss a few friends that aren’t here in Tanzania anymore).

Ellesmere reading the blessing

I have so much to be thankful for, but most of all I am thankful for Matt and our beautiful family. 

Happy Thanksgiving.

Halloween Tanzania Style

Picking out and trying on costumes

Keara and Joshua’s party started the Halloween festivities on Sunday

Nighttime zip lining is always a good idea

Then for the big day…trick or treating Tanzania style.  We went to a friend’s house (Carolynn’s) where she and another American organized their “neighborhood” for trick or treating.  This involved sending out an instruction sheet on how to do it because the rest of the houses that agreed to participate were not American.  It was so much fun even though the Tanzanians that we passed looked at us like we were crazy and laughed at us (in a fun way).  We covered 7 houses in an hour and 40 minutes (there were 3 more houses, but they were even further away, so we skipped them).  This is with the help of a mkokoteni (I love this!).   I was exhausted and so were the kids, but it was great.  I hope this becomes a tradition.

My vampire

Anderson with one of his girlfriends (Siri)

How many kids can you fit in a mkokoteni?

Anders and Tierney (we’d long ago lost Ashlyn to her friends’ group)

Yep.  That’s a scorpion in our path – yikes!

Burning cauldron.  Nice job on Halloween from a Dutch family.

Man-eating pumpkin at Carolynn’s

The stash.  Not bad for 7 houses.