Life is the Foreign Service is difficult, at times! In each place I live I am learning to embrace and enjoy certain things. Here in Bamako there are several things I really am thrilled with. First, I broke my sunglasses the other day and when I got in the car to drive to the store I had none with me. I have to wear sunglasses, even on overcast days. I do not like to squint! It took me exactly two minutes to get a new pair. That is record time even per American standards! There are many of these roadside sunglasses vendors along several routes near my home. We stopped, I picked out a pair, I asked how much and paid the whopping price of 4 US dollars in minutes. Do all things in Mali happen this fast and conveniently, in a word NO! That is why a victory like this is so sweet :)

Secondly, is that showers here are right in the middle of the bathroom, not enclosed at all. First, I thought this would be a problem with kids, but now I see the blessing it is! Everything in Mali is covered with red dirt. The kids remain clean only after showering if they go immediately to bed afterwards. Life is dirty, and African life is rarely clean. I can have all five kids shower in our bathroom shower while rotating in one or two and rotating out they others when they are complete.
We have tried to bathe them, but we NEVER have more than enough warm water to fill up the bathtub more than once. Add to that the water in the tub after the first child bathes is disgusting, that means by the time the fifth enters, either the water is clean and cold or warmer and filthy.

The shower removes all the dirt individually and effectively most days. I also like that after years of bending over MANY bathtubs, I can stand up and assist as they shower.

Lastly, I love my consumables shipment! Without this special shipment and our DPO (diplomatic post office) my life would be much more difficult. We just received a large consumable shipment that I purchased back in December in Michigan. Yahoo!!!! All the goodness of the U.S. :)

Well we are now much into this new year, 2012. We had many things happen in Bamako of late. Timmy, our second son, turned 5! He loved his minion cupcakes from the movie despicable me. I got the idea from Pinterest. I just LOVE that website :)Timmy is such a sweet boy! We have loved him since we knew of his existence even before we met in a dirt alley way in Kampala, Uganda. Timmy is kind hearted, ready to forgive and just plain sweet! He looks out for his siblings and friends. He is very attached to Hope, which is just so cute. He is okay with the fact that she is most often in control, he just goes with the flow. Timmy will be a great man in the future! His wife will thank Hope for preparing Timmy for marriage, I am sure ;)

Grace just turned 10! I am still in shock that a decade of her life has gone by. Wow! When people say the time flies by while you watch your children grow, they are right. Grace has been true to her name since the day she was born. She is sweet, thoughtful and has a tender heart towards others! We love you Grace! You are truly one of the best gifts God has ever blessed me with!

We had some civil unrest in the capital of Mali, Bamako, of late. Things are quiet now, thank God! Malians are kind, loving people and they have had a right to be angry over certain things here in their home country. We pray it can all settle out peacefully!

Other photos include a few items you won't find on American shelves. Cigarette cookies from France. Potent man tea that we found at a Super Market locally. My husband made the. Comment he could understand potent man beer or whiskey, but he would never think of tea and potency together.

There are also some photos of a new restaurant in Bamako. It is called Abissinia and it is a great place to relax and enjoy the evening. They serve both Spanish Tapas cuisine and Ethiopian. It was delicious!

Lastly, is my gift that my driver Aboubacar gave me :) it is a thumbs up sign decorated with the American flag. These stickers are frequently seen in all modes of transit in Mali. I love to see people giving each other the the thumbs up! Sure, it may be an obscene gesture in some countries, but most Malians understand it's meaning :)