Happy New Year!

Our friends, Ben, Beth, and Mikayla Kickert, came to visit us for New Year's Eve this year. They live at St. Phillips, on the Cabrini Mission, about two hours away from here. The Kickerts were hosting some 21-month old twins from the Mission, so the twins stayed with us, too! Nosipho (the girl) and Simo (the boy) were very sweet, and it was wonderful to have them. Our friend Keri joined us as well.

The four kids had dinner together.



Mikayla is almost three, and the four kids got in the bath together. I have a short and funny video of them; let me know if you'd like to see it.


Nosipho and Simo didn't enjoy it at first. I felt bad for them, but it was sort of funny how Aviva and Mikayla seemed totally unaware of the crying around them. Pretty soon all four of them were happy.

The kids all went to bed, and the adults geeked out on a board game called Settlers of Catan. It's sort of Risk meets Dungeons and Dragons meets Monopoly, and it's very fun.


The next morning, Simo and Aviva helped Peter unload the cooler.


All the kids enjoyed the toys.

Aviva and Nosipho even rode the rocking elephant together.



Ben and Beth made a great avocado-picking team.


Happy New Year, everyone!