Summer "Vacation"

The other professors' wives would ask me, “How’s your summer vacation going?”  I’d simply reply, good, but really, there was no vacation about it.  When I hear the word vacation, I think, where are we going?  After traveling so much over the past 2 years, this year has been “boring” (using Sam’s favorite word from this summer).  Even more so because there are no play grounds to go to.  So we often turn our furniture into a playground….

Not everyone was "bored" at home all summer.  Micah was able to travel to Ivory Coast for the ordination of 4 men who graduated from the CLET...  

Meanwhile at home, one of the trees fell over in the back yard and the kids had a new playground…

Micah received an African outfit from one of the churches he visited in Ivory Coast, which Sam was quick to try on. Presenting the wise man of the Wildauer clan...

Micah brought home some cocoa pods from Ivory Coast.  The kids really enjoyed pulling the beans out of the pods and then a few weeks later, after the beans had fermented and dried, we made chocolate…

Our kids playing with the neighborhood kids…

After Sam learned about the 10 highest mountains in the world and mountain climbing in school, we took a little trip to the Grotte aux Greniers de Nagou, otherwise known as the caves in Nagou...  

The actual mountain climbing wasn’t quite what Sam had learned about.  There was a ladder to climb down to the grotto and up when finished, instead of rocks…

Looking into the cave where people used to live…

Climbing down and walking along the mountain side was a challenge at times with the youngest two.  Can you imagine families living on the side of this mountain?…

Our summer “vacation” ended the end of August as the next school year started.  Here’s a picture of all the students and their families… 

And here’s a drawing, by Samuel, of our growing family…

The kids are all super excited to meet their new baby in May!