Happy New Year from the Urquharts
Urquharts in Zanzibar - Christmas 2011
Happy New Year and Blessings for 2012 to all our family and friends! I took a major blog hiatus for most of the past year, which means I “deprived” you of a lot of hilarious stories and anecdotes. Pretty much every day I have a “blog worthy moment” either related to wanting to scream in frustration, laugh out loud, cry like a baby or some combination of the three. There have been major highs and other times where it seems Africa is winning most of the rounds, despite best efforts to keep coming out swinging… But I / we can say without question that we feel incredibly blessed and know that we are exactly where God wants us to be. A life less ordinary for sure – and very fulfilling.
Ella: She literally grew three inches in three months this summer. She is now about as tall as Kristen, and has fully transitioned into a 13 year-old (nearly 14) – albeit without the negative aspects. She lobbied successfully for a cellphone and instantly became a master speed texter with her friends. She participates in drama club, is a top student, continues to read at a blistering pace, likes to “parent” her siblings (much to their anguish) but in general is a dream teenage daughter. When she got the role as one of the delinquent kids in the Christmas pageant, Ava commented with a straight face, “It fits her perfectly”. Ah sisters. She has talked us into allowing her to have a Facebook account for Christmas, but with my stipulation she has to be “friends” with her dad. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make to stay in touch with her friends. We are very proud of her and the young woman she is becoming.
Weston: Still and always an American football fanatic. Still quarterbacking the rag tag flag football team I coach at school and carefully tracking his weekly stats. Complains non-stop about our piano lessons requirement (for all kids) but does well with it all the same. I keep telling him it makes him a renaissance man and will be a hit with the girls when he’s older. He asks why I was allowed to quit when I was his age. Do as I say, not as I do. He is part of a boy scout troop here and loves the camping and fishing and good times with friends it provides. He finally succeeded in convincing us he could handle having an Xbox360 and the pajama victory dance when he was surprised with it on Christmas morning was something to behold. Turns out white men can dance after all.
Ava: Her love for animals has only grown stronger – which I wouldn’t have thought possible. We have had eight baby rabbits and eight baby kittens in the five months since we returned from summer break. There are animals everywhere and when not playing with real or stuffed ones, she is talking or reading about them. She did finally allow that she would go to college before her dream of owning a camping car with a horse trailer, pursuing her role rescuing animals across America (I’m assuming its America anyway). And even would now consider getting married as long as the guy agrees with that life dream. She also wants college to be exotic animal training school. She is doing great in school, keeps us constantly laughing with her observations (example: “Eve really messed it up for all of us. If she hadn’t believed that talking snake, we’d all still be able to go around naked with no problem. I mean, I never would have listened to a talking snake. C’mon!”) She loves to ride horses and was excited when the first horses arrived back in Rwanda (since genocide 17 years ago) this year. She takes lessons from a friend twice a month and I love watching her with an ear-splitting grin cantering on a horse high atop Mt. Kigali.
Marcel: One of my favorite memories of him this past year was his first ever bath in a tub: warm water and the loudest, most joyful whoops I’ve ever heard from a human. He has settled so naturally into our family and continues to be one of the most agreeable children I’ve ever experienced. Non-stop talker. This Christmas was his first experience with the idea of Santa Claus. He spent Christmas Eve night nervously wondering when this stranger was going to show up and leave stuff. Apparently a fat man arriving in your room in the dark didn’t have the same comforting feeling that the rest of us are accustomed to. It probably didn’t help that the dressed up Santa he saw earlier that day looked like a bizarre African sheik with a turban and a square balloon belly. But, Marcel is a big fan of Christmas Day for the obvious reasons and loves us all openly and demonstrably! (Of course, he also says, “Bye, I love you!” to the plumber when he leaves.)
Kristen: Seemingly content in any situation. She really takes bloom where you’re planted to heart and is thriving in this African context. She loves our garden, working at the school library, managing our frenetic family, and her new role as mother of four with the addition of Marcel. She has been home-schooling him this year to build his English capability and to catch him up on the basics of letters, numbers, shapes, etc. and is incredibly patient and well suited to the task. A week long walking tour of Wales this summer with some very close friends commemorating turning 40 years young was a huge highlight for her. She was in her element striding across the countryside for miles on end with just a map, compass, and a trail stretching ahead. Always the animal lover, swimming with dolphins in the Indian Ocean and watching Red Colubus monkey troops overhead in Zanzibar were highlights.
Greg: I had a good year in 2011. Highlights were scaling Mt. Karisimbi with my partners and friends, visiting Zanzibar, growing our company, deepening friendships, and I feel unbelievably blessed when I evaluate my reality. Effectively no commute, and when I go to see clients or meet with colleagues its via motorcycle in weather that is summer perfect. I hang with family and friends on a daily basis, playing in a beautiful setting with animals and kids tearing around. I get to do interesting work that benefits the poor and the “least of these” and it is humbling to work alongside businesses that have the potential to make such a marked difference in this country and the lives of its people. I get to work daily with close friends and share a faith at the heart of everything we do. I am loved by a great God and rest in the knowledge that He has our best interest at heart. He is good – All the time. I’m excited to see what’s in store for us in 2012.
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Happy New Year to all – and may you be blessed in 2012! Greg, Kristen, Ella, Weston, Ava, and Marcel
