Shae's log: There goes the neighborhood

As some of you know, when I arrived here in TZ I had already arranged to stay in some serviced apartments here in the bigger city of Arusha. I knew that I couldn't stay here for long as it is too expensive for my budget. However, after meeting Happy again and discovering that my "baby" is gone and "toddler" Happy is here in full effect, I am finding that I LOVE the place where I am currently living. It meets our needs better than I ever imagined.

Although we have had our power out EVERY SINGLE DAY for at least 8-10 hours a day, it hasn't been too bad. Just frustrating. And it requires A LOT of planning for when we do have power. The problem is that a lot of time the power comes on over night and goes off at 8:30 a.m. So, I have to get up early to cook (on my electric stove-- wish I had gas) for the day and boil water for the day for us to drink. Fun fun. However, there is a nice restaurant here on the compound of my apartment so if I get desperate for food and water, I can go there because they have a gas stove for providing food for patrons. LOVE THAT! And Happy eats a lot! Holy man!

The thing I love most about this place is that I feel safe and its a great environment for the Hapster. Happy is all over the place. She is walking and getting better at it everyday. She is almost requiring no assistance and its so cute to see. She plays with the toys I brought her and wanders the apartment pushing or carrying her toys around. This big toddler girl is stuffed into this little teenytiny body. She is still wearing the 6 month clothing I brought her. The 9 month clothing is too big. You can't really tell in pictures, but she's still small. However her size, she is on the go with lots of giggling and smiles.

Here are a few pictures of the mighty Happy and our little corner of the world. She gets quite a lot of attention from the workers on this compound. I get quite a bit of attention in our little neighborhood. "Look at that white person with that black child" they say. "Is she yours? Who is her mama?" is a common question. Sometimes they say it in English with more respect. But most of the time it is said in Kiswahili. Of course, my neighbors haven't quite figured out that I understand them in either language! Its something that I was prepared for and I don't mind. I just hope and pray that as Happy grows, love and acceptance will outweigh questions and prejudice.

I have so much more to tell you about our transition back into each others lives. Unexpected surprises and unnecessary stresses. Much more to come.

Until next time.

~Shae

P.S. Before I forget... THANK YOU to all who have combed the web looking for information on my trip back! I love each of you for all your support. Eventhough I have been away from you all before, it still surprises me and warms my heart to see your interest in my life with Happy. Each of you are such a blessing to me. THANKS A MILLION.