Happy 2006!

There has been a death in my hometown and our hearts groan for Lance's family and friends. We are in prayer for you.

 

September 11th in Ethiopia marks the New Year. (For more info, click here) Ethiopia follows a thirteen month calendar and so with the start of the New Year, we said, "Happy 2006!" and went to bed way before midnight. In general, Ethiopia is considered what is called a "warm climate culture" and is "eastern" in thought. America interacts as a "cold climate culture" and is western in thought. That being said, overall, the culture is highly relation and events are greatly anticipated and celebrated without adhering to a time schedule that drives western culture. While I am doing good in the USA to make it up till midnight to say happy New Year on our January 1st, here, the festivities last all night as the new year is marked at 6:00 am on the first day of the year. 

We joined with our neighbor families for our day off and laughed at our delightfully sad attempts at celebrating an Ethiopian holiday traditionally.

Madison read to the Littles in the morning as she didn't have school and we didn't either! The Littles dressed for the festivities in their Mexican dresses. :)

We walked to a park with the Florek fam and found out it was closed...

Before anyone was too deflated, we suggested ice-cream and all sadness washed away. 

 The Littles were invited over to paint pet rocks with a cool type of rock that floats.

 Charlotte creates the Ethiopian flag...

The Littles did their first "donkey barrel racing"

And we ate foods that didn't mesh well together but were green, red and yellow. :) And strangely enough, it had this cozy family feel.

Thursday we celebrated with our friends who were fasting on Wednesday.

The Littles napped at home during our first invite, we decided too much doro wet in one day might set their stomachs on edge.

We were so delighted to spend time with some neighbors and blessed by their hospitality. However, after round one, Jon and I both felt the effects of the spice. We had a few short hours to recover before dinner. Jon made a nice recovery and…well…I did not. God gave me the grace to go and spend some time with some lovely friends, but needless to say, I was not taking pictures or doing anything beside keeping the Littles' dirty hands off the furniture and praying my stomach could hold strong. 

I have high hopes for 2006.