Come, come sea! You will NOT take me away!

The start of last weekend's festivities. We had all the kids (except the kids back at boarding school) out to Sister Bernice's for the weekend, so we enjoyed many meals together, including yam fu fu on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the Yam Festival currently underway in Ho.

Preparing 20 ground nut butter and jelly sandwiches for a road trip!

Bernice's grandson, Joshua, taking a bath!

Road trip time! We all piled into a VERY nice tro tro (we splurged for a/c even) for a road trip on Saturday. Here was are preparing to leave the house at 8am. We headed out for a three hour trip to visit Elikim and Peace at their schools and head to the ocean!!!! Almost all of the kids have never seen the ocean (or the sea as they refer to it).

Mom gets the front seat with Wallasy! That's our driver, Labista. He was fabulous! Not the typical crazy tro tro driver and very patient with all of us and our many stops!

Here we are stopping at Elikim's school. The boys used the opportunity for a restroom break! The girls at least went behind the building. Momma Carol and I were only slightly better off. 

We picked up Elikim on the way (2nd to right); unfortunately he wasn't feeling so well (but we stopped and got him some medicine). This is at Peace's school in Keta. Notice how the boys and girls separated?

Eating our PB&J sandwiches and drinking some cokes! Aluminum cans is a new luxury these days!

Peace looking through her school bag of goodies, which included some new shoes, dresses, books, and this fun mirror from Tasha (the girls have been loving these and the lip gloss and polish, Jenny)!

Now, to the beach! This is some HOT sand!

The girls slowly approached the water. Patience is one of the only ones that has been (we took her last year), so she is the brave one up front.

Looks like none of them are that brave now! They're running from the incoming wave! They're boldness increased quickly.

The boys were a completely different story! I had to beg them not to get too far in the water (1. they don't know how to swim and 2. the waves were really rough). There were many fishermen along the beach pulling in nets that were far out in the water. So, of course, the boys jumped right in and starting heaving in these ropes!

Playing

Elolo is the reason for post title. Mr. Courage. He would take my hand, have me walk out with him to wait for a wave, dig his feet into the sand, then say Come, come sea! You will not take me away! When that wave approached, both of his hands were squeezing my arm really tight! =) Yep, Mr. Courage! Though I look more surprised by this wave than he does!

Now we're both running from it!

Where are those fish?

We're waiting for the big wave!

Dried off and time to go. =(

Hours later. We're stilling pulling in the nets.

Seriously, are those fish ever coming in?

On the way home. A sweet moment between brothers. Sammy and Elikim.

Momma Carol had a special request from her boy, Wallasy. He asked her specifically to take him for a haircut....I was not invited. Uh??

About to be bald!

Time to make yam fu fu! They're taking boiled yams and pounding them into a almost dough consistency.  It was delicious!

This is Joshua's little sister. Joshua lived with Sister Bernice for a little while last year when his parent's needed help. He comes over to play every day now. His little sister, Christine is 8 and can't hear or speak. She also has a disability that affects her walking. She walked into the yard on Sunday and I almost lost it. She is so precious.

Joshua is taking her back home. He'll carry her on his back for a faster trip.