Aussie happenings

I arrived home with a clear day off before returning to work.  This passed in a moment, what with unpacking, jet lag, and of course my most amazing boyfriend, who met me at the airport complete with a massive bouquet of flowers.

Lily also met me with lots of kisses, once we got to the house, although was a little less effusive than I expected.  Mind you, after my first overnight back at work, when I got home she was SO excited, she must’ve thought I was going away for a long time again!

This one day off was filled with chores, appointments, baby shopping for little K, and all the food I could possibly eat.  D made slow cooked ribs for my first night back, and they were amazing- especially after a month Vegetarian!

My first day back at work was a little weird to start with.  I felt really rusty but it came back to me quickly!  And, excitingly, D was able to join me on my overnight up in Cairns.  The captain, N, had plans to hire a car and go swimming in the pools at Fishery Falls, so we joined him and had an awesome time.

D was able to join me in the flight deck before the flight home 

It was a really memorable trip - despite all the rain (the rainforest living up to its name), and hopefully we can do more of the same! 

After that trip, I had a day trip, bringing my total flights after my holiday up to six.

Six short sectors... three take offs... three landings... and that was it.

Wednesday morning, we finally made it up Tibrogargan (it was going to be Beerwah but we felt very unfit)

And then... once home I offered to do the washing up while D did other chores, and a wine glass exploded in my hand, slicing into my wrist and cutting a tendon.  I yelled for D, he came quickly out of the office and I ordered him to GET A TOWEL and kept positive pressure on my wrist with my right hand.

D quickly bundled me and the towel into the car and raced off to A&E - unfortunately I forgot my wallet in the rush and chose shoes instead of flip flops, that D then had to struggle to get onto my bare feet before going into the hospital!

Waiting in Emergency 

when the surgeon finally came to see me, he agreed that I had cut a tendon (I could see the white ends) and admitted me to hospital pending surgery.  We were hoping to be processed the same evening, but being on the emergency list meant that we were fairly low priority as obviously if a serious injury or Caesarean came in, we had to wait!

Interim Dave came to visit 

It was past 1500 the next day (Thurs) when they came to take me.  I was petrified, having never had surgery before, and poor D was pretty anxious too.  Thankfully they were all very nice and it didn’t end up being as scary as I thought.  By 1830 (I think) they were taking me back upstairs.

Now sporting a snazzy cast

They let me go home just after 2200 as I was very insistent that I wanted to sleep in my own bed!  Sadly, having cut a tendon, it sounds as though it will be a slow recovery and at the moment I have two months off work.  D is doing half days at the moment so is home every afternoon doing paperwork, so it is nice having him home to help me - as it’s amazing how much you need two hands for!

Last night, almost one week after the accident, we walked up Ngungun for sunset.  Although it wasn’t climbing, it was so nice being out and not trapped in the house.

Everyone has been so supportive, and maybe it will give me more time to blog (with one hand!!)

A Month Later

Wow.

Has it really been almost a month?  I was reminded of my lack of blog by T’s email this morning.  Kenya got crazily busy after returning from the Masai Mara.

I didn’t update then, because it was all Secret, but J&S got a referral from Thailand right before we went to the Mara.  This threw all plans into disarray.  They had planned to be in Kenya at least until the end of the year, obviously all plans were based on the unlikelihood of getting a referral during this time.  When, out of the blue, the phone call came, everything went into overdrive.

I managed to extend my trip by five days to the end of the month, and days became crazily long stretches of school prep - broken only by school and meal prep!  S worked late into the nights trying to write schemes for classes and organise the school for her absence, and at the same time look (and hope) for a replacement.  Unfortunately at this point in time there isn’t yet a replacement but the teachers are holding the fort themselves.

Ira, making clay letters

Precious, bouncing on the ball I brought 

Gaitin (top) and Eric in white shirts trying to show off for me... and lots of other kids

It was quite emotional towards the end of the trip knowing that not only was I leaving but also, a few days afterwards, S&J would also be going.  They have to be in Ireland for at least a year with the new baby before the adoption is finalised.  In fact, at this moment in time, they have just arrived in Thailand and are visiting the orphanage in just a few hours!

Saying goodbye to Bravine 

Saying goodbye to Bravine was incredibly hard.  I just wanted to bundle him into my suitcase and bring him home.  He is such an incredible kid and deserves so much more.  At just six, he is in second grade, full of life, mischief, and has the funniest snickering laugh.  He has a very tough home life, needs a lot of loving, and I hope he will be okay.  I will be continuing to sponsor him.

All too soon, my stay in Kenya drew to a close.  I finished school prep a day before I left so thankfully could take a breath to pack, and it was a little easier saying goodbye to my sister knowing that I would be visiting in September.  

I hope that I will see Kenya, and all these awesome little kids, again!  (Especially as D wants to come too!)