digging deeper for this one...but not too deep

I've done so little writing about anything deeper than what's been cooking in my kitchen lately that I'm afraid I've lost a little of the feeling in the blog.  I've been very busy with Ladytroupe Sweets lately and it has left little time for me to sit and blog about much.

So the truth is that Ethiopia has changed in status from "new country we live in" to "home" and this is a good thing.  We're just living here now so there isn't as many exciting ideas to blog about as the first 12 months when everything we did is brand new and blog worthy.  We revisit our favorite restaurants and day drives.  We hike Entoto and attend birthday parties and school events.  I'm making grocery lists for my driver and checking out new vegetable stands every week.  The girls are coming home to run in the garden and play with the dogs.  Ethiopia has become our comfortable home now.  We love the slow-paced lifestyle that Addis Ababa allows us.  This is mostly because there aren't a lot of options for families on the weekends.  We end up spending a lot of wonderful time just being together and lounging in the sun reading while the kids play.

We've finished our spring birthday celebration series.  Addie's 6th birthday party was this past Saturday and I have a few months to relax before the next party.  It's a lot of work but so much fun.  Now, I have some extra time to try out some new recipes I've been collecting and tie up some loose ends with my photography projects with clients.  School is out in 2 weeks and from there we are going to take a family vacation for a few weeks.  We are very much looking forward to this trip.

This is officially the time of year when I feel a bit antsy and tired at the same time.  Addis Ababa has it's ups and downs when it comes to daily life and errands.  While Addis has become "home" for us, we are constantly reminded of our friends and family in the States (which is truly home) and sometimes we feel a longing for the home we imagine for our family there.  It's an interesting balance between loving our home we currently have in the country where we currently reside and missing a home in the US that doesn't exist yet.

I hesitate to complain on the blog about the things we find challenging here but the truth is that sometimes the dirty city with all the wild streets full of darting pedestrians and lined with corrugated metal store fronts feels like it's closing in on us.  Like we might be consumed by the bustling city.  We are feeling the need to turn on the tap water and gulp down luscious glasses of clean potable water.  I know it's silly but I desperately want to pay money for milk by the gallon!  I'm dying to browse a book store.  These are all things that indicate at this time of the year (and about half way through our time in any country) that it's time to take a vacation and regroup so we can return "home" to Addis with clear heads and a plan for the remaining 12 months.  

Luckily the weather here is just glorious.  The sun is warm and shines bright during the day.  Burst of rain clouds come through and kill the mosquitoes and clear the smog from the sky.  We race around the yard picking up discarded t-shirts and books before the thunder storm hits and then we all stand huddled at the front door in awe of the heavy rain and hail that falls in buckets where just moments before there was sunshine.  The sun here in Addis always returns and gives us an endless supply of hope!  I wonder if Ethiopians feel the same way about the sun here.  It's truly one of the most amazing things about this country.

I guess all that babbling was to say that I'm happy.  The girls are happy.  The man of the house is happy here in Ethiopia.  But it's time to take a family trip to leave some of our frustrations behind for a short time so that we can be better prepared to deal with them for our final year here in Addis.