Baking Bread and town

It's already been over 2 weeks since I blogged last! It seems like time is just flying by! A lot has gone on so I guess I will just pick some highlights. Right after the last blog, Gail Dooley invited me to her house to learn how to make bread. (Not that I hadn't attempted before...I had just failed miserably.) My husband will tell you that (for him) going to the Dooley bread making academy is the best decision I have made in my entire life...next to marrying him, of course. I love this picture though because it shows what I have to go through EVERY time I make bread. (Notice the little hands reaching into the dough ball on either side. I am constantly batting them away...along with two other big hands!) i've gotten pretty good at cranking out bread though, and I have decided I will hold my own breadmaking academy when I return....or make lots of bread and just sell it.

As for all of the other days- during the week the boys and I just do alot of hanging out and playing with the other kids on the station. There are two little guys here, Aiden and Wiley, and the Dooley girls. He really likes the girls, but is conflicted on whether or not he can admit it. You'll have to read Ben's blog for more on that.

Today a group of us went to town and we had a pretty good time. Thane loved not sitting in a car seat. The excitement was a little too much for him though and he crashed on Sam's (Dr. Bennett's son) lap. Caleb stayed back at Aunt Cathy's house to play with a couple other friends. I was incredibly proud of myself today at the store though. As I reached to pick up a package of noodles, a roach came crawling over it. I patiently waited for him to cross the package then picked up what I needed. Then I just kind of giggled that it was no big deal that there were roaches in the store. Even weirder (I don't know if that's a word but I'm using it) I find myself truly longing to live here... I can't believe we are over halfway through this trip!

It's getting late, so I'll fill in the rest of the time gap in pictures and captions...

We always walk everywhere, obviously, so whenever Thane wants to go outside he will line up our shoes and call us to them accordingly.

We like to go down to the river and hang out. This is a picture of Ethan and David "floating down". It looks deep, but really it's no more than a foot. They like to go up river and then walk on their hands back. They say it's fun, but then they complain of all of the rocks hitting them in the stomach, legs, etc. Doesn't sound too much fun to me. :)

This is at the canteena on the station. We like to walk there with the Dooley girls or meet the Riggins boys there and have a pop. The missionary kids like to get something called a doughball. I tried it once- it's dough fried in grease. Nothing else. I didn't finish mine....in fact I only took one bite and I was good for a lifetime. :)

Caleb and Thane posing. They are always this nice to each other and they are always smiling. Always.

Ben and I took Caleb tbung down a relatively calm area in the river. I was terrified we were going to flip and was paddling very hard with my left hand. This is when I lost my gold band. Let me know if you see it in the picture so I can go back and get it. Thanks.