More Kathleen Pics

Kathleen Africa Pics

Kathleen spent lots of time at Neema House, an orphanage in Arusha with lots of beautiful babies!  More on their website here -> http://www.tanzaniaorphanhelp.com/Neema_House_Arusha.html

Africa Awesome List

What follows is a list of the awesome things we did and experienced during our 6 month sabatical in Arusha, Tanzania:

• Working with many local technology businesses, mentoring staff and sharing tips, tools and advice with them.
• Putting our kids into the International School of Moshi and really seeing them apply themselves in a new environment.
• Going to TGT (the local health and fitness club) on Friday night will all of our friends to watch football (soccer) and rugby and enjoy 2 for 1 drinks from 6-7.
• Going to Shanga where disabled people create beautiful crafts and we got to take part in glass blowing.
• Visiting Diani Beach in Kenya and Pangani in Tanzania and finding out that we love staying at homes, so much less expensive then hotels and so nice to really relax.
• Seeing my kids get very involved with sports such as swimming and rugby. 
• Visiting Maji Moto (the Hot Springs) outside Moshi where the kids could do back flips off of the tree swing and try to swim down in the cave.
• Enjoying the weather which was wonderful for the first 5 months and then started to actually get cold in June and July.
• Engaging with friends and neighbors over dinner regularly and having fascinating conversation about cultural differences, local politics and raising children.
• Going fishing at Lake Dulati with Stephen and bringing home dinner for our family.
• Mountain biking with my wife in the hills ascending Mount Meru.
• Visiting the Snake Park and taking camel rides to the local Masaii bomas.
• Camping at Lake Chala and avoiding the crocodiles when swimming.
• Having Kathleen coach the local swim team and do one-on-one swim coaching with kids.
• Visiting Rotary Club meetings on Monday night and Wednesday afternoon.
• Having Mack's good friend, Nigel, come out to visit for 2 weeks.
• Seeing the new Plaster House get finished.
• Getting volunteer visas so that we could work at the local orphanage, Neema House, and I could help out mentor businesses.
• Spending Wednesdays getting car fixed (this was a weekly chore that I looked forward to and was necessary because of the roads around Arusha).

Visiting Tarangire Game Park in Tanzania

 Last time when we visited the game parks of Tanzania we traveled over 1600 kms over the course of 8 days.  This time we invited my parents out and visited just one park, Tarangire, and spent 4 days there which was terrific.  Not much driving and got to see all sorts of wonderful animals.  What a great experience.

Only in Africa!

As if there was too much information for 1 book?!?

Jessica Prom Pictures

 Our baby went with her boyfriend, Matt, to Prom this last weekend and here are a few of their pictures. Isn't she cute!

She is finishing her Junior year back in Evergreen, Colorado and planning on joining us in June for a couple weeks prior to our return to the US in July.  She has been focused on her school work and taking the necessary tests to get into the school she desires.  Currently she is looking at the Pacific Northwest, considering Reed and Lewis & Clark, among others.  We have her working with a wonderful college coach who is helping her select a school that works with her personality and her ambitions.  She really likes sciences and is thinking pre-med at this point.
Her mother misses her terribly and can't wait for her to come out and see us. Kathleen was crying this morning looking at these pictures of her baby. That last picture includes a picture of Frank, our wonderpug, who is living with Karen and Charlie Larson where Jessica is staying while we are gone.  They are an amazing family that loves our daughter very much (Jessica is living with their daughter, Becca, who is one of her best friends).

Team Allen Climbs Mt Meru

On March 23rd Stephen, Mack, Kathleen and I climbed Mt Meru, an almost 15,000 ft mountain in Tanzania. The 5th largest mountain in Africa. It was extremely difficult and on the 3rd day we made the summit at 6 AM, having started our climb at 1:20 AM.  The view from the top was amazing and we had a wonderful look at Kilimanjaro which is 40 kilometers away.  Check out our video that Mack and Stephen helped me put together:

Click this Video Link -> http://youtu.be/wdWjITY7k1o

Love, Ben