Catching Up

Well, as you can see from our last post, it's been a long time since I've blogged!! A year and a half! A lot has happened since then...let me catch you up. :)

First of all, we added another member to our family! Caleb Ryan LaRovere was born on December 8, 2011!! Sweet precious boy! He'll be ONE in a few days!!

This little guy has changed our little family in so many wonderful ways. We can't really remember much before him.  We needed a third little boy...we can see that now. He is the sweetest little brother and Jacob and Isaac are obsessed with him! :)

In other news, we have moved across the ocean to Luanda, Angola, AFRICA!! We moved here in July of this year.  Jacob was almost 5 years old, Isaac was close to 4 years old and Caleb was 8 months old. 

I haven't really sat down and blogged, FB'd, emailed, journaled, whatever you want to call it since we've been here because it's so hard to describe.  We've really had an amazing first couple of months here. We've met some wonderful people at the boy's school and at church. Our neighbors are really nice too. We live in a small compound with about 30 houses.  All the families in our compound work at Mark's company. Life inside of the compound is very similar to life back home.

But, outside of the compound is a different story. 

It's very difficult to put into words what you see when you are out around town. I've never seen such poverty in my life. It's really a beautiful city situated on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. But, because of several different factors, including 30 years of civil war, the city is basically in ruins. Most of the city doesn't have access to running water or electricity.  Many people are unemployed or selling goods on the side of the road.

I don't feel scared when I'm out in the city...there is some crime here don't get me wrong. But, I don't live in fear and we're cautious when we're out...just as we would be at home.  The local people here in Luanda are, for the most, warm and welcoming towards us. 

Here are a some pictures from our first few months:

Jacob and Isaac at their school

A small group of houses at the top of a hill...trash all along the side the hill.

A church that we attend in the city

People selling things on the side of the road

These women are amazing, they can balance pretty much anything on their heads! 

Driving to a beach south of Luanda...gorgeous

Beautiful baby at the beach! :) 

More posts to come soon!  Lots of love from Luanda!