Today we said good-bye to Hugo's parents. It was so nice to visit with family and to have them experience some of what our life here is like.

Earlier in the week we went to General McArthur's lookout. Of course the monument with the covered picnic area was closed... but we had a mat in our car and made do at a different lookout spot.

On New Years day one of the ladies on base organized a water balloon fun afternoon. The eight kids from the new school Pelita Harapan (kids from a village interior are brought here to go to a school run by expats) also came. They were pretty excited to be a part of this and some had their very first juice box ever that afternoon.

On the homefront we are on the third week of the kdis Christmas break. They aren't too bored yet...

Last weekend we finished installing a water tank along our fence. We put a tap through the fence so that anyone who needs water can just get some. So far this new system seems to be working quite well. It is a lot less stressful than having everyone come up to our door all day long. There is a school nearby and often when the kids are on their way home they are thirsty and would like a drink. Now they can help themselves. I feel bad for these kids as they aren't sent to school with a drink and a snack like our kids... As far as I know there is no drinking water available at the school either. One day I hope to make a visit to the school and check things out.