Good Morning

Hello everyone. We did make it to Omaha, NE. Last Monday, we had the girls' doctor's appointment in the morning, clearing them to fly, and at about 5pm we found out that we could get out that night on the 11:30pm flight. We left for the airport at 7:30pm Nairobi time (11:30am in Omaha) and arrived in Omaha at 7:30pm Tuesday night.
If I'm over jet lag and calculating correctly, that's 32 hours of travel. Other fun numbers:
12 checked bags
6 carry on bags
4 children 4 and under
at least 4 times through security checks, including full body checks in London and all carry on bags THOROUGHLY checked
we rode 3 planes, 2 trains, 1 bus
And 11 people greeted us at the airport.
So, we made it safely. All things considered, the travel went very well. Many, many prayers were answered as we flew and we are so thankful to the Lord for his provision.
We are planning to be in Omaha till June 9, then to Chicago for a few days and then home to St. Louis Park. Our house is on the market, so depending on when it sells, our plans may change.
Babies are calling-gotta go.

Holding Pattern

We were hoping to announce that we are safely back to the United States, BUT instead we are safe in Nairobi. Makena and Naomi are sick for the first time and have a respiratory virus. Their pediatrician said that it was not safe for them to fly until they get better. They do not have to be hospitalized, Praise God!!

We uneventfully moved out of our home in Machakos last Saturday and have been staying at Mayfield Guesthouse since then. Thankfully, this home away from home has room for us to stay. Mayfield is the same guesthouse where we vacationed in December. The staff, rooms, and playroom are familiar, as are some of the faces that pass through. My favorite part about staying here is meeting incredible people that do incredible things all over Africa. (And I sure don't mind that I don't have to cook or wash dishes). It's amazing to hear what God is doing and to see all the different sorts of people that God uses!

So, we don't know when we are returning to the US. Makena and Naomi see their doctor again on Monday. If we get permission to fly, we should be back to the States by the night of May 30th. Many of the flights for British Airways are full for next week and their flight attendants have decided to strike. We will try to keep everyone posted about when we get to fly, but if something suddenly opens up and we can get our family of 6 and our 14 bags to the airport in time to fly, then we are going to go for it! We look forward to seeing friends and family again.

Thank you all for your continued prayers. We will see so many of you soon.

3 months plus 3 days and lots of smiles

No, that's not how long till we come back to the United States. Makena Elizabeth and Naomi Rebecca are 3 months plus 3 days old today. They now weigh 11 pounds 14 ounces and 11 pounds 5 ounces, respectively. Makena continues to be a bit bigger.

As of Wednesday, our girls are proud recipients of US passports! That means that we get to bring them home. (As if we would leave them behind).
Makena on left and Naomi on right.










Isaiah sports his graduation outfit. Graduation was last Friday and it was a good time. The previous President of Kenya, Moi, was the guest speaker and arrived by helicopter.














Isaiah specifically asked if I would show you this butterfly from our backyard.












The girls LOVE to smile these days. This is Naomi. Five seconds before I took this picture, she was crying. Thankfully, they are never sad for long.













Todd with his girls. Makena on left and Naomi on the right. We are currently of the opinion that the girls are probably identical. We won't know for sure unless they start to look really different or if we have a DNA test done.













Jenny holds the girls out on the back patio. They decided that they had had enough of watching their brothers in the pool. Naomi is in my arms and Makena is lounging.















Nathanael takes a quick break from swimming. That's a water tank in the background that collects all the rainwater from the roof.















Isaiah loves "swimming!" The chair is NOT a diving board, it only holds up the side of the pool.













Nate and Isaiah hanging out in the pool.

















Naomi lounging in backyard during boys swim-time.


















Makena lounging also.



















Todd, Isaiah, and Nate showing off crowns.




















Naomi grins for a 3 month old picture.




















The girls pose together. Makena on left, Naomi on right.

Happy Easter From the Hilkemanns

Good Friday

Thinking about how Jesus died on a cross for my sins. I'm so glad that wasn't the end of the story.

We are doing okay here. It has been wonderful to have family come. My mom, Becky, came for the month of February and that was wonderful. She got to be with me for the last and most difficult part of my pregnancy, the ten days that I was in the hospital and the first week out of the hospital with the girls. God's timing is so perfect. The day after my mom left, the boys, the girls and I all moved back to Machakos. It is great to be with Todd full-time again.
Todd's mom, Julie, and his Aunt June came a week after my mom left. June stayed three weeks and I can't tell you how thankful I am that she came. She is a delight to be around and helped so much. Julie has just a handful of days left of her 5 1/2 weeks here. Julie is a great mother-in-law. I'm so thankful that we aren't at odds with one another. Having family here with us during this time of great transition has been very special. We got to introduce three family members to Africa. The only drawback of having them is that now we are more lonesome for our home in the States. We wish all our friends and family could visit, but we will be back soon enough.
Other news is that we have been dealing with minor, irritating health issues. Todd, Isaiah and Nathanael have all had boils, but are thankfully all healing now. Todd and I have had some back troubles and fevers, but none of us have gotten malaria.
Overall, we are doing fine. We are wondering about the future and learning to be patient and to not complain (again). Some lessons have to be learned a few times. It can be funny, in an ironic way, to listen to Todd and I trying to parent the boys because we say things repeatedly that God has had to teach us a few times. Parenting is a humbling experience.
The girls are doing very well. They were 8 weeks old yesterday. At 6 1/2 weeks their weights were up to 8 pounds 4 ounces for Makena (from 4 pounds 10 ounces at birth) and 7 pounds 6 ounces for Naomi (from 4 pounds 5 ounces at birth). They get up two to three times a night and are staying awake more and more. We still don't know if they are identical or fraternal and we may never know. They look alike but with the almost 1 pound weight difference it makes them look a little different. We have kept Naomi's toes painted just to make sure we weren't switching the babies around. The girls are just starting to smile and that is so much fun. The girls love to be held. Makena smiles a bit more and is my more vigorous eater. She loves to push her head back to see more when she is being held. Naomi seems just a bit fairer of complexion and is my "gourmet" eater. Both girls are very content and beautiful, if you ask me.

New Challenges

We have some obvious new challenges now that we have the twins, but I'm encountering an unexpected challenge. In just over two months, we are booked for a flight back to the United States. I feel like I'm mentally checking out. I'm making plans for when I'm back in the States. I'm wondering what we will be doing and where we will be living. I'm calculating what I will miss and what I will not miss about this country of Kenya. None of this is wrong but it bothers me because I still have more than two months left here. I hope that there is more to accomplish. There is plenty to do on one week and two week mission trips. How can I best utilize my last two months as a missionary in Kenya? I don't know yet. In chapel this past week, Todd made the announcement to the students that we would be returning to the United States in May. I saw the expressions of sadness on some of the students faces that I know and I was sad too. I don't want to stay another school year, but that's probably because we don't feel that God is asking us to stay. We planned to come one school year and now it is almost done. It is nearly time to return. Why am I conflicted and writing this? Probably for a number of reasons. I'm a little sleep deprived, I'm more lonely for home now that family has come to visit, and I don't know if I've accomplished the purpose for which I was called to Kenya for ten months.

...one month later

Hello everyone!! We have not meant to ignore you or keep you in the dark about life here in Kenya, we have just been busy. Imagine that! The short story is that we are all doing well. The girls are growing and are healthy. The boys are active, busy and healthy. Todd is teaching and mentoring. Today is the last day of a long weekend that constitutes mid-semester break for the students. Todd is almost caught up on grading. I (Jenny) am doing well. Much of my day is spent nursing the girls and caring for them. In addition, I referee the boys and work on directing and redirecting them. Todd's mom Julie and his Aunt June are here helping. They are doing most of the cooking, laundry and dishes. That is a HUGE help to me! They will get to go on safari this coming Sunday and are taking the boys, so that should be great fun.




They sleep well in the same bed.












The girls all dressed up and "talking."
















Grammie Julie holding the two newest granddaughters.


















I must like this picture since I uploaded it twice.


















Naomi holding her babydoll.


















Naomi on left and Makena on right.












Naomi (left) Makena (right) "holding" their first dollys!












Makena getting a bucket bath. Don't worry the water is warm! :)


















Naomi getting a bucket bath.













Jenny and the four kids. Isaiah, Nathanael, Makena, and Naomi.












Isaiah delighting to hold his sisters.

Facebook uploaded photos

Facebook would take my photos today, but not Blogger. You can click on the title of this blog "Facebook Uploaded Photos" and follow the link and see more photos of the girls ... and the rest of the family too.