Living In The Land Of Smiles

Funny Things I Heard Them Say

2009-11-17T22:26:00.002+07:00

The other day, after intently listening to the story of Adam and Eve and how they first sinned, Daniel looked up at me with his very serious eyes and said, "Mom, Satan is a jerk, and a liar, too!"

And in response to my Thai aunt (whose English is the Australian brand) when she mentioned Helen's mummy, "That's not right! A mummy is a dead person in Egypt!" Oh, thank you, classical education!

Sam just turned 2. I know, I know, where did those 2 years go? And little Abi slept 7.5 hours last night! Life is good.

2009-11-06T10:22:00.002+07:00

Something to think on:

The Shortest, Surest Way to Happiness

Jabberwocky

2009-11-05T22:24:00.004+07:00

For those of you who had Miss Taylor for English at BRCS, and maybe for some of you who didn't, this poem may hold fond memories.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Daniel, Helen and I read it together for the first time a couple of days ago. It delights my heart now as the grow through the house attacking the Jabberwock and speaking of the Jubjub birds...

1st Grade and Pre K in our house

2009-10-29T15:56:00.000+07:00

I thought there might be one or two people who would like to see what we are doing this year for school. Really, I feel like I am in my element with homeschool. I absolutely love it. Every part of it, nearly. I love to read books about homeschooling, look through catalogues from homeschool companies, and plan every aspect of our curriculum.

We are using the Well Trained Mind approach ( a classical education meaning you teach the student how to learn) and meshing it with Sonlight books. We are now completing are 6th week and I can't believe how fast it is flying by. I think we are all having fun, but I am sure I am having the most fun!

Daniel is technically PreK and we are really stressing the basics, ABC's, counting, fine motor skills for writing. This kid could color and draw all day and loves any and all super heroes. Buckling down for school is really not his idea of a good time, but he is plugging away at it. We don't push him too hard yet. He joins Helen for Bible time and then does a little pencil excercise to help him get ready to write, works on his counting or ABC's, and then I try to read to him a bit.

Now that Helen is in 1st grade, I feel like to she is finally in school for "real." She has Bible time with Daniel. We are working through Leading Little Ones to Christ. It's a great basic theology for early elementary. While I read the lesson, they listen and draw in their Bible notebooks. Then it is on to handwriting practice which is the verse that she is memorizing at the time. Currently she is finishing up Psalm 1.

Then we switch gears to reading time. She has a book that she reads alone, then I question her on comprehension. Then I read aloud to her. Right now we are reading Homer Price. Such a cute story. She also a very short basic grammar lesson and spelling work.

Next is history. We are taking a very fun journey through the ancients this year. Like so many others I have talked to, I didn't really enjoy history when I was in school. Now, it is my favorite subject to study with Helen. We have spent the last six weeks learning about Ancient Egypt--pyramids, mummies, pharoahs and more. We have built our own pyramid with sand blocks, written on clay tablets using cunieform writing, and made clay seals like they had in ancient times. Helen is building a history notebook full of narrations from what she has learned, coloring pages, maps and her own artwork. She is also working on a time line book.

In science this year we are introducing animals, the human body, and plants. Just like history, we are making a science notebook of all the things we are learning and the experiments we do.

For math I am using Rightstart and really enjoying it. It is a hands on program that helps the student really understand numbers not just memorize facts.

On top of all of the this, Helen and Daniel have begun Thai school in the mornings. We are seeing improvement in their ability to understand and speak Thai. Helen is even writing Thai now.

More on Abi

2009-09-06T21:34:00.005+07:00

Pun put up the last post for me, which I am very grateful for, otherwise you wouldn't be seeing any pictures until now. I am still figuring out what our new "normal" looks like with 4 instead of 3. All you who have larger families, I can hear you smirking! :) Anyway, as with all our births, Abi decided to come late. She was our earliest birth, though, at just 6 days late! She was also my easiest and shortest labor. In fact, my friend who helped us with her birth began to call people in for her birth when I thought I still had a few hours to go. She was born 15 minutes later. And she was our smallest baby. She is such a sweet, petite little thing. The first night she only squeaked like a kitten when she woke to eat!

Our Sweet Abi...

Truly, we have all fallen head over heals for Abi. She is so easy to care for and so much fun to hold and kiss. All 3 of her brothers and sister are in love with her and fight for turns to hold her.

Helen, Daniel, and Sam

Abi and Helen share the same due date (Aug 20) so we were wondering if they would share their birthday as well. That didn't quite happen, so 4 days after Abi was born we celebrated Helen's 6th birthday with lots of friends and family.

Helen, Daniel, Sam, and Abi on Helen's birthday.

Today Helen started 1st grade and Daniel Preschool. It was a bit crazy as I am trying to figure out a new curriculum in combination with Sonlight. I think it will be a great year once I get the logistics down.

Throw in a visit from Grandma and Grandpa from Utah, some extra outings to the Crocodile Farm and Elephant Island with them and we are keeping busy.

Abigail Anne Birth Announcement

2009-08-27T07:50:00.003+07:00

Dear friends,
After 6 hours of active labor (not to mention 6 days past the due date) we welcomed Abigail Anne to the world on August 26 at 16:21 (GMT +7). She came out without a cry and started to nurse right away! Merri had a good night of sleep after only 2 hours of rest the night before. Helen, Daniel and Samuel were excited. Helen couldn't contain herself from such joy to have a little sister. Abigail was 7 lbs. 4 oz. (3.3 kgs). She was born at home, completely natura

Home Improvements

2009-04-02T11:01:00.007+07:00

Sam, 16 months, hanging out on the patio.

We have been in our new house, it's hard to believe, for a year and 4 months! Over the months we have been making progress, not steadily, but in spurts. Lately, lots of exciting things have been happening...

This is our front patio area. Pun put down concrete tiles and we added a table and chairs. We sometimes eat breakfast or lunch out here. It is very well shaded so it feels sort of secluded and cozy. Most recently, Pun "planted" this stump in the flower bed and then put in flowers.

We put down rocks in all the little areas where there was only dirt and then planted creeping vines to grow on the walls.

Ok, so don't look in the planter here. Look at the planter. It wasn't there before and it represents several hours of sweat and back breaking work on a very hot summer day for Pun. This wall runs along the back of our yard. The kitchen window faces it. When I do dishes this is what I see. Before we put the planter in a couple weeks back we had been throwing all our "compostable" garbage here and it was looking pretty ugly! I hated staring at it every day. But, in all that we threw out there to compost, several plants began to grow on there own including a nice tomatoe plant which has already given us 8 tomatoes (and we didn't do a thing!) What you see is what has grown up on its own, except for a couple little plants we stuck in there to see what would happen. This will be a little vegetable garden as soon as we go pick out our plants.

Our bedroom has been the last on the "honey-do" list for so many reasons, but lately we have begun to tackle it and I am so excited about this room! We have it almost all the way painted. It was supposed to be red, but when the red paint that we chose actually went up, oh boy, it was a mistake:

So we changed to a brick red terracotta sort of color. It is beautiful! (the picture really doesn't do it justice)

I would say we are 70% done. I am waiting for Pun to help me move some heavy furniture so I can finish.

This last weekend Pun put up wood shelves that he made for the two recessed spaces on either side of our balcony doors. I have been waiting and hoping for these for weeks (months, actually!) and I couldn't be more thrilled with how they turned out. Now the hard task of organizing them to be beautiful and functional awaits.

We are planning to work more this Saturday...I can hardly wait to see what we will get done!!

For Bakers and Sweet Tooths

2009-03-26T12:51:00.000+07:00

Yesterday I had a craving for some cinnamon rolls. I had seen a few mentions on line of a certain cinnamon roll recipe that was to die for. So I tried. Oh my...

Well, I loved them, my kids were crazy about them and, here is the clincher...even Pun (who doesn't eat my desserts) was licking his fingers. I even caught him sneaking downstairs later for one more! I made a big pan and a little pan of these and we polished off the big pan in about 10 minutes. Ouch!

We ate up the little pan for breakfast this morning. I thought I should have a picture to show you but this is all I have...

Oh, and did I mention they are easy-peasy! It is a recipe for those who are afraid of making anything involving yeast. No kneading involved and it turned out to be the softest and lightest dough I have ever made. It is very simple. I did cut this recipe down to a fourth (just in case you are wondering how we put away so many cinnamon rolls!) And the frosting is made with coffee. Yummy! The great thing about making these for me is that all the ingredients are easy for me to get (except the maple flavoring, I substituted vanilla) and they are also inexpensive. I am in the process (and I think that this will take years) of learning to cook with the different ingredients and methods for food prep available here to produce the foods I love. This recipe is a keeper!

Hello again (part 2)

2009-03-25T13:57:00.006+07:00

I meant to do all this in one post, but then my pictures messed up and it was just easier to separate it into two posts.

So, I was saying, shortly after we got home from Chaing Rai, my parents came for a visit. The kids were counting down the days until Grandma and Grandpa arrived. Having my mom here was such a help. She really took care of our family while I felt so pukey.

Helen and Daniel took some walks down our street with Grandpa.

We also spent some time painting, which was a lot of fun because Grandma and Grandpa painted! What you will do for your grandkids...

Daniel turned 4 while my parents were here. We celebrated the ususal way with cake

and presents.

Helen couldn't wait to try on Daniel's new pirate suit!

Sam really bonded well with my Dad and my Mom.

At the crocodile farm...crazy man putting his head in the croc's mouth and the kids and Mom holding a baby tiger.

Helen showing off her Northern Thai Tribal costume

We have also been hard at work trying to get more done on our house. It is amazing how much time it seems to take! Such a long list of projects I have for Pun (and me, too) to "finish" house. Our favorite phrase these days is "little by little". I will post pictures of this soon.

So I am back online. There is much to tell. I will try to be faithful and continue sharing.

Hello again

2009-03-24T11:28:00.015+07:00

Yes, yes, I know it has been awhile. Of course, lots of things have been going on since I last wrote. The main reason I have been away so long (if you don't already know) is that I am 19 weeks pregnant. I have finally reached a point of "normalcy" in this pregnancy. It seemed to take me longer this time to get over the morning sickness and I have just been so tired. I am due late August and we are so excited to meet another new baby!

Though I have been under the weather we have still kept relatively busy. Over the new year we went with our dear friends up to the village where they have been working for years writing down the people's language and then translating the Bible book by book as well as several other cultural type books. It was, to say the least, a fascinating experience and one that endeared us to these people. Here are a few pictures:

The annual Christmas party for everyone in the village

A guest at the party

Going on a hike through rice fields

Daniel and his best buddy

Northern Thai children performing music at the market

Burmese monks at the Thai-Burmese border

And of course, a few wild life pictures. One sad little gecko who just lost his tail!

And a very large spider in the tree.

1000 More Reasons Come Visit Us

2008-12-15T22:47:00.002+07:00

Check this out!

2008-11-24T14:26:00.005+07:00

We are now 11 weeks into Helen's kindergarten year. Wow! We are having a great time. Even before we moved to Thailand I longed to home school. Now, it is nearly a necessity. I do think that I might be just a bit more excited about it all than Helen. Daniel hangs out with us for as long as his interest lasts. He's only 3 1/2 so some days that's not long at all.

Here is a typical day for us:

* Bible story, one hymn (we usually spend about 3 weeks working on the first verse of a well known hymn), and Bible verse for the week

* Read Alouds: this usually includes a Mother Goose poem and a fable or another short story

* Either a Science or a Social Studies read aloud. We are currently reading from a Berenstein Bears Science book, and an Usborne book about different kinds of jobs people do

* An early learning worksheet

* And occasionally, a fun hands on project/game

This lasts anywhere from 30-90 minutes, depending on the interest level.

After lunch when Sam and Daniel take naps Helen and I work on:

*Handwriting

*Math

*Thai

*Spelling

*Reading

*Art

*Memorizing Poetry

Though it looks like a lot, we don't usually spend more than 10-15 minutes on any one thing and we certainly don't tackle everything everyday! Our afternoon session is about an hour.

We are using Sonlight and though at first I had other plans for home school, this has turned out to be a great fit for us now. It is a literature based history program, meaning that history is the base of the curriculum with lots of period literature added in. For the most part "living books" (books written by one author who is knowledgeable and writes from his love/interest on the subject) are used instead of textbooks. Also, it does a great job with world cultures and missions. It is a curriculum well known for its excellent choice in books. If you love to read to your children, the Sonlight catalog is a great resource for finding books worth reading.

Bonnie and Clyde

2008-11-24T14:13:00.006+07:00

My One Year Old

2008-11-18T23:06:00.008+07:00

One tired little boy...

One adorable lady bug birthday cake filled with chocolate chips inside...

One fat little belly from a day full of eating...

Happy Birthday to my One Year Old!

September, October, November

2008-11-14T09:41:00.004+07:00

These are the months that I am the most homesick for Utah. Living in the tropics. Hmmm...no fall colors, no snow. For a few brief days, we get some cool weather. Those days came early this year. And when they hit, I felt like a new woman! I was energized and ready to take on all kinds of projects. I was baking and cleaning and creating! Well, the temperature is spiking unfortunately, but I have hopes it will drop again.

When the fall months hit, I get this silly desire to bake apples and light candles and pretend it is cold out, even if is 90 degrees and 70% humidity. When the coolness came last week we didn't have to pretend so much as we sipped our apple cider. I found this Starbuck's knock-off recipe and it was a hit with my kids and even Pun!

Caramel is scarce here so we boiled some sweetened condensed milk in the can for a few hours, and wa-la! Something like caramel pours out. The whole experience was yummy and quite nostalgic for me.

Starbuck's Caramel Apple Cider (as copied straight from the web)

For one mug:

Fill a mug nearly to the top with apple cider/juice. Add 1/2 stick cinnamon. Put mug in microwave for 2 minutes and walk away.

Ten minutes later, remember there is a mug in the microwave. Remove cinnamon stick and decide cider isn't warm enough. Microwave 1 minute more. (You could be less distracted than I am, but then your cinnamon wouldn't have a chance to steep into your cider. Perhaps you could warm it on the stove?)

Add a nice squeeze of Smucker's Caramel Sundae Topping (conveniently packaged in an upside down squeeze bottle)--I add 1 to 1 1/2 TBSP. Stir briskly. Top with canned whipped cream and sprinkles if desired.

A bottle of apple juice and the caramel topping cost less than a grande from Starbucks!

Healthy Snacks

2008-11-12T00:24:00.007+07:00

I have one child who would prefer to eat only fruits and vegetables. She tells me after a few bites of ice cream that she has had enough. She would agree that sugar is not good for you. I know. She really can't be mine. This child definitely belongs to Pun.

Then I have another child. He's a sweet boy. He wakes up in the morning with a silly grin thinking about candy. He will warn me not to eat all of the cookies (ice cream, cake, candy, ...) so there will more for him later. For him, there is only one food group--sugar. The rest is complimentary. Now, this is my child.

Children in Thailand typically do not eat sweet things. Or at least they do not crave them the way my son does. They eat things like seaweed chips or squid-on-a-stick as seen being sold by this lady.

Just seconds before I took this next picture, the little boy behind the girl in a pink dress was tearing into his squid stick. Seriously, I thought he was going to growl. My kids watched in shock, not convinced that it was as delicious as these children made it look.

So imagine my surprise when my children (both the responsible one and the one like me) began eating Taro. What is Taro?

Well, it is made of flour and fish and pressed into long, thin, dry strips. It tastes fishy. Apparently, this package is Bar-B-Q flavor. My kids don't like fish, they tell me. But they love this stuff. I think some of it is made from squid. These days it is not uncommon for me to hear:

"Mom, do we have any 'quid'?"
"Yes."
"Oh, good!"

I watch him tear into it with a big sweet smile, but I am not so convinced that is as delicious as he makes it look.

Dear Grandma and Grandpa

2008-11-12T00:10:00.004+07:00

I can walk!

Love,
Sam

2008-10-17T10:07:00.000+07:00

I know I haven't been around much. And I won't be for a little while longer. We are leaving today for a border town near Laos. Pun has another conference to attend there and I am so thankful we can all go with him. We will be gone for 9 days. It is a region of Thailand I have never seen before so I am very excited to be going for that reason as well.

When we get back, I hope to post about the trip as well as our homeschooling adventures. I love homeschooling! In just 7 short weeks I am hooked! My only problem so far is time management--hence no blogs lately!

Gotta run!

Proverbs 16

2008-10-17T10:06:00.001+07:00

I just can't get out of Proverbs. I have been reading it for nearly a year but it is still so fresh to me. This morning, in Proverbs 16:

1 The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the LORD weighs the motives.

3 Commit your works to the LORD
And your plans will be established.

4 The LORD has made everything for its own purpose,
Even the wicked for the day of evil.

5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD;
Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

6 By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,
And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.

7 When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

8 Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice.

9 The mind of man plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.

33 The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the LORD.

In light of the coming election in the U.S. and the political trials in Thailand, these verses comfort me.

2008-09-30T21:54:00.004+07:00

I was told before I moved to Bangkok that it is the hottest city in the world. Now I have proof:

"According to the World Meteorlogical Organization, Bangkok, Thailand qualifies as the world's hottest city. Some cities may get hotter during the day, but BKK doesn't cool down much at night. Average Annual High is 32.7 C or 90.0 F; Low is 24.1 C and 73.4 F."

Umbrellas are used every bit as much for sun as they are for rain. No wonder, when you take a look at these statistics!

On Servanthood

2008-09-27T23:01:00.002+07:00

Worth your time; read it, I promise it will encourage you.

Making of Heroes

Remember Highlights Magazine??

2008-09-26T16:31:00.005+07:00

If you have little ones kindergarten age or so, this Highlights website should be quite entertaining for them. Helen and Daniel are especially enjoying the hidden pictures games.

Also, here is a great site for free homeschooling material--something new and free each weekday.

Things You Don't Want to Hear...

2008-09-22T18:56:00.003+07:00

Helen and I sitting at the computer, Helen reads out loud an advertisement on the site I am at:

"'Lose Stomach Fat!'--Hey Mom, that's what you have!"

Guess I won't eat any dessert tonight! LOL!

Visiting the Orphans

2008-09-20T00:11:00.003+07:00

Last weekend we had the opportunity to visit an orphanage. I really didn't know what to expect. This particular one was started 30 years ago by a monk because soldiers kept bringing him children after killing their communist parents. I haven't completely processed my thoughts about this experience but I want you to see what we saw. So many children without a dad or a mom or any family to love them...

Everyone who donated items to the orphans came up to the pile of stuff and placed their hands on it to receive back the merit for their good deed. This is a picture of those who did so just after.

3, 2, 1, Penguins

2008-09-16T00:12:00.005+07:00

in Thai!?

I have been tagged...

2008-09-14T22:54:00.004+07:00

I went to upload my pictures from the weekend to show where we have been and my battery died in the middle...ugh! I hope I didn't lose them! So that will have to wait.

My friend Karen tagged me in a blogging game of "get to know me." I have never done one of these before, but I feel obligated...:)

1. Four places that I go over and over: upstairs, downstairs, my in-laws, and church

2. Four people who email me regularly: Pun, my mom, my feed, Sonlight

3. Four of my favorite places to eat: the outdoor markets, McDonald's (I admit it!--especially when I miss home), Beruit Cafe, at home when Pun cooks

4. Four places I would rather be right now: Ada, Oklahoma; Payson, Utah; Chiangmai, in the mountains or in snow anywhere where it is beautiful and cool! (actually I like where I am right now--home and all is quiet and peaceful, everyone is asleep :))

5. Four people I tag: Jill, Laurel, Christy, Erin

6. Four TV shows I watch: we don't have tv!

I hope to post again tomorrow after my batteries charge assuming I still have my pictures. Goodnight!

Passion Fruit

2008-09-08T23:15:00.001+07:00

How can it be that I have been here 2 years and am still trying new fruits? I just ate my first passion fruit last week and I am wondering where they have been all this time? Oh my, I love it! Not for those who like their fruit sweet, this is a sour one. Some in my Thai family don't even care for it. Not me. This last week I ate 15 of them, 7 in one setting. I can't get enough. Have you ever seen it? Tried it??

Doesn't look like much from the outside.

Inside, bright yellow with little crunchy edible seeds. You scoop out all the yellow with your spoon and eat it up. My mouth is watering.

If you come to my house, you will have to fight Sam and me for them! He is the only other one who likes them!

2008-09-05T15:42:00.005+07:00

So we have been busy getting stuff done around here (as I mentioned a few posts ago). We aren't as far along as we had hoped we would be but it's coming along. I keep telling myself, it's coming along. Just today, I nice gentleman with a very tall ladder came and painted our stairway. Done. That was a task neither Pun or I was looking forward to. Tomorrow someone else will come help Pun put up all (I hope!) of our curtains. A huge job drilling a hundred holes into solid concrete. The addition is all but done, a few little things need to be fixed, but we have already moved boxes in. We have done a little work out side, but have big dreams for it and little time. Pun keeps telling me it will happen. Or he will change his encouragement tactics and say, "someday we won't even be here!" with a smile, of course. Wherever we are at in this process of making a house our home, I am so thankful to be here in my home. I truly love it!

As I have mentioned before, I don't get out much, at least not on my own. It's just to difficult to commute, especially with 3 little ones. The other day, it was time for a yearly visit with the immigration office. To do this as efficiently as possible, we asked Pun's parents if they could watch Helen and Daniel while we took Sam with us. We left our house and drove to Pun's work where parked the car and walked to a nearby bus stop, caught a bus which we rode for 45 min, got off and immediately hopped into a taxi for another 5 min ride to the immigration office. After we finished (well, not really, because I have to go again on Monday!) we caught a song-taow--a pickup truck with two rows of seats in the back and rode it to a shopping area where we could catch the subway back up to meet one of Pun's co-workers, who, after they finished their business, drove us back to Pun's office. Does it tire you just think of it? I was wiped out! So I don't go out often. About the only form of transportation we missed was this one:

We don't have TV connection, which I like except when the Olympics were on... But I was beginning to feel in the dark about all that is going on. Maybe you have heard, but if you haven't, Thailand is struggling once again politically. It's been heating up and I was completely unaware until one morning as Pun was leaving earlier than usual he told me in a nonchalant tone that the government might be dissolved that day so traffic could be bad. I had no idea. Like I said, I am pretty isolated here. Apparently it has been rather ugly in the areas where they protest, but it seems to stay right there. We live quite a safe distance from these hot spots. But we appreciate your prayers for peace, discernment and understanding here.

In light of my ignorance about Thai politics and for that matter US politics as well, I have gone a bit crazy with my RSS feed. Do you know about these? I love watching blogs but spent too much time going to each sight to check to see if they had written anything new. I had no idea that I could be informed when they did. Now my Google Reader tells me when there are new posts. (If you would like to set this up for yourself, my friend Brian has an excellent tutorial. If I can do it you can, too!) Then I saw that I could add all the top stories from the Bangkok Post, Fox news, and other interesting news sites. I even added the word of the day to help increase my vocabulary! Now, I am in the know... Of course, I rarely have time to actually read the articles, but if I do, they are there! I love the internet.

Lets see, what else is new...oh yes! We started home school. And I love it! I was a little worried. I have only thought of and prepared for this since Helen was born. It would be a shame if I didn't like it. But we are having a great time. Daniel is joining in and doing quite well. And Sam is even cooperating for us, at least for now. I will post more later about what we are doing.

One other thing, about my last post, my mom asked me if I was having a bad day then. I don't think it was really a bad day so much as I was catching myself not being thankful for right where I was, even if it was less than what I would wish for. I was thinking about what I didn't have, or how I wish the kids would behave, or...you know what I mean. Making the mental shift to embrace what God has allowed in my life right now to transform me right where I am and bring Him glory in that moment, and be grateful for it, this is my hope.

And my hope for you as well. Miss you all.

2008-08-15T11:07:00.006+07:00

"Give up
the bitterness, the anger, the sadness

for what isn't,
that you wish you had.

And embrace the gift of what you do have.

For therein

is really what you want more of:

Joy."

~Elizabeth Elliot

All the days of the afflicted are bad,
But a cheerful heart has a continual feast.
Proverbs 15:15

It is making a difference in my day.

From (Holy Experience)

The Woes of Digital Photography

2008-08-01T23:28:00.002+07:00

I have been trying to capture a picture of Sam's new smile. He just pushed 4 new teeth through and has the cutest crooked grin. With digital cameras, I always seem to fail in getting the exact expression I want, because my babies faces change between the focus and the click!

"Oops!"

"This one?"

"Maybe, tomorrow, Mom."

2008-07-31T16:28:00.006+07:00

I have been collecting snake stories for awhile now. Not intentionally. I just keep hearing them. I would have blogged about these, too, but I am well aware of how much time I devote to animals on this blog, so I have refrained. I could have told you the one about the 10 foot python in my father-in-law's yard that he clubbed to death (he thought) only to find him missing the next morning and then spotted by 2 others later. I could have told you how my aunt had to call the zoo to get another large snake out of her tree. Or how about the cobra my neighbor found in his yard, or the viper in my other neighbor's yard. These are all recent. In the not too far past, my father-in-law had to deal with a king cobra at his ranch. No worries, though, that is a good 2 hour drive from here.

I now have another story to add to my collection. Yesterday, on the day Pun stayed home because he was sick (Thank you, Lord!) we had our own visitor. I looked outside, and there he was! Chills went up my spine! Of course, I alerted my whole family. I really wanted Pun to come immediately. He came several minutes later.

The kids and I enjoyed all the drama of it. Pun finally caught him under the wheel of the car. Before it was all over, the poor thing lost his tail. Pun called security to help. He must of crawled up into the car because he was being spotted on all sides and never appeared again.

No worries, though. He was just a common (non-venomous) rat snake.

Helen and Daniel decided to plan a snake trap. Here is what Helen came up with, with Daniel's suggestions at the bottom.

Pun was proud...

Lazy Days

2008-07-28T16:10:00.003+07:00

**** Dear Reader: This blog contains and inordinate amount of pictures. Really, I tried to edit them; I could have added so many more. So here is our vacation in pictures!

Last week, we went back to a resort (of sorts) which we had visited once before and fell in love with. I meant to blog about it at the time, but, well, you know me. So when Pun had a day off for a national holiday, we took 2 more and a weekend and spent 5 days there. Ahhh... so relaxing. And to top it off, our very good friends came along for the first 2 days.
I am not sure what to call this kind of resort. It is very simple, yet charming, somewhat like camping, but luxurious, quiet, but personal and inviting. You really just have to experience it to understand.

Each room is decorated in a different theme. Here is our room:

And here is one of the bathrooms. Actually it is more of an outhouse. A really nice one.
Several of the bathrooms are rooms with open ceilings with the shower hiding behind a tree.

The first morning we were there, our kids played outside for hours with their friends that came along with us. We sat to the side visiting and enjoying watching all the creativity in their play.

One thing we love about this place is the animals. Last time we were there they had a horse, baby chicks, rabbits, a bull, and a dog. This time they didn't have the rabbits or chicks, but they had guinea pigs, or as we know them--skinny pigs.

Of course we spent time admiring insects and lizards, and listening to geckos. If you have never heard one in real life, it is really a bizarre noise they make. Almost sounds unreal.

Here is a cute little "patter-killer" we watched for awhile:

Apparently, and I didn't know this before our trip, some caterpillars can cause nasty stings if handled. Others can give you quite a rash if you touch them. On the last day, Daniel got a hold of one and half his face broke out in hives.

So what else did we do?

Well, be lazy of course! After our friends left, we spent an entire day parked by the kitchen/dining area (which was so beautifully decorated) just visiting with other guests and getting to know the owners better. When guests arrive, they are served a beautiful blue tea drink. P'Nok, the owner, took a special interest in our kids and taught them how to make it. She showed them how she steeped the leaves to make the tea. Then they helped her put ice in glasses and pour some for Pun. Then they poured the lemon juice into it which turns the blue tea into an amazing purple color. So delicious!

P'Doi, husband of P'Nok, found out I like iced coffee. He spoiled me! He kept making me iced caramel coffees. Yummy! I made Pun pose for a picture with my coffee. He thought it was too strong!

Here I am after I finally got Sam to take a nap in the hammock. Doesn't it just look blissful?

Sam--vacationing at 8 months. I could just kiss those cheeks off!

We went to a nearby national park where we saw many things like waterfalls...

monkeys watching the traffic,

and this sign...I made Pun stop the car on a busy mountain street to take this picture, so sorry you can't see it well. If you can't read it, it says "Beware Cobra Crossing". I kind of wanted to see the real thing, but I had to settle for the sign.

Someone from our resort who knew the park rangers took us to their station and introduced us. The rangers showed us their bull like animal they keep as a pet (can't remember the name)

and then invited us to go up into the restricted land to look for more animals like tigers, bears, these bull like animals, elephants and deer. We were escorted there by the ranger with an M-16 in hand. They say they nearly always see animals at dusk (we went at dusk as well) but we weren't so lucky. Maybe it was the 6 children that scared them away.

On one of our last days we decided to go take a look at a little shop down the road. We had heard that the lady their had every species of orchid in Thailand. She also collected and sold pottery. I could have hung out at her place for hours. She was a collector! And she had an eye for beauty as well. She and her architect husband had built a little home/business in the mountains and it was stunning. Unfortunately for us, it was not the right season for the orchids (the picture from my last post was one of the only flowers blooming while we were there), but everything was lush and green. The more we enjoyed looking at their collections of pottery, the more they showed us. Eventually they took us into their home for a tour. We saw pottery from all over the world, seashells with natural colors that I was sure had been painted on, and Thai antiques that even my husband was unfamiliar with. Everywhere we looked there was something unusual with an interesting story about it. I could have been looking at the pages of a National Geographic magazine. Of course, by this time my flash card was full and I was searching for pictures delete so I could take more. Here are a few shots of the pottery pieces.

So now, if you are still with me this far, we are home, and back into our routines. Pun just finished another weekend away. I think he will be home now for awhile. Our house is still under construction, but they say it should be done soon. We will be spending August (hopefully) hanging curtains, organizing the last unpacked boxes, and pulling out pictures and decorations for the walls. Maybe we will even get the rest of the painting done. I will be finishing up preparations for Helen to begin school Sept 1. I am not at all excited. Wink. Talk to you later.

Coming soon...

2008-07-25T22:26:00.003+07:00

...vacation pictures.

I Did It!

2008-07-24T10:57:00.003+07:00

It is 10:48 a.m. and I am not typically blogging at this hour, but I just had to tell you -- I did it! I have pressed forward in yet another area of dread and fear on to greater freedom and independence! You ask what area is this?? Well, driving of course!

Pun is leaving for the entire weekend, as in we won't see him after he leaves the house Friday early a.m. until Monday sometime, which leaves me alone in a foreign land with my 3 very young children. So I need to be prepared. We could order out McDonalds everyday (yes, they deliver here--amazing, huh?). But I would like to do a better job than that, and since we have been on vacation all of last week, our cupboards are pretty bare. And since P' Gate, my inlaws maid, graciously helps us every Thursday and she was willing to watch the kids, I decided that today was the day.

So you know, the grocery store is less than 2 miles. No big feat, but I did it!

Yeah for me!

I told Helen that I was going to the store this morning. The topic of mom being unable to drive is an ongoing one for my toddlers. Her question was, of course, how was I going to get there. Was I going to walk? "No, I am going to drive." Utter shock on her face. Her advice to me? "Mom, make sure you don't bump anyone, or else they will bump you!"

Thanks, Helen.

Bathroom Science

2008-07-07T16:56:00.007+07:00

I love Pun…he is so cool! Today, in the midst of trying to get a hundred things done, he came in the house with another exotic find. A frog with unusual markings (apparently, they are all over our yard, hiding under bushes). This is not the first time he has done this. Actually, just before he brought the frog in, he found a lizard tail freshly dropped from its body. If you don’t know this already, when a lizard loses it’s tail, the tail continues to flop around for a few minutes. The kids were walking around with a wiggly tail. Pun is always bringing “nature” inside. So, back to the frog. I actually didn’t even notice it at first. I sent him outside to get a chair. He came in with the chair and Sam in one hand the frog tucked into his other.

Of course, I ran to get the camera and while I did, he threw the frog into … the shower! I love to look at critters up close, as long as I can be sure they won’t jump on me! So I carefully opened the shower door and the little thing began to pose for the camera. I shot several pictures of him as we all watched him walk right up the wall. Amazing…

A Little Rambling, A Little Culture

2008-07-03T20:57:00.010+07:00

When I started this blog 2 years ago, my intent was to keep in touch with friends and family and to “show” you Thailand. I had all kinds of ideas about what I would post. It was going to be a class in culture. Then we moved here. For quite some time, life has been just about all I could handle. Call it culture shock or whatever you want, I just wasn’t able to process my new life and share it at the same time, as simple as that should have been. Someone told me before I moved here that I should give myself 2 years to adjust. They were so right. Twenty-two months after moving to the Land of Smiles, my smile is feeling more and more natural and less forced. There is, to be sure, so much more that I don’t even know that I don’t know, but I am more or less at ease here. I suppose ignorance is bliss. While visiting Utah, I worried that I would dread returning. But it wasn’t like that. Of course, I was sad to leave everyone, but speeding around the streets of Bangkok again felt familiar and even a little comfortable.

Thailand is a wonderful, interesting, amazing place to be. I haven’t been able to truthfully say that until recently. I want to share it with you. Living here is changing me. It is changing my thinking. Culture is such a funny thing. I don’t think you truly understand your own until you have been taken out of it. Even then you still may not. It is so inherent in us that we have trouble separating ourselves from it. So as I learn about Thailand, its history, culture, values (on and on it goes) I am seeing my own American culture in a new light. I am comparing the two. I am questioning both. It is unsettling and enlightening. And then I begin to think about how Christianity should look in this setting so that it is truly Biblical and truly Thai at the same time. I have more questions than answers but once again I find peace in knowing that God knows how it all works together. I have been reading along these lines lately. It has given much food for thought.

Boy that was heavy! I didn’t intend to go there, but now you know what is on my mind. On a lighter note let me introduce you to the King and Queen. Of fruit that is…

Durian

If you have ever seen it you probably wouldn’t forget it. And if you ever smelled it you would never forget it. It has the most intense smell. That would be because it is full of sulfur. It is so bad that some hotels place signs around their grounds restricting it.

But if you ask any local, they will tell you they love it. Pun has nostalgic feelings when he smells it. To be fair, it tastes better than it smells. It is incredibly rich, and if I have to eat it, I prefer it to be boiled into soup and eat it over sticky rice with coconut milk. There is no other taste that I can think of to compare it to. Really, it’s not too bad, if you can get past the smell.

It is rather on the large side of fruits and you wouldn’t want someone to throw one at you. Maybe this is why it is known as the king of fruit.

Mangkut….ahhh…good stuff. Also known as mangosteen or the queen of fruits. When I was pregnant with Sam, this was one of the things I craved. Every bite leaves you wanting more. Not only does it taste wonderful, it is delicate and pretty to look at. The leaves on top look like they are straight from a Mary Engelbreit drawing. The outside of the fruit is a deep eggplant color. On the bottom is a cute little pattern that I am sure could be turned into a stamp by some crafty person. You can use your fingernail to pierce through the skin into the meat of the fruit. The inside is fuchsia purple until you reach the edible part which in contrast is bright white. If you ever get the chance to try one, do. It’s yummy!

(I apologize for the terrible pictures of the mangkut. I have a new camera and I promise to read the manual on how to take better pictures soon! So I found some nicer pictures to show you here where you can also see what Queen Victoria thought of mangkut, and here. Apparently, mangkut, has its own website. Who knew??)

My Husband the Photographer, My Daughter the Apprentice (or, What I Found the Last Time I Uploaded My Pictures!)

2008-07-01T23:28:00.007+07:00

"Gotcha! You can't get the back of my head--I'm too fast!

Thai Funerals

2008-07-01T22:28:00.003+07:00

Pun and I had the opportunity to go to a funeral a little while back. Funerals are always thoughtful events for me. In this case where I didn't know the person (the mother of a manager of Pun at work) I wonder what was she like? How are all these people related to her? What is the meaning in all this ritual? Did she ever think about eternity? Where is she now?

This was actually her cremation ceremony. She passed away in April, I believe. At that time they had several days of rituals where people would come to the temple and listen to the monks chant while eating a dinner provided by the family. Usually, funerals appear to be light hearted here especially when the deceased is an older person. People visit, talk on their phones, read the paper. And then as the monks begin their chanting in intervals, some sit up and pay attention. These nightly ceremonies can go on for days, depending on how much money the family can afford for the funeral. The longer, the better. It is part of the merit making system to help the person in the next life.

So she was held until her birthday in June to be cremated. I have no pictures to show you but if you go here you can see how a cremation ceremony is set up. We sat and sat and waited until the last minute when we filed up to the coffin, placed our shaved-wooden flower under it, then walked down some side stairs, and received a book about her life. That was it. People were laughing, talking, visiting. I stood there at the bottom of the stairs awhile longer watching them push the coffin into the fire chamber, seeing it light up with fire, and watching the two monks who sat at the bottom of the stairs look on. I am not sure what their role was, but it was definitely an honored one.

I am not sure what I was expecting. But honestly, when it was all over it was overwhelming to me. It was one of those few moments in my life when hell became so real. I could see it. And all around me were others completely blind to it.

We're Headed Out

2008-06-17T22:49:00.004+07:00

Pun has meetings to attend in Hua Hin for the rest of the week and this time we can all tag along. So while he is meeting away, the rest of us will be playing in a hotel room or swimming in a pool...yippee! We are all excited! It sure beats sitting at home without him.

Before we leave, though, I wanted to share another neat resource I have come across. If you have time take a look at this post. I found this calendar there and have really enjoyed using it in my own prayer time. It is an excellent tool to use when praying for our children, but I also use it to pray for myself and Pun as well as a springboard into thanksgiving and praise to God for being the example or fulfillment of that particular quality.

Have great week!

My Family

2008-06-13T23:46:00.005+07:00

Saturday morning snuggles

The Pirates who don't do anything

If Only

2008-06-13T23:10:00.003+07:00

If only I could blog telepathically, I would have new posts everyday. But alas, I cannot, and I am lazy, or I just have 3 children and am behind in house work, etc, etc. Oh, and Pun has now begun traveling for work. He is gone tonight. He will be gone 2 nights next week and was supposed to be gone another night the following week. And it is just beginning. He will be traveling more and more. I really miss him. The kids miss him. And I feel stranded without him. And I little nervous, too. But I know Who is watching over us, and I will trust Him.

Useful Stuff

2008-06-09T19:59:00.005+07:00

I read blogs by mothers of preschoolers and homeschoolers. Often they post about toys or educational items that they find useful. I like this because I want to know what others are using and what they think works well. Maybe you (who have little ones) would like to know what my little ones like.

Magformers.

Oh Boy. We bought these while we were in the states and they were an instant hit with Helen and especially Daniel, with me, with everyone who saw them. They just scream for you to pick them up and play with them. I wanted to get some sort of magnetic construction toy for our kids, but the ones I saw at the department stores were just not made for preschoolers. These, though, are much larger and perfect for little hands to handle. We bought the set with squares and triangles only, but they also make hexagons and octagons. Inside each one is 3 to 4 powerful round magnets (so they won't repel). You place them close to each other and they snap together on there own. They come in several sets including a new one that has wheels. If you know us, you know that we are a frugal family. These are not cheap, but in our opinion, worth it. My kids play with them everyday. I have to tell you...so much fun.

Home Tour

2008-06-05T21:57:00.009+07:00

Ok. I have had several requests. It is time, I can't put it off any longer. I realize that I have been waiting for my house to be all done, painted, decorated, cleaned, you know, looking like a magazine spread. Well, I have decided to be vulnerable and show our home as it is, a work in progress. So, come on in folks!

(If you can't remember what our house looks like from the outside go here)

As you walk in the sliding glass doors, here is what you will see:

our living room

to the right

and to the left

We have painted it yellow, but this will change. Eventually it will be brown so it will match the dining room in the back. We have finally ordered curtains which will be coming soon. This room is essentially enclosed by windows. Very nice views. I will do a yard post later.

Step through the living room into the dining room:

(Behind the piano is our play room which I thought I had taken pictures of but can't seem to find, so I will show that room in the next post)

looking to the left (again, the entire back wall in this picture is windows over looking our side yard!)

and looking to the right. Here you will see the front door, which we rarely use, the stairs, oh, and the boxes of ceiling fans! Back under the stairs is our one tiny little closet.

On to the kitchen. This is one of my favorite rooms. I think I like it so much because of the color. I had to convince Pun, but it is gradually growing on him. Our kitchen is divided into 2 parts. This is the "prep room." Food is prepared here but not cooked.

To the far right in the picture above, you will see a glass sliding door. This divides the prep room from the kitchen where food is cooked. It really reduces the heat in the house to have the room split this way. Here is the kitchen:

It is pretty small, and it doesn't help that it is so cluttered. I have lots of plans for this room, and in time it will come together. Right now, my pantry is in the cooler and totes on the left as well as stashed under the sink on the right. I will post more later on cooking in this kitchen.

And here is the downstairs bathroom:

This is the first floor. We have almost finished painting downstairs, but still have some organizing and lots of decorating to do. We have barely touched upstairs. You will see what I mean in the next post! More next week...

evening walks

2008-06-05T21:45:00.004+07:00

When the sun finally drops and the day begins to cool off we enjoy getting out of our house to take walks. Tonight Helen and Daniel picked flowers from the ground for me. Here is what I came home with.

I asked Daniel why he liked to give me so many flowers. He said "because I wuv you, Mom."

things that make me smile

2008-05-29T21:45:00.009+07:00

Lego Creations, or in general kid creativity. Daniel is into building stuff. Yes, I know it is pretty simple, and yes those are "army guys" watching a movie, but it was all his own idea. And for a week after that, he recreated it bigger and better each day.

Do you know what this is? It is Thailand's answer to anyone with a sweet tooth. So this would explain my new obsession with sweetened condensed milk. Bear with me if none of this is new to you, but this stuff tastes really good. Before moving to Thailand I thought that s.c.m. was only used to make fudge and really rich candies and desserts like that and that you weren't allowed to just eat it straight. Now my eyes have been opened to many new possibilities: on toast, in coffee (and many other drinks), as a sauce to dip fry bread in, drizzled over rotee sai mai --a fantastic Indian dessert, pancakes or french toast. And I bet you didn't know that you can boil it in it's unopened can and end up with something close to caramel! Wow! I love this stuff!

Ant Poison. There is some necessary background here. I am ok with most bugs. Even ants as long as they stay outside. But when they come in droves into my home I just about lose my sanity. Ask Pun. So when my friend bought a box of these (on clearance no less--thank you, Diana!) and gave them to me, I went back and bought every single last box. Boy, I am so glad I did. Before, when I would see the ant lines going through my house, and I have no less than 5 entry points, I would spend a great deal of time "removing" them. Sometimes I wouldn't even want to go downstairs in the morning because I was afraid of facing the ants! Now, I see them come for a few hours, eat the food, and never come back. Amazing. Now I can smile.

Lizards, Lizards, Lizards! I love them! I don't know why but I do. We have the regular "jing joks", very common and often inside homes. I have blogged before about them here. But we also have black slimey ones, and a couple other varieties that look like miniature dinosaurs, as well as geckos. Every time I see them in my yard I call my kids to come watch them with me. For awhile I was having cool lizard spottings nearly everyday. Then poof! Gone! Like they all moved away for a few months. Thankfully they have returned. Maybe they are seasonal...

And a little boy who thinks he is so funny because he got into his sister's pink chapstick.

May there be many smiles in your day today!

What are you reading in the Bible?

2008-05-27T17:25:00.004+07:00

That is the question posted on this blog (which, by the way, I love to read daily! I highly recommend it if you have little ones or homeschool). Good question.

I have been reading Proverbs over and over lately. Parenting is so challenging. So many days, sometimes so many times in one day, I feel in desperate need of wisdom in handling the situations that arise with my children. And myself. Solomon says that wisdom is more precious than anything else we can work to attain. He says to pursue it at all costs. God promises wisdom to those who ask. So I am asking. I am reading and rereading. I am not sure how long I will keep at it (it has been several months now), but I will tell you this. The more I read, the more the proverbs begin to hit home. More and more, I am looking around at life and seeing Solomon's wisdom or the lack of it played out in others' lives. I want my children to learn that wisdom is more valuable than gold. That they can learn so much (and thereby avoid pain from wrong choices) by observing others. I want them to desire wisdom.

Patience. I don't have much lately. This is where God is really speaking to my heart. And you know what happens when you realize you need patience and begin to pray about it. Uh-huh. I still need patience. All day with little ones can be so much fun. Or so exasperating. I don't want them growing up seeing my angry face all the time. I am memorizing and meditating on I Corinthians 13 and I am praying for patience.

This is where I am. So where are you? What is God teaching you?

Just Because

2008-05-21T22:09:00.007+07:00

Another Sunday...

2008-05-21T21:09:00.004+07:00

The last few Sundays have really been fun. Two weeks ago on Mother's Day Pun brought home a new (to me, anyway) piano for me. Wow! Love it! What a mother's day gift... No, I don't play that well, but I enjoy plunkin' out a few tunes.

Later that day we met up with some friends and went fishing at a restaurant where they will cook whatever you catch. I really didn't know what to expect. Pun just said we were going fishing. It rained all afternoon and I even got a bit cold!

Here is Pun trying to reel in a big one! But, of course, it got away...

Here is another guy's catch.

Check out his teeth! I guess we won't be swimming here.

This is what I did all afternoon. Eat. A lot of good Thai food.

We enjoy these friends, yet I came home so discouraged because I can't get to know them like I want to. Lately, language is really becoming a hurdle I can't get over. I am getting so intimidated by it all because I haven't spent anytime studying or trying to push ahead. So back to the books I went. This last week I have made a feeble attempt to recapture what I learned in school and aggressively begin to use it. Pray for me.

a random conversation

2008-05-09T10:50:00.004+07:00

after a frustrating night of learning to sleep on his own (Daniel and Helen shared a room before we moved into our own house) and having found him in bed with Helen the next morning...

Me: Daniel, you are going to learn to sleep in your own room.

Daniel: But I like to sleep with girls

Me: But you have to be married to sleep with a girl

Daniel: And give her a ring? (note: this is the concrete way we have explained marriage to our kids, a man gives a woman a ring and then they get married)

Me: Yes. (grin)

Daniel: Then I can sleep with a girl?

Me: Yes.

Daniel: All night long??

Me: Yes.

Daniel: (Big Grin!)

Another short story...

Yesterday, I was getting my cooking books out to do some baking when something hit my foot with a little too much force. My first thought "Oh no, another large bug in my house!" I looked down and saw a little white round ball. "no way" I thought. "It can't be, we don't have lizards in our house anymore." But it was. A lizard egg. How do I know? Because when I picked it up to look closer, it slipped from my hands and cracked. Poor thing... Only in a tropical country can you find lizard eggs in your cook books.

Sunday Night At Our House

2008-05-08T12:40:00.007+07:00

Sunday night we had some friends over for dinner. We did this ...

then this...

then this...

Can you guess what we made??

ICE CREAM! I just didn't know how simple it could be. We really had fun with our Pastor and his wife. Carrie is the kids' Sunday School teacher and they just love her. So when she came with a big bag full of supplies to make ice cream, I wasn't surprised. It was just like her to do something fun like this. Pun was shocked that it really did work. It was such a hot and sweaty day that ice cream was the perfect way to end it. Thanks Carrie!

So if you don't already have it, here's the recipe:

you will need 1 pint size ziplock bag and 1 gallon ziplock bag for each serving you want to make

Put these ingredients into the pint size bag:
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

close the bag, then place it in the gallon size bag along with:

6 Tbsp rock salt
lots of ice cubes

close this bag and shake the bag for 5 minutes or until you have ice cream

Your kids will love it!

Poor Sam, he didn't get any.

P.S.

2008-05-02T22:38:00.001+07:00

Thank you to all of you who still read this blog. It made my day to see so many comments after such a long hiatus!

Sam Update

2008-05-02T22:07:00.004+07:00

Thought you might like to see recent pictures of Sam. He is now 5.5 months old, has one tooth (as I mentioned before), constantly flips over from back to tummy then gets stuck then gets mad, and has a hair-do that has everyone talking.

A little side story for you, the other day a large black crab crawled into our yard and delivered her babies. All 563 of them. Interesting...

You Know It Has Been A Long Time Since Your Last Post....

2008-04-29T17:00:00.012+07:00

...when you can't remember how to log in any more
...when people stop bugging you about when you will post again
...when you don't even no where to begin because so much has happened

Well, it may not be quite this bad, but it's pretty close! Instead of giving you a bunch of excuses, I will just tell you what has been going on. I see the last substancial post was Thanksgiving. Shortly after that day, we moved into our brand new home (definitely more coming on this later) and began unloading all of our shipment from the U.S. What job! I am still working on this partly because I have 3 childern 4 and under, partly because Thai houses just aren't built with out-of-sight storage in mind (read no closets!), and partly because we sold most of our furniture before we moved and are now having to carefully rebuy what we need.

At the same time, we have had no internet in our home, or phone service for that matter, until the night our friends arrived from Utah. Our pastor and his wife came all the way over here to help me fly back for a visit. We had great fun showing them "around town" and what an encouragement it was to have them see our new life and care for our unsaved friends and family like we do. One week after they arrived, we were on an airplane pointed toward Utah! My first visit back...sooo nice....and a BIG Thankyou to all of you there who made this trip so special. So many meals with friends and good conversations and laughs. We love you all and miss you so dearly already! Pun came for the last 2 weeks and then we were back on the airplane for that long flight home.

So we have been occupied. And not that that will let up too much, after all, I have plenty to do around here. But, I should be able to start blogging again.

I will leave you with a few more bits of news:

Sam has his first tooth at 5 months! This is way too early in my opinion...

I have now driven in Bangkok. Yes, I am finally facing one of my biggest fears. And, no, I didn't hit anything. Well, at list I will never have to deal with snow!

And this last one is for my mom and Diana: Thailand has Moolattes!

More soon....

S.O.S.

2008-01-26T23:40:00.000+07:00

I am starting to get funny comments on my comments page, so I figure it is time to put out an update. Folks, I need the internet. Desparately. I fear I am addicted. I have now lived without it for 2 months. In the last 10 years I don't think I have gone 2 weeks with out it!! And in a country where I am still struggling to communicate, internet is all the more crucial to my survival.

We moved into our house and immediately proceeded to apply for a house phone and internet. 10 days. "Boy, that's quick" I thought. I had heard about those who have had to wait for a year for a house phone. 10 days came and went, it would be after the new year we were told. Still no internet. Now it will be two more weeks! They asked Pun if he still wanted their service. He told them he was thinking about changing his mind! :)

So I get a few minutes of time every week or two when we come to Pun's parents. But not nearly enough to fill my craving!

Merry Christmas and Happy, healthy New Year!!!

2007-12-27T12:48:00.000+07:00

Friend, rejoicing with us for our Savior's birth!!!

A Wish Come True

2007-11-23T10:59:00.000+07:00

One thing I really longed for is for Sam to be born in time for him to meet Pun's great grand aunt. I have blogged before about her. She is now nearly 104 years old. Monday night we took Sam next door to meet her. She is blind so we laid him in her arms and let her feel him. It was truly an amazing thing to see 100 year old flesh next to 3 day old flesh. Pray for this sweet woman...

A Thankful Heart

2007-11-23T07:47:00.000+07:00

I need to take a moment to tell the things I am thankful for. It's easy to overlook Thanksgiving in Bangkok and all the good that comes with it, like the wonderful food :), the way your heart is pulled toward home and being with family and good friends, and how you are reminded of all of God's goodness. Here I sit in my short sleeved shirt and shorts with the windows open (in the winter season) feeling almost comfortable, but missing the nostalgia of cozy winters and turkey dinners and my family.

So here is are a few of the things I am most thankful for:

Pun. 5 years of marriage and 3 children and he is still the one person I most want to be with...
Helen. She constantly challenges me and has made me more aware of my need for God in the process of training her. She is bright and beautiful to me.
Daniel. He is a tenderhearted soul and I can never resist him when he smiles at me with his dimples.
Sam. How I thank God for his safe delivery and him being healthy. I never tire of smelling his new born skin.
A New Church family. It is truly magnificent how God's people can bond together so quickly.
An Old Church family. They are still an encouragement to me so far away.
A New family. Although I have been married for over 5 years, it is just in the last year that I have begun to make relationships with my husbands family. I pray for stronger deeper friendships with them.
A New Country. A place to learn anew to depend on God.
A New House. A place to make a refuge for my family from the world.
God's Saving Grace. These were part of the verses I read Thanksgiving morning.

I Corinthians 6:9-11

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexual
nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

My heart is full of thanks for His forgiveness...

What are you thankful for?

Praise Him for a BOY!

2007-11-17T09:36:00.000+07:00

Boys rule!!! This is Pun blogging in for Merri.

Praise be to God who answered our prayers for a safe delivery.
The labor took 13 hours, but the last part went really fast.
He weighs 8 lbs 14 oz and 21 inches long.

Meet Samuel Ian Panthaworn - Samuel means "His name is God" and Ian means "God forgives"

Thank you all so much for your prayers. We'll post another update soon.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2007-11-07T17:06:00.000+07:00

Yesterday was Pun's birthday. We kept it pretty simple this year. The kids and I painted this sign (thanks again Dave and Debbie for the paper--we haven't even made a dent in it and have had hours of fun!) and then we each made a card telling him why we love him! A simple but sweet day celebrating Daddy!

Our House is Finished!!

2007-10-30T20:50:00.000+07:00

I have been feeling like I should have posted something more by now, but really all we have been doing is waiting and waiting...waiting for this baby to be born, waiting for our house to be finished so we can move in. We haven't been able to go check the progress for three weeks so when Pun went out on his lunch break yesterday, he got quite a surprise. It is basically finished, with full gardening and a lawn around the outside! As he walked through he was impressed by the workmanship and eye to detail that was given. Only a few minor problems were spotted! To say we are excited is an understatement!! But we will still wait to move in until the first of December. As soon as we can get out there and get some pictures we will post them, but we'll post just 1 photo here from Pun's cell phone. So for now, we are praising God for such a wonderful gift of a beautiful new house and waiting for a precious new little life.

Shoppers Beware (of train)!

2007-10-10T21:30:00.000+07:00

This is actual footage of an outdoor market in Bangkok. Pun says it is rent free!

Green Mountains and Asimo

2007-09-27T17:43:00.000+07:00

Weekends seem to be pretty busy lately between checking on the progress of the house and doing things with the kids. It makes the quiet weeks at home with the kids pretty nice!

Anyway, last weekend was no exception. We spent Saturday at Khao Khiaow Zoo -- or Green Mountain Zoo. It is an open zoo meaning you drive through and stop to see the animals along the way. You can even feed many of the animals. So here are a few pictures of what we got to see and experience:

An amazing "bug collection". (Remember doing those insect collections in Jr High?) This was phenomenal...the above picture was only one of the many boxes displaying butterflies found in Thailand. Then there were the dragonflies, the regular flies, the grasshoppers and on and on. All we could say is "Isn't God sooo creative??"

One of the things that made this zoo fun was that you could get so close to many of the animals. Here we are feeding the deer. There were probably 30 deer in this little area, and we were able to walk right up to them, feed them and pet them.
We ate our lunch right here by the giraffes. They, unlike the deer, were very interested in eating. If they saw food in your hand they headed toward you. The deer were walking away from our offerings. This isn't that great of a picture, but I chose it because if you look carefully, you will see the very long tongue of this giraffe coming out and twisting around the vegetable that Helen was offering it. I really enjoyed how his tongue could wrap around his food! :)

Riding the elephants. You know, we rode an elephant bare back in Chiang Mai last year, and though it was a little scary, I think it was way more comfortable than this ride! Or maybe it has to do with being 35 weeks pregnant...

Checking out the tigers. We got to see a couple of beautiful white tigers.

And some funnies for you. "Best Friends" (Not sure what Daniel was making a face at!)

Roaring like a lion...(We just came from seeing the lion and hearing him roar.) Too bad there is no sound on this blog.

The only reason I put this picture in is for my 2 college friends and my mom who want to see how big I look with this pregnancy! (Don't laugh too hard, Trish and Jill!) Behind us is a really neat stone carving of lions although it is a little difficult to see.

I never knew how much fun it would be to take your kids to the zoo. We have been several times with Helen and Daniel and every time we go their excitement over seeing the animals is contagious. This was such a fun trip because we could "experience" the animals more than most other zoos. Recently we have been talking about how God created everything "just right". And that was the theme for this day.

On Sunday, we took the kids to see Asimo. Now, if you are like Pun, you probably know exactly who I am talking about. If you are like me, you are probably saying, "Huh?" Or maybe I am the only clueless one! Asimo is the famous Japanese robot. He has never toured South East Asia, so having him visit Thailand first was a big deal. We got to see him walk, run, dance, serve food and some other interesting things. Unfortunately for me, I understood very little of the program since it was all in Thai. But it really was quite something to see. And yet, in all of man's "creative ability" this is the closet he has come to inventing something "creature-like". Asimo is amazing in many ways, but I can't help to compare him to all the beautiful and graceful animals we saw at the zoo. The variety was astonishing, each creature having a mind of it's own. We think as humans we have a come a long way in our ability to invent, but it will never compare to the Creator.

And 50 days...

2007-09-19T11:46:00.000+07:00

...until our little baby's due date! Some days I think it can't get here soon enough. Of course if this one is anything like Helen and Daniel, it will take its own sweet time coming. I am praying for an early delivery, though. Lately I feel as slow as a turtle and really am looking forward to the return of my normal energy level.

Helen and Daniel and I have been working on getting a little more routine in our life. Now that they are home from preschool, I have so many things I want to do with them and teach them, but as I have mentioned the energy is just not there. We are taking it slowly. We have started a little "circle time" each morning after breakfast where we read a short devotional or Bible story and talk about how it applies to us that day. Then we pray and sing songs together. Helen still loves to sing and is continually memorizing new songs. Daniel has just begun to really try and sing with us and is surprising me with the words he is learning. I am beginning to add in memory work as well. This will include Bible verses as well as other things I want them to memorize. Today we let Helen teach us the Thai alphabet using flash cards. It really works well, because of course, she loves to be "the teacher" and it reinforces her memory of the alphabet and Daniel and I are hearing the letters over and over and repeating them back. We really have fun with this. Sometimes we draw pictures of what we learned and hang them up to show Daddy later and then we might read a few books together. Usually after we have finished the kids play together in their room for awhile. This has been great for training them in obedience from getting along together to following the rules I gave them for their play time.

They are both excited for the new baby to come and have lots of ideas about what to name the baby as well as how they will help me take care of it. :)

I realize I was a little short in the last post about our new house. I was trying to get the kids bathed and ready for bed while working on it, so it came out brief. Here is some more info:
It is a 4 bedroom 3 bath house. It is not extremely huge, about 2000 square feet, but a good size for our family now. It has 2 kitchens (Thai style), one for prep and one for actual cooking. This helps keep the heat out of the main part of the house. We also have a little yard (also typical--land in Bangkok is pretty expensive) but it is just the right size for the kids to run around but not give us too much extra work. The location seems pretty ideal as well. Pun can get to work in about 30 minutes and hopefully get home in the same amount of time. We will be living in a subdivision which provides security guards (nice to have since Pun will travel overnight occasionally) and a park with a swimming pool.

The pictures we have of the actual house aren't that exciting for a blog yet so here is a drawing of the finished product as well as a layout of the house.

73 Days And Counting...

2007-09-18T19:44:00.000+07:00

until we move here!

Yep, that's right! We are officially homeowners again. Will you thank the Lord with us? We fill so blessed to be moving into a new home so soon. Right now it is still being built, so we make regular visits to check on the progress. It is supposed to be ready on the first of December. I just can't wait for Christmas this year! :)

By the way, this means that we will be ready to have visitors soon!!! (for all those who said they would come see us :)

Happy Birthday Helen!

2007-08-31T19:45:00.000+07:00

Yesterday, Helen turned 4. And it couldn't have happened any sooner. Since Daniel's Birthday (which was January 27) it has been weekly if not daily conversation for her. So the big day came. And to say that she was excited is an understatement. She even said several times throughout the day, "I am soooo excited!!" We let her choose her dinner and the only thing she really wanted was pancakes! So we added eggs to it and had breakfast for dinner. My kind of girl. Then we let her choose if she wanted cake next or to open her presents. That should have been obvious! So she opened gifts. We didn't know what to get her really, but when a friend offered to give us a little bride's dress and ballerina outfit to play dress up with, we decided to add to it and and then get her a little trunk to put it all in. Lately she has had a fixation with pigs as well, so Pun bought her a little pig stuffed animal and a few other "pig" items. The thing that stole the show was the bride's dress, though. She just lit up when she put it on. She is just at the right age for dress up and loves girly things! She was really too cute, I have to say.

2007-08-21T09:39:00.000+07:00

I saw this and thought some of you might enjoy it. It is not actually Bangkok, but sometimes I feel like it could be. Someday I need to do a post on Bangkok traffic.

Do you know the name of the city we live in?

2007-08-17T14:04:00.000+07:00

Here is one more interesting tidbit for you... This is the actual name of Bangkok in Thai (and this is all one word):

กรุงเทพมหานครอมรรัตนโกสินทร์มหินรายุธยามหาดิลกภพน
พรัตนราชธานีบูรีรมย์อุดมราชนิเวศมหาสถานอมรพิมานอวตา
รสถิตสักกทัตติยะวิษณุกรรมประสิทธึ์

and it means:

Great city of angels, supreme repository of divine gems, great unconquerable land, grand and prominent realm, royal and delightful capital city full of nine noble gems, highest royal residence and grand palace, divine shelter and home of the reincarnated spirits.

For obvious reasons it is abbreviated to the first two syllables: กรุงเทพฯ
In case you are wondering, it holds the record for the longest name of a place in the world.

Watch your tone...

2007-08-17T13:13:00.000+07:00

I promise not to go on and on and on about language but I came across this diagram today which made me smile (for some odd reason) and I thought it might help you visualize better what I am trying to learn.

Everything you say must be said in the correct pitch (tone) or you most likely won't be understood. Consequently, this is how my brain feels after a few hours of study sometimes.

School's Out...

2007-08-16T09:44:00.000+07:00

I completed the first 3 books in language school (all dealing with listening and speaking) and have learned so much! Yet, I still struggle to make basic conversation. I hope this will improve as I try to speak and listen more. I know it takes time but it is so difficult to be patient when I just love to talk!!

I made the decision to not continue with book 4 for several reasons. One big one is my energy level is dropping as this pregnancy continues. I was just getting so tired and had no energy left for Helen and Daniel when I got home. It was such a hard decision to make. I really wanted to continue, but my kids are more important and really need me. So now, they are still in preschool until the end of August where they are also absorbing the language. It is has been slow going for them as well, but I think they are learning more than I realize. The sounds of the language are definitely being imprinted in their minds. Throughout the rest of this month, I am cramming like a mad woman to review as much of what I have learned in the last 3 months as well as push ahead in reading and writing. It has been quite exciting for me as I am able to read some now, although I may not know what I am saying. And I am coming closer to really knowing the alphabet. Remember the picture of the 44 consonants I posted? Well, I have now learned 52 ways to write the vowels! It has actually been fun, though. And the good thing is that Thai is over all very logical. So most of the time it makes since, unlike English!

I am also preparing and planning for Helen and Daniel to come home. I am thinking through routines for their days and things I want to work on in the area of training and discipline as well as beginning to think of how our home school will work. Helen won't really start for another 2 years officially, but I would like to do some preschool work with her during this time as well.
Sending them to a Thai nursery has been a trade off. It has been helpful for me to be able to go to school and know they are cared for and being immersed in the language, too. But, discipline and training are suffering. And I just simply miss them. I am more convinced than ever that this is my primary god-given role. They need me, and it is my job to teach, train, and discipline them. And I really am looking forward to this. I am so glad the end is in sight.

Another exciting bit of news is that our house hunt is officially begun. After months of deliberation, we have decided to explore buying a house instead of building one. This has been another very difficult decision with no easy answers, but this is the direction we are leaning towards right now and is another thing that has taken so much of our time. We have been out looking at houses nearly every weekend for the past month or so. It is possible, that we could be in a house of our own by January. We are praying for wisdom and direction.

So now, I am off to study. Now that school is not consuming my days, maybe I will have more time to write! :)

Just for fun

2007-07-19T14:36:00.000+07:00

Here is another interesting bug Pun found on the way home from work...

Happy Independence Day

2007-07-04T22:40:00.000+07:00

I hope you are having a wonderful Independence day. Sure miss BBQ and fireworks! And we miss you... Actually, living in Thailand has given me a new appreciation for America. America isn't perfect, but I think I took my freedoms for granted, not because I wanted to or because I never thought about it, but because I had never experienced living without them. Thailand is a tolerant place, but it is a country that still tolerates a coup. Countries rise and fall, so it will happen to America and Thailand as well. Yet God will always be in control. I guess I just want to be thankful wherever God puts me.

Today, Pun left for boot camp. Yep, boot camp. CPAC (the company he works for) hires the Thai army to "host" a boot camp for new employees to "encourage" teamwork. To say the least, Pun was not looking forward to it. From what others have told him, it will be like a real boot camp --waking up at an ungodly hour, being yelled at, strenuous physical labor all day until you fall into bed exhausted at night. His co-worker's advice was to take Ben-Gay with him! Poor guy...

Helen is growing up in so many ways. She has gone from not being interested in learning Thai at all to knowing the alphabet better than me. Today, she asked me to write a certain letter and when I couldn't recall it she took the paper and wrote it herself. Then she said," Don't worry, Mom, I will teach you."

Daniel is all boy. His current interests are guns and Spiderman. Everything becomes a gun in his hand! I'm just not sure where he got this love affair with guns! :) And he can watch Spiderman everyday ( I am ready to throw out that dvd!)

I am growing larger and feel the baby kick all the time now. I have managed to pass my second Thai class so I am now in book 3. This is the last of the speaking/listening classes. I have come so far, but I can also see now that I have so far to go.

Happy Independence Day...Enjoy your day, enjoy your family, enjoy your food, enjoy your freedom.

Bathtub Babies

2007-06-11T14:46:00.001+07:00

Pun's parents house doesn't have a bathtub so Helen and Daniel have really missed taking baths. I don't know why it took us so long to figure out that we could buy a basin for them to take baths in, but now we have one and the big event every night is bath time. So here's a cute picture of our evening ritual for you.

What's Your Favorite Flavor?

2007-06-11T14:11:00.000+07:00

"Hewen? You wike banilla ice seam?"

"Yeah, I like banilla."

"Ohh. I wike chocat."

YIPPEE!!

2007-06-05T14:03:00.000+07:00

I passed my 1st Thai class! Book 2 starts tomorrow. Now the pressure is really on...

A Bit About Thai

2007-05-30T14:18:00.000+07:00

My dear friend Karen posted a comment on the last post about my Thai language learning. Here is a (lengthy) response to her questions. Maybe others of you are interested also.

I have enrolled in an intensive language school which teaches Thai in 20 day modules. I study everyday for 3 hours with a teacher and 2 other students. My teacher is a 20 something Thai lady who speaks minimal English and constantly pushes us to speak Thai even when we are asking questions. Good, but frustrating. Overall, she is an excellent teacher.

The other 2 students are from the US and Korea. The Korean doesn't speak English and our teacher doesn't speak Korean. You can imagine his frustration. The American is tone deaf and can't hear well. Poor guy...but he tries hard. Thai is difficult enough without these challenges.

I feel I have every advantage right now. I have been living with a Thai family for 9 months, so I am constantly exposed to the sounds of Thai as well as picking up repetitious phrases. I also have a husband who is more than willing to help me, and correct me until I get it right! :) I am also deeply indebted to my phonetics/linguistics teacher at Moody for giving me such a great foundation in these subjects. It has been a tremendous help. I feel I should send the professor a fruit basket or something to say thank you!

Yet, with all these advantages, learning a language is still a challenge which takes a strong commitment to success. I study an average of an hour a day, but this really isn't enough. In the first 3 levels of classes ( I am in level 1) there is no official homework other than to practice and memorize. If you do that, no problem. I understand most of what I am learning, it is just the mass of info that needs to be memorized. There are some difficult sounds for me, but they are getting easier. Once you master levels 1-3, you begin reading and writing. In levels 4-6, there is 3-4 hours of homework a day I am told. Ouch! How will I ever find time for that? By the way, each of these levels can theoretically be accomlished in 20 days, assuming you pass the oral exam at the end of the class and don't have to repeat the level. If you finish all 6 classes, you should be able to speak, read and write at a 6th grade level.

The Thai Alphabet:

Here are the 44 consonants. I spared you the vowels!

There are 44 consonants and 32 vowels. This is not as bad as it sounds since many of the consonant sounds are repeated and only used for differences in spelling. The vowel sounds, unlike English, are each represented by a unique character. In English, the word hat and the word hate both use and a to represent two different sounds, whereas in Thai, the characters are different for every different sound. This, I think, is an advantage to learning Thai. There is little guess work in pronunciation. Of course, there are the 5 tones. I think of Thai as listening to a song. You need to hear the music of the speech. This just takes practice, practice, practice.

My Goal:

Of course I would love to be fluent in speaking, reading, and writing. Who wouldn't? But, with a baby on the way, I only have few months left. I am really hoping to complete the first 3 levels (all of the listening/speaking classes) and maybe try level 4 to get an intro into writing. We will see. Of course, that means I must pass every class in one try. Some do, many don't.

All this said, just as I enjoyed phonetics and linguistics in college, I really enjoy language learning now. I am not gifted in it by any means, but it is fun to learn something new. More than this, it seems like I have been living in a dark room for 9 months, but now, the lights are coming on dimly as I begin to understand more and more around me. My vocabulary is growing, and as I work on grammar, the world around me is opening up. What HOPE!

Warning: Excuses Ahead

2007-05-29T13:51:00.000+07:00

Well, if you want an excuse (which you probably don't, but I am very good at excusing myself!) here it is:

1. I have been sick for 2 weeks with a severe cold and the flu,

2. while taking care of Daniel ( who is finally doing much better with the mosquitoes, although on his second fever in less than 2 weeks),

3. and like a valiant soldier, I continue to push ahead in language study. Honestly, there has been more than one night that I struggle to sleep because I cannot turn off the Thai words running around in my head. Sometimes I even wake up in the middle of the night hearing them! Aagghhh!

Ok, now that I have done my best to get your sympathy :)......

The Guardians

2007-05-29T13:46:00.000+07:00

My friend Cristi wrote an excellent tribute to our modern day war heroes. Please take time to read it if you can.

http://minimalshrinkage.blogspot.com/2007/05/guardians.html

"Poor Daniel"

2007-05-22T13:44:00.001+07:00

If you were here with us now, that is what you would be hearing a lot of this past week or so. Poor little guy...moving to a new place (especially a new country) means new germs and new "bugs" for your body to get used to. He rarely got sick in Utah, now he is sick ever other week it seems with fevers and colds! This last week he has been battling a particularly vicious attack from the mosquitoes. It seems that his little body is allergic to them and when they bite him their saliva gets into his blood and produces even more sores which then get infected. His legs have had no less than 30 sores on them. He is even getting them on his head!

After two visits to the doctor and an impressive regimen of washing, scrubbing, applying ointments and creams, taking oral medicines and sleeping under a mosquitoe net we are starting to see an improvement. We are told eventually his body will develop an immunity to these nasty little bugs. But for now "Poor Daniel..."

Three Light Bulbs

2007-05-18T19:57:00.000+07:00

I have been working for the biggest ready-mixed concrete supplier in Thailand for 2.5 months and found two other believers. Out of some 1480 employees, there are only three Christians including me. That's 3 light bulbs to shine throughout the company. It's great to know that there are Jesus' followers everywhere, especially in a country where over 95% of its population profess Buddhism.

Please pray for these three light bulbs to reflect our Lord Jesus and bring Him glory in our conducts.

Shalom - PP

Just Wondering....

2007-05-12T16:33:00.000+07:00

Is anyone still interested in hearing from us after so long??? I have been down with morning sickness for the last 9 weeks. Starting to feel a little better, but just when I think it is over, it comes around again. I also started language school this last week. After 3 hours of Thai a day and another of traveling, I come home wiped out.

Yet, there are so many things on my mind to share. I still haven't even posted pictures from my parents visit in January!! Ouch! So, if you are still watching, hold on, there is much I want to tell you about. Coming very soon....

Record Breaking Temperatures

2007-04-03T09:37:00.000+07:00

Yep, our first summer here and Bangkok is experiencing the hottest summer in the last 10 years. Right now, at 9:47am, it is 33 Celcius (91.4 F) but feels like 43 C (109.4 F) with 71% humidity. I guess I will stay in my air conditioned bedroom again. Sure miss Utah...

Morning Sickness and Toddlers

2007-03-30T10:33:00.000+07:00

The other day when I was having yet another bout of morning sickness, I set up Helen and Daniel with paints outside and then went inside to rest. Of course it got a little too quiet outside, so I drug myself out to check on them and here is what I saw...

I guess it could have been worse! :)

New Blogs

2007-03-14T14:10:00.000+07:00

I added a few new blogs to the side bar. If you need a chuckle, check out Cristi's blog-Minimal Shrinkage. Cristi is an old friend from Moody days and is a talented writer. Josh and Christina are missionaries in Utah and Nathan and his fiance will join the Utah team this summer.

First Days

2007-03-11T19:08:00.000+07:00

Pun is now a working man and loving it! He wakes up excited in the morning to go to work, and I can understand why. It seems like a pretty cushy job. Not only does he get to sit in an air conditioned office where he is told he is the "expert" (boy, that Ph.D. is really paying off!), they told him if there are days he feels "under the weather" or just doesn't want to come in he can work from home! The first 3 weeks he is scheduled to meet individually with all the departments he will be working with. He told me the other day that they are paying him to think. So if you see Pun (not that you would) with a blank stare on his face, he will tell you he is working. HA! Actually, it still looks like the perfect job for him, and I am so very happy for him.

As for the rest of us Panthaworns, we are painfully settling into a routine. It is getting a bit warm here now. I am not looking forward to the next 8 weeks or so. We'll manage. Helen and Daniel have started Thai preschool. I think they are really going to like it. I am hoping this will help them with learning the language. I will be going with them for awhile to help out, so maybe it will help me, too! It is really an ironic thing. The preschool is in Pun's grandparents' old house which they are renting to the couple who run it. The lady and her husband are believers and also have a small church that meets there on Sundays. It really was amazing to just stumble upon this couple and their school, and they have really reached out to us and our children.

I, too, will start Thai classes once the kids are settled. So we are making some progress. :)

Helen and Daniel with their preschool teacher.

Wild Things

2007-03-03T22:02:00.000+07:00

One of the things I really enjoy and at times also fear is all of the interesting and new creatures we are seeing. We are starting to collect quite a few photos, so I thought it would be fun to show you some of them.

This first picture is just a cool shot of an intricate web Pun found at his parents ranch. He said he had never seen one like it before. I think it is interesting because it is so perfect and symetrical and then all of the sudden chaotic, sort of like the spider got tired or two different personalities worked on it!

Ok, this next little guy, I actually picked up! Really, he's rather large, though this is a normal size for the elephant beetle. Helen and Daniel were fascinated by him. They got down on the floor and watched him for quite awhile. If you look at the second picture you will see the beetle on Daniel's left shoulder. No fear!!

Elephants, elephants, elephants...I have seen more elephants in the last 6 months than in my whole life! But they are still fun to watch. Here they are all dressed up for the tourists. Pretty fancy.

We passed by this baby elephant walking down the side of the road as we drove by.

Then, just a few hours later, we stopped for a lunch by the sea and up came another elephant with its trainer. For half a dollar we fed him sugar cane!

The ranch is quite an experience for me. I never know what will happen when we visit. It seems like everytime we visit, I learn or see something new. On this particular visit, we were sitting outside after dark visiting with Pun's parents when we spotted a pretty moth. After watching it for awhile it flew down and landed on Pun's face!! We all sat there laughing and admiring for a little while, wondering when it would choose to leave. A few minutes later, I finally went to get the camera and took several candid and posed pictures. I don't think I could have let it set on my face for as long as Pun did! But we really got a giggle out of it.

I know chickens are not exotic or all that interesting especially, but Helen has enjoyed holding a few at the ranch.

We went down south right before Pun started work. In a little fishing village there was a lady holding a gibbon. She let us have a turn. Now Helen wants a gibbon.... and chicken... and a pig ... and a rabbit... you get the idea.
And for the finale...I have met my first snake. In our yard. By myself. With no English speaking person available to tell me if this was a poisonous one or not. Had my mom not called, I never would have been downstairs looking out the front door and seen it! With all the Thai I know (after I ran upstairs to get the camera and snap several pictures--what was I thinking?) I ran next door and called out to Pun's grandma (because I can't say grandpa!) and kept telling her to come. Finally she did and saw for herself. Grandpa came, too, and motioned for Helen and me to go inside. He got a big bamboo stick and tried to knock him down; the snake was on the awning. It didn't work, though, because he crawled up into a hole on the side of the house. My thought was, Oh boy, he will be in our room next ( the awning is right below our bedroom.)
The rest of the day, I was on snake duty. I kept a close watch for him and whenever he came out, I sent the maid out to get him. Somehow he always escaped though. Helen had lots to tell daddy when he came home from his first day at work. Pun was sorry he missed all the action. By the way, he wasn't poisonous! And we are hoping he is long gone now...

P.S. Word is getting out, so I thought I would make announcement. I am pregnant and due in November!! If you have read this far in such a long post, thanks for caring. :)

The Wait Is Over!!!!!

2007-02-20T21:26:00.000+07:00

After 3 1/2 years, my husband is now employed!!!! They called him in this morning, offered him a 1 year contract (with the hope of renewing it at the end of the year) and a higher salary than he asked for! Can you believe it?? PRAISE GOD!!!

Paitiently Waiting...or at least trying to

2007-02-16T23:04:00.000+07:00

Forgive me for being silent so long about Pun’s interview. I have been hoping all along to make a big announcement once everything was finalized and openly praise God for providing a job for him. At this point he has been offered a job, but that is all we know. This, of course, is a huge praise, but something in the back of my head says it can still fall through...

Here’s what’s happening:

In the middle of December, Pun had his first interview with Siam Cement Group, a large, respected, and profitable company. They liked him and asked him to come back for another interview with some of the directors. We waited and waited and waited until they finally called him in for that interview in the middle of January. It also went extremely well, and he came home feeling like he had the job. So we waited and waited for nearly another 2 weeks until he received an email congratulating him and welcoming him to the company and that the details would follow soon. So now we are waiting and waiting some more (you get the idea) and to see when they want him to start and what they will offer him. Pun is in communication with the company, but this doesn’t appear to have helped any in expediting the process. We are told this is normal for Thailand. Yet, we hold out for this company because it seems this would be a fantastic job with lots of potential for Pun with a company known for its ethics and valuing its employees, and in their defense they are creating a position for him. So we continue to wait.

Thanks for remembering us in your prayers. I will let you know.

A Short Break

2007-01-17T12:39:00.000+07:00

Grandma and Grandpa arrived January 11 safe and sound, although tired from a 24 hour flight. Since then we have had the flu and colds among other things and have not gotten out much. We are planning to begin sight seeing soon.

Needless to say Helen is in heaven right now. She is very attached to my mom and I am already wondering how she will handle Grandma saying goodbye in a few weeks.

So for now, we will take a break from blogging and enjoy being together with my parents.

Chiang Mai

2007-01-03T15:38:00.001+07:00

In the middle of December we took a few days and headed up to Chiang Mai. It is about an 8 hour drive from Bangkok in the northern part of Thailand. Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand with approximately 1 million people (Bangkok has 13 million!) The city still has some of its ancient stone wall and moat around the center part of the city. It is a charming and artistic place to visit.

On our visit to Chiang Mai, we were able to see how paper is made and then turned into fans and umbrellas. Here Daniel and I are pounding the paper pulp. This has to be done continuously for 4 hours!

Watching an artist hand paint a fan.

Checking out a waterfall.

Meeting up with friends of a friend of mine. Thanks, Keri, for connecting us! We had a great time!!

We visited an amazing flower garden. It was so beautiful, I asked Pun if we could live there. As I looked at all of our pictures from this garden, no one picture really catured its essence, so I chose one with Daniel. :)

I was really hoping to see an area where the hill tribe people live. There are several tribes scattered across Northern Thailand. Here is a picture looking down at their homes.

We drove on some beautiful mountain roads. This particular road is just above the hill tribe.

Helen and Daniel wanted to see elephants. Here Daniel and I are riding bare back. Helen, who was very excited by it all, would not ride one.

I inadvertantly turned our camera to b/w. So here are our "by accident" artistic pictures!

The Night Bazaar Market--great shopping!

Thailand is known for its beautiful orchids. We went to visit an orchid farm only to find out that most of the flowers had been sent to the Flora Expo being held in Chiang Mai in honor of the King. We did find a few, and here is a shot of one of the prettiest ones we saw.

Chiang Mai is a place you could visit over and over again and never see it all. We left hoping to return as soon as possible!

Thai Family Pictures

2007-01-03T15:38:00.000+07:00

Every time I put up a new post I always think to myself "I will post sooner next time!" But it doesn't seem to happen. There always seems to be something that keeps me from getting back to the blog. I seem to average a post a week. Sorry about that for those who would like more updates. But I love your feedback and emails.

So I want to introduce you to this wonderful new family of mine. Honestly, they have truly made us feel at home here. We see each other often, as most of the family (all of them, that is, except one Aunt and Uncle and the cousins who are studying abroad) live right on the same block as us. We are trying to take advantage of this as we won't be this close for long.

Many of you have already met Pun's parents. Here they are holding Helen while she naps. This was taken within the first few weeks after we arrived. We were at a city park.

It is Pun's Mom's side that all live on one block. She has 5 siblings (3 sisters and 2 brothers). Here is her youngest brother, Uncle Rote, playing with Daniel. The kids LOVE this family. Everyone is always feeding them, bringing them toys, or playing with them!

Here is a cute picture of two of the sisters with Pun's Grandma. Aunt Jad (the one in orange) is very dear to Pun. She was like a second Mom to Pun growing up. I have been enjoying Aunt Joy (in blue). She has been so kind to us. Grandma doesn't speak much English but smiles at me a lot!

This is Pun's Great Aunt. I have already posted her picture once before but I couldn't resist putting this one up. This woman is 102 (103 in March). She was in the silk business and used to make and sell silk material. She is now completely blind. The last few times I have gone to visit her she has been sitting up on her bed feeding herself. She has the sweetest smile when something tickles her. She always reminds me (through and interpreter, of course) to work harder at my Thai so we can talk. She has never seen a Westerner before, but tells me as she holds my hands that they seem just like Thai hands! :)

This last picture is of Aunt Jad with her husband Uncle Pirote and another one of Pun's cousins, Nu. Nu was teaching me Thai until she got too busy with her job. I miss seeing her regularly but really appreciated her willingness to teach me.

Later, I will introduce you to more of my Thai Family. They really are a great family and are teaching me so many new things. They are also so patient with me and my "foreign ways."

Bright Christmas

2006-12-25T21:55:00.000+07:00

Christmas is a very special day for our family. We wish you a very merry Christmas from the land of smiles. We would love to celebrate the birth of Jesus with you if we could. How wonderful for us that God sent His only Son for the world to redeem His people. Isaiah wrote these words down about 600 years before His birth,
'For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulders.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting, Father, Prince of Peace.'

Speaking of peace, Pun is trying to have peace as he is awaiting the second interview from the cement company that is very interested in him. Please continue praying for him. He woke up early this Chistmas morning to go shopping at the nearby market with his dad. They came back with 5 lbs of roast beef, 3 lbs of shrimps and a pound of river prawns. Thank God for these foods and they also tasted fine.
We had Merri's cousin with us, who is visiting us from Ukrane, along with Pun's parents as we opened the presents. Merri and her cousin helped Helen and Daniel draw a Christmas tree a few days earlier and Pun taped it to the wall in the living room. Presents wrapped in fancy papers and newspapers started to make thier way under the tree late Christmas Eve.

Here, Merri read to the children the story of baby Jesus. Daniel can now say Jesus!!! He often repeats words in both English and Thai. Helen understood that Chistmas is Jesus' birthday before she chowed down the cake.

Helen and Daniel brought joy to their grandparents. In a couple of weeks they will get to see their other much missed grandparents from Utah.

We have a lot of stories and photos that took place before Christmas to share with you. Please be patient with us since it may take a while to post them.

Quick Update

2006-12-08T23:38:00.000+07:00

I realize it has been several days since my last post, and unfortunately it will be several more. But you are probably too busy with the season to notice, so no problem! Enjoy the Christmas season. I am longing for snow and a Christmas tree. :)

We are leaving in the morning to go to Chang Mai for 6 days. It is 8 hours north of Bangkok (by car) and near the Northern border of Thailand. I am looking forward to seeing the city. It is the next largest city after Bangkok.

I wanted to let you know a few things before we leave.

We just downloaded Skype (an on-line phone softward program.) It was quite easy and after trying it out with my parents, we are impressed with the quality of sound. It is also completely free. So if anyone is interested in downloading it, it is at www.skype.com. Let us know by email and we will give you our ID and then we can chat sometime!

And the most exciting piece of news....Pun has an interview next Friday with a cement company. It looks like a good possibility for a good job. We would certainly appreciate your prayers.

Next blog: Family photos and Chang Mai....

A Thanksgiving Story

2006-11-26T21:47:00.000+07:00

If you are still celebrating Thanksgiving, here is a true story to give thanks for.

Pun and I met a missionary couple at our Thanksgiving dinner, and as we talked to them we heard their amazing story of how God has used and is using them in Northern Thailand.

Back in 1998, they began to work with a very small tribe (less than a thousand members) who, although was anti-Christian, desperately wanted their language to become a written language. They were willing for these missionaries to come and write down their language even if it meant they would get a Bible in the process!

So our missionary friends moved into the tribe and began the very daunting process of forming their alphabet and learning their grammar. This tribe had run out 2 of its own people after they became believers and a few other missionaries in the past. As time went on, our missionary friends also became discouraged. At the point they were about to give up, some people from another tribe in Burma came to see them. They spoke the same language! And many of the tribe were believers! They had been praying for 30 years for someone to give them a Bible in their language. Is that amazing or what?

Now, some 8 years later, with only 1 convert from the original tribe, they are still working on the translation with renewed vigor.

Give thanks to God this season for the very good gifts He gives you, but thank Him also for continuing to bring more people to Himself, even in the remote areas of Thailand and Burma.

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T09:30:00.000+07:00

It is Thanksgiving today. Things will be different this year. Our traditions won't be the same and we won't be with all the people that we love and usually spend this day with. But we are still thankful.

When I think about the things I am truly thankful for they seem to boil down to 3 or 4 categories. Each one fills my life deep richness. Funny how we sometimes take for granted the most important things.

Jesus and His Word.
Pun, Helen, and Daniel.
You--all of our friends and family we have left behind.
The hundreds of little blessings that the Lord gives me each day that tend to go unnoticed.

Thank you for being apart of our lives, for your friendship and your prayers. You are priceless to us.

By the way, we do get to celebrate with some friends from church and we will even have a turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving.

A Little Piece of Heaven

2006-11-12T21:16:00.000+07:00

Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. The church we have been attending is taking next 2 weeks to focus on those who are persecuted and pray for them. This morning 7 men stood before the congregation and sang a song about sending missionaries to their people so they could hear about Jesus. They were from the Hmong tribe which is scattered through out several Asian countries. These particular men had all walked (yes, walked) to Thailand from Vietnam to escape persecution for being believers. (Check out this website to see how far Thailand is from Vietnam: http://www.reliefweb.int/mapc/asi_se/reg/seasia.html) They are now refugees here because the King of Thailand has made Thailand a place for religious freedom. He is the "protector of all religions." One of the men shared his personal testimony of how the Lord had saved him, used him to start several churches, then suffer years of terrible persecution. These men would meet for church from 12:00am-3:00am so they wouldn't get caught.

Following their testimonies we were served communion by these same Hmong men, rice cakes and tea. What a humbling experience...The lights were turned low and we shared communion in a dark room just as they would have shared in communion in the middle of the night. It was a sober moment to contemplate what might be required of us to serve the Lord in the future.

We closed with more worship songs. One in particular happened to be a favorite of ours from Payson, In Christ Alone. Standing there in the middle of all those people from all over the world (this church has people from 40 different nations), my mind, as it has many times before in this setting, began to think of Heaven. Just think. The Gospel is touching lives in so very many places all over the world in hundreds of different cultures and languages and some day I will stand in heaven not only with this body of believers in Bangkok, but also these Hmong brothers, our dear family of believers in Payson, and believers from EVERY other nation. Wow. What will worship be like there? I wonder. I think it will be breath taking. To realize to the fullest the love that saved and assembled all those different people and the to see that Love Himself and to be apart of the multi-culture choir that sings praises to Him without any restraint from sin is beyond my comprehension. God will be glorified. I can't wait...

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

"Amen! Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

Revelation 7:9-12 (NIV)

Are you ready for heaven?

Neighborhood Tour

2006-11-03T14:51:00.000+07:00

If I had to compare September and October, they would be as different as night and day. September would rate somewhere around a 2 on a scale of 1-10 (1 being not so good and 10 wonderful.) Then October came. Things sort of evened out. Maybe it was the change of seasons from rain to winter (tropical winter, that it is, at a cool 80 degrees! :)Life became a little more predictable. October ranks around a 6-7, I would say, with some days heading towards 8-9! We are adjusting at last! There will still be rough days, no doubt, but we can see a life for our family here, and we are confident of God's leading us here. He will make a way.

One thing that has helped me has been the time we have spent with Pun's family. All of his aunts and uncles have been so wonderful in reaching out to us and making us feel at home here. We have spent many evenings out with them, and they come over often to play with the kids and visit. We truly feel like family now. I will introduce you to the family in the next post.

And oh yes, I have begun to tackle the Thai language. Wow! With 44 consonants, 32 vowels, 5 tones, and no spaces left between the words when they are written. It will be an unbelieveable challenge, but somehow, just beginning gives me a sense of being proactive in my adjustments.

Another very important factor to our adjustment is meeting other believers. We have made many friends at the church we have been "trying out." It is rather large but very friendly. The people have truly been the Body of Christ to us.

I promised a more cultural post this time so I thought I would take on a tour of the Soi (small street) we live on. When you give your address, there is a house number, a soi number or name, and then the main street name. A soi is not one straight street, either, just in case you are wondering. It is a maze of streets jetting off the main street.

So, here we are at Soi Thanom Chit (which means literally "Caring for the heart") right off of Sutthisan (the main street.) Turn on to our soi and this is what you will see...

A very narrow 2 way street where cars are parked blocking an entire lane! So if you happen to turn on the street and see a car coming straight at you, you must a) find an open spot in the other lane to pull into, or b) put it in reverse and back out. Oh boy, it will be a long time before I drive here!

Notice Helen and Daniel hiding between the parked car and the phone booth on the far left. Helen has become very good at watching for cars and motorcycles. If one is coming, we get as far out of the way as possible and wait until all is clear!
Now you know another way you can pray for us! Pray for our safety as we walk on the streets, especially for Helen and Daniel. It can be a bit unnerving..

Besides lots of cars and motorcycles and people just generally hanging out, there are a few other things that seem to be common to sois...

Soi dogs. Lots of them, everywhere! This picture actually shows 4. You can often find them sleeping under parked cars. It is amazing to me that they all find enough food to eat. Most everyone has a dog or two to guard their house as well.

And vendors. Some stay parked in the same spot all day and some are like these two who drive in an out of the sois announcing their produce or merchandise. Some even walk the streets.

There are several little stores on our soi as well. They are mostly run out of the owner's homes, like this one right down from our house.

Sometimes when we need a break from being in the house, I will take one or both of the kids to one of the stores and buy a drink. They really enjoy taking the walk and getting to pick their own drink out.

Daniel, with a delicious Chocolate Milk, on his way home.

In these two pictures you can see the spectrum of houses on our soi. The rich and the poor live together.

Finally, here is a view of our home, the home where Pun grew up.

And waiting for us when we come home now is a new puppy! Last week, Pun's parents brought home a Cocker Spaniel puppy for Helen and Daniel. His name is Choco. Of course, they are thrilled. Daniel has even added "Choco" to his expanding vocabulary.

Life is good in the Land of Smiles...

And a few more unrelated pics

2006-10-22T22:20:00.000+07:00

Since we have been going to ECB church I have made friends with another "newbie" and we have been spending some time together. She has 3 children roughly the same ages as Helen and Daniel. Here is Helen with her new friend Kira. She is really having fun playing and swimming with Kira. They other day I caught her on the phone pretending to talk with Kira. She was saying "Oh, Sawadee ka, Sawadee ka Kira!" (which means "hello, hello!") Cracked me up! (sorry about the glare!)

Here is a view of our front yard. It really is a jungle here! I told Pun we were basically living in a jungle where people decided to build a metropolis. He laughed and said he had never thought of it that way. We hear the bugs, frogs, and lizards at night and the beautiful songs of the jungle birds during the day. The amazing thing is that I never hear any city sounds (no sirens, cars, or street noises). You wouldn't know you were in the heart of Bangkok if you were in our front yard. It really is a little refuge.

You will never guess what building this is! Pun and I found it on an outing one day. This is where my husband was born 34 years ago!! We were told they will be tearing it down soon. I had to take a picture!

This next set of pictures was taken at the park. Helen was helping Daniel on the slide. They had fun doing it over and over and over...

Daniel is doing this thing with his tongue now. So funny looking. I think Helen did it, too. Must be a teething thing.

Making up for missed time....

This is Pun's Great Grand Aunt (that makes 5 generations from her to Helen and Daniel!). She and Pun really love each other. We have been hoping and praying to make it back to Bangkok to see her and the Lord has given us that gift. We spend lots of evenings visiting "greatgrand aunt!" Helen especially loves going to visit. She is blind and spends all of her time on her mattress on the floor. When we first started visiting her, Helen was afraid to hold her hand or give her a kiss. Now, when we go over to see her, Helen goes in right away with Daniel and kisses her and holds her hand and then helps Daniel to hold her hand. Very sweet.

We are praying for opportunities and have begun to share God's love with this very dear woman. Pray with us...

I know this has been full of kid pictures. Consider it a post for Grandma in Utah!!

Next post will be more "cultural." And if there is something in particular you would like to know about, let me know. I love to hear your thoughts.

Very Thai

2006-10-19T21:11:00.000+07:00

The other day a friend of mine from church recommended a book to me called Very Thai by Philip Cornwel-Smith. She said when she saw it she thought of me. As I thumbed through the book, I felt as though I was looking at my life. It was filled with pictures of everything I had been seeing and experiencing since arriving here in Bangkok. Not only were there wonderful pictures on every page, but they were accompanied with 2-3 page essays explaining the meanings of things I have been witnessing but not understanding. I knew I had to get a copy.

So Pun took me to the store, we bought the book, and all I want to do now is read it.

Here are a couple shots from the book:

This is a picture of a child's table that shows all the Thai alphabet characters with their corresponding pictures. Pun had the same one growing up and it is still in the backyard!

This picture is not so clear, but it shows how the wiring is done around here sometimes. It caught Pun's attention, he started laughing and said he had seen this before, and he didn't know why they did it this way.

The book explains why drinks are served in bags and not cups, why Thai napkins are so tiny and pink, and a hundred other mysteries surrounding daily life and religious practices.

Pun's cousin said she had read parts of it as well and thought it was really a neat book. She said if I read it all I would know more than her about Thailand! I thought that was sort of funny. There is so much in our own cultures that we take for granted and really don't fully understand.

Really, if you are desparate from something to read, and want to get a feel for what we are experiencing, you can see our life in this book. Maybe you can check it out at the library?? :)

Part 2...Hua Hin and Misc Pictures

2006-10-16T15:24:00.000+07:00

A few weeks back we were able to spend some time at a condo Pun's uncle has in Hua Hin, a well known tourist spot south of Bangkok and right on the gulf. We really had a great time. The pool was the best! We went swimming nearly everyday. As you can see it overlooks the gulf. Since it is the rainy season, flooding can be a problem so very few people come at this time. We always had the whole pool to ourselves.

Pun would take the kids down to the beach when the tide was low and they would look for crabs and all other forms of sea life. They would bring back a big bucket of shells and crabs to show me. Then we would get the crabs out and let them walk all over.

A bucket of treasures...

Here is Helen holding an unsual beetle we found. She really seems to have no fear of bugs of animals unless we tell her they might hurt her. I think she is turning into a tom-boy!

Another highlight for the kids and me was our first hamburger. We (especially Helen and me) have a weakness for all that awful American food, namely cheese- burgers and fries. On our way to the airport in Salt Lake, we even stopped to pick up one last greasy burger. I thought that might be the end of them for us, but I am happy to say, they taste the same here!

This is a lady we met at a foodcourt where we were eating lunch. She began talking to the kids and then feeding them her fried bananas (which they devoured!) You can see she and Daniel got real close. He likes anyone who will feed him. People here are very friendly, especially to our children, and are always giving them food and little gifts.

Helen and Daniel riding in a car.

This was in another foodcourt that had an arcade geared towards very young children.

And for one final picture, here we are at the supermarket. We are standing in front of a fresh seafood display. I'm no seafood expert, everything looked unique to me. Pun thought you might like to see this. At the back of the table there are several kinds of fish and at the front right is a display of large crabs. Daniel's face says it all!

High Tech Kids and Other Stuff Part 1

2006-10-08T15:20:00.000+07:00

Our kids are getting a little tired of the few toys we were able to bring with us. Our container hasn't arrived yet so I was getting a little desparate for something to keep them busy. I set up the word processor on the lap top and let Helen type. It kept here entertained for quite awhile. At one point I turned around to check on her and saw Daniel next to her pretending to talk on the cell phone. They look so serious. Pretty funny.

I just had to show you some lizard pictures. We really have fun finding and watching them. This particular night we found 5 or 6 on the outside of the screen door. Usually we only find a few every night.

We find this one every evening in the kitchen it seems. They really are great to have around. They eat bugs, stay high up on the walls and are very fast. The kids try to catch them sometimes.

In our previous post, I mentioned that the typical Thai house has an outdoor kitchen. Here is Pun helping the maid cook outside. She was shy and I couldn't get her to face the camera for a picture! You sort of feel like you are camping out when you are cooking out here.

One last picture for now. There is a Thai desert called rhotee-saimai. It is a crepe filled with fibrous sugar strings and tastes really good. This morning we happened to see them making it on the TV. It really is quite a process. The man who was making them said he had been perfecting his technique for 44 years! We decided it is much easier to buy it from the street vendor (8 servings or so for 50 cents). The fibers inside look like coarse blond hair and taste like cotton candy in your mouth. Very good!