Seven Farmers

The Last Treatment!

2012-03-01T11:38:00.002-08:00

It is a banner day for me! My last chemo treatment is today and I am so glad. I'm not looking forward to the nasty side effects but the thought that this is my last infusion somehow makes it more bearable.

I feel badly that I haven't been so good about updating my blog through the 3rd treatment and I have wanted to write but simply haven't found the time. The past few weeks have been busy with a wonderful visit from my parents to help me through the first ten days after my treatment. It was great therapy to have them here and it made the 3rd treatment all the more bearable. Once they left my time has been full with household work, marathon training(I'm still working towards my Boston goal), and just managing the general ebb and flow of my life and family. Not to mention that chemotherapy fatigue is very real and I've turned into a big napper and any night owl tendencies I ever had are dashed by 7 pm. So there you have all my lack of blogging excuses. :) Thanks for being patient.

I must report that the third treatment was better than the first two simply because I didn't have the bronchial infection to compound everything. The first week to 10 days after the treatment are always yucky but after that I start feeling better and am able to function fairly normally(except for the above mentioned fatigue).

Other updates for those of you who are curious :)

-- We are still waiting for our container shipment and are hoping it will come in the next week or two. I can't wait!

-- The Boston Marathon is less than 7 weeks away and I'm planning on it. My training hasn't been ideal but I'm hoping I'll be able to finish the race even if my time is really slow. To finish is to win!

-- Radiation therapy will begin in 3 weeks and will be every day for six weeks thereafter. I'm a bit worried that my arm will be quite sore during the marathon but I'm sure I'll figure out a way to manage. We are in the process of deciding whether to do radiation in Ann Arbor or Midland. Tomorrow we meet with the radiologist in Midland and then we will be able to make a decision. We already met with the doctor in Ann Arbor and she was phenomenal but she understands that our home is a 4-hour round trip drive from her office so she gave us a list of questions to ask the Midland doctor and I'm hoping that they have the right answers because I really don't want to drive 4 hours every day for 6 weeks. I'll let you know what we find out and decide.

So there is a quick update on the happenings in our life the last few weeks. I feel so grateful for all the thoughts and prayers on our behalf. I know it is making all the difference. Thanks to each of you!

Home Sweet Home!

2012-02-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we moved back into our own home! It has been nearly two years since we left the farm and about five months since we've been in a permanent living situation. Tell you what- HOME has never felt so good! We are all savoring being in our own rooms, putting things away for good, seeing the beauty of our farm land, and settling in to a regular routine. I keep pinching myself as I walk through the house, look out the windows, and walk down our long driveway to meet the girls after school.

We are still waiting for our container to arrive from Bangkok and hopefully that will be soon. And then we'll have all our stuff and be able to settle in for a long time.(I hope :))

The other thing I'm loving is the dreaming! My project list is huge and it is so energizing to dream of all the house upgrades, gardening designs, and animal projects. All of the girls are dying to get some creatures. Martha wants a horse sooo bad. Emma is thinking about buying some cows. Hannah can't wait to get little kittens. Sarah is wanting to buy a pig to show at the fair. And I'm looking forward to ordering baby chicks and having a dog again. All of this farm dreaming is good therapy for me as it keeps me looking forward instead of focusing on the current cancer realities.

As soon as I'm done with chemotherapy we can start acquiring animals. The time is going by and I'm having my 3rd treatment today. Only 1 more chemo after this one! Thankfully I have been feeling a million times better since I finished my antibiotic and my bronchial infection has cleared up. Each regular deep breath feels so sweet! No more coughing! No more fever! Hurray! I even ran 10 miles last Saturday! I still have my sights on that Boston Marathon. I'm hoping that now that my infection is gone that these last two treatments will be better than the first two. No matter what I'll just keep on trucking and feel so grateful to be home at last!

A Tough Week

2012-01-29T07:39:00.000-08:00

About ten days ago I had my second chemotherapy treatment and it has been tough since then. Thankfully, I am feeling much better today and I think the worst is behind me.

When I went for my second treatment I was battling a nasty cough/cold (bronchitis, which they thought might be pneumonia). An x-ray didn't show any pneumonia and my white blood cell counts were high so they went ahead with the chemotherapy and thought I'd feel better soon. It was wishful thinking that I would just get better on my own because I kept feeling worse and worse. All the side effects of chemotherapy were compounded by a fever and incredible fatigue. I didn't do much for a week except lay in bed and feel like crying. On top of feeling bad all of the stubble on my head came off when I was taking a bath and that was traumatic to be in a bathtub full of bits of hair - YUCK! and such a stark reality. And then to add to the situation little Adam came down with pink eye and poor Sarah had a flu bug that kept her home from school most of the week. I thought a lot this week about two books: THE HIDING PLACE and UNBROKEN. Both are stories about WWII survival experiences and I thought of the main characters and drew strength from their endurance. I also thought a lot about the quote, "I cried because I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet." There are so many other things that are far worse than what I am going through and it was a hard week but thinking that it could be worse helped me keep perspective.

Relief finally came when my doctor prescribed an antibiotic and the chest infection began to clear up. I don't think I will ever take for granted a regular day of good health again. It is such a blessing to just feel normal and when all of this is over I will cherish each day of just feeling normal. Just breathing easily is a blessing!

In the midst of this tough week I found so many things to be grateful for and I thought I'd share a few that I wrote in my journal...

A body that can move, hear, see, feel, and breathe

Beautiful children who lift my heart and mind. Looking at their faces gives me hope and makes me smile

A husband who is a dear friend and a joy to be with

The beautiful earth that surrounds me. I love seeing the giant trees out my window and watching flocks of little birds eat winter berries

Hearing Sarah play the piano

Being able to read scriptures and feel the Spirit

That I am able to stay home and rest during chemotherapy

Extended family and friends who send notes of encouragement

Friends who come to the door with cheery smiles and love

Homemade meals from friends that settled my tummy and comforted me

These are just a few of the many, many blessings that I recorded during this time. I feel so grateful for the countless daily miracles that have lifted my heart and soul.

"We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival."

Winston Churchill

I'm Gonna Love You Forever

2012-01-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

"I'm gonna love you forever. Forever and ever, Amen. Honey, I don't care. I ain't in love with your hair. If it all fell out, I'd love you anyway!"
Old country song

It is official. My head is now shaved and I'm adapting to a new world of hats, a wig, and the Demi Moore look that only my family and a few friends have been so privileged to see.:)

My hair started coming out on day 14 and I decided to be proactive and shave it before it was coming out in clumps. I also wanted to donate my long trusses to Locks of Love before it was too late.

One of my most saintly friends agreed to shave my head for me. David was in Asia so I gathered my children after school and we went to her house for the big event. My Emma helped to put it all in little pony tails( for ease of cutting and to collect for L of L). I squeezed my eyes shut while the scissors went snip, snip through my hair. Before long I was shorn and we were on to the shaving part. I still kept my eyes squeezed tight mostly so I wouldn't shed too many tears. In the end it was all gone and my dear friend made the process so much easier with her wonderful sense of humor and kind words.

I think my younger children were a bit shocked by my new look because when I put Hannah to bed that night she said it was scary for her and that she hoped she never got cancer. I hope so too Hannah! Little Adam has been quizzical as he watches me put on hats and occasionally the wig. When I go all natural I don't think he likes it too much because he says, "Hair back on!". That makes me smile and feel a bit sad for my little boy who doesn't understand what is happening to his mama.

I was quite nervous to see David with my new look because he had been gone through the entire process. I know he loves me no matter what (after all, he used to sing that aforementioned song long before cancer) but I still want to be attractive to him hair or no hair. I'm sure he didn't think baldness would become reality but he was true to the lyrics yesterday when he saw me bald for the first time. He wrapped his arms around me and told me so sincerely how beautiful I looked to him. True love knows no bounds.

"I'm gonna love you forever, forever, and ever. Amen." :)

Our Retro Rental

2012-01-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

When we left on our international assignment to Bangkok we rented out our home. We've had wonderful renters who signed a two year contract. It was a lovely plan until we needed to return to the U.S. due to cancer. We had hoped that somehow our renters would be able to vacate our home early and in the end they were but not before February 1st.

Back in November we were scrambling when we realized that we would need temporary housing for a few months. Housing a family of seven in a rental unit is no easy task. We were concerned about finding a home large enough, the right price, a decent location, etc. I started scouring the paper and the day after we learned we'd need housing a new rental ad in Midland popped up. I called immediately and felt so strongly that this was the place for us. The home was large enough, the owner would rent month to month, and the location was perfect. I felt that this was a direct gift from God. It turned out the owner of the home was helping his daughter through a cancer battle of her own so he was extra willing to work with us when we told him of our situation.

At any rate, we moved in over a month ago and the rental home is as funky as they come. I just had to share some of the features of our "retro rental"!

This is what you see on the countertop of our kitchen. Do you know what it is?

We didn't either until we pulled down one side....

and then the other. A stove! Can you believe it? Have you ever seen anything quite like it? Well, maybe when you are camping but in a home? Pretty retro I'd say! And amazingly, it works!

The cabinets throughout the home are complete with the wingtip retro handles. Hey, they are easy to pull open. :)

And this is just one of the retro bathrooms. Love the wallpaper and tile! One of the other bathrooms is pink and grey right down to the pink toilet. Lovely!

Another unique feature is the built in iron decor...nice...

And no retro home would be complete without a built in planter box. It is a magnet for two year olds who like to drive their toy cars through the foam bits and then fling the bits all over the floor. Want to come vacuum anyone? :)

Despite all the funky features, it is a cozy comfortable home and best of all it has great views out the back window that make me feel like I am out in the country. I love it!

It is a classic and our family (or at least me) will forever remember the retro rental that the Lord provided for us.

Hair

2012-01-10T16:01:00.000-08:00

One of the side effects that I am most dreading is losing my hair. Every morning I get up and tug at my hair to see if it is coming out yet. So far it is staying right where it should be but I'm trying to be brave for the day when it comes out. I've been told by my doctor that my hair will come out anytime. Other women who have been through my same chemo regime report losing their hair about 14 days after their first treatment. For me 14 days is this Thursday. That is too soon for me!

I am dreading this part because I really like my hair right now. It is long, shiny, only a smidge grey, and healthy. I fear that it will take years for it to grow back to its current glory. And then I am afraid of the what if - what if it doesn't grow back? what if it comes back white as the moon? what if it comes in crazy curly?

I'm also quite scared of how I will look without hair. Bald? Me? I'm not quite in the same category as the Hollywood models who have shaved their locks so I'm not imagining that I will look at all beautiful. When those thoughts come I remind myself of my favorite Pablo Picasso quote, "Beauty is not in the outer appearance but in the inner grandeur." That helps as does reminding myself that losing hair is a small thing in relation to other things I could be losing. It's much better when I take the Pollyanna route and feel glad that I have eyes, ears, arms, hands, fingers, and legs that can run.

I think losing hair due to cancer is so traumatic for me because it is a very visible reminder of the disease I am dealing with. A missing breast can be hidden and no one knows. The daily side effects of chemo aren't too visible to the general public except for this one. I guess I'm a bit worried about the stares and how my husband and children will react to a bald wife and mother.

So I've tried to be proactive and follow advice I've been given to go wig shopping. Ok, wig shopping is hard! First, I've always associated wigs with old ladies (please no offense, old ladies) but I just feel like 40 is way too young for a wig. And I've thought of wigs as those funny looking things that are worn for a Halloween costume. All my preconceived notions came with me as I went to a local wig shop, and I nearly ended up in a puddle of tears the first two times I set foot in the store. The third time was a charm and a different sales lady literally wrapped her arms around me, told me she'd been through chemo a year ago, and helped me feel like I could do this. Today I went to pick up the wig I ordered and as I tried it on I felt hopeful because it actually looks good. It was REALLY expensive but I think it will be worth it. My daughters who came with me were very sweet and said it looks just like my real hair. (I didn't even bribe them. :)). So I don't have any idea whether I will actually wear it all the time or if I will just wear a headscarf, or a hat but at least I am prepared for the day when. I'm sure there will be tears that day and that is ok. I'll weep, then move on, and look forward for the day when chemo is over and it is growing back.

1 week down

2012-01-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

My first week of chemotherapy is done! Only eleven weeks left! Wahoo! Today is the first day I've felt good and I am so grateful because it has been a loooong week.

So far the side effects I've noticed are:

Fatigue -- In a major way- like I think I'll just lay down to rest and instead I crash for an hour or more
Nausea --- I'm learning to eat lots of small meals
Headaches/body pain --Tylenol is my new best friend
My mouth feels wierd! -- Apparently mouth sores are common so I faithfully mouth rinse 3x a day
Itchy and tender scalp -- So much that I'm STARTING to think that I'll be glad when my hair is gone
Super chapped lips - Like to the Nth degree - Carmex is my other new best friend
And a few other things that wouldn't be so nice to mention on a blog. :)

Despite the above mentioned, I feel well enough to do laundry, run simple errands, and try to manage our busy household with 5 active children. Thankfully, I've had many wonderful friends and family who have helped in more ways than I can mention. Some homemade chicken noodle soup was dropped off for dinner last night and it was the miracle soup! I've had a nasty cold on top of the chemo effects and the soup really helped to ease my cold and I think helped me feel so much better today. My daughters have been so helpful with dishes, laundry, playing with Adam, and letting me rest. And it has been a joy to see all of their faces each day and to hold little Adam close. It reminds me that this cancer battle is worth fighting so that I can have many, many years with my family.

The First Round Begins

2011-12-29T09:43:00.000-08:00

D-day has arrived and I've been quaking in my boots. Each night my sleep has been interrupted by my overactive mind and heart. Thoughts of losing my hair, being sick, and the "what-ifs" have weighed on mind. My heart has been reaching heavenward pleading for the strength to endure. I don't want to merely endure but I want to endure WELL. I hope to be full of patience, humility, love, and sweetness as I submit to the discomfort of cancer treatments. As I've lost sleep and pondered in the night I have felt peaceful and reassured that divine help will come and I will be sustained beyond my natural abilities. I've realized more than ever that the Savior lives and is so very aware of me.

This morning we are at the hospital learning about anti- nausea medications, how to prevent mouth sores, avoiding infections, and a host of other chemotherapy issues. All of this is in preparation for my first treatment which will begin in an hour or so. :(

David is by my side and I'm so, so grateful to have him with me. He leaves in two days for a three week trip to Bangkok and I've been savoring my moments with him. Neither of us are thrilled at the prospect of being apart as I go through this first round but our household in BKK must be shipped and David needs to complete his work before his new job begins. The chemo treatments are cumulative so we decided that sooner was better than later when the side effects may be worse. Thankfully we have a host of friends and family that are so willing and able to help us while he is away. I have always thought my family and were wonderful but the depth of their kindness has cemented in my mind that I am surrounded by the best people in the world. And that includes those both near and far!

So I'll go to the infusion center in a little while and it won't be long before I know if all my fears are real. My doctor told me that most people tell her that "It wasn't as bad as I thought". I hope that is true for me!

A Second Opinion

2011-12-23T12:30:00.001-08:00

This week we spent an entire day in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan Cancer center. We met with a team of doctors who thoroughly reviewed my case and gave me a good second opinion. The approach at UM is more aggressive than at University of Alabama and at the end of the day the doctors clearly felt that my cancer should be treated with chemotherapy followed with radiation and then tamoxifen. The reason for this treatment course is based mainly on the two positive lymph nodes. If I follow the treatment plan recommended then I have an 88% chance of living another 10 years. I'm all for living longer :) so we feel good about the course of action recommended. I certainly don't think it will be an easy road because chemotherapy scares me however I'm willing to go through the pain now in hopes that this cancer will be eradicated. So chemotherapy begins on December 29th and will go through March 1st. Six weeks of radiation will follow chemo and then I'll have five years of hormone therapy(tamoxifen). Phew!

The Past Ten Days: Results and Decisions

2011-12-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

I feel like I've been caught up in a whirlwind and every time my feet get ready to touch the ground I am swept away again and can't quite catch my breath. Probably one word can describe my life lately and that is CRAZY! I mean that in the best sense of the word because many, many good things have come together for us and it's just been so busy that I've had little time to relay all of the events. I wish I had time to share all of the miracles but for now I will just give a brief overview. A post on miracles will be forthcoming. :)

We FINALLY received the results of my OncotypeDX test and my score was a 23. The OncotypeDX test is rated from 1 to 100. If your score is 1 to 17 then chemotherapy isn't beneficial and other treatments are more effective in treating the cancer. If the score is 31 to 100 then chemotherapy clearly works and will treat the cancer. BUT if you are like me and your score is between 17 and 31 then it is a very tough call whether to do chemotherapy or not.

Thankfully, my oncologist at UAB, (Dr. Falkson) is fabulous and she called us to talk through my results and explain in detail what side effects I can expect from the chemotherapy regime of Taxotere and Cytoxan (doesn't that just sound toxic! ). I felt strongly that I should ask her what she would do if she were in my situation, given that she has seen hundreds of breast cancer patients go through chemo. Her answer was that if she was in the U.S. and had a trusted oncologist she would go through chemotherapy. The other factor in deciding for me is the reality that I had 2 positive lymph nodes and typically if any lymph nodes have cancer chemotherapy is a given. As we talked I realized that the oncologist can play a critical role in helping to mitigate the long term side effects of chemo and because I am worried about that I will go to University of Michigan(UM) for my treatments. UM has a national cancer center and they are experts in breast cancer.

The decision to go ahead with chemo has had a domino effect and since that decision we determined that we needed to end our international assignment. This was with mixed emotions because we all enjoyed our time in Thailand and David was especially enjoying his work there. However, we know that the cancer care in the U.S. is the best and there is nothing so comforting as being HOME to go through something like this. So in the past few days we have moved into a rental house that is situated on a beautiful golf course and our many friends have pitched in to provide us some beds, a table, and all the things we need until we can get into our own home. It has been simply amazing how everything has come together and my heart is full of gratitude every single day for all that I have. The days have been incredibly busy though as we have been coordinating details and getting our family situated. Not to mention that Christmas is in a few short days! YIKES! I haven't even thought about Christmas cards or Christmas shopping - well, actually I have had a thought or two about it but haven't had much time to devote to it so if our Christmas cards and gifts are late this year I have a hunch that you'll understand. :)

Going Forward

2011-12-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

As you know, we were hoping for my oncotype test results tomorrow, December 6th, but a week ago we found out that the earliest we would have results would be the 8th or 9th. What a disappointment for us! Apparently the testing company ran into some snags and had to restart the test twice and now it is likely we may not have news until the 13th of December. :( AAARRGGHHH! Talk about a test of patience! Our future for the next year is riding on that test and we are sooooo anxious to KNOW whether or not chemo is required.

After we discovered the delay we felt strongly that we should move forward with establishing the girls back in school and try to work out a housing arrangement. So we packed our bags, left Atlanta, and drove through the night to our hometown in Michigan. Michigan is HOME for us as we have lived there for umpteen years and have many wonderful friends who are like family to us. If we end up not heading back to BKK this is where we want to be - in a familiar place where our family can feel settled as we go through the challenges of chemotherapy. So in the past seven days we have re-enrolled our children in public school (where they have had a tender welcome from all of their friends), purchased a car, navigated the health system here, stayed with dear friends who have welcomed us with open arms as we finalize our housing situation, and tried not to hyperventilate from the cumulative stresses of the past few months. This "homeless" experience has given me a whole new appreciation for the refugee families that we knew in Bangkok and I so admire them for their complete fortitude and faith in the face of circumstances far, far worse than ours. I'm discovering that turmoil can be all around you and peace can still be felt inside. It is a beautiful thing to feel calm in the eye of a storm.

As we've gone forward not knowing our future I've felt grateful for a multitude of things. A few of those include....

- Resilient children who are glad to be back in school and have a routine and focus. They have been real troopers through all the upheaval and I am in awe of their cheerfulness and "normal-ness" when they are fully entitled to melt down.

- A rental home that came available at just the right time and with just the right terms for our situation. Truly amazing how this has come to pass. We can move in this Saturday and all of us are looking forward to being settled somewhere for more than a week. Our own home is being rented and will not be available until March but I'm hoping for a miracle that will enable us to get in before I start any adjuvant treatments.

- A company that is willing to help David adjust his job role so we can be in Michigan if needed.

- A veritable army of true friends who have offered to help us in anyway they can. We have felt encircled in the arms of love.

- Healing well from my surgery and feeling good enough to start running! I ran about 4 miles this morning and it felt great. I think the running has helped to reduce the size of a seroma and bring my nerve pain under control. I feel better as each day passes by. I'm keeping that Boston marathon in sight!

- And I feel so thankful for perfect strangers who have been so empathetic and loving to me. One sweet sales lady in the Nordstrom lingere department gave me a huge hug and a pink breast cancer journal with inspiring quotes. I have a renewed belief in the goodness of mankind and see that good hearted people are all around us each day.

-It is Christmas time!!!!

Despite all the delays we are holding together and keeping busy so that the time will pass quickly. December 13th can't come soon enough!

-

Catching Up

2011-11-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

With all of the excitement in our lives lately I'm woefully behind on posting photos of things we've done in the past month or so. But before I share some photos I thought you'd like to know the one piece of cancer related news and that is that we won't hear any results from the oncotype test until after December 6th - doesn't that sound like FOREVER! At least to me it does. So I am praying for a minor miracle this week and am hoping that somehow the results will come sooner so we can make some final decisions about whether or not to return to Thailand.

There. Now that is off my chest I can show you some photos. :)

This photo and the ones that closely follow are from a trip we took to Chinatown in downtown Bangkok. The narrow streets packed with vendors, motorcycles, dogs, cheap goods, tourists, noises, smells, and people are hard to capture in words. The girls enjoyed the chaotic shopping experience and as we left they unanimously voiced their desire to go again. I admit it - Chinatown is fun - and I have a particular weakness for the fabric section.

The next few photos are from our visit to Pattaya. We had shuttered up our home due to the flooding and we decided that a diversion would be good so we booked a few nights at the Grand Mirage Hotel and it had the most amazing waterpark.

Martha's face says it all! The kids had a blast and spent all day going down the countless slides.

Happy swimmers!

And here is our travel weary Adam lying on the floor of the Bangkok airport after being roused from his bed at 2 a.m. I didn't have the heart to make him get up even though the germs were probably aplenty. A few germs are good for the immune system, right? :)

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that this next photo is of our children's FIRST ever American high school football games. My sister has teenage sons who are die hard fans of their school teams so we tagged along and being fresh off the plane from Bangkok this really was an All American experience. We loved it! The bands, the cheering fans, the hot dog smells, and the cool fall air - FOOTBALL!

And then a few days later it was Halloween, which half of us spent with our dear friends the Melby's (my sister had my other children in Georgia since our week was full of doctor's appointments). Here is Sarah with Elizabeth and then a gang of us on the Melby's front door. My children were THRILLED to bits to trick- or- treat and eat American candy.

The Melby's have a brand new baby and we all just savored holding him. Holding cuddly new babies is priceless.

Emma and Lindsey discovered a common love for cooking and created all sorts of yummy things for us to eat.

Adam is a huge fan of CARS (I don't know many two year olds who aren't) and so we picked up this little toy car for him to play in while he was at my sister's home. He sat patiently for 45 minutes while my saintly sister went through the pains of assembling it and then he played in it forever.

Naturally he wasn't too keen to share and when his cousin came to visit they chased each other screaming "MINE!" :)

We also visited the world's largest aquarium in Atlanta and it was phenomenal.

Adam was mesmerized by the aquatic creatures and the girls really loved the chance to touch sting rays.

Lest you think we just play all the time we did help my sister by raking leaves and cleaning up the garden for winter. Leaves, bonfires, warm autumn afternoons - mmm, mmm, good!

And in the evenings it was on to Just Dance 2 with the cousins! How can you resist?

And last but not least a trip to the park where Adam took his first ride in a kiddy swing. He was all grins!

And to finish up here are some goofy photos of my teenage girls who are quite simply the best girls EVER! Don't you just love them?!

:) :) :0

Waiting

2011-11-16T11:47:00.000-08:00

It has been a week since I had surgery to remove the tumor and today I am back in the waiting room. We've spent a great deal of time waiting lately and today is no exception. I just had a radioactive substance injected in my arm and now I'm to wait 3 hours for it to go through my body. :( While we are waiting for that that test we are waiting for a CT scan. Phew! Lots of waiting!

Another thing we are waiting for is lab test results. The surgery went well and initially all the lymph nodes they removed looked clean but upon further testing 2 of the 5 nodes had cancer in them. The amount of cancer was small, which is good, but the oncologist isn't sure that chemotherapy is prudent without doing a more definitive test, known as the oncotype test. Yesterday we found out that those results won't be back for another two weeks. Ouch! More waiting!

While we are in the "waiting place" we are wondering how to manage our unique situation. The reality is we are in the middle of an international assigment, our children are missing a lot of school, our home residence is rented, and we have a heap of unknowns about our future. It is just a wee bit stressful. :)

In the midst of all this wondering and waiting we've been managing our stress by doing some normal things. I have loved taking daily walks and seeing the fall leaves spin and twirl to the ground. It makes me so happy when little Adam snuggles up to me while I am still snoozing in the morning. Driving a car is liberating(no driver - wo hoo!) and so fun with my teenage daughters and friends in tow- all singing to their favorite songs. Watching Adam grin like crazy as he drives his toy Lighting McQueen car makes me smile. And of course eating all American food is making me really happy too. All of these things and more are helping me to tolerate the waiting.

Perspective

2011-11-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

It was a long day in the hospital today doing all the things that were needful prior to surgery tomorrow morning. I head to the operating room early in the morning. I've cried many tears and have wrestled with my fears and have found that faith in Jesus Christ conquers all. In the eternal scheme of life these "afflictions shall be but a small moment."
I had a lesson on perspective today as I sat in the nuclear medicine waiting room and a woman came in carrying her little girl. The girl was bald and it was apparent she had cancer. The girl curled up in a blanket and slept while her mother talked to some of us in the waiting room. The little four year old girl, Sophie, has a rare bone marrow cancer that was discovered when her mother took her to the ER for stomach pain. A tumor the size of a football was in her tummy and since June this tough little girl has been in and out of the hospital. I sat and looked at this sweet child and thought of how small my burdens are compared to this little person who is going through so much. And then to the left of me a man piped up and shared that his wife had just been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of intestinal cancer which requires very difficult treatments. So I sat there and felt grateful for the challenges that are mine and the recognition that my burdens are relatively light.
I feel positive and hopeful that my cancer was caught early, it is a common cancer, and the outlook for a long life is excellent. God is so good to me!

Overwhelmed

2011-11-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

I have so wanted to write and fill you in on all of the many events of the past week yet jet lag, doctors appointments, decisions, and caring for my family have consumed my hours and I simply haven't had time to blog.

It has been a week since we arrived in the states and I have felt completely overwhelmed by the love and kindness shown to us. We have spent time in Georgia and Alabama and I've had my first experience with the legendary "Southern Hospitality" and I can attest that it is real! I'll just share with you one example, of many, that really touched my heart. My sister told one person at her work that I was coming to the US for cancer treatment and a few hours later she received an e-mail from all of her co-workers with a schedule for meals and offers to provide whatever we may need. I was so amazed that people who don't even know me would be so generous. The outpouring of love and prayers has made me cry. It is overwhelming to me to be the recipient of such caring.

Our week has been a whirlwind of doctors visits and trying to make educated decisions about my treatment options. I feel so grateful to be here in the states and to have our friend, Dr. Melby to help us navigate the health care system. He has used his talents and connections to help us find the best doctors and to make appointments that otherwise would have been delayed. Amazing! I had an MRI on Wednesday and a second mammogram on Thursday. At an ultrasound on Thursday the doctor informed me that although my malignant cancerous area is 1.5 cm, I have an additional "pre-cancerous" area that is between 4 and 5 cm. All of this area will need to be removed and in my case that means I will have to have a mastectomy. :( This was difficult news for me because I was hoping to have a lumpectomy but no such luck. I am thankful for the incredible technology that can show the problem areas and give me a realistic picture of what I am up against.

Our next steps are to make decisions regarding reconstruction, have surgery (we're hoping for next Wednesday), and then wait to find out the various adjuvant treatments that are in store. As you can imagine David and I have had many a long conversation regarding our future and what it may hold. He has been my dearest friend as we face this cancer together and has been so loving and reassuring. I have been so thankful to have him sitting by me in many a waiting room - just his presence gives me strength.

Spending time with family and friends has been good therapy for me. I have loved visiting with my sister and our long time friends the Melbys. Sitting around talking, laughing, and sharing memories from long ago is just what I have needed. Truly it is overwhelming to me to see how tenderly the Lord cares for me through loving family and friends. I am blessed beyond measure!

Enroute

2011-10-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

If I was a nail biter I'd have bitten all of my nails off yesterday. It was an adrenaline filled day which began with a call from my father-in-law telling us that CNN LIVE was saying that Bangkok would be flooded in a few hours. With an important flight to catch, bags to pack, and a house to shutter for a few weeks we felt stressed at this news. However one thing we've learned from this flooding crisis is that news reports don't always represent what is actually happening on the ground. So we paused, took stock of the dry ground around us and decided that we could take our time packing and cross our fingers that the flood waters wouldn't reach the airport before our flight left.

We worked like crazy all day to arrange our affairs, said farewell to our home, spent the night in a hotel downtown, and woke up way too early to catch a plane to the states. We all breathed a sigh of relief when we took off. PHEW!

Currently we're in a SkyClub in Narita and only 20 or so more hours of traveling and we'll be home in America!!!!

A Window

2011-10-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

"When God closes a door, He opens a window somewhere."

In the past 24 hours we've gone from wondering how to proceed in the face of postponed surgery & flooding to seeing so clearly the next step we should take. We feel so relieved and grateful at the end of this day.

This morning when we were feeling quite anxious about how long the Thai doctors would postpone surgery David had the idea to call a dear friend of ours (who is a surgeon) and ask his advice. He gave us wise counsel regarding the type of cancer I have and reminded us that the best available cancer care is in the United States. And then he went not just the extra mile but the extra 10 miles and offered to navigate the US health care system and to let us stay with his family in Birmingham. David wept at this most generous offer and we felt completely humbled at the pure love they freely offered.

After we hung up the phone we started talking through various scenarios and realized that going to Birmingham for the surgery is the best option for the following reasons:

- we can get into surgery sooner there than anywhere else
- the technology and cancer care are the absolute best in the United States
- my sister lives in Atlanta which is not too far from Birmingham and she is so willing to help
- we can do the surgery there and get a clear path for the after surgery treatments which can be transferred to another location
- school has been cancelled here due to the floods and so the girls won't be miss too much school

So to make a long story short we bought plane tickets today and on Saturday we will be flying to America. I feel like a fog has lifted and I can see clearly now. I feel so relieved to be going to my own country where I can understand the doctors and they can easily explain to me my treatment options. I feel so glad that our surgery was postponed here because we would have just gone forward and would not have received the best care. It would have been good care but not THE BEST care. Thank goodness for the idea to contact our friend! Thank goodness their incredible kindness to us! Thank goodness for my sister and her willingness to help! Thank goodness this window of opportunity has been opened to us.

The Skinny

2011-10-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

There are so many good and beautiful things about each day that I cannot count them. This morning I savored a few moments snuggling with Adam in the wee morning hours and I loved hearing him giggle as we tickled and tussled. I feel so strong physically and ran 5 miles this morning and it felt great! What a blessing to have legs! I looked at the puffy white clouds in a blue sky and felt so thankful that I can see. I laughed with Sarah as I double-dogged her on my bicycle – we were quite a sight! I looked into the faces of my children and felt so happy to be with them. I held David’s hand in the doctor’s office and felt that I am so lucky to have him by my side as we go through this together.

I am so grateful for all of the thoughts and prayers that have been offered in our behalf in this stressful time for our family. I feel them in the calm and peaceful feelings that are in my heart each day. I feel so humbled by your faith and encouragement. Thank you, thank you!

I know that many of you are wondering what the latest updates are and so here's "the skinny" on our situation:

Several months ago I felt a lump in my breast but because I was still breast feeding I attributed the lump to nursing. When my milk finally dried up a few weeks ago the lump was quite prominent so I made an appointment and saw a doctor this past Wednesday. Medical care is excellent in Thailand and the day of the initial appointment I had a mammogram and ultrasound. The next day I had a core biopsy and then the very next day I received the diagnosis. Quite amazing that all of that happened within 3 days! We met with our main doctor and felt so grateful to learn that he is a man of faith and openly said that over the years he has observed that patients with faith live longer than those who don't have a faith. Hurrah for faith in God! It is a tender mercy that we “happened” to have this doctor.

It has been a week since the initial appointment and today I was supposed to meet with the surgeon and schedule surgery. However, if you have been watching the news at all you are fully aware that there is a BIG flooding problem in Thailand right now. As we were at Bumrungrad International Hospital today waiting to see the surgeon (and hoping that we could get in for surgery as soon as possible) the nurse came out and told us that the doctor had just cancelled all of his appointments until November 1st because of the floods. UGH! We stood there feeling a bit of panic because of the possibility that the flooding will not be resolved by the first of November and realizing that the surgery could be pushed back even farther than that. Some newspapers have even projected that the flooding may last another 4 to 6 weeks! Both of us are fully aware that the cancer keeps growing each day and that the clock is ticking.

Determining a course of action is tricky because ideally we'd like to stay here in Bangkok and keep our children settled while we go through the months of cancer treatment. We could fly back to the US for the surgery but how long would it take to navigate the health care system? And would we come back here afterwards? The questions are huge and the unknowns are many. So tonight we are developing contingency plans in case the flooding continues to worsen and the doctor is unable to perform surgery for many weeks. We are hoping and praying to be able to have the surgery next week. The doctor initially told us he would like to operate within two weeks because this is an aggressive cancer. Two weeks will be next week! Yikes!

Our housing situation is also in flux due to the flooding but I can’t complain because so many others are suffering and in much worse situations. Currently we are living in a small service apartment downtown which we have stocked with some emergency supplies and water. Our main home in Nonthaburi is prepared for flooding but thankfully has remained dry. Day to day the news varies and it is quite unsettling to not know.

In the midst of these multiple crises I find there is much to be grateful for. Above all I feel grateful for the overriding sense of peace and the words, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not unto thine understanding." keep coming back to my mind. I'm sure that as we go forward with faith we'll know the answers and be able to determine the best course of action.

Boston Bound

2011-10-23T04:20:00.000-07:00

One of my big running goals for a long time has been to run the Boston Marathon and this past summer I qualified! A few weeks ago I found out that I made it through the registration process and my running dream was that much closer to coming true! Although I made it in I've been doing a bit of vacillating about going because Thailand is a loooong way from Boston and I haven't been sure about taking our entire family across the globe to watch me run. Traveling with a two-year old, jet lag, and then running 26.2 miles a few days later has made me think twice. But this week I found out something that has made me decide 100% that I must run the 2012 Boston Marathon.

My decision was made this past week when I sat in a doctor's office and was told that I have invasive lobular carcinoma, or in other words breast cancer. I didn't cry because I felt a great peace in my mind and heart which I know was a gift from my Savior. As the doctor described what lay ahead of me I immediately thought of the Boston and so I asked him, "Can I still run?". He hesitated and said I needed to conserve my strength to fight the cancer but inside of me I was feeling that "YES!", I need to run this marathon. I can't help but feel that the goal of running will help me as I battle this cancer. I don't have any illusions of it being easy because training for a marathon without having a disease is work but I have faith that with the Lord Jesus Christ I can do hard things. Through Him all things are possible and I know that He will be beside me as I run the race of life as well as the Boston Marathon next April.

I hope you won't mind me being so open with this new reality in my life because I'd like to use my blog to share with family and friends the experiences we go through so that you can help to cheer us on as we go through happy times and hard times.

Flooding

2011-10-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

Thailand is in the midst of the worst flooding in decades and all around us preparations are being made to protect our community from flood waters. We live in Nonthaburi province which is at risk for being inundated but so far we haven't been affected. I took a few photos yesterday of some of the things that are being done right where we live.

Sandbags are everywhere and right outside our home is no exception. Everywhere we bike, drive, or walk we see sandbags. Residents have placed sandbags in front of their doors and gates. We didn't do any sandbagging at our house but we did move all of our furniture up to the second floor - just in case.

Along with the sandbags are brick barrier walls that are in place in several locations in our community. Large sheets of plastic are placed on one side of the barrier walls in hopes of deterring water. The wall seen below is right in front of the school the girls attend. The school is at higher risk for flooding because it is lower than the rest of the area. The school has taken a variety of precautionary measures including installing an emergency siren system.

Here is another shot of the walls that have been built in front of the school. This is about 3/4 of a mile from our home.

Yesterday I took this shot in our grocery store. Normally this is where bottled water is stocked but as you can see the shelves are empty and have been for several days. Everyone is quite nervous and things like milk, bread, eggs, rice, oil, and batteries are hard to come by. We feel like we can't get reliable information about how real the risk is for the flood to hit us. The local guards say "NO", the flood won't hit here, yet they continue to make the flood barriers higher. Are they bored or do they know something that they aren't telling?? So we've been proactive and have prepared our 72 hour kits, stocked up on food and water, and are waiting to see what will happen.

An Escape to Krabi

2011-10-09T23:19:00.001-07:00

For a long time David and I have been wanting to escape! Escape from children, escape from routine, escape the office, the housework, and go somewhere together. Opportunity knocked this past week and we jumped at the chance to spend 4 days and 3 nights entirely alone - wahoo! A capable and trustworthy college student was willing to stay with our brood and we found a great package deal including airfare and hotel to Krabi, Thailand.

We hopped on a plane early on a Thursday morning and before 11 am we were on a speed boat in the Andaman Sea headed to Hong Island. Freedom! Alone together! Hurrah!

As the boat drew closer to the island this is what we saw....

towering limestone cliffs....

beautiful aqua blue waters...

sandy beaches....

and traditional Thai khlong boats floating peacefully on the water.

I felt like we were in a postcard. The beaches were gorgeous and not too crowded. The water was great and the snorkeling was decent. We even saw a small shark!

Isn't it just breathtaking? And of course David is too. :)

After a few hours on the beach we rented a kayak and paddled around the island. It was serene and beautiful.

A local told us about a hidden lagoon so we paddled between these cliffs and into a shallow lagoon area. It was magical!

After the kayaking I just laid on the beach and loved soaking up the sun and wiggling my toes in the sand--pure bliss for me!

In the late afternoon we boarded the speed boat and zipped across the waters back to our hotel. We stayed in the Sofitel near Krabi, which is a posh resort that made us feel completely pampered. We were there in the off season so the resort was so quiet that we felt like we were the only ones there. Here is a shot of the swimming pool...

The Sofitel has the largest outdoor swimming pool in Thailand and neither of us had ever seen a pool so big. It went on forever and had an entire kid play area, polo nets, and plenty of room to swim without bumping into anyone.

We could have easily spent an entire day hanging out at the pool but adventure was calling and so the next day we hopped in our rental car (yes, we rented a car - it was cheaper than the taxi fares and David has his Thai drivers license so away we went) and went to explore the nearby area of Ao Nang.

We tried following the map the best we could and eventually found ourselves at this local pier where we negotiated rental of a long tail boat and guide to take us to nearby islands. We were super happy to have a boat all to ourselves because the hotel had offered to arrange a boat tour with other people which would have been something like this...

Hmmn...a crowded boats with lots of people? Not so fun! Especially NOT while we were on a get-away.

Instead it was just David and I heading out on the water to experience some of the most beautiful islands we had ever seen.

I think we oooed and aaahed so much that our guide about fell off the boat laughing. It was simply stunning scenery.

He took us to Chicken Island - so named for the chicken head shaped rock that you see behind me.

We snorkeled near the island and there were plenty of fish. We saw a lot of these yellow and black ones as well as angel fish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and other sea creatures.

Snorkeling is like experiencing another world and we both enjoyed pointing out different things to each other. The guide thought it was really fun to throw bread in the water near us so that the fish would swarm. It was fun until David got bit by a fish who thought his finger was bread! Ouch!

We went from Chicken Island to Tub Islands, which are two island so close together that you can walk between the two on a sandbar. Once again this island was gorgeous and we walked far down the beach to a spot where we were completely alone. We swam, basked in the sun, hunted for shells, and just amazed that we were in this tropical paradise without a care in the world.

Like I said before the scenery was just amazing and the colors of the water simply perfect. I love the Thai Long Tail boats with their colorful ribbons and interesting shape.

The next island we visited was Monkey Island and of all the islands we visited this was the most disappointing. Not because of lack of natural beauty but rather the amount of rubbish that was everywhere. Garbage was on the beach, in the bushes, in the water, and it was quite shocking to me to see the utter disregard for the earth. It was really sad and we didn't spend very much time there. :( I came away from Monkey Island wanting to be an activist!

The last island we visited wasn't actually an island but rather part of an area known as Railay Beach. The rock formations were simply stunning here and we watched rock climbers scale cliffs that are apparently one of the only places outside of France where such difficult climbs are found.

We explored a little walkway and saw a lot of these monkeys just monkeying around. :) They look cute from a distance but we'd heard stories about what can happen if you feed them so we refrained. Railay Beach seemed to be a hang out for a much younger, backpacking type crowd so we didn't spend too much time there either. Although, we were tempted by a rugged hike to a lagoon but we decided to act our age. :) Anyways our day was coming to a close and our sunburnt skin was ready for a break from the sea and sun.

We boarded our little private boat and I savored the feel of the waves and being alone with David as we headed back to land for the night.

Our last full day we had wanted to explore more islands but bad weather prevented us from going on a boat tour so instead we decided to attend a Thai cooking class. Talk about YUMMY and FUN! We really enjoyed ourselves eating good food and learning a bit more about Thai Cookery.

We made Pad Thai, curry pastes, and soups. I was inspired and really want to learn how to make some good Thai food so I can cook it when we go home to America. I'm becoming addicted to Tom Yan Goon (a soup) and Paneng (red curry). Thai food is very good - or at least the dishes I like are very good. :)

So the tale of our escape ends with us heading home after 4 days feeling completely renewed and so ready to see our little kiddos again. We are already planning when we can go again.

Ancient Siam

2011-09-28T23:52:00.001-07:00

One of our latest adventures exploring Bangkok was a trip to Ancient Siam. Ancient Siam is a miniature replica of the entire country of Thailand complete with miniature replicas of famous landmarks. The site is about 300 acres shaped like Thailand with the various monuments placed in their respective locations around the country.

We arrived in the early morning and rented bikes.

We rode and then stopped at the various sites we encountered. The day we went there were busloads of local Thai children touring the site and they gawked at us, said,"Hello"and then giggled like crazy. :) We didn't see any other farangs (foriegners) the day we were there and later David's co-workers told him that Ancient Siam is a place where Thai's school children go to learn about their history.

Throughout the site there were amazing structures including this one which was straddling a large pond. If you look closely you can see the girls.

A floating market and village replica was delightful to explore and we ate lunch here. Thankfully David speaks enough Thai to order food for us because there were no menus and no English speakers. The upside of this is that prices were "local" - which means very inexpensive.

No family outing would be complete without an ice-cream cone!

As we biked along we came across a large hill that had an amazing structure at it's summit. We climbed many steps to the top and we were rewarded with the views. The children loved climbing all over up here because of the many windows, hallways, and little hiding places.

At the end of the day we were hot, sweaty, tired, but happy from all the exploring. We unanimously agreed that Ancient Siam is a place we'd visit again and a must see for anyone visiting Bangkok.

My First Thai Massage

2011-08-31T22:37:00.000-07:00

Ever since we came to Thailand David has been trying to get me to have a Thai massage. I'm not so comfortable with the idea of other people touching my body so I have just said no. He didn't encourage me when he came home from work one day and said that he was in pain because his entire group had gone together to get Thai massages. Pain? People touching MY body? NOT for me.

However, David doesn't give up easily. When he explained his situation to a friend they immediately made massage appointments for us at an exclusive spa. Then David came home from work and said we had a date for Thai massage and lunch and that I couldn't back out because it would seriously offend his friend. So we went.

Here is a photo of one of the boardwalks at the Spa. The Spa was located in Nonthaburi and was a peaceful contrast to the regular hubbub of Bangkok streets.

This next photo is not mine but I wanted to give you an idea of what Thai massage involves. Notice that the masseuse is KNEELING ON the person and PULLING her arms and body. YOW! Welcome to the world of Thai massage. Stretching, pulling, elbows digging into you, a mentholatum cream rubbed into your muscles, and yes, pain. It actually wasn't so bad and the lady who did my massage was very kind and told me that because it was my first time she was giving me a soft massage. Soft? I'd hate to find out what hard is like! David was wincing and grunting next to me while he was being pounded upon. But in the end I admitted that it DID feel good and it was an experience that should be had while here in Thailand.

The lunch afterwards was yummy and we felt nicely relaxed after all that massaging.

The Spa is right on the river and we had a great view of some local Thai homes.

We kept noticing these HUGE clumps of vegetation floating by. We have no idea what they are but our curiosity was peaked because they just kept coming.

This one was particularly large. The photo doesn't show it but the clumps actually move quite swiftly. I'm going to have to find out what they are.

At any rate, despite all my objections to having a massage, David won and in the end it was a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning.
P.S. This doesn't mean that I will be getting any regular massages from here on out. I still don't relish the idea of my body being touched and besides what if the next time they aren't so easy on me??

Anniversary River Boat Cruise

2011-08-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

David surprised me on our anniversary by taking me on an evening River Boat Cruise on the Chao Phra Ya River. We went downtown Bangkok to the Shangrila Hotel where our dinner cruise began. Taking a River Cruise is a typical touristy thing to do - although some Thai's do this on special occasions.
It was pouring rain as we boarded the boat and we wondered if the cruise would be worth the money. The dinner was a buffet of various Thai foods and honestly we were quite disappointed in the quality of the food. However, we weren't disappointed once the cruise began in earnest - the views were great! As we slowly moved up the river we saw the lights of Bangkok and it was beautiful. The Buddhist temples or Wat's were really eye catching in the dark.

We walked around the deck of the boat as it moved up the river and thankfully the rain subsided and we were able to take a few photos of ourselves for posterities sake. :) Here we are umpteen years after we got married--still in love and going strong.

Friendship is the best part of being together for so many years. I enjoy being with David! I'm digressing... back to our dinner cruise.

We tried taking as many night shots as we could but our photography skills need some help. Plus it isn't easy to take photos on a moving boat while it is raining. Hopefully you can get a tiny idea of how it looks after dark along the river.

It was a memorable evening and we both would recommend doing a dinner cruise if you visit Bangkok - just find one that has decent food or you'll be raiding the cupboards when you get home.

Bob's Red Mill

2011-08-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

This summer I became an addict. My parents can take full blame because they are the ones who introduced me to Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats. YUM!!

When I was staying at their home my dad would make a pot of steel cut oats each morning and I'd load up a bowl with oats and fresh fruit. Did I say YUM already? It was blissful and addicting. I couldn't get enough and I went through withdrawal when I couldn't eat steel cut oats for breakfast.

I knew that I wouldn't be able to find these oats in Bangkok so when we went to the actual Bob's Red Mill store in Portland I bought a case of steel cut oats to haul back to Bangkok. Yup. That's right. A 20-pound case of oats to stash in my suitcase. It was worth hauling that heavy suitcase all around the world --although now that I am back in Bangkok I'm realizing that I should have brought 2 or 3 cases with me because in the 2 weeks we've been back I've already eaten through 5 pounds of steel cut oats - YIKES! I'm going to have to figure out a way to get some oats here in BKK or I'll be going through withdrawal and that could get ugly.

Emma

2011-07-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

Our second oldest daughter Emma turned 13 this month and I've been thinking about her and thought I'd share with you some of the things that I love about her.

Emma is colorful! Like the umbrella in this photo (that is Emma under the umbrella) she brings brightness and sparkle wherever she goes.

Emma is thoughtful and a deep thinker. She feels things deeply and has a tender heart.

She is strong and will not budge or yield once she has decided to stand up for something. She is a determined young lady who faithfully studies her scriptures and prayers each day regardless of how long the day has been. I've found her in the closet with the lights on after everyone else has gone to bed and she says, "I haven't finished my scripture reading yet." That's determination!

Beautiful, strong, gentle, intelligent - all these words come to mind when I look at this photo.

This photo captures Emma at her best. We went to a rest home and she carefully painted this woman's nails for her and then she gently blew dry each finger. Emma loves people just as they are.

Emma is also a tease! Notice her expressions in these photos...

Emma is fiesty and full of personality! She adds her own special ZING to our family!

She is growing older! Yikes!

She's now a full fledged teenager and thinks her mother lives to embarrass her. I must admit it makes me smile when she squirms and says, "Mooooommmmmm, don't do thaaatt!" Maybe she'll miss me and my embarrassing ways when she eventually goes off to college.

Emma has gorgeous dimples!

She loves colorful things as you can tell by her pink Converses. No "boring nuetrals" for her. :)

Emma has a knack for putting herself together and she likes to accessorize. I still haven't figured out how to do either of those things and I'm amazed at how naturally Emma does it. It really is a talent!

Best of all Emma is just herself. She isn't swayed too much by the crowd and she isn't afraid to say what she thinks. I think that I am a most fortunate mother to have such a remarkable daughter. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father sent her to us to brighten up our lives. I don't mean to sound cliche but Emma is extraordinary!

A Month in America

2011-07-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that it has been a month since we left Bangkok and headed to America for our summer vacation! Time truly flies when you are having fun. Here are a few photos to recap some of things we've done while in our home country....

Now this isn't in America (obviously) BUT on our flight back we were re-routed through South Korea and we were completely impressed by the cultural displays in the airport. This was a re-enactment of an ancient Korean wedding. We were mesmerized!

Adam spent many hours in the backpack on the long journey home. He was a trooper though and loved his freedom to run when we finally arrived at Grandpa and Grandma Hirschi's house.

Here he is putting his bare toes on the grass for the first time. (Bangkok doesn't have lawns and it's too hot to be outside) He walked gingerly and then started to run! Oh for lawns!

Hannah was so happy she turned cartwheels! I felt like doing cartwheels too!

There's nothing like Grandparents!

Or drinking water out of a public drinking fountain!!! We always took this for granted before living abroad.

We bought yummy maple bars from a hometown bakery and munched away.

And when we went in Wal-mart for the first time we sort of freaked out at all the familiar foods, the low prices, so many overweight people, the candy, and everything we had missed. Emma couldn't resist hugging the cheese balls. :)

SLIP and SLIDE! We wanted to do as many typical American summer things as possible and this was one of them.

I just love seeing Adam run around outside, enjoying cool air and the chance to play in a yard. I know it sounds trivial but the simple pleasures and freedoms we enjoy in America are the best.

Believe it or not, riding a little bike on the driveway is a novelty too!

We attended a Hirschi Kids reunion and here are the girls with some of their cousins.

And then we went to visit my parents and we enjoyed playing croquet on their lawn and...

eating all-American hot dogs grilled by Grandpa! YUM, YUM, YUM!

We loved going on walks with Grandma and Grandpa!

Adam tried using a walking stick while Emma....

held Grandpa's hand and talked his ear off. :)

We drove to the Oregon coast and dug our toes into the sand.

We are loving TARGET!! - probably a little too much, if that is possible.

But retail therapy is working its magic and we have suitcases full of supplies to take back to Thailand.

We're playing at the lake by my parents house and loving the peace and quiet of small towns.

We took Sarah and Emma to the Portland temple to do temple work with Grandma and Grandpa and it was a memorable experience.

And we celebrated America's birthday with a Fourth of July breakfast at my parent's house. It has been an absolutely wonderful month!!!

Marathon Training in Bangkok - Darkness, bats, and heat.

2011-06-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

Over the past several months I have been training for a marathon, which I will be running on June 25th. Before I signed up for the race I had to think long and hard because running in Thailand is a different kind of animal, mainly because of the heat. There are three seasons in Thailand - hot, hotter, and hottest - none of which are conducive to marathon training. But despite my fears I took the plunge and committed myself.

Any running I do at this stage of my life has to be in the early morning or the late evening - either before or after my one year old awakes. This actually is a great boon for me because the heat is the least oppressive in those same hours. However, daylight hours aren't very long in Thailand, it gets light around 6:15 a.m. and is dark by 6:15 p.m. So 95% of my marathon training has been in the dark. Thankfully Nichada Thani (our community) is fairly well lit so even if I am running at 4 am or midnight I can see where I am going.

When I wake up in the wee hours and start my runs the only other living creatures are tropical bats and security guards. The bats swoop back and forth by the light posts while half of the guards are asleep as I run past. Thankfully the bats are harmless and haven't ever bothered me. I've been so grateful to live in our gated community because I wouldn't have been able to do this amount of running if we lived outside the gates. Outside the gates are a host of street dogs and other hazards. The security guards in our neighborhood keep dogs and other problems from coming through the gates so I can run without fear.

The other thing about running in Bangkok is the incredible amount of sweat that one produces in that kind of heat. After just a few minutes of running I am completely soaked. One of my friends here told me that she sweated so much that she rusted out her i-pod! For me the worst sweat was when I ran my 20 milers. I had to run 3 x 20 miles in my training program and after each one I was so completely drenched that I literally rung the liquid out of my running clothes. I won't tell you about how they smelt - eeewww!

So after months of training in the heat I am now in the U.S.A. just a few days away from running the Seattle marathon. I'm hoping that all of my long hours running in the dark, with bats and in the heat will help me run my best marathon time ever.

A Crab in the Pool

2011-06-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

On our farm we had experiences with raccoons, possums, deer, and other typical woodland creatures but here in Thailand our animal adventures are of another kind. The latest happened when David and the girls were swimming in our pool.

Martha came up from a dive hollering that something pinched her. David thought she was telling a tall tale and then teased her by pinching her while she was swimming. But when Hannah came up screaming and crying that she'd been pinched by something he took it more seriously. When he dove down to take a look, lo and behold, there was a crab!!

Naturally we couldn't keep a crab in the pool so David grabbed the broom and "herded" the crab towards the shallow end. The crab wasn't too happy about being "herded" and he kept snapping his claws at the broom handle.

But David persisted and in the end the crab was encouraged over to the side and we scooped him up in a bucket.

Here are the crab catchers getting ready to transport Mr. Crab to his new home. The girls ran down to Nichada Lake (near our home) and put him in the water. We all wondered how he got in our pool and if another crab would appear. But whatever happens we are all a little more wary of strange objects in the pool because after all, who wants to be pinched by a crab?

BYU Ballroom Dancers in Bangkok

2011-05-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

The BYU Ballroom Dance team recently did a tour of Southeast Asia and one of their stops was in Bangkok! We were soo excited to see them dance and perform. We bought tickets with some friends and went to a local exhibition hall to watch the show.

I must admit that the seating was less than perfect - all of the seats were on ground floor level and the stage wasn't much higher than the seats. Thankfully we weren't seated too far back.

In Thailand there is a king and so before every function (school concerts, movies, etc) the King's Anthem is played and everyone stands in reverence.

Here we are still waiting for the show. Another thing that is very Thailand is that before an event there are all sorts of speeches and recognition of dignitaries. The show was scheduled to start around 3:00 p.m. and after all the formalities it started about 3:45 p.m. ! We were all getting restless by the time it began and I was very glad that I had left Adam at home.

The show was absolutely wonderful and the girls and I completely enjoyed it. The dancing was beautiful, the costumes modest, and the entire performance was uplifting and engaging. No wonder BYU has the top ballroom dance team in the United States - yeah, BYU!!

The girls wanted a few photos with the dancers so we made our way through the crowds and met up with one of Hannah's favorite dancers. I think Hannah had dancing dreams for a week afterwards.

And the older girls LOVED the Ninja dance so they made sure they got a photo with this dancer. We all had a great time and I was so glad that we were able to see the BYU dancers on their tour. If you ever get the chance to see one of their shows I'd highly recommend it!

Thai Wakeboard Park

2011-05-16T00:17:00.000-07:00

David (who loves watersports) recently discovered that Bangkok has a wakeboarding park - wahoo! So of course we HAD to try it out. David and the girls went the first time to see what it was like and after the experience garnered a "thumbs up", Adam and I came too. We went early in the morning to avoid the heat and the crowds.

The wakeboard park is a man made "lake" with pulleys and cables to pull the wakeboard/kneeboard around the lake. The trick (for us novices) is to hang on as long as you can.

Sarah and Hannah are kneeling on their kneeboard waiting for the pulley to jerk them out into the water. Hannah is too little to hang on by herself so she rode piggy back.

Helmets are required - phew! and of course a life jacket.

Sarah and Hannah right after take-off. It looks a bit easier than it actually is and we lost count of the number of times we all were flipped off.

But despite being dumped in the water, it was really fun and if you look closely you can see Martha and Hannah playing paper, rock, scissors to see who will get to go next.

Who won?

Probably, neither because they ended up riding together...

Here they are hanging on tight!

I don't think they made it much farther than this but they came back giggling and very wet.

David was the manly, man and he was the only one from our family who could actually wakeboard.

Go David!

Sarah became quite proficient on the kneeboard.

You have to hang on especially tight around the corners because the pulley gives you a big jerk. If you aren't ready you end up flipped off and flailing about.

Even "old ladies" can knee board. :) I tried and amazingly I made it 3 times around the lake on my first attempt! The girls were shocked at what their Mom could do. Hurrah for Moms! I went one more time after this and it was super fun. However, the next day my shoulders were super sore!!!

Since we all had such a great time David is lobbying hard to get a boat when we return to Midland. He swears that being pulled behind a boat is a thousand times better. If that is true I think we'd better put a boat into our budget.

The Birthday Quandry

2011-05-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

Celebrating birthdays in Thailand has been a bit different from our celebrations in the United States. Mainly because it is tricky to find a present that a.) the person will like, b.) is not a knock-off cheap product, and c.) is reasonably affordable. Even making a decent cake is highly dependent upon finding the correct ingredients. So our birthday celebrations have been simple, which isn't such a bad thing.

We just celebrated David's birthday and I agonized over what to get him. I normally do this anyway but I really wanted to get him something special because I love him. I tried to plan a secret get-a-way for just the two of us but his work and the girls school activities foiled that plan. I thought about all the great things I could make him but the reality of homeschooling Hannah, chasing after Adam, and managing the regular mountains of housework sunk that idea for another season of life. And then I remembered the watch that he has been eyeing so I went to buy the watch but as I tried to communicate with the sales person about their return policy (in case David didn't like the watch) I remembered that Thailand's return policies are horrible and if the watch ended up having any issues I would have no recourse. So I scrapped that idea. Needless to say, the morning of David's birthday arrived and I had only purchased two Dri-Fit Nike shirts that he's been wanting. Measly, huh!

So I fell back on the simple, free gifts that come from the heart. This is what they were: sweet hugs and early morning birthday greetings; a fried egg and toast breakfast (a rarity lately because of my marathon training), a homemade, from scratch, low-fat, carrot cake, and these words from my heart:

The girls are at funny ages because they just couldn't stand the idea that I actually kissed the paper. They just couldn't comprehend why I would do something like that. But the note was a success and spawned a few other birthday tributes....

I love all the candles on the beaver! Beavers are David's favorite.

The day ended with a family game of Phase Ten and a feeling of happiness for having David in our lives. A simple and happy birthday.

Our Violin Player

2011-05-09T07:08:00.000-07:00

Ever since Martha was a little, little girl she told me that she wanted to play the violin. This year her violin playing dreams began to be fulfilled.

As soon as Martha heard about the Strings program at ISB she signed up. With the help of her strings teacher we found a decent beginner violin and she began to play. The above photo is of Martha on the day we bought her first violin. She was so, so excited!

After months of after school practices her strings group was ready for their first performance. Martha's instructor, Mr. Secomb, has been a great instructor and his passion for music has impacted Martha in the best possible way.

Those bright eyes tell how she feels about her first strings concert. This was just a few weeks ago.

And finally here they are playing away. Her instructor is actually playing with them in this photo. Martha has loved learning how to play the violin and is already signed up for next year. She is making her dreams come true!

A Squeaky Clean Frog

2011-05-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

I was changing a load of laundry today (a never ending task in our house) and I put my hand in the washer and something moved!

This is what was INSIDE the washing machine under the clean clothes. A frog! And a fairly good sized frog at that.

How does a frog get inside a washing machine??? I have absolutely no idea. Our laundry room in Thailand is outside so he could have crawled into a laundry basket full of dirty clothes and when someone loaded the machine in he went. It probably wasn't the best day this frog ever had. Hmmm. I'll never know but one thing is for sure..

there is one squeaky clean frog hopping around in our yard!

New Zealand - The South Island

2011-05-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

Traveling from the North Island of New Zealand to the South Island can be accomplished via airplane or ferry. The ferry sounded like an adventure so we opted for this route. We drove to Wellington in the campervan and our first comment when we saw the ferry was, "IT'S HUGE!".

It was a gigantic ferry. Both David and I grew up in the Northwest riding ferries but this was ferry riding at a whole new level.

The ferry was so huge that it carried several semi-trucks - one of which was loaded with bellowing cattle! The ferry had a movie theater, childrens play area, restaurant, arcade, and lots of seating. We drove our campervan onto the boat and spent the next three hours on the upper decks. The seas were quite rough as we left the North Island and we must have some sailor blood in our veins because although many passengers around us were using the sea sickness bags I'm pleased to report that none of us did. We did feel queasy and walking around was a bit like being on a roller coaster but in the end we made it to the smoother waters of the South Island none the worse for the wear.

As we sailed close to the South Island we saw amazingly beautiful coastlines.

And a few homes that looked very isolated and peaceful.

Eventually we sailed into Picton harbor and we were off to explore the South Island.

The route we drove from Picton to Nelson was on one of the windiest roads ever. Although the windy road was a bit nerve racking, the views were worth it.

There were several pull-outs along the way and much to the girls chagrin we stopped at a lot of them. They were good sports and humored their camera happy parents.

I wish I could adequately describe the beauty we saw because the colors of the vegetation, the water, the topography all combined to create a visual feast that I don't think I will ever forget.

Here we are stopped again! We felt like Asian tourists taking pictures of everything in sight. The girls rapidly exhausted their camera batteries and then vied for chances to use the big camera. We took over a thousand photos - yikes!

We arrived in Nelson in time for a trip to the beach before the sunset.

The beach was perfect for beach combing, splashing, digging, running, and finding all sorts of treasures.

Emma found a tiny little starfish.

Adam didn't quite know what to think of the waves and the sand. He ran from the waves, stuck his fingers in the sand, and pointed at everything he saw.

Although it was cold by New Zealand standards that didn't stop the younger girls from begging to swim. Oh, to be a child and run on a huge beach!

The beaches were virtually empty and I loved that. I ran for nearly 7 miles on one of the beaches and didn't see a single soul.

Another thing we did a lot of along the way to our various destinations is stop and hike. New Zealand is a backpackers paradise. We'd pull over when we saw a hiking trail and off we went. Rarely did we see other people so it was choice family time.

We discovered this quaint old cemetary on one of the hikes. Notice the wrought iron fences around the headstones. It was interesting to read the headstones and see the ages of those who died. The girls were a bit sobered to see that children the age of Adam and children their ages had died and had headstones in their honor. I think it caused us all to think of how short life really is and to wonder what would be written in our memory. We took advantage of the teaching moment and we talked of life, death, and the resurrection.

On this same hike we came across this great little bridge in the middle of the woods. This is one of the best things about hiking is that you discover new things around each corner.

The girls ran ahead and then would shout back about their discoveries. One other thing they saw was this old mine shaft exit (or at least that is what we think it was).

One of our next stops was Cape Foulwind. So named by Captain James Cook for the foul weather he encountered while sailing here. Thankfully our weather was good because we wanted to see the seal colony.

Here is an I-Spy photo for you - How many seals can you find in this photo? We counted eight in this photo and there were many others in the surrounding rocks. The colony was full of mother and baby seals at play, nursing, or just lazing about.

The coastline was rugged and gorgeous in this area.

As we continued onward from Cape Foulwind we encountered some local cattle moving to greener pastures. We waited and marveled as they all passed right beside our campervan. They were being herded via motorcycle and dog. Adam loved this! We saw so many cattle and sheep throughout our time in the South Island. Adam learned to say cow, car, tractor, and dog all while riding from his front seat perch in the campervan.

Our journey southward included many more beach stops, a lot of wet clothes from girls who couldn't resist the water, and more outstanding views.

One of the most interesting places we stopped was at the Pancake Rocks. The rocks are formed in such a way that it appears to be a stack of pancakes.

A close up view of the rocks.

There was a walking path throughout these unusual rocks. Several large blow holes were reputed to spew water really far when the tide was high.

But, as you can tell, we weren't there at high tide. It was pretty impressive nonetheless.

Up the road a few hundred meters from the Pancakes Rocks we had arranged to go horse trekking for a few hours. This was one of my absolute favorite things we did. Adam and David had some male bonding time while the girls and I rode all throughout the untamed country. We rode across many streams and saw beautiful back country views.

Halfway through the ride we dismounted at a little "hut" to have what the locals call "tea and bickies" or tea and biscuits (which was indeed tea and some REALLY hard cookies). We just had water and a few of the girls tried not to break their teeth on the hard biscuits.

Our ride ended with a glorious gallop on the beach. I hadn't just let a horse gallop full steam for a long time and I'm sure my smile stretched from ear to ear.

Onward we went and here is another I-Spy photo. Can you see little Hannah nearly across the river? We pulled off here and she was bound and determined to cross this river. She jumped up and down when she made it to the other side and said, "I did it, I did it!".

This was very wild country with not much but the mountains and a road. At this stop we discovered the one and only thing that we didn't like about New Zealand. Sand flies!

It looks like Martha is waving but in reality she is getting ready to swat flies. We saw the river, jumped out of our campervan, and we were immediately swarmed by these horrible insects. They bit really hard and the bites literally itched for days. I quickly pulled out repellent but even 100% Deet didn't deter them too much. I retreated to the campervan with Adam and everyone else soon followed. Thankfully, this was the only place we encountered these nasty flies.

Our last campervan site was in an idyllic mountain resort area. It was quiet, cool, and peaceful.

The big attraction in this area was the mineral hot springs. We went to the hot springs and although the water felt amazing the facility was incredibly crowded (over 400 school children) so we didn't linger too long.

Before we knew it our 14 days in New Zealand had come to a close and we were in the airport heading back to Thailand. Adam is holding a New Zealand All-Blacks rugby ball. I don't know if you can go to New Zealand without buying something rugby related. :)

And here is Emma in the airport eating her last bite of Kiwi chocolate - bliss! Perhaps that is the word that would best describe the entire trip - bliss!

New Zealand - The North Island

2011-04-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

Driving a campervan around New Zealand is touted as a wonderful way to see the country. We rented the largest campervan we could find and set off for adventure.

Can you see Adam in the front seat waiting to get on the road?

Before we went very far we needed to stock the campervan so we swung into the New Zealand grocery stores and it felt like Christmas! I think I gawked for a full minute at all of the Western goods on the shelves. I bought thick whole grain bread, smooth cheeses, honey, milk, Cadbury chocolate, plums, pears, and the list goes on. We all decided that shopping in the grocery stores was a favorite part of our trip.

We drove from Auckland to Waitomo and stayed our at our first campervan site. It was a beautiful, peaceful site surrounded by rolling countryside. There were cows on the next knoll!

Waitomo caves had caving adventures for various ages so David and the older two girls went off to cave dive in wetsuits while Adam, Martha, Hannah, and I took the granny tour. Even the granny tour was interesting (although Adam did fall asleep by the end) with glowworms in underground caverns. I think the girls thought the best part was the Tip Top ice cream we had afterwards.

The next day we drove to Hamilton to go to the temple. It was blustery, rainy day so we didn't get too many photos but it was a treasured memory nonetheless. The temple workers were incredibly helpful and they opened the baptistry just for Sarah and Emma. We all felt the tremendous peace that comes from doing temple work.

Later that day we drove towards Lake Taupo and we pulled off the road when we saw a sign for geothermal hot springs. When we jumped out of the campervan we were greeted by all of these animals. This was pure delight for our farm loving family.

Even Adam tried his hand at feeding the critters.

And of course Emma found the cat.

We took a hike back through the woods to the hot springs and it was quite interesting to see steam coming out of ground in random places.

The Lake Taupo campsite had something new that our girls adored - The Jumping Pillow! This is a very long pillow/trampoline that was just fun for everyone.

You could run....

try to fly....

and even do a little dance. The jumping pillow became the standard for a good campsite or not.

We drove onward towards Wellington the next day and we were amazed by the coastal views on the shoreline of Lake Taupo. I believe that Lake Taupo is NZ's largest inland lake.

We drove into the countryside that was full of incredible views. We thought of Lord of the Rings film series and all of the movie sites throughout New Zealand. Soooo beautiful!

Another wonderful view on the drive southward was field after field of livestock. Adam kept pointing his little fingers at all of the things he was seeing. It was a living picture book for him.

We stopped to stretch at a park and discovered some playground toys that they don't have in America or Thailand.

I know, I know, they have they these swings in America but Adam hasn't ever been in one and it was so fun to see him grin and giggle.

This Maypole toy was different and challenging. It took the girls several tries to coordinate themselves. The onlooking school children were thoroughly entertained by our antics.

I couldn't resist the challenge of the swinging bars.We all tried and it was a lot harder than it looks. They must grease the playgrounds in New Zealand. :)

I did it!

After all the fun we piled back in the campervan to get a good night's sleep before we headed to the South Island.

New Zealand - A Treasured Friendship

2011-04-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

"Friends are like melons. Shall I tell you why? To find one good you must hundred try."

Claude Monet

One of the highlights of our trip to New Zealand was being able to see my dear friend Jenie Congerton. There are few things in life sweeter than friends and I feel so fortunate to count Jenie as one of my friends. We met when we were both serving as missionaries in the Australia Perth Mission. We served together for a mere 3 weeks but we rapidly discovered that we are kindred spirits. After nearly 20 years that bond of friendship is still strong and sweet. She still inspires me to be a better person in every aspect and it was simply joyous to spend time with her and her family.

Here are the hungry Congerton/Hirschi kids downing pancakes and ice-cream for Sunday morning breakfast. YUM!

Martha curled up for a few moments to read before it was time to prepare for church.

Amy and Emma looking demure.

Sarah played Sunday morning melodies before we headed off to church. And then all too soon it was time for us to load up in our campervan and head off on our journey around New Zealand.

We said tender goodbyes and my heart was full of gratitude for this reunion. What a wonderful start to our trip and a sweet experience for me.

New Zealand - Our First Day

2011-04-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

I never imagined that we would have the opportunity to visit New Zealand and yet we just returned from two weeks of exploring this amazing country! It was an incredible experience from start to finish. Some of the highlights for me were reuniting with a dear missionary companion from nearly 20 years ago, attending the temple, and viewing the stunning countryside.

The flight from Bangkok to New Zealand was quite long. We left BKK on a Thursday evening and arrived the next day in the afternoon - a twelve hour journey that left us feeling quite exhausted. But when we looked out our windows as we were flying into NZ we were amazed at the beauty that we saw. We could see farms, animals, and beautiful water views. When we finally stepped out of the airport I felt like the air was so clean, the sky so blue, and the city so crisp that it felt like scales had been removed from my eyes.

A wonderful surprise awaited us at the airport - my dear friend Jenie Congerton (a beloved missionary companion from my missionary days in Perth, Australia) met us at the airport with welcome arms. What a sweet welcome to New Zealand! The Congerton's opened their home to us and we spent the next few days with their terrific family.

The day after we arrived we went to the nearby volcanic island of Rangitoto. We took an early morning ferry ride to the island. It was well worth dragging tired kids out of bed.

Here's Adam hanging on as the boat started across the water.

The New Zealand flag!

Auckland was so clean and quiet after living in Bangkok for nearly a year.

Amy (the Congerton's daughter) and Emma became fast friends and were quite inseparable.

We arrived on the island after the short ferry ride and the gang of us started hiking. Between our two families we had nine children, which made for a lot of fun. It felt like we were visiting cousins because the kids got along so well.

From left to right: Kent, William, Amy, Emma, Martha, Hannah, David H., Sarah, David C., Adam, and Henry.

Emma and Amy trying to avoid the camera.

I just couldn't believe that I was able to spend time with Jenie after all these years. I never dreamed I'd see her again in this life. A wonderful blessing for me to rub shoulders with such a spiritual giant.

Martha, resting on the hike upward. We explored a volcanic cave on the way up.

Amy and Emma with more of their antics.

By the time we reached the top, Adam succumbed to jet lag and zonked out while we ate lunch.

We hiked down and took a long path along the beach to return back to the ferry landing.

The views were so beautiful and so is Sarah. :)

On the return ferry ride we saw many sailboats and people out enjoying their Saturday morning. I don't know if I've ever said so many "Oooh's and Aaah's" in one day.

We passed docks and old towns.

And of course the two Siamese twins were still joined at the hip. :)

When we reached shore, the Congerton's took us on a drive along the harbor and then up to One Tree Hill. I can't adequately describe how pretty everything looked.

Here is our first view of something we would see again and again over our travels - sheep!

In the late afternoon we decided to drive to a local beach and after driving a lot of windy roads we ended up at the famous Piha beach known for it's surfing and beauty.

It was late so everyone except Adam(who was tierd and hungry) and I jumped out of the car and hiked up Lion Rock.

A quick shot before it became too dark and then it was back into the cars for a ride home with singing teenagers and a crying baby. :)

A beautiful view to end a beautiful first day in NZ.

Playing Polo

2011-03-23T00:39:00.000-07:00

One of Emma's friends has been urging us to come and play polo with her. Not water polo, but horse polo. After this past weekend, we wish we would have listened to her sooner.

The Thai Polo Club is in Pattaya, which is about a 2 hour drive from our home. On Saturday we loaded everyone in the car by 7a.m. and drove to the club. It was heavenly and a completely different world from the city of Bangkok. The Polo Club is on hundreds on acres and is tucked far off the road and far away from any other facilities. The acres of green, well-groomed polo fields made us feel like we were in the country.

When we arrived we noticed a polo practice field with galloping horses and riders swinging at a ball. It looked fast and furious. Naturally, we weren't quite ready for that. As you can see, we had to start with the stationary ponies first. Hannah is sitting on a barrel and is holding a polo stick. We all tried our hand at wacking the ball from atop the barrel. It is harder than it looks and I wondered how we would manage once we were astride a horse.

Here are the girls getting their first lesson. They started out on ponies and before they were allowed to use the polo sticks, the instructor watched to see how well they could ride.

It wasn't long before he gave them sticks and told them to "Tap, tap" the ball so they could get the feel of riding with one hand, holding the stick, and hitting the ball.

After a bit of tap, tapping the girls were on to trotting and then cantering. The smile on Martha's face said it all. Polo is FUN!

Hitting the ball while moving is a bit tricky. The ponies could turn on a dime but it still was hard not to miss the ball or hit it between their legs.

After Hannah became tired, I jumped on a pony and gave it a try. Addictive is probably a good word to describe how fun it was to canter along and try to wack the ball. I don't think any of us had anticipated how much we would like playing polo. We are already looking forward to learning more and some of us have visions of being able to play with the real players someday.

Hannah's Baptism

2011-03-17T07:22:00.001-07:00

Hannah turned eight recently and made the decision to be baptized.

Here is her sweet face on the day of her birthday. As her mother, I think she has a beautiful face and those deep brown eyes are so full of her gentleness, happiness, and goodness. Like all of my children, she has a special place in my heart.
On the day of her baptism she came downstairs in her white dress and I couldn't think of how pure she is and how pure she was the day she was born. We shared a few quiet moments together before the day began and I felt great love for her.

I think Hannah will always remember where she was baptized because she wasn't baptized in the church font but rather at our home in our swimming pool! We invited members of our congregation to our home and we had a very simple service and then Hannah was baptized. It was a beautiful and sacred day.

The weather was very humid so my photos didn't turn out so good. Despite that, I truly don't think there are many things so beautiful as a righteous Father and a pure, humble daughter who has decided to follow her Savior.

Visitors!

2011-03-10T23:45:00.000-08:00

Visitors have always been an exciting thing for our family wherever we live but words can't express how it feels to see the faces of dear friends while living half way around the world.

The first person to visit us while here in BKK was our family friend Zuchen Lin. He was traveling on business and was here on a Saturday in October 2010. He brought the girls Halloween candy from the USA and that made him an instant hero. :) David and he drove a few hours to see the Bridge over the River Kwai and had a great day together.

They hiked a series of waterfalls and said it was amazingly beautiful.

Here's David on the infamous bridge.

Our next visitor was Jim Krueger, whom we neglected to photograph, but enjoyed his visit nonetheless. We took him to Chattuchuak Weekend Market with Adam in tow and it was hot, sticky and crowded. It was the last time I took Adam to the Weekend Market. Definitely, not a place for babies.

In the midst of the visitor log I should mention that all of our visitors thus far have been friends from Midland. Hurrah for Midland, our hometown!

Our third visitor was Eric Workman and we highly anticipated his arrival. We took him to one of our favorite restaurants, the River Tree, which has a terrific ambience and very good Thai food.

Our driver tagged along to help us choose some new Thai food. We had such a great time visiting with Eric and catching up on Midland. The only thing that would have made it better is if Anne and the family could have come too. Maybe next time. :0)

And then most recently, we had a delightful visit from our wonderful friends the Petersons. I was especially excited because this was the first time one of the wives came to Bangkok. I was overjoyed to visit with Julie and spend time with her for a few days. We went shopping at Chatuchak and toured the Grand Palace with our David's. :)

We also went to Wat Pho - which is the gigantic reclining Buddah. And then we all piled in the car and went to visit the Rose Gardens for a few hours. We arrived a bit late in the day so we missed the cultural activities but we still had a great time exploring the gardens.

The Rose Garden has a small banana plantation, flamingos, and is beautifully situated on the river.

Our weekend finished with celebrating Julie's birthday in our home and talking and talking and talking. I love the talking part best of all! All too soon, I was waving goodbye with tears in my eyes feeling so grateful for dear friends and the joy of visiting them on the other side of the world.

A Thai Wedding

2011-02-21T07:13:00.000-08:00

In Thailand weddings are a big deal. One of David's co-workers was getting married and because David is her superior he was expected to attend and bring a cash gift. This is just Thai culture and he couldn't decline. And since I am married to David I was expected to attend as well.

Some of David's friends told him that this was a formal event and we needed to dress up. If you know me at all, you know that I am not a very fancy person. I didn't even own a dress--just skirts and blouse. Notice I said, didn't? In order to attend this wedding I had to find a dress. This was nearly impossible in Thailand as styles aren't always so modest. So I did what is common here and had a dress made. I found a photo of a dress that I liked and took it to a local seamstress. That was an experience in and of itself and a topic for another day. At any rate, the dress was made and suitable for wearing to a Thai wedding.

The wedding was held in an entire wing of a high end hotel. When we first arrived we were amazed by all of the displays, photos, flowers, and tables set up to direct us to where we were supposed to be. David gave his cash gift and then we stood in line for a photo with the bride and groom.

This isn't the bride and groom, but we attended the wedding with the Kennans, who both work for Dow Corning and have been wonderful friends to us here in Thailand. Linda has attended a few of these weddings before so we followed her lead.

Having your photo taken with the bride and groom is protocol for a Thai wedding. Every guest has their photo taken with the couple. And there were more guests than I could even count. The ballroom was packed with people. We were shown to our table and had some time to mingle and eat. And then it was time for program. First, was an amazing movie presentation that introduced the bride and groom. Apparently, this is for the benefit of those guests who may not personally know the couple (which included me).

After the presentation the lights were dimmed and a huge spotlight was shown on the door where the bride entered. It felt a bit like celebrity land with all the photographers, loud music, and spot lights. The Thai lady next to me remarked that this was the one day the bride can feel like a star.

This photo, albeit blurry, gives you a small idea of how many people there were in attendance. It was a full house with literally hundreds of people.

The couple took the stage and then there several different people who spoke and led the crowd in toasts. It didn't seem like there was a ceremony but then I don't speak Thai so I didn't catch much of anything that was said.

Then it was time for a candle lighting ceremony and the cutting of the cake. Is that a giant cake or what?

And what better to cut it with than a Thai sword? I'm betting they had some coaching on HOW to cut the cake so it wouldn't topple off the table like David and I's did when we were married.

I don't know if you can see the bubbles floating in the background but all the time the couple was holding the sword there were bubbles streaming down from the ceiling and music playing. The cake was the last scripted part of the wedding.

After the formalities, there were more photos taken with the bride and groom. Once again, it is protocol to have your photo taken before and after. I couldn't help but think that they were going to have a HUGE wedding album. All of these people are David's co-workers and their families.

One more photo for the road. The wedding couple, Fern and Tao, were very sweet and we wished them all the best.

And since we were in the photographing mode :) here we are by one of the many, many arrangements throughout the wedding area. Afterwards, there was a big party with dancing and the like but since we were considered "older" it was appropriate for us to leave early. Thank goodness for being "older" and being able to get home before 10 p.m. :)

Movies, Thailand Style

2011-02-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

If you like LOUD, then going to a movie in Thailand is for you. Movies in Thailand are off the decibel chart. David always brings ear plugs and we can still hear everything. :) Going to the movies here is quite fun despite the noise because movies are reasonably priced, the seating options are varied, and you get to hear the King's anthem played before each film. One of the things we noticed when we went to the theatre for the first time was the luxury seating advertised out front. David is standing in front of the first tier of luxury seating or better known as "the love seats". :) We were completely floored to see that you could watch the movie from those seats for about 500 baht, about $15 -17 USD. That price is for both of us and includes the nice seats. We thought this would be fun to try but without kids of course.

So here we are on our date night waiting to see TRON. You can't help but smile when you sit down in these cozy seats. It is like being at home on your own couch but with a much bigger screen. And it is so much easier to snuggle without an armrest between you. So we snuggled up, munched popcorn, and enjoyed the movie.

We had to take a photo as we left. TRON was great and you can bet that we'll be going back when the next decent American film comes to town. Maybe we'll have to try to next level of luxury seating next.

Chokchai Farm

2011-02-15T06:49:00.000-08:00

I just can't shake the farm girl part of me! When I heard about Farm Chokchai here in Thailand I wanted to go! On a recent day off of school I loaded up the car with kids (some friends came with us) and headed North of Bangkok to one of the largest dairy farms in Asia.. I was very curious to see what a Thai dairy farm was like. When we arrived I realized that this was a HUGE operation and a big agro-tourism attraction. We giggled at all the Thai people in cowboy hats, blue jeans, bandanas, and big belt buckles.

One of the first things we saw were these large statues of bulls. We learned that the owner of the farm studied agriculture in the United States and then came back to Thailand to apply his knowledge of farming. He has successfully built a big business that not only does dairy farming but horse breeding, dog raising, crop production, ice-cream sales, etc...

The tour guides gave us umbrellas to protect ourselves from the heat. And it was HOT!

The first stop on the tour was cow milking. This was quite familiar looking to us as we have a dairy farm down the road from our home in the United States.

We were offered the chance to milk a cow and I couldn't resist. Adam was enthralled and my girls were amazed that I could milk like an old timer. :)

Next, we climbed in these tractor pulled wagons for a driving tour around the farm. I can't tell you how happy I was to see John Deere tractors in Thailand! We're diehard John Deere fans especially since David's grandpa owned a dealership.

The farm is over 8,000 acres so we were happy for the ride and the chance to see bits of the entire operation.

We went right past these hay bales that reminded us of hay season and familiar scenes in Michigan.

I was impressed at how clean and well-ordered the farm seemed. Do you like the palm trees near the hay bales? Tropical and farm all at the same time.

We passed eighteen acres of sunflower fields in full bloom. Gorgeous!
Along the way the wagon stopped at various attractions and let us off to see a bit more.

This stop featured a "cowboy" riding a horse and roping a calf. I must admit that the little shows seemed hokey to us from America but I imagine that Thai people have never seen a cowboy, western saddle, cattle roping, or rope tricks.

Adam and Emma enjoyed the plastic horse ride...

While Martha would never pass up an opportunity to ride a real horse, even if she had to be led around.

Adam and Emma stuck with riding more fake horses. :)

I was interested to see how they cultivated dragon fruits (which are a common Thai fruit). The fruit is on a vine that is trained to climb up a pole and then the fruit hangs down for harvesting. I thought it looked quite unique and beautiful.

Here are all the kids on a teeter totter - minus Adam, who was much more interested in watching the tractors...

David wasn't with us so I took lots of tractor pictures just for him. :)

These plastic cattle were in various places throughout the farm and Adam loved them.

But even more than the fake cows, he loved the real baby calves. Adam loves animals and he would have stayed in the petting area all day long. He fed the calf a bottle of milk, squealed at the sheep, tried to grab the pet rabbits, and was a bit intimidated by the camels. Camels?! That's what I thought but sure enough there were even camels on this dairy farm.

At the end of our tour we tasted the signature Chokchai hamburgers and hoped for an All-American taste but no such luck. The ice-cream though was heavenly and made for a sweet end to a fun, farmy day.

Sukothai

2011-01-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

On our drive home from Chiang Mai we spent some time in Sukothai, a World Heritage site. Sukothai, used to be the center of Thailand in the 13th Century but now the city is in ruins. We stayed one night at the Sukothai Heritage Resort, which was built to mimic ancient Thai architecture.

Here's Martha underneath one of the open buildings. There were lots of pillars and tile!

Notice all the elephant heads behind us. Did I already say that elephants are EVERYWHERE in Thailand? :)

The next morning we went to visit the actual ruins. Sukothai is quite a large complex and is spread out over 28 square miles. We stopped at one of the Northern sites and we were completely awed by this gigantic Buddha. It had some remaining bits of gold on the finger nails and it made us wonder what it must have looked like centuries ago.The Buddha was tucked away inside this building (below). We saw it from a distance and we were immediately captivated.

There were some smaller Buddha's surrounding the larger one. I still haven't learned what all the poses represent but we enjoyed seeing them nonetheless.

We couldn't get over the immense size of this structure. So very BIG!

This is a map of the entire Sukothai area. The large Buddha in the previous photos is outside the city walls.

We all decided to rent bikes to ride through the inside of the city. One small problem... How to ride with Adam? The Thai bike shop offered us a Thai version of a baby seat - basically a small metal seat in front of me by my handle bars. The seat didn't have any straps or any way to keep a wiggly American baby in the seat. I don't know how the Thai women train their babies to sit so still on the front of bikes and motorbikes. I tried my best to ride with Adam and after about 1/2 mile I gave up. How could I pedal, hold on to squirming, squealing Adam, steer, and keep up with the rest of the family? So I walked the bike back to the shop and walked down the street with Adam in my arms. He fell asleep so I found a little outdoor restaurant where I could sit while he slept. While we were resting, David and the girls were exploring. Here are some photos of what they saw....

They had a great time exploring and came back with rave reviews. They all remarked at how bad they felt about all of the monuments that had been disfigured by looters throughout the years. Many of the smaller Buddah's were missing heads. But despite that, we all were impressed by the thought of what Sukothai once was many years ago. Maybe we should go see Angor Wat next!

We ate some spicy Thai lunch in this restaurant and then piled in the car to drive back to Bangkok.

On the way back we all loved seeing the rice paddies, mountains, and beautiful countryside. We savored the rural views and felt happy for the week we spent away from the big city.

The Night Bazaar and a Tractor

2011-01-05T00:23:00.000-08:00

Chiang Mai has GREAT shopping and one of the things the girls and I did in the evening (after Adam was asleep) was to hit the night bazaar. Quite rapidly we discovered that Emma has an incredible talent for bargaining. She could talk vendors down to prices that we wouldn't have even dared to ask. So naturally we let her do all of our talking. Maybe it is her cute face that begs a bargain but she claimed that it is all in being able to walk away. For example, she wanted a small toy that was 250 Baht. She asked to buy it for 100 Baht. When the vendor said, "No" she just started walking away. He hollered, "Wait, wait, I'll give it to you for 200!" After doing this three times Emma bought the toy for 100 Baht. Go Emma!

Chiang Mai is near Thailand's Hill Tribe areas and they wear their native garb and of course try to sell you their wares. Here is one lady with her headdress. We bought some very colorful bags, hats, and purses for really low prices. Even though it can be exhausting, market style shopping is great fun.

Now this photo isn't from the Night Bazaar but this is something else we found in Chiang Mai. My camera battery died when we found this otherwise I'd have photographed it when we found it. There is an area south of Chiang Mai that specializes in wood working and other Thai crafts and when we stumbled upon this rocking tractor, made completely out of solid wood, we were taken. It immediately reminded us of the farm. We thought the price would be insane but when we discovered that the tractor could be purchased and shipped to our home for 1,400 Baht ($40 USD) we bought it.

Naturally, Adam LOVES it and each morning he clambers aboard and rocks it like crazy. Even though we're in Thailand he's a farm boy in the making.

Riding Elephants

2011-01-04T00:23:00.000-08:00

Near Chiang Mai there are all sorts of elephant "camps", where you can ride, bathe, and even learn how to train elephants. This was something we all wanted to do so we woke up early one morning and drove the hour to Chiang Dao Elephant Camp. We were the first tourists to arrive and as we crossed a rickety suspension bridge we heard loud splashing and saw this elephant coming up the river. It was carrying chains around its neck and was clipping along at quite a pace. We didn't know elephants could cover ground so quickly.

We crossed the bridge and paralleled the elephant until we came to the Elephant Camp. There were sounds and noises of elephants everywhere.

The elephant we saw in the very beginning was actually one of two elephants carrying chains and as they passed us on the path, David and I both looked at each other and mouthed "HUGE!". Their size is incredible!

We were a bit early so we wandered around and saw elephants being saddled (quite a feat) and other elephants who were hoping for a treat.

In the bushes we saw these gorgeous jungle flowers!

Then it was time to climb aboard. I was quite nervous about Adam trying to climb out of my arms and I was very grateful when the elephant driver took a Thai scarf and tied Adam around me. Sarah and I rode together in "the saddle", a small wooden bench perched atop the elephant.

Here's the view from the saddle...

The rider used his feet to constantly kick the elephants ears and at the same time he wiggled all over the elephants neck. As near as we could tell these kicks and wiggles communicated to the elephant which way to move each foot. He also carried short stick with a very sharp looking hook on it - just in case the elephant went wild, he told us. Comforting, huh.
The ride took us up through the jungle and on the way we saw a gigantic spider web with the largest spider I have ever seen in my life right in the center. It seemed like it was as big as my head but in reality it was probably as big as my hand. Any thoughts I had of camping in the jungle disappeared at the sight of that arachnid. Here's David and Emma coming up the trail.

Another view so you can see the terrain a bit better....

After about 30 minutes the lumbering, lurching movement jostled Adam to sleep. Of course that was right about the time we arrived at this little run down village. We dismounted and looked around here but it was basically just a few huts with vendors trying to sell their wares. We stayed a few minutes and then headed back down the trail.

As we headed downhill we realized that we were headed right into the river. WAHOO!!!!

By now Adam was wide awake and tired of being tied to me. Sarah and I had been laughing nearly all the way down the trail and now we had to really focus on keeping Adam from jumping ship. As you can tell, it was all I could do to keep him in my arms. I kept saying silent prayers because I really didn't want him to fall off an elephant.

Even though I was wrestling little Adam I couldn't help but notice the incredible scenery.

When we returned to the main elephant camp we watched the riders bathe the elephants. It was remarkable to see them enjoy the water and how deftly the riders controlled their movements.

After the riding and the elephant demonstrations David and the girls went on an hour bamboo raft ride - which they loved. They especially loved that a passing elephant sprayed them with water. Adam and I hung around the elephant camp and when we were all back together we headed back over the suspension bridge and off to the next adventure.

Flight of the Gibbons

2011-01-02T00:27:00.000-08:00

On the second day of our road trip we arrived in Chiang Mai! Our hotel was much more upscale than the previous one and we were all happy to have soft beds. We loved the giant Christmas tree in the hotel lobby and even better than that was the great breakfast buffet the next morning.

One of the big adventures that we were looking forward to was "Flight of the Gibbons", a zip-line through the jungle. David and the girls went while Adam and I remained behind. I couldn't quite get my head around strapping my one year old into a harness and taking him hundreds of feet above the ground. But the girls were game and since David is a boy at heart this was right up his alley.

Flight of the Gibbons is about an hour drive out of Chiang Mai. Everyone got harnesses and helmets. Here are Martha and Hannah all ready to go!

Getting up high enough was the first part....

And then it was taking the plunge and "flying" from one zip line platform to the other. Wahoooo....

Do you think Sarah likes it? Oh, yeah!

Emma enjoyed the ride although it was widely reported that she did some hard core screaming.

Part of the adventure was the hanging bridges,

..and hiking a bit through the jungle.

Seeing this Gibbon monkey and her baby was a highlight for David and the girls.

Another monkey was spotted doing some funky moves. Oh wait! That's David! Remember how I said that "boy" is his middle name? Now you know why... :)

After a three hour zip-line tip through the jungle they came down through this platform. Everyone said they would do this again anytime. It was amazing!Meanwhile, back in Chiang Mai, Adam was chasing birds to his hearts content. I took him to a park and we bought a small bag of bird food and as soon as we opened the bag we were swarmed by pigeons. Adam loves animals so he just couldn't contain all his squeals, feet stomping, and soon bird chasing.

To top off Adam's day we found some sandy dirt! After all, who needs Flight of the Gibbons when you can play in dirt as long as you want?

On the Road to Chiang Mai

2011-01-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

Road trips with a family of five that includes a wiggly one year old are not for the faint of heart! And especially when you are a family that isn't known for peaceful road trips. But being in Thailand has vastly expanded our comfort zones.

So over Christmas break we decided to take a road trip to Chiang Mai, which is in Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai is a ten + hour drive from where we live so we broke up the drive by staying overnight on the way up and back.

I know, I know, five hours isn't much of a drive for most road tripping families but considering our road trip history we decided not to push our luck. A few factors were in our favor this time - a driver and a car with a movie screen!

We drove a few hours north of Bangkok and made our first stop when we saw this beautiful sunflower field....

Here we are by the side of our car...

On the way to look at the fields there were some tents with "tourist" attractions. We marveled at these huge honeycombs. They were crawling with bees that were making honey right in front of us. The lady behind the combs is breaking apart pieces of honeycomb to sell.

The other thing that caught our attention was the woman behind Martha who was toasting sunflower seeds and offering them for our tasting pleasure. I still haven't adjusted to all the bare hands, lack of sanitation thing so I wasn't so keen to taste or buy the products.

As we walked out into the sunflower fields we saw these elephants under a tree. Elephants are everywhere in Thailand.

And here is something else that caught our eye... A cage full of birds that you can "set free" for a price.

I told David that it wouldn't be right to encourage this practice of capturing birds but Hannah begged and David caved. So here is Hannah with a little cage of birds that she took out in the field, opened the little door, and away they all flew.

We left the sunflower fields and continued on our way.

I kept looking out the windows in amazement at all the sights. One of the things we kept seeing were these trucks loaded down with a crop of some sort.

Any guesses as to the crop???

Sugar cane! Our driver had to educate us.

And would any road trip be complete without a speeding ticket? Even if you aren't related to us and are just driving the car you still get speeding tickets! Our driver is a VERY slow driver and he still ended up getting waved over. (I actually think they pulled us over because our shiny car said $, not due to our speed.) We couldn't resist the photo opportunity and our poor driver was very thankful that we paid the $9 for the ticket.

As we continued farther north we climbed higher and higher into the hills and left the cities far behind. It was beautiful!

The hairpin turns, narrow roads, and insane drivers who passed on blind curves weren't so beautiful but the views from the mountain tops were worth it.

We stopped at an old, run down military bunker site to stretch and enjoy the views.

I've always loved plants and this tree covered with these huge, drooping, white flowers was so unusual.

We finally arrived at our first stop, a small "resort" in the mountains, Maentheedol. Adam was happy to be out of the car and to chase these roaming birds around.

He was also enthralled with the colorful elephant figures. Like I said, elephants are everywhere in Thailand!

This is where we stayed the night and it looked quite charming.But looks can be deceiving because the next morning we all agreed that sleeping on the cement floor would have been the same as sleeping on the beds. Talk about HARD! And to add to our enjoyment, Adam screamed for the better part of the night. I'm sure the other guests loved us. :)The girls decided to try the resort bikes. Rickety is the best word to describe them. We just laughed at the parts that fell off as they rode around. (Any guesses as to who was having a teenage moment?)

We even found a little bike for Adam to ride around! Notice the fleeces? This is the first time in Thailand that we actually felt a bit chilly. We saw a little Thai girl at the resort wearing huge snow gloves, winter hat, scarf, coat, and boots. I guess when you aren't used to cool air 65 degrees feels freezing.

We were the only Westerners at this resort and the menu was entirely in Thai. Good thing David has learned the names of our favorite Thai dishes! And thank goodness there's always rice.

We didn't dawdle at the Maentheedol resort any longer than necessary, we were anxious to get to Chiang Mai!

Christmas Abroad

2010-12-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

Last year at Christmas time we never dreamed that our next Christmas would be in Thailand - but a lot can happen in just one year!

Despite missing family, friends, and snow we had a lovely Christmas and felt so happy to be all together as a family. David was gone most of December so we were especially glad about the being together part.

Here are a few photos from the day....

Quite a typical Hirschi Christmas morning - excitement, stockings, and squeals of delight.

Emma holding a sign that captures the essence of the season. The sign was a gift from dear friends.

Adam couldn't quite figure out what was going on but his eyes were wide with wonder. His favorite gift? Of course the John Deere tractors that David brought him from the states.

After the unwrapping and leisurely morning we headed over to the community pool. We kept pinching ourselves because it seemed surreal to be swimming on Christmas day (especially when we are used to freezing cold and toasty fires).

Hannah and Adam love the water and each other. I admit that even though I miss snow, it felt so good to be in the water and sun. We soaked it up!

This is the photo that captures Christmas day for Adam. He is stuffing a fruit freeze in his face mainly because he loves them, it was hot, and he'd just finished swimming. Aaahh, what a blissful one year old life!

Actually, what a blissful life for all of us! We ended this Christmas day feeling so humble and grateful for our MANY blessings most of all for the Savior, each other, our relationships with family and friends, and the blessing of life itself. Life is good!

Grocery Shopping with Emma

2010-12-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

After school today Emma decided to come with me on a shopping trip to Makro, a chain of stores here in Thailand. Emma's never been to Makro so when I saw her reactions I decided to share her experience with you. Makro is sort of like a Sam's club. Bulk purchases are the benefit of Makro and since our family is large I like bulk shopping. As Emma and I perused the isles she kept asking me about the horrible smells. I told her it was from the produce/meat section and when we finally got there this is what she did....

Can you see all the open bins of meat? Behind Emma are bins of raw meat, all for the taking. Customers just paw through the meat, fill their bag, have it weighed, and purchase away. It seems so foreign to us because we are used to packages and glass cases separating the meat from everything else. Not so in Thailand. This is very typical of all grocery stores here.

I hadn't noticed this bin before because I must admit every time I go to Makro I sort of avoid the meat area but Emma was quite curious and said "Mom, look at the chicken feet!" And sure enough, there was a whole bin full. Suddenly my tummy didn't feel so good.

I know that all of this is quite gross to us but this is Thailand. And hey, at least the bins are on ice...

We passed a lot of seafood and tanks full of live shrimp and other aquatic life. Emma about lost it when she saw a woman pawing through a bin of tiny squid with her bare hands. I had to tell Emma to just whisper her exclamations because she was having a hard time being calm.

Then Emma noticed these bins full of dried food. I'll spare you the close up of the little creatures or whatever they are, but I will tell you that the two large hanging things above the bins are fly zappers. The flies are what drew Emma's attention to this area and she just couldn't believe that anyone would buy food that had flies all over it.

I refrained from taking more pictures after this because I didn't want to draw any more attention to ourselves. But this is just a glimpse of what our weekly shopping trips involve. I'm glad Emma went with me so I could be reminded that even grocery shopping in Thailand is an experience. I think we might have some reverse culture shock when we come back to the United States. What do you think?

O Christmas Tree!

2010-12-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Cutting down live Christmas trees is a strong tradition in our family. We have classic stories of cutting down a tree with a hacksaw to cutting a tree in the driving snow while little girls held the lantern. But when we moved to Bangkok we knew that our tree cutting tradition would have to be on hold for awhile. Tropical trees just don't quite make the grade in the Christmas tree market.

In October some of our friends started telling us about "THE Christmas store" where you can buy fake trees, decorations, and other Christmas items for reasonable prices. Apparently this place sells exclusively to US stores but opens its doors for few months a year to expatriates. I wasn't so sure about owning a fake tree. After so many years of savoring the smell of fresh pine needles it was hard to imagine that we were even considering an artificial tree. I was hemming and hawing.

Two things clinched the decision for me. The first was David informing me that it was important that we have a tree for Christmas so at least it looked like the holidays even if it was 90 degrees outside. And the second was when I saw an advertisement for live trees imported from France for $350! That clinched it - I was going to "THE Christmas store".

If you've ever wondered where all your things that are made in Thailand come from I can tell you that you'd be amazed because going to this store was an eye-opener. "THE Christmas store" is down a dirt road, near little tiny shelters where people live, past large piles of garbage by the side of the road, and inside an old weathered warehouse. Inside is a winter wonderland of artificial trees, wreaths, decorations, Santa's, ribbon, garlands, and the list goes on. I wish I could say that we all went as a family and picked out the perfect fake tree but in reality the warehouse isn't at all kid friendly and the day I tried to take all the kids they told me they were closed. I wonder if being closed had anything to do with seeing child after child get out of the car.... hmmm. At any rate I chose a tree and I am quite thrilled with it.

We've all realized that there are some definite pro's to having a fake tree. As we were setting it up Martha said, "Hurray, now we don't have to water the tree everyday!" Although I miss the pine scent, I am happy that I don't have to vacuum up needles everyday, and it is nice to leave the lights on without worrying about drying out the tree.

So after all of that introduction, here is the tree. The decorations are very sparse because I didn't bring any decorations with me from the USA.

I think it looks almost real. What do you think?

The girls and I found these elephant decorations and decided that they were perfect for our Thailand tree. Besides elephants represent all sorts of good things in Thai culture like peace, good fortune, prosperity.

These globes came from THE Christmas store and were 50 Baht each. I love red!

And then we found these little stars at a Thai handicraft fair. The girls were happy to have a few decorations to put on the tree and Adam was happy to have them to pull off. :)

Having a tree, fake or not, has been wonderful and makes it seem more like Christmas, even if it is hot.

P.S. These are unrelated to the Christmas tree post but we found them at the Thai handicraft fair and I thought you might like to see them. These little trees are made entirely from recycled paper and are so unique!

I first thought these funky balls were made of styrofoam but it is actually the casing of silk worms dyed in Christmas colors. Once again, completely Thailand!

Thanksgiving Abroad

2010-11-28T07:01:00.001-08:00

I don't think I ever realized how much I love Thanksgiving until this year. Being abroad during the holiday season has given me a new appreciation for our distinctly American holiday. Life goes on as usual in the rest of the world while we in America have our pumpkin pie, black Friday specials, football games, and family gatherings. Here in Bangkok, Thanksgiving Day was a normal work day for David and a school day for the girls so we decided to have our Thanksgiving dinner on Friday night.

Hannah made some lovely colorful signs for the front door and house.

We used our Christmas plates and Hannah and I made name cards.

Last year we had a big gathering of about 30 people at our home so this year seemed a lot smaller.

I cooked for two days to prepare for our traditional meal. Pies, rolls, turkey - we found nearly everything we usually eat (except for Sarah's favorite, jello pretzel salad). Here's Adam, wondering what all the fuss is about....

We felt so glad that the Kennan's, who are also expats from Midland, could share Thanksgiving with us. Here we all are with our plates loaded up, ready to dig in! And no, that isn't alcohol on our Mormon table - rather sparkling grape juice, which is completely non-alcoholic. :)

Yum! The food was so good. We all stuffed ourselves and shared what we are thankful for, mainly family, friends, country, faith, and life itself. A happy Thanksgiving in Bangkok!

Dusit Zoo

2010-11-24T05:45:00.000-08:00

On Friday the girls had a day off school and we had a few hours so we went downtown Bangkok to the oldest zoo in Thailand, Dusit Zoo.

The first thing we saw as soon as we got out of the car was this water lizard swimming in the canal. It looked like an alligator but not quite. It was enough to squelch any desire to swim in any water in Thailand, ever!

There were more than one and they seemed to like sunning on this raft. We hadn't even left the parking garage and already our curiosity was peaked.

When we stepped inside the zoo this bread stand was the first thing we noticed. We realized that you could buy a loaf for 20 Baht and feed the water lizards and oversized fish. Who wouldn't want to do this? We bought some loaves and the girls threw bread like crazy into the murky water.

They would have happily fed the canal creatures all day long but this was a Thai zoo - we couldn't just look at the fish and lizards!

So into the nocturnal house we went and we saw these huge porcupines with really long quills.

And the next cage had these things that the Thai people call "bears" but the long tail didn't look so bearish to me. I must say that the cages in the nocturnal house were crawling with some mighty big coachroaches - eeewwww. Let's just say I'm glad I'm not a nocturnal animal in Thailand. One roach is too many for me.

We continued onward and saw some typical zoo animals such as giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and the like.

One thing that was very different is how cheap everything was inside the zoo. Here is a sign advertising the tram rides for about 80 cents for an adult and 25 cents for a child.

At that price how could we not take a tram ride?

The tram was pretty full so we climbed in the last car. I forgot Adam was in the backpack and tried to climb aboard - oops, sorry Adam!

We rode the tram around most of the zoo and got off at the seal show. As we looked for seats the girls discovered these fans that were blowing misty air. It was quite refreshing and we decided to just stand by these coolers instead of sitting.

The seal show looked quite typical even though we couldn't understand one word of what was said. The audience really was engaged and clapped and screamed like crazy. We just watched. :)

I hate to keep bringing up potty issues in Thailand but it is a novelty for us to see toilet paper for sale in front of a bathroom door.

One of the very fun things for us was feeding the elephants. Two of them looked like babies and the third was maybe a mother? We couldn't read the signs so we just had to guess. There was a little stand selling baskets of coconut, roots, leaves, and bread loaves all for feeding the hungry giants.

These babies weren't shy and just reached their long trunks right on over.

It felt a bit funny to have an elephant trunk tickling my fingers for a tidbit. Adam and I laughed!

The marvels continued as we saw yet another lizard just strolling along on the zoo grass. The girls were nervous about this uncaged reptile and we quickly moved onward.

I should have written down the names of all the strange animals but the best I could do was take photos. This one looked like it was straight out a Bill Peet book (one of my favorite children's authors who writes about some funny animal creatures).

The main attraction was this cage full of critters who were dying to be let loose. I just gawked and then walked on. :)

Just kidding!

Here they all are at the end of our few hours at Dusit zoo. An interesting, hot, and fun adventure.

An American Project in Bangkok

2010-11-07T23:52:00.000-08:00

What happens when a farm girl is missing the farm, missing her country, and she finds a pair of gloves AND a hammer while unpacking?? I decided it was a sign. I was meant to do a wood working project here in Bangkok.

Naturally, that is easier said then done considering language barriers among many other things. But when I saw this American Flag project at anawhite.com I was determined to make it. Could determination/stubborn could be a synonym for farm girl?

The first thing I needed was some old pallets. How I longed for the pile of pallets and old wood sitting back home on the farm! But Bangkok is a far cry from the farm so I started looking.

One day I noticed some old pallets that were just what I wanted and so I stopped our driver, jumped out, and tried to explain to the men near the pallets that I wanted to buy one. I think they thought, "What is this crazy American lady thinking?" because they wouldn't sell me a pallet for anything. But a bonus to this attempted pallet buying was that my driver somehow understood that I really wanted pallets. So the next day he showed up with these nice brand new pallets....

Hurray! I was really hoping for old weathered ones but it was the best I could do in a foreign land. Now I needed the rest of the lumber. Where was Home Depot? Certainly not in Bangkok!

I did my best to explain to my driver what I wanted and he took me to the lumber store. Here it is...

Inside it was small, dark, and quite cramped but they had lumber! With my drivers help, I communicated what I wanted and then had to settle for pieces that were as close as I could get to the plan.

Wood is packaged very differently in Bangkok. They sell it in little bundles tied with colorful twine.

I tore apart the pallets and stacked them in the unused maids quarters. Thankfully David brought some battery powered tools from the USA. Can I tell you how nice it felt to use power tools? When our driver saw what I did to the pallets and how I was using the power tools he shook his head and said, "Thai women, no do this." I smiled and replied, "American women, do this!.

A bit of a setback occured when I accidentily plugged the charger directly into the wall and it destroyed the charger - oops! I really dreaded telling my husband about this mistake.

But David took mercy on me blowing up his battery pack and on the eve of a business trip departure he came home with this present for me....

Yahoo! I was back to working on my project! The saw worked really well and best of all I could plug it right into the wall. :) Here are the pieces all cut and ready for the next stage.

After a lot of cutting, sanding, painting, late nights, mosquito bites, multiple trips to the local hardware store, AND untold strange looks from our driver I was nearly finished!

And finally here it is!! A rustic creation that reminds me of the farm and my dearly beloved county, America!

P.S. I'll post a picture once I have it hanging on the wall but I'm now searching for some serious wall fasteners because this piece is HUGE and quite heavy. Wish me luck...

Pink Eye Blues

2010-11-05T03:09:00.000-07:00

One of my friends here in Thailand (who has lived here 20 years) tells me that "they say everything is bigger and better in Thailand." This doesn't just apply to the wonders of Thailand. It applies to the not so wonderful as well and sadly our family has been plagued for over a month by one of the nastiest cases of pink eye we've ever encountered. I know - not really what I should be blogging about but this has been quite historic and definitely part of our adventure here in Thailand.

It started with Emma and I thought it was just a typical case of pink eye. You know, the kind that clears up with a few drops, some ointment, and within 24 hours the infected child can return to school. NOT true with this strain! Emma's eye swelled closed, was bright red, she couldn't see, her head ached, and her vision was blurry. I took her to the doctor and he incorrectly thought it was bacterial but after Emma was in misery for days I started searching on Google. And I discovered that we were the lucky family to be infected by a highly contagious and nasty viral pink eye that could take up to 3 weeks to clear up. Aaargh. I started to freak out and became quite fanatical about washing hands, washing linens, etc. But by this time Martha and David had contracted it as well :(. Poor David missed an entire week of work because he couldn't see. (which happened to be the week the girls had vacation - aarrgh!)

By the time Hannah contracted the virus I decided that I had to capture the insanity and I took a photo of her poor swollen eye. Everyone else is finally better and Hannah has just a bit of swelling left.

I keep praying that little Adam will be spared the agony because I can't imagine trying to put eye drops in his eyes, or trying to keep his hands out of his eyes and off everything else. So far my prayers have been answered.

Here is Hannah looking a bit melancholy because I wouldn't let her go to the ward Halloween party with pink eye. I didn't want to share the joy with anyone else.

So she and I made Halloween sugar cookies instead. A good compromise for a little girl who was feeling quite blue from her case of pink eye.

Cupcakes

2010-11-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

Emma asked me if she could make cupcakes the other day and I consented. I wasn't so willing because the kitchen had just been cleaned and kids cooking in the kitchen usually spells MESS. But she promised to clean up after herself. She cajoled her sister Martha into helping her and a little while later I walked into the kitchen and behold, a MESS!!!!

But they were doing everything completely on their own without any supervision and as near as I could tell they were making the cupcakes and frosting properly. So I didn't give any advice (other than "add some milk to the frosting") and I left. A short while later this is what they made....

IMPRESSIVE!!! What creative girls! They can cook! Well, at least cupcakes. :) I wonder if their future husbands could survive on cupcakes?

I couldn't find Martha for the photo-op but here is Emma with the finished products.

As for the MESS, they cleaned it up fairly well and as I was cooking dinner I looked around and realized they probably learned to be messy cooks from me. :)

THE First Haircut

2010-10-31T02:53:00.000-07:00

Look at this adorable baby boy! Does he look like he needs a hair cut? I didn't think so but....

his Father said his hair was making him look like a girl. And no son of his was going to look like a girl!

David showed me the long side burns and curling hair in the back and I confessed it was looking really long.

I didn't know if I was mentally ready to cut Adam's hair. I felt like I would the first haircut would mean the end of baby days and the beginning of little boyhood. Was I ready to bid adieu to the baby days? I wasn't so sure.

Adam wasn't too thrilled with the idea of sitting still for a haircut. All he needed was a bit off the back and the sides. How hard could that be??

Cutting little boys hair is harder than it looks! But after A LOT of wiggling, squirming, cajoling, enticing, crying, and eventually holding his little arms his baby hair was neatly trimmed off. The back of his head looked this this...

David was thrilled with the little man look. No more feminine looking sideburns in his house!

And despite all my fears, I think my baby - I mean little boy :) looks as handsome and sweet as ever. Wouldn't you agree?