Nothing more fun than birthdays

Adele turned two this week! The boys could hardly wait to celebrate her big day. They helped me bake a funfetti cake for her and then we decorated it together.

Like last year, Adele wasn't sure what to do with all this attention from us. She didn't know how to blow out her candles so Daddy had to help her.

We found a kitchen playset on the craigslist a few months back that was quite cheap. So, we got it and have had it hidden in the garage until this week!
We covered it with a sheet to wrap it and placed it in her bedroom. After eating some cake and opening a few other gifts from family Paul led her into her bedroom, where to her surprise was another gift! She pulled off the sheet and immediately went to work, cooking and baking and putting one of her gifts (wooden food things) in the fridge.

All of the dishes that she has to play with were mine when I was a child...so it's been so fun to have a little girl to share my toys with! =) The first thing Adele did once she pulled the sheet off was to wash her hands in the sink!

horrified

Somer Thompson went missing after school on Monday in Orange Park, FL. Yesterday, investigators found a body of a small girl in a south Georgia landfill where Orange Park trash is dumped. This morning we've learned that that body is Somer's. I have been following this news story since Monday and my heart, no doubt like thousands of others, is wrenching for the life snuffed out and for the family left to pick up the pieces. As a result of this news story I searched my neighborhood (through familywatchdog.com) for registered s*x offenders...and to my great relief and God's great goodness, there are none registered in our neighborhood. That doesn't mean that I can totally relax but it does give a little comfort. I would not suggest doing this search if you are paranoid, but I do think it's good to know who may be out there that you would never know. I have had many, many conversations with my children regarding kidnapping and the like, but this week they have heard it laid on extra hard.
If you'd like to read more, go to www.news4jax.com and if God leads you, pray for God to bring justice to the person or persons who did this detestable act.

glorious fall weather

I wish I had some pictures to capture the cool weather we are having. I woke this morning at 6:30 (it was pitch black outside and thought it must be 2 or 3 am, but the clock set me right). I went outside and brisk air met me. Today continued to be a beautiful day with the weather in the 60s (I think).
My sister-in-law and I went to a community yard sale (and I FROZE but I found a small throw blanket in the car and wrapped that around myself...I am sure I was quite a sight.) I found some fall weather clothes for Adele and I found the game Battleship. I also scored with a huge pile of GI Joe toys from the early 80s! That has kept some little boys entertained this afternoon.
PJ had his last soccer game today and we had family here to help celebrate. The weather was beautiful for soccer, too!
To top it off my sister-in-law brought me apples from Tennessee and they are delicious and putting us all in the mood for autumn.
Happy Autumn everyone...enjoy cool evenings, bon fires, apple pie and good conversations over coffee or tea.

The list

I had the blessing of talking with a dear, dear Thai friend yesterday via Skype. It was wonderful to talk to her in person, even though she had to write what she wanted to say because I couldn't hear her at all. =) It was still such a blessing...and I thought of the missionaries who went to work overseas 30 years ago and didn't have the opportunity to stay as connected with those they ministed to...and here we are able to do just that. Anyway, after I got off the computer with her, I sat down and wrote a list of the things I miss about Thaialand. This is probably more for my own processing purposes than it is for you, but bear with me! I am sure for those of you who have lived in Thailand will relate to some of these...and they are in no special order, just as I thought of them! I am sure this will be akin to signing someone's yearbook...so here you have it!

-fruit vendors nearly on every corner

-fruit vendors pushing carts through the sois (fruit to go)

-the bathrooms (no separate shower and a drain in one corner...easy to clean!)

- the "fruit washer" (former teammate and friend, Jack C. affectionately coined this term, it is much like the fruit sprayer most Americans have next to the spicket on the kitchen sink...this one happens to be next to the toilet)...anyway, this clever device is especially helpful when cleaning up vomit off of bed sheets (was missing this particular item this weekend!)

- the kitchen attached to the house (a separate room complete with it's own door in most cases; heat and smells don't permeate entire house!)

-sweating more (I kept off weight more there)

-the stairs (ditto on the previous)

-line drying my clothes (NEVER thought I would say that!)

-the rainy season

-flooded streets

-Thursdays with Catherine and Clint

-pork satay, mangoes and sticky rice, naam tok

-Thai worship

-motorcycles

-the Pizza Company pizza

-Pocky snacks

-fresh herbs, all year

- pumpkin all year long!

-pineapple

-rose apples, mongkhut (mangosteen)

-speaking Thai

-cheap food

-encouraging Thai believers (in person!)

-Mom's Group

-teammates

-fellowship meals every Sunday

-prayer meetings

-baking with Thai women

-learning how to cook Thai food, especially with Fon

-walking through Ram 2

-riding the song theow

-riding the bus

-driving (so much more freedom there!)

-the King's Park, especially the pool

-our turtles (Christmas and Green)

- our fish tank

- spying monitor lizards

-treks to the jungle

-elephant sightings (both tame and wild)

-the beach

-the "wai" greeting- it doesn't spread germs and shows so much respect. *a "wai" is when you put both hands together in front of you like you're about to pray and bow your head*

-our neighbor "Grandpa" who always was a delight to speak to

-the love and attention each of my children received from their "phii"s (older Thai brothers and sisters)

-the parties at our house

-the parties at the office

-Thai sense of humor

-Thai playfulness

-Thais and their exercise regimes

-Maahaadthai Park at 6:30am

-the Vietnamese "restuarant" at the market

-Iced Mochas for less than a dollar!

-fried sweet potatoes

-7-11 stores on every corner

-shopping with Fon

-doctor visits (they seemed easier somehow, I feel like I am lost here)

- orchids splashed with color

-exotic flowers and plants and wildlife

-mango trees

-close community

-rot tii

-Bloom coffee shop and Wednesday morning Bible study

-growing up in Christ with others

-the come and go of others

-a home large enough to host a small army (!) and always eager to meet new friends and give a cooled room, a hot shower and pillow to rest their heads on.

-Thai recycling

-nothing wasted

-bottled water

-waterfalls to cool off in

-instead of the neighborhood ice cream truck, the ice cream motorcycle

-kai yang

-going downtown - the excitement and energy

-riding the Sky Train

-blue skies

-geckos

-tukhaes

-taxis

-dear friends in other mission organizations

-Paul playing basketball

-Thai cell phone "plans." You buy the minutes at 7-11 and you've got minutes until they run out AND you ONLY get charged for call YOU make and if you're out of minutes you still receive calls because you aren't being charged...it's a beautiful, efficient and CHEAP system!

AND

- mostly all the Thai friends we made and with whom we spent time.

I MISS YOU THAILAND!!!!

Adele

Adele is doing much better today. She started to feel better yesterday too, but her fever went up again in the late afternoon. So, hopefully we're coming out of it.
Thanks again to all who were praying...God heard.

update

Hi all,
Thank you for your prayers and kind words...and encouragements! The night went well last night. I was surprised to have slept as much as I did...which is good! Adele's temp stayed lower through the night with doses of tylenol every four hours. This morning she was eager to go and has been going until about five minutes ago when I gave her another dose of tylenol, checked her temp and put her to bed, which she was happy to comply!
Well, I am off to Legoland to play with Calvin while his sissy naps. I can't thank you enough for your prayers...

a call for prayer

Hi everyone (the five of you who read this blog!!!)...please be in prayer for me this weekend. I am once again home bound (I was home with 2 children last weekend too!). This weekend is a bit different though because tonight Adele has gotten sick...like throwing up and high temp. Please do pray for strength for me. Calvin is also home with me and so the sibling rivalry is quite strong between these two precious children. Sickness doesn't help the matter!
Even though Adele is sick and I don't have a car that's drivable unless I can google "hot wiring a car" and get it going (Paul forgot to leave me the one car key we have for the other car) I am praising God because some of our new friends here are bringing me some things I could use like Ibuprofen and Gatorade for Adele to take. Wow, God is so gracious, isn't He?
Okay, that is all for now...please hold me up. By the way, Paul, PJ and Josh (paul's nephew) are on a two day canoeing/fossiling/camping trip so do please pray for them as well.
Good night!

500th post today!

Wow, I just noticed when I logged on that this very post is number 500. Hard to believe and it's just about four years ago to the day, too!)

Well, lots has been happening around here. Mainly in the way of education! Paul, as you all know, is being educated for his MDiv as well as just life in general (we should all be learning each and every day, right?!). But, also the kids are being educated and of course, it naturally follows that I, too, am being educated! I think most of my education comes in the form of learning about myself and what makes me react unlovingly to my husband and children but there is some academic learning happening for me too. =) Of course, we can't be so quick to segregate academia with spiritualality...and therefore, I will stop there. =) I will say that as I study science and art and math (as an adult) I see the beauty of order and the Creation that God made and how it all truly does bring much glory to Himself. As a Home Schooling parent, I also make sure I share this with my kiddos. How much would be lost if we just home schooled to have smarter kids than the average, etc. The most important thing is that they glorify God with whatever it is He calls them to do during their brief vapor on this earth. And, what a challenge for me to live by as well.

Well, I wasn't planning to write all of that, but I did, so there it is!

Seminary life is going well. We're meeting other seminary families and it's been a joy to connect to fellow Pennsylvanians, even! Paul had his first midterm today...you can pray for him as he has more in about a week's time. I don't feel lonely or isolated, thanks to new friends and even a couple missionaries who are also here studying. God has indeed been good to us. I find myself often praising God for His graciousness and goodness and provision for us...it's certainly not deserved and yet He continues to lavish us. Praise be to His name.

Here are some pics as of late...enjoy!

(Adele eating mashed potatoes from the mixer; science experiment: volcano eruption!; and helping mommy cook (she's cooking with oatmeal and craisins).

Cooking Thai Food

Well, the first time in a long time (four months) I tried my hand at keang phet sai fak thong (Red Curry with pumpkin) and chicken satay...with our beloved jasmine rice. It was okay. Nothing to write home about (but I will write on the blog about it!!!). I brought some curry packets with me from Thailand when we moved. I realized recently that I have one of the ingredients for this dish growing in an herb planter my mother in law gave me when we came back to the US. It is Thai sweet basil or bai huaraphra! So, I ran to Publix yesterday and bought an acorn squash (which ended up tasting very similar to Thai pumpkin) and a few other ingredients I needed for the chicken satay. I don't know what happened. The curry just seemed bland. I followed my "recipe" to the letter (and believe me cooking in Thai is not the type of food to follow to the letter). But, it just didn't have that zing. I think I need to add more curry next time. I added plenty of fish sauce and sugar (two staple ingredients in Thai food, along with a sour and spicy component), so I don't think that was the problem. Would it be at all possible that the coconut milk is different here??? Anyone else ever have this problem?

In any case, the satay was a hit. The kids LOVED it. Oh, I also made a Thai egg omelette and they enjoyed eating that over rice (another staple Thai dish...at least for my kids!). In the pictures you can see bits and pieces of what I made...not all the chicken got doused in the herb rub (I ran out and was too lazy to make more!). Anyway here is a recipe for the herb rub for the chicken (I bought Thai kitchen peanut satay sauce since I could not buy the ingredients...it tasted very similar, in my opinion).

2 lbs. of chicken breasts, cut in one inch strips knead with following ingredients, addint one at a time. Marinate for at least two hours. (*I didn't add one at a time, I just combined them all together and then rubbed it onto the chicken)

3 slices of ginger (crushed)

3 cloves of garlic (crushed)

1 Tbsp. curry powder

1Tbsp. coriander powder (i omitted this as I couldn't find it)

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp butter

bamboo skewers

Rub chicken in herbs, thread on skewer and allow to marinate. Broil until cooked or cook over charcoal fire.

Eat with cucumber salad (yah know, the one with vinegar and all), if you like to make it more Thai add red onions instead of white ones, and add one sliced, red bird peppers.

An Interesting Fact...

Before I get to the interesting fact, these first two pictures are of Calvin, me and Adele the night we watched the shuttle launch (see Home School Days post below). Notice how tired Calvin looks...and how awake Adele looks!!!

So, the interesting fact is...there are wild chickens and roosters that walk around our new home town of Oviedo, FL. Yep, here you can see a couple strutting around. They don't belong to anyone and they can be seen anywhere down in the "city center" (for lack of a better word!). Pretty funny...I feel right at home, although, in our neighborhood in Thailand we didn't have chickens running around, we did see them often enough, especially near Maahaadthai Park and at Maahaadthai 3!

My Little Footballer

Another football season has started for PJ. God has worked it out for PJ to play in a church soccer league this fall! He is really doing well this year and enjoys his practice times. This morning was his first game and he did great! (Of course, I am partial!) This jersey has not been off PJ's body since Tuesday when he received it from his coach. The shirt is reversible (white on one side, blue on the other). PJ practices on Tuesday evenings and has his games on Saturday mornings. It's been great for him. They also are learning a verse and their coach sits down with them at every practice and shares with them something from the Bible. It is so different from the league PJ played in in Bangkok, that's for sure, but we are so thankful for all the opportunities he has been given to grow and mature but mostly to have fun! He told me today that he had a lot of fun this morning...that made me so happy.

Calvin is not yet old enough to play league football, but he sure did cheer his heart out for his brother on the sidelines this morning. It was SO precious! He was really getting into it...yelling , "go PJ go!" and "Go Falcons!"

The Falcons coach (the guy on the left hand side) made sure each kid got to goalie for a few minutes. PJ blocked one goal and one got by him. He liked being goalie...we'll see what happens with that!

This last picture was taken on Thursday morning. The boys enjoyed playing a bit of football before home school. (I told you, that jersey didn't come off all week!) Calvin inherited PJ's old shin guards (too small for this year). They had fun together...Calvin can't wait to join his brother on the football field!

Thank you Lord, for these healthy, happy boys.

Home School Days

We've had some fun home school days and nights (as you will see!). We are learing all about ancient history and last week we tried our hand at writing hieroglyphics in clay. PJ did a great job but he, being a perfectionist when it comes to art, thought it was very hard to write pictures in clay...which I agreed! But, I kept reminding him how difficult it must have been for the ancient Eyptians and Sumerans. He finally came up with his own code...and stuck with it instead. I did manage to get these two "leopard heads" that partly represent the word glory in hieroglyphics, before he "erased" them. He thoroughly enjoyed the book, Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs.

PJ is also enjoying the Math U See curriculum as shown below. He has learned that every value has a place. The blocks have proved to be much fun, not just for him but for Calvin and Adele, too.

And, last Friday night (August 29) we decided to head down to the Space Coast (Cape Canaveral for those of you who aren't Floridians) and see the space shuttle Discovery launch into space. It was launced at 11:59pm. I think our kids thought we had lost our minds, but we really had fun, even if we were bleary eyed. It takes about an hour to get there from our house so we woke them at 10:45 (they were fast asleep, of course!) and drove down there. We walked out onto the beach and about 10 minutes later the shuttle took off. It eventually became just a tiny little blip...much like a star. We didn't stay to see it totally disappear. It was a pretty neat night. The rockets lit up the night sky and the rumble was terrific.

In an effort to get the younger two more involved in our home school mornings, I've introduced water paints and play dough this past week! I must say it was a hit, now the problem is keeping PJ's eyes on his lessons! Calvin and Adele enjoy it immensely. I am also trying to make a more concerted effort to teach Calvin his letters and sounds and to work on his drawing skills (they are lacking or maybe PJ is just really good?!). It's been fun and good for all of us. I continue to enjoy the library and have gotten out so many good books, I don't even know if we will have time to read them all. Two, especially are good, if you're interested. One is Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff based on The Illiad and the other is The Odyssey adapted by Geraldine McCaughrean. Both have beautiful illustrations. If you are not into teaching your children Greek mythology, then do not read these books...but they are classic works. We've only gotten to page 10 on the first book...we'll see how far we get!

PJ started Math U See yesterday. We received it in the mail last Friday. He exclaimed, "I LOVE this, I could do this all day!" I thought, "YES! This is how it should be!" Praise God. And Calvin also enjoyed playing with the blocks...and Adele desperately wanted to be playing too, but I just don't trust her with those unit pieces yet!

One major reason that we home school is so that we have a major influence over the spiritual upbringing of our children.

In the past few weeks and months I have noticed a hard heart in Calvin toward things of the Lord. So, we've been praying for him and with him, pleading with God to make the lights go on in his dear little head. The exciting part of all this is that we see God at work. For two nights in a row now, Calvin has prayed during our family devotion time (where as before the last two nights, he rarely would pray). And, these prayers he offers aren't just, "Thank you Lord for this day, amen." They are really heartfelt and precious. He thanks God for his toys, his family and He asks God to protect our cat, Simba, as he climbs the trees in the back yard. I am just amazed at the work of the Spirit in Calvin's heart. It's beautiful to behold...I pray that God would make all our children strong in Him, His Word and that He would use them to bring His salvation to many. I've also seen growth in PJ in the last few weeks. Now, I know I am a mom speaking here, but I really see a spiritual sensibility in PJ that, again, I know is of God. I thank Him for this. PJ has a very tender heart (like his daddy) and is easy to talk to about what God's Word says. Just yesterday he was having some problems obeying and being respectful towards me. I pulled him aside and opened the Word. It always amazes me that when I open God's Word and show PJ what it says how it takes effect immediately. I remind him that the words I am about to read, are not mine but they are God's words...He gave them to us to know how to live rightly before Him. I don't know why I don't do this more...and I am hoping to get more disciplined myself so that when I correct a child, it's done based on God's Word and what it says...not just my whims. All that to say, I thank God for His work in the lives of my children and in my life.

On another note, last Saturday we spent the day with Paul's first cousins and our kids 1st cousins at the beach! It was great. We had such a wonderful time together...and I was so impressed by Paul's cousins, Laura and Billy (pictured in the back left and right). They are two of the sweetest young adults I have ever met. I was most impressed by how they played with all their cousins and seemed to really, genuinely enjoy it. This is another prayer of mine, that when my children are older, they will invest in the lives of younger children and take the time to play and be silly with them. It's important and these children will probably never forget the hours they spent with Laura and Billy! So, a big THANK YOU to them.

So, this is the news from our corner of the world. Until next time...

Sunday Lunch

Here's an easy Sunday lunch in the crockpot recipe. I miss our weekly fellowship dinners with our church in Thailand. Now I have to plan ahead on Sunday mornings and have something ready to go once we return from church.
This week I made Old Settlers Baked Beans with Corn Bread. This recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother Carrier-Mayes and I don't think she'd mind me sharing it here! It's so yummy (if you like beans!).

Mix together in large casserole dish; serve with cornbread. (Or mix in the crockpot and keep heated on low heat for a couple hours).
2 lbs. browned, drained hamburger
1 can red kidney beans
1 can butter beans
1 can pork and beans
1/3 cup brown sugar or 1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tsp. prepared mustard
Mix well. Bake covered 1 hour @ 350

I hope you'll enjoy it!

missing Thailand

my "fuan faa" or bugambilia against the beautiful April blue sky.

just a reminder...

to keep praying for the Thai people. Pictured here are some photos from one of the most revered shrines in Thailand...the Erawan Shrine located in downtown Bangkok. Many, many people come to this shrine daily for blessings and offer all kinds of offerings from incense and flowers to pigs heads.

Darkness permeates this people, please pray for the Light to shine.

The Light is going forth from people like us, missionaries, but also from our Thai brothers and sisters. Pictured below with Adele are two dear sisters in Christ. Phii Khiaw works as a staff member with our team, leading the handicrafts ministry as well as many other jobs! I will interject that my dear sweet girl, Adele, looks so sick in that picture with Phii Khiaw! I am so glad that she is no longer sick and is healthy and well (that picture was taken about 4 days before we left Thailand and Adele just came home from the hosptial with pneumonia). Praise be to God! The other woman pictured with Adele (in pink) is Fon. Fon and I became quite close in the six months or so before we left Thailand. Fon is a new believer (she came to Christ about 1 1/2 years ago) but has been growing in her walk with God. I am so excited to know that she is continuing to be discipled by my dear friend and teammate, Rhianna. Fon is not employed with the church, but she is the perfect example of what lay men and women should be doing. She is quite the evangelist...always telling others of her faith and love of Christ and what He has done for her. She, too, needs our prayers as she grows up in the Word and as she ministers among college students with our other teammates. Please pray for her to have clarity and direction from God on what His call is on her life.

never would've thought...

Four years in Thailand...tropical, muggy, and loaded with all kinds of pit vipers, cobras, and the like. We move to Florida, tropical, muggy and loaded with alligators, snakes and the like. Yesterday, one of those snakes somehow made its way into MY home! NEVER in four years did we EVER have a snake in our home in Thailand...outside, yes, but not INside! And after one month in our new home here, we have a snake. Is God trying to prepare me for what's ahead in our missionary career? O boy...here we go!

PS: It was only a baby snake and non-poisonous but he was very feisty...so feisty Paul didn't want to keep him around! Can you believe that?! With this, the learning continues!

Our first week of Home School is completed! Thank you to those who are praying for us. My two days away at the beach came at just the right time. I was well rested and recharged ready to tackle the tasks that laid ahead of me!

I am learning to find things to keep the younger two busy/learning while I am schooling PJ. To the left, you see two pictures of Adele. One is her playing with a bucket of bubbles on our back "porch" (one activity I have introduced to her, whether in our kitchen sink or outside!) and the other is her reading the book Hush! A Thai Lullaby. Excellent book if you ever happen upon it.

We also planted some phlox thanks to my mom and dad's neighbor, Betsy. We planted the seeds a few weeks ago and they are slowly but surely growing! It's so fun to see the little stalks sprouting up through the soil.

Four weeks ago, we were traveling in South Carolina and as we were leaving our friend's house we spotted this HUGE, green caterpillar. Our friend encouraged us to take it along with us, so we did. That very night, the caterpillar built his cocoon...as seen in the picture. We thought it might be a luna moth caterpillar. We waited for four weeks and yesterday while Paul was checking on the cocoon he noticed something sitting in the top of the container we had it in. It was the polyphemus moth. She is absolutely beautiful when her wings are opened. She will only live about a week and then die...and within this week she will not eat anything. You can see her pictured below on PJ's hand.