See you soon

We leave to the Bangkok airport in just a few hours and will land in SFO on Friday at 8 PM. I'm sad to leave behind the people and parts of the city that I enjoyed, but I'm also excited to see our family and friends in America. Moving always makes me excited and very sad at the same time. Our trip has been unforgettable for so many reasons. May we return to Thailand in the future wiser and more prepared for what is required to live here with a baby. And may we return to America with a deeper sense of gratitude. I don't want to forget what I love about my country.

To Thailand, choog dii.

To America, see you soon.

The River

Since arriving in Ayutthaya I have wanted to ride a river boat that serves dinner with a side of Karaoke. Last week we were finally able to go out with our friend Briya to enjoy a sunset boat ride.



Watching videos of Jones.




Scott and little Briya.






One of countless riverside restaurants.





Our home in the center. On the lawn are Anne and Sue-Malee. I waved frantically at them as we floated by, but they didn't see me.

Good Morning

I went into Jones' room one morning last week to find him like this...



One arm out...



No pants and a low-rider poopy diaper. Gross. And hilarious.

Humistons

Breckan and Spencer Humiston (and Breckan's mom Rachel) came up from Bangkok to visit us for a day. Breckan is 4 months pregnant and very brave for coming to Thailand and traveling on to Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia. We had a great time eating and boating with them and wish we could have spent more time together. Jones began a staring contest with Spencer that lasted the entire day...at least it did for Jones.

Smitten

This chubby, little lady came over to play this week and Jones was in heaven. She is a week younger than him and she dazzled us with her sign language skills and toothless grin. I'm looking forward to having Jones socialize with other babies when we get home. He was pretty nice to her...besides taking the stacking ring out of her hands so he could have two. In his defense, we do ALWAYS let him have two, one for each hand.








I can't remember her name, but she kept giving him "kisses" and nearly sent him flying several times.





Still in a daze long after she left.



What a nerd. Like father, like son.

July 12

Dear Jones-

I don’t feel much like writing at the moment, but I don’t have anything else to do except go to the market for produce. You’re napping so obviously that errand will have to wait. Not much has changed with you developmentally. You still pull yourself up on everything, your favorite toys are still your plastic stackable rings, you still “talk” to (more like shout at) people you know or are interested in and you have 2 more teeth working their way through your gums. I have fallen into a good routine with chores and taking care of you, so every day is fairly predictable. We don’t go on many outings, but maybe I prefer it that way.

Some fun things we’ve experienced recently were riding an enormous elephant and touring Ayutthaya by boat with our good friends Breckan and Spencer. You were interested in the elephants, but not scared at all. The lulling motion of the elephant’s stride almost put you to sleep. I was nervous sitting on the cushion so high above the ground, clinging to you and trying not to think about the elephant tipping over. It was just you and I riding the wrinkled beast because dad was out of town.

We have 9 more days in Thailand. I don’t know exactly how I feel about that. I’m happy to return home to see family and friends, but bordering on regret as I wonder if I made the most of this trip. The word “adventure” is used a lot by others in regards to our stay in Thailand, but I just can’t use it myself. Maybe I’m confused about the definition. Alright, I just researched it. ADVENTURE: daring and exciting activity calling for enterprise and enthusiasm. Hmmm. I see white water rafting as an adventure. This trip has been more of a learning experience. I’m not a naturally adventurous person- you’re awake and crying loudly now. I’ll use that as an excuse to stop analyzing and end this entry. Cheers to the last 9 days, whatever they bring.

Love,

Mom

Can you feel the humidity?

No, I did not blur the edges of these photos to induce a warm, sentimental feeling in my readers. This is just what happens to the camera when we step out of any air-conditioned room. Actually, this is after I let the lens dry off for about 10 minutes. What a great way to help you experience the sweltering heat in Thailand.

Not such a great look for the kids' head, but it's necessary anytime we go into the sun. Poor albino baby.

Happy Monk Party

These photos are from a Congratulations-on-your-entering-monk-hood-party back in June (not the official name :). I guess it's similar to when we send off missionaries in the Mormon church and have a farewell party. It was the hottest evening I had experienced up to that point. Jones and I ducked out early, missing the food, but escaping the heat.



A family just hanging out next to where we parked.



Traditional Buddhist shrine that can be found outside most homes and even businesses.







Lovely decorations. Looks more like a quinceñera to me.



Except for the fish-flavored wheels.




Scott filming from afar.




The guests adjacent to us. Very shy, but very curious about Jones.




A lottery ticket vendor. These Thai people are serious about staying out of the sun. And remember how I said this was the hottest evening to date? Yikes.