I think we're in one of the times in our lives that is most full, if the activity level of each day is any indication. That, combined with my relative ambivalence toward the computer for some time now (I would much rather bury my nose in a book than a screen), means that I'm quite behind here. But I do love sharing the little stories and images from our journey here for this small group of people who love us enough to continue to walk with us. All that to say, my images of life to share are piling up! It's late and the household is sleeping, so I shall seize my moments as I can. This will be a fly-by, but nonetheless...some glimpses of our days of late...
First, the relatively recent celebration of Easter...
We dyed eggs...duck eggs, in fact, which are the only white eggs one can find here...
An egg hunt/scavenger hunt...found one!
The hunt led straight to these little cuties, perched daintily on the washer. Tim traveled recently, so we took advantage of the opportunity to procure chocolate bunnies...
...much to the DELIGHT of these littles. Em said, "I've always heard of chocolate bunnies, but I've never HAD one! I can't believe it!" Ju devoured his, but the other two have licked and savored, and there are still odd-looking bunny remains in the refrigerator even now.
Our small group hosted a concert to share the story of Easter with our community, and it was a joyful evening of telling that most wonderful of all narratives through music and song. This was a privilege to be a part of and we pray that it both proclaimed the truth and fostered community in preparation for the church God is building here in Bangkok.
Our growing up girl, so lovely on Easter, with her new dog (named Lunchables!), which was a gift from a friend, also decked out in smocking for the occasion.
And in the vein of dressing up, this was from a dress up day at school in which the students were allowed to dress in clothing from anywhere in Asia. Em's wearing her clothes from her cousins in India, with her beautiful Korean friend in full hanbok, and her Dutch friend in Chinese attire. The conglomeration of culture that we live in is often just plain fun.
And another dress up day to represent any culture- we do have to show our American pride sometimes...
There's a place in northern Bangkok where we've heard they rent bikes for 20 baht (68 cents), and you can ride and ride through a lovely park. We finally made the trek to see for ourselves, and wow, it was fun. And hot. But really fun. We live in a place now where riding bikes is not a possibility (hence Asa with training wheels), so it was a treat to bike all around such a beautiful setting.
Little man enjoys his perch- a little pink basket in front of Daddy is a great place to take it all in!
The park also houses a butterfly garden, and we were treated to this display of God's glory- a butterfly actually in the process of emerging from its chrysalis- incredible.
We had sticky rice and fried chicken on the way home and called it a good day.
And finally, going back a bit. We had the privilege of celebrating 14 years of marriage together way back in January. We got away, a month late, for an overnight at this beautiful place- a former private residence, turned school, turned hotel. It's on the other side of the river and there's no access to it except by boat. The family that lived here gave it up when Bangkok made the transition from being primarily a canal city to primarily a road city, back in the 1940's. It was a feast for the eyes and a chance to rest together, for a very short (less than 24 hours) but very sweet time. In some ways it's hard to believe it's been 14 years but in others not- we've known one another for such a long time. When we were newly married and having SO much fun with our newfound 'I get to live with my best friend' status, I remember saying to Tim, "Wouldn't it have been fun if we had been brother and sister? Then we could have grown up together!" He told me that, actually, that was a little strange given our current relationship, and I had to agree, but the sentiment behind it was that I enjoyed being with him so much that I kind of missed those years we didn't have together. I still stand behind that sentiment- I remain so thankful for what God has given me for so long now in Tim.
