Road Trips From A to Z

Good thing the guitar never fell on her head...

Over the last two months, we have driven approximately 4,500 miles here in the States.  I can sometimes exaggerate things, but I am actually undershooting the mileage here.  I promise!  I used Google maps, for goodness sake.

So, minus the countless trips to and from events, houses, meetings, etc. while in the major cities...we have really gotten used to driving.  "Gotten used to" is a phrase I am using casually here.  I have heard enough Action Bible songs and screaming fits from the backseat than I would like to admit...but for the most part, our travels have been pretty uneventful.  There was that time when we almost ended a deer's life somewhere in the Hill Country.  That deer was dumb, I tell you.  And, we, for sure, were thanking God for the grace He gave us not to wreck Treavor's Dad's awesome SUV.  "Hallelujah!" was heard from everyone.  

In all our travels, we have experienced much.  Here is the last two months of driving in a witty acrostic poem.  I am not a poet, but i'll try my best:

A - Action Bible Songs on repeat.  Is "Onward Christian Soldiers" disturbing to anyone else but me?

B - Best Car Packer Award goes to...Treavor!  How he fit it all in, i'll never ever know.

C - Coffee.  Gallons of it.

D - Down, down, down.  The further south we drove, the cheaper the gas prices.  Crazy Northerners.

E - Elmo's ABC's app on the iPad is Kyla's new best friend.

F - Friends and Family are what makes all the travel worth it!

G - G.P.S. saved our lives a dozen times.  And, maybe our marriage, too.  Can't argue with the lady on the screen!

H - Hand sanitizer for all the pit stops.  We have seen some rough bathrooms, lemme tell ya.

I - "I spy" has been the best game ever to kill a bad mood in our kids.

J - Just how full can that diaper get before we have to stop?

K - "Keep to the right side of the road."  We still need reminders.  Toto, we're not in Thailand anymore!

L - Lord of the Rings audio books kept Treavor awake at 3am.  Frodo!!!

M - McDonald's golden arches are recognized by a 2-year old yelling "Fries! Fries!"

N - Neck pillow.  Saved my life.

O - Oklahoma is more beautiful than you would think.

P - Prayer.  Oh, how we prayed!  

Q - Questions galore: "What does 'Don't Mess With Texas' mean?" 

R - Rest Area Wi-fi helps us get our email fix!

S - Screams.  Fits.  Cries. Whimpers.  Whines.  "Are we there yet?"  By the children, and...me.

T - Three overnight trips back and forth from Illinois to Texas.  Are we crazy?

U - Undereye circles.

V - Very good times with people.  Like I said before...it has made it all worth it!

W - "What city are we in?  Where are we going now?" = mantra of my kids.

X - X-tra late nights and early mornings.

Y - You can use a baby wipe to clean up just about anything.

Z - ZZZs...didn't get much.  But, hey, sleep is overrated, right?  

Words With Friends

Amy, Tiff, Janice, Summer, Melanie, Rebecca, Michelle and me at Rosa's!

The other night, we were hanging out with Matt and Tiffany, some of our close friends.  Our family was right in the middle of a wild week of travelling...staying in a different city every night for almost a week.  We were all unwinding after the kids were in bed, chatting away.  Matt said something to the effect of "You need to spend as much time with us as you can because you won't be able to when you get back to Thailand."  


I cried.


Actually, I stuck a pillow over my face and shamefully cried behind the pillow.  Because, I am still afraid of what others are calling the "Ugly Cry."  And, I had mascara on.  


I cried because it is true.  There simply isn't enough time this summer to spend with all of our friends, family and others in a way that is quality and memorable.  This really pains me.  I wish we had a year here, but then again, I know I still wouldn't be satisfied.  It is my nature.  


Then, Treavor caught me off guard and told me to stop crying.  "Why?"  I whined...


"Just stop crying,"  he suggested.


I was offended, for sure.  But, I dried up my tears and we resumed our conversation.  Later that night, I asked Treav why he told me to stop.  He shared that he thought it would be better for me to have some happier memories of the short time we have with our friends than ones of me blubbering on the couch while everyone else felt awkward.  Of course, I disagreed, because my emotions were raw and I just wasn't getting it.


He listened to me whine on and then concluded, "Well, I think you just need to cry with your girlfriends, then."  You have to understand that it wasn't a cop-out...it was true!  If I wanted time to connect with my friends on a deeper, heart-level, I was going to have to set more time aside to make it happen.


So, I did!


The picture at the top is of a Girls' Night that I threw together last week.  I emailed (so fancy!) some ladies and we met at Rosa's Cafe for dinner.  Thankfully, seven ladies were free and gave up their Wednesday night to chat and make me feel like a million bucks for just spending time together.  Nights like that were something I literally dreamed about while in Thailand.  We have amazing community there, too, but being here has helped to resurrect old relationships and keep them going as all our friends are blazing through life.  It was so fun.


To end the night, we headed on over to U-Swirl. I died.  Basically, for all my overseas friends to understand, the frozen-yogurt-and-then-add-a-million-toppings-of-your-choice fad is all the rage.  They weigh your bowl, no matter what is in there, and then you pay per ounce.  Genius; self-serve and quite addictive.  You choose from a myriad of flavors (I chose Cake Batter and Red Velvet Cake - I know, I'm a health nut!)...then you top it with stuff.  There was everything from cherries and fresh raspberries, to cheesecake bites, Ghirardelli caramel sauce, and chocolate-covered waffle bits.  Like I said, I died.  And, then I ate my frozen yogurt and went to dessert heaven.  It was fabulous.  

Did you just gain five pounds looking at this delight of a dessert?  Awesome.

I never ended up crying with my girlfriends that night, but now I have a lovely memory to help carry me through the inevitable, lonely days of living as an expat in a foreign country.  I might have to plan my own Girls' Night over there!  Too bad they don't have U-Swirl in Thailand...

8 Years Later! Happy Anniversary!

Eight years ago today, I married the love of my life, Treavor!  And, yes, our marriage is still going strong - even through living in three different countries, moving houses every. single. year...three kids 6 and under, working overseas and a myriad of other possible stressful situations.  In every season, God has given us the grace to learn how to bless one another in marriage.  Without God's help, I simply don't know how anyone can do it!  And, for me, it isn't really all that hard to love Treavor...he's incredibly handsome (just ask anyone ;)...he loves God like crazy, he plays guitar and sings like a rock star, he is a faithful, patient Daddy, he loves to work with his hands - fixing all the things I certainly can't, he speaks Thai so well, he leads us and protects our family, he loves to joke around and make me laugh...I really could go on and on...but the children need to eat breakfast this morning!  


Last year, I did a special post with tons of our beautiful wedding photos to remember and share about our wedding anniversary.  You can click here and read it again or (for some of you) for the first time!


Happy Anniversary, Treavor!  You're my favorite!

Perks Of A Developed Country

Kyla is sittin' pretty

There is always something I am gawking at as we live the adventure of being in America again.  This baby seat made me literally jump for joy and pull the camera out of my bottomless pit of a purse.  


A baby seat in the bathroom!  What GENIUS!


Everywhere else, I have had to train the kids to stand like soldiers (ie: not like the crazy monkeys they normally are) and keep their hands to themselves while waiting for everyone to get their business done in the public restrooms in Thailand.  Usually, the floors are very wet there, and you have to fan the mosquitoes away from your bum while you try to balance over the squatties or the occasional western-style toilet.  A trip to the potty with three kids in tow (or even just the little one) can stress me just a little bit because of my obsession over super-clean hands.  


But, remember people, America has everything to chase away your fears...and yes, I wrote that with both cynicism and an odd delight...


...and this baby seat just made my day!

Even Kyla likes it!  She, honestly, was laughing while she waited for me!

I love you, Safe-Sitter corporation.  You a mother's delight and the product of a developed country that is always thinking of yet another way to make a load of money.  


What's the coolest new thing you've seen lately?

A Tourist In My Own Country

Me at Target going wild over the latest and greatest.  America - you have EVERYTHING!  My friend Tiffany captured this shot of me taking pictures of stuff last week.  Shopping with her was like Christmas.

What makes you think you've spot a tourist?  Camera in hand?  Socially awkward?  Speaking a foreign language?  Ooh-ing and Aah-ing over the latest technology or processed food wonder?  That would be me.  Yes, that would be me at Target, at Walmart, at the park, at your home, at your local church, driving on the wrong side of the road.  That would be me.


That would be me - taking endless pictures of foreign food.  When you haven't had a Schlotzky's Original or a Cream Soda...coleslaw or fresh lemonade...crescent rolls from a can in over three years - you would too. I shoot my pictures and savor each bite without shame.  And just between you and me, we Americans eat some weeeeeeird food.  Corn casserole?  Like something from another planet.  At least it feels that way.


We were driving down a downtown Chicago highway our first day on the American road.  We realized we made a wrong turn and promptly made a u-turn.  The.  Wrong.  Way.  I yelled to Treavor, "There's a car coming right at you!"  (There was!)  We laughed nervous laughter and tried to recall where we were supposed to be and in what lane and in what direction and at what speed and with our turn signal.  Geez, we Americans also have a lot to think of while driving.  You would think it would be simple for us!  Oh no - now every time we get on the road, you will hear the chanting, "Right side of the road - right side of the road - right side of the road."  In Thailand, it is the left side - and now the right side feels wrong and the left feels right.  Left = right.  Right = wrong.  You confused, yet?  Yeah, so am I.


That would be me freaking out as I wash my hands in warm water every day.  Every faucet is like a home spa.  Seriously.  In Thailand, where you have to pay for individual water heaters at each bathroom or kitchen orifice...you just get used to washing your clothes, your dishes, you hands, your bum...with cold water.  Warm water - every time - is like a surprise as I wash off the grime.  Don't even get me started on dishwashers.  What?  Jeshurun had to ask my sister what they did while she and Huy were loading it the other day.  She thought he was joking.  Oh no, girl.  He wasn't.  In my house, the dish washing machine is me.  Most of the time, it is broken.


Being a tourist in another country, unfamiliar with local currency, causes one to feel like the money you use is play money.  Hey, I am sure that if you're a credit card or debit card user that you can understand what I am saying, right?  But, really, every time I pull out my George Washingtons or a fistful of change, I am out of touch with the real cost of things.  What?  That bottle of shampoo is just a dollar more than the other one?  Who cares!  Let's just buy it and get out of Target before I have a panic attack or a joy fit - both look a little like the same thing to me.  Why do we need 500 different kinds of shampoo, anyway, people?  Trying to choose makes my brain hurt and almost makes me want to succumb to greasy hair and borrowing my kids' baby wash.  Just please don't make me buy another bottle of shampoo while I am here.  I remember the first time I bought food in another country and realized later how much I had overpaid.  If you shop with me ever over the next few months - remind me that paying $5 for a dozen eggs is way too much.  You have a confused tourist on your hands.

5 Ways to Make Our Day Lately

Looks like Treavor is going to enjoy American cuisine just fine.

Comment on how skinny we are.  In Thailand, anything other than rail-thin is “fat.”  This will especially make me feel better considering my jeans are already fitting tighter than normal after only a week of being here.  Looks like some exercise or a fast from cheese is somewhere in my future.

Ask my kid to tell you a fun story.  Jeshurun and Huy feel not as shy if they are asked to tell you a story from their home in Thailand.  And please make grossed-out or scared faces to go along with your listening.  It validates them and gives them incredibly joy.  Seriously.  Just ask Run if he’s ever eaten a fish eye and he’ll be on top of the world.

Kyla ate a lot of Ba Noit's (Grandma's) rice when we went to eat Vietnamese food.  She even was a good Thai and ate with a fork and spoon simultaneously.  I was so proud.

Steam some rice.  If we get to eat together, rice will make Kyla jump for joy.  Bread is just not her thing.  And if you have some fish sauce handy, that makes it even better. 

Uncle Ricky gives great bear-hugs!

Give us a hug.  We have missed the bear-hugs that go along with American culture.  It makes us feel all warm and fuzzy.  Don’t hold back!

Be a teacher.  Keeping up with the latest sport teams and their victories, pop culture and such is simply not our forte.  If we look clueless when you reference Lady Gaga or your favorite football team, you are heartily invited to fill us in on what you are talking about.  Most of the time, we’re lost.

We are enjoying our time in America - and I feel like I am finally recovering my brain after a week of being here.  I think I left it in Thailand and God air-mailed it back to me a few days ago. Back to blogging!  Here's to another four more months full of adventure!

To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn...

my Stargazer lily shoot

To my amusement, something is coming up late in my garden...Treavor's Christmas present!


For a present last December, I planted five Stargazer lily bulbs in my garden. These lilies are Treavor's favorite.  Last year, while walking at a big market with Steph and her kids, we happened upon a merchant selling these bulbs, ripe with promise.  It was actually Steph's idea, to plant them for Christmas.  But, I stole her idea and promptly bought them.  :)  The merchant said that they would bloom in three month's time, so I planted them in early December and figured there would be plenty of time for us to enjoy them before we left for America.  


I researched how and where to plant them, settled them in the dirt just right, positioned them in perfect afternoon sun, watered them faithfully and keep them properly drained (I read that if they stay too moist, they will die, for sure).  For months now, I checked the soil for signs of life and even dug them up twice to see if they were even taking root!  I felt like a gardening failure, and a bad present-buyer, for even trying to grow something I had no experience doing.  But, a few days ago, I saw a blade of green hope popping up from the ground.  Today, three of the five bulbs have sprouted.  Joy and sorrow took me by surprise!


I feel joy; because something I planted and cared for is actually succeeding.  I feel sorrow; because we are leaving for America in 4 days, and we will probably not be able to even enjoy their beauty.  Someone else, probably my flower-loving neighbor I will entrust them to, will get to behold those awe-inspiring purple, pink and white splashes on its petals.  I have sowed, and someone else gets to reap the benefits.


The picture of words that I am painting above about my lily plants really spoke to me this morning as I thought about our work here.  I even started humming that famous 60's song "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)"...you know, the one that was basically copied out of Ecclesiastes 3:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

 ¹To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 ²A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

 ³A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

 ⁴A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

 ⁵A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

 ⁶A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

 ⁷A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

 ⁸A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

One of my five orchids that are sprouting new branches for future blooms

my orange tree's mini-fruits, not quite ready to eat

my jasmine flowers, on the verge of blooming and spreading an unforgettable scent!

When we left from America over three years ago, there were so many thing that we left that were in the middle, or right about to come to be; marriages, births of babies, changes in families, deaths of loved ones, divorces, people moving cities, leaders coming in and out of influence, political changes, etc.  We came here and "missed" these things coming to fruition. Some good, some bad...but it was change, all the same.


And now, as we have sowed into the nation and people of Thailand, into the lives of others, and endured changes in our own family, we are leaving for a season to enter back into another land that looks different than how we left it.  


I am leaving my Stargazer lilies, my orange tree, my orchids and my jasmine plants, all on the verge of blooming and bearing fruit...to partake of the fruit of a season that we have been located far away from for years now.  Although we are leaving friends and work that is on the brink of intense change, there certainly is a season for everything.  Can we just have a season for breaking down and never for building up?  Or, seasons of laughing and never for weeping?  I am trying to prepare myself to be ready for whatever season is ahead.  Wherever we are going and whatever we are going to meet, God is already there.