the farm life

On our drive from Iowa down to visit our girls in Arkansas, we made a two day stop with Jen and Ben in the Des Moines area.  We had a few appointments there and our friends Lance and Barb asked us to stay on their farm with them.

 Since both of us grew up on farms and have lived in cities in Asia- we always love a chance to be back on the farm again. It was so so relaxing and brought back great childhood memories of life on an Iowa farm.

It was fun to have the Seiler's with us on the farm, too.

Papa gave Ruby Kay tractor rides. 

We thought they had more animals, but right now- besides a few cows in the pasture, it's mainly chickens. 

Lots of chickens.  These were the baby chicks separated from the big ones. 

Lots of eggs to gather each day, too.

We love this family. They have four great kids with busy schedules that we got to spend time with as they passed in and out of the swinging door of their house. Nothing like a picnic right next to the bean field.

Sometimes, I wish our grand-kids could grow up on the farm as Mike and I did. It is such a wholesome life there. 

Jen and I had fun exploring the farm with RK.

Crazy Jen jumping the hay bales.

happy, happy, happy

After dinner we took a walk to a local well known landmark, the bridge on the  High Trestle Trail  near Madrid.  

It was so pretty to watch the sunset over the Des Moines river.

Thank you so much Lance, Barb, Tyler, Becky, Erin, and Grant. Your farm is so relaxing, you were so inviting, and you made us feel so at home in Iowa all over again. 

forever in our hearts

Tribute to our:
Sam...Sammy...Samson....Samsonite

His 14th birthday would have been today, but he left us three weeks ago. We had to put Sam to sleep two days before we got on the plane to come to the USA.  It was horrible- and too much to process at such a busy time. Once I got on the plane to cross the ocean, I had some time to think and write.  Now I am finally ready to share one last tribute to Samson that I wrote on the plane just a few days after we said good-bye..... 

Fourteen years is a long time for a pet to be part of your family and then to have them leave you. It was one of the hardest goodbyes that I've ever had to say. The decision was in the midst of a very busy month.  We had the large summer project team with us in Chiang Mai and were in the midst of preparing for a few months in the USA.. We also had the grand kids with us that day. Their bed time story that night after we had told Sam good-bye was telling memories of those 14 years with Sam.  I cried all the way through the memories, but it was very good and therapeutic for me. There's just something comforting about talking about all those good memories.It went something like this...

Sam was from a good line of purebred Labradors.  His mom was from a line of breeders in the USA on the west coast.  His dad was the drug sniffing dog at the Chiang Mai airport.  He was part of a litter from missionary friends in our own neighborhood.  We watched the puppies grow up from the time they were born on August 25, 2000 and as soon as he was old enough, we picked him out of the litter and brought him to our home.  He has been very loved since that day.

Little Sammy, when we first got him. 

He was a typical very playful Labrador puppy.  I'll be honest and say he was not always obedient. In fact he gave us our share of challenges, but we still loved him in spite.  He was smart.  He learned how to stick his nose in our gate and slide it open to get out and run with freedom in the neighborhood. We did not want him to be a street dog (like many of the dogs in Chiang Mai) so Mike designed a special and unique latch on the gate that we could latch but he could not open. It worked for awhile.  As I said, Sam was smart.  He learned quickly that visitors to our home did not know about the special latch.  He never tried to get out with us, but he would notice when a guest came, and would slowly walk over to the gate and gently put his nose in between the bars to open the gate and go out for his time of freedom. When someone would forget and he'd get out and they would say "dumb dog", we'd say "um, he's smarter than you, cuz he knows you forget to latch the gate." Way to stick up for my  naughty dog, eh?

He was handsome, big, husky, and broad. The girls would say he looked like he wore eyeliner. I called him "my handsome Samson".

We had a dog trainer come to the house for a few months to help teach him to be more obedient. It helped.

His favorite game was playing fetch.  He was very good  at sitting still until we gave him the command to go, very good at running right to it and bringing it back to us, but not so good at releasing it out of his mouth.  He thought it was more fun to play tug-o-war!

He was a good protector! I can't count how many times he had barked and barked until I came out and found he had a snake or cat or stranger or something else he wanted me to see.  I will miss his protection over our home a lot.

He met us at our gate each time we came home and we greeted each other.  I will miss his faithful greetings. We have several doors around our house and he would move around to sit outside the door of the room I was in. I will miss his companionship.

He was the dad of a litter of purebred puppies twice.  The puppies were adorable too. 

Phin, our housegirl had been caring for him, just as much as us.  She bathed him and checked on him daily with our frequent travel schedules.  I don't know who cried more the day he left us. Her or Mike or me? She really had a bond with Sam and took such good care of him.  In fact every time we came back from a trip he was fatter than before we left because she gave him more food than us.

We knew the day was coming.  This whole past year has been a struggle as we watched Samson aging. I wrote about this struggle last year.  He would have bad days when we thought he would not make it and then he would bounce back and be perky again.

This was his favorite position to lay around our yard and a vivid memory of him.

The decision was especially hard, because the day we decided to have the vet come to our home- he was having a better day. We knew we were leaving for a  3 1/2 month trip and did not want to leave the decision with anyone else. We had talked with 5 different vets and in Thailand with the Buddhists beliefs, they just don't kill anything. Our first choice was to be with him and let him die naturally, like the vet recommended. Mike and I knew that we were leaving in just two days and I prayed before checking with just one more vet.  I am so thankful for her understanding heart as she came to the house to evaluate Sam and told us the decision was ours and she knew we wanted what was best for Sam.  We had one night to make the decision and really felt that it was kinder and better for Sam for us to take him out of his suffering, especially when he would fall and not be able to get up. As difficult as it was, we knew it was the right thing to do.

Our last morning together before the vet came to our house. 

My last picture with my sweet Sam!

Our grand-kids came over after he was buried. 

The natural routines and habits those first two days after he died were the hardest.  Saving leftovers for Sam, closing the gate cuz Sam will get out, looking for Sam when we returned home, and on and on.  We are thankful for all the memories, and thankful for our understanding friends who were there for us and comforted us too! Sam will  be forever in our hearts. 

Iowa Sweet Corn

suck it......

chomp it......

all gone......

-I-O-W-A-

We enjoyed getting together with a lot of  people during our 18 days in Iowa and are now on the road again visiting our girls in Arkansas and then on to Texas. I was just looking back over our calendar and noticed that we've had appointments with people every day since we got back.  No appointments today though, and I am enjoying some down time a lot! Maybe I'm becoming more introvert in my older age. Looking back over some pictures I've taken, I am thankful for the images I have for memories but there are too many to share.  My camera often gets forgotten at the house or in the car- but here's a few photos of Iowa- our American home!

We hit sweet corn season at a perfect time and enjoyed it every chance we could get.  Nothing like Iowa... fresh... out of the field... sweet corn!

The girls always enjoying catching up with Katy-bug their Thai/American baby sister- who is not a baby anymore- but a very beautiful young talented, gifted, sweet teenager.

                                                  

Fun on the trampoline for every one.  Mikey and Katy are both trampoline rock stars.

Jen still thinks of Katy as her little sister and enjoys intentional time alone with her to keep in touch and talk about their lives.

Little Miss Ruby Kay also enjoyed some time at the pool and got a lot of attention there. 

Another fun evening was at the Keneally's where the guys had some dirt biking fun.

Mike is always at home in a field with a bike. 

The three of them rode in circles in a field of some Iowa wide open space!

Meanwhile, the girls stood up on the deck and watched the guys down below. 

Ruby Kay enjoyed their swing.

I enjoyed a beautiful Iowa sunset!

And I will always enjoy looking at this adorable face!

The timing was perfect for us to get to celebrate Steph and Josh at their beautiful Iowa reception.  Steph lived and worked with us for two years in Chiang Mai a few years back and feels like family.  Now she's all married and expecting their first baby.

Our little button nose Ruby Kay got to come to their reception, too.  Now for some focused time to visit Lori, the Allen's and Seiler's in Arkansas and Texas. Tomorrow is Ellanora's One Year birthday party. Bethany and Michael are now at 94% of their support goal. So so so close!!!  We are praying that God will finish it up and  they can be back on campus by this Monday when classes start back! Please pray with us!

Dan and Lee Ann

Our family came together last weekend from near and far to attend my younger brother Dan's wedding to Lee Ann.

We started the night before with a family dinner at the Brown bottle, a family favorite. 

It was so fun having cousins and family reunite. 

A visit to Dad and Mom's grave-site with Dean and Sarah as we miss them especially at family gatherings. 

Some of the family coming together before the wedding. 

Aunt Sarah replacing Marisa here.

Michael, Bethany, and Ellanora

Ben, Jen, and Ruby Kay

Beautiful bridesmaids: Tori, Sydney, and Delaney

The ceremony

Beautiful gardens at Hearst Center for the Arts

Three sisters missing Marisa at reception

Each of their children gave a speech at the reception.

A new family blended together.

Four siblings: Dan, Judy, Sarah, Dean

All the Rousselow's and families from Arizona, Arkansas, Texas, and Thailand! Family times together are rare and special to us.