10,000 smiles

10,000 smiles is a reflection on the culture and people of Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand. This city has been our home for 23 years since we moved there from Bangkok. It makes us homesick to watch it. Caleb, who  made this video is the son of missionary friends of ours and he entered it in a competition and did well.  I think you will see why. Enjoy those smiles from Chiang Mai! 

and it's................................................................................................ANOTHER GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, it's true! Our 8th grandbaby will be a girl.  We found out a bit ago and I just realized in all our busyness that I had not made the announcement.  Jen and Ben had a fun 'reveal party' for the whole family while we were on family vacation last month.  They had found out a month earlier and had kept it a secret between the two of them, because they wanted to announce it to us when we were together. 

They started the party with having each of us write down our name in blue or pink with our prediction. The family was pretty even.  I'm pretty sure that I was the most shocked of all, with good reason.  I had been with Jenny the weekend before and she had slipped twice in our conversations. The first time she forgot and referred to "her", the second time she covered up by saying "him". The"him" slip was so convincing.  I felt so bad for her that I had found out and was so sure that she had accidentally told me it was a boy.

These reveal parties (that were not even invented back in my pregnancy days) have become so creative.  The Seiler's went with the Silly String method, because they thought the Foltz cousins would especially enjoy it by  spraying the cans to find out pink or blue.   

This video is so funny to me. It's fun to hear the cousin's thoughts, but I can't count how many times that I have watched each person's response.  I am such a dork and so obnoxious in it.  I was so sure that it was a boy that I kept staring at the string while I was spraying it to figure out what color it really was. I think I was shocked more than anyone else. 

Congratulations Jen, Ben, and Ruby Kay on your new baby girl that we cannot wait to meet in November. 

Bethany and Jenny will be raising girl cousins real close in age once again.  Ruby Kay and Ellie Faye are 6 weeks apart.  These two little cousins are due 2 months apart! Bethany is now due in less than a month.  This grannie is getting ready to welcome two new baby girls real soon!!

a new washing machine, underwear and detergent

We love it when a church asks us for a project for their summer VBS program.  It is has happened a few other times and we love watching the excitement of the children to raise the money themselves. The first time we experienced it was many years ago when the Waterloo GBC children raised money for new luggage for us to return to Asia.

This year the Waterloo CVCC asked us if there was anything that the Ranong Kids Home needed. Well that is an obvious answer........they always need things.  But when Mike asked them for three suggestions, we were a little surprised at their answer.

They said:
1) A new washing machine.  They had just one for 30 children, and it was wearing out quickly. The kids had to add  the water with a bucket till it was full.
2) They wanted new underwear.  They currently had  about 2 pairs each and those were ripped and torn.
3) The cost of detergent adds up over time, so they wanted a supply of soap.

When we told Denise the CVCC VBS director, she said the team loved the ideas and wanted to see how much the children could raise.

It was perfect timing, because we arrived into Waterloo that week, and were able to go and share with the children the second to last night of their VBS.

We loved getting in on the enthusiasm of the children and got to watch them do all their singing/dancing songs, skits, and games.

It was fun to tell them more about the children and thank them for caring about them.

The stage was decorated with cute visuals for the children with a washing machine, some undies, and a  thermometer with the goals.  On Thursday night when we were there, they had just enough for the machine.

The giving boxes were a competition between between the boys and girls. 

On Thursday night, the children rotated around to us for 20 minutes each  in 5 different age groups of about 15-20 each.  My favorite was the group of 5-7 year old's.  They asked us some of the funniest questions.  When Mike told them about the Moken ladies delivering their babies on a boat, some of their comments were:

"If I had a baby on a boat, I would want it to be a really big boat"

and, "I was born in a church"

and, "well, I have two mom's"

Sunday morning the  VBS children did the entire church service and presented this check to us.  They ended up raising enough for the washing machine and enough for all the underwear which is 7 new pairs for all 30 children. 

After church there was a potluck picnic, and they ended up raising enough in donations for the detergent goal too.  We are thrilled!!!

Mike continues to have his weekly staff meeting with the Ranong team via skype.  Last week, when he talked with them, they asked about the underwear.  Guess they need some pretty badly.  What an exciting skype call it will be this week, when he can give them the full report.  Thank you so much to all those children at CVCC for blessing the children at the Ranong Kids Home!

more summer travels

You may have noticed that our schedule has been pretty much non-stop this past May, June, and July. The older I get, I feel like the more of an introvert I have become.  The constant 'going', 'living out of suitcases',  'meetings/conferences/appointments' gets old to me and I need some alone time for recharging.  I am enjoying, oh- so much, a down week at our cabin.  Mike and Lori are spending a week in Canada with his brothers.

Each time that we come back, I struggle with my attitude concerning our little cabin.  After being closed up for a year, it is musty, moldy, dirty, buggie and needs a thorough cleaning.  Even after the deep cleaning, it is still a cabin with the typical musty smell. I will eventually get to the point that it is cleaned up and feels homey, but I am still working on getting to that point right now.

I am thankful for a place that we can be alone and not live out of suitcases until we leave again.  The cabin is so peaceful, quiet, and I am enjoying this "down" week so very much.  With no Internet in the cabin, I've had a break from that, too.  Today, I was looking over some more photos from our summer. It was so sweet to have time with our family last month.  Here's a few more favorites from our days together:

Ellie Faye watching a mountain stream at Estes Park.

Halfway through our week long conference in Ft. Collins, they give us a day off.  It is smart and gives us a break to be expectant for more meetings. Our family chose to visit Estes Park- it was a good choice. 

We had to make our obligatory visit to Hayley's ice cream shop, but we only wished that she was there with us.

After the conference, we stopped through Oklahoma to visit Jen and Ben at their new place of work at Oklahoma State University.  It was very very hot, so Nina felt like Ruby Kay needed a new swimming pool.

She loved it and so did I when I got in to cool off with her.

Papa hung up her new swing from EF for her birthday.  She loves it, too. 

After family vacation, we drove down with Lori to help her settle into a new rental in Nacogdoches. Mike and her worked hard to get her garage unpacked and organized.

We were only there for two days, but used one morning to get up early and go fishing on Lake Nacogdoches.  The sunrise on the lake was beautiful.

Lori has missed being away from family this year, and is still trying to find some community outside of the students that she works with.  We are very thankful for Ron, who has been a "fill in" Dad for her, takes her fishing and helps her with things that Dad's do for their kids. 

Mike, Ron, and Lori had a great time fishing and caught some good ones. Thanks, Ron for a beautiful morning on the lake together!

Hot Springs Family Vacay-2015

So sad!  It’s over!  The week went by so fast!  It was one of our best vacations ever!  It was actually somewhat relaxing for all of us.  So many pictures to share, since that first post, but here’s a few more favorites:

Our home was on a cove where we could swim, but did not really have a beach. So on two different mornings, we left right after breakfast, packed a lunch, and spent the day at a public or private beach.  This one was a favorite. The adults floated, relaxed, and talked. 

 The kids  loved the trampoline and played in the sand and swam.

Such kissable cheeks she has, eh?

Lunch time in the shade for Hayley and Nathan.

I love Summer’s face of sun kissed  freckles.

Can’t show the bottom of our foot in Thailand culture- but it’s OK in the USA!

Hayley always makes me smile with her willingness to please!

At this beach we rented stand-up paddle boards and all took a turn out on the lake.  They were so much fun.

This is the day that we rented a pontoon boat in the morning, and then swapped it for a smaller faster one in the afternoon for tubing. The kids especially enjoyed the slide off the back of it from the top deck.

We’d ride for awhile… then stop  at a cove and everyone would jump in, float, swim, slide, fish and ‘whatever’ till we decided to move onto a new area.

Some of us napped

Some of us sang

Some of us snacked on Cheetos

Some of us charmed Nina

Some of us loved riding on the top deck

Downtown Hot Springs was a fun place to explore with a lot of history and old buildings.  Bath House row was especially interesting.  It was a whole street of old bath houses from the natural springs.

We enjoyed trying out some of the local places that were recommended, like the Pancake Shop…

….and the Fat Bottomed Girls cupcake shop

The girls love their Auntie Lori.

Ellie Faye’s birthday is coming up this month, and since we will not be together, we had a little party for her one night.  She kept licking the cake before we got to serving it.  Such a doll-baby!

Thanks John R....., I made them put ‘em on just for you!

Yesterday, we said our good-byes, left Hot Springs, and are now scattered in 4 states; Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas.  Jon and Marisa leave in two days to fly back to Thailand. We are not sure, when we will all be together again (probably 2 years)- which is probably why our times together are so very special. We definitely get the full affect of family dynamics with 15 living together in one house for a week, but it is oh so worth it.  Most of us woke up with a sick/sad  feeling the last day knowing that the good-byes were ahead of us.  It never gets easier for this family. As a mom, I am so thankful that everyone enjoys being together and that the good-byes are so difficult.  It is a good thing. It just makes us look forward to the next time that we can be together again.  The hardest part is thinking of the two new babies coming in the next few months and how much the children change during the 1-2 years of absence. Lord, give Jon and Marisa the grace they need Tuesday as they say their final good-byes and leave their families again.