More tales from vacation- They layover

When you go from winter in Shanghai to summer in Thailand it is hard to dress your family for the plane ride. We dressed in lighter winter clothes and then I packed our summer clothes on the top of one of our suitcases. So that when we landed in Bangkok for our six(!!) hour lay over I would be prepared with new summer clothes and lots of snacks. But here is what happened when we landed...

-We get off the plane- kids start whining as they are too hot. So am I! -We go through immigration- but have the wrong forms so have to re-write the forms before we can go through. -We get through immigration. My kids are now hungry and tired and hot. -We have to rescan our carry on luggage. (not sure why since we just got off an airplane) -All bags scanned but they ask me to open Asa's backpack. At this point I start feeling nervous. As I realize I never looked at what Asa packed in his bag! It kept the kids busy for about two hours picking out what they were going to take that I told them as long as I did not have to carry their bag they could pretty much take whatever they wanted! - The security guy pulls out a pie server from Asa's backpack. I have to bite my lip from laughing! Asa then comes up to the security guy and says he really needs his pie server to dig up treasures while he is in Thailand. The security guy tells me it is "very dangerous" to bring such an item on board an airplane- but he will not take it away from Asa.

After all of that I was really so excited to put some shorts on! However, we did not know that our luggage was checked all the way and we would not see it until we landed in Chiang Rai. So we waited and waited and played in the airport in our winter clothes for six hours.....

The first picture is of a Buddhist monk. They are highly regarded and given VIP treatment in Thailand. Also fun is putting your two year old in a luggage cart and racing around the airport!

Tales of Mr. Kittipot and other stories from vacation

Hello from Northern Thailand! The city of Chiang Rai is where our family has been for the past four days. Today we took the kids on a trip out of town- and what a time it was! It started at a local waterfall- which we did not know took about an hour hike (we all had flip flops on and Joab had Salome on his back) up to see the falls. Here is the steam on the path.



It was so fun to see Asa and Mei so excited when we finally got there!

The spray was so strong we all got covered with mist at the bottom!

From the falls we headed to a local hot springs. I have been looking for a natural hot springs for 16 long years. This is because in college I took with some friends into the mountains of Arizona to look in vain for any natural hot springs to stop at with our little car packed with five girls!
Oh that trip was so fun and so crazy! This trip to the hot springs was a lot calmer- but I
had no idea it would basically be a huge hot tub and that my kids would not really like how hot it was! Joab was a huge sport to help the kids play while I held Salome who put it well when she just said "HOT" every time she went in!


Feeling hot hot hot. And happy that 16 years later I was able to take my three kids to the springs! Love you Laura Lynn, Kori and Laura! These are some of the girls who went on that car adventure so many years ago!

You may be asking how did you get to the falls and springs? And who in the world is Mr. Kittipot? Well this delightful and full of energy man was our driver to these places. We hired him to take us around on his huge motorcycle. Joab had reserved a van for the day but we learned in the morning we could only have Mr. Kittipot (this is what the sign on his bike said and what he answered to when I called out to him above the drone of the bike). This guy likes to party! He liked to play the music loud and drive fast and make us laugh with all the American music he put on. He also liked to stop along the way!

Once we all got situated on his bike (which is not very easy with three kids, a picnic , swimming stuff and a baby backpack) he stops about ten minutes after leaving our hotel at a hospital. I thought perhaps he was getting sick, having a heart attack , or thought we were sick! He parks and then take a plastic bag full of cooked rice and meat from somewhere in the bike and says "five minutes". And he races off to only come back two minutes later to get something else in the bike. We are now really confused when he comes back and zooms off fast until he stops in about five minutes on the side of the road. He turns the bike off and from under his seat takes out a huge water bottle filled with gasoline. He then "fills her up" and we zoom off again. Only to stop in about twenty minutes at a gas station (did we not just do this with whatever was in the water bottle?!). While he tops off the bike he explains that his wife just had a baby and he needed to bring some food to his wife at the hospital! With that we zoom off with music blaring. Another twenty minutes and we stop for some water for him. Our last unscheduled stop with Mr.Kittipot was after the falls hike when we see this sign all in Thai writing with a cement fish in front of a shop. He pulls in, shuts off the bike and says "come". Joab and the kids "come" and he gets some fish food and shows Joab how to feed the fish that live in the nearby river we are passing. Were we suppose to catch fish or just feed them? We are unsure and in the middle of eating our lunch on the bike (while we zoom off to the hot springs).

We enjoyed many laughs, singing old songs and a memorable picnic on the back of Mr.Kittipot's bike today! One of my favorite things in the world is to look over at Joab as we zoom around the mountains of Thailand on the back of Mr. Kittipot's bike ; thinking I love him even more than I did when we first came to visit Thailand over twelve years ago.

Our very hot children at the hot springs next to the bike that got us there!

Chinese New Year haircuts

Salome did not like the look of the barber coming our way! But since she was now two I decided it was time for a short trim. Salome did great sitting on my lap and watching Miriam get her hair cut at the same time.


I know I am biased. But this is gorgeous hair for a two year old.

The place was a zoo! I guess in China it is very important to get your hair cut before Chinese New Year (which starts Jan 23). So every chair in the shop was packed! I was thankful we got in.
Since most Chinese do not have naturally curly hair (not to mention red hair!) I have them wash and then blow dry Miriam's hair straight before they cut it. The cut is a lot more even and Miriam loves the straight hair look!

Miriam- the final product. She looks about 19 with her hair straightened! She has been so cute all week "checking" herself out in the mirror to make sure it is really her hair!

Party Party Party

My blog is not letting me upload pictures very fast today! So sorry these are the only ones! We hosted Miriam's class Christmas party again this year. We squeezed about 18 of her classmates into our house. Above are the kids hearing the Christmas story.


We were able to order these Bible story books through the Internet here in China! Most of these kids had never heard the real meaning of Christmas and were excited to learn more. Times, they are a changing....

Asa and I with the twins. I love these guys.

Miriam is Nine!

Miriam was happy to celebrate her ninth year with some of her good friends this week. We painted nails (see above) clobbered a pinata and played outside! We ate apple pie, potato chips and chicken noodle soup! Fun was had by all!

When I went to the party store to buy supplies I picked out an '8' candle for Miriam. Joab looked a me and said- "Em, that was last year!" I guess I forgot she is already 9! We love you Miriam Joy Harriett Meyer. And look forward to the good things God has planned for you in 2012.

Christmas Eve and Day

WOW. What a Christmas season! Full of good things, food, friends and cookies! Christmas Eve we had some great friends over for games, the Nativity play and a gift exchange!


Miraim with her new "dog" from Christy Gma

Salome with new dolly from my Mom

Salome turned two on Dec 23rd!!!

More to come soon!!!

Orphan Christmas Outreach

Joab and I are able to lead a team from our church once a month to a local orphanage called Huge Grace (this month we had almost 20 people volunteer!). The director for this orphanage actually receives orphans that regular state run orphanages can not handle (medical problems too severe) or they basically do not want (like blind children). So Huge Grace takes them in to raise from babies until they are about 16 or 17. Going once a month to see these little guys is just wonderfully hard. They are so sweet and love LOVE when you come. But they still do not have a Mom or Dad or a real permanent family. Our church is working closely with the orphanage director and have given a lot of money to try to make life for these kids a good one.

The first picture is a little guy called Er Mao. When we first met him he could not walk at all. His spine is so twisted it has made his arms and legs unable to work properly. Our church has paid for two surgeries and now Er Mao can walk a little bit! I spent the whole morning holding on to him while Er Mao took ME for a walk. It is so great to see him get stronger.

The second picture are "Joab's girls". Every time we go Joab teaches the class a Bible story. But most of the kids (ages 7-16) are really unable to understand what is going on. But not these girls! They track with Joab and are just thrilled to learn about the Bible . We also gave them some gifts for Christmas this time and Christmas cards.

China will probably always from orphans. The orphan situation is a complex, sticky one. We are trying to be faithful to what God has called us to do- but it will be a long road.