First Job

Hannah is going to work. We have decided it is time for her to earn her keep, so we are sending her into the world to make a living. Well, kind of.

Hannah began her very first job on Sunday afternoon. She sought this job out on her own, has prepared for it and is so excited! Hannah has found that she loves to teach. She loves helping with the children in our small group and teaching the stories and crafts. So, she began asking if she could find a local girl to teach. Through some contacts we have, she has started tutoring a little girl in English every Sunday afternoon. We went last week to meet the parents and the little girl, Jenny. Hannah and Jenny played together for a while and got to know one another. The parents offered to take Hannah on vacations from now on with them, every summer and winter. (Ummmm.....I dont' know about that) But they were so excited that Hannah was willing to come and teach their daughter.

We are so proud of her initiative and responsibility. She prepared a lesson plan and fun games for the 2 hour class. She was very nervous when I dropped her off, but went up the stairs and into the class like a pro! As I left her there for her two hours, I prayed that everything she had ever learned from me, which I learned from my mom, would be given to her! After the two hours, I promptly picked her up. She was feeling a little down because her 2 hour lesson plan, was finished in 1 hour. She just "winged it" the last hour like a true teacher. :) Being the perfectionist that she is, she felt she could have done better making her lesson plan last longer, but is ready to do it again next week.

I am so proud of her! I will keep you posted......

Girl Week 2010

I think I probably have the most wonderful husband in the world. There are many reasons why, but one of the most recent things he has done for me is let me spend a week with my best girl in Hong Kong! He skillfully mangaged the children and the schedules while I went and drank coffee and "caught up" with my good friend Lisa for a week. Lisa graciously flew all the way to this side of the world to see me and hang out with me for a week. We hadn't seen one another in 2 years so it was so much fun!! We saw the sights, hopped a boat to Macao for a day of sightseeing and endless walking, and did everything fun there is to do in Hong Kong. Here are some pics of our time, mostly self pics because, well, that was funnier.

There are no explanations for this picture. Who doesn't love a good cutout?On the boat to Macao!

Us and the Big BuddhaSadly, Lisa's plane was due to arrive the day of the March snowstorm in Oklahoma, so she was kept in San Francisco for 2 more days until she could arrive home. What a friend! I feel greatly refreshed, loved, and ready for the crazy schedule that is awaiting us now that I am home!

Thanks Lisa!!

Better late than never

I am far behind on my blogging, as I am sure my father-in-law is aware, in fact, I haven't even posted pictures and commented on our time with my mom in Thailand. So, it is here I will begin.

While we were in Thailand, my wonderful MOM came to visit us for a week. We picked her up in Bangkok then traveled to the beach in Hua Hin for a week of sun and water! It is always so wonderful to see family, but you have to know to see your MOM after a year is simply the BEST!!!

One of the things we love about going to Thailand are the grocery stores and the cereal aisles. I can't tell you how overwhelming it will be to us to see a cereal aisle like the ones in the USA after all this time of not having cereal in our stores! We bought 6 boxes for our week at the beach. I think my mom was a little doubtful that we could really eat all of that cereal, but really that is the food we miss the most!!

We had such a great time with her, playing, laughing, eating, swimming, and catching up! We are so thankful she came to visit us and can't wait to see her again.....sometime.

Joy!

Remember being a child and swinging high into the air, feeling the air rush past your face. There is excitement and joy in that.

I love the looks on both of my kids faces. The joy and pleasure from the thrill of a ride.

A Little Vanity

This post is all about me....as most of them are. But this one is about my vanity. I live in a very humid climate and my hair has gotten curlier and curlier since moving here. Frankly, it has driven me a little crazy. It doesn't seem to grow longer, but wider and poofier.

I have always had naturally curly hair. But this hair has been wild and crazy and tightly wound. So, I made the decision to have it relaxed (aka....straightened). My friends recommended a good place that had degrees of straightening. Last Monday I went in and told the stylist that I wanted my hair less curly but still a little bit curly. The result? STRAIGHT AS A BOARD!

Please understand I have NEVER had to "fix" my hair my hair in my life and this week I have had to actually curl my hair. I know this won't last, and my thought (hope)is that my curls will come back slowly and not so wild and crazy!

My husband has never seen me with straight hair in the 15 years we have been together, so he was a little shocked but has gotten used to it. And my kids didn' t know what to think about my straight hair for the first day, but by the end of the week said they liked it. In fact, Hannah's first reaction was, "Mom, what are you going to do? It is your curly hair that makes you special?!?" That made me smile.

My decision was based on my good friend Kristi Chaffin who says, "It's only hair!"