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My walk to the University--April 22, 2010.

After school fun...

I really like when the kids come home from school in the afternoon. They come racing up the walk from the bus-full of stories and greetings and news from their day. Then it is off to put away their shoes, book bags and assorted belongings, and up to the big assembly room on the second floor of the Agape school building to check-in and have a snack. Like any big family-you have to touch base, get your plan for the evening, and make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be! The kids take a seat on the floor, and the one who is quietest gets to go forward first (and so on...) to sign the book and let the nannies on duty know if they have homework or not. Then they get their treat--"Khanom"---and off they go to the next thing-homework, or playtime, or just simply hanging out with their friend Patty visiting from America!

I Missed You Too!!!

A Brief Winter Respite

This has already been a long hard winter-bitter cold, snow, unseasonably "warm" followed by rain and sleet, followed by ice everywhere, followed by more bitter cold and snow.....and on it goes. If Puxatawny Phil the famous groundhog is to be believed (anyone reading this from Gobbler's Creek, PA?), we have another 6 weeks (or more) of this nonsense as the little furry beast emerged on Monday to see his shadow. But, me, I get a brief respite from this starting tomorrow---9 days in sunny, warm, not-so-humid-yet Northern Thailand---Yippee!!! I am going to let that hot sun drenched air soak into my frozen joints and try not to complain even once that it is "too hot"! Hope you will join me for the trip...I'll do my best to bring you up to date on all the happenings at the Agape Home...and who knows, maybe this will be the trip that I hear the longed-for phrase of the coach-class passenger on a long haul flight..."Why Miss Franklin, we have an opening in World Business Class---would you like an upgrade!?" :-)

Prunee Wan Gert Khon Khray!?!?!?

It has became a familiar refrain each day this visit---"whose birthday is it going to be...next week, in 8 days, in 5 days...and finally...TOMORROW"!!! And each day he hurled himself at me as fast as his little legs could carry him, leaping up at the last for a big hug!! YOURS, I would say as we laughed!!! I don't think I have ever known ANYONE as excited about their birthday as this precious boy...and everyday this exchange has been the highlight of my day. Well, yesterday the big day came, and as the cakes came out and the singing started and the presents were unwrapped, it was clear that the day had lived up to his expectations and more!! From the moment he hit the ground off the school bus, the refrain of "happy birthday...happy birthday" sung over and over in a not too bad voice, but sounding a bit like "Happy Birday" ----rang out across the property. He giggled with glee at the sight of his cake, and each present elicited an exuberant WOW...Dii, Kap!! (wow, that's good!!). At the end of it all, he shared and compared his presents with all the other late-Sept/Early Oct birthday boys (4 in all ranging age from 9-13), and I am pretty sure has already started the countdown to next year---his 10th!

But it was that evening before that I think I will hold in my heart forever. After our hug, and our shared anticipation of what "tomorrow" would bring, I said, hey, let's stop for a moment and pray with thanksgiving for your birthday and your life. "Okay, Kop!!" And we did---me with a hand on either side of his upturned face---thank you Lord so much for this boy, for his life, for the joy that you put deep within him and that bubbles out at every turn... I began, and as we prayed together, I realized again how life often gets boiled down to these kind of moments when all else strips away---all the cares and hurdles and bumps in life that seem so insurmountable and are in fact temporal---and we take a moment to simply say thanks for a most precious gift. As we finished, I opened up my eyes to look into those radiantly happy brown eyes---and felt again that peace that passes all human understanding. Happy Birthday dear boy---happy birthday!

Boonmii and Sompong

Can I take your picture for my blog??!! Sure!!! And here they are---gorgeous, no?!?!

My favorite Lanna style!

This is one of the buildings of a wonderful small resort here called the Juniper Tree. This particular building is very Lanna Thai---so-called because this part of Thailand used to be known as the Lanna Kingdom, and the architecture has a distinctive look. This building is made from teak, and has the two distinctive pieces at the top, called "Gallay". I love this look. One year, before Christmas, we were having a grand time putting together a gingerbread house with the older girls. We had a box kit, and tons of candies from here and abroad---and were fashioning quite the winter time scene. Still, when we were all done, something just did not look right. After staring at our Gingerbread "Baan' for sometime it struck me. I reached across the table, and grabbed two of those old banana candies---you know, the semi-soft ones that taste kind of like penicillin? Taking one in each hand, and turning them out like parantheses, I stuck them to the tip of the roof of the gingerbread house to make a "Gallay"!!! The girls cheered and declared the project to be all finished!