Ordination

Despite the ugliness of yet another day... It was a great day in the Rose household! I have to admit that I leave the TV on quite a bit during the day. For me it's a feeling of 'home' and 'adult conversation'... LOL but I've noticed that Isabella is paying more attention to it so off it went. I only watched (well watch is not exactly the right word when you're still entertaining a 1 yr old but you get the idea) one hour of last nights sitcoms. It was great and so freeing. We listened and sang tons of praise songs and I thoroughly enjoyed watching Isabella dance.

We've inherited this large giraffe from a family in the church and Isabella has just discovered the greatness of it. I (this definitely shows my SHAM traits... LOL) make it talk and play and she giggles so hard. Normally, I hide it behind the couch and while she's climbing on the couch, I play peek a boo with her. Today I brought it out front and she hugged this thing like there was no tomorrow. I wish I had gotten a picture of it but didn't think quick enough. She also discovered the telephone today and insisted on calling someone... so we called Daddy and how great was it to hear her 'talk' to him. She was so into the phone that I unhooked it and she carried it all over the flat.

The evening flew by as we met Daddy and ran a few errands before coming home. Next thing I knew, it was bath time and the dreaded bed time.

Mike's preaching this Sunday so he's busy working on his sermon... well... right now he's video chatting with some friends so I took advantage of that and scrapped! These are pictures from our trip to the Gold Coast Beach. It was a short trip but so worth it and I'm so looking forward to this rain stopping so I can go back!




Tomorrow's another Red Day so Mike's home again! Yeah... we're going to have lunch with some friends and then dinner with some friends! How's that for a fun day. LOL

Sunday Mike was a part of an ordination service at the 'Mother Ship' (as we call it) or the Kowloon Tong Chinese Alliance Church. We teased at first how boring it would be (as it would be completely in Cantonese) but Mike came home with a different attitude. I think sometimes in the states (at least with people I know) pastors look at ordination as a hassle. It requires A LOT of work and A LOT of time and often you are pressured into completing this within a year or two. I also think that the title 'Rev' is blown off as nothing important (well it may be important to them but they don't want others to know it. maybe a humbling thing?) Anyway... I remember what a challenge this was for Mike having to complete it in a VERY short time (like 6 weeks... yikes!) and how he hated the idea of being called a Reverend. But I was so proud of him and so excited to call him Rev. Rose! But Mike's always very humble and doesn't like to be called Rev because he feels like that's elevating him to a level he's not but he came home from this service proud to be ordained and aware of what an accomplishment it really is. I say all that to say... during our spring cleaning we found his Certificate of Ordination and we're both excited to get it framed. I was then and am still very proud of this accomplishment of his. He always down plays his intelligence and Godly wisdom and I'm excited to have this monument displayed to remind him that there are others who agree with me. LOL

On that note... we just got word from a friend who's completing this ordination service who shared his test scores for the written exam (there are both written and oral exams at the end). He comes from a very traditional district that probably puts more emphasis on ordination than any other district... (except maybe Central) yet he did so well that his oral exam went from a couple of hours to about 30 minutes! That's just so awesome and we just wanted him to know that we are so proud and excited for him that this process is finally coming to an end. May God bless your ministry Nate!

My brain has turned on again... just ask Mike as I tossed and turned last night in bed. I'm still dealing with the rights and wrongs of church politics and reconciliation but I've been really encouraged this week. I know many of you have been praying and your prayers have been answered. My spirits have been lifted and I am excited to be in ministry here. I will be having dinner with a TFC grad hopefully next week who has been teaching here but is on her way to India and the ladies (moms who live in the area) I met are working on a time for a playdate.

I'm still thinking through 'how do we prevent our hearts from hardening so much that we cannot see sin in our lives?' so if you have wisdom PLEASE SHARE!!!!!!!! I want to know how people become unwilling to change their ways and how we can break that. Is that enough to make you think? I wish I had all the answers but then I wouldn't have a need for faith would I?

Blessings for a great day to all!

Just the facts...

Brians Back~
Yeah... we had our family dinner tonight! Brian was in Burma backpacking so it was fun to have him back. He leaves soon to return to the states for seminary so we need to take advantage of our Monday nights. Isabella was a little hesitant at first but she quickly warmed up to him and before heading to bed... ran to him to give him a hug. It was sweet. Although Daddy didn't appreciate it when she chose to give Brian a hug over him. What little girls will do to get out of going to bed. LOL

Day off~
We had a very productive day today... cleaning! I know... fun day off but we SO needed to do it and now we can open our closet without fearing for our lives and walk into the bathroom without stepping in sand. We cleaned top to bottom, threw away a lot of unnecessary things, re-organized our kitchen and I went through all my clothes. It felt so good to have this major cleaning weeks (instead of days) before we will move. We don't have a lot but we've noticed that we have accumulated a few things since moving and decided to go through and spring clean. Speaking of moving... it's about that time where we can say... 'Yes we will move in mid-July' and not worry about a lease so now we getting serious about a flat. We have three options available to us right now so please pray that it all works out and God guides us to the perfect place.

A me moment~
I'm so proud of myself. I have successfully gone 4 days without SODA! This is a huge milestone for me. (Ok stop laughing!)

Isabella~
I forgot to mention a fun tid-bit about my daughter. At one year old she has gotten to experience some foods that most American babies have not. She has eaten (and enjoyed) chinese dumplings, fried rice, bbq pork, jellyfish (yes I said jellyfish) and hummus. In fact, she will lick the hummus off the cracker and hand me the cracker while pointing to the hummus for more. LOL

Mike~
Ah... he's the greatest. He scrubbed the frig down for me today (among many other things) but this was quite the job that I have been putting off for weeks! LOL And he treated me to chai. We've decided that we have to find a babysitter so we can go sit at starbucks and have chai. We used to do this a lot in Toccoa and it was always a great time to just talk. So Hannah... we may add something to your requirements. (JK) LOL

Mike says I've been writing in a different style lately. He says I write, "just the facts." I guess I don't have any exciting stories to tell. Although I did read this in a magazine tonight....

"My 5yr old son likes to pick his nose and eat his boggers. Is this harmful?" I don't know... what do you think? LOL

Downpours galore....

What a wonderful day it was today... despite the downpours! The morning started off absolutely wonderful when Mike was able to walk to church with us! That doesn't happen very often and what a joy it was to have that 7 minutes together. Children's church was wonderful (even though we had one little boy missing his daddy VERY much and our room reached like 100 million degrees). We had our stations today where we broke up into three groups and one group was told the story, another worked on the memory verse and the third combined both while colouring. It was a little chaotic I admit, but that's what happens when you have a small space. However.... all but two of the little ones said the memory verse AND BY THEMSELVES!!!!!!! I can't even begin to describe the joy in my heart while listening to these little ones quote God's word. You better believe I'm going to do this with Isabella the minute she can talk. Wow.... what a blessing! Next week begins our rotating teaching schedule and though I'm excited to attend the adult service, I'll miss the regular interaction with those children. They are all so precious.

Mike had a meeting and an oridination service after church today so it was me and Izzy for the afternoon. It was raining so hard we took a cab home... I know, I know (for those of you who know how close we live to the church) but it was a downpour and Mike was worried about Isabella getting sick. What fun it was to get in the cab and tell him where to go and then find out he went the wrong way! Even though he realized pretty quickly that he went the wrong way, we ended up pretty much in TST because he couldn't figure out how to turn around. Thankfully, he apologized and didn't charge me the extra fare. The great thing about an extra long ride though... he put Isabella to sleep. So I carried her straight into her room for a nap. LOL

We had our CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) evening with Dan and Geeta tonight which is always fun. They really made me feel good when they said... 'We're not super hungry but we wanted the fellowship.' After the things I've been struggling with... this was so sweet to hear. They are such a neat couple and I learned that Geeta and I have similar styles of cleaning. (LOL It was quite funny discussing this between the four of us.) Anyway...

I came home and finished up some elements for the mega kit at Liddy's Loft and now I'm off to bed. I went to bed rather early last night and I physically felt SO much better so I better stay above the game.

May you take a minute to worship the Lord this Sabbath Day!

blah, blah please pray for me

So much rain (and ugly days) always puts a damper on my spirits... especially here where to get out means walking around in malls and I'm just not much of a shopper, especially a window shopper. So I feel couped up and blah. We managed to get outside for a little today but the playground equipment was wet and Isabella kept taking some hard spills (scratching her knees and face) so once it started to sprinkle we headed indoors. She spent most of the day climbing onto the couch (via Great-Gram's stool) and sliding back down. It's so fun to see her get such enjoyment out of the littlest things. Yesterday it was carrying around a bag while she walked around. Too cute.

I realized that I'm missing home more these days because I'm missing friends and the ease (transportation wise) of getting together with them. We've made some great friends here that I love spending time with but June is quickly approaching which means some of them will head back to their families to spend the summer and others will not be returning. Brian (our Mon night guest) and two other couples will not be returning and one of those couples is the one with a little girl who lives right next to us. I feel like I need to go back to the drawing board in developing relationships. I've slacked on my efforts to strengthen the ones I have and have stopped reaching out to meet new ones. Since moving to MN, I've learned how friendships are like marriages in that they take work and effort. No matter how well you click and hit it off... you still have to make the effort to get together, be honest, talk... etc. Sometimes I wish it were easier, that people would just come to me, but then the Lord points out how selfish that is and kicks me in the butt. :) I've made some great friends by putting forth the effort and I just can't expect that to happen overnight. I just wish they all lived closer here... I really miss the 5 minute car ride to spend an afternoon with a friend. So I've begun praying that wherever we move, there will be someone close by that I can build a relationship with.

I physically need some energy. Isabella getting up so early and me staying up too late is killing me. I stay up to have some 'me' time but then I'm exhausted in the morning. Viscous cycle that I need to stop.

I've been convicted a lot lately on how I view the world as 'it's all about me.' I try so hard not to be selfish but I've really gotten caught up in 'me-ness' lately. I've been seeking attention, desiring to fit in, feeling insecure and extra sensitive to comments and people that are just unnecessary. Yuck... I hate to live this way and I know it's wrong. Thankfully the Lord always forgives and helps us through our difficult times. My book 'I am NOT but I know I AM' has been so great in pointing out how our lives are a part of God's story... not God's story and yesterday I read a comparison of the current of a white water rafting trip to the 'current that flows out of Eden. ...the downstream effects of Adam's sin still sweep us into the danger zone, that place where sin deceives us and we live as though we are bigger than we truly are. Call it River Pride, white water that provides a thrill while deluding us into believing we're in control." That's how I've been attempting to handle life lately... in my own control but I was shown that I can't do it on my own. I need God to guide me and give me wisdom. I love reading books that teach me about how to live as a Christ-follower and being a good testimony.

And speaking of books... I get to review a book called Pocket Guide to the Bible by Jason Boyett! It's a new book being released on June 6th and he was looking for a few volunteers to read and review it on their blog and Amazon.com. Mike sent him and email and I got picked! I'm so excited about this... just got an email that it has been sent so hopefully I'll get in within the next week and a half.

So that's it... my struggles and all. LOL

But nothing makes me smile more than when my daughter (who starts across the room) runs with her arms open straight towards me and just falls into my arms. She gets the biggest grin and I think she knows that she's just made my day. And to know that Mike has two days off next week... and that he's preaching the following Sunday and I get to listen!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh and... YEAH I made it two days no soda! Only 19 more to go. I'm so proud of myself that I made a lo of the other goals I have set... well most of them and decided to post it here and print it out (if our printer would work! I have a very unique way of breaking electronics.. just ask Mike. LOL) and hang it on our door. LOL (The fun part (for me) of this layout was that I created everything other than the background paper!)

Still missin home...

So the 'mono' feelings (tired, achy, etc...) have been passed from Mike to me. No neither of us have or had mono but we've all been very worn out and achy. With Mike gone all day today, I decided to nap with Isabella and we both ended up sleeping for about 3 1/2hrs! Needless to say... we didn't do much else. We played outside for a bit but didn't make it to the pool. It wasn't very nice out anyway.

Isabella is trying to do so many things on her own now that are just adorable. She tries so hard to put on her socks and shoes and tonight she attempted to bathe herself. She doesn't want to be held anymore, doesn't want to hold our hand, and only eats what she can feed herself. Ahhh... the joys of growing up. LOL She's still a doll. Here are a few pics from playing outside.


I'm so proud of myself... I made it a full day without any soda! I know, I know... most people do this everyday but since I went back to the states, I got hooked on Coke Light and have been having a hard time giving it up. So one day down... 20 to go.

Well... I've got a headache but wanted to post these pictures because I just think she looks so cute. LOL These demonstrate her desire to squeeze into the wierdest places and climb everything. They also show off how I have to wear her pants on her. I have to fold down the waist because everythings too big!

Taylor's the MAN!

Today was a hard day. I was really homesick and I'm not totally sure why but as stupid as it will sound, I think it had to do with American Idol being over. This is the only show (that I'm aware of) that is current in both the states and here in HK. Sounds silly but I love knowing that I'm watching the same thing as my family and on occassion (like today for the AI finale) actually watching at the same time. Just makes me feel a bit closer to home but today the distance hit me when I called my sister and while we were both watching the same thing... she was getting her girls ready for bed and I was getting ready for the day. And I've enjoyed watching Taylor's story and seeing Birmingham again. Sigh... I guess I'll always have moments of homesickness for every where that we've served. We've built a lot of great relationships in all three places and they will always remain dear to my heart no matter what struggles we experienced.

But anyway... YEAH for Taylor! I know many are not a fan of his, and he may not become the next Kelly but I've sure enjoyed him. He's so entertaining and I loved that he didn't change who he was to win. I've never been a big fan of this show but I just loved this season and the finale was awesome. I've enjoyed it so much I've watched it 2 times already and will probably have it on again tomorrow morning. (They repeat everything that was on in the evening the following morning. LOL) I think my passion for music is returning... I just loved listening to all the different artists.

I met a Russian lady today with a three month old. It was fun to chat for a little but sometimes I really struggle with understanding what is being said with all the different accents. (I have a loss of hearing and I think that plays a huge part.) Isabella also made some new friends today and has been so great about sharing her little bike. It makes lots of noise so all the little ones want to play too but she doesn't mind. I hope I can teach her to share at an early age.

I've been struggling lately with my eating habits so I've made a commitment tonight to return to eating healthy and cut down on my caffeine intake. I've heard that it takes 21 days to break a habit and so I'm going to cut out caffeine for the next 21 days and see if I can stop drinking soda altogether.

I finally made a lo tonight... feel like it's been forever. I wanted to keep it simple and just show off how beautiful Isabella is. Here it is:



And here's a photo from the beach yesterday. I was surprised how much she ended up enjoying the sand and didn't eat any of it!


Oh and how could I forget... My Best Friend in MN is PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!! I'm SOOO excited for her. Bummed that I can't be there to watch her grow but... How fun! Another Fischer in the house!

Okay... need to get to bed. Tomorrow's Mike's busy day so it's just me and Izzy and hopefully the pool!

Hope you are able to find joy in all that God has for you today!

Answered Prayer

The rooftop where her party was supposed to be. LOL
Isabella hugging Raggedy.


People say that God always answers prayer... whether it's Yes, No, or Wait. It's funny though how we often don't think God has answered our prayers unless it's a 'yes' and the way we want it. Last year a mother in our church taught me how to see God's answer, even if it was hard and not what you wanted. This was a huge lesson for me and really opened my eyes to be able to see God work in all situations.

After moving to Hong Kong, I made a commitment to 'look' for God in my everyday life so that I never took Him or what He does for granted. I have days where I can see Him in everything and other days where I struggle but it's always a joy for me to reflect on something and be able to say... 'That was God... He worked that out or allowed this to happen...etc' You get the point.

Today was one of those days. I prayed last night that we would have a gorgeous day for the beach trip and I wish I could say that God answered that prayer. But He didn't... in 'my' way, He did it His way. I woke up to a hazy, ugly day and figured Vivian would call me to let me know the trip was cancelled. I decided to pack and get ready though just in case. She never called but I got a little nervous. I kept thinking, "How is this trip going to be fun? It's going to pour on us and Izzy will get sick." yadda yadda yadda. On our way it did rain but I continued to pray that upon arriving at the beach it would clear up. Just as we arrived at the beach, it stopped raining but it didn't get sunny or gorgeous (except for the scenery) and the second we all decided it was time to clean up and head home, it began to rain again.

We ended up having a great time! Isabella loved playing in the sand but I think the water was a bit cold for her. She would walk to the edge of the beach but once the waves hit her... she would scream until I would pick her up. Everyone got a kick out of watching her.

I look back on the day and realize how perfect the day was. It wasn't so sunny and warm that the kids (and adults) were uncomfortable... the temp was perfect. With all the traveling we weren't at the beach for a super long time but that was perfect and with the weather we had there were no complaints when it was time to go. Because of the weather, most of the moms didn't swim and therefore I got to socialize a bit and say real words versus babbling with Isabella. LOL It was wonderful and I'm so glad we went.

There was an 'incident' that was quite frightening. Isabella was playing in the sand at my feet while I chatted with another mom when I happened to look down. Right at that moment the waves landed about a foot from her feet (originally we had been quite a distance away from the edge of the water). I never picked her up and walked so fast in my life! All of a sudden the waves were bigger than I had ever seen and I realized how so many people were killed in the Tsunami. It happened so fast. Granted.. these waves weren't big enough to hurt anyone if you were prepared for them but we weren't. They came out of nowhere. It was creepy because all of a sudden they just stopped too... so we're not sure if it was from a boat or because it was starting to rain again but it was just weird. No one was hurt but we were all stunned at how quickly this all took place. God protected us all.

All day I've had new motivation... I think getting out on occasion, away from Hung Hom, is good for me. Being with others I can relate too, having adult conversations, getting to know new people... it's always good for me. Gets me out of my rut and 'me-ness'--gets me out of 'homebody-ness'. (Not sure if those are words but too bad, I'm using them anyway.)

So God does answer our prayers, ALL the time, in His way because His way is always the best way. Yeah... the sun would have been enjoyed today but hey... we've got lots more hot, humid, steamy days ahead of us... today was just perfect.

Rain rain go away....

Another day of rain...
I NEED to find a pair of rain boots for Izzy so we can go out and play! I'm hoping the rain will disappear for the next few days because I have plans to hit the beach tomorrow and pool Thurs/Fri with friends. But if not... we'll have fun inside riding Isabella's princess bike and playing with her grocery cart. LOL

Isabella...
I forgot to share that Isabella got her first Raggedy Ann doll (an authentic one... LOL... thanks Grammy and Pappy) and she just loves it. She's really gotten into hugging her toys and it just makes me smile when she picks up the doll and gives her a great big hug. She walked backwards for the first time today and it was so funny to watch because you could see in her eyes that she was excited about what she had discovered. She's also grown in her climbing abilities... standing on her walking toy and bike. My goodness she is growing so quickly... SOOOO much fun to watch. We had her giggling like crazy today and it's just so precious to listen to.

Me...
I feel like I've been very superficial lately and feel that my priorities have gotten way out of whack. I'm making some changes in my life and that's always hard but I know I'll be happier, less stressed, and more focused on what really matters. So hopefully in the next few days I'll have some deeper thoughts to share. My brain seems to have shut down.

Contest...
I didn't make it to the next round of the contest but that's totally okay with me. I'm really proud of myself for making it as far as I did and proud of the lo's I created and the different styles I tried. I'm thinking about completing the rest of the challenges for fun but only if time allows.

Children's Church...
I'm so excited to report that after this Sunday... I won't be responsible (unless necessary) for teaching Children's Church! This means... I HAVE TEACHERS!!!!!! What an answer to prayer! This new set-up has been AWESOME! We started new songs last week and the children sang along... all of them... and if they didn't know the words they still did the motions! They are paying more attention to story time and they understand how to act when we are praying. (meaning no talking or playing) I'm just so thrilled about this and anxious to be able to worship with the adults for awhile.

Off to bed... will be an early morning!

Where do I begin....

We had a blast yesterday at Isabella's party but I'm happy that it's over. I feel like now I can rest and enjoy some quality time with her because for the past week I've been busy planning, shopping, preparing for this party and letting her entertain herself at times. I HATE doing that... I would much rather be on the floor with her making her giggle and smile.

Anyway... our 'rooftop' party was cancelled as it poured ALL day long! I couldn't believe it and I felt awful that we had to invade the home of this gracious couple. But they were awesome, didn't mind at all, and provided a lot more than I ever expected them too.

Here's a funny story (okay.. not so funny at the time but I can relax and laugh now). The wife of this couple wanted to treat us to lunch before the party so we met her and two other couples at a Chinese restaurant about 1pm. (Reminder... the party was to start at 3) We begin eating and continue to eat and she continues to order more food. It's now about 2:45 and I'm starting to panic. At 3:05 we finally get into the car to leave and arrive at the party about 3:30! I'm so grateful that everyone was so laid back and didn't mind our late arrival but I was almost in tears. I must admit that I had one of those moments that if I could have jumped on a plane to the states... I would have. But I had to keep reminding myself that this is what living in a different culture is about... learning to adjust to their ways and not mine. We had a few people tease us but that really helped me to lighten up and let go.

So once we got there, (and set everything up) we had a great time. Isabella had a ball roaming every where and playing with all the little ones. She had no idea this party was for her but she loved the attention. We ate some snacks, played some games, had cake, and opened her presents. I also set up (well Chris actually set it up) a slide show of some pictures of her throughout this past year. It was a lot of fun and great to be with our 'HK Family.'

I made a layout of Isabella through the months and we had everyone sign a birthday wish on the matte. This opened our eyes to how loved Isabella really is by everyone. Albert (the host) wrote, "Will reserve the roof every 3rd Sunday in May for you as long as you are in HK." Nicole wrote, "I love you Izzy." Becky wrote, "I was so lucky to be a part of your 1st birthday party." There were many, many more sweet comments that brought tears to me eyes as I read them. I feel very blessed to have some many people supporting and loving us here in HK.

Back to the party... Isabella didn't dive into her cake (cupcake) like I thought she would but the highchair was a bit big and swallowed her. She did eat it ALL and finished with a face full (and arms) of icing.



She's still not into opening gifts but she did enjoy picking up the clothes and looking at them. Yikes! She's into fashion already. LOL She got some great gifts... some books (she LOVES to read)
, some clothes, her first Chinese dress, a beautiful necklace with her Chinese Zodiac sign, and some toys. She got a grocery cart with some groceries in it that she's been playing with constantly.


It really was a wonderful day and I'm glad that despite all the uniqe things that happened (why does this always happen to us? the stories we have to share about our wedding... now Izzy's party? HI YA the Chinese way to say 'Oh My') we did this for her (or me as some would say.) It'll be something we'll cherish for the rest of our lives.

My baby's 1! This past year has been amazing. Watching her change each month has been so fun but I was told that I have a lot to look forward too. Our neighbor said.. 'Just wait. She'll soon be talking off your ear!" I know she'll have lots of quesitons and lots of 'whys' but I really look forward to that.

Happy Birthday Baby Doll!

If you'd like to see more pictures click here

~HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISABELLA~

First I need to post this for Grandma Rose...



She gave us this stool when she moved into her current apartment because as a little boy, Mike would put his head on it and fall asleep. It's always fun for me to see things passed down in families and was thrilled to be given this. Now, I've mentioned that Isabella is a climber and she's been trying so hard to get onto our couch without luck. She has learned though that all she needs to do is push this stool over to the couch and climb up. But that's not all that she does with it... she thinks it's fun to flip it over and sit inbetween the legs. This is a pretty regular occurance in our days and makes me smile that she's getting just as much enjoyment out of this little stool as her daddy did.



My baby is ONE! Where did the time go? We had so much fun celebrating this special day. We were bummed that Daddy had to work but I made sure we did everything she loves to do. We went swimming, took a walk, played at the playground and she did some people watching as I picked up some groceries. Once Daddy got home, we had dinner, opened presents, went outside for her to try out her new wheels, and back inside for her 'cake' (or brownie.) Finished with a bath and lights out. She was pooped! I spent a lot of today just staring at her, reflecting on this past year. I'm amazed at how she has changed and developed. I can't believe that a year ago, I was so afraid to be alone with her, touching her back every night before heading to bed to make sure she was breathing, and worrying about everything I did as a mother. I can't believe a year ago she was only 7lbs 11oz, getting lost in her Daddy's arms. Now she's a ball of energy, full of personality, a charmer, my 'monkey', Daddy's 'peaches'... I could go on and on and probably will for the next few days as I continue to reflect and show off the pictures we took today and the ones we'll take on Sunday. She's been such a blessing to our family. She came in perfect timing... truly a gift from God.

Our little birthday Princess
Peeking through for smiles
Charming the park workers... I absolutely love knowing our daughter is so friendly. She found this hole in the gate and peeked through to talk to all the workers behind. It was just precious!
Taking my new wheels for a walk.
She'll be having cake at her party on Sunday but I wanted her to have something on her birthday so we had brownies.

Finished

I finally finished my LO for round 3 of the Ultimate Scrapper contest. This was a hard one. I knew exactly the story I wanted to tell (our journey to HK) but my pictures weren't high quality and I struggled with how to place them on the page. However, I journaled a ton! Probably too much but there was just so many awesome things not to remember. Here it is if you'd like to take a peek. Again... it's a bit out of the norm for me and I'm pleased with what I did. Making it to the next round isn't a big deal to me but I love the fact that I was challenged to scrap the story that changed our lives... literally our dream come true. Pictures or not... the words are what mean most to me. The chance to remember how AWESOME our God is and how incredible it is to look back and see His hand at work.

My baby turns 1 tomorrow! I can hardly believe it. We're having a little party (just the three of us) tomorrow night but her real party is on Sunday. I think I'll take some time to reflect on this past year and what a blessing she has been to me.

Well... either Isabella is having bad dreams or her teeth are bothering her so I should get to bed because it may be a rough nigh.

Preview

I don't have much to say today. I'm frustrated with peoples lack of 'common courtesy' but I know I'm not perfect so I can't get too upset.

It was rainy today and will be for the next few days so I probably will feel a bit of cabin fever. I'll have to hit the indoor playroom or do some mall walking. LOL Actually, I'm trying to go to a Bible Study tomorrow and Thursday we're going to celebrate Izzy's birthday as a family. Saturday we have a party for a friend and Sunday is Isabella's party. Wow... it's actually going to be a busy week.

Mike and I enjoyed some good laughs this morning about how I've worn off on him and turned him against mornings. I just love to laugh. Just ask Mike about my evening laughing spells.

My items will be up at Liddy's Loft soon. I didn't even think about making preview pictures or descriptions so I'm busy working on those. Here's a little preview of some items. It's been fun learning some new things about Photoshop.

A Threaded Monogram Alpha
Father's Quotes

Well... maybe I'll have something more interesting to share tomorrow.

I passed!

~Exciting news...~
Wow... I made it to the next round of the Ultimate Scrapper contest! I could hardly believe it. This week... make a layout using 3 or more photos that tell a story. Journaling should be about 40% of the LO. I know exactly what story I'm going to tell but have NO idea how to scrap it! LOL I'm so enjoying this contest because it's stretching me and giving me new inspiriation to scrap. I've tried different styles, different lo sizes and different perspectives. Even if I don't make it to the end... I'm pleased with what I've done and enjoyed learning new things.

~Flat news...~
We may have a flat!!!!!!!!!!!! It's the complete opposite of anything we've looked at so far but I think (unless God tells us otherwise) it's the perfect option. No pools, no gym, no fancy details on the inside (or outside for that matter) but it's almost right across from the school where our church meets, right above our bank, within walking distance to the public pool and playgrounds that we go to now. It has 3 bedrooms, a washer AND REAL dryer, a big living room and is within walking distance to the KCR. The best thing... it's within our price range! Yeah... we're going to try and look at one more flat before making the final decision but at least we have hope. We were starting to get a little discouraged. I'm kinda excited about it though. It needs a little loving on the inside but I think I would enjoy this. If you're reading this Andrea, it reminds me of you and Nate's first apartment in Toccoa.

~Personal thoughts...~
I am really struggling with a situation right now. My heart is conflicted and I don't know what is right and what is wrong. I don't even know where to begin to explain what I'm struggling with... it's that confusing. People are asking my opinions, my advice... I know what my heart says and what the Bible says but I also understand that when you are in that situation, it's harder to see what outsiders can see. But that frustrates me... why are we willing to let tension go unresolved? relationships to be destroyed? But then again... I'm not there and don't know the whole story.

~Joy~
I try my hardest to find joy in everything. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail but I do try. It's hard for me to live in HK and be so far away from family. I'll never deny that but I do know that this is where God has placed us and I find joy in knowing that we are in the center of His will. But there are some sweet benefits of living away from family. The things you experience with them are treasured and usually not taken for granted because the time together is limited. Over the past few years, I've developed a special bond with my niece Kara. We've never spent a lot of time together but the times we have are sweet. I love seeing her for the first time (on a visit) and her running to me with arms wide open, I love it when she'll talk to me on the phone about her latest toys, I'll never forget her words when I told her she was going to have a cousin or the way she loves on Isabella when she sees her.

Kara blessed my heart today more than she will ever understand until she's an Aunt of her own. She colored a picture for me and put it in a Mother's Day card. I don't know what it is about pictures from children... but I just love them and treasure them always. This is no exception... up on the refrigerator it goes and will stay until the next one.

~Countdown...
3 more days until my baby's birthday!

I'm off to watch LOST!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Many of you are just beginning to celebrate Mother's Day and we're headed for bed! What a wonderful first Mother's Day it was for me... yes Mike it truly was!

To begin, the 2/3 year olds sang Jesus Loves Me for the congregation and they did a fabulous job! We did it just like we do in our service... singing to a cd but they belted out the words. It was fun to watch how different ones responded to being on stage. It just blessed my heart to see them up front praising God.



Sunday School was very good for me because it helped me to understand a little more about the culture here. We were discussing relationships and I discovered two things. One, they have no concept of what 'Daddy's Little Girl' means and two, you don't usually spend time at your friends house. If you are going to spend time with them, you usually are going somewhere. It was great to hear the girls (I'm with Mike and the Jr. High group which consists of only girls... we've only got 1 Jr. High boy so we send him with the other boys) perspectives and understand their lives a bit more.

For lunch we headed over to the Harbour Plaza Hotel for their incredible buffet. When we arrived our friends, Co, Phuc and their kids, were there and invited us to join them. We just love this family and of course said yes. They have a 9(I think anyway) year old, a 3yr old, and a 7 month old and the two older ones just love Isabella... especially the 3yr old, Matthew. He loves to entertain her and pick her up. He has since the first time we met them. Anyway... they surprised and blessed us by picking up the tab! They are such a giving couple and the ones who have provided the carpet and several toys for Children's Church. They are fellow missionaries and have been a huge blessing to both Mike and I.

We came home expecting Isabella to take a long nap but no luck. 40 minutes later she was up and ready to party. We decided to go on a walk and 4hrs later came home with her birthday presents and some great pictures! LOL I love our walks to TST and it was another beautiful day to take one. We got to see a little bit of a cricket game on our way and the coolest thing was hearing international Christian music through the speakers the closer we got to TST! Turns out there was a singing group but Isabella was a little to antsy to stay in one place to listen to them. We also stopped to get our XTC on Ice and our lady was there. The second we walked into the door she came over to Isabella and starting talking to her. I love the fact that we have built (even if it's just a little bit) a relationship with her. If one of us is missing, she always ask about them and of course asks about Isabella.

So that was pretty much our day. It was fun, relaxing and just a great family day. I needed it because this past week has been hard for me. Not only was it Mother's Day but also my Mom's birthday and it's hard for me to be so far away this time of year. My dad's not big into celebrating and he's not a shopper so I always feel my Mom doesn't get the pampering/love she deserves on these days. And I was a terrible daughter this year and very late in expressing my love and appreciation to her. Thankfully, she loves me just the same.

Now... some great pics!


Mother's Day Family Photo

I didn't make her do this... I promise!

So lady like... takes after her Mommy. LOL

Isn't she a doll!

One hot couple! LOL

Again, for you Mom's who read this... HAVE A BLESSED MOTHER'S DAY!

Bummer...

I was up way too late last night to blog so I decided to do a short post this morning.

The Bummer~

I'm bummed but a little relieved too that my designs will be delayed a bit. Liddy's Loft is out of work space right now and she's working on transfering everything to another server so nothing can be uploaded right now. That's okay though because it gives me a few more days to finish up some things and try some new ones. Be on the look out though... LOL

Yesterday~

Yesterday we were out and about A LOT! I felt bad for Isabella because she was couped up in her stroller a bit although she rarely complains. I did take her to the park though and she walked ALL over the place and charmed everyone. This was the first day I got a comment (well at least from an Asian) that they couldn't believe she was almost a year and walking because she was 'so tiny'. Here are a couple cute pics that resulted from our day...



All smiles as usual


See I do have hair... it's just really, really light!





Walking with Daddy


Exploring

That was pretty much our day. On my challenge board, I challenged the ladies to notice 3 blessings each day and post/scrap them. I don't normally list out my blessings but I decided to list them out today so here they are:

~Three sweet blessings of the day~
1. It was a gorgeous (but not too hot) day. A perfect day to spend a few hours at the park and just be outside. Sometimes it's just too hot and humid to want to be outside so I'm always grateful for days like yesterday.
2. Isabella was in great spirits and thoroughly enjoyed her time at the park just wandering around. And I really enjoyed watching her!
3. We were able to see Mike more than we usually do on a Friday. We got to have lunch with him and take a walk along the harbour before he headed out to the school.

Oh and can I vent for a minute... How in the world did Chris get voted off????? I was so disappointed! Now I'm really curious to see how is the next... American Idol. LOL

News, Nails, Dumplings and Gifts

Happy (early) Mother's Day to me! LOL Mike decided to celebrate this evening because Sunday's are not so relaxing for us. He called me from work and said "Get ready, get Izzy ready, and meet me at your favorite restaurant." I was so excited because I love my dumplings and no restaurant makes them quite like this place! Apparantly Isabella agreed because she insisted on eating dumplings instead of what I brought for her and she ate 5 of them! At the restaurant he pulls out some gifts... turns out he got me a lens cleaner, lens cloth, and .... a NEW LENS! I was stoked! I immediately put it on my camera and took some pics. LOVE IT! On our way home, I stopped at a nail place that was having a Mother's Day sale and got a mani/pedicure. The lady was just awesome. We talked about the differences between Americans and Chinese and two hours later, I walked away with pretty hands and feet... what a treat!

~Tease insert~
{I mentioned that I have some news to share but before I do see if you can look
around my blog to find it.}

She didn't speak a lot of English so once she got started, I pulled out my book and relaxed. This book is so good... another one on my top ten list. Here's the one quote (it was hard to choose just one) that is just awesome to dwell upon.

I am not, but I know I AM!

Think about that for a minute. It took me awhile to process this. 'Knowing I AM' has nothing to do with knowing anything I can be it has everything to do with Knowing God. Think of it this way... I am not, but I know God. Such a different statement when you think about it that way.

Back to "I AM" versus "I am not"... here are some statements relating to this quote that really grabbed my attention and made me realize how BIG our God is and how small I really am.

I AM the center of everything.
I AM running the show.
I AM the same every day, forever.
I AM the owner of everything.
I AM the Lord.
I AM the Creator and Sustainer of life.
I AM the Savior.
I AM more than enough.
I AM inexhaustible and immeasurable.
I AM GOD.


I (Melissa) am not the center of everything.
I am not in control.
I am not the solution.
I am not all-powerful.
I am not calling the shots.
I am not the owner of anything.
I am not the Lord.

I (Melissa) am not, but He knows my name.
I am not, but He has pursued me in His love.
I am not, but I have been purchased and redeemed.
I am not, but I have been invited into The Story.
I am not, but I know the Creator of the universe.
I am not, but I know I AM!

Almost forgot to mention that we went to the pool again today! We met Amy and Kinley there and the girls had a good time. Isabella enjoyed it a bit more because she had another 'little' one to play with and the cement wasn't burning hot so she could walk all over the place. In the afternoon, we went to the park and Isabella climbed everything and followed a remote control car around. LOL

So on to my news... I've been invited to sell my designs at Liddys Loft! Since I started scrapping, I dabbled a bit in creating. Mainy just word art and alphas but I did create a kit for Chinese New Year (which reminds me... I should scrap those pics sometime LOL). Anyway... Liddy's Loft had an ad for designers so I just decided to send in some of my creations and lo and behold... she invited me to sell in her boutique. I'm so excited! I'll just be selling word art, alphabets and elements but that's what I enjoy creating. As long as all things work out... my designs will be available on Sunday! How cool is that!

WOW! Talk about feeling blessed! What a wonderful God we serve!


Now... off to watch American Idol to see who gets da boot! I've been fighting hard not to get online today to find out and Mike's been teasing me because he knows.

Summer has begun!!!!!!!!!!!

The pools are open, the sun is shining, and Isabella and I have begun our summer. I've been told that we are to have a rainy summer so I'm taking full advantage of the beautiful days that we are having right now. It has been just gorgeous so Isabella and I have been at the pool each day enjoying the water. There is one pool that you enter as you would a beach (rather then stepping down) and it's perfect for her to sit and play with her bucket of toys. I dunked her a few times today and after the initial shock... she loved it.

Yesterday Mike and I observed a situation that made me angry. A lot of Filipino ladies here are domestice helpers and in my opinion, get treated poorly. They often have a tiny living space, don't make very much money, have great expectations put on them, and sometimes they're not even allowed to turn on the air on during the day while they clean. Anyway... most of the women I know or see seem genuinely happy and carry a smile on their face. So yesterday... we were walking and a young girl (maybe about 8/9) was on her way home I'm assuming from school. All of a sudden, she stopped, dropped her bag and kept walking... rolling her shoulders like she'd been carrying 40lbs on her back. I thought this was a bit odd until a lady ran (obviously her helper) by us and picked up her bag and continued to follow her home. It really upset me to see the look of disgust on the young girls face that she had to carry the bag that far. I couldn't believe that someone that young would treat someone else so rudely. Frustrates me to even think about it... but it made me think about how badly I want Isabella to be a joyful, thoughtful, respectful little girl and what I need to do to teach her that.

I'm on to a new book, "I am not but I know I am by Louie Giglio," and have really appreciated the first chapter because very quickly it states... 'The story already has a star, and the star is not you or me. And here's why it matters-if we don't get the two stories straight, everything else in our lives will be out of sync.' Talk about putting you in your place from the VERY beginning. I haven't gotten very far yet but I'm impressed and look forward to what I'm about to discover about our AWESOME God.

Here
is my second LO for the Ultimate Scrapper Contest I entered. I could hardly believe I made it to the second round and knew this week was going to be a challenge when they said... Describe yourself. So anyone who looks at this will learn a little about me. It was fun to do. I tried to step a bit out of the norm for me again and I like how it turned out.

I have some exciting news to share (no, I'm not pregnant... lol) but it's late and I want to get to bed so I'll share tomorrow. I hope you all have a blessed, sunny day!

Finally... a date!

Wasn't a big fan of MI (Mission Impossible).
Liked MI2 even less.
But can I say... WOW ... about MI3!

Maybe it was the fact that I haven't seen a movie (in the theater) since before Isabella was born but it was great. It was such an intense movie that I left with a headache because I was clenching my jaw the whole time. LOL It was SO great to have a date with Mike and we have Pastor Ed and Sharon to thank for that. Sharon was telling Mike about the movie and aparantly his eyes lit up and so she offered to watch Isabella so we could see it. We went last evening and it was so adorable to walk through the door (to pick Izzy up) and see her playing in the sink! Sharon says it's the easiest way to cook with a little one. What a great idea but unfortunately our sink is too small for that to work in our flat.

Our Sunday was just great all around. The 2/3's sang again. ALL of them. It was too precious that I had them sing Jesus Loves Me several times just so I could listen. Next week they will sing for the church. I got to catch up with a friend during Sunday School which I've been meaning to do for weeks now and we had dinner at our Thai restaurant with our students. We had 17 including adults and Isabella. Sunday's can be so draining so we always rejoice when are hearts are blessed.

We had high hopes of getting my lens today and Mike some new sandals but unfortunately we didn't have much luck. I must admit though, I was blessed with finding some great deals on some clothes and even real capris! (Capris are always more like flood pants on me because I'm so short but these are just the right length!) Mike was thrilled to finally get some memory for his computer and Isabella got some new kicks. It was fun to be out and about, together as a family.



Brian joined us for dinner but we were all pretty tired. We just laughed at ourselves because none of us said very much... just watched a Bond movie. I've been enjoying our Monday nights as much as I can because Brian heads back to the states in June.

So tomorrow brings us back to a normal schedule. I'm hoping to hit the pool with Isabella. It's supposed to be 31 degrees. Other than that... not too much planned for the week. Just preparing for the fact that my daughter turns 1 a week from Thursday!

Oh yeah... I almost forgot. I made it to the second round of the contest I entered! I could hardly believe it. About 90 people were eliminated this round and 100 will be elminiated next Sunday. This week I have to make a layout about myself. Should be fun but gotta get those creative juices flowing again. I want to try something new and out of the box for me.



Isabella's latest thing to do... hold on tight to Daddy's neck.


Sliding at the park.


One more thing... I finished my LO for my challenge so you can check it out if you'd like. And the new challenge is up! Feel free to join in if you'd like.

Question for you Moms...

I have a few fun ideas for Izzy's party but I was wondering what you did that made your child's 1st birthday so special?

Yipee

Some people really know how to bless your day! I received the sweetest words today in an email that I will keep in my 'box of encouragment' forever. Thanks Katie... love and miss you too girl.

We started our day with breakfast at the Flying Pan, an American style 24hr hole in the wall restaurant. They have incredible food so I enjoyed some french toast with strawberries and whipped cream (Mike the same) and Isabella had toast. This girl is addicted to bread. My fault I know because it's one of the easiest, cleanest foods to allow her to eat by herself so I can eat in peace. I guess I've used it too often... now it's hard to get her to eat much of anything else. LOL

Talk about no food in the house... we had also ate out for lunch. Nothing fancy, just McDonalds but it was fun because we ate outside and dinner was fend for yourself. LOL

Tomorrow's week 2 of the new Children's Church set-up and I have a few fun things up my sleeve. One answer to prayer is that someone offered to pay for a carpet for the room! This is wonderful because although the floor is clean, it looks VERY dirty and uninviting. Now we just need a few more toys. I'll head up to the nursery to see if there's anything we can 'borrow.' LOL

Oh the most exciting thing happened (well almost happened) today... we were looking for a store on our way home from breakfast and ran into a camera shop. We stopped to see if they had a remote for my camera and a lens I've been dying to get. No remote but they told us we could get the lens within 1/2hr! I was so pumped... I've been dreaming about this for at least a month now. Turns out... their suppliers were closed due to good ole Buddha but I can get it on Monday! I'm SOOOOO excited. Happy Mother's Day/Anniversary/Birthday to me! Yeah!

Because I've been lacking in my inspiring thoughts (LOL) I've decided to throw out a challenge... Katie just made my day today with her sweet words so I challenge you to make someone's day but dropping them a note, email, e-card, whatever you desire and make their day.


~May you find joy in what you do today~

Buddha's Birthday

My heart is really confused right now. I wish I could just pour out my feelings but that wouldn't be appropriate. So instead, I'll ask for prayer... so would you please pray for me today?

Mike had another day off this week thanks to good ole Buddha! LOL We had lunch at Outback and the youth over for some fun. We had a great turn out about 12 students. 12 students, the two of us, and a very active 11 month old... makes for a very crowded flat! But it's so worth it. Those kids work so hard during the week (and even on weekends) on school work that they need a chance to just relax and have fun.

I've been so focused on creating a scrapbook of our trip that I haven't done much else in my free time. I need to get back to reading because I feel that I've stopped pushing myself and I have no thought provoking questions or really any thoughts to share. Makes for a boring blog... I'll have to work on that. LOL

So here are some layouts I made in the past few days... I even created some of the elements on those lo's!





Oh yeah how could I forget... Mike started a new blog that you must check out!!!!!!!! He's a deeper thinker than me and offers a lot of wisdom. Drop him a note if you stop by!

Overload...

Another ugly day here in HK but it was okay. Isabella is getting another tooth so she's a bit cranky and drooly. LOL She officially walked more than crawled today. My baby's a walker... so hard to believe. It's funny how a thing like walking makes a Mommy so proud. Love my girl.

Thailand~
Friday was our last day at Dolphin Bay. We decided just to spend the day at the resort and relax.



Mike got another massage and I got a mani/pedicure. Other than that we enjoyed lots of Thai food, fruity drinks, sun, and the water. Before dinner, we decided to take a few family photos so I set up my tripod and surprisingly got some awesome shots (well at least I think so.)



Just as we finished our pictures it began to storm and the night ended with a beautiful rainbow. What an awesome way to end our trip. Being reminded of the promises of God.



I don't know what Isabella's deal was that night but she did NOT want to go to sleep. We put her down and tried to let her cry it out for a bit but it wasn't happening. We got her up and she was up for another two hours and once we put her down, everything had to be turned off. Made for an earlier evening for us but that was okay. Just forced us to rest a bit more.

Saturday was thrilling. LOL Our driver (to take us to the airport) arrived at 8am but he was in NO hurry. He stopped twice for gas, drove around the city for a bit and in the end made a 3hr trip into 4hrs. The thrilling part came when we arrived at the airport and our flight had already boarded. They were waiting for us and there were people along the way with walkie talkies saying, "They're coming. Just passed me." Okay so maybe not those words exactly but I don't speak Thai. LOL Thank goodness for a great airline (Sri Lankan again) and very friendly people. Isabella got more toys and made lots of new friends.

It's always hard to come back from vacation but we came back very refreshed and ready to jump back into our ministry here in HK. Thanks for all your prayers... it was one of the best vacations ever!

Random thoughts~
Nothings coming to me.... I think my brain is on overload.

I'll close with a picture I made for KT
KT, I'll send you an email with the attachment. Hope you like it!

little bit country... little bit rock n' roll

Not so much country or rock n' roll but it is a little of this and a little of that.

Isabella~
Is it possible for a child to go from baby to little girl overnight? I spent the majority of today just staring and watching her. Everything about her... her looks, her actions... screamed 'little girl.' She's walking all over the place, she's figured out her little cup, she ate 2 pieces of chicken from KFC (LOL), she waved on cue, she's getting more teeth, her tiny little hands and feet are not so tiny anymore. I'm so excited to celebrate her 1st birthday. Even though she'll have no recollection of it, I want her to know how special and loved she is. We'll be having a party for her on the rooftop of a family's in the church. They were so gracious to let us borrow their home and I know she'll just love being around everyone. We went with Winnie the Pooh as the theme and it will be fun to prepare the cake and decorations.

Today~
Not too much happened today because of the rain but I did manage to get my contacts and yes we both (me and the optometrist) checked the prescription before I left. LOL I also picked up a few books at the malls 'book fair' and our laundry. They must have been working on our pipes again today so no water for us. That was okay because it forced (ha ha) us to go out for dinner. We just went to a little french restaurant but I got to have some chocalate fodue with strawberries, kiwi, and marshmallows! It was so wonderful.

Last night~
We had our friend Chris over for dinner last night and had some very thought provoking conversation. I've been struggling big time with 'How is it possible that sometimes we cannot see our sin when it's VERY obvious to others?' We talked through this but it still frustrates and scares me. I guess that's why it's SO important to have people in your life who can be honest with you and have an open heart and mind to both those people and God so that you can see who you really are.

Thailand~
I think I'm on to Thursday. We spent the morning relaxing by the beach and pool... sipping on our fruity drinks. LOL



That afternoon we hired a driver to take us to Hua Hin, the city about 45 minutes away. We planned an elephant ride first and then off to the city for some more shopping and enjoying the night culture.



The elephant ride was not as exciting as I anticipated. I never really put two and two together to realize how slow an elephant would be and so I expected to see quite a bit but we bascially just rode around in a circle. We did see a cool view of the city and ocean as well as riding through a swamp where we saw an crocodile just as we were about to enter the water. (Yikes!) On our way back into the city we saw a monestary and some monks which was pretty neat. The sweetest thing that happened that night (yeah.. I know I have priorities) is we took a Tuk Tuk



down to a real mall and found a DQ!!!!!! If you don't know me very well... I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Dairy Queen and no ice cream in HK even compares to DQ. It was a party in my mouth! Oh what a tastey treat.



Okay... let me clean up my drool and move on. We hit the night market again and picked up some more goodies and then headed back to Dolphin Bay. We made it back just in time for some dinner. Mike and I enjoyed dinner as a couple because Isabella was already asleep.

More tomorrow....

Leftovers~
So I've become an American Idol fan and so has Isabella. It's so fun to see her dancing to the music but I've also noticed that she has her own favorites too, Chris and Paris (at least tonight). LOL

I've added a few more details to my challenge so check them out if you're going to play along.

I entered a scrapping contest just for fun and here is my first LO. I can't post it anywhere else until the contest is over so I thought I'd let you see a peak this way. LOL

Okay... I think I've said enough. I'll close with Isabella's birthday invitation... the front of it anyway.




(I apologize if there are a few spellings errors. My spell check is not working tonight.)

Quickie..

So I'm up way too late so this will be short. I'll try and post more about our trip and wonderful day tomorrow during Isabella's first nap.

But just a quick little note...
Despite all that I've been learning lately, I still feel very stagnant in my walk with the Lord. I feel like I need a push or something so I decided to do something that I've felt God asking me to do for awhile now. I started another blog to challenge myself and anyone who wants to participate with me. You can find it by clicking here

I'd love to have some people join me but more importantly I want to grow deeper in my walk with Christ. I've found (as you'll read if you check out the other blog) that I am motivated to do something when I physically write it out and so I've decided to write it out through a blog and maybe others can grow with me.

So that's all for now. I'm off to bed! LOL

Heartache and Fun

My heart just aches for the people of our home church in MN. All I can say is to ask for prayers as they are going through a very difficult time and there are a lot of mixed emotions.

On a much lighter note...
I received a sweet blessing today as I finally got some new underwear! LOL So this may sound stupid but I've worn all my current underwear through pregnancy and gaining oh... a few pounds. Needless to say that everything's a bit too big now so I made the plunge and tried a store here in HK. Turns out it was a good decision and will probably go back tomorrow for a few more pairs.

So about our trip...
I've already mentioned about our arrival in Thailand and some of the first two days but I need to go back and share some more details... especially some things that I've learned. Our first full day at Dolphin Bay I learned two very important lessons: 1. NEVER ASSUME anything! I just assumed that my optomitrist gave me the right lenses. However, after throwing away my last pair of contacts, I realized that the perscription was wrong. I can't even begin to tell you how frustrated and bummed I was but PTL I had my glasses which is why I have them on in all my pictures. Didn't make for the most comfortable trip but at least I could see. 2. Don't trust sunblock that you have no idea how old it is! Actually, I'm not sure how this happened because Mike was not affected but I had the wierdest sunburn on my legs Sunday night. It was almost as if I put the sunscreen on in streaks. Too weird but it made for an uncomfortable Monday. I must again thank the Lord for blessing me with the ability to tan easily because the burn went away pretty quickly.

Now on to more fun details...
I think I left off with Wed and what an incredible day Wed was. We woke up early (actually we did this everyday thanks to Isabella) and hired a driver to take us to the National Park to go hiking. First our driver decided to take us to the National Park Office for a little tour of the wetland.



Then we decided to hike to Phraya Nakhon Cave.





The information we had on it said 'strenuous hike' and man was it right! We climbed STRAIGHT up the mountain. It was like climbing very steep steps. I was thankful that the majority of the hike was uphill which meant our return would be much easier. But it was so worth it. The cave was gorgeous and there was a little place where Kings visit. Our driver actually came with us and explained as much as he could in English about the area. We ended up taking a bit of an extra hike and decided to pass it up on the way back and take a boat back to the island. I was afriad I would get sea sick due to my motion sickness issues but I was fine and loved the little trip.




So much so that when we got back to Dolphin Bay, we rested for a few hours and then headed out on a boat ride in hopes of seeing some Dolphins. Unfortunately that didn't happen but we had a great time. Our fisherman and his son loved playing with Isabella and they took us to Monkey Island and into a canal that led to a little fishing village. They were so excited to show us things that I think they would have taken us anywhere we wanted to go. They kept asking, "Stop here?"



We learned that Dolphin Bay does a lot of boat rides to help out the local fishermen. We loved this idea and were happy to support them.

I think Wed was one of the best days there. We did a variety of things together as a family and discovered that Isabella loves hiking as much as we do! If only everyday could be like this!

News of the day...
Today was a laid back/relaxing day. We ran some errands and spent the rest of the day watching Isabella walk... or wobbling maybe? Mike kept telling her she needed an alignment. LOL

May you have a blessed Monday!