Annoyed

Just some fun family photos from Thailand


And just a cute on of Izzy chillin on the raft

This is now at least the 3rd piece of furniture that we've had to throw away due to mold. I was pulling out our guest bed (aka futon like thingy) because Izzy has decided she no longer wants to sleep in her bed and when I opened it up... it was totally covered in mold. Talk about being grossed out and now we have a better idea of why Mike may have been waking up a bit sick over the past few weeks or probably even months (it was hiding next to his bed.) This is so absolutely frustrating to me because I try really hard to keep the dehumidifer running during the day and rotating it between rooms. But this is just one thing we'll have to deal with for as long as we are in HK.

So as I already mentioned... Isabella has decided its time for a big girl bed. You know I feel really blessed that she has made the decision on some potentially hard things for me (emotionally). It's made those transitions for me much easier. I can hardly believe she made the switch all on her own, even though it took a few days for me (and a few nights on the floor) to figure out what was going on. We had planned on moving her into a big bed when we moved but I guess that wasn't soon enough for her. LOL But since we'll most likely be moving within the next month or so I think her sleeping on her crib matress will be okay until then.


Izzy refusing to sleep in her crib.


Izzy's new bed

Today was Awana's family camp so Izzy and I tagged along. It was really fun. My friend Tracy and her son Timothy were there so we spent most of the day with them. Timothy is just as active as Izzy so they play very well together. And during one of the breaks I had the opportunity to chat with some other people and I learned a bit more of the Chinese perspective on Education. It was so interesting to hear moms of four yr olds talk about homework, highschools, etc... and to hear the lone American and Aussie view too.

I'm having some trouble uploading my pics and I'm so bummed because I finally have some Thailand pics. Oh well... I'll keep trying for a few more minutes.

So Thailand gave me a lot of time to think about a variety of things and the one thing that kept coming back to haunt me is materialism. I may be wrong in my assumption here but after all the reading I've been doing, I would venture to say that a large majority of Thailand is poverty stricken. Even where we stayed, you could see that most were not well off but rather living day to day, trying to make a living and making the most of what they have. It wasn't uncommon to see hut-like homes, people on bicycles driving down the street selling streetfood, etc. And it just made me realize how materialistic HK can be. There's not a lot to do here and I would venture to say that most people don't take advantage of the outdoor activities... rather they walk the streets and shop (I mean there are malls every 5 miles {hehe Hannah} okay more like 5 ft). I also realized that I've become more like that as well.. I wouldn't call myself materialistic but rather I tend to shop for something to do. Though I have bought way more things here than I ever would have if we were in the states and find myself even wanting more than normal. I have to be honest in that it's more fun to shop here and more realistic (if that makes any sense) because some things are so much cheaper than in the states but l digress. I found myself craving the simple lifestyle of Thai people. They seemed to be more interested in spending time together (and not even doing anything in particular) and enjoying the relationships they have. I realize that HK is a business center (and maybe that's one of the main reasons) but I never sense a general desire for relationships. It always seems that people are on a mission, hurrying to the next place or whatnot.

Yeah so.... I know this is kinda a rambling post but it made me more aware of the materialism that has developed in my heart and helped me to be content with the items I have and gave me a passion to develop friendships and my spiritual life... things that will last forever.