What We've Been Up To

...counseling of course.  Went so well with Ana he cancelled her last appointment.  That means we have two full days of pool sitting ahead!!
...today we had to be "off campus" because they were spraying for termites.  We ended up just going to the Big C, walking around the store, studying in the food court area, and walking around some more. 
...we walked to the night market--it's been quite hot here--so we stopped for pizza along the way.  We were able to pick up a few things and enjoy some ice cream at Burger King.
...listening to other people's stories.  Right now it's tempting to wallow in self pity, but when I hear how other people had less than 24 hrs. to leave with one suitcase, it really puts my situation in perspective!

More pictures tomorrow! 

The Best Part...

about the Juniper tree is that you drop off your dirty laundry at breakfast and pick up your clean, freshly ironed clothes after dinner.  No frantic time of washing for me on Saturday (before we leave for Singapore!) Love it!!

True Greatness

Today I had the opportunity to talk with two older ladies named Gerry (short for Geraldine) and Mary.  They weren't much to look at-- older, stout, frumpily dressed BUT I caught the whisper of the Spirit saying, "Here are two GREAT servants of mine." Mary, who is slightly younger, takes care of the e-mails. They work with a minority group in Northern India.  To get there they take a 12 hour bus ride out of Delhi.  They smiled sweetly as they said, "It's rather remote."  Here sat before me two women willing to spend their golden years GIVING in a sacrificial way.  One walked with a cane.  I can only imagine how stiff she gets on the bus.  Have they seen much fruit?  Nope.  They are mainly working with one girl--ONE!  I'm inspired.  I love that the Juniper Tree allows you to interact with people of such caliber.  Looking forward to talking with others tomorrow!

The Juniper Tree--Love It

 We arrived at 11:30 at night--so really didn't see much, BUT today we've enjoyed the beauty of the grounds.  Everything is in bloom (and Ana is taking allergy medicine!!).  It's really spectacular and smells great! This is the building we're staying in.

I love how the buildings are built in the traditional manner.  More to come... Wait 'till you see the pool!

Back in Thailand--Our Very Interesting Trip.

 Qingdao's airport is quite a ways out of town.  It can be an interesting ride.  The mountains are very unusual shapes.  Ana like this bridge because it looks like an A.

Our taxi arrived a little late, but we had no problems getting checked in at the airport.  Our flight though, left 35 minutes late.  This stressed me out big time as we only had an hour and twenty minute layover in Seoul.  I was prepping Ana as we landed--no bathroom and walk quickly without whining!!  Lucky for us Koreans still think of 5 year olds as babies and let us cut the whole immigration line.  Our gate was not close but we still managed to arrive just as they were boarding.  We had a great flight to Thailand having a total of 6 seats for the three of us.  It helped the girls rest a little.  My next panic moment was when the Thai immigration officer asked for Mitike's adoption certificate.  I'd never been asked for that and I obviously didn't have it!  He grilled for a good 10 minutes on what I was going to do in Thailand, where my husband was, why I came alone, etc.  NOT. PLEASANT.  He finally let us go through admonishing me to bring the certificate next time!  Glad that trip is over!

Just Being Honest...

...the first two weeks of home schooling have stunk.  I've gone back and had her review.  She doesn't remember most of it.  There will be a lot of reteaching ahead.  PLUS she obviously isn't a happy little extrovert--since she's having to sit quietly and complete her work WELL.  A lot of times at school she just slopped something down.  I wish I had gotten to observe her in class, because she seems to know every excuse in the book for getting out of her seat.
...really still struggling most days with having to move back to the States, making another house a home (just got finished with our apartment here), and selling a lot of our things.  It's hard to give up everything for a child that isn't making any effort.
...so looking forward to our time in Singapore--a bright spot on my radar!!
...not too excited about going down to Thailand alone with two kids--although I think it will be good to have a trained person to help sort through my current situation

Not the most uplifting post, but if Father brings me to mind pr@y!

Introducing... Hannah

 This is Hannah.  Lashi-Tashi (Ana's first doll) is starting to fall apart.  When she saw this tutorial on Make It Love It, she asked for a new one.  The tutorial was straight forward and leaves lots of room for customization.  (For example I made Ana's doll "naked" so that the shirt could be changed out. For the shirt tutorial please go here.)

I'm in love with how the shoes turned out!  These would make great gifts and don't take too long to make (esp. if you're sitting at home homeschooling!!)