Monday, August 29, 2011

Bungalow Sweet Bungalow

Morning slumber after Al's accident, while carpenter ants feast below

Back to Thai life after summering stateside. We had lots of REALLY good visits with friends and family this year, the best yet. We thank everyone who fed our hungry family. That time together was definitely our summer highlight. Well, that and some new closets built in our bedroom... thank you, Dad, you amaze me.

Other than that, just lots of things breaking on us. Carpenter ants enjoyed our sunroom's foundation this past year while we were away. Found a builder for that repair work, and then a plumber to fix several plumbing seals that had dry rotted (and then leaked upon our return) after lack of use.

The kids keep breaking... the night Rob returned to Holland from Thailand, Allie broke her arm in visibly disturbing form at a nearby playground. I had brought the girls there to play so he could jet lag away in a quiet house. All is well & she should get her purple cast removed later this week, but I'm tiring of my children needing repairs. At least we didn't need an oncologist... an old classmate's little one was diagnosed this summer with kidney cancer, and that kind of put it all in perspective (her name is Chloe and she's adorably 4, so beam up some prayers for her).

Rob's Thai contract finishes already next month. We plan to stay here until December and are brewing up something for Japan in January, though nothing is yet set... these things take time. And so we try not to think too much on the future while we watch our pool overflow (it's now monsoon season), savor all the Thai food & fresh fruit we can, plan upcoming fall breaks including a week to Vietnam, and try not to break anything else our final months here. Ry's home again today, day 4 of some fever. I kind of just want to keep her home with me, out of the jungle, for our remaining Thai days. Then I look over at the big girl with the purple arm and am reminded that life happens even close to the safe comforts of home.

"Life's short, live it up." We shall.