A Bunch of Burts

We have entered a new era in a our house. This past Saturday, our dear eldest daughter turned 13!
She had long anticipated becoming a teen ager, and after a month and a half long countdown, she arrived!

Leah had been claiming to be a pre-teen for a while, but when we moved to Thailand, we discovered there is no such desgination. Ages are broken into two basic categories. Kuap–for children, and Bii–for those 13 and older. There is a word for teenager, but it is not used in telling your age.

We look forward to seeing you grow into a beautiful young woman Leah! We love you and all the ways we can see how you are growing up and growing with Christ.

I had fully intended on getting another post up before WFMW rolled around again. Then life happened around here.

Two birthday parties, the Christmas program at church, Christmas party at language school and end-of-the-semester-homework rush later, we are back at Wednesday again. I know, I know, that identifies me as the novice, and perhaps undedicated blogger that I am. Someone truly dedicated would not let such trival things get in the way of posting a new blog!

Hopefully, before we leave for our Christmas excusion to the Northeast I will be able to get the posts about the birthdays of both my dear daughters up and ready. Please do not hold your breath.

My suggestion today is one I am currently doing myself, as I write. Christmas music, loud and fun and singable. This is key. Christmas music that is not sing-a-long-able simply will not do.

The best Christmas CD in my humble opinion is:

In case you can’t read the blurry picture, (sorry about that), it is Harry Connick Jr. When My Heart Finds Christmas

The kids love it too! He has a good mix of Christmas hymns and ‘fun’ songs. You will not find a better O Holy Night than Harry’s rendition.

I just checked on Amazon, and you can buy one for less than 4 dollars! What are you waiting for ?

Merry Christmas WFMW bloggers.
May the joy that comes from knowing our Savior is here fill your Christmas and New Year!

More Christmas and everyday ideas at: Rocks in My Dryer

I asked my dear husband and children to help me come up with a handy tip for this week’s WMFW. Their stellar ideas were:

Don’t run with sharp objects in your hands.
Chew with your mouth closed.
Don’t turn the burner on and touch it.
( 10 y/o daughter’s suggestion. Brilliant.)
Don’t relieve yourself on an electric fence.
( husband’s submission, but not exactly what he said. )
Don’t stare at a piece of burning magnesium ribbon.
( 12 y/o daughter’s recent aquisition from science class)

Definitely bedtime for these Bonzos.

As we travelled around the country, moving from place to place in training with our mission organization and visiting churches in preparation for moving overseas, we passed the miles by reading out loud in the car. Our families lived a couple of hours away as well, giving us more miles for reading. Fortuntately, I am able to read in the car without getting carsick, at least for a couple of hours.

Now we are no longer taking long car trips. The store is 15 minutes away instead of 1-2 hours, and we have no family to go visit. We now read before bed.

I am sure that this already works for many of you, but we so enjoy it, I wanted to share it.

We have found it a great opportunity to read books that have a biblical foundation, stories of men and women serving God in ordinary and extraordinary circumstances and just great tales of character and virtue.

So much of the entertainment that is ‘out there’ is of questionable value, or downright destructive. By reading books that honor the Lord in content and challenge and inspire us to serve Him, and fill our minds with His working in the world by means of His people through adventure, history, or life stories, we are all encouraged and edified.

Some of our recent titles. Actually, we are reading Devil on the Deck right now, a book about the life of John Newton

We all look forward to ‘the chapter’ each night. Or if Daddy can’t wait until tommorrow night to find out what happens next either, two chapters.

What books has your family loved? We are always looking for new suggestions and titles. Please leave a comment of your favorites!

P.S. As the reader, I require someone to brush my hair as I read. Oh so relaxing! That really works for me!

For many other suggestions, head to Rocks in my Dryer.

Yes, the Golden Arches is here, encouraging bad eating habits, er, I mean serving tasty treats, all over the world. Every so often we will take the kids there, and sink into the taste of America. Well, sort of. I have not seen any McDonalds in America offering to tickle the taste buds of its patrons with corn or taro pies. Or pineapple. Nary an apple or lemon pie to be had.

For the more adventurous burger enthusiasts, you could also try the McRice. A ‘bun’ made of grilled sticky rice with a pork patty in some kind of soy sauce inside. Actually, I do not think it sounds so bad, but if we are going to pay the high prices of McDonalds, I am getting a beef burger!

One thing we miss about the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave is the drive-thru. Oh for the convience of the drive-up window. But there are compromises. When we go to McDonalds here, we get waited on at our table, food brought to us (including the ketchup from the service pump), refills and clean up service.
So of course when we leave, we are polite, thank our servers and wai them. Well, at least most of us anyway.

Khap Khun kha Ronald!

Over Thanksgiving, we had the pleasure of spending the weekend with another NTM family in Maesariang, a town about 4 hours away from Chiang Mai.

Of course we had a huge meal too. There we are in the middle, in the blue and black shirts.

The Hansen family serves with NTM at a training facility for national believers called CDM, Church Development and Missions. It is sort of like a bible school/missions institute all rolled into one here in Thailand for local believers wanting to study the Word and learn discipleship.

The accomodations for students there are a bit different from what we had at Bible School in Wisconsin. I will never complain or make a disparaging remark again about my apartment at Bible School or the two other stops in the training with NTM!

This is the kitchen for the girls dorm building. The two door at the back wall are the bathroom. Squatties of course.

Here are living/sleeping quarters for the same dorm building. Cozy.

We had a great time in the country, breathing fresh unpolluted air and just enjoying some friends and fellowship together. The kids of course ran around the grounds enjoying themselves with the children of the two families that we were there with. Some big kids too.

A beautiful day for frisbee golf