Happily Ever After

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Thailand

When Todd’s parents got their mission call to preside over the Bangkok Thailand mission, they invited all of their children and their spouses to visit them. Todd and I started making plans to visit them in the spring of 2011. Work calendars were cleared, childcare was arranged, and passports were obtained.

Todd at the floating market

Jenny and Janis at the floating market

Floating Market

Our Floating Market boat driver and the Branch President's wife

On July 1^st, very, very early in the morning Todd and I headed to Sky Harbor airport to begin our 27 hour trip. That’s right, 27 hours! Going to the other side of the world takes a while. From my journal:

“We had a short layover in Tokyo and I was so excited because I am part Japanese. I loved seeing the Japanese features I have in everyone’s faces. The Tokyo airport was very clean and quiet. Todd was convinced the flight to Bangkok was going to be short – it wasn’t. It was another 6 ½ hours! We spent more than a day traveling!”

It was so great to be able to visit this special land with Mike and Janis. Thailand is so special to them and I can see why. It is called the land of smiles because the people there are so happy, genuinely happy. As far as I can tell, the divide between the rich and poor is pretty wide and most of the people live very modestly, if not in abject poverty, at least compared to American standards. Yet, they are a happy people. A few months after we visited, Thailand suffered a severe flood. I remember being so worried for my in-laws and all of the church members. My father-in-law told me about one of the members who had followed the church’s advice to obtain a year supply of food. This man lived in a two story home and, as the floods drew near, took all of his food storage to his top floor. The first floor in his home had flooded, but the water did not go to the second floor. Everyday this man took his little boat, filled it with food from his supply, and went around his neighborhood giving food to those in need. He did that until the floods ran dry and the stores reopened. What an amazing example this man, whose name I don’t even know, is to me! My eyes have been opened as to why we need to follow counsel from the Lord’s servants, it is not just to bless us, but to bless others too. Another way I found Thailand, especially Bangkok, to be special was the fact that a huge city was erected in the middle of a jungle. I have never seen vegetation like that before, not to mention all of the wild animals milling around. And in the middle of all of this jungle are skyscrapers and freeways – the scariest ones I have ever been on. (I am so grateful for American traffic laws.) Also, Bangkok is very modern, but it is also ancient. The dichotomy is striking. We would see ancient temples, and Buddha’s, and towers, and then there would be modern buildings right next to them.

Oh yes, there is McDonalds in Thailand

From my journal: “We went to so many fascinating places. The Branch President’s wife owns and drives a taxi and she took us around. We went to a floating market…we went to the Snake Garden Show (Todd’s favorite part) where snake handlers wrestled cobras, pythons, and jumping snakes. I got to pet a cobra…..off we went to the Rose Garden…Todd and I rode an elephant…we got to play with another python and I kissed it too, it is supposed to be good luck…We saw two cultural shows and I was invited to the floor to dance…Todd met some Italians there and enjoyed speaking with them.”

Oh boy, that is a big snake

Look how sweaty we are!

Now that is what a snake handler looks like

This was pretty scary!

Dancing snakes

I can’t talk about Thailand and not mention the food. Oh my, the food was so delicious. First of all, their produce is very different than ours. Their fruit is so amazingly good, sweet, fresh, just yum. Every morning, Noi, my in-laws helper, would make beautiful platters of fresh fruit for us. They just don’t have fruit like that here. Noi is a wonderful cook and really spoiled us. She made delicious Coconut Chicken Soup. I tried to make that here and it is just not the same. She also made sticky rice that is to die for. Everything she made was great. We went out to eat quite a bit too and the Thais love their spice, which I do too. I even ate street food, a first for me, and it was delectable. I remember it was fried pork on a stick….I could have eaten that all day. One great thing that came from this trip was that Thai food has made its way into my kitchen. It might not be as good as Noi’s, but it sure is yummy and different!

One last thing about Thailand. Everyone here complains of the heat. And believe me, Phoenix is freakin’ hot! But Thailand is just about as hot, the temperature was in the low 100s, which isn’t so bad, but the humidity is suffocating. I wore glasses on this trip and when I would leave the air conditioned house or car and go outside, my glasses totally fogged up. It was very funny. It was so hot/humid that my hair curled up, I was wet all of the time, and it felt like the sun was literally right on top of me frying my skin. Coming back to Phoenix, in the middle of July, was actually a reprieve from Thailand’s weather!

Going to Thailand was a once in a lifetime trip and it was fantastic, but the best part of all was spending all of that uninterrupted time with Todd, and visiting with his parents who we missed so much.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Winter and Spring 2011

Christmas 2010 was spent with my family. My Dad decided to take us on a hike after dinner and opening gifts. We went and hiked Hawes Loop in Mesa. It was quite a hike with kids, but it awakened something in me. I started running in earnest again after that hike. I decided to sign up for the Whiskey Row Half Marathon again and got my Dad to do it too. So, every Saturday that winter and spring, bright and early, the two of us would run and hike in the Superstition Mountains. We would start before sunrise and watch the desert wake up. It was so great to spend that time with my Dad. I remember one day he wanted us to hike to the very top of a particular mountain. There is a water tower on the top (I think that is what it is). It was steep and rocky and not my idea of a great time, especially since my Dad, who is 20 something years older than me, sped up that peak leaving me in his dust. When I got to the top though, well, the view of the Valley was beautiful, and I felt triumphant. My Dad wisely told me that I could look back at this climb and remind myself that I could do hard things. I can see that tower (or whatever it is), if I squint, when I am in my neighborhood driving around with crazy kids with crazy schedules and with crazy thoughts running through my head and when I see that tower on the top of the peak, I breathe a little bit easier, because I believe I can do hard things and nothing seems harder than being a mom sometimes. The Whiskey Row was in May and we had a lot of fun. Here are some thoughts I recorded in my journal from that time:

“The half marathon was a great experience. I had strep throat and ended up walking most of it, but it was beautiful, challenging, and rewarding. My Dad ran it and beat me by more than a half hour! I’m in awe of him. It was so wonderful to spend with my parents, Todd, and the children. We ate at great restaurants and had great conversations. I have a great life and family. So, even if I didn’t race my best, the marathon was a winner for me—and it has only increased my fondness for running.”

The rest of the spring went by much too fast! Isn't that how it always is? Todd and I continued our weekly lunches. I loved helping in Alyssa’s classroom. I kept busy with those cute Cub Scouts. Harrison and Todd got to take part in the Pinewood Derby and, much to my surprise, Todd really got into it. Todd – I mean, Harrison – did pretty well that year. As summer approached, Todd and I started getting ready for a big adventure. One that required passports….

One of the things I loved most about Alyssa's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Fierro, was that she turned everything into a party and simultaneously tricked the kids into learning. Like the 100th day of school, or Dr. Suess's birthday, or Mother's Day etc.

Every Spring Break I take the kids to "A" mountain and we hike to the very top. This year we invited Harrison's friend, Jayden, to join us. It was a hot day!

Pinewood Derby 2011

Mother's Day 2011

Kindergarten Graduation 2011

Alyssa Smith, Mrs. Fierro, Liberty Allen

Alyssa and Mrs. Fierro

Harrison advancing to Bears, his last meeting with me as his leader

Harrison's Beta Fish. My fellow Cub Scout leader and I took the kids on a field trip to PetSmart where the vet talked to the boys about a lot of cool stuff and showed them gross things like dog eye balls that had to be removed from a sick dog. We decided to buy all the Wolves a beta fish so they could earn some sort of badge. I haven't been in Cubs for a while and can't remember a darn thing! Anyway, they each had to take care of a pet for a week. Since a lot of the boys didn't have a pet, we fixed that problem and got them one! Ours lived for a few months! Cub Scouts, fun times, who would've guessed?

Up next....our trip abroad!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Fall and Winter Wrap Up, 2010

This season in our lives was quite fun. Alyssa tested into kindergarten early and so she, along with Harrison who was in third grade, were in school all day. What was I to do with myself for 8 whole hours? I soon found that those hours went by rather quickly, what with running, cleaning, shopping, and cooking. I also volunteered in Alyssa's classroom once a week and often went in more than that. I loved her teacher, Mrs. Fierro and it was wonderful to see Alyssa in her classroom setting. Todd and I discovered that Gilbert Public Schools made the best baby-sitters and we would go out to lunch in the middle of the day once a week. I still served in Cub Scouts and would plan those weekly meetings while my kids were in school too. My biggest goal was to have most of my chores done so that the minute school got out, I could devote all of my time to the kids without having to worry about the laundry, cooking, etc. For the most part, that is what happened. I look back to that time fondly.

Todd and I got to go the Homecoming Game at ASU. Since Todd's firm is a sponser of ASU football, we were treated well. We got to go on the field for the entire first quarter. Even I, not much of a football fan at all, enjoyed it. It is something else seeing football at this level that close. I don't know how the football player's moms handle it, those tackles were loud! I can't imagine how those tackles feel. Anyway, Todd was in heaven and even though I can't remember the score, I do remember we had an awesome time!

My family has a tradition of having a big, extended Halloween party every year. 2010 was no different. We ate chili and cornbread, as usual, and then played minute to win it games. Thanksgiving 2010 was spent with the Smith side of our family and all 5 kids and their spouses were in attendance. Mom and Dad Smith were not, as they were in Thailand serving as mission Presidents. Christmas is always split between the Smiths and Hallocks. On Christmas Eve, we had brunch with the Smiths, Christmas Eve night is with my extended Hallock family, and Christmas was with Grammy and Pappy Hallock. Since my parents live next door to Ken and Janette, we see our Booth(Smith) cousins every holiday anyway! I was particularly happy this Christmas because just a few days earlier, my endocrinologist took me off all my thyroid drugs and deduced that I no longer had any hyperthyroid symptoms. The medicine worked! And now, nearly three years and a healthy pregnancy later, I am still going strong!

Todd's cousin coming home from his mission to India. He had a layover in Phoenix and we went to see him. We told him we would treat him to dinner and his response was, "Where's the beef?" We got him a Whopper at Burger King.