Madill pod thoughts

2009-12-09T06:55:00.000-08:00

1. Which physical trait do you now accept--maybe not love, but accept--and no longer feel extremely self-conscious about?
My nose. I used to really hate it. I always thought it was way too big! I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who ever even thought about it. And even if someone else did, why should I care? I guess I'm just more secure now.

2. This week Meredith Baxter Birney, best known as the mom on the favorite 80s sitcom "Family Ties" came out of the closet, which led me to formulate this question: Who do you think is/was the best TV mom?

Clair Huxtable, for sure. She was a great mom and a great wife. She was involved with her kids and didn't take any lip from them. And I love the fact that she joked around with her husband but didn't seem to think he was an idiot. I hate that about most TV moms.

3. Do you speak any foreign languages? Are there any you'd like to learn?

Um, not really (sorry Mom!). I should probably learn Spanish. We'll all be needing that soon I think!

4. Who is your personal hero?

My mom. She juggles so much and still goes to Pilates class (sometimes)! She's a fantastic wife and mom and I hope I do as great a job as she does.

5. What is one holiday food that you find extremely difficult to resist over- indulging in?

Just one? Apple-sausage stuffing. There are a lot more though!

6. Tell me about a Christmas decoration that has special meaning or sentimental value.

I'll just skip this one because I don't decorate for(or celebrate) Christmas.

7. How do you feel about snow?

I love it, but it stinks because it turns into mud 4 hours later. If I lived someplace where it would stay cold for a while I might like it more. It's really pretty though. Just a huge mess.

OH! Plus, people around here don't know how to drive in it. They either go super fast and cause a wreck, or drive like 2 MPH down the perfectly clear, salted and plowed interstate because they're freaked out by the OHMYGOODNESSWHAT'STHEWHITESTUFF snow.

So I guess I really hate snow!

8. On average, how many hours of sleep do you get each night? Not that I'm jealous of any number over three or anything.

Total, probably about 7.

9. Tell me about your first crush.

Well, when I was 4 I told one of my dad's friends that I was going to marry him. He was a little too old for me though.

10. You're stuck in a room for 2 hours with only a chalkboard and chalk. What will you write/draw?

I'll work on the article(s) for work I am supposed to be writing, but keep putting off for lack of inspiration/motivation.

11. Do you dress for the current temp or for the day's forecast?

I dress according to how blasted hot it is in our house. We heat with wood, so it's pretty much always over 800 degrees. At least it feels like it is. I don't leave the house much (wow, that sounds bad) so I dress to stay home. Jeans and a t-shirt and slippers or flip-flops.

12. Favorite Christmas movie is?

White Christmas!

Because I'm too lazy to write a real blog.

2009-11-12T10:14:00.000-08:00

1. What was the last song you listened to?

Rejoice, by the WILDS choir.

2. Have you ever had “buyer’s remorse” over anything?

Yes.

Ok, it's usually over a product that I just *had* to try. Lotion, shampoo, hair stuff...most of it winds up in the trash because my skin/scalp freaks out from most of it.

3. What is something in your life that you are thankful for now that you didn’t think you would be at the time of the event? (Something that seemed ill-timed, inconvenient or hurtful which turned out to be a good thing)

I'll go with my mom here and say moving to Northern Virginia. I was NOT HAPPY about moving (I had a special someone!), but a long-distance relationship turned out to be exactly what we needed. Plus, NoVa has Ulta and Chipotle:)

4. Do you watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade every year? If so, do you have a favorite float or balloon?

Um, hello? Pregame is on!

5. Share a quote, scripture, poem or lyric which has been an inspiration to you lately.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
My new WILDS cd (Rejoice!) has a song based on this verse.
Also, in reference to speaking, "Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?" I don't know who originally said it, but I got it from Jasmine at Joyfully at Home.

6. This is meant to be a fun question, and this is a G-rated blog, but please share a “guilty pleasure,” something that you enjoy that’s probably not the most edifying, time-worthy or healthy thing you could be indulging in. Did I mention this blog is rated G?

Vanilla Coke. I did 21 shots for my 21st birthday. And no, I didn't throw up (it was pretty close though).

7. What Thanksgiving food are you looking forward to?

Yes. All of it. My family knows how to eat!

8. What is your favorite book to read to children, or what was your favorite childhood book?

Tuggy the Tugboat.

9. Do you collect anything? (Feel free to post a photo.)

See #2

10. Gift bags or wrapping paper?

If it's books, wrapping paper. I got lots of practice when I worked at Border's. Everything else goes in a bag.

11. Share an after-school memory from when you were younger. What was your routine like on an average day?

I can't think of a particular memory at the moment, but my routine pretty much always involved reading or cooking.

12. True story: Once, in a job interview, I was asked this question and told there would be no clarifying; I simply had to answer the question: “When you’re fishing, do you feel for the fish?” So what about you? Do you feel for the fish??

Nope. And Bambi never bothered me either. God made them for us to eat!

Random Dozen

2009-11-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

1. It's early morning, about 2:00AM, and you're driving home. You come to a red light and sit there. There is no one in sight for miles around. Do you wait it out or run the light?
Well, it depends on where it is. I've actually sat at a few red lights for over 10 minutes in the middle of the night. I finally decided that it was either broken or someone thought it was ok to turn it off for the night. So I drove through very slowly and cautiously, looking all around.

2. If you had the chance to re-do the last 24 hours, would you change anything?
I don't really remember yesterday. Last night was a little rough, but I can't really change the baby.

3. When you reply to someone's comment on your blog, do you reply in your comments or go to her blog and comment? (Or email her)
I've never done this, but I would probably email. I don't ever go back to check after I comment and I don't get notifications. So I would email.

4. Your favorite Disney movie is:
Cinderella. I'm so exciting, I know!

5. Do you recycle?
I burn the newspaper, give the boxes and packing material from packages to the company I work for, and put poopy diapers in Wal-mart bags. That's it though. No wait! We recycle our coke cans. We even have a can crusher.

6. Games of strategy or games of chance?
Both. Depends on my mood:)

7. Do you have any recurring dreams?
Not anymore.

8. What did you learn from your first real job?
That I never, ever wanted to work with lost 20 year old guys again. Yuck.

9. Do you buy or borrow most books?
Buy, because our library is seriously pathetic, and you have to pay like 3 bucks for shipping on an inter-library loan, so I might as well buy it on Amazon.

10. What fashion trend of the past did you say you'd never wear again but did?
I don't think I'm old enough to contribute to this. Styles I was old enough to wear aren't making the cycle yet.

11. When do you start Christmas shopping?
For the five people I buy something for? The week before Christmas.

12. Have you ever been so happy that you literally jumped up and down for a few seconds? If so, what was the occasion?
I would imagine I did over something when I was little. No clue what though!

So there's my exciting post! Enjoy,
~Deborah~

This is What You Must Do to Remain Friends with Me.

2009-10-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

I admit, I am a germ freak. Like my kid will be the three year old running around the playground with Germ-X, sanitizing everything before he plays. And it really bugs me (my head almost exploded the other day) when people touch my baby without asking. People I know I don't get quite so upset with, BUT THE STRANGERS IN WAL-MART?!? What is WRONG with you! I have had people grab Jonathan's hand which, of course, he sticks in his mouth.

Ew. Ew yuck.

Swine Flu anyone?

It's cold and flu season, yet people seem to think it's perfectly acceptable to get up in Jonathan's face to talk annoying baby-talk to him, breathing germs into his airspace. It's not like he can get up and run away, or even say, "Hey back off! I'm trying to breathe clean air, not your germ-filled pollution!" Nope, the poor little guy has to sit there and endure moronic ramblings about what a smart little boy he is (because you can tell that from the way he drools you know), while inhaling germy perfume-scented air.
No wonder he screams when we go grocery shopping.
So I started bringing the Baby Bjorn because people are less likely to grab at him if he's attached to me. I think it intimidates them.
When people start to reach for him I say, "Please don't touch my baby. Swine flu, you know." And they act like I'm so unreasonable!

So, if you want to remain friends, ask before you touch any part of my baby. And don't be offended when I tell you to wash your hands. And ask you if anyone in your house has been sick in the last three days.

Or, if you don't want to be friends, but want to see my baby, the rules still apply. Because I am his mama and I said so. You can think I'm a freak and you sure won't be the first. But I don't want my baby getting sick all winter long. I'll build his immune system later, thank you very much.

So wash your hands, ask before you touch, and stay away if you are sick, or have been around anyone who is sick.

I am the germ-natzi.

Mwahahahaha...

I can do a Friday Fave Five!

2009-09-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

1. We went Outback Wednesday night! Try to sing that sentence like the commercial. It was our 3rd anniversary and David loves Outback. I didn't know or I wouldn't have gone with Lizzie and Zephyr. And heard about it for two months. We drove really fast (the 1 1/4 hours it takes to get there), shoveled our food in and jumped back in the van so as not to ruin the other diner's dinner with our pleasant, happy baby. Ahem.

2. Lizzie and Zephyr gave us (me) roses for our anniversary. We also got several sweet cards.

3. I got a bill from Verizon for $424.41. Seriously, doesn't everyone just love an excuse to call and speak with the wonderfully helpful people who so appreciate my business? Is sarcasm allowed in a Friday Fave Five?

P.S. This is another post in itself.

4. I got three things accomplished from my to-do list this week. This is two more than I typically scratch off.

5. It's almost fall!

~Deborah~

2009-03-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

More pics

2009-03-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

house for sale in a great neighborhood:)

2009-03-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

The only kind of blog I ever post these days...

2008-11-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

14 Weeks!
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-14-weeks_1103.bc

Did you know that some abortionists say that babies don't have facial expressions until 4 months after they are born? I guess they've never seen a newborn pooping:)

13 weeks!

2008-11-12T13:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-13-weeks_1102.bc

Tonight after prayer meeting we are leaving for Virginia! Please pray for safety while driving, and that I would exercise better self-control with these chips and french onion dip.

This stuff is so good!

I ate a bunch of celery for nutrition today, so it balances out.

Right?

End of the first trimester!

2008-11-06T14:27:00.000-08:00

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-12-weeks_1101.bc

I know everyone thinks I'm crazy, but I really think Sticky Bean is a boy. As in, I'll be completely shocked if Sticky Bean is a girl. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE a little girl! I just don't think our first baby is going to be. And I think we may have to adopt to get one. Should have thought about that before I married a Madill! Just kidding...:)

We're home!

2008-10-18T04:06:00.000-07:00

We made it back to Tennessee safely. Besides getting stuck in the center two seats of the plane for the long flight, it wasn't too bad. Except for the old Japanese woman kicking me in the back all night (she really was doing it on purpose, because she got mad when I reclined my chair).

We have both been pretty beat since we got back, but we got some solid sleep last night and are starting to feel like humans instead of zombies!

Thursday we just hung out and slept and went grocery shopping. I love Wal-mart! It's an amazing store. I have been cooking a bunch and enjoying every second in my beautiful kitchen with no geckos!

Yesterday morning we went to the Natchez Trace Maternity Center, which is where I'm going for prenatal care and to deliver our little Sticky Bean. I got to see Elaine, who has been a certified nurse-midwife for a looooong time. I've known her for two years and am very comfortable with her. Well, we got to see the baby! It wasn't very clear, since I didn't have
32 oz. of water in my bladder. But we got to see his heart beating, and he even moved his little paddle-arm. It was the coolest thing we have ever seen, and of course, I started crying:) Next week I'm going back to get a real ultrasound so they can check placenta for tearing and stuff. Seeing our little Sticky Bean move around in there made it much more real for us. He/she is really in there and alive and kicking!

Anyway, that's what we've been up to. Today we are going to get the paint for our new house!

Happy Fall!

We made it!

2008-10-12T21:48:00.000-07:00

Part of the way. We drove from Mae Sot to Bangkok yesterday. It was a lot easier than we were anticipating, thankfully. We got some good sleep last night and today are hanging out and unwinding. And trying to psych ourselves up for our plane ride first thing Wednesday morning. We leave at 6:00am, so please pray for alertness until we actually make it to our seats! I'll post again when we get home to TN. I'm going to look at my boots again...

I know, I have a problem...

2008-10-11T03:09:00.000-07:00

But seriously, these boots are amazing!

Falls Leather (Sold Out)

Leaving Thailand

2008-10-11T02:27:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we start our journey home.

It begins with David driving us from Mae Sot to Bangkok. We are leaving after church tomorrow morning, so please pray for our safety on the road. We will be in Bangkok for two days, and then we fly out at 6:00am Wednesday morning. We should be in Nashville sometime Wednesday evening.

Cracker Barrel, here we come!

I wonder which kind of grape...

2008-10-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I try to update this on Tuesdays, but I'm a little behind this week!
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-9-weeks_1098.bc

Peanuts and Puke (and other wonderful aromas)

2008-10-02T03:20:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has ever used an outhouse in July knows that heat magnifies smell. And it's hot here in Thailand. Like the 100's.

It is fairly common knowledge that many pregnant women have a "super nose." They can smell things before others can, at times gagging at how strong it is. And I'm pregnant.

If you've been to Thailand, you know that they cook some...repulsive things. And then eat them. And think that it tastes good.

Most mornings I wake up at 6:00 to the sound of my neighbor pounding- she has a stone morter and pestle- chilies or garlic or something. We live in a concrete townhouse, so things echo and are pretty loud. Until yesterday morning.

So here I am in Thailand, pregnant, and the smells are kind of offensive to my hyper-sensitive nose. But besides the sewer and rotten fish, the smells haven't been all that bad. Until yesterday morning.

I was pleasantly surprised to sleep until 7:30 with no pounding! I really enjoyed that until I stepped outside our bedroom door. My first thought was, "Did someone throw up in the stairs?" Then, "Peanuts?!?" And then the gagging started. No actual puking, but the smell was so horrific it was triggering my already overworked gag reflex. David smelled it too, so I know I wasn't just imagining the atrocious scent. Needless to say, we left and went out for breakfast.
On our way back from breakfast, one road we drove through smelled like rotten tomatoes and body odor. "WHAT IS WITH THE NASTY COMBOS TODAY?!" I thought to myself. Puke and peanuts? Rotten tomatoes and body odor? And it's not even really hot, they tell me. Oh so glad I won't be here in April. I think I would probably not make it.
I'm not sure what our lovely neighbors had to eat that morning, but I figured we were safe until after we leave Mae Sot. After all, it's the first time she's made that in a month, so it would be another four weeks or so until she cooked that again. And how often could you even eat that? Right?
Wrong.

Late this afternoon we were sitting at the computer, minding our own business, and then "it" came wafting through MY kitchen and hit me. I started gagging, and said, "There it is again!" David couldn't smell it for a minute (lucky him), but then he, too, pulled his shirt up over his nose in a desperate attempt to escape the retched smell.
Needless to say, we went out to eat tonight.
Thankfully, the smell was gone when we returned, and I am really hoping that was our last taste/smell of whatever in the world that miserable Thai delicacy is. And we leave for Chiang Mai in the morning, so maybe that's not something they make up there at least. Hopefully, but I won't hold my breath. At least until the next smell hits.

2008-09-29T22:39:00.001-07:00

Eight weeks already!
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-8-weeks_1097.bc

More from Thailand

2008-09-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

Well, the past week was quite different from the rest so far. We had company! Bro. Tom, Krinny, Ann and Pookie all came up on Wednesday. David talked to Bro. Tom about how things are going and the information we have collected so far. We also had a good time playing Dutch Blitz at night and going on a picnic at a waterfall. Friday afternoon the Lang family joined us, and we all enjoyed supper at Canadian Dave's. Saturday morning everyone left for the Hmong camp and boy, was it ever quiet! Just like whenever I travel, a few things got left behind, but we'll just take Krinny's shoes and Pookie's garlic with us next weekend when we meet the Gaudets in Chiang Mai:) We are looking forward to a little trip out of Mae Sot, but please pray for travelling safety as David will be driving us up over the mountain road.
I guess I should confess that the miserably hot weather here the past few days is all my fault. I complained about the rain, and the last two days have been unbelievably hot. As in, I bought an umbrella to protect my skin from the sun. I would really love it to be pouring buckets right now, really.
Yesterday morning I made a big mistake. I decided it was cool enough to wear my floor-length denim skirt. We went to Gospel Baptist Church for the 9:00am English service, like we usually do. After that, we decided to go find the Karen church that a lady at Handicap International invited us to. She had drawn us a little map, but it's actually not far from our house. Well, as soon as I got out of the truck I knew I was in trouble. It was hot outside, but I could feel the heat coming out through the open doors of the church building. Too late! We went in and sat down...just out of reach of the fan. If I leaned forward I could just barely feel some air moving, but not much. Thankfully, I had my popsicle fan to move the blazing hot air around:) David was even suffering. The service started at 11:00ish, so we figured it would be over around 12:00 or so. Nope, it was about 1:15, and I was actually getting dizzy from the heat and hunger (and need to pee, of course). It was a really neat service, although we couldn't understand anything because it was all in Karen, which is different from Burmese, and not even close to Thai. Anyway, we went to the Canadian for lunch. I had a big fat burger and fries and , yes, I had a coke:) Chugged half of it as soon as he put it down. SO! I've decided I will pack my long denim skirt into the bottom of my suitcase and forget about it until I get home and it's 50 degrees:)
Today we went to Burma to renew our visas. It's hard to believe it's that time already! We still had a few days, but sometimes they close the border so we didn't want to get stuck. 1000 Baht per day if you have an expired visa, no thank you. We should have learned from yesterday to go early, but we didn't get to the bridge until almost 10:00. It was already hot and I had the umbrella out and open! We filled out the Thai paperwork and the walked over into Burma. Well, we thought Mae Sot was dirty and poor, but Burma was nothing like our little town. SO filthy, and the poverty is heartbreaking. The people just sit and try to sell their wares, and stare at the white people. We went and saw two temples, and then walked around the market. Of course since we were going into Burma, today I woke up really nauseous. The market was about all I could handle. I kept gagging, and David just said, "If you need to ralf, just ralf." Thanks. But I did hold onto my breakfast (I figured out that it's much easier if you breathe through your mouth). The smell of fish and rotten chicken was everywhere. We had planned on spending a good long while over there, but after about two hours we came back. I was still gagging, and it was REALLY hot. Walking back over into Thailand was like coming home! It seemed so clean, and the people were so much more hopeful and purposeful. We did get our passports stamped, so we have officially been to Myanmar!
We came back here to the house and I went upstairs to sleep for an hour. I can't seem to get enough sleep these days! Or drink enough water. I drink liter after liter and I'm still thirsty. Thanks Sticky Bean!
David just commented that now in our family 1+1=3:)

You Tube Funny

2008-09-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXXm696UbKY

Curious...

2008-09-26T07:16:00.001-07:00

Tonight during supper we were watching the news about the latest info on the good ol' USA's election (McCain wants to suspend the first debate and Obama's mad because he didn't think of it first). And I thought, you know, I haven't really read anything about Barack except what's in the news. We all know how unbiased that can be, so, I decided to do a little research. I figured I would start with his own website, and then find what I could that "de-embelished" all that. WELL! This is why he thinks he's so qualified to be our next president.

"

Early Years

Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was born and raised in a small village in Kenya, where he grew up herding goats with his own father, who was a domestic servant to the British.

Barack's mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in small-town Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs during the Depression, and then signed up for World War II after Pearl Harbor, where he marched across Europe in Patton's army. Her mother went to work on a bomber assembly line, and after the war, they studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through the Federal Housing Program, and moved west to Hawaii.

It was there, at the University of Hawaii, where Barack's parents met. His mother was a student there, and his father had won a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya and pursue his dreams in America.

Barack's father eventually returned to Kenya, and Barack grew up with his mother in Hawaii, and for a few years in Indonesia. Later, he moved to New York, where he graduated from Columbia University in 1983.

The College Years

Remembering the values of empathy and service that his mother taught him, Barack put law school and corporate life on hold after college and moved to Chicago in 1985, where he became a community organizer with a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment.

The group had some success, but Barack had come to realize that in order to truly improve the lives of people in that community and other communities, it would take not just a change at the local level, but a change in our laws and in our politics.

He went on to earn his law degree from Harvard in 1991, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Soon after, he returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer and teach constitutional law. Finally, his advocacy work led him to run for the Illinois State Senate, where he served for eight years. In 2004, he became the third African American since Reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. Senate.

Political Career

It has been the rich and varied experiences of Barack Obama's life - growing up in different places with people who had differing ideas - that have animated his political journey. Amid the partisanship and bickering of today's public debate, he still believes in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose - a politics that puts solving the challenges of everyday Americans ahead of partisan calculation and political gain.

In the Illinois State Senate, this meant working with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. He also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In the U.S. Senate, he has focused on tackling the challenges of a globalized, 21st century world with fresh thinking and a politics that no longer settles for the lowest common denominator. His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent. He has also been the lead voice in championing ethics reform that would root out Jack Abramoff-style corruption in Congress.

As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan. Recognizing the terrorist threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, he traveled to Russia with Republican Dick Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world. And knowing the threat we face to our economy and our security from America's addiction to oil, he's working to bring auto companies, unions, farmers, businesses and politicians of both parties together to promote the greater use of alternative fuels and higher fuel standards in our cars.

Whether it's the poverty exposed by Katrina, the genocide in Darfur, or the role of faith in our politics, Barack Obama continues to speak out on the issues that will define America in the 21st century. But above all his accomplishments and experiences, he is most proud and grateful for his family. His wife, Michelle, and his two daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, live on Chicago's South Side."

He helped poor people-great!

He was the first black president of his college newspaper-super!

He's a senator and and has used that time to...help more poor people-awesome!

I think he's done a lot of good for some people in our country, but why in the world would anyone who reads that about him think that it makes him qualified to be the Commander in Chief of our military? Ideas and dreams don't make me confident in anyone's ability to lead our country- not even mine!

He's great at organizing people and helping communities in need. So why doesn't he run for president of the Red Cross or something?

I just felt like sharing this little rant with you guys tonight:)

Guess what?

2008-09-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

Sticky Bean and I are into the seventh week! Here is what's happening these next few days.
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-7-weeks_1096.bc

Pictures

2008-09-21T02:50:00.001-07:00

Here are our pictures so far in our trip.

http://picasaweb.google.com/deborah.madill/Thailand2008DDM?authkey=g1Wh1ZhiRAY#

Baby...

2008-09-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

Well, now that the news is out to the families I'm free to spill the beans on my blog. I'm having a baby! May 17, or whenever he/she decides to show up. Hopefully not early, as we'll be in VA early in May for my sister Leah's graduation. Giving birth alongside interstate 81? Not cool.
Everyone is asking if we want a boy or a girl. Well, we just want a healthy baby with red hair. Not too much to ask for...
I have been a little sick, but no puking yet. I go to the bathroom ALL the time, at least twice at night. I sleep a lot, and want pickles really bad. Why don't these Thai people eat pickles? I don't care if they're dill or sweet. A pickle is a pickle right now! And I eat half of a meal and get totally grossed out by whatever I'm eating. As in I start gagging. But I found a way to prevent that. Last night at supper I just inhaled my food. Afterwards it didn't feel quite ingenious, but it was nice to eat a full meal. I was still hungry at bedtime though. I'm hungry all the time too.
Here is what our little sticky bean is up to this week:
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-6-weeks_1095.bc
How cool is this!?!

Unrelated bits and pieces

2008-09-15T03:53:00.000-07:00

When it rains, it kind of vaporizes the sewer water so that you cannot escape from the smell. Since it rains everyday, we smell poop all the time. Makes mealtime more enjoyable.
I actually have my own washing machine here. As soon as I turn it on it plays Here Comes the Bride all the way through, and again at the end of the cycle. The only thing I can say about that is that it wastes time, but makes me start laughing every time I do laundry!
We eat at a little restaurant just down the street from us quite a bit. It's super cheap and the fried rice is amazing. They try to get us to eat new things, and tonight the girl walked by me and shoved a plate of some little steaming fishes under my nose. RIGHT under my nose. I turned away and had to work really hard not to throw up. I'm still trying to forget the smell.
Our mattress is harder than hard, but I can't even stay awake to read at night. Soon as I pull the sheets up I'm out for the night:)
Someone is cooking next door right now and it's way worse than the sewer vapor.
The potato chip flavors here are interesting. Sushi, fresh seafood, stuff like that. And there's a little Dunkin' Donuts shop in the Tesco (where we get groceries) and they have green tea donuts. Why would you even do that to a helpless donut? And then eat it while drinking instant coffee?
These are just a few of the interesting things I've noticed here in Mae Sot.

Americans!

2008-09-13T22:43:00.001-07:00

Today we went to Gospel Baptist Church here in Mae Sot. They have an English service at 9:00am. When we got there, several white faces greeted us. And not just any white faces...American white faces!
We've been meeting and talking with various people here in Mae Sot to find out what is already being done for the Burmese people. We are trying to find out what needs (as far as humanitarian stuff) are not being met so a ministry can be built around meeting such need(s). Then that ministry can be used as a reason for being here and reaching the Burmese people with the gospel.
Anyway, we talk to a lot of Europeans. They're pretty friendly, but there's just no connection like talking to a fellow American. So these folks we met this morning are Matt and Liz and their two girls. They are from Fairbanks, Alaska, and they like guns and chainsaws! Needless to say, we spent two hours talking over lunch. They have been here for about three years, so they know tons of people and are a very valuable resource for information on the different relief organizations working in this area. And it was awesome to talk to Americans:)

Catching Up.

2008-09-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

I guess I should back up and fill you guys in on some stuff I have missed so far. I'll start with people so you know who I'm talking about.
Bro. Tom and Krinny Gaudet- the missionaries we are working with here.
Ann-A young lady from PA who is here for a year working in the Gaudet's office
Pookie- Another young lady working in the office, only she is Thai. And a lot like my sister Abbie.
Jeff and Theresa (and John and Gracie)- Another missionary family working with the Hmong people primarily.
Nakhon- Also works in the office doing translation work. Is Thai, and also speaks English and Spanish.
Steve- From North Dakota, and he loves the heat.
Paster Joseph- the pastor of one of the churches here in Mae Sot. We are working with him a lot.
Bro. Shemish- missionary from Australia.

Sunday- In the morning we went to one of the Thai churches in Bangkok. Nakhon sat behind us and translated, which was really nice. Afterwards we went out to eat with Jeff and Therea at Foodland- this is nothing new, they eat here all the time and then do their grocery shopping. I ordered something that sounded pretty normal, but before I even saw the plate I could smell the food. Noodles and shrimp and mushrooms and rancid bamboo strips. Yeah, It was gross, but I gagged most of it down. Two hours later I was really wishing I hadn't. Three days later, I'm still wishing I hadn't. Anyway, that afternoon we started packing and getting things together to leave for Mae Sot. That night we went back to the Thai church where they had an English service. Bro. Shemish preached on the chain of authority and receiving rebuke. It was really good, and it was really nice to be singing in English:)
Monday- We were planning to leave at 8:00, but then Nakhon noticed that the registration and insurance on TJ's truck were expired. So Nakhon and David and Bro. Tom all went running around getting the truck squared away. We left at 12:30:) Jeff was driving up with us, since that's Bro. Tom's ride back to Bangkok. After about an hour Nakhon called and we realized we had his glasses with us. Thankfully he's not as blind as me and can survive without them for a few days. It rained off and on for the first four hours, but thankfully stopped before we got to the mountains. David drove for a few hours and didn't hit any cows or anything:) Bro. Tom drove the last two hours through the mountains. I really wish it were short enough to walk- I alternated between looking through the windshield and freaking out about the cars coming at us head-on, and then looking out the side window and getting sick. I think my meal on Sunday added to the problem:) But we finally made it over the mountains and to our new house in Mae Sot. It's very nice, being brand new and fairly clean. It's very...blue. 100% blue. Dark blue tile on the floor, two different blues on the walls, and a light blue on the ceiling. It's like a pool! But there aren't too many bugs, and plenty of lizards to eat the few that are here. We spent the night in a hotel since there was only one bedroom with AC that night. We ate supper at a Canadian restaurant. The food is really good there, and I don't think I'm going to loose a bit of weight while I'm here. He sells bread and cheese in a little deli case. There are more things here in the boonies of Thailand than there are in Lobelville! But a great supper, and a few hours of sleep on the rock-mattress at the hotel.
Tuesday- We went back to the Canadian restaurant for breakfast:) Then we some over to the house and got to work. The guys started getting beds and furniture set up and finding an electrician to hook up the other AC unit and some fans and stuff. I headed straight to the kitchen and started cleaning. The whole place was plenty clean enough for a man, but not for a woman, and especially one who hates spiders. Everything was covered in dust and lizard poop, so it took a while to heat enough water to wash everything (there's no hot water here, so I use an electric kettle to boil water for stuff). But we finally got the place set up and relatively clean.
Just to give you an idea of what Mae Sot is like, the majority of people here are Burmese, or half Burmese. There are check-points going out of the city to make sure they stay in Mae Sot. The Thai government is fine with them being here, but doesn't want them mixing with the Thai people. There is a fairly large group of Burmese-Muslims here. The mosque is just a little ways down the street from our house, and while eating supper the other night we were watching the news on the TV- Al Jazeera TV. It's pretty strange, but they don't cause any trouble here because if they do they get sent right back to Burma. So they mind their own P's and Q's. It's very different here than in Bangkok. The spirit of the people is much more serious and heavy. Oppressed is pretty close to the feeling here.
Today we went to the Friendship Bridge- the bridge linking Thailand and Myanmar. As we watched, several innertubes with people hanging on crossed over into Thailand- while several soldiers sat a watched. The laws aren't too strictly enforced here because they want the cheap labor. I'll get some pictures up soon, but there's really no way to describe the area. It's sad, but at the same time a bit funny to see these people tube across the river, then hop up on the bank and trot off into town while the soldiers sit with their guns and watch (while smoking cigarettes they bought from the Burmese yesterday). There's an island underneath the bridge that flooded several weeks ago. 300 people had to find a place to live until the water went down, as this was their primary home. Tents and some sheds are what they live in, surrounded by the filthy river water.
Since the Thai government doesn't want the Burmese mixing with the Thai, Burmese children are not allowed to go to school. So Pastor Joseph started one. There are currently 168 children attending, and the teachers are Pastor Joseph's older children and two young ladies from Arlington VA. Pastor Joseph also cares for 17 Burmese orphans. He built a house right out in his own front yard to house them.
So many of the Burmese people are here illegally and at any moment can be loaded onto a truck and shipped back to Burma. They are so desperate to make a living and/or escape the military oppression that they just don't care. If they do get sent back, they usually return to Thailand by noon the next day. Pastor Joseph was telling us earlier that the best way to work with the illegals is to keep it small and quiet. That's what he's been doing for 20+ years:)
Well, Jeff and Bro. Tom are leaving for Bangkok tomorrow, so we'll be on our own. Pray for safety and wisdom and no trouble with the officials:)

On the road again...

2008-09-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

Well, this morning we are leaving for Mae Sot. So far we've just been recovering from jet lag and getting things together for the house up there. Today we'll make the drive up there and begin setting up the house to live in. There's no AC yet, so guess what the first thing we'll do is?!? Fans and AC, then beds and stove and refrigerator and washing machine and everything else. We're very excited to finally get up to Mae Sot and get to work! It's about a 6 hour drive, so pray for safety and some safe food when we get there. I had something yesterday that I'm still recovering from. I guess I'll just stick to fried rice for a while:)

Thailand!

2008-09-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well, 36 hours later we are finally in Bangkok. All three flights were smooth and uneventful, although I don't remember crossing the Pacific taking quite so long:) But Bro. Tom didn't have any problems meeting us at the airport as the protests and such were in a different part of town. As we come out of the airport my first thought was, "Wow, it's not that hot!" And then I remembered it was 12:30 am.
We are staying across the street and a few doors down from the Gaudet's house in a building they use mostly for storage. Our room is three stories up- yes, we hauled all our junk up three flights of stairs. I'm questioning the wisdom of 8 skirts, among other things I felt were so important while I was packing in my air-conditioned house. But our actual room has AC and we slept fairly well for a few hours last night.
This morning we had breakfast at the Gaudet's house- bacon and eggs, P.B. toast and fruit, juice and coffee- We both really enjoyed it after eating airplane food and drinking green tea for two days! After the meal David and Bro. Tom went down to the office and we ladies stayed at the house to pray and then clean up from breakfast. Then David and I went back to our room and repacked into just two bags (as opposed to four). Now we're down at the office getting ready to go to Future Park to get some shampoo and other things. Jet lag isn't bad yet, and hopefully won't be:) I'll write more as soon as we do something else. There's not much to write about travelling:) Oh, I had my first experience with a squat toilet. That's all I'm going to say about that for now!

More than a wedding gift

2008-08-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

When David and I first got married, we got a lot of stuff. Measuring spoons, cookbooks, towels, timers, plates, cookie cutters and a whole lot more. It's all stuff we wanted and needed to set up house and start our life together. It was a lot of thank-you notes to write, but we did genuinely appreciate the gifts.
Since then, I've had the opportunity to give gifts to other friends getting married. I have yet to get a thank-you note, but that's a different post. I enjoy giving gifts, especially when I know the person needs it. But for me at least, getting a gift isn't just the object I receive. It's a daily reminder of the giver. When I make heart shaped biscuits, I think about Shirley Forrester. When I open up my cookbook to make a chocolate cake, I think about Kay King. When I take a long, leisurely bath, I dry off with the biggest, fluffiest towel I've ever seen. And I think about Jennifer Brooks. Every time I use my Kitchen-Aid to make cookies, I smile and think about my Grandma. When I look at all the beautiful windows in our new house, I think of all the people who gave us money (if you were wondering where it went, that's where). Two years later, and I still remember these little things. It's really neat, because it reminds me to pray for people who I might tend to forget.
So when you're picking out a gift for the next bridal shower you have to endure, remember that a gift is more than a gift. At least, it is to me.