Here's a riddle for you, "What is worse than a 23 hour flight across the world?" Answer, "Having a stomach virus on a 23 hour flight across the world!" On Monday before Ethan and I left on Tuesday, I caught a violent bug and it didn't run it's course until we had arrived home Thursday night. There's just nothing like being sick in a 3X3 airplane bathroom. I really didn't know if I could do the whole airport thing-packing up, lugging the bags around, setting on a plane that long...God provided in some really tangible ways. Thank goodness that Ethan was with me, he totally took care of all 4 of our 50lb bags, even lifting my heavy carry-on to the overhead bin was such a blessing. The most amazing thing was that the 10 1/2 hour flight from Heathrow to Bangkok was WAY undersold. I could totally spread out across 4 seats right by the lavatories. I can't tell you how many times I whispered to the Lord, "Oh, thank you, God." I'm glad that I serve a personal God who knows my every need and hears me when I call.

When I initially started getting sick I was hoping it might be food poisoning. Wouldn't that be ironic, getting food poisoning in America?? rather than Thailand! But my suspicions have confirmed, it was viral and bad news. Ethan began getting sick as soon as we landed early Thursday morning, we couldn't get home fast enough from the airport to get to our beds and our toilets, not much of a greeting for Mark and the boys. I felt weak and exhausted. Enough of a greeting that I passed it on to Mark.

I've been setting at his bedside in the ER here now for three hours while they try to get some control on his diarrhea, replace some of his lost fluids...Some of you may remember another similar episode Mark had in VA? The thump I heard from the basement, when he had passed out on our bedroom floor from dehydration with the overnight visit to the ER?

I had managed to stay awake all day, pushing myself hard to get to the grocery store and get a nice dinner on the table for my guys-my first official night home. I called Mark at 6:30pm and told him I just couldn't hold out any longer and had to go to bed. Ethan had been vomiting during the day and had slept off and on. I left Dustin and Nathan in charge and went to bed. I do remember Mark coming in and kissing me at one point otherwise I was sleeping on and off, cognizant that Mark now had diarrhea! I was awakened about 1:00 a.m. with him calling for me from the bathroom floor. He was cold and clammy and saying, "I think I better go to the hospital."

I'm so thankful we live close to the hospital and that we both obtained our license just if even for occasions like these. Dustin helped me walk him to the car and I drove us over and got him right in the ER. After some IV fluids and drugs he is resting between trips to the bathroom but not feeling as faint and weak now. He just doesn't have that residual fat that I do to sustain him when he gets so sick! Hopefully, they will send us home in a few hours.

Please, please pray that my Mom continues to be symptom free, she had been when I talked to her yesterday? She is due to receive her last chemotherapy session on Monday. I've been praying protection for her ever since I started feeling ill while I was sleeping with her in the hotel. Please also pray that Dustin and Nathan will be protected as well. They didn't accompany us to Houston because they have been studying intensely for their IGCSE exams, cumulative, 2 year exams required for British schools. Two years of work riding on these exams. Nathan has three this week and Dustin two, I'm just praying they don't become ill. The times are regulated by the British government and I'm not sure if they would have to wait until November to retest. Let's just pray it doesn't come to that. That the Lord will protect them from this bug. Pray that Marko will begin to feel better. He is moaning a lot and wiggling around in bed, it is so difficult to get comfortable with all the stomach cramping. Not a very good gift I brought him from America.

I'm about to head back to Thailand on Tuesday, by the time I return I will have been here a month. My sister will take over staying with Mom and helping her get through her last chemo treatment while Dad finishes up their annual roping events at the boot shop. As I look back on this journey with Mom over the last 6 months I'm amazed at how God has orchestrated events, cared for Mom and Dad, provided for all their needs....Families are hard, everyone goes through their difficulties but I would have to say how proud I've been at how our family has rallied around Mom during this time. It's been so encouraging to see Dad care for Mom, putting his needs and wants second in order to help her through this. Lavon, my sister, has taken the insurance load off of them. What a blessing that they don't have to worry about that too. Mark and my boys have sacrificed much allowing me to be here for weeks because they love Pappa Joe and Grandmamma so much. One day in March after school Dustin was lamenting about how much he loved having me home in Thailand, as he was eating some warm cookies! I said, "I'm sorry I will be leaving again soon and won't be here." He responded, "Hey, lose a Mom to save a Mom!" So sweet! But this week I was reminded again how it has taken all of us doing our little parts as Mom does her big part of undergoing her treatments, keeping up her great attitude, and fighting this cancer. Mom and I were looking for a recent TV interview of Coli, my nephew, on the calf-roping sponsored by Joe's Boot Shop and ran across the following college project of one of their customers. I just want to express my thanks to Coli and his little family for all they have done on their parts to take over and run the boot shop allowing Mom and Dad to be here over the last 6 months. He has really stepped up in taking the reins of their business at such a young age. So proud of him and thankful for him. I'm adding the interview so you can get a glimpse of Coli and their business. So proud of him!!

A Quick Note

I struggle staying motivated to keep on blogging but I did want to send a short update and ask you to be praying. Please continue to pray for my mother, we are so thankful that her cancer is responding to treatment and she is persevering on in this battle. Please pray for Ethan and I as we travel tonight back to America to be with Mom through her 4th and 5th treatments, while Dad returns to help with the annual Joe's Boot Shop Calf-Roping event. We leave at 0100 and we are flying through London this time, that is a first! Usually we fly through Japan but with all the recovery going on there I assume they have rerouted some of the flights? No matter, it's still over 24 hours on a plane and Ethan really dreads it, please pray for him specifically that he can trust in God when he feels fearful. Also pray for Mark, Dustin and Nathan as we will again be apart for a month. Thanks so much.

This morning our devotional was from 2 Corinthians1:3-4. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

It was such great timing! I talked with the boys that this specifically addresses some of the 'why's' that I am going to help Mom again. God wants us to help and comfort others with the same comfort that we've been shown. I reminded the boys of how Mom comforted/helped/supported/loved us through the waiting on their arrival-helping rearrange our house so that I could camp out in the dining room while on bedrest, the cooking she did for us during that time, the helping to prepare the nursery for their arrival. Then after their births, how many weeks she stayed with us, taking the late night feedings, helping me cope with three, little, premies at home...I thought about the time she came to LA the Christmas after Abbie died, how she decorated my whole house for Christmas because I just didn't have the energy or the desire to even think about Christmas. The list could just go on and on. I'm so thankful for her and all the times she has comforted me, I pray that I can be able to support her through this cancer ordeal in a manner that would bring praise to the Father of mercies.

I did want to share about my morning bike ride. Usually, I'm out by 0600 every day riding my bike to a nearby park, I make 5 or 6 loops around the park, use some of the work-out equipment and then head back. But on occasion I head the opposite direction and ride through the countryside of Thailand. Which, by the way, is quickly disappearing around us. I CAN NOT believe how much building and tearing down of trees...that has been done in the last 3 years around us:( Anyway today being my last day to enjoy Thailand before being gone a month I took the more scenic, authentic route.

I really can't explain to you how much I love living here. The quiet of the countryside, seeing the beautiful sunrise coming across the hills and palm trees. The farmers out tending to their tapioca fields. The lady filling up her water jugs from the spicket behind her home. The people sleeping in their hammocks. A man working in his green, luscious garden.

This morning I passed a monk in his golden orange robe making his merit rounds. I've told you before that monks depend totally on the morning walks for their daily food and do not eat after lunch? The Thai ladies waiting at their gates with their food offerings of rice, squatting in reverence. I'm reminded once again to pray for the Thai people who so wholeheartedly believe that they can 'earn' the right to be reincarnated to a better life. I spend my ride praying for each of these devoted ladies that they can somehow meet the One who has already done all the work for them, that they would know they could never 'earn' their way to eternal life, that the truth of the gospel can be made known here in Thailand.

I'm thankful that I get to live here, well, I could do with a lot less dogs!!! This morning I had to get off my bike three times to put the bike between me and the dogs while I pick up a rock to pelt them with. Usually if you just make the motion of bending down they run the other way, this morning was especially challenging. I glad I will be in the states but will be glad to 'glup Thailand' too!

Last week I travelled to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia with Ethan's under 13 Regent's Sports Team for their annual competition for all International Southeast Asia Schools. Ethan had worked very hard over the last few months training for several events. He came home with the gold medal in discus, the bronze in 25m backstroke, the silver in the freestyle relay, and his basketball team received the bronze medal. It was our first trip to Malaysia for Ethan and I. We took advantage of the one day he wasn't competing and travelled to the city center. It is a muslim nation and feels a lot like Singapore. Clean and a great infrastructure. We enjoyed browsing around the mall in the twin towers, with many high-end, designer stores. We didn't buy one thing!! But enjoyed our taco salad at Chili's with Ranch dressing so much!!!It's a very green city with rolling hills so it feels so much smaller than Bangkok. We like Thai food so much more than Malay! I roomed with a Thai mom from our school, we were supposed to have twin beds but their idea of twin beds was quite different than ours. We had to sleep in a king bed with blankets folded down the middle of the bed-just different!

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Ethan is 13!

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Northern Hill Tribe Trip

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Well, I'm back in Thailand and have lots to talk about and little time to do that but wanted to post these pictures and video of today's International Day at the boys' school. This is always one of my favorite events the school puts on, I love seeing over 50 countries represented with their colorful clothing and their country presentations.
Dustin and Nathan represented America in the country presentation with an original song they wrote. Dustin performed with the Soul Band and the Battle of the Bands competition-which his band won!! Ethan sang with a group that will be performing in the musical, Wizard of Oz, in three weeks at Regent's. The Bakery Girls were invited to sell their goods and I had to work a shift at the American table where we once again sold Louisiana Gumbo.

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