Saturday, March 23, 2024

Boots!

 We have a new dog named Boots.

    What does that name conjure up in your mind?

        He is like a refined, polite, distinguished gentleman

        The Uncle who joins the kids' fun: gentle and fun

        A pleasant companion who is (usually) content just to be near

    He just might be our new favorite!

We have a new dog named Boots.

    He's mostly husky, but black with white boots.

        Husky stubbornness has been well-trained

        Still so far he's not too vocal

        And since winter has chased away our spring-like weather he's not shedding yet

    He is a delight to walk and play with

We have a new dog named Boots.

    Some lucky family will find in him a wonderful dog

        Companionable without being trouble to leave alone

        Smart and pretty well-trained already

        A lovely sociable playmate with other dogs

    Just don't let him see that neighborhood rabbit or squirrel!

We have a new dog named Boots.

    Who brings us tidbits of new excitements

        Who can jump our 6-ft backyard fence when he sees that squirrel scamper along to top

        Who thinks nothing of a wintery March river swim

        Who pulls Jasmin off her bike because - squirrel!

    Enjoyable excitement after some of our other dogs

We have a new dog named Boots.

    He has some interesting quirks

        He cannot abide to stay upstairs - even if everyone home is up there

        He prefers to sleep downstairs on the floor even though invited into kids' beds

        He's not all that interested in human food

    Quirks we're quite happy with!

We have a new dog named Boots.

    

Saturday, March 09, 2024

Counting Thailand Trip

60+ adults gaining encouragement and new direction through the Family Education Conference

40+ kids enjoying the children's program (even reluctant teens and those needing extra care became enthusiastic about attending)

16 days away from home

16 workshops (covering topics as wide ranging as brain development, emotional regulation, high school planning)

6 attempts at finding a place to hold a baptism (eventually at a top floor condo swimming pool at 10:45 pm!)

6 modes of transport used (taxi, train, plane, songtao, van, feet)

5 cities visited (Montreal, Tokyo, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Penang)

5 family consults (SAFE families that mom helps problem solve schooling issues)

5 testing meetings (at the conference there was educational testing provided; the team was short staffed so Mom helped out)

5 lost phone numbers (our Malaysian sim cards expired... we had hoped to keep them active until we returned)

4 days out of the 16 were completely all travel! (Taxi-train-plane-plane-taxi)

4 new team members welcomed

3 different currencies used in transactions (Baht, Dollars, Ringgit)

3 days of conference sessions (but what with all the consults we didn't get to go to many of them!)

3 days of staff meetings post-conference (so full of debriefing thankfulness and energy to begin plans for next year)

2 good byes for retiring team members (by zoom and in person)

2 workshops presented (what Dad came to do)

2 very important meetings in Penang (regarding our hopeful return next year)

1 trip to Sticky Falls (a fun outing at climbable waterfalls!)

1 unexpected encouraging joyful baptism (a young man Dad led to the Lord last year whom Dad's disciple has been discipling)

Uncountable:

encouraging moments

greetings with old friends

fantastic meals and snacks

new learning

God's blessings

pangs of longing to be living in Asia again

texts and calls to kids at home