Saturday, March 17, 2018

Surprise

Hello~

As many of you know by now I am back in Chiang Rai for a two week visit with Promise Home. Unfortunately I am unable to be with Judy and Joan in June when they bring Care back home so I decided to come for a visit this month. The children are all out of school and will not be going to visit family until April, so this is the perfect time.

Besides having fun and just spending time with the children, I have much to discuss with Big and the older girls. Since both will be Seniors in high school next year, the time has come for them to decide what they wish to do in the future. With this in mind, I will spend time with them talking about all the options available and get them started on the right path for their future education. These will be timely discussions as they will have to let their teachers know what they wish to do after high school once they return. There will be a large (hopefully) group coming to Chiang Rai at the end of February/first part of March to be here to share in their success and graduation from high school. It will be a joyous occasion.

When I made my plans for this trip I told Big I wanted to surprise the children with my arrival. He was very keen on that idea and was masterful in keeping the secret. I arrived at the airport and lovely people at Le Patta were there to great me along with my friend, Ann and then transport me to the hotel. I had already talked to Big and arranged to have him come get me at 5:30 pm.

He was at the house getting dinner ready when he had to leave and when Nittaya said you are not done with dinner and asked where he was going, he said he had to go to the market. What a trip to the market that was. Due to a concert at a local park, the traffic was unusually heavy so it took him over 30 minutes just to get to the hotel. It normally only takes about 10/15 minutes at the most. They were also very curious why he was taking the truck instead of the motorbike to the market.... He did an excellent job playing along. We arrived back at Promise Home around 6:30 pm and Big told me to stay in the truck and he would have the children come over to help him get "some things" out of the truck. Ann was with us and she was in the front seat and I was in the back. So all of the boys came over to the passenger side of the truck and they first saw Ann. Then they looked in back and saw me. Their eyes got wide and they had huge smiles on their faces- they yelled mom and ran off to the back of the truck to tell the rest of the children I was there. I was able to get out of the truck by this time and what a wonderful, wonderful reception I received. To say I was group hugged was a definite understatement.

It was much too dark in the carport area so I do not have have any pictures or videos of my greeting but be assured, it is one I will remember for the rest of my life.

Once all of the excitement gave way, they finished cooking and we all sat down to an enjoyable dinner. Big and Nittaya made coconut chicken soup and sweet and sour chicken. When the children asked why they were getting the sweet and sour chicken, he told them it was because they hadn't had it for a while.

I have been on a diet for almost 4 months now and have been able to lose a significant amount of weight and while we were waiting for dinner I saw Tin and Fon talking together while they both were looking very intently at me. I asked Tin if he noticed how "skinny" Mom was and he emphatically said "yes". He made the motion that I was curvy now..... How sweet that he noticed that right away. So when dinner was served I asked for a small amount of rice- they still handed me far too much and when I went over to the rice cooker to put some back, Nom and Nittaya just looked at me, sort of shaking their heads. At least I ate... I didn't see Nittaya eat at all. She has lost a lot of weight as well but the Thais tend to do that by simply not eating. Not good.

After dinner we all went inside and just spent the evening together playing games and enjoying the company.. As many of my evenings here, it was just great. I love being with the children and the family so I couldn't have asked for a better first night. It is off to church this morning where I will see Fon and the children. Big has tests for his high school courses all day today so we will not see him. I am so very proud of the example he is setting for the children in the importance of finishing school. After church, I don't know what the plans will be but I will spending the evening with Jermsak, Da, Swanya and Ann.

Wiwat, Tereladet and Nom playing checkers

Palita

Wiwat


Tin, Palita and Wandi playing checker/chess 

Jumping rope (rubber band rope)

Nom


Fon, Yim and Wareerat

Nittaya, Ahmorntep and Big building a tower

Ahmorntep 

Yim

Ann

You know who..... 


My time here is only beginning.

Till next time.....

God Bless,

Heather

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