Jack, the ladies man

This week started with Jeff working late Monday night. Then late on Tuesday night. But, he did make it home in time for our Thai lesson at 7pm, so it could have been worse. I was glad he made it because Anutra brought us a special treat that night. Faa (check out last week's blog if you don't know who she is) and 2 of her friends from school came to play with the kids. Faa was just as excited to see Jack as he was to see her. Janie had a hard day, so she was down at 6:30, but Jack had a late nap this day, so it was nice for him to have the best playmates ever to entertain him (and wear him out) while Jeff and I took turns with Anutra. We could hear the girls and Jack laughing in the play room as they put on puppet shows, built lego towers, and read a LOT of books. Jack was sneaky in taking the camera in there and they had a blast taking loads of pictures. The girls have given Jack a nickname in Thai that to the best of my knowledge is the equivalent of a "ladies man".



Faa is the one on the left, the middle one is Deer, and on the right is Dit. Jeff took this one when he went to make sure Jack was treating the ladies right. Jack absolutely adores Faa and so do we. She came back again on Thursday to play and we hope this continues. We have all fallen in love with her.

Wednesday morning we went to visit the Pakkret Baby home, an orphanage just outside of the city. Last time I was there, I met a woman and her husband who live in the city part-time and they gave us all a ride back in after we left the Baby home. I kept in touch with her, and they were the ones that took us out there that day. I can't say enough nice things about Nancy and Tong. They are some of the warmest people I've ever known. She was a teacher for 30 years, and between the two of them, they have 4 children, so they are very understanding of why their back seat looks the way it does after we are in it! They go and visit a certain baby, Suwanan, several times a week when they are in town, and just love that little girl! I love to see people spending their time doing such good things like this. It's definitely not something that is immediately rewarding, or you get much praise for, but to that little Suwanan, they are making a big difference in her life. We had a fun visit with them to and from the Baby Home and the kids and I had a fun visit with many of the kids of all ages. Jack immediately found the big kids and wanted to go to "school" with them. Jack can't wait to go to school. He's counting down the days.


Jack liked counting in Thai with them because he knows how to do that, but later he told me that the kids weren't being very nice. I asked him what the problem was. He informed me that they wouldn't speak English, only Thai.

As much as I loved Jeff working late those nights, I was very excited for him to meet me and the kids at a reasonable time on Wednesday night at the Paragon for dinner and a visit to Ocean World. The kids and I had a very hectic morning, so it was an extra treat for me to have help with the kids in the evening. Having Grandpa there is always a big bonus too. The kids adore him.



Dad loves aquariums, so we tried to let him go at his own pace. The kids move pretty fast until we get to the playland. This was a pretty typical picture of this night. Dad enjoying all that this fun place has to offer, Jack being a typical 3 year old and changing his focus every 3 seconds, Janie enjoying an entire bucket of carmel corn a Japanese lady gave her, and Jeff being handsome and happy. It was a fun evening together.


If I take the time to do Janie's hair, she has to be entertained by all the things on my bathroom counter. This day, she just loved sitting and standing in the sink and of course, admiring herself in the mirror. Isn't she adorable?

Friday, the kids and I had a free day, so we decided to visit the Children's Museum once again. I love this place.

There are always lots of school kids visiting, which makes me really happy to have blond kids so they are easy to spot. We went and had lunch at a small food court that sells pancakes with pictures of cats on them, crepes, and ice cream. While we were eating, an audience gathered around us. These sweet girls didn't know a lick of English, so they just stood around our table and watched me and the children. I figured that this was probably one of the few times that I knew more Thai than they knew English, so I should use it. I learned their names, how old they were, where they were from, and the name of their school. They asked me where I live, where I'm from, our names, how old we are, and how much my camera cost (I thought that one was odd, but tried my best to put it in Baht). I was feeling a desire to learn a LOT more Thai after this. These girls were perfect to practice on though. Thank goodness I know how to say "what did you say?" They had to repeat things 2-3 times before I understood. Hopefully I'll do better next time because whenever there was a lull in our broken conversation, they just stood very close and watched us eat. It was pretty hilarious.

Friday night, I got to attend a Buddhist funeral with Anutra. It was her Auntie who had passed away, and she thought I would enjoy seeing their customs and meeting her family. She was right. One of the things I found most interesting was that they wait 100 days before actually holding the funeral. Soon after death, they put water on the deceased's hands to represent asking for forgiveness for any hard feelings. The body is stored in a pavilion in the temple that the family pays to rent for the 100 days until the funeral and the cremation ceremony. The ceremony consisted of many different groups of families, all there for their own relative, and all facing different directions toward their pavilion. I got to meet Anutra's parents, brother, and spend more time with Bird, her husband who I think is so sweet. Meeting her family was new to me because I wasn't exactly certain of the protocol on greetings with the Thai Wai, especially as a Farang. They were all very sweet and understanding of my initial awkwardness, and made me feel like I fit right in. They served water and a wonton soup that was quite good. I sat and visited with Anutra and Bird (they were the only ones that I could speak to) while the monks prayed inside (the seating was outside for ours, but we could see inside part of the pavilion). Off and on, we would hold our hands in a reverent wai, but I was surprised to see the conversations continue. This occasion wasn't at all a sad one. People were happy to be together, and I liked this. The more I've thought about it, the more I see the wisdom in the 100 day waiting period. There are many reasons for this, but the one I love is that it is just a time that family can accept what has happened, start getting used to life without them, and say their goodbyes before they are put in the ground (or the sea in this instance). After the 100 days, the body is cremated in another special ceremony that I wasn't able to attend. The ashes are then put in a body of water. I felt so honored that I could attend this event and get a taste of more Thai traditions, but most of all, it was fun just to spend time with Anutra and Bird. They are such a great couple and have become dear friends.



Dad took this amazing picture on his way home from work the other night. I've never seen a family this big all fit on one motorcycle before. Go ahead, count them. I can't believe the picture turned out so well. After well over 1000 pictures on this trip, Dad has turned into quite a photographer!


We all spent Saturday with Jeff and Dad's friends from work visiting the city of Ayutthya, which is the old capitol city of Thailand. There are hundreds of temple ruins throughout the city, but we only visited a few of them. This was one with a huge tower in the middle, and rows of Buddha statues surrounding it. They are all draped in orange robes, like the ones the monks wear here. FYI, the Buddha worshiped in Thailand is a different looking Buddha image than most Americans have probably seen. This Buddha is not the big, fat Buddha, but a tall, slender one who commonly has his hands in different positions, signifying different messages. They are the same Buddha, but at different times of his life, so they look like completely different images. Of course, this is just to the best of my knowledge, so if you know more, please let us all know!


This is everybody. Starting from the right is Nay, me and the kids, Dave at the end, Dad, Pink, Luck, and Luck's husband (I really wish I could remember his name right now because he was great. Sorry!). This was a fun place along the river and they even had a fun playground for the kids! It was a fun outdoor atmosphere, and we enjoyed the luxury of having people there that could order food we would like as well as a few new things. Thai food is delicious.


This is a famous Buddha image located at some of the ruins. I didn't quite get all the details, but from what I could tell, the rest of the Buddha statue is somewhere else on the grounds, but the head remains here, and the tree has surrounded it. There was a guard there watching as people took pictures. He made sure that everyone knelt down in front of it, so as not to put their head above Buddha's head in a picture. I think this is beautiful.


Another beautiful temple, near the ruins, but this was still very much intact. It contained a very large Buddha image inside and lots of people reciting prayers (that's my guess anyway), and shaking sticks in a can. I am hoping to learn more about this soon.


Jane was pretty spent about half way through the day. She woke up early and has had a cold. We were all very impressed with how well she held up with such a busy day!

Does anyone agree that this place looks like Disneyland? Especially if you could hear the happy-go-lucky music that was playing on the speakers throughout the Palace grounds. I just kept waiting for Mary Poppins or Minnie Mouse to come walking by. I feel like this a lot in the parks here. They really know how to landscape here and it always looks freshly manicured.

This was my favorite part of the day, just walking under the trees on these beautiful grounds and enjoying the sculpted animal shrubs, smooth sidewalks, and beautiful buildings. I was surprised to see many of the buildings built to look very European. I asked about this, and discovered that King Rama IV had just visited France when he designed this place. He liked the architecture there (as do I), so he decided to use it as a guide. There is also a building (used as a city hall type of place) that was given as a gift from the Chinese to the King. It is obvious that the style is quite different than the traditional Thai style. Both very intricate and beautiful, but very different. I loved the variation of style all within the Palace walls.

As far as just regular life goes, we definitely feel very blessed. We are seeing so many unique things and meeting some of the most wonderful people ever. On a more personal note, I feel like my challenge this week has been coming to terms with the fact that I will probably not have any English speaking, stay at home mom friends in the building. This probably wouldn't seem like a big deal, but going from having several friends within a one-minute walk in West Jordan, to having my closest friend be 40 minutes away is an adjustment. I realized this week that we've been here for a month and I have yet to meet one. All of the English speakers I've met (all two of them) are working women, so I meet their children on the playgrounds and get to know their nannies really well. The nannies are GREAT, but they are Thai and speak very little English. But, this is actually better than the Japanese mothers who seem to have mostly chosen not to work, because I speak better Thai than Japanese. I have met some extremely nice women here, but if it's not the working thing, it's the language barrier. We realize that we really don't fit in any mold here because we aren't living the rich expat life, we aren't Japanese (like 75% of Exapts here), we are much younger than everyone we've met (besides our friends who are students), I don't work, and neither of our children are in school yet. I'm sorry if it sounds like I am complaining. We really love it here, challenges and all, but the truth is, some days it's hard to be so far away from family and friends. I have hopes that as our building continues to fill up, I might find someone that speaks English that I can relate to with everyday things, but as for now, I will be patient and grateful for the wonderful friends we do have here and at home. So, thank you!

Today, Jeff was sustained as the first Elder's Quorum President in the Bangkok English speaking ward. Turns out they've never had an Elder's Quorum President because they've always been combined with the High Priests because of the size or something. We've had a couple of weeks to get used to this idea, and know that it is our opportunity to give back to this ward. Jeff will be wonderful, as always, and I know he will grow to know and love the people as he serves them. I have always admired his amazing work ethic and his ability to relate to people of all different nationalities, which is exactly what this will be. We love this ward. We have been so touched by the faith and testimonies of its members. The missionary work here is amazing, and people are accepting the gospel at an amazing rate. Last week, 10 brothers and 1 sister were confirmed during our sacrament meeting. Today, a young girl (I think 9), was confirmed. Her parents were baptized just after we arrived. The father was able to join in the confirmation by holding the microphone for the Bishop. He also blessed the Sacrament today for the first time. I didn't know he spoke any English (I think they are from Nepal), so it was so sweet to hear him say the prayer so well. What amazing examples we witness everyday. We feel so blessed to be a part of it.


On a lighter note, I thought I'd finish off with a very typical Jack moment. He spends many hours tying things up using any kind of string or rope. In this instance, it was the vacuum cord. You can see how he's rigged it to the hanger which is attached to the coffee table drawer. Also take note of the underpants. Notice anything? Yes, they are on backwards. 9/10 times they are on backwards, but he definitely doesn't mind, and who am I to complain when he dresses himself so well (usually with more than just underwear, I promise)? Pick your battles, right?

Friends and Family

Let me introduce some new friends...

This is the Norin Family. I met them at church last week, and after visiting with both Mattias and Camilla individually, I decided we just had to have them over for dinner! Everyone I meet here has a story to tell, but I loved what this family was doing and wanted to hear more. They are from Sweden, but decided this was their chance to travel while Mattias was on parental leave from his job. They sold their home and are traveling around the world for 6 months with their 4 children. I love that they are able to enjoy this time together while their children are so young, although it is also quite a challenge I am sure. Jack loved playing with the boys, Oliver and Alvin, and Benjamin is just younger than Jane. Aleena, their oldest, was so sweet. I loved to watch how she was with Benjamin. Definitely an exceptional older sister. She reminds me of my friend, Tara, who was a “second mom” to her 7 younger siblings. I always watched her knowing that she will be the best mom. So, Tara, keep me posted! Camilla and Mattias spoke amazing English (it was hard to believe it was their second language!). Their children are still just learning, but it really didn't make much difference, especially for the boys. We could hear them laughing and giggling in the play room all evening! We all fell in love with the whole family and enjoyed hearing about their adventures and traveling tips, as well as looking at their pictures of beautiful islands they visited down south. And, it was nice to learn that Swedish Fish really do exist in Sweden, contrary to what one of Jeff's associates from Sweden once told us. Wow, there's a lot we need to do in just 2 short years! Jeff and I are inspired by this sweet family and are currently exploring new travel goals for our little family in the future. I got an email from Camilla recently and they arrived safely in Malaysia the next day, and it sounds like a very nice, clean, and family friendly place. We look forward to them returning to Bangkok for an additional week and having them over at least once more!

Another friend from church is Sherri. She is a professional tour guide and one of the sweetest women ever. I spoke to her last Sunday just to ask for a few tips of how to get places and what to see, and she insisted on being our guide at the Grand Palace as well as a day outside of Bangkok on her days off. Can you believe her? She wouldn't accept any pay, but at least let us buy her lunch both days.

Monday, after a very slow start and LOTS of rain (and you can see that when it rains here, wow!), we enjoyed a fun afternoon learning about the Grand Palace and seeing the famous emerald Buddha.

While we sat underneath an overhang, Jane and Jack both jumped out in the rain, playing mostly underneath the heaviest flow of rain running off the roof. I'm sure my sister, Vanessa, was a lot like this when she was a baby. She was always the water fight queen at our house.

Mom and Jack in front of one of the buildings near the temple.

Sherri's profession is extremely useful, she answered so many of our questions and told us things we would never even know to ask! She also planned our entire day on Thursday, where we hired a van and driver to take us 2 hours out of the city to see the River Kwai. We got a late start once again, but Sherri guaranteed us that we would still see everything, and we did.

We started off at the cemetery where the prisoners of WWII were buried that died while building the Bridge (I hope I'm getting this right). The conditions were so poor and the Japanese soldiers treated them so harshly that the death rate was extremely high. It was heart-breaking to see the headstones and learn about the situation in the museum later.

On the positive side, the cemetery was absolutely beautiful and a worthy monument to respect those who lost their lives during the war, particularly in such a cruel way. I went into this cemetery and museum knowing next to nothing (just what Mom had told me about the movie, Bridge over the River Kwai) and left feeling like I had a basic understanding of what had occurred. Yet, I'm sure I am not doing history justice with my brief description. To put it simply, I was very touched, and my respect for those serving our country has grown to an even higher level.

We ate lunch at a place in the middle of nowhere. Even when the van pulled up, I was thinking “where does she think we are eating?” She led us back to a little outdoor restaurant that had a nice variety of Thai food and very few people. She knew exactly where we were going. We then proceeded to a place where we could go for either a raft ride of an elephant ride. Even though we had already ridden elephants, we chose this route because elephants can't be beat. It was nice scenery and a lot longer ride then at the Crocodile farm, and we went in the river for part of it. Sam and I laughed that we looked like a nice little family of 3 riding together. My only complaint for this part was that there were so many Farangs (foreigners) at this place. Usually, that is a sign that we should go somewhere else. Travel tip: If you aren't the minority, you are paying too much. Despite this, it was an awesome ride, and we got to feed the elephants more afterward, as well as watch them drink milk from a bottle, play a harmonica, and give someone a massage. I love elephants.

We finished off the day with a trip to the actual bridge. It has been bombed and rebuilt so many times, and finally built with steel, but it was neat to see the location. We were quick at this one because we left my sleeping Jane in the car with the Boonmii, the driver. He was awesome. It was a LONG day, but very fun, all except all the driving! I haven't been a car for 2 hours straight for over 3 months!

Thank goodness for Grandmas.

We visited the Children's Museum this week which was very fun. Janie was so cute in this little market.

It was a nice down day for the kids, as well as Me, Mom and Sam. They added a whole new section on Robots that was really fun (and Air Conditioned!). That night, Mom and Dad watched the kids and let Jeff, Sam and I go out together. We enjoyed our favorite Pizza, a boat ride to China town, a tuk-tuk, train, and subway ride, the best ice cream ever, and some shopping. Mostly, we just loved being together. Sam is a riot. We loved that time with him.

Here are a few more friends we haven't mentioned yet. This is Anutra and her husband, Bird. The young gal is Faa (her name means Sky, isn't that beautiful?). Anutra is our Thai teacher who comes and teaches us 1-2 times a week depending on schedules. She is SO much fun and knows more about her own culture and History than anyone I've ever met. She answers all our questions about Buddhism, which we are very interested in learning about because it is so intertwined with the culture in Thailand. We fell in love with Anutra the first night we met her, and were so happy when she offered to spend the day with us at the Ancient City. The Ancient City is a small replica (320 acres) of the entire country of Thailand, highlighting over 100 monuments, temples and traditional homes. She arranged for the van and driver, and we were so excited she brought her sweet husband along as well as Faa, one of her previous English students, to help with the children (a nice surprise).

Everyone feeding the fish. We laughed and laughed at how Janie occasionally couldn't figure out how to let go of the food.

Anutra used to be a tour guide (she knows everything!), so she'd been here many times and knew what highlights were the best. Faa and Bird had also been here many times, so they also answered our questions, and helped us learn some new Thai words. We had heard a lot about Bird, and immediately could see why Anutra is still so smitten with him after 13 years of marriage. She told me last Tuesday during our lesson that each day feels like they were just married. They don't have children, but they are both naturals when it came to playing with ours.

Faa was also extremely helpful, particularly because Jack would not let her out of his sight. He was quite taken with her and constantly wanted to hold her hand, hug, and kiss her. We have never seen him be this way so quickly with anyone. I think Faa was enjoying this attention as much as Jack. If not, she certainly hid it well! We all wanted to just take her home with us! Jack blushed today when we were looking at these pictures of her. We are hoping she might be a good option for watching the children if we ever decide to have a date while we live in Thailand. Hasn't happened yet, but we keep hoping!

The day was a lot of fun, but a little overwhelming because although we didn't really travel all of Thailand, we learned about dozens of different parts of Thailand in just one day. And with Anutra, you really learn a LOT. A common phrase in our home, "Anutra will know!". Definitely a place everyone should visit that comes here. It was easy to see that this is a special place for the Thai people. Jeff told me tonight that when we arrived, Bird told him “I am happy when I am here”. We love the pride that Thais have in their country and heritage. I loved all that I learned and seeing the beautiful buildings, but most of all just loved being with family and our wonderful Thai friends. What a day!

Jack showing off his rocket. He never sits long enough to draw or color much, so this was fun to see him have fun drawing this day. His new favorite game is the "letter game". I give him a word (e.g. ball, zoom, box) and he tells me what letter it starts and ends with. He keeps saying "I read, I read!". I love this.

It was sad to say goodbye to Mom and Sam on Saturday. I miss them already, but realize they need to return to real life! I'm sure they were ready to go home. At least we still have Dad here for another 10 days. We'll take what we can get!

It's been a pure joy to have my in-laws here. No one has better in-laws than me. I can't believe I am lucky enough to have the world's best parents and in-laws. It's been fun to get a fresh perspective on our life in Thailand. We realize how we are just getting used to things here, like seeing a family of 4 riding on a motorcycle, or someone riding a bike attached to a broom or ice cream stand, or how about a cleaning woman mopping in between occupied urinals (just heard about that one). Yes, it happens. It was hilarious to hear Sam describe his first experience with this to Mom the first day they were here. I believe her words were “Oh, there was not!” Yes, there was. We are so used to things like this, so it's fun to have someone else experience this and remind us that this is a very unique experience! We are still loving it, no question. We are so grateful to be here, even with all it's challenges.

Tourists for a week

This week has been so fun-filled, it's hard to know where to begin. Well, for starters, let me just say how much we have loved having Mom, Dad, and Sam here. It is so fun to be able to share this fun adventure with family! They have been so willing to try new things, and they are amazingly independent in a very short amount of time. I am particularly impressed with (1) Sam's yearning for adventure and shopping stamina (and impressive patience when we have our down time), (2)Dad's excitement for the people he works with and the city life (it was a little overwhelming to him at first, but he is now appreciating the charm of crowded sidewalks and people cutting his pineapple with no gloves on!), and (3)Mom's talent with a map and amazing bargaining power (she walked away from a stand last night with a wallet originally priced at 650 Baht, for only 200 Baht. That's what I'm talkin' about.) I have loved every minute with my in-laws. It really has been some of our funnest times together. It's amazing what fun memories you make when you are together on the other side of the globe.

Each day was pretty packed with new things, some touristy, some not. Unfortunately, Dad and Jeff had to work. Bummer. But, I think we'll just be grateful for "work" because that is why they are able to come here. Yay! I think the most effective way to share is with pictures, and I've got plenty. Enjoy!


Mom, Sam, and I wanted to try taking a water Taxi to get to Wat Pho, a famous Temple (Wat is the word for Temple, FYI). We went to the dock and stood at the information desk like a bunch of dummies and waited for someone to help us. And help us they did. We had a guy hire us a private water taxi for what I was thinking was way too much, but it sure got us there fast. I was feeling a little huffy about the price (silly, because Mom paid!), especially because when we got there, we had to pay a "docking fee" that I was sure was a hoax. I am a little too suspicious of getting taken advantage of. Too many stories of dumb tourists and deceiving natives, I guess. (Which, I might add, is not the norm for the natives. It is this very reason that makes me prefer the "living" aspect over the "touring" aspect of Thailand. I can't say enough about how wonderful Thais are.) It was a beautiful ride, so we decided to focus on that. (Mom later found out that this price was very normal, as well as the docking fees. I need to relax, I know.)


The scenery was beautiful along the river. We are trying it again tomorrow, but decided to try the shuttle instead of the private taxi this time. We're trying to do it like non-tourists this time, or at least like "less"-tourists.


It was nice to finally see one of the Wats that I've read and heard so much about. This Wat is famous for the giant "reclining Buddha" inside. And it is GIANT. It is 46 meters long and 15 meters tall (this is lying down, remember it's reclining). The feet have very intricate mother of pearl inlay on them, very pretty. It was interesting to walk the grounds, but we really were pretty clueless on all the details of rituals, architecture, etc. We are going to study up better next time. We did, however, fill out surveys for two different school groups, and I think Sam could have filled up the rest of his trip with dates with these cute girls. They thought he was the coolest... and he is.


This day was very hot, and getting home in such a touristy place was a challenge. None of the taxis would use their meter because they are used to dumb tourists who will pay whatever they ask for. I like to think I am at least a little more experienced then the average tourist, so after not agreeing with the first two drivers I talked with, we went a different route. We found a reasonable tuk-tuk driver to take us to the train station. The kids love taking tuk-tuks, and this was Mom and Sam's first, so it was fun. Notice the stroller the driver just tied up to the back. Pretty impressive.


This is a very old tree that Dad walks past everyday on his way to and from work. I don't know much about it, but people put flowers, clothing, food, and a lot of red Fanta bottles as offerings. No one ever removes it, so it just keeps adding up. It's pretty interesting to walk by and see what people have left.


We took everyone to one of our favorite restaurants, the Sylvanian, at a big shopping mall. It's a toy store and a restaurant, but it has these great toys the kids can also play with while we eat. It's a nice, quiet, place where we don't have to worry about the kids and can still have good food. The service is some of the best, and we love Gop, the woman that works there and always plays with the kids. Sam was excited to jump in the balls, only to discover that they weren't quite as deep as he was expecting. Jack thought this was hilarious (I wish you could see his face)!

Mom and Sam were shopping fanatics this week, which unfortunately I didn't take many pictures of. But, we spent two evenings at the Night Bazaar, and I think they saw as many discount clothing markets in one week then I've seen in almost 3 months! As much as we loved the shopping, I have to say, the highlight of the week was Saturday at the Crocodile Farm.


It was so fun to have Jeff and Dad with us during the day! We couldn't all fit in one taxi, so we split up and I got to go with Dad and Jack. We got a very nice driver, besides him wanting to charge us 800 Baht for a ride that should cost around 200. After he realized we weren't going to continue unless he turned the meter on, he took a new approach. He tried the whole way to get us to hire him for the day, so he would wait for us and take us back in the city. It was all very light-hearted, but I have never met a driver that was so persistent! After explaining to him 7-8 times (really, no exaggeration) that we only wanted a one-way trip, he told us all about his little boy named Cartoon, and taxi driving. Once we got to the Farm, he went straight for Mom, trying to talk her into hiring him again. We thought this was hilarious, but we stuck to our guns.


The Crocodile Farm was SO fun, even with it being our second time! We were happy that it was as cool as we remembered it. The animals were awesome, and the kids were amazingly happy the whole day!


We bought a couple buckets of the Crocodile food, it was duck. Sam was hungry so we promised him we would get lunch afterward if he could just hold off another minute.


This was where you actually feed the crocodiles. If you can't read the sign, it says "Please don't put any part of your body or things into Crocodile pool. It is very dangerous." Luckily, banjo players only need 3 fingers. The crocodiles were even more aggressive this time than last. You could really hear their jaws snap and they would always finish their snack with a growl. It was pretty cool.


The Elephant show was again, one of the highlights. I'm fascinated by them. We fed them lots of bananas during the show and went for a ride afterward. We also fed the goats, monkeys, and hippos.


After the farm, Dad bought us all ice cream. Jane saw that she got one all to herself and took it and ran. Do you think she was a little excited? I could barely keep up with her.

I chose not to post more pictures of the animals because I posted so many on my post specifically about the Crocodile Farm. If you want to see more pictures of this fun (but stinky) place, go to my post from December.

Well, there you have it. A few highlights of our week together. Today was very low-key, and that was very welcome! We had a great church meeting this morning, and a fun visit around dinner tonight. Tomorrow, we start all over again. I love that I have one more whole week with Mom and Sam. We've got a lot planned!