Yogur Face Painting

At almost 14 months old now, Brooke has definitely arrived at the "I want to do it myself!" and "I want want big people are eating!" stage. She's definitely got strong opinions about mealtime now, and the dinnertime decibel level has definitely reached a deafening din. But who couldn't love a yogurt-covered face like this?!

Brooke's other major accomplishment is that she is quite adept at climbing up & down stairs. We are seriously delighted to no longer have a gate between our kitchen and family room area (it has just 2-3 stairs). She can zip up the main stairs to the 2nd floor as soon as we get distracted, and does quite well scooting down them under our watchful eyes, but I'm confident the gate on these stairs will remain for the foreseeable future. The tile at the bottom doesn't make for soft, boo-boo-free landings!

God's Creativity - Part III

No trip to Thailand seems complete without seeing one of God's most amazing creatures - elephants! I took advantage of an afternoon off and headed to a nearby elephant farm to see these amazing creatures in action. A 30-minute elephant ride through the rainforest was certainly a highlight! And who knew these beefy guys were so tourist friendly? Packed on the side of the elephant was a handy umbrella so the occasional downpours don't dampen your ride too much.

God's Creativity - Part II

Another example of God's incredible creavity found in Thailand are orchids. They are found in abundance around the country in a variety of types and colors, and many cities, including Chiang Mai, have orchid farms that you can visit. This shot was taken at a combo orchid and butterfly farm, though the butterflies were few & far between. Plenty of gorgeous orchids to enjoy, however.

Ready for some orchid triva? There are 25,000+ types, making it the most common type of plant in the world. Though many are edible and used for cooking in some cultures (e.g. Hawaii), vanilla is the only edible fruit of the orchid family. Hey, you learn something new everyday!

God's Creativity

 

Just returned from a trip to Thailand for work, where I was sharing at a conference for colleagues from around the region. We stayed at a hotel tucked away up in the mountains near Chiang Mai, the grounds of which were quite beautiful with a stream flowing through it and a big pond. The Chiang Mai region is a rain forest, and, sure enough, we had plenty of rain every day! But all that rain makes the region quite scenic, too. I came across this beautiful butterfly (technically, I think it is a moth, but don't ask me to provide a discourse on the difference between the two!) on my first day there. Its wings were bigger than my hands! Getting close to something like this helps you appreciate God's creativity. "For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands" (Psalm 92:4).