Mike is back so bring on the typos and run-ons!
Merry Christmas from Thailand! I woke up early today and am writing from bed in our 2-bedroom tent at Visama Mae Chan, which is a brand new hotel that just opened 2 weeks ago. It sits in the north of Thailand right down the road from the Friends of Thai Daughters’ home. More on the Friends of Thai Daughters to come but first some Christmas feels. This is the 2nd Christmas in 3 years that we are not in our home with our tree. Ronan was especially sad last night, and I understand. There are so many things that I will miss on this Christmas morning. I will miss casserole, croissants, orange juice, trivia on the stairs, making the kids wait in our bed while I check to see if Santa came, eating Muddy’s cookies and carrots, fussing at the kids to slow down opening presents, deciding to start a list to keep track of presents and thank you notes and then losing that list and forgetting to keep track, and mostly just sitting on our couch in our matching PJs. It is easy to see why Ronan was sad and why he wrote the sweetest note to help himself process and get ready for bed. But in typical optimist Mike fashion, I am choosing to focus on all the things we won’t miss, and all the things that will make this Christmas special. As Elza would say “FPAS” (F-ing Predictable As Shh).
I am grateful this morning for many things:
-that we got to cuddle together in bed and read “The Night Before Christmas”
-that we all have matching PJs
-that Elza brought the stockings and placed them on the kids bed just like at home
-that we will spend a lazy morning together
-that we are on another amazing adventure that our kids will never forget
-that Ja is back and we have all got to celebrate his return
-that we get to be the first to wish Doc a happy birthday
-that we don’t have a million presents under the tree and we can just enjoy being together
-that the kiddos love each other so well and throughout this whole adventure have laughed and played and supported each other
-that we got to go to a Thai premiere league soccer game on Christmas Eve
-that we get to experience being homesick and allow it to remind us of the friends, family, and community we love
-that we get to be here in Thailand and learn so much about Khai’s home and the place that her and Ozzie met and fell in love
-that I get to share this amazing adventure with amazing wife Elza
Merry Christmas Everyone! Enjoy some photos!
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