Favorite Summer Picture

I thought about posting a few of my favorite pictures from the summer, but it's just too hard to choose! My very favorite is easy though, and it has the potential to be my desktop background for a long time to come...

Mareesa and Great Grandpa- August 8, 2008

Typhoon Day!

Last night I was out with a group of hopeful teachers, waiting with their fingers crossed that the typhoon would last through the night and give us a day off school. Sure enough, the education bureau canceled school today because of the inclement weather. Yeeeeah!!! So today, I'm enjoying the equivalent of a Saskatchewan "snow day" here in Hong Kong.

The first month of year three in Hong Kong has been a blur of activity. This is the first week that has felt more relaxed in its pace. I'm glad for that. I've said it before, it is a strange feeling but one that I'm so grateful for- to feel so at home here. This year my triangle of life (home, school, tennis court) has been thrown a little out of whack with becoming a lot more connected with my church family. This has been a welcomed whack. :) It's an added circle of friends, and continues to be a stretching and life-giving group to be a part of. I am into teaching Sunday School there, and share the job of leading worship in my weekly small group. And somehow, I signed up to organize the kid's Christmas program! Ha ha. It's going to be awesome (it has to be, with the number of cute faces that will be on stage!).

I'm looking forward to a few different events in the coming months. The first one is a trip to Vietnam. That's next Tuesday, for five days. We'll be in Hanoi and Halong Bay. I've been anticipating the conical hats, rice paddies and pho of Vietnam for sometime now. Passion is coming to Hong Kong in October. This means David Crowder and Chris Tomlin will be here. I'm hoping to go, though I'm actually TOO OLD (aaai yaaa!) for the event!! Seriously! Then in November, I'm going to Macau to see Roger play James Blake in a tennis event (as well as watching John McEnroe and Bjorn Bjorg play doubles) at The Venetian. The main feature of December is a flight home for Christmas for the first time since living in HK. I was thrilled when a friend found me a super cheap flight that made it easy to enjoy a white Christmas with my family. Another main feature of December will be seeing Shannon and Jason's new baby (coming soon!!!), as well as Jeff and Daina's new baby (coming in December). Yeeeeah!!

Anyway, I'm off to enjoy the rest of my typhoon day!

Backtracking to Thailand...

Before I settled into things for another year in HK, and following a wonder-FULL summer in Canada, I spent a week in the south of Thailand. I loved staying with the Honigman family. They live in Phuket, not a bad spot to hang out in for a week! Kara and Gerry are a fantastic pair, and they have three fun, high energy boys- Alec, Elias and Vaughn. It was so much fun to get to know them. After four days in Phuket (including my first parasailing adventure!), I ventured on my own to an island called Ko Phi Phi. It was a great getaway spot. I snorkeled for the first time (a funny sight for anyone- I'm not the most graceful of swimmers), spent time reading and hanging out on the beach, and soaked up the sun! Here are a few pictures from my week...(see the Flickr set to the right)

the pool at Kara and Gerry's compound

Elias, Alec and Vaughn- warriors of the ocean

Vaughn and Kara!

the girls at the beach

Gerry and Alec

flying high

fuuun

arrived at Ko Phi Phi

not a bad sunset

time to reload

beauty