What is it with the Mormons?

I found a funny article called "Why I Can't Stop Reading Mormon Housewife Blogs." I have a friend, Andalucy, whose blog I love to read, who is Mormon. And her sister, who often posts wickedly funny things on Facebook, I also count as one of the very few friends I've never met in person, but I can't wait to! Growing up my friend Lisa and I would hanker our Mormon friends for invitations to dances. People had to dress nicely at those dances. The lights had to be on. Chaperones circulated, making sure there was no hanky-panky (or close dancing) going on. And the dancing--not hanging on to each other, but a clean-cut nice-looking boy would take your hand and hold you around the waist (his name was Mark and we ate too many Frosties at Wendy's so we could gaze at his bastketball picture on the sports wall and yes, Dr. Friess, I was I who stole his picture from the "after" section of your orthodontist's photo album). Going to those dances was like taking a step back in time. It felt simple, safe, and refreshing.

But here's the thing--the girl we would finagle invitations out of was one of 13 children. Her father was the principal at our elementary school. Our neighbors also sported a family of 13 kids (including 2 sets of twins). He was an artist. I'm pretty sure with that many kids, niehter of those moms had time for flower-arranging, reupholstering furniture, and finding the perfect grograin ribbon to edge those new throw pillows. Honestly, I would think that maybe FEEDING and CLOTHING that many people might consume someone's days. Andalucy and her sister both sound like delicious cooks, and I'm sure keep lovely houses, but...seriously? The whole "shining-happy-people" all around seems to be really taken to an extreme.

I wonder if all those people who love to lurk on Mormon blogs, yearning for an escape from their own lives, stop and consider why Mormons have their image? I think it's because if you are Mormon, you've committed your life to something larger and more everlasting than just yourself and your own needs. I know several quite conservative Christians (whose politics make my toes curl) who exude a sense of joy and peace, even when things are tough. These families have recognized that life isn't really all about them. There's something more, something bigger, something much better in and around them. There's a purpose, a direction, and an intentional reason for their decisions. The things their children "can't" do--not a big deal, because they all know why they are living their lives and what they are doing instead of all those things society tells us to do and have is better. My Mormon friends are well-read. By tuning out so many aspects of modern culture, their children are independent, creative, and articulate. They know so much about history, and music, and literature. By turning away from caffeine and alcohol, they are healthier.

It's not about being Mormon, I suspect, as much as it is being disciplined and intentional--and a life that is disciplined and intentional can't be simply attributed to just a religion. It is a daily commitment to a belief and a way of life that is NOT always shiny and pretty and perfect. It is a way of life, though, that makes sense and give structure and purpose to what you do. I suspect those who are committed to other faiths would understand that. It's not about any of those things those women say they read those blogs for. At the end of the article the author says, "But the basic messages expressed in these blogs -- family is wonderful, life is meant to be enjoyed, celebrate the small things -- are still lovely." That's not Mormon, folks. That's entirely possible and attainable. For all of us.

Chinese Mothers--and Then Us.

Amy Chua's article in the Wall Street Journal entitled "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior" has garnered a LOT of attention, most of it negative. The article was, I imagine, part of the build-up to her book which was released this week. I think she really missed the mark with her tone--what she may have imagined as "tongue-n-cheek" simply came off to me as bitchy and cruel. Chua seems not to just delight in winning the battles against her daughters, but to enjoy the battles themselves. I also don't believe her assertion that once someone perfects something, they will enjoy it. I suspect there are hundreds of people who were browbeaten into music lessons or sports activities by their parents who would say that the negativity surrounding those experiences was enough to put them off of that activity forever. There would also be those who had achieved that high level, yet find no joy or pleasure in their achievement.

Some of the strongest voices came from Chinese who said that Chua did not represent any Chinese mother they had ever known. Those who had been raised across cultures (Chinese-American or Canadian) did, however, acknowledge that their parents did push them differently than their non-Chinese peers.

And therein, is an important point. As Americans, we need to be careful to crow about the superiority of our educational system. While there are many things that we do very well, we certainly have a whole lot of shortcomings, many of which are becoming more and more obvious as the years go by. Education is also a product of culture--we value certain attributes, so our systems and parenting reinforce that. We want our children to be independent, individuals, unique. We want them to feel good about themselves, to be well-rounded, to have a lot of experiences. Happiness and a sense of satisfaction are important. We have thousands of parenting books the tell us how important all these things are, and yet often make us feel like we aren't living up to some standard.

To look at the Chinese--or any other culture--and impose those values on another group, is quite ethnocentric. In Tanzania, for example, independence is not valued and there's trouble in a home or a village if someone reaches for their own personal achievement and doesn't consider how they need to help their family. The Chinese "way" is more about conformity. Hard work is valued more than free time. Tutors are hired to make sure kids do things very well, rather than letting them dabble and find things they like. I've heard it said that the Chinese feel they have to be competative--after all, there are so many other Chinese to compete with for those university spots and jobs. "Face" is also very important, which may lead to families competing to look as successful as someone else (we don't call it that in the US--we call it "keeping up with the Joneses). I have students who are excelling at music or drawing or swimming and they soundly dislike those activities, but they are the ones their parents have chosen. Parent-pleasing is strong here--most of us really don't want our kids to do something just to make us happy. In return, parents don't expect their children to do many chores, or work at jobs, or have many responsibilities other than school work--we expect our kids to do all of those things.

I thought Chua's tone was, for lack of a better word, bitchy--at the same time, I thought that many comments were unfair for expecting a Chinese mother to raise her children differently than her culture dictated. The fact that she is living in America and is a Yale professor would make her decisions more difficult because her children would be surrounded by a very different parenting style, but would not mean that her values and beliefs would fit in with a traditional or mainstream American approach to childrearing. So many of my very Western acting and sounding Chinese students go home every night to very traditional homes--I have a 3rd grader who has only eaten peanut butter once in his life--so people live their lives on different levels in public and in private.

To be fair to Ms. Chua, I read her rebuttal here in which she talks about her own parents, her childhood, and that this book was born out of an awareness of her development as a mother. I thought those comments put her in a much kinder light, and I was able to better understand her feelings. I would love to hear what her daughters have to say about their family--would they acknowledge the difficulties, explain what they hated, and still say they loved their mother and had great times with her and felt close to her? I hope they do--it would be a good ending for an uncomfortable story.

For Your Consideration

"There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to Man. It is a dimension as vast as space, and as timeless as infinity. It is the middleground between light and shadow, between science and superstition...This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call...the Twilight Zone."

This carving is was on one of the 11th century temples we visited. A stegosauraus, perhaps? I can't imagine any modern animal that matches this description. Noah claimed it proves the existence of time travel and immediately started looking for the Tardis. Cameron tucked it neatly in with crop circles and those strange lines in South America and began humming "Close Encounters." What do you think?

More in and around Angkor

I had to remember to take pictures of our family. Sometimes I get caught up in those things that I know I may never see again and overlook the family I see every day. Then there's the fact that keeping all 5 of us in the same place at the same time...well, it's a challenge. And there's those phases that kids go through (and hopefully don't get stuck in) where it's not so much smiling as it is grimacing and mugging). Add a dash of the Chinese habit of flashing the peace sign in every shot...well, I think I did a pretty good job this time!





The girls took off one morning for a tour through the rice fields and villages to a small crumbling temple...

The men took a slightly faster trip through some other fields to another small crumbling temple.

Cameron and Noah bring a stylish Chinese touch to the Cambodian ATV scene.

Sock monkey was our constant companion...and a constant source of amusement to others.

See what I mean? In motion...

Flashing the ubiquitous peace sign... but look at the exquisite detailing on the wall behind us!

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is magnificent. Most of it was built in the 10th-11th centuries, making it older than many (most?) of the major architectural achievements we are more familiar with in Europe. China, with it's long history, has so many old temples and buildings; but because so many of them were made of wood, they've been destroyed and rebuilt over time, so many of the things that we've seen are new (and faithful) reproductions. The temples (Angkor Wat is only one--we saw many) rise from what was jungle and loom over the landscape with a mysterious and exotic air. Despite the number of people, the sites have an air of serenity. The complex itself is massive. Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom have a loop of about 20 km so walking around is really not an option. People can rent bicycles, or tuk-tuks...we had rented a car and driver, which was very useful when we headed out of town, but I would have liked to have used something closer to the ground a lot of the time. The scale of everything was difficult to comprehend. Like Egypt, the kings built these temples and monuments to the gods (so they would be pleased with them)--and like Egypt, the materials come from some distance. The engineering and artistry caught us by surprise over and over.

Bayon originally had 219 giant faces carved or built into the temple. At first it was hard to see them, but they slowly appear like an optical puzzle.

One of the amazing things about the temples, especially Angkor Wat, is the lines. After 900 years, the lines and angles remain completely straight and perfect. The ground hasn't settled, the stones haven't warped, which gives some beautiful scenes...

Most of the temples are being reconstructed, using the actual stones where they can be identified and used, or other stones from that period, or new stones if nothing else can be used. I didn't expect to capture the big green tarp in my iconic photo...


Thanks to Cameron, who bothered to actually master our new camera and has a nice eye.

Bantey Srei is an unusual temple. Unlike the other gray temples, it was carved from pink sandstone. It was very small, and the carving so intricate that it's believed to have been done by woman. Some the detailing appears almost three-dimensional.


The temples were assembled and then carved. The height and angles (and the heat) must have made the job so very difficult!

Christmas in the Jing

It was a great Christmas Day. We had a the week off before Christmas and with everyone gone, it was very quiet--allowing us all the freedom in the world to panic because we lost Ava's passport and had a frantic few days demolishing our offices at work and the house before spending a day at the embassy getting a new one and then getting a Chinese visa so Ava could get back into the country. That's a Christmas tradition I'm not going to adopt! Then we had a great dinner for 15 or so friends that were getting a later start on their traveling as well--love the chef and crew that shops, preps, cooks, serves, and cleans up!

Christmas Eve at a Catholic service--the space heaters were not turned on until the service started and the building (which is also our church) is unheated. I guess the cold kept us alert so we could hear the message. Or something.

Christmas Day--was wonderful! Every year I get a pang because we aren't with family. I wish we could be together. But then, we've never had a big all-family Christmas ever--even when Mark and I were children--and our Christmas Days have a peace and rhythm that I absolutely love. Everyone was so excited for their gifts--to give and receive! Everyone got something they wanted. Big guns, sock monkeys, helmets, camping stoves...we are also having a cabinet made for our house that will be ready by the end of January. We don't give many presents at Christmas--our big present is the holiday vacation and we usually give a bit of pocket money for each one to spend on the trip. This year I was determined to not put any presents under the tree until the kids were in bed on Christmas Eve, but I was overruled loudly on that point.

A new tradition, I guess, is the teppanyaki restaurant downtown. I posted on it a couple posts ago, and it was just as much fun as last year. Noah would eat there every weekend if he could--but that would be out of our budget. The salmon and sea bass sashimi is like butter. The steak melts in your mouth. The shrimp and scallops--to die for. The kids love watching their food cook and the impressive pyrotechnics that accompany dessert.

When our kids first arrived in Tanzania 4 years ago, they had never eaten chicken on the bone. After an upbringing on Costco chicken breasts, they couldn't believe that they had to eaten chicken with skin on it! When we went to the coast, Noah and Ava ate omelets, french fries, and hot dogs only. In fact, on our first trip to Thailand, Noah and Ava ate only omelet and french fries 3 meals a day for 10 days. That's 30 meals, folks! Now it's about green curry and all sorts of new things including this dish. It's squid. And see how it's on ice? That's because you eat it raw. Which we did. And it was so yummy. A bit chewy, like calamari, but yummy! We ate salmon and sea bass sashimi (Ava cooked hers on the edge of the grill), fried rice and noodles, steak and garlic, shrimp with a butter-mustard sauce, and oysters with a sesame-soy-green onion drizzle. For dessert, bananas coated in coconut, topped with ice cream and set ablaze. Yowza!

Another Christmas tradition--frantically packing around 10:00 at night because we're leaving the next morning. Almost everyone is on a plane the first Saturday after school lets out (and some that evening) and we get some strange looks when we say that we're sticking around to have Christmas at home. We know a couple families that bring a small tree, some presents, and little decorations on their trips! For us, 10 days is a good amount of time to travel--Noah doesn't care for traveling at all anyway, and we really do enjoy spending time at our house with nothing on our agendas. Unless it was a really big event, we have no need to spend 3 weeks traveling. We also like to come back and have a few days to spend quietly around the house before school starts (lots of families roll in Sunday afternoon or evening). All in all, it's a wonderful break!

Cambodia was spectacular and wonderful! Stay tuned for more!

Shèng Dàn Kuài Lè, 聖誕快樂

Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home! ~Charles Dickens

I love these bears! They're from an artist in Montana--one of those things that are every. single. place. you look in any store. I never get tired of them, though, and I covet the rather cheesy nativity that has the bears as all the characters.

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. Calvin Coolidge

I adore our Christmas tree. I never get tired of looking at it, either from across the room, or up close. Ava said our tree didn't look very Christmas-y because of all the ornaments on it, but I love hanging all the memories that come with each trinket. I love hearing them bicker over an unmarked ornament as to whose it is. I love sharing stories about the ornaments, and hearing them share their own memories. Our trips, our passions, our experiences all hang on our tree.

"And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, Which shall be to all people. "For unto you is born this day in the city of David A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, Lying in a manger." -St. Luke

I'm crazy about nativities. This one is from Thailand--it's made of celadon. The color and the lack of features make this nativity feel very peaceful.


This is the only one I have from Tanzania--I was crazy not to get a wooden one, and I have no idea why I didn't. I love red and and the traditional Maasai plaid brings back so many wonderful memories.

When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness. ~Bob Hope

I have to include this...I am in love with this votive--a gift from Cameron for my birthday. It's made of porcelein so fine that the light really does glow through. It looks white but next to the celadon the tiny moth picks up some green that you can't see unless it's lit. The shop had at least 8 different styles...I feel a collection coming on.

What can you say to really big poinsettia plants that cost $2 a piece? Um...something like, "OK, I'll take ten." But's that only because that was all I could carry. I'll be back for more!

This is also becoming a traditional Christmas picture--Cameron dutifully studying for exams this week. He'll do fine.

eeeeee

“The spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit of Christ is eternal. The spirit of Christmas is sentimental; the Spirit of Christ is supernatural. The spirit of Christmas is a human product; the Spirit of Christ is a divine person. That makes all the difference in the world."

Christmas is Coming...

Haha...this is actually true here, you know! Back home, I couldn't imagine going out for Christmas dinner. We have never spent Christmas with extended family, so sometimes in the later afternoon we would head to a movie if there was something suitable, but it was always a "from scratch" breakfast and dinner on Christmas Day. Here, there is no Christmas. Despite the decorations and nods to expat traditions, December 25th is a typical work day. For the last two years (and this one, too) we have left town for a week on the 26th, so having a fridge full of leftovers is not a good idea.

So, after "from scratch" breakfast, presents, and lolling around the house we'll head off for the 2nd annual (if the kids have anything to say about it) Christmas dinner at Tairo Teppanyaki. No English, so once we have a secretary make the reservation, we're on our own. Last year, we lucked out and sat next to someone who spoke English so we got the low-down on how it all works. Far from the orderly Benihana atmosphere, eating here is more like a sport. First of all, socializing in groups is very big in China, so we'll be sharing a grill with a LOT of other people squeezed in together. It's all you can eat so you just start pointing at the picture menu and they'll start bringing it--each item on individual plates. Soon, plates are balanced precariously all around the edge of the grill waiting to be cooked. If someone decides they want theirs quicker, they just start scolding (at least it sounds like scolding) the cook to do theirs first or faster. Forget about getting food for everyone in your own party at the same time--that is NOT how China rolls. It's noisy and a bit raucous and a whole lot of good food and fun!

I guess traditions are whatever you do...wherever you are!

More 1-a-Day Blessings for November

November 11: I'm so thankful for the opportunities our kids have. Cameron's band concert was fantastic--I rushed there and barely made it after driving Ava to violin lessons and picking Noah up from volleyball. We are blessed to have so many ways to have fun and grow.

November 12: Friday night family movie night. Tonight: X-men Origins. Suitable family fare? I don't know...but you can't beat the feeling of the family squashed together on the couch!

November 13: I'm thankful for a fun and uneventful trip to town, one that resulted in me getting everything I needed without much bargaining!

November 14: My kids are all home, safe and sound. Ava is hosting her book club, Noah is drinking hot cocoa with his friend Ian and playing PSP, and Cam's vegging on the couch--he went to camp over the weekend, but then left via a driver with friends to come back to the winter formal. I'm thankful that so many of the pressures and influences that bombard kids in the States simply don't exist here. Of course, there are other challenges, but I find them much easier to deal with. I love these guys!

Novmber 15: I'm thankful for my home. With the news of the snow in Minnesota and the dropping temperatures here, we are so blessed to have a beautiful warm home. We are blessed to have a room for each child and lovely things to look at. I need to remember this more, especially when I get the "I wants" for more of something...do I really need it?

November 14: I'm thankful for family meals together. When Mark leaves for a trip, his presence is missed most at dinner...the kids just stop even pretending to enjoy dinner after the first night. Even though there are crazy busy schedules in our house, we manage to eat dinner all together at 6:00 6-7 nights a week. ALL TOGETHER. That's fantastic!

November 15: I'm thankful for a slow start to the week. Cameron has no homework and neither does Noah! A blissfully RARE weeknight found us all cozied on the couch watching "Amazing Race." On a SCHOOL night! I think it's gonna be a good week.

November 16: I am thankful for a good night's sleep. In the worst throes of depression, I went weeks sleeping about 3 hours a night. Long before the Prozac kicked in, the sleeping pills made all the difference in the world! This year has been very stressful and I've had so many late nights! For the past two nights I've been able to get to bed before 10:00...life is so much better when you're rested!

November 17: I'm especially thankful for Thanksgiving. To detail what has gone down over trying to find 30 minutes in the next two weeks would be not only TMI but would likely involve snarking about someone, and snarking does NOT belong on the blessings post! Anywhoodle, I'm thankful because Saturday we will sit down to a fantastic meal (the first of at least 2 Thanksgiving dinners this year) with good food and good friends and that's fantastic. Now, if I could only find 30 minutes to see Harry Potter in the next 2 weeks...

November 18: I'm thankful for the professional opportunities that I have at work. At a time when so many people are struggling in the work force, I feel so blessed to have a job that I really love. And, since teaching gets so little respect so often and teachers struggle so hard in so many ways, to have opportunities for professional development are really not to be taken for granted. I'm going to a conference in February in Florida and almost all of it is covered by my PD fund (which I've been saving for a couple years now) and I'm so excited at the learning opportunities that I'll have.

November 19: I'm thankful for a truly wonderful friend who surprised me with a hilarious necklace as an early birthday present and who I'll have a chance to see in February when she visits me in Florida when I'm there!

November 20: I'm thankful for good friends and good food on this early Thanksgiving Day celebration. The house was warm, the food and wine were delicious, and the company was great. What more could you ask for?

November 21: I'm thankful for church, Harry Potter, and Kro's Nest pizza...sometimes the best blessings are found in routine everyday things. And, just for the record, it was fan...wait for it...tastic! We're heading back next Sunday with ISB friends to see it again--you gotta love a school where the PTA buys out an entire showing and then sells the tickets at school!

November 22: What else could be said on this day? After 23 years of marriage--and 29 years together--what could be a greater blessing than the love of a good man and a lifetime to share with him? Happy Annivesary, baby!

November 23: I'm home sick today and watched the very painful movie "Precious." I am so thankful for growing up in a peaceful, safe, predictable, family. I thought about how many thousands of children live lives like the characters in the movie and I'm counting my blessings.

November 24: Still home and very thankful that on the two days I've been feeling awful and Mark had evening commitments both nights--the school of a whole-lotta-homework mysteriously assigned very little for Ava and Noah on those two nights! THANK YOU.

November 25: How many times do you get official days to be thankful for your husband? Today is Mark's birthday--he's the biggest blessing in my life, and he deserves many more days dedicated to what a terrific husband, father, and human being he is. Look at that face--what's not to love? Besides that goatee, of course--I can't wait for Movember to end!

November 26: Ugh. What a week. I'm so thankful it's FRIDAY. Really, that's about all I can come up with.

November 27: I'm thankful for wonderful morning shopping at the Christmas Charity Fair with Ava--she's such a great date! I'm also thankful for older boys that can spend a few hours unsupervised so I can go--although they don't seem to know how to feed themselves yet!

November 28: A wonderful night listening to Ava and her choir sing at the Lido for the tree lighting ceremony. And, getting to know her Finnish friend Alva's father more while we waited for the girls to finish their dinner. And, listening to Ava and Alva madly giggling all the way home while trying desperately NOT to giggle.

November 29: So thankful that our cat, Mao, is still with us. Due to Mark's apparent difficulties in recognizing our cat from some other cat laying on the road, it was a very hard morning full of tears but a wonderful evening as we watched him (Mao, not Mark) sneak turkey off the table. I'd much rather have a mistaken husband than a missing cat!

November 30: A month of recognized blessings! How many special moments slip away because we put our time and energies toward the negative? They say it takes 30 days of doing something before it becomes a habit. I'm going to try to actively recognize the positive for another 30 days until January 1--hopefully, I'll have retrained my tendencies toward the negative in a more positive direction.

November Blessings--1 a Day, Baby, Just like Vitamins

Being in a bit of a funk lately--Mark will be gone for a month of weekends (VERY uncool) and work is crazy and the weather's turning...it's time to focus on blessings. So here goes. One blessing a day for 30 days. I like this cartoon about blessings on the moment--it's those momentary blessings that put the spark in the day and add up to the joys of life.

I'm just going to add one a day here--if you're willing, let me know if you're doing it on your own blog...or be willing to post your blessing a day in the comments section.

November 1: I'm thankful for the opportunity to live overseas. It's demanding and comes at a cost, but our kids go to one of the top schools in the world, and I have a housekeeper. Oh, and we get to travel and see truly amazing things. Over at Derfwad Manor Mrs. G asked people where they would want to go if they had a pile of money handed to them. Places listed: African safari, the pyramids, the Great Wall, Glacier National Park, Angkor Wat...places I've been blessed to see with my family.

November 2: I'm thankful for Noah's essay in humanities. He read the book Seedfolks by Paul Fleischer and is currently writing another chapter for the book in the same pattern (each chapter was a different person and a different story, with all the stories centered around the development of a community garden). He has worked so hard and with enthusiasm. And, he's really got an excellent chapter--good ideas, good execution.


November 3: I'm thankful to be an American. I didn't vote in this round (boo) but one of the things about living overseas is that you see the best and the worst about America in new ways. I'm constantly reminded about the freedoms we enjoy--and all the assumptions I make as I go through life because of them. Living in countries where those freedoms don't exist (and knowing they wouldn't exist for me if I ever got in trouble) makes me really appreciate our freedoms, and those who stand to protect them.

November 4: I'm blessed to have my husband. He never stops trying at anything. He sets impossibly high goals for himself and achieves most of them. He is always positive and sees God working so clearly in his life. It's intimidating and inspiring! He keeps our family heading in the right direction, something that I couldn't do on my own. I love him so!

November 5: I am grateful for our ayi, Xiao. Lord knows how fortunate I am to not have to do laundry or cleaning or cooking! But it really is more than just having a sparkly house. Most things take longer and are less efficient here--my washer only holds about a 1/3 of my American washer and 1 wash cycle takes 45 minutes! If I had to do those chores, it would be a huge burden over here with working and momming. Xiao comes every day and works hard, always with a smile. I can count on her completely. Because of her, I have peace in those areas. I have the time to spend with my kids on their homework. I have a house that is neat and (mostly) organized so we all feel comfortable. She doesn't just make our lives easier...she really does make our lives better.

November 6: I'm thankful for small moments of peace in a busy life. Today Noah is at camp, Ava and Mark are camping, and Cameron is at jazz practice. I've learned long ago not to feel guilty about how I spend that precious time. Right now I'm just watching TV. And loving it. There is a joy in being able to just do nothing for a little while.

November 7: I'm thankful for my children's friends. They have always had friends that have come from families that shared similar values (if not in our faith, in our common sense and parenting styles). Their friends have brought out wonderful qualities in them--and, I hope, ours have done the same for them. Cameron's friends will leave at the end of this school year, and I think I will miss them as much as he will. They are a really wonderful group of quality kids. Now that we are well into these teen years, friends like his provide amazing peace of mind to parents!

November 8: I'm thankful for Capital One and their incredibly annoying policy of freezing my credit card every. single. time. I use it overseas. Plus they only let Mark call and straighten it out. Today we got a notification that someon in the Czech Republic has twice tried to make a $2600 purchase. We had to send a photocopy of the card to a place we were staying in Cambodia and I was worried that something might happen. Luckily they caught it and notified us. New cards on the way, all is good!

November 9: Today has been a hard hard day and everything I start sounds phony. I'm not feeling the blessings, even though they are all around me. A friend of mine's mother has had cancer and she had to fly home a couple weeks ago for a health scare. She just returned this week from her funeral. Because of time and distance, having the whole family go back for the funeral just wasn't possible. I am thankful that I am not at that place. Our parents are strong and healthy for their ages and, while I think about the days that will come, I am thankful they aren't here yet.

November 10: I am thankful for my job. Teaching is a so demanding and teaching at ISB pushes me so hard in so many ways. I am thankful that I can do a job that I love--I can' imagine doing anything else. I am thankful to be in a school with such terrific resources. I am thankful to have a job in these times!