Wedding Day

I woke up a bit late (yikes!), and rushed around the apartment getting my stuff together. I didn't want to forget anything important (like the wedding rings or my shoes), so I double-checked everything before getting into the car and heading out to Valders.

When I got to my parents' house, I found my friends, Robert and Christina, had already arrived.  However, I didn't have much time to chat, because I only had an hour to get dressed, print out the hotel reservation, and get my vows memorized.

Robert, Petch and I left for the church before noon because we where going to meet the bridesmaids and Pat at the church for a rehearsal. My brothers were already at the church when we arrived, but Patty was late!  Oh no! Did she forget? Did she change her mind? Was this going to be "The Hangover, Part 3"?  Haha, nooo! They were just late because Gam has A LOT of hair to style!

When they showed up, we walked through the wedding ceremony. Oops! I forgot to tell my brother, Bob, that he was the best man! Oh well, here you go, Bob, take the rings now, you're the best man! After the "rehearsal", Patty, Kay and the girls went into another room to get changed. I stayed in the sanctum of the church, practicing my vows. Gam's dad had translated them into Thai for me, but unfortunately he used the karaoke version of Thai, which makes it harder to pronounce words correctly. I like reading things with Thai letters because then I can see the tone marks and get the pronunciation more accurately. Luckily, some of the Thai students arrived early, so I asked Petch, Gene, Pokpong, and May to help me pronounce the words that I didn't know. I was very nervous, but I felt I could do a reasonably good job if I stayed calm and used a sweet voice.

As the guests started to arrived, I played the role of the usher and helped them find their seats. We had the Thai students and their hosts sit on Pat's side of the church, and my family and friends sit on my side. Pat had more people on her side! How can that be? I'm the American, I should have more guests on my side! Sigh, I guess my wife is more popular and well-liked that me! Hahah! One cool thing was that my high school social studies teacher, Mr. Evans, came to the wedding. He was my favorite teacher in school and some day I'd like to be as good a teacher as him. So I was very honored that he joined us for our wedding.  Maybe some day I will get invited to the weddings of my students. That will be a neat experience!

Finally, the time came for me to stand up in the front of the church to await my bride. Wow! I was actually getting nervous!  I didn't think I would get nervous. In fact, Pat and I had been so casual about our wedding plans because we had felt like the wedding was merely ceremonial.  After all, we'd technically been married for two months already, and yet when the music started playing, my heart jumped into my throat. Wow, this is really happening. Pat and I are making it official. We're going to be husband and wife for the rest of our lives. Is this a dream?

I didn't see any faces in the crowd. The only thing I could see was Pat walking down the aisle. She was the most lovely thing I have ever seen in my entire life, and I couldn't take my eyes off her.  It was as if an angel had descended from heaven and was gracefully gliding down the aisle towards me. I think I stopped breathing for a full five minutes. I felt light-headed and I was probably smiling like an big idiot.  All the sadness, heartache, and stress of my life just melted away.

As Pat walked down the aisle, I was transformed by this angel in white who smiled with eyes filled with love meant only for me. I wanted to stop the wedding right at that moment and just hug her close to me and whisper, "Thank you, thank you..." over and over in her ear. No words can express the gratitude and devotion I feel for her. She is a unique and special woman and I am very lucky that she chose me.

I thanked her brother for walking her down the aisle and giving her to me. Pastor Jim started to read from the scriptures we had selected. I think he was rather enjoying himself, because this was going to be his last wedding. He was retiring tomorrow! We were quite honored that he was willing to wed us on the day before his retirement, I'm sure he was quite busy with other things, so it had to be inconvenient for him. However, he clearly didn't seem to mind at all. As Pat and I stood in front of him, he rambled through the scripture readings and described how each one related to the things Pat and I had told him during our pre-marriage conferences with him.  I felt a bit like a naughty student, however, because I kept sneaking peeks at Pat while Pastor was talking to us. I think she knew I was doing it too, because she kept smiling and giving me a "would you stop it!" look out of the corner of her eye.  One cool moment was when Pastor Jim read a passage out of the Velveteen Rabbit. That's one of my favorite stories and I read it to my students at the center all the time. What a coincidence that he picked that book!

Then I had to read my vows. So I pulled out my paper and started to read it in Thai. The Thai kids, of course, all started giggling at my horrible accent, but Pat's eyes started to fill with tears of joy. I'm not sure if she understood everything I was saying, but she knew it was very sweet. At one point, though, I had to tell her to stop laughing at me because I was getting too flustered. Haha!  Then it was Pat's turn to read her vows and my turn to cry. How could such an amazing woman be pledging her love and loyalty to a guy like me? I just stared at her with awe and wonder until my tears clouded my vision. Her little round face became a distant sparkling moon, and I wished my heart was a rocket so I could reach her and bring her close to me.

I think Pastor Jim sensed this too, because he paused after the vows and let us hug each other for a moment until we both stopped crying. After that, we engaged our rings and then we walked up to the altar to do a Thai "water ceremony". Normally people do a "unity candle" or "sand-pouring" ceremony during the wedding, but we wanted to have some Thai elements in our wedding to give it a special meaning to Pat and her family. So we had a couple of small silver cups that are normally used to pour water over elders' hands during Songkran and we also had a big ceramic bowl on the altar. Pastor Jim used the silver cups to pour the water over our hands and then used the water in the bowl to perform a cross-blessing on our foreheads.

Once that was done, we were officially husband and wife. We walked down the aisle together as everyone applauded, and I felt ten feet taller than before. I was so proud of my lovely, caring, and clever wife. From now on, George and Panida Carroll will be facing the challenges of life together! And as long as she is by my side, I know there is nothing we cannot overcome. She gives me strength, stability and love, and I give her a very big belly, which makes an excellent pillow upon which she can rest her head after a long hard day of fixing all my mistakes! Haha!

--- * ---

We had the reception at CNC Links, the clubhouse of a golf course south of Manitowoc. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived because the place looked beautiful. Pat and I had not put much effort into wedding planning, we just hired a wedding coordinator and let her do all the work. Haha! She did an amazing job too!

We had some appetizers and snacks laid out before dinner. So everyone got a few drinks and talked. The kids were there for almost an hour before they realized that the music playing in the background was Thai songs! Not the most observant group in the world, hahah! But once they recognized a song, they rushed over to the speakers to listen to the music.

Pat and I admired the cake. It was very lovely. When I had gotten an email from the wedding coordinator, the receipt for the cake said "Christel's Piggly Wiggly" in Valders. A wedding cake from Piggly Wiggly? I couldn't believe it, and yet when we saw the cake we were blown away! It was covered in beautiful white flowers and layered ribbons of white icing. I guess Piggly Wiggly is a great place to buy a wedding cake!

The photographer kept trying to get us to go outside to take some pictures on a scenic bridge on the golf course, but we just looked at each other and said, "Naaaaaah!" Although it had cleared up a little bit in the morning, the weather had turned colder in the afternoon, and it was quite chilly by the time we reached the reception party. In fact, it started snowing! So Pat and I decided to stay where we were. We were happy and warm and enjoying the party. Besides we had already planned to have my niece come down to Manitowoc next week to take posed photos outside when it is warmer!

Once dinner started, my brother had to give a speech as part of his "best man" duties. He grumbled about the short notice, but he did a great job. Then Gam and May stood up and gave a VERY short speech too. Finally, I stood up and gave a speech too. I wanted to explain to everyone why Pat and I were together. On the surface, we may seem a bit of an odd couple, but there is a deep bond of love between us and I wanted to share that with my family and friends. I rambled on a bit too much, but here's a summary of what I said:

"Pat says I talk about the flood too much, but we fell in love during the flood, so it will always be a part of our story. Plus, a flood is kind of a metaphor for my life before I met Patty. You see, floods are the worst kind of disaster. A tornado or a hurricane may do a lot of damage, but then they are quickly gone and you can start your life over again. However, a flood lingers on and on. It just doesn't go away, and that has been what my life was like. I would still accomplish my goals, but I would have to slog through the muck of problems, heartbreaks and bad decisions in order to reach those goals. It is so tiring. It's an exhausting struggle that seems to have no end, until you eventually give up and sink beneath the water. That is a flood.

So when I met Pat, it was at a time when the floodwaters, both literally and figuratively, were almost over my head. I was drowning in debt and problems. Any sane person would have stayed far away from me at that point, lest I pull her down with me. And yet, Pat jumped right in and started fixing things. She made my problems her own, and worked tirelessly to save a dream that wasn't even hers. When the floodwaters in my life threatened to overwhelm me, Pat saved me with little acts of kindness that gave me hope and strength to continue on. For example, one night I was my center, which was in a flood zone, and Pat came to see me at my apartment. Unfortunately, I didn't charge my phone, so she got angry that she had come all the way across town in a flood and couldn't contact me, and yet in spite of that, she still left a bag of food and water on my doorknob. When I finally got home, I was dead tired from walking almost a mile through the floodwater, but when I saw the bag she'd left for me, my heart warmed and all the weariness in my body melted away. I fell in love with Pat that night. I had found an angel who was so loving, caring, and kindhearted, and I knew that even when she was mad or disappointed, she would still take care of me and stand by me through any trouble.

So today I can stand on my feet like a man, because she reached in and pulled me out of the flood.  In every possible meaning of the word 'save': She saved me."

After dinner, Pat tossed the bouquet and I tossed the garter, two traditional ways to determine who will be the next couple to get married. May's host sister, Sydnee, caught the bouquet and my nephew, Ben, caught the garter. Will we see romance in their future? Who knows!

Then the DJ started to play music for dancing. At first, the kids were two shy to get out on the dance floor, but then Sai's host brother, Justus, saved the day by jumping around on the dance floor with such enthusiasm that everyone couldn't help but join in with him.

Some of the kids, like Gene and Japan, still refused to partake in the festivities. Oh well, as we say in America, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." In other words, if they wanted to be bored wallflowers, that was their choice, but everyone else was going to have a great time!

By the end of the night, everyone was dancing or chatting merrily. It was a great party. One of the great things about not being too serious about wedding planning is that both Pat and I could just relax and enjoy ourselves. If something wasn't quite perfect, we didn't even notice, because we were too busy having fun.

I do regret not being able to spend more time with my friends Robert and Christina. They had flown all the way out from Boston for the wedding and Robert was one of my groomsmen (I had stood up at his wedding too, fifteen years ago!). But Pat and I had plans to go to De Pere for our "honeymoon" (woohoo!), and they had to leave on the next day, so we weren't going to be able to spend any time with them.

Dada took a million pictures of Pat and me. I think she thought it was very funny how I kept kissing Pat a lot. Every time I kissed Pat, I would look around and see Dada with her camera!

It's really great seeing how close the kids have gotten with their host families in such a short time. Everyone seemed very comfortable and natural with their host siblings and parents. This is the best part of this job for me. Connecting great families from other sides of the world and watching lives change and kids' personalities blossom like magic, it's a great thing to be a part of and I'm very proud of these kids. They're really a great group of young people.

My parents really love Pat. She's got a sense of humor and sarcastic wit that fits right in with my family.  Actually, I'm a little worried they might like her more than they like me! Hahah!

We banned the DJ from playing "Gangnam Style" until everyone was in a party mood. So finally the kids begged him enough and we let him play the song. Gam and Didi really got into the act!

Gam's host brother, Dillan, is a great hip-hop dancer! At one point, everyone stopped dancing so they could watch Dillan's impressive breakdance style. I think I could charge his mom money for a copy of the video I took, it was priceless!

FINALLY, Gam lightened up a bit and gave us a nice photo. Still not a smile, but close enough. :-)

"Free" Friday

We took a day off from visiting the kids at school in order to have a "free" day to get ready for the wedding. Except that it wasn't really free at all because we had to run errands all over town.

We stopped at the library to download some songs and send some emails. We wanted to have Thai music playing before dinner at the reception, but that involved burning CDs that would work in their CD-player. So Pat and I picked our favorite songs and downloaded them. While we did that, we also picked photos for a slideshow we wanted to have playing during dinner. Then we had to go pick up Pat's diamond ring from the jeweler. The diamond had fallen off into the washing machine, but fortunately, Pat heard it drop and we were able to save the diamond. So we had taken it into the jeweler to get the head replaced because the prongs were all worn. It cost $310.00!! Ouch! Oh well, we considered ourselves lucky, since that was a heck of a lot less than buying a new diamond :-P.

Once we picked up the ring, we dropped Pat's brother, Petch, off at my parents' house. He would have to stay with them until Monday because Pat and I had planned on going on a little "honeymoon" after the wedding. We weren't sure how he would communicate with my parents, but it was definitely going to be a learning experience for him!

After that we dropped Pat's dress off at the church so she wouldn't have to carry it around with her on Saturday morning, and then we rushed out to CNC Links (the clubhouse at a golf course where we were having our reception party) to test the CD and slideshow. We discussed the wedding plans with the owner, tested everything, and then rushed back up to Manitowoc.

I dropped Pat off at the Larson's house so she could go with Kay to their birthday/bachelorette party. I told Pat to behave herself, but she just laughed and said, "I'll try!"  I'm sure she will have a good time. Haha!

So what did I do with my free night out on the town? Well, since I'm a nerd, I went to play some "Magic: The Gathering" at the local game shop.  I know, I'm such a party animal! I tried out a new deck during their Friday night tournament and got crushed.... sigh.  I went 2-1-1 for the night and didn't win any prizes. I guess I'm unlucky at cards but lucky in love! Afterwards, I stopped by Jenn's Java to check Facebook and eat some very yummy cheeseburger soup. I saw that my brother, Danny, had finally arrived in Manitowoc from Boston, so I contacted him and arranged to meet him at Capone's, a bar where he used to work.

Danny and his wife, Tracy, live in Boston, so we saw them on the last homestay trip when we stayed at their condo while touring Boston and New York. Still, I didn't get to talk with him much on that trip because I was busy herding the kids around, so of course, like all Carroll men, we started arguing about politics. Haha! Tracy just sat their rolling her eyes at her husband while we debated until 2:30am!  She should warn Patty about that. Carroll's like to hear themselves talk, hahah!  Of course, I think Pat already knows that!

So I didn't get home until quite late, and when I got home, I put some pizza into the oven because I couldn't sleep. Hmmm... I think I was nervous about something. Oh yeah! I'm getting married!

So that was the end of a very busy "free" day.

Pokpong, In and May school visits

We went to see Pokpong at New Holstein Middle School. They had a shortened day due to a school play, so we didn't get a chance to see him in his normal class schedule. We talked to his principal and teachers and they told us Pokpong was adapting well to their routine. He is a bright kid and doing his best to be attentive in the classroom.

The weather has been rainy and cold all week long. Both Pat and I have had running noses and aching bones. It's difficult to adjust to this climate after so many years in Bangkok. Back in Thailand, the temperature rarely changes much in one day. It's hot in the morning, hotter in the afternoon, and still hot in the evening, and that's it.  But in Wisconsin, the temperature can jump up and down +/- 10'C within a few hours. The wind doesn't help much either. I stopped running in the morning for a week because I was getting too sick and I didn't want to show up for the wedding with a red nose.

So we drove over to the Stier house in a drizzling on-and-off rain. Most of the snow has melted, so the landscape right now is a dreary mix of grey and brown. I know it will all turn green and lovely in a few days, but right now that seems a long way off. I wonder what the Thai kids think about Wisconsin's weather?  I bet they love it and hate it just like most people here!

When we arrived, we found In taking a break from her studies. She showed us her math work and her blog updates. Mrs. Stier has been helping her to write better blogs and it shows. Great job, In!  The Stier house is big and clean, and in spite of having 11 kids running around, it was remarkably quiet and relaxing. They had a piano downstairs and In played a few songs for us. She's very good!

After talking with the Stiers for a while, we drove up to Hilbert to see May in her classroom.  This time we called ahead to make sure she was at school. When we arrived, May was in class with Syndee and she looked right at home. But I'm not sure if she was being very attentive, hahah!

We took a few pictures and video of May in class and then headed back home. Tomorrow will be a day off for us so we can prepare for Saturday's wedding.

Yikes! I'm getting married!

Rollerskating (again), an Ice Storm and Silent Gene

Last night, we went rollerskating (again). I wanted to try a new pair of inline-skates I bought at a sports store in Manitowoc, and I thought Pat's brother, Petch, might enjoy a chance to try skating too. So Pat and I sent an email around to the host families to see if they would like to join and a few of the Thai students showed up: Bangpan, Jinny, In, Pokpong, and Gene. Pat and I had to pick up Gene from the Larson house because his host parents were busy with a class they were taking. 

In has improved a lot since the first time she skated. She can go around the rink by herself without falling down and she's getting a bit faster too. Pat and I also talked to Andrea Stier about In's blog. We suggested that she make the blog In's "homework" and help her create better content. We're not so concerned about spelling and grammar on this trip, but we do want the kids to try to improve the content of their writing. Andrea said that she will make all her kids do it, because it's a good writing lesson for her kids as well. In looked very happy with the Stier family. We saw her playing around with the Stier kids in a very natural and familiar way, it was so cute to see her act like that!

Pokpong had a big smile on his face all night. He really likes joking around with the Stier boys and they seem to have a lot of experiences and stories to share. They talk over each other and finish each other's sentences just like real brothers. The story of Pokpong's four-minute math quiz was very popular. We're going to have to talk to his math teacher about giving him more challenging tests! Haha!

Bangpan, Jinny and Gene seemed to do more sitting and talking than actual skating, I wonder why? Haha ;). Connor Walsh and his dad put on skates too, and even though it was Connor's first time he did not fall down, but his dad did! I hope Mr. Walsh's arm is OK today. I'm just sorry I didn't have the video camera running when he fell, I think Connor would have paid me good money for that video. :)

This morning, we went to Manitowoc Lutheran High to see Gene in class. When we arrived, Gene's class was in the middle of taking a test, so we just stepped in, took a few pictures & video, and then left so we would not disturb the other students. Gene was keeping busy reading something, but I saw him peeking shyly at us when we came in the room. I don't think Gene enjoys being the center of attention, but the Larson's tell me he's getting along well with Arnold and Joey, so that's good news.

After visiting Gene, we headed over to Hilbert to see May. Along the way, we stopped at Cato Falls park to see the aftermath of the ice storm we had last night. It was very beautiful! The trees were coated with a layer of ice and all the branches were weighted down by the ice.

It was so cold too! Where is spring!?!?!

When we arrived at Hilbert Middle School, guess what? May was at home! She felt sick that day and stayed home, so we didn't get to see her! Ack! Guess I should have called ahead! Pat was shaking her head and looking at me while rolling her eyes. I wonder if she regrets marrying such a stupid husband?

Oh well, we will stop back at Hilbert tomorrow because it is close to New Holstein and we have plans to visit In and Pokpong in the morning.

After we got back to the apartment, Pat and I finished watching Season Three of Breaking Bad. Exciting! Then I went out to Jenn's Java so I could use the internet to update my blog. But my wife sent me a message saying she thought I went to the Magic shop to play cards! How disappointing! I am working hard and she accuses me of goofing-off! I'm so sad that my wife thinks something negative about me.  I know I goofed off over Easter weekend and fell behind on my blogging, but this week I have been very diligent about updating my blog, so she should not assume that I am being lazy or procrastinating.

Besides, I when I went to the Magic shop, nobody was there to play cards with me, so I left early... :P

Hahah!

School visits with Dada, Japan and Jinny

Today we visited Dada and Japan at school. We arrived early while they were still out on the playground. Dada was playing tag with her friends. She was happily chasing her buddy around. Japan, on the other hand, was off by himself. He was upset because he was not allowed to go inside. So when his friends tried to play tag with him, he refused to chase them. Pat and I could see that the boys were really trying hard to include Japan in their play, but he didn't want to participate at all. It looked like his buddy, Austin, was trying to be very friendly with Japan. So I think once Japan adjusts his attitude he will see that Austin is a good friend.

We drove out to Valders to see Jinny.  She is attending the same school I did when I was a teenager, but my school has changed a lot since I went there! It's much bigger now and the hallways are like a maze. We got lost a few times looking for Jinny, and when I popped my head into a classroom for directions, I saw my nephew, Bryce! What a coincidence! Then while we were walking to Jinny's class, we saw my other nephew, Cole, in the hallway. It's so strange to see my brother's kids walking around in the same hallways that I walked down when I was in school.

Once we arrived at Jinny's class, we watched Jinny hand out some cookies to her classmates as a snack for her birthday. Is she using treats to bribe the other students to be her friend? Hahah! Well, it worked, because  two girls helped Jinny pass out the cookies and all the students listened attentively as Jinny showed them her ice-breaker book. Jinny seemed very happy in her class. I think she will be fine.

After visiting Jinny, Pat and I had to go to the church for another session with Pastor Jim. We took an online survey while we were in Thailand and Pastor Jim went through our answers to see if we were prepared for marriage (too late now! hahah!).

Pat and I almost had a fight about one question on the survey because she marked it as a "growth" area and I marked it as a "strength" area. The question was, "Are you satisfied with your partner's habits?" Of course, I am very satisfied with Pat's habits, she is perfect! But Pat thinks I have A LOT of improving to do before we have kids, because she doesn't want me teaching sloppy, lazy habits to our kids.

I told Pat that our kids will learn from BOTH of us how to love someone with their whole hearts, and that should be enough. But Pat disagrees. She wants them to learn to pick up their socks too!

It's too much!

Hahahahah!

Monday, "First" Days and Birthdays

Pat and I woke up early today to get over to the Kupsky's house in time to video Sai getting ready for school. I sent Pat into their house by herself because I wanted to get some "natural" video of Sai with her host family and so I didn't want to crowd their house with guests.

Sai seemed to be fitting into their routine very well. She ate breakfast and got ready for school with the other kids without a hitch. We followed the Kupsky's van to school and took some pictures and video of Sai in the classroom with her friends. They seemed a little excited to have someone taking pictures in their room, so I explained to them that in Thailand, Sai is a big movie star and we were there to take pictures for her fanclub. Sai did not dispute me! Hahah!

Sai seemed to be getting along great with her friends at school. She fit right in like she'd been a member of their gang for years. The girls chatted merrily until class started, and then I noticed that Sai did a very good job of listening to her teacher. She was so attentive and studious. So I'm not sure if we brought the right Sai to America. I didn't recognize her! Hahah!

We also took video of June and Gam in their classes too. We didn't get a chance to talk to them very much because we didn't want to disturb their class, but they seemed very happy too.

June seemed a little shocked to see us in the classroom, but again I noticed that she seemed to be fitting in well with her classmates. From what I've seen of June so far on this trip, she is really enjoying herself!

It took forever for me to get a picture of Gam smiling. I told her I wasn't going to leave until I got a good picture of her, but she just rolled her eyes at me. Hahah. Eventually, I managed to get a good picture of her, because she was busy talking with one of her classmates and forgot I was there, so she actually laughed a bit. Ah-Ha! I knew Gam couldn't hide that smile forever, haha!

Next we drove over to First German Lutheran School to check on Didi. She was in class when we arrived, so we took a few photos and waited to talk to her as she went to lunch. She seemed a little withdrawn and I noticed that she didn't talk with her "buddy" very much. This happens sometimes. I told her to keep trying to make friends at school and to keep giving her buddy a chance. Maybe she is shy too.

Personality differences and boredom are two of the challenges that students must overcome on these trips. Thai kids are used to a lot more structure and scheduling of their "free time", and so sometimes they don't know what to do with themselves when given actual freedom. I counseled Didi to remain productive and find ways to occupy herself in class if she didn't understand the material. It may also be possible that she and her buddy don't get along very well. That's OK too. I told her that she has to follow her buddy's class schedule, but if it turns out they are not a good match, she doesn't have to stay with her buddy at all times. She should try to make other friends at school too, so she can find someone with similar interests.

I also talked to Mr. Leckwee about Didi. He's her principal and her teacher. I found out that he didn't know Didi had prepared an "ice-breaker". She had done such a good job on her presentation at Divine Savior school during orientation week, that I thought presenting her ice-breaker at First German might help her to start talking with her classmates and perhaps make some new friends.

The good thing is that Didi has a great host family, so they will provide her with the support and advice she needs to adjust to a new school. We'll come back in a few weeks and see how she's doing!

After that, we drove down to Howard's Grove to visit Bangpan at St. Paul's Lutheran School. Bangpan was at lunch when we arrived and since it was a rainy day, the kids had to play in the gym after lunch. Bangpan told me she didn't like basketball, so she sat on the bleachers by herself with her phone. But then Hannah and her friends came over and invited Bangpan to play badminton with them. Pretty soon she was up playing and laughing with them. It was great to see that.

After that we drove over to my parents' house to take a nap before heading to Chilton for May and Jinny's birthday party.

We ate at Pennelopy's Pizza in Chilton. For some reason I was trying to pronounce it in a "Greek" way, so I was saying, "Pen-nay-LOW-pis" instead of "Pen-NEL-low-peas."  I think I've been in Thailand too long! I'm forgetting how to pronounce American names :-P.

May and Jinny seemed really happy to have a nice birthday party. Their host families really put a lot of effort into making their birthdays special. Even their cookie-cake had Thai lettering on it! It was really nice to see May and Jinny joking around with their host families in a very natural way. The Konen family also showed up to say "hi" to May, so she had two host families at her birthday party.  How sweet!