funny.

These videos brought joy to my soul. Kind of mocking the culture of Northwest America...

Put a bird on it.

Ordering a chicken.

allah and yosu.

Two of our friends here Allah and Yosu are getting married next month. They asked me to take some photos for their engagement, and here are a few for those of you who have met them. :)

ostrich riding and a monkey attack.

My father, mother, aunt Anna and cousin Katrina were just here for a visit. We had a wonderful time together and kept their schedule pretty packed the entire time. While in Chiang Rai, we held a few different mobile clinics in the Akha village nearest us.  I think this is probably the first time dad gave adjustments with chickens laying eggs behind him and flying over him. After our time in Chiang Rai we drove to Chiang Mai so that the ladies could take a massage course, and so that we could spend some time with my cousins Keith and Rhoda who are currently there. From Chiang Mai we flew to Bangkok, then took a quick 1.5 trip to a beach 2 hours south of Bangkok. We LOVED having them here, and are so thankful for all they sacrificed to come and be with us. They hiked up to a waterfall, rode ostriches, went to a fish spa, experienced Thai massage, met our close friends here, the staff at the clinic I work at, the nurses in Bangkok that cared for Olive, and so much more.

Here are two little videos of them...

riding ostriches with trina


Mother getting grabbed by a monkey at the zoo.

Click here to see photos from their trip.

01.22.2010

It's been over a year since she died.

I remember the bitter cold wind and snow falling as we buried her little body. 

We were miserably cold, as we stood around her grave, and completely brokenhearted.
Close friends and family flew from across the country to show us their love, and honor her life.

I remembering worrying about how we would pick up the pieces of our broken selves and put them back together. I think we are still trying to figure out how to do that.

The night she died, I slept with so much relief.

I slept no longer worrying that she would stop breathing during the night, be uncomfortable, get another infection, or have another shunt complication. 

At Olive's memorial service Pastor Koeman said, "If we could only see her now, we wouldn't wish her back." Those words help me on days like today.

Of course we wish none of it would have turned out like this. Of course we wish we could take back everything we have learned and all the ways we have grown for a healthy little Olive Hope. But when reality sets in, I am thankful she is no longer suffering. Thankful she didn't spent this year undergoing surgery after surgery.

Of course that doesn't take away the loss.

But I don't think I ever want this loss to fully go away.

I never want to forget her.

I'm thankful to those of you who still remember her life,  her big eyes, and her feisty little spirit.