A month of pictures

Last day of Art School with Maddie's teacher, Summer.

Ya Ya, Mei Lian, A Pu

Sweet Potato Cake

Madeleine is just like Phil.  She loves tons of blankets on her.  Our heat is off now until the fall and it's a bit chilly in the house.

Warming up to a lioness.

Art School Puppy

Good friends visited for a couple days.

Daniel and Josiah took turns reading to Madeleine. They got pretty tired of it because Maddie could read all night and Phil and I loved the free babysitting.

Lilian totally chill.

Tent of old foam.  This is out on our enclosed balcony.  Madeleine created this herself.

Playing on the playground.

The backyard of a tenant in our complex.  A rooster and hen are in the pen.

This is significant because Madeleine is slowly learning not to suck her thumb.  Reading and watching a movie are the hardest times for her.

Buying beans.

Fresh ground red chili pepper.

Friday morning, waiting for the bus to school.

Easiest way to wash a baby.

McDonald's.  Can you buy cups of corn in the States?

First trans-fat laden french fry.

Madeleine pretending to wait for school to start with all her school stuff.

Taking the road less traveled to the toys.

A rare event of blissful, child free travel.  We were at the airport on our way to Chengdu.

Bookshelf bought at the used furniture market.

Madeleine painting the shelves.

This was a fun project for Phil and Madeleine.  The finished product looks great but for some reason we didn't take a picture of it.

Lilian's favorite toy.  An activity center that plays really, really out of tune Christmas carols.

Always a favorite spot.

Lily's hair is starting to lay down but we still like it best spiked.  She has 6 teeth now - 4 on top and 2 on bottom.

Over the last couple of months Madeleine has really gotten in to clothes and picking our her own outfits.  This get-up is one of her normal looks.

Child labor is still the best.

The best alternative to getting a puppy.

In February we had a snow day.  Mariah and Madeleine had a blast for about 20 minutes.

Button-eyed snowman.  

Maddie was very concerned about leaving these buttons outside.  I (Julie) assured her it would be fine.  When we came back later he was gone and so were his eyes.  

Water conservation.

Afternoon at home with Papa.

Bye Bye.

All Thailand

Airsickness bag chef's hat.

We're in Bangkok, Thailand!

"Cow!!!!"

Phil and Madeleine went exploring near our resort in Chiang Mai.  

They found cows.

Lilian became a crawler the day after we arrived in Thailand.

She celebrated by getting a mohawk.

Always good food to be had.

Lilian showing off her pulling up skills.

Our resort at Springfield Resort in Hua Hin.  We got the suite this year.

The hair.

Awesome bus taking Phil and Julie to Hua Hin town.

Dedicating Lilian Pearl.

One of the restaurants sits down in the pool at Springfield Resort. 

Maddie takes a dip after lunch.  This pic is taken from our table.

Lilian absolutely loved Thai living.

Last year Natasha and I had our picture taken in this spot pregnant.  

Here's the result a year later.

Gramps on vacation.

Dolphin Bay

We were watching one of the staff at our resort cut coconuts out of the trees on the property.  Pretty soon he brought one cut open with a straw for Madeleine.

Our bungalows.  

Steiners on one side and Taylors on the other.

Evening meals were our big meal of the day.  They were almost always at these little beach side restaurants.  Cheap and delicious Thai.

Phil and Madeleine heading to Monkey Island.

This little guy was especially friendly.  

He was about to give Madeleine a special tooth filled greeting.  

She's convinced he was saying, "Hi!"

View down Dolphin Bay

Depending on who you ask, 

we spent our afternoons collecting starfish, prawns, hermit crabs or eating sand.

Lilian's favorite way to ride around.

Madeleine and Phil setting out one morning in their rented kyack.

Fishing boat off the coast.

In Bangkok at a guest house, Madeleine displays her mom's shopping spree. 2 new dresses, flip flops and a bracelet.

Lilian's favorite part of Bangkok.  The wardrobe.

Bangkok Zoo.

Madeleine Diane and Lilian Pearl

This is one of the only pictures where you can see where Maddie got a black eye.  She was at the perfect height for a good hit from the door knob when her friend rushed in the bathroom.

Second best thing to the beach.

A really fun vacation.  We can't wait to do it again next year!