The Juniper Tree

Why so long with no posts? Here's my excuse: I've been sick. Yuck. I've spent most of the last few days somewhere near a bed - usually laying on it! Thankfully, I'm much better (though still not 100%). Julianna has been fighting something similar, but Matt and Lydia seem to have been spared, so we are thankful for that.

The conference ended and yesterday we moved to the Juniper Tree, a guest house for expatriate workers in Asia. It is a wonderful retreat - playgrounds with slides and swing sets (this is a BIG deal, a playground is a rare thing in Asia), a beautiful pool, three meals a day in a dining room and laundry service! Matt says it's a bit like family camp. I think there are about 20 units here, of varying sizes. Kids practically outnumber the adults.

The girls are having a blast. Lydia (a pure mommy's girl) is a bit on the clingy side, thanks to the days I spent in bed when she was cared for by a number of very gracious friends. I think she's nervous that anytime she's not in my arms I might disappear for hours at a time, so she usually chooses to stick close to me.

We didn't know I would be sick at the end of the conference when we made plans to spend our last few days in Thailand here at the Juniper Tree, but it is the perfect way to end our almost-month-long Thailand excursion. Matt has NO MEETINGS!!! Meals are so much less stressful than at the conference center! The grounds here are a little girl's delight - so many places to play and explore - not at all like the boring hotel with a cavernous lobby that echoed when you squealed (the squeal + echo was thrilling for the girls, not so much for the hotel staff and other guests).

The girls and Matt are napping - this is vacation!