24hours of fly time, finally on Phuket

Hello everyone,

Thank you for all your well wishes and weather updates (tom, haha) Gramma thank you so very much for your letter, I am so happy to hear you are doing great.

We are finally getting settled in and are glad to have our feet on the ground for a while. We calculated and we had 24hours of flying time on the airplanes and all I can say is THANK GOODNESS we had “Super Mario & Blackjack” for Trent to play on the plane. Ya he made it…. (this is all he did all flight, see picture)

The kids did amazing I mean amazing!!! Everett would have his one time chuck up but other than that everything was great.
We knew it before but it is amazing on how adaptable our kids are. They can sleep anywhere and make it work, wouldn’t that be nice if we all could be like that…

Everett and his facination with airplanes. When we had our stopover in Singapore all he did was sit at this window and watch the planes.. Funny how he is so interested in them already.

We arrived in Phuket on Sunday night as you can imagine quite exhausted and praying to God that my contact was there to meet us and YA I am two for two… Steven was there and knew it was us right away (we were the only ones who has three small kids hanging off us) We drove to our place at night and we did not have a pit in our stomach like we did last year when we arrived in Venezuela so that was a good sign.

Phuket is a lot bigger and more westernized than I had envisioned. However there is so many scooters and everyone has one that they drive with thier whole family on board. There is no way you will catch us on a scooter.

Our place we rented was ok, the garden where the pool is, is beautiful this is the kids playing in the pool and the surrounding garden. However the house is not what will work for us for the duration of our time unfortunatley. We had no stove, no utensiles and it was missing a basic table and chairs so on the hunt we go for a new house.

Trent went for a walk to find some food on Monday morning and was looking quite lost and this guy says “Hey can I help you, you look like you need some?” We met a really great guy Jesse Shule from Vancouver who lives here with his wife and little boy 2yr. old. He has been wonderful to us. Jesse is a true Canadian and reminds us of Bruce Reid our other great canadian from Vancouver who was so great in Germany.

The last few days have been the kids and I waiting for Trent and Jesse to return with some news on a new place instead of us all driving around. On Monday it was the Kings birthday so everything was closed so Tueday was a busy day and now it is Wed and we are settling into our new place.

Jesse has taken us to a few resturants and they have been really good except for the added fly garnish in Trent’s dish this afternoon ( it was so funny everything always happens to him)

Now we are in a new house in a gated community with all the wealthy Thais they say. We have a three bedroom/3bath house and I am so happy because it actually has screens on the windows and doors. (i was getting tired of our gecko friends IN the previous house scurring everywhere)

In the next few days we will be on our way to finding new places to explore. We found a Thai boxing gym that Easton and Trent are going to train and I will be talking to a lady about dance class for Emma. I would love to train for Thai boxing if we can find child care for Everett. I will check out schools next week to see if the kids can go after Christmas break. There is no indication of Christmas here at all and they really do not celebrate since is it either Buddist or Mustlim here. I have to have a picture with Santa this year so I will be on the hunt for one at a resort.

I forgot to mention that we are rented a car and they drive on the other side of the road. Trent went out to practise before we got in the car with him I started practising this morning. I have to say a few days makes a huge difference in confidence and training ones brain on driving.

Here’s a funny story. Jesse has a son who is 2yrs. he as never been in a car before and when they put him in the car it was like he as going in a death chamber, he freaked out and would not calm down. It was so funny because we take that for granted. Jesse only drives scooters you go faster around the cars he says.

The kids are doing great and Emma is recovering from an ear infection, but that was expected with flying this happens everytime. Easton keeps asking “Mommy next trip can we go to Africa?” we will see buddy… Everett has a bit of a cold and is learning to sit for longer than 3 minutes, poor little man.

Well I should run, thank you again for emailing we love to get them. Bon give Harlow a big squeeze for me and tell her Auntie misses her. Emma found a few things for her in Hong Kong and is excited to give them to her. Send me a picture please.

Jenna & Auntie Pat thank you for sending me gramma’s letter it was such a nice surprise.

The Days & Simpsons, we thought of you Friday night also, keep in touch and we look forward to March 10th(I think that is the friday) when we get back. I will study the game a bit more to hopefully defend my title..haha…

Jackie send a picture or two of Hilary if you get a chance and where is your sister I have not heard from her.

Ginger I promise to write soon, hugs to Thomas, how is he doing?

All my love to ken & Gramma please and if someone could print off this to show them I would appreciate it.

Gramma & Grampa I hope you have a chance to get away this winter and thinking of you, all our love.
Auntie Carol thanks for making me laugh I know you appreciate our crazy stories..

Ok I have to run the kids are screaming. It does not matter where you are, life is still the same when you are a mom…

Sorry Mom, the internet at our house is dialup so it is super slowwwwwww… We have to set up a time to talk so let me know what you are working. All our love & we miss you…
xoxooxoxox Jody & the crew..

I will be back soon,