Cambodia Trip #3

While we waited for the palace to open... we took pictures outside of the palace.

                                                          Look at the designs of the gates!

                                                          The bookstore we walked too.

 I loved spending time with these two! They reminded me a lot of one of my brothers and sister.

                                     Watching the birds follow the "bird boy" as we called him.

                                                                   The "bird boy".

                                     We had a great time exploring the grounds of the palace! :)

                                                        And having fun with the statues. :)

                              Best picture ever!!! We all had a good laugh over this one! :)

                             Time to leave and get a tuk tuk home. :) I look so amused with Jackson. :)

Cambodia Trip #2

The Kings Palace was not what the kids expected... But we still had a good time. :)

                That big tree... It's a mango tree!!! That is the Biggest mango tree I have ever seen!!!

                                                  The main building where the throne is.

                                                             Nice tile designs. :)

                                                         Where the King lives.

          Don't they look like they are having fun?!?! :) They were tired of all the walking we had done.
Because the palace was closed for lunch when we first got there, we walked down the street to a book store and then back to the palace. So I don't blame them for being tired. :)

                                                                I love the colors! :)

I'll finish up the pictures of the palace in the next post. :)

Cambodia Trip! #1

If I were to explain Cambodia to you in four words these are what I would use. :)

Hot, loud, dirty, and tuk tuks (rickshaws).

Cambodia is much different from Thailand... Yes, they have similarities but they are also very different from one another. They are both hot and have crazy drivers; but Cambodia is very dirty and loud. Where Thailand is not as dirty and not that loud or not Cambodia loud. "Cambodia loud" is doing karaoke every night till past midnight! Enough about the two country's... Time for the exciting adventure in Cambodia. :)

My trip started with quite a bumpy airplane ride and delayed an hour. But Thankfully it all worked out and the family picking me up got there 15 mins before I got in. Praise the Lord that they didn’t have to wait there for an hour! I got in at 5pm and we got back to the house at 6. We celebrated their oldest sons birthday and then we all went to bed.

The next morning I got up and their neighbor, who is a Tuk tuk driver, took me to the Thai embassy. Funny story… when I went out the gate to find the neighbor I stood around waiting for 15 min and then went and asked the kids if they could find him for me. (I didn’t know what he looked like or his name.) They found him and he told me to have a seat in this little restaurant thing… we’re sitting talking and after about 15 min he asks if the mom is bring the kids with her… I tell him that I’m the only one and that the mom isn’t coming and he said, ”why didn’t you tell me before!” The thing is… I had, but he didn’t understand. He thought the mom was coming because she was the one who asked for me.

After that was all cleared up we were on our way and made it to the embassy. At the embassy I only had to wait about 5 min before I was called up… but then the lady said she needed to talk to the people in charge before she would ok it… so I had to wait an hour before she called me up and told me that they wouldn’t give me the one I had asked for, but that they would give me another tourist visa. Praise God that they gave me the tourist visa! I had to wait and pick it up Friday afternoon. 

That meant I had a couple open days to do whatever I wanted. :) I spent most of it just relaxing and enjoying playing games with the two oldest kids. I got to take them to the Kings Palace... that was an adventure. :) Then on Friday I picked up my visa and was ready to go back to Thailand. Although my flight wasn't till Mon night. 

                                               We played games on the roof one afternoon!

So, I took a tuk tuk to the airport, (because some kids were sick) and got there earlier then expected and got through to my gate no problem. As I'm sitting there waiting for my flight... I realize that were supposed to be boarding any min... but the screen had changed to red... for a second I thought it had been canceled... but the two Filipino girls sitting next to me said it was delayed. (Not a big surprise!) :) So an hour late again... we get into Bangkok around 7ish. 

                                                            (Cambodia airport) 

 Now time for immigration. So I get up to the desk and he says I can't stay the 90 days I wanted too... and He has to call one of the head ladies over. She looks at my flight out of Bangkok and my passport and tells me to follow her. So we go down to the end of the walkway and I'm told to sit by this desk. When the officer at the desk is done talking to a couple, who also got pulled out. He asked me a couple of questions and then after telling him that I'm visiting friends who just had a baby and that I'm leaving for Germany a couple days after the original 60 days on the visa, he told me, "ok, but this is the last time you can come in with a tourist visa." After that, I made my way to the taxi line...I got a nice taxi driver who played old american music. :) I finally made it back to the house at 9pm... Oh, what a trip! :)

                                           This is Joey... He lived in mine and Oliviya's room. :)

 So, when I got there they were having a bad smell.. like something dead coming in by the kitchen. They thought it might be a rat.. but it wasn't. Their dad found a dead cat on the roof of their outside bathroom. They couldn't get it down... but things here get eaten pretty fast by bugs and other things. (sorry, if that was to much info for you.)

                                            A wedding going on... Apparently they go on for days!

                  These pictures were taken by the kids. ;) So, here is what they see of Cambodia. ;)

6 Months Ago Today...

In the morning six months ago today, I had learned that I didn't get the visa that I had applied for. But as I was driving on the freeway to work, I was talking to God about it and was thanking Him for the plan that He had in mind. As I was doing this everyone was slowing down and getting over into my lane, as there was a police officer that had pulled someone over. As I slowed down almost to a stop all of a sudden I feel someone run right into me from behind. When I looked into my rear-view mirror all I saw was my trunk. :( Thankfully I didn't hit the car in front of me and the police officer saw it all happen. I ended up getting two rental cars to drive while my car was in the shop and then they totaled it... So I just got money from insurance for it, which was nice, because I was going to sell it before I left anyways!  I'm Thankful that I wasn't hurt badly. I had to go get x-rays done to make sure everything was ok and get adjusted every couple weeks for the next two months, but that's great compared to what it could have been. I still have problems with my shoulders every once in a while, but I'm thankful it's not unbearable!
God is faithful and good all the time!

Balcony Views

Sorry I haven't given you guys an update in the last couple weeks... It's been a little crazy. I was gone for about a week in Cambodia and then once back I hit the ground running with work. Plus I also moved into my apartment right after I got back. So between work and setting up my place, it's been crazy! Also, the internet at my place isn't great... So I have to do everything either on my phone or at the house. All that to say, I have a lot of updates coming. :) While you wait for them, here are some pictures from the balcony on the top floor of my apartment building. :)
These were taken on the first night I was here.

      The city just keeps going... It's crazy!

30 Day Extention

Right now I'm in Cambodia doing a visa run, but about three weeks ago I went to go get my other visa extended for 30 days. What a trip that was. :) It was a 6 hour ordeal... almost half of that was in the car getting there and coming back. More then the other half was just waiting around to be called... there was over 90 people in front of me. Thankfully you can walk around and look a little shops or just sit and take a nap. :) But the important thing is that I got it!!! Now let's just hope and Pray I get my Visa today! 

(These are some pictures from two weeks ago.) 

                                                 These orange flowers trees are beautiful!

           It's interesting to see all the advertisements on the buildings. Oh, and I follow... Jesus!

 I believe that is a police officer watching traffic.... if it gets to bad I think they stop letting people through for a couple mins. But I'm not 100% sure on that... so don't quote me. :)