We left Chiang Mai on Monday, and are spending a couple of days in Bangkok taking care of some business. The departure was bitter sweet. I was actually really glad to get out of the house, and leave all the stress of packing up and cleaning up behind. And then at the airport, I hugged and kissed all my good friends a gazillion times, and the person that made me want to cry was little Yoyo – my best friends 2 year old son, who is just the sweetest little boy, and who I love very much (I love all her kids, actually). He probably won’t remember me in a year….

On Tuesday we went to the Department of education and finally picked up my 6th Grade Thai Language Certificate – only 2 years late!! They looked at me kind of weird when I told them I took the exam in 2003. But, when they handed it over, I was so happy. I worked so hard to get that little piece of paper, and it paid off! It’s a symbol at acheivement and also of all the sweat and tears associated with learning this beautiful language. Now I just have to remember it all while I’m gone!

Well, tommorrow is the BIG day. We have to wake up at 4am, and get on a plane to the States. I’m nervous excited. There’s lots of things awaiting us on the other side. Meeting Sean’s nephew for the first time… seeing old family and friends… winter!… and a whole lot of other things that we can’t even foresee. As we got ready to leave, all our Thai friends kept saying, “When you come back there’ll be 4 of you” (5, 6, 7, 8 of you – they can get a little carried away). And I so hope there’ll be at least one addition in the next year. But what if there isn’t??? What if we come back as a family of 2, the same as it’s always been? It’s not that I lack faith, it’s just that sometimes God uses faith to move a different mountain than the one you are looking at. And I have to be realistic and consider every contingency. I have to be prepared to lay this dream down, and be content to be what God has called me to be, if I discover that this is not His plan for us this year.