My first birthday overseas, my best birthday ever!
The day started off with homemade cards from my beautiful boys, banana pancakes and tea prepared by my husband and a swim in the pool.
For lunch we headed to the beach with friends. We ate. We played. We enjoyed the feeling of having no agenda, having nothing to accomplish, and having good friends to spend a day at the beach with.
We ate dinner at my favourite restaurant with our feet in the white sand.
The sunset was extraordinary.
The kids played games on the beach while the adults talked and laughed. I saw a shooting star. Seriously! Then there were fireworks. Seriously! Then we lit a paper lantern and I made a wish as I watched it float up to the sky. Seriously! How cool is that?
I could not have asked for a better, more perfect day.
I have been continually pausing throughout our days and saying to myself, “I can’t believe this is my life!”
I feel incredibly blessed. Although we have had our ups and downs, most of the trip has been completely amazing. The kids are learning about more than I could have ever imagined. They are thriving in this foreign environment. Their self confidence grows each and every day and every day they amaze me in some way.
Now that we are settled in a house Mike and I have more time to pursue our interests, more time to spend with our children, and more time to be with each other. Time was one of the biggest things I looked forward to while we were planning our new lifestyle and now we have it. Now we embrace it.
We are one month in to our six months away. We are learning lessons on traveling with children, on finding community, and on going with the flow. There are many more lessons to come.
This was so worth the years of work and planning it took to get here. So worth it.
8 comments
Jennifer Miller says:
November 6, 2012 at 1:58 am (UTC -7 )
Hurray!!! Love that you’ve spent much of the first month with us!! You guys are making our time in Thailand SO special!
Eryn says:
November 6, 2012 at 8:28 am (UTC -7 )
So happy for you, Amy! You deserve to have the Best Birthday Ever!!!
Is that a REAL sunset photo? Out-of-this-world amazing, girl!
worldschooled says:
November 6, 2012 at 8:48 am (UTC -7 )
Thanks Eryn! It is a real sunset photo! Taken with our point and shoot camera! It was SO beautiful!
Rebeca says:
November 6, 2012 at 12:18 pm (UTC -7 )
Sounds wonderful! So glad it was an amazing day… here’s to many more!
A King's Life says:
November 6, 2012 at 11:26 pm (UTC -7 )
We love you guys and are so happy you are thriving. Can’t wait to catch up with you in CM.
Happy Happy Birthday…you’re making me dream of beaches!
Renee says:
November 7, 2012 at 11:28 am (UTC -7 )
Amy, I’m so glad that your trip is turning out to be everything you’d hoped—and more—after you worked so long to make it happen.
You’re making me miss Thailand a LOT. Mexico’s wonderful, but there’s nothing like SE Asian beach life…and food.
Heidi says:
November 9, 2012 at 12:18 pm (UTC -7 )
Happy Birthday Amy! Wish we could have been there to share it with you. I love the paper lantern – so beautiful – may all your wishes come true. Snow is in the air here – we’ll save some for you for when you get back!
worldschooled says:
November 11, 2012 at 6:59 am (UTC -7 )
Thanks Heidi! You don’t need to save any snow for us, we don’t want any! 🙂