tiger kingdom.

if you know me at all you know that im not too keen about pets. i like to say that i am a super picky animal person because i have gotten along with SOME dogs and cats. i am also a pretty picky people person as well. ha.
anyway, this doesnt not mean that i dont appreciate wild life. i actually think tigers are amazing and i cant imagine what if would feel like to be up close to one with no cage in between. and so this is what brings me to "tiger kingdom" in chang mai - not to be confused with the more controversial "tiger temple" in bangkok. it was about a 30 minute tuk tuk ride to "tiger kingdom" with a stop at the orchid farm. tayler, for whatever reason, did not want to go - which i will never understand. how would you not want to cuddle with tigers in thailand?? when you get there you can choose between small, medium or large tigers. i choose large. you in the cage with them and can lay down next to them. play with their tail. take pictures. im sure the tigers are drugged - but i like to believe the "trainers" who say they are just domesticated and used to being around people and that they are tired because its nap time. hmmm. either way, they are beautiful creatures, i did not get attacked and i hope they have a wonderful life at "tiger kingdom."

snake ate a kate heart.

day one in vietnam and we were feeling a little crazy. maybe it was the adrenalin from finally getting to our destination. on the way from the airport to the city, we were talking to some people about a place just outside of hanoi called le mat. its a place known for snake resturants. that's right folks - and not just your normal snakes but COBRAS. apparently they are a delicacy there and a our new friend lin said he would take us for dinner that night, knowing we would be the ones paying we were glad to have a local come with us. after about a ten minute drive we pulled up to some place that sure enough looked like your local snake restaurant. they ushered us in and all i could see were snakes - big jars of supposedly snake infused rice wine - with dead snakes in them and then about 4 huge cages full of live cobras. this poor guy opened a cage and pulled out a huge snake - he only had this cane with a hook on it to guide the snake and protect himself from dying. what an awful job. the guy pulls out another snake that was a bit smaller and without any dialect from us just lin and the other workers - they stretch the snake out so that they can slit its chest and pull out the beating heart. they put the heart, which was about the size of a mandarin orange slice in a little dish. i couldn't help but pull out my camera and take pictures. i mean, is this even happening? they pour out 3 shots of blood and 3 shoots of some clear bile looking liquid that came from maybe the stomach area of the snake?? they happily usher us up stairs, carrying the heart and shots, to a nice little romantic sitting area. what? the heart was still beating and it was settled that i would be the "guest of honor" since my birthday was in a couple days. awesome. i naturally put the heart in my shot of blood and shot it back. swallowed it whole. and then the bile. for the next hour the cooks brought out "cobra wine" and 10 different little dishes of cobra - the skin, the gizzards, the meat. which was very nice of them - but i kinda just wanted a bite :) welcome to vietnam. day one.

to be alone with you.

happy easter everybody!
it is a day of celebration and family and worship!
which is all wonderful. and i cant wait to see my family later today. but there is something i have been looking forward to. i have been gone for almost 3 weeks, tayler and i got home late last night. and as much as i have missed hot showers, my own bed, clean air. my soul longs for solitude. reflection on not necessarily my trip but on life and purpose and loving god.
and so easter is the perfect day, as everyone is out socializing and doing family things. i get to be alone for a bit. no travel buddy. no temples to visit. no weddings to attend. for just a little while i just get to embrace the silence. and just be.
i have seen so much in the last couple weeks. i dont know what to even think of it all. not that i am trying to make sense of the world...but try to simply experience it and learn. its always a bit of mixed emotions coming back from a long trip. and easter (having its own set of emotions) sort of snuck up on me.
anyway, there is pressure that my time with god today should be more special. more intentional. i need to pray the right words or feel that special easter feeling.
but im just here. i am humbled and my words are simple and few.

sometimes for me the only way i can talk to god is to just listen.

8th annual.

holiday get togethers can sometimes be boring and predictable.
i mean dont get me wrong, i love me some thanksgiving turkey...but for a girl who loves to eat and a mom who loves to cook :) we can never think of enough excuses to share meals together.
and so this is our 8th year celebrating family by watching the oscars together. basically everyone tries to see some of the movies that are nominated for best picture and then you bring a dish or a drink - anything to share that represents one of the movies. it could be creative like a black and white dessert representing the black and white film "the artist"...or southern fried chicken for "the help." and we pretty much had it all this year! we vote on the best or most creative dish at the end :)

thanks to my family - who loves to party and loves to host (and loves to eat)...i hope to be the same way!

my sister brought raclette representing "midnight in paris"

inspiration is...everywhere.

here's a secret.

and it is mostly for all you airline employes (meaning, you should probably only go here if you're getting paid). if you need to clear your head. if you need to brainstorm. a good nights sleep. somewhere with no distractions. and a small workout facility. then i know just the place...

SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN!

i have actually been actively avoiding canada for a long time now, but i saw this trip on the swap board where you stay in saskatoon for 30 some hours. so we get in sunday night and then we are there all monday. i knew that there was a mall, starbucks, internet and a workout room so i took the trip. and for a place that is way below freezing and has terrible tv (dont worry...i know there are most likely zero canadians reading this) it is a most excellent place to be alone. without interruption and all the duties of our everyday lives - you can actually hear yourself think. process your life. i mean, this is essentially what traveling is to me. a time to reflect but also a time to be inspired. you are constantly creating yourself. customly designing who you want to be.

and so as i sat at the starbucks...observing the canadians.
i. was. inspired.
the feeling is ineffable. and i wasnt in some extraordinary, unique setting. i wasnt drinking tea in the jungles of laos. or doing yoga in an ashram in india.
i was at a freaking starbucks. in saskatoon.

"if she got really quiet and listened, new parts of her wanted to speak." susan qriel

cant. stop. moving.

in the previous blog - you might be wondering why "home" was in quotes.
ok, you probably weren't wondering.
but in case you were...you know, wondering...
it is because - I MOVED!!!
surprised?
no?
oh.

thats right everyone...i moved back to the 'burbs.
because...well...it turns out i actually hate broadway plaza lofts. ha. i mean its the obvious reasons of that it just didnt feel very safe in 211. and there were way too many incidences. cars broken into, our place being ransacked, fights outside our window, puppies stolen! i cant make this stuff up. its like the "fool me once" saying.

and so...i am now safe and sound in white suburbia living in a place that (since i was 15) has always felt like home and has always been welcoming. its hannahs parent's old house and her and josh are still living there, along with our friend amy! i am so very grateful to have them in my life and although i am still driving to arvada or downtown or the airport what seems like daily. i know i can come home to people i love and dogs greeting me at the door. a safe little house in lakewood.
since the move my dreams have been sweet...and let me tell you, nothing compares to a good nights sleep.

g'night :)

seven day cruise.

correction....seven day DISNEY cruise.

i got "home" sunday night with this feeling like, "what the heck just happened?"
seven days of non stop kids, overly happy crew members, signing, eating and entertainment.

im not joking. non stop, people.

im not a cruise person really - but i AM a family person and you know you can have fun going anywhere with the right attitude. and when you are with 8 people, all with different opinions and needs, sometimes a cruise seems best.
surprisingly, everything went pretty smooth - no lost bags or missed flights or throwing up.
i mean there was a little (a lot) of crying. mostly from the kids of course.
i would like to compare it to - roskilde. but for kids. the kid version of parties and alcohol and concerts...is water slides, mickey time, bingo, milk shakes, pizza and toy story the musical. they had the time of their lives and by the end of each night they were exhausted!

for sure my favorite day was in cabo when we paid Gabriel 80 bucks to take us on his sketch little boat to go whale watching. we were about 8 feet from 2 huge, beautiful humpback whales. we followed them for about 20 minutes. it was obvious they were lovers. on a journey together :) it was incredible...it almost brought tears to my eyes! we took the boat to some beach while about five seals waved to us! and then we drank margaritas, ate chips and guac, traded some altoids for some sun glasses (i love bargaining) and buried each other in the sand.

our family is not perfect, but these are the moments you want to remember. these are the moments that will go in the books.