My Khmer Family

Meet my beloved Cambodian family, the bloodline of my pdai (husband):

Pa and Ma. Chamnan and Sokly. A beautiful couple who have raised six, strong young men.  Pa is an engineer and currently works as a "project manager" in the rice fields in the province. Ma stays at home and raises our nephews. One mealtime it was mentioned that I want a Khmer name (that my family can pronounce and remember!) Pa chose Leakena, which means "girl with an almost perfect attitude."  They are beautiful people and I think about them all the time, always praying that they will recognzie their need for Jesus Christ- Savior and Redeemer.  I'm anxious to see how our relationships grow and develop in the years ahead. :)

My nephews! On the left is Chamroat, age 7, and on the right is Reaksmey, age 5. (Both much smaller than your average 7- or 5-year-old child in America.) They are adorable... Seriously, so cute!  We visited them at home twice before going on vacation together. At the beach, Chamroat warmed up to me, but Reaksmey never really overcame his shyness. I really enjoyed watching the boys play and interact with their uncles!  The boys LOVED the beach! While we were in the sand or water, they were all smiles, all the time!  In the days ahead, Chamroat and Reaksmey will be starting school for the very first time! We are excited to help provide this opportunity and to see what the future holds for them!

My brothers! When I married my husband, I gained five more bong-tlay (brothers-in-law) - Chamraun (28), Chamnieng (26,), Chamrong (24), Chamnong (20), and Chamnob (16). Pictured with me above are Chamrong, Chamnob, and Chamrong.  While we were in Cambodia and on family vacation, I especially enjoyed getting to know these guys! I miss them today!

They were all very welcoming. They seem very close. They are all funny like their oldest brother, my husband. I could hardly understand any conversation that took place during our time together (HATE THAT LANGUAGE BARRIER!) but I can see that they all love their motherly deeply, have great respect for their oldest, and are curious about their new sister-in-law. I often find myself thinking about them and wondering what they really think, how they really feel, always praying that they will come to know the Lord. I'm anxious to see how our relationships develop and grow in the future... and I'm anxious to see this family grow more!

At home, the Romdenh family minus Pa and Chamraun


Chamnieng and wife, Bopha, with sons Chamroat and Reaksmey


Sad good-byes at the airport

Missing them,
Jewel

Baltimore

Writing this from Baltimore... preparing for hurricane Sandy aka "Frankenstorm." The Washington Post predicts it will be New England's worst October storm in more than one generation. People are stockpiling food and water, buying chainsaws and generators, taping windows, and pushing other customers in the battery aisle. Danielle's school already announced a closing tomorrow. Still... I remain a doubter. Perhaps I am naive, having never before experienced a hurricane or the threat of. We should know in the next 24 hours! In 48 hours, we're scheduled to fly home!

It's been a really good three days already, and hopefully that trend continues despite threatening weather. We flew in Thursday morning and were greeted at the BWI airport by Titus' good friend from Cambodia, Sambat, and his curly-headed, three-year-old daughter, Elsie. We went to a beautiful Indian buffet for lunch and it was... SO GOOD! Wow. Really would like to have one of those in Marion! After lunch we explored Baltimore City by foot. It was a perfect October day! We walked around the harbor, through some shops, up a huge hill to the park and a beautiful of the city, and enjoyed some live music and Italian ice. At 5:00, we got half-price tickets to the National Aquarium, and enjoyed stir-fry and Chinese leftovers at home.

I'm attempting this first post from my iPod, so no idea what you will be seeing. Hope it's decent!

Much love,
Jewel

Big City Life

Life is full of adventure.
So full of adventure.

I started writing this post on Saturday, while sitting in an overly-air conditioned Starbucks on Monument Circle in Indianapolis; Titus taking the TOEFL exam a few streets away.  I need to say that I am NOT a city girl - at least I didn't think I was; - however, as I have been gaining more confidence behind the wheel, trust in the GPS, and yearning to see & explore, I am enjoying the city! [Note: EXCEPT DURING RUSH HOUR.]
While Titus took his four hour English exam - and many many many thanks to those of you who prayed for him!!! - I explored the 2 block radius surrounding Monument Circle.

Last Saturday at this hour, sweet husband and I were in Hollywood, California.  Who knows what adventures await us in the next week?

In Hollywood, we walked around Universal Studios City Walk with our friends, Barbie and Ken.  Entrance was free, and there were 30-35 shops and restaurants that we perused. We had iced coffees at Starbucks and over-ate at Hard Rock Cafe

After lunch, we got back in the car and on the 10-lane Freeway to Hollywood Boulevard, where we saw the stars

and the famed Hollywood Sign, which was on my LA Bucket List.

We also had the strange opportunity to meet Muscle Man, who was one of numerous characters standing on the street offering photo ops to tourists. Before Muscle Man, we declined numerous offers, but he was so insistent that I finally consented. What I did NOT agree to was the second pose, where he - in one quick motion - lifts me into the air for a second picture. After he slowly and gently lowered me to the ground, he said, "I do that for a donation." A DONATION!?! Of course he does. I could have used the donation to buy a new shirt... the man was SO SWEATY! Seriously gross.

Can you tell by my face that I was NOT enjoying the moment??? HA. (I can laugh about it now.)
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!!
We ended our time in Hollywood at Griffith Park Observatory, overlooking the expansive city of Los Angeles, California

Look forward to one last "LA Vacation" post about the beautiful beach wedding at Venice Beach! ♥♥♥

Love, Love, Love,

Jewel

LA Life 1

Earrrrly last Thursday morning, Titus and I caught a jet plane to Denver, then onto Los Angeles, for the reunion with and wedding of my bff Loren Gail Dearth to Mr. Harrie Trotman.

Too much happened to squeeze into one post, so here are the beginnings:

I just cannot even believe how much of the world Titus and I have already seen together - the flats of Indiana, the sunny Florida beaches, the streets of New York, and the hot spots in California!  I feel so blessed to be making so many wonderful memories with such a wonderful husband.

Only minutes after arriving in Los Angeles, we were off to Santa Monica Beach with the bride-to-be and two friends.  We had a pb&j picnic on blankets in the sand and played aggressive beach volleyball.  The sand was soft and pure, the sun was high and bright, and the blankets were spread out for relaxing.  It felt like... vacation!!

Afterwards, we walked along the pier and took in all the sights.  I was most impressed to see an artist crafting and selling caricature sculptures from clay - not your typical chalk caricatures.  We also watched a man "clean" a large fish and then "clean" his teeth with one of the fish's bones.  I would have loved to have had more time to people watch, but our traveling bodies were tired, so our time there was short.

Our time at Santa Monica ended with our toes in the water, and our bums in the sand...

It was a beautiful day!!

Love, Love, Love,
Jewel

Staycation 2

Last Thursday, I took my second saved vacation day and my sweet husband and I took another one-day "staycation" to enjoy the blessing of a few extra hours together during the work week.

We slept until the wonderful hour of 9:00, grabbed our bathing suits, towels, and sunglasses; stopped for gas, coffee, and donuts; and headed west to Kokomo Beach.





Kokomo Beach might be one of NE Central Indiana's best-kept secrets. For only $5/each, we enjoyed hours of relaxing "togetherness" on the lazy river, in the leisure pool, and twice down the slides (then the lines became too cRaZY.)  We had lunch at a picnic table in the shade, and a few hours later, found ourselves at Markland Mall.

At Target, I found the perfect short sleeve, yellow, cardigan sweater to wear with a dress [that I can't wear without the perfect short sleeve, yellow, cardigan sweater (or some other form of covering up my shoulders!)] My husband found 2 pairs of good-looking cargo shorts on clearance for only $5/each. (I even convinced him to buy a pair that isn't plaid. Plaid doesn't go with everything you know.)  We perused a few more stores and enjoyed the best soft pretzel that I have maybe ever had (and the guaranteed first that he has ever had!)

Oh the way back home, our small corner of the world got it's first rain in more than three weeks; and it wasn't just a rain, it was a downpour - a "the windshield wipers won't move fast enough" kind of downpour.  It was both equally tense and relaxing to drive in the rain. :)

Despite the sunburn that is still bothering me six days later, the horrible embarrassment of locking my keys in the car at Culver's, and the discomfort of wearing wet clothes (due to locking my keys in the car in the downpour;) without my husband's input, I will declare it "the best day that we have spent together since our honeymoon."

Love, Love, Love,
Jewel

Our First "Just Us" Vacation

Vacation! Vacation! A happy time of year! Vacation! Vacation! With the one I hold so dear!

On Friday, my sweet husband and I enjoyed a wonderful few hours of "vacation" together in the Big City.  It was just one day, but it was so wonderful to just be together and to be away!  10-15 miles down the interstate, I realized that I had forgotten my camera at home [on the charger!] and I was so angry at myself!  10-15 miles later, I had convinced myself that we would have more fun without the distraction of a camera and needing to take pictures.  (I'm not sure the credibility of that statement, but at least I wasn't angry at myself!)

Our first stop: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, where we explored the SpaceQuest Planetarium, CSI Flight Adventures, Treasures of the Earth, Dinosphere, and more.  We saved $10 using a coupon, so we each enjoyed a huge $4 ice cream cone!  I was initially hesitant to go to a Children's Musuem "just us;" we skipped a lot - legos and dress-up clothes, etc. - but we had fun! I learned a lot and had fun experiencing something new with my husband!

After the Children's Museum, we went down the road to White River State Park, and walked along the canal in downtown Indianapolis.  I couldn't convince my shade-loving husband to venture very far before he insisted on resting on the soft, green grass under a tree.  Sitting in the grass, we enjoyed a unique garden of colorful blooms, fragrant flowering shrubs, a variety of textured foliage and the sounds of water flowing down the canal.  It was the perfect spot and time for a blanket, picnic basket, and camera!

When we had just enough of the heat, we saw To The Arctic in 3D in the IMAX theater at the Indiana State Museum.  The 45-minute movie was well worth the $9.50 paid to watch polar bears in 3D on a 6-story screen! To The Arctic took us on "a never before seen journey into the lives of a mother polar bear and her two seven-month old cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home."

For dinner, we took the recommendation of many people and tried Jasmine Thai at 4825 East 96th Street in Indianapolis. I was pleased and would eat there again, but I had higher expectations!

I have two more vacation days that I need to use [or lose!] before June 30th.  I'm not sure yet when I will take them and what we will do, but I am very much looking forward to them!  After June 30th, I will be saving my vacation days for a trip to Cambodia!  I'm already dreaming about it!!

Love, Love, Love,
Jewel

Blogging from New York...

Thursday morning Jessie, Mom, Dad, and I left home and drove to Rochester, New York.  It should have only taken 8.5 hours but it took almost 10 after road construction and passing a bad accident.  Praise the Lord we had a safe and uneventful trip!  I rode with Dad the entire way and stayed awake every mile. Mom, Jessie, and I came to Rochester for Spring Break and I slept every mile. Every time I closed my eyes to sleep, Dad opened his mouth (or the GPS fell off the dash!) but I suppose that was okay.

My sister has chosen to attend grad school here in Rochester (actually, that's why we are here, and why we came during Spring Break.)  We spent all of today moving her things into and arranging her apartment.  She's living in a house with 4 other girls from her grad school, so I'm excited for her about that.  Although I'm not pleased with her for leaving me...

Titus and I have friends that live in Rochester, and I was looking forward to seeing them while we are here; however, they left for Cambodia only a few hours before we left for Rochester. Sad. :(  I'm looking forward to seeing them (Phalkun & Janell) in a few weeks when we come again to visit Jessie.  I think she would like to officially meet Titus before the wedding. ;)

We went to dinner tonight with one of Jessie's new housemates and her parents.  Margie seems really nice; if I were Jessie, I would really be excited to live with/get to know her!  After dinner, we went to the mall and I got a 50%-off bathing suit for my honeymoon (I guess that means I finally made the decision to go to the beach for our honeymoon!)

Tomorrow our plans are to stock Jessie's kitchen, finish arranging Jessie's room, maybe visit Lake Ontario, return to the mall, look for bridesmaids' shoes, and have our last family game night.  I really am very excited for Jessie to start a new journey, but I will be very very sad to leave her in New York. :(  Next time Jessie is home, it will be for my wedding and things will be different (a good different, but a hard different.)

On a side note, THANK YOU to those who have been praying for my grandmom. She had her eye removed last Thursday, and was admitted to the hospital a few days later with complications. She had acute renal failure, but has miraculously recovered (she's done that three times now!)  It was so so so hard to leave her in the hospital and come to New York, and my heart has been blessed by messages from church friends/family that have visited her while we have been away. When Mom, Dad, and I return to Indiana on Sunday evening, we are hoping to bring Grandmom home with us!

Love love love, Jewel

Mackinaw Island: Day 2

We spent Wednesday on Mackinaw Island itself. We took the 9:00 boat to the island, and crossed again to Mackinaw City just before dinner. We sat on the roof of the ferry boat, and the wind was frigid! It was interesting.. I had never been on a cold vacation before, but around noon I was ready to take off my sweatshirt.

Two Arnold ferries ready to board passengers and cross Lake Huron to Mackinaw Island

Here I am faking a decent smile! (Meanwhile, miserably cold!)

Dad and Mom, both dressed in Colts blue!

Approaching the island (notice lighthouse)

The Mackinaw Island southern harbor

On the island, we did a few different things. We took a carriage tour through town and through Mackinaw State Park, then back through town. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth the dollars! We wouldn't have seen half of it if we decided to go only by foot or bike, and we wouldn't have known what anything was! It was hard to know what was inhabited by Mackinaw citizens, or what was a tourist spot, but despite the crowds of vacationers, it was clear the citizens live the simple life that I love! Absolutely no motorized vehicles are allowed on the island (with exception of emergency vehicles), mail is delivered only 3 times weekly and must be picked up at the post office, and no franchises are permitted to move to the island.

Bike rentals!

Getting toward the edge of town. If I remember, these 2 carriages are taxis.

The first carriage we took through downtown.

Rock candy!

The arch rock in Mackinaw State Park

A view of the coast below

Mackinaw Island is very sacred land for Native Americans; these woods are full of legends!

Little Stone Church

to be continued as we spend the afternoon at The Grand Hotel..