Foster Family Visit

Monday, September 10, 8:00 p.m., Bangkok

This morning started off with another long wait for the kids to arrive. Did we tell you that traffic in Bangkok is terrible? When they finally arrived, we all piled into a van and drove to Central Department Store. The children really enjoyed the escalator--good thing, too, since the children's department was on the 6th floor! They were fascinated by the mannequins and even asked Mo what they were. As far as the shopping went, let's just say we definitely do not recommend trying to clothes shop with two very active preschoolers who don't speak your language!!

After lunch, we returned to the hotel and played with the kids for about half an hour. Margaret also called the US Immigration office here in Bangkok to see if the paperwork had been cabled yet. So far--no. Keep praying!

At 2:30, we got back in the van and set out for Bang Sai--the village where the foster family lives, just north of Bangkok. As we sped along the expressway, the city scenery changed gradually until we were definitely in a rural area. The countryside is beautiful with rice fields and tropical fruit trees. We saw many different types of birds. Beth and Jack got their naps in for the day.

After more than an hour, we finally arrived at the foster home. We walked down a dirt path, over a rickety bridge, under a stilt house and into the yard of the foster family. The father was the first to greet us and led us to his home. There, the mother invited us upstairs to visit. We removed our shoes and climbed the steep wooden staircase to a large open room. The house was very sparsely furnished--mostly some cabinets and a few chairs. Sleeping mats were piled by one wall. We sat in the middle of the floor and got to know one another. The foster parents were most concerned that we loved Beth and Jack--especially now that we had met them face-to-face and not just in photos. We could tell that they had truly loved our children and that their home was a happy place.

We said goodbye for the night and left them for the last time--tomorrow they will stay with us for good! Jack blew us kisses as we waved goodbye. We settled in for the long drive back to the hotel and that's when the exhaustion hit us. We'll probably just relax in our room and by the pool after Beth and Jack get here tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.

Margaret finally saw an elephant--just a block from the hotel in the middle of the city!!