Our Baby Boy Turns 2!

It's hard to believe that Cayden Truth was born 2 years ago! What a special blessing from God he has been!! He's brought lots of joy, life, and patience into our lives. ; )

I thought I'd add some of the pictures from his birth and the first week of his life so I could reflect on God's handiwork.

Only a couple of hours old

One day old

A very tired mamma with her new baby

Joseph's been kissing this baby since he was in the womb

1 week old sleeping on daddy's lap

Now here HE is at 2 years old! My they grow so quickly! He's been sleeping with his hand on his face since the day he was born. I hope I never forget.

He had on white in this picture and the sheets were white and his precious cheeks are white....I couldn't resist!!

This baby is an angel from heaven

All he kept saying was, "Whoa! Look my hair! Awesome!" Daddy has put sunscreen on his fair head and this was the result! He liked it!!

He loved his hair

If you've never heard a two year old ask, "I play iPad?" You simply MUST!! It's the cutest thing EVER and we have a reeeeeally hard time resisting.

He knows how to play on the iPad! What?!?

Here are some pictures from Cayden's 2 year birthday party on March 17! 

These two are buds!!! Can you tell?? How they've both grown. 

The resemblance is uncanny! I've never had a child that looks THIS much like me! I LIKE it. 

Unfortunately, he got my strong will too....ugh! *being changed*

We spent Cayden's birthday at a place called the Funarium...FUN it IS!!! Sliding down slides, riding bikes or roller blades, climbing, jumping, playing in balls, basketball, punching bags! You name it they have it! 

Our very serious bike rider trying desperately to keep that darn helmet on.

Cayden still has the balls confused! He thinks the basket ball is a soccer ball. 

We're working on it. Okay!

The menu had a great variety of both Thai food and Western food. And it was GOOOD! 

Our Thai boy got Western food, but his Western Mamma and Daddy got Thai food.

hot dog and chips

nuggets and fries

 Yes, I know, I've been here waaay too long! The choices of Western food were endless, but what can I say, I went for the Green Curry with Chicken and a fried egg. And it was a gooood choice! Very good!! Not like the food you except at a children's play land.

Thais eat fried eggs with their rice. It's offered at every meal and can be a meal in itself as well.

When the funds are low, we too, opt for rice with a fried egg on top with a splash of fish sauce. YUM

This was Clinton's choice Pat Krapaw Moo (spicy stir fried pork with Thai Holy Basil leaves) AND a fried egg.

Bank had an egg omelet with pork over rice. You can't see the rice but it's there. 

They (we) eat this dish with catsup. Actually Thais eat catsup with EVERYthing...even pizza. And, for inquiring minds, we do too. ; )) 

Things that once seemed so strange are very normal to us now. 

Baby boy turns 2

Cheeese

Love

Amber

Amazingness

Before we came on furlough, God encouraged us with some of His amazingness!!

Two of the children in our "children’s home" got their birth certificates after 2 looong years of trying. Please bare with me as this next part is long, but I promise it's worth it!

Two lives chained because of a piece of paper.

I’ve written before, Thak has taken in seven children. Clinton and I have been overseeing this work and helping out in the many areas where help is much needed. 

Five of the eight siblings didn’t have birth certificates when we met them and we helped to get three of them right away.  But we’ve been trying to obtain the other two birth certificates for the last two years!!! We’ve knocked, begged, pleaded on the doors of many government offices to no avail. Because the children are much older now (4, 7) there was no proof that the children we were bringing into the office was the same children who were on the birth certificates. They don’t finger print the children at birth like in America so there’s lots of underhanded things that go on as you can imagine. So they wanted the parents and the children to do a blood test, among many other things  to prove that they were in fact related. This is impossible, as the state of the mother and father has deteriorated in a most disturbing way.

            

In any country, if you don’t have a birth certificate you don’t “exist”. You can’t go to school, get medical treatment, open a bank account, and the list goes on……… it would be like an American not having a birth certificate or a social security card. For the Thais it’s one and the same.

            

SO!! On March 2, we went to the highest man in the city’s office and prayed God would give us a voice with him. Now imagine with me for one minute, a pregnant whitel lady with a Thai lady and 7 children some without shoes on, waiting outside this man’s office. We were a sight!! He invited all of us(kids included) into his large beautifully decorated office and has us sit at the 12 person table and tell us why we were there. After we told our story, he said he couldn’t help us, but then got on the phone. A few minutes later several people came into the office and he began to relate our story to them. He told them emphatically that they were to help us to their fullest capacity, but assured us that it would take several months before we would have the birth certificates because we had to go by the book.

            

They walked across the street with us to the Municipality and took us to another office in which we shared the story of the children.  This man was less concerned with technicalities and more concerned for justice, and he told us that after lunch we would be questioned by another man, but not to worry that we would leave with the birth certificates that day. I began to cry!! I could NOT believe this man’s mercy!!  Thailand is SOOOO corrupt and people who are trying to do the right thing are always the ones who have to biggest problems with the government. However, if you’re scandalous and have some money to put under the table, then you can get help even if what you’re trying to do isn’t right……. However, this man believed what we were saying and said, “I’m not afraid of anyone. I believe you two ladies and I’m going to help you! We’re not going to try and tack the mother down and do all the silly things they want you to do. “ What a relief.

            

He sent us downstairs and paid for our lunch. After lunch we were questioned by another man who clearly was NOT going to help us!! He began to talk about things 1 to 9 that we must do to follow the laws and do it the right way.

            

I sent Thak back upstairs as we were both in tears and couldn’t NOT believe how cold, and uncaring this man was. The other man(the Mayor) was FURIOUS and told him that whatever he had to do that we WOULD LEAVE WITH THE BIRTH CERTIFICATES!! (Because the Baw Yai was already 7 years and 3 months, the computer wouldn’t issue a birth certificate without the Governor’s signature) SOOOO the Mayor told them, “EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE CHILD’S BIRTH DATE THEY WILL LEAVE HERE WITH BOTH BIRTH CERTIFCATES!!!!”  So that’s exactly what they did!!!!! Can everyone say with me, “This IS Thailand!”  We listened as they all collaborated what Baw Yai’s new birthday would be and WE WALKED OUT OF THERE WITH TWO BIRTH CERTIFICATS!!!!!!!  To God be the GLORY!!!!!!! 

           

The next amazing thing that happened this month is Thak got her car driver’s license!!! At 43 years old, she learned how to drive, got a truck and got a driver’s license!! We were celebrating with her on this big day!! 

43 and a first time driver's license holder for a car/truck

Our little village church has grown from 1 adult and his child to 23 adults and 15 children!!! AND we just sent out our FIRST missionary the week we left!!! 

Our first church disciple from this village and his son

Our church today!!!

 Here's our precious Nan. We were privileged to live right in front of her when we lived in the village. We quickly became an aunt/uncle to her and began to disciple her. She was one of our Bible school students from the first graduating class. Now she's ready to give her life as a missionary working in Northeast Thaialnd with the Stubenrauchs, the family that we moved to Ban Pru with and started the village church.

First missionary from our village church

 And lastly, the fact that God has graced us with another baby!! I'm 19 weeks in this picture and that's a reason celebrate as I've had two miscarriages in the last three years. God is sooo good to give us another baby!!!

Me 19 weeks pregnant!! 

These may seem like minor things, but for us they are HUGE victories, miracles and testimonies of his goodness!!!! 

I still lie in bed at night in awe and wonder about the birth certificates!!!

And when I think back on Thak's past, 18 years of prostitution, totally consumed with her self and a lifestyle full of selfishness, and what she is today,  I cry!

E V E R Y  S I N G L E  T I M E!!

Now here she is laying her life down for children, driving not only a motorcycle but also a truck all that God provided for her!!! Wow! God is sooo good!!!!

When I go to church each week and see God growing our community despite our weaknesses....I'm like, wow! 

So Praise Him with me as I ponder HIS amazingness!!!!! 

Love

Amber

Our Furlough in Bangkok

View from our living room

God has graciously sent us on and in-country furlough! We've been here for 3 1/2 years without a trip home and it will be another 2 1/2 years before we are able to travel to America as a family.

Because our Thai boys aren't our legally ours on the American side of the adoption, America will not let them enter. Bank will be ours on the American side in just a few months, but we will still have to wait on Joseph. I've written about this before but wanted to give a short recap for any of you who missed the other post. To read more you can check out this post which will explain everything.

Sweet Joseph with his new goggles

Bank loving on his baby

SO! Our mission board agreed that we should take an in-country furlough!! After getting approval we wrote to a few of our supporters and asked in lieu of plane tickets would they be willing to give towards our stay in Bangkok and God greatly supplied!!

March and April are the hottest months of the year in Thailand and because of the odd weather we've been having all over the world, this March has been unusually hot!!!

Keep in mind....WE DON'T HAVE CENTRAL AIR!!. We only have air in our bedrooms and can't run the air very much as it is SUPER EXPENSIVE!! SOOO we usually just melt and try to stay wet by taking three showers a day... a Thai custom we quickly adopted!! ; )

In times past missionaries would have to leave their field of service and head to the mountains to escape the heat as many contracted what they called "hot head" and would loose their minds. So, the ones who wanted to stay sane fled for their lives...... ; )

That's what we've done this year... FLED FOR OUR LIVES. ; )

Cayden saying, "Thank you for saving his Mommy's life and mind"

I thought it would be fun to share with you a little of our time here in Bangkok, the Land of the Living!

Our living room

Boy's bedroom

Tiny kitchen but hey less mess. ; ))

Our bedroom(didn't get a picture before the bed was wrecked by little boys)

We're staying in a very modest apartment by American standards, but for these missionaries we've stepped into an OASIS!!!! I tell the Lord at least twice a day 'Thank You for this time away and for the central air!!!!"

Oh, friends, it's been soooooooo restful!!!!!!!! We've been here for 9 days and haven't done too much but just being in a place that has a pool, breakfast, and central air is MORE THAN I COULD ASK FOR!!!

SO THIS IS A THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE WHO MADE THIS TIME POSSIBLE! God knew I was on the verge of HOT HEAD was nearly loosing my mind. : 0

But now I can float my very pregnant body in this beautiful sea of water every single day and come back to the apartment and sit in central air!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

And OOOOH the pool!!

Cayden having fun with the dolphins

Joseph practicing his swimming skills

Love,

Amber

When Hope is Not Enough

Okay, bare with me so I can explain the title of this post. I've never done a post of this nature in the entire 6 years of having this blog, but when I was looking at the names and the amount of beauty products that I use each night, I couldn't resist! 

In 2010, just after the birth of Cayden Truth we took family pictures. Upon looking at these family pictures I noticed that my face had taken a downward turn....AGE SPOTS and WRINKLES had consumed me!!! OH MY!!! 

I was devastated!!! Crying I said to Clinton, "Why didn't you tell my face looked like this??? What has the Thailand sun done to me??? When did this happen?? I know I'm getting older but this is ridiculous!" 

When I saw this picture I freaked out!! Mind you I come from an extremely vain line of women. Because I have pastors who read our blog I'll leave it with saying that my mother and aunts and cousins have had one type of cosmetic surgery or another...my mother having had the same procedure done over three times!! 

When I got saved, vanity was actually one of the big demons that I had to get rid of....I think I threw it too far overboard and am trying to make my way back to the middle at the moment. ; ) 

Anyway, having just had a baby at 39, I began to grasp for something....anything....to help me look better and to help my poor face that now resembled something akin to the leopard family

I immediately began to scroll through our pictures to see when exactly this "downward spiral" started happening.... 

The picture that led to my frantic search for a good beauty regime 

When I found THIS picture! "Ahhhhh, 35. Look how creamy and soft". I reminisced. "Those were the days when I never even thought about my face" I barely had on any makeup in this picture. 

Now I'm not saying I'm the image of beauty here, I'm strictly talking about the texture of my skin, and color of my skin. I could hardly see a blemish and certainly no wrinkles. 

So my next question..."OMG! What do I do???" 

The other picture that led to my frantic search

I quickly began to search the web and read articles about what women approaching 40 should use as a daily facial regime. 

I went to the Oprah website, and even though I'm not a fan of hers, she alway has really good information on the Fashion and Beauty section of her website. 

I quickly learned that  I should be using a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against  UVA and UVB rays. To try and repair my damaged skin I needed creams and serums that contained vitamin C, E, B3, B5 peptides, antioxidants and glycolic acid. Sound pretty complicated if you ask me! 

So the search began. Where does a missionary wife on a limited income find adequate beauty products to help her skin regain some of it's resilience and to protect it from future damage?? The thought was a bit overwhelming. 

 THEN it happened the miracle moment......I found the Philosophy skin care products which are wonderful. Very affordable and their creams, washes and serums have every thing you need in them.

There are a few items missing because I'm out at the moment. The one that's highly recommend is the Hope in a Jar (it stinks but it's a wonderful moisturizing cream) It was on Oprah's favorite things list one year , and Purity Made Simple which is the face wash, I'm using the Olay Regenerist at the moment.

So here it goes. 

Are you ready??

1. I start out my washing with the Purity Made Simple face wash
2. Second, I use the When Hope is Not Enough, which saved the life of my skin. 
3. Not pictured, is a whitening cream with a small amount of steroids, that cost $20 that I bought here in Thailand
4. Next, I put the Hope in a Tube around my eyes and my lips
5. Lastly, I add the moisturizer which was Hope in a Jar but I'm substituting at the moment for Olay.

When I ordered this a year ago, I ordered a Basic Care Kit for only $100. 

With that kit came a sample of the Microdelievery Peel which I highly recommend!! I only had the samples they sent me, which I made stretch for a week, but I saw a HUGE difference with only one week of use. 

You'll notice a picture of Help Me. This is Retin A cream or Retinol. My skin did NOT like this stuff. It burned like crazy when I put it on and it made my skin more sensitive to the sun. So I didn't continue to use it.

Cast of Characters 

When Hope is Not Enough, which saved the life of my skin. I'm convinced! I could sing the praises of this stuff until the cows come home!!! "Amber, you don't have any cows! My point exactly!! I could go on and on and on about this stuff.

 It really did help repair my damaged skin! It's packed FULL of goodies that are wonderful for the skin. 

The most amazing serum EVER!!! 

The Hope in a tube is wonderful if you're in your 40's and starting to see wrinkles around your eyes and lips. I saw a visible difference in the area around my eyes..wrinkles that is

Hope in a Tube

All of these products I've been using faithfully for a year now. They've lasted me THAT long. The only two things that ran out were the Hope in a Jar moisturizer and Purity Made Simple face wash.

Night firming cream is VERY important when you're 40 or approaching 40!

The next thing that I MUST stress is the UTTER importance to keep your skin protected from the UV rays!! This Thailand sun is merciless!! (All sun is merciless for aging women) We are so close to the equator that the sun is extremely HOT and extremely damaging to the skin!!

Okay, so I don't really know if that has anything to do with anything but it IS HOT here and the sun IS brutal!! SO, I don't leave home without my hat, if I'm going to be out in the sun for any length of time AND I wear a moisturizer with SPF of 30 to 50. Got it? Good!

 Amen!

The hat that I don't leave home without.

Here is a very close up of my face one year after this beauty regime!! Now there's still some spots and mild redness, but for the most part it looks like I had some laser treatment done! And I DIDN'T.

Although, would you believe me if I told you that I was so traumatized by the first picture posted, that I went to a laser clinic to see what the price would be......let's just say WAAAY out of a missionaries range!

And that's when I took matters into my own hands. ; )

So this is for all of you my beautiful lady friends who might be having a mild panic of your own over the condition of your skin, or your age, or that you love sugar, or that your kids are driving you nuts, or any kind of panic at all. 

OR 

Maybe all of you are now convinced that I'm nuts. You were always thinking it in the back of your mind, but this post has now sealed the envelope.

Love

Amber

Another..............

Some of you have already heard the news, and for those of you who haven't we're expecting another baby in late July!!

We are overjoyed with the news!!! Life!! A new beginning! So fun and exciting!!

We found out on Friday that we're having another BOY!!!! The news hit us in the funny bone and we could not stop laughing! I, Amber, kept hitting the doctor saying, "Jing laaa?? Jing laaa Khung Moo???" Which means "Are you serious? Doctor, are you serious???"

Baby boy Garsee at 11w 4d

We couldn't be more happy that we're populating the world with boys!!  Garsee boys!

For those of you who don't know us.....there are regular boys and then there are Garsee boys which some have told us are a whole different breed of boy.   She smiles a cunning smile.  ; )

Baby boy Garsee at 18w

We're so happy the share the news with you.

What's going on at your house? Do you have any news to share?

12 inches long?!?

Here's our boy just out of surgery

Last night we skyped with Chase, in Mexico, and he didn't look too hot. For those of you who know Chase know that he must be dying to let you know anything's wrong.

After MUCH probing, he began to tell us that he was having some bad stomach cramping along with lots of vomiting. This had been going on for almost 24 hours by the time we talked with him.

He said he couldn't keep anything down and was beginning to hallucinate! This was all it took for Mamma!

Clinton called Andy Pricer, our good friend, in whose house Chase is staying and let him know the severity of Chase's situation, because, of course, Chase didn't mention anything to them. He's Mr. Don't bother anyone, Don't make a big deal out of anything, Suck it Up, Don't be a Chump.......as he's lying in his bed dying without anyone in the house aware!!

After Andy went up and probed Chase about symptoms he felt like he knew it was the appendix because just two years later he had dealt with this with another young man that was in their house.

Within just a few hours they had admitted Chase to the hospital and he was going in for surgery.

When he came out of surgery, the doctor showed Andy the appendix and told him the the average appendix is 3 1/2  in. long but Chase's was 12 in. with pus surrounding it!!

The 12 inch long appendix.

When I spoke with Andy last, Chase was in recovery still very groggy from the medicine and unable to move due to a spinal tap, but they thought he would be fine in the next few days and release him on Tuesday.

I also want to add that just last week, while playing football and doing a dive roll,  he broke his collar bone!!

Chase has been under tremendous warfare since arriving in Mexico and we're asking you all to pray for his protection and quick healing for both of the issues at hand!

Love,
Amber

Just Go With It AND General Tso's Chicken

Seems the life of a pregnant woman is never certain.

I was so excited to enter into the second trimester thinking that my energy would come back. Although, I don't ever remember it coming back when pregnant with Cayden, i thought it will come back with this baby.

To my utter dismay, most days, I HAVE NO energy!

NONE!

Somedays, it's 11am and I'm still in pj's lying on the floor trying to motivate myself for the day ahead.

One day last week I told Clinton that I would be perfectly happy if he got me a hotel room for week and let me sleep! Of course, that's not practical and didn't happen, and when I said it Clinton looked at me, with a very strange look head cocked to the side....like "Are you serious??"

Lots of days this is how I feel, "Someone get me my blankey. I just need to sleeeeeeep!!"

THEN there are days when this gush of energy hit's me and I'm ready to plan my meals for the month, scratch my creative itch in the kitchen making things my pregnant palate dreams about, clean out the cabinets, closets, and the toy boxes.

Friday was an amazing day! I homeschooled Joseph, did some Tot school with Cayden, and started my dinner prep at 2pm!! On that day we had Spaghetti and Meatballs that I got from the The Pioneer Woman and it was delicious!!! I mean good! So good I called Colton and told him, "I made some meatballs that will make you cry. Hurry and come get some."

Then Saturday, I couldn't seem to do anything!! I stayed in my pi's ALL DAY LONG!

I teeter between feeling like a total looser OR giving into my "hormonal state" and throwing a big slumber party watching movies and eating pop corn and staying up late because I have an "excuse".

 Tuesday, we had another wonderful day. I got school done with Joe by 1am laid the baby down at 1:30, gathered my ingredients for dinner, took a little nap and began dinner prep at 5:20.

We had amazing Butter Chicken (an Indian dish), and I made homemade Naan Bread that I got from Indian Simmer. It was an amazing dinner. I felt so good and productive, and I don't even have a picture.

 Today as I type, it's 11:17 and all I've done is read my Bible dress my children, call my husband and tell him I love him, and eat breakfast.

SO I've decided to just GO WITH IT. Chill out, Amber!

Hey! I'm 40 and pregnant AGAIN! Need I remind anyone that this is my 7th pregnancy and fourth in the last three years!!  What do I except of myself?!? Right?? ahem

 Right!

For some of the good days this week, here are a few pictures. ; )  

Last night, I made General Tso's chicken and it was DELICIOUS!!! I found the recipe on You Tube a while back and after making it several times (it's quickly become a family favorite) have tweaked the recipe to our liking. Started cutting chicken at 5:20pm and we sat down to eat at 6:20! How's that for fast!

Amber's version:
4 chicken breasts (cut very small)
2 eggs
flour

Sauce:
five garlic cloves
five slices of ginger about an inch a piece
1c chicken stock
7Tbls sugar
1/3c vinager
1/4c Hoisen Sauce (heaping)
1/4c Sesame Oil
1T + 1tsp corn starch
1/4c low sodium dark soy sauce
Sesame seeds(optional)

Directions:
Cut chicken in small pieces.
Whisk egg and put chicken in the egg
Dredge in flour and deep fry in hot oil  in small batches @375F until golden brown
Drain on paper towel

In a mixing bowel whisk chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, hoisen sauce, sesame oil, corn starch, soy sauce. Set aside.
Slice garlic and ginger into thin slivers then sauté in oil over med low heat until you smell the aroma of the garlic and the ginger. (about a min)
Mix sauce ingredients in with garlic/ginger until bubbles form.
Quickly add the chicken and stir fry until well coated and the sauce thickens.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds

Serve with hot white rice! YUM!!

Last night we had Baked Potato Soup. Talk about easy AND good! This whole dinner was ready from start to finish in 45min!

I like that! I'm into easy.

Baked Potato Soup

Cheddar Biscuits like Red Lobster

And here's a picture of Mr. Garsee playing "Mr. Wolf, what time is it?" with Joseph and Cayden.  I have this picture because I was sitting on the porch, which means it was another good day. ; )

Mr. Wolf has caught the Little Pig

Now Clinton's the Little Pig and he's being Chased by Joseph the Wolf

Tell me about your day!

Love
Amber