Happy 4th of July!

Hi, all!

Happy 4th of July to you! Happy Birthday, America! Here, it is the morning of the 5th. Tony, Mariss, Enoch and Anna Mei are in Cambodia. On Monday, Tony will come home and I will go to Cambodia for our Bible Camp. The travel costs were so much for all of us to go, that we have divided our time. I am rather please with myself, I stayed here alone with four of the girls and at bedtime we actually turned off all the lights, and went to sleep! This is a BIG improvement for me--when Tony and I were first married, if he traveled I slept on the couch so I could see the front door--with a few lights on, and I didn't go to bed until I just passed out from fatigue! Ha! My, how the times they are a 'changin'. Actually, I just had a thought...it's not that I am more brave...it's just that I am OLDER and my exhaustion level comes much earlier in the evening! Seriously, we had a great night.Okay, so the dogs kill rats. That's the good news. The bad news is--they chew our shoes, the girls' toys, anything plastic or rubber (is there anything in Asia that is NOT made of plastic or rubber????) paper from the trash can (it doesn't have to be related to food), and anything else that strikes their fancy. This morning I found a chewed flip-flop--this must make their 10th or 12th (not exaggerating). In a country where it is customary to remove your shoes at the door and put on "indoor" slippers or flip-flops, the dogs are really messin' with me! Oh well (deep sigh). Glad I got that off my chest. We went to a supermarket yesterday. It is called "Big C Super Center." Things are a bit more expensive there, but it is much more like a store we would have at home. Except they sell no paper towels, whipping cream or flour (I was looking for flour to make paper mache). Flour is available at another large store, called Metro.Big C has two floors. The escalators are like flat moving sidewalks and the wheels of the carts are magnetized so the cart won't roll when you are travelling between floors. There are security guards at all entrances/exits and they check everyone's bags and receipts as you leave (EVERY ONE). Also, you are not allowed to take any type of bag (including a purse) into the store. You have to check it at Customer Service. You can carry your billfold, cell phone, camera and jewelry. If your bag is very small, sometimes they will put it in a plastic bag and staple it shut. However, you better not open the bag before you get through check out. The patches on the security personnel uniforms are in English "Huge Wind Security" (no joke). I thought, "I bet they can clear a room fast!" (My apologies for being coarse.)The security and handbag situation are not exclusive to Big C--Metro has the same policy, with an added rule: there is a height requirement to enter the store. Jillian is tall enough to enter, Anna Mei et al are not. They do not make exceptions. They have a measuring stick at the entrance with someone that makes sure you are the correct heighth. Jillian teases me that they almost won't let me in. "Ha, ha, ha," I say. I prefer shopping during the weekdays when it is not so crowded. In the evening and on weekends it is a zoo. People will grab your cart and move you wherever they please. You have to be aggressive. Also, they are very touchy toward the girls. They love to grab hold of the girls' arms and pat their hands. Elizabeth has had her hair pulled twice (blond, you know). All of this has been friendly, mind you. No one has been threatening or trying to pull the girls away--they are just captivated by American children. Of course, the fact that we have five of the most beautiful, brilliant and talented children in the world has nothing to do with it!
I have been summoned to breakfast, so I'll close for now. May you all have a great night. Once again, I am glad to know that the Lord's mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness!