Rosenfun

These are our friends James and Laura Rosenberg. Stacy and I have so much fun with them.

A brief pause during a heavily contested card game.

You know people that you meet and immediately feel like you're close friends with? James and Laura. We met them a year and a half ago, but they live in a neighboring province so we only see them once or twice a year. In fact, Stacy and I have only actually hung out with them 3 times, but somehow we feel like we've known each other forever.

On the beach in Thailand in January, just before heading back to our respective provinces.

Over the course of our brief friendship, we have hiked some seriously high mountains and gone camping, played some marathon games of cards late into the night, and most recently, the four of us traveled together in Thailand - our recent snorkeling trip was actually Laura's idea.



Good times, good friends.

Snorkeling

Me and Stace went snorkeling in Thailand. This is how it went down.

Approaching the first island.

Someone's excited. And looking good!

Eager anticipation. Or the realization that snorkeling
is a poor man's scuba diving. Either way.

Floating Beauty

I have no idea what Stacy's grabbing for...

A good time was had by all.

We all live in a yellow submarine.

A Tale of Two Showers

Stacy and I spent the last 3 weeks traveling in Thailand for work related stuff.

I am not going to recount any of the travels, just this on aspect - the first half, we stayed in a shanty of a resort shack with the ghetto-est midget shower and "garden in your bathroom" setup ever. The second half, we stayed in the most fantastic bungalow with an open-air-yet-not-exposed outdoor bathroom/garden.

See for yourself:

Ghetto, shot-out midget shower. Even if I pulled the
hose up it couldn't reach my head, so I had to sit. It
was degrading. And it was so cold that I had to
constantly flush the toilet while Stacy was showering
to keep her water hot. FAIL.

Success. The glaring light over me is the open-air back
 half of the shower, which let in the amazing tropical beach air
and sunlight but not any creepers' gazes.  And notice the
shower head - top right corner. Above my head.
And the flora? Delightful, tasteful, awesome.

Boom, roasted.

Piggy's Feast

Spotted: a pickup truck full of pig faces. Not pig heads, just the faces, peeled off and ready to eat. Mmmm, breakfast of champions.

2011

Looking back, this is pretty much how I would sum up 2011.

Stacy and I on New Year's Eve

In case you were wondering...

This is what...

Pollution...

Looks like.

本地人 （locals）

we've been here a while, and it's starting to show.  remember that sausage hanging outside that i posted a while back?  well, guess what?

we have some hanging outside of our window.


the family that sells us vegetables gave us some as a gift when i went to see them the other day.  the sausage still needed to dry some, so it's been hanging out of our window the last few days.


in the province we live in, locals like to walk around in their pajamas outside.  their pajamas are generally a thick matching quilted set, that look quite warm, yet still quite tacky.  well, guess what?

  
Aaron and I got some pajamas the other day.  ours weren't quilted and really thick like the locals, they were just fleece awesomeness.  Unfortunately, the size that aaron bought was too short and too tight in certain areas (let's just say he very likely could've been arrested if he ever went out in them).  we bought these pajamas to wear to a new years party...and when one of our Chinese friends came to spend the night with us.....and later this week when we fly to see Josh and Danielle for a night on our way to Thailand.....and to wear to the airport to pick up our friend Graham when he comes to visit in February.  There were just so many good times to be had in those pajamas.  But, alas, Aaron had already bought the largest size ( XXL) and there's no going up from there.


so we returned them.....but not before we had a photo shoot (it's the model in us, i guess...)

Christmas.....finally

It's been so long since Christmas.  I'm a slacker.  At this point, I've lost the desire to write about it.  So hopefully the pictures will show how much fun we had at Christmas.  So here they are. Not many words to share, just pictures and smiles....and thankfully, i didn't wake up to a truck driver like I did last christmas.

Harvey's weekly photo shoot
after a Christmas eve brunch with Josh and Danielle

Josh and Aaron on Christmas eve

the rodgers jersey jarred and shelley gave aaron for christmas
(it's not as huge as this picture makes it look)

aaron and jarred on christmas day
playing with jarred's christmas chopper

playing outside after christmas brunch

aaron and john enjoying leftovers

two of John's (above) kids
they were watching the jungle book

skyping home

we had a second christmas on the 26th when we got back home
and opened the gifts waiting for us sent in packages

aaron getting a butter cream candle
thanks will and krista (you know how much he loves butter cream)

clocks!
i made a time zone wall with these clocks.

lit the last candle

reading all of the christmas cards that came in the mail!
thank you so much for the cards.  I love them.

Eye of the Tiger

Many of you know, though some may not, my favorite pose for pictures is called "the Eye of the Tiger."

No, it was not inspired by Zoolander's Le Tigre, because the Eye of the Tiger existed long before Derek came on the scene. For those who are unfamiliar, here are a few samples of the Eye of the Tiger. (WARNING - if this is your first time, don't look directly into the Eye...)

The Tiger came with me to Thailand.

Me and the Eye of the Tiger did India.

Yes, this is my wedding day. My groomsmen and I kept the Tiger at bay.

Well, this Christmas, my lovely wife gave me a desk calendar called "Awkward Family Photos" with 365 delightfully awkward Olan Mills-type photos. Yesterday, her Christmas gift paid dividends in full, introducing me to a new take on an old favorite...