December in Thailand--12/8

Happy Birthday Joe! You are 40 years old today--how can it be? Joe, Neian and Lilah are celebrating in Seattle, so fitting since he and I flew home to Philly from Seattle so we could celebrate his first birthday with his grandparents. John arrived in the nick of time, as I recall, to the party at Eileen's house.

Now we are in with another Eileen Corr; Eileen Beatrice Corr, that is, daughter of Chris Corr and Som Ngampiw, who live in Kamala, Thailand along with Eileen's little brother Ram John, a veritable "Mạngkīs̄̒ xel" or impossibly cute little toddler (loose translation, monkey owl)

And, as if cuteness can be topped, they also have 2 puppies, Black Butt and Bubbles.

Thank you, Som and Chris, for letting us share your vibrant, colorful, tasty and complex but also incredibly simple and satisfying world for a month. S̄wạs̄dī læa yindī t̂xnrạb p̄hū̂ mā h̄ım̀ (Hello and Welcome to the Newcomers!)