chris.reese.girls1.2.3.4

Ronald Rex Dalley August 2, 1915 - February 8, 2012 This has been a difficult post to write. I've been writing it in my head since my grandpa's funeral, wondering how I could lay out in my own family history (yes, that is what my blog is) what my grandpa means to me and how much he has influenced my life. It's near impossible, I've decided. It is a feeling that has developed as I have watched this great man's example of faithful living, righteous doing, and family loving. I have wonderful memories of camping, fishing, playing in his and grandma's motor-home, visiting their condo, swimming at their pool, eating delicious meals, and watching sports. I remember him quietly leading and being supportive, loving and kind.  This was last July and our final visit with him. I am so grateful each of my girls have met him...even if they were tiny! He spent 96 wonderful years on this earth. Most of his close loved ones, including my sweet Grandma, all pr...

Our most anticipated activity of the week was a zip-line tour called Flight of the Gibbon, 45 minutes outside of Pattaya. Our group consisted of us, 2 Iranians, 6 Russians, and our two Thai zip-line professionals. Gone was our main guide (in the orange) and I really liked him. The other guy was kind of mean...he yelled at me when I did my first line incorrectly...so much for a learning curve, but I made sure I did my other 23 lines right so I didn't have to talk to him anymore.  :)  This is before we were hot and sweaty! We had to hike a little ways to start the tour. Chris and I chatted with Gone about the wild animals, most specifically snakes since I was really worried about them. He said he sees a cobra about once a month. Then I was really freaked out! He also assured us the lines were safe (I believed him), and that we would only avoid the lines if there was lightning. Evidently his friend was electrocuted on the line a while ago. Good info. This is my favo...

Arriving in Pattaya brought the arrival of my "perfect" vacation. The kind where I do nothing but lounge in the sun and read. My daily schedule was to wake around 9 (so awesome), eat a fabulous breakfast including croissants to die for and amazing melons and fruit all wildly out of season at home. I would Skype with my girls at home and then head to the pool...which is where I lounged for most of the afternoon. I read 5 fiction novels during the week, drank yummy fruit smoothies (no Diet Coke in Pattaya...I know, this is a crime), and caught a nap in the hotel room in the afternoons. Chris would arrive home from work at 6pm, and we would head out for a nice dinner and shopping. Pattaya Beach Road is one long stretch of road. We were at the beginning (aka quiet) end of the street in our very western and beautiful Holiday Inn.  The further you went down the road the more crazy the nightlife. At the end of the road is the world famous  Walking Street, which does not a...

In mid-January Chris and I took our very first extended vacation away from the kids. After 10.5 years of marriage, we've had three 2-night getaways, but we've really wanted some extended time together in the sun. Chris had to travel to Thailand back in November for work, and when they asked him to go back again in January he invited me along! He worked the weekdays, but we extended our trip on both weekends to do some sightseeing. We arrived late to Bangkok on Saturday night, but got up early Sunday to enjoy as much of the day in the city as possible. We had a few to-do's: THE GRAND PALACE: Thailand is ruled by a King (he's served for over 60 years). This palace was the residence and offices of the kings for hundreds of years until the 1920's when the royal family moved to a more modern estate down the road. The Palace is still functional in many ways for administrative purposes, but is now mostly famous for the many temples and buildings created by the kings ...