hello 2009!

happy new year everyone! we had a good new year here. since our friend lucy was house sitting, we had the opportunity to cook! luke made the food for us while i had fun setting the table and taking pictures of it! we also made delicious mulled wine...yum! then we went out on the town for a bit, missed the countdown because of the thick dense crowd, and saw lots of fireworks. there were lots of lanterns lighting up the sky again, but not as many as the loy krathong fest. luke and i helped our friend danny light a lantern because he was not here for loy krathong. lots of crazy fireworks again everywhere in true thai style.

on new year's morning we went with a couple people from work to visit a group home for abused girls. they take care of girls from the thai government orphanage that have special and difficult cases. they have space for 14 in their home, and this couple raises them like a family with their own two children. we went and took them snacks, played games, and checked out some of the crafts they made - we bought a few things to support them. after our visit we went to a secret fancy buffet lunch at this really cool place in the mountains overlooking the mae sa valley. it would be the perfect place for a wedding. they have 9 cute cottages on the grounds too. the food was delicious.

check out all the new pictures on shutterfly! happy new year!