With the purchase of our new Mac we got a free HP printer and…drum roll please…it has a SCANNER!  Oh my goodness, I'm like a kid with A.D.D. on the night before Christmas. I found a few pre-digital-age photos I took when I was in India and Nepal in 1999.  Check out the beard!  …

In this family, you know you’re having a lot of fun when you barely take any photos.  Having completed our whirlwind trip to eastern Washington, Idaho, and Montana, we realized that we didn’t take too many photos of our adventures.  The pictures we did take show many of the great lakes we visited and ENJOYED. …

In case you missed the memo.  The Johnsons are in Montana.  Yesterday, we were in Idaho.  The day before that we were in Mose Lake, Washington.  It’s been great seeing friends we haven’t seen in a long time and enjoying the official start of summer.  The weather has been amazing.  I got up on a…

Touched down in Xining this a.m.  The weather is still cold, but it’s nice to be back to our own home again.  We’ll probably be heading back to Jianzha later this week.  More news about our trip to Singapore and Thailand this week, too…

Made it to Chengdu with no problems.  Today we will be in Bangkok, Thailand!

Xining?  (Yes, that’s snow outside our window.) Or… Thailand? You decide.  (I do apologize because I realize many of you are stuck in the awful throes of frigid winter with no sign of spring in sight.  I feel for you.  Please don’t be spiteful and pray for sunburn.  Please?)

In my opinion if your vacation doesn’t involve some quality time with a good book you haven’t actually HAD a vacation.  So as I ponder warm beaches, lapping waves, and coastal blue skies, I make paperback plans.  When you are reclining on a beach 5 hours south of Bangkok, you need to have quality, chill-out…

Itinerary:(Starting Jan. 30th – I’ve left off the other dates for my own sanity’s sake.  Believe me, you don’t want to know time frames…) Xining to Chengdu – Flight Chengdu to Bangkok  – Flight – (Drop off new passport application) Bangkok to Prachuap – Van – Beach!!! Prachuap to Bangkok – Van Bangkok to Chiang…

As the thermometer outside bottoms out and the frost builds up on the windows of the apartment I have one brilliant inclination: it is called hibernation.  I mean, why shouldn’t we mimic the natural world?  But since sleeping for 4 or 5 months straight to wait out the frigid winter is not a very viable…