in our kitchen

Every evening without fail, Eva is right there by my side trying to help get dinner ready.

These days, setting the table is maybe even easier for her than for me because we've been eating Lao style on the floor until we get a table for our new house.

Well, you just never know what's gonna happen here from day to day. Yesterday Kara and I (and the kids) ended up having to drive Nathan to the capital city because the bus he was originally on broke down 20 minutes into the ride. Since he was heading there to catch a flight, we couldn't really waste any time and ended up packing everything we'd need to overnight in Vientiane in about 10 minutes. After a five hour drive, we managed to get Nathan to the airport in time, and ourselves to a toy store and Indian restaurant. We over-nighted at a friend's house and made the trip back home today. The kids were less than excited about 10 hours of car-seat time in two days, but we were glad Nathan was able to his flight!

Here are a few shots Kara took from the passenger seat:

On the main north-south road in southern Laos, water buffalo, cows and goats are something to steer clear of!

The mountains are beautiful in this stretch:

In the capital, after buying a few goodies (like good bread!)

Another beautiful mountain view:

This pictures was taken the other day in our back yard. We're having some work done there, and Eva loves playing in the sand!

Eva loves to play outside!

Elijah and Daddy in the backyard.

Daddy and Eva watering flowers.

Eva and Aunt Kara having fun with the camera.

More fun with Kara!

We took a trip down to the riverfront Saturday night with Kara. The shore you see behind is Thailand!

Elijah and Kara bonding. (Note: Elijah's love of spoons) :)

Nothing says fun like a trip in a plastic bin!

Eva watching mom flip pancakes in the kitchen.

the filters are coming

This is the LWR factory in the southern province of Champasak that has been built by our friends

Inside the warehouse

one of the kilns

warehouse, lab, and offices

drying pad and raw materials building

driveway, transformer, gate, fence

more from kara's camera

Eva Baneva Penelope Asia

my inglorious life

our new front yard is full of mango trees

and they should be ready in a couple months!

kara's here

My friend Kara is here! Welcome to sleepy Tha Kaek, population 35,000. Kara has been given free reign to photograph our lives here, so the next couple weeks will bring some new excitement to the Cole Tree blog...

trouble

a view down our street

learning to count

the mysterious mountains of Tha Kaek

Neighborhood photo

take 1: Nathan with neighborhood kids

Take 2: Jan with neighborhood kids

Take 3: Nathan and Jan with neighborhood kids

painting w/ watercolor

another day at the farm

Elijah: crawling, pulls himself to standing, walks along furniture, has two teeth on the bottom and two coming in on top, and is sleeping a solid 12 hr night

Eva: loves her friends, especially the friend below who made her a head wreath, loves her books and reads by herself a half hour every day before nap and bedtime, dislikes having her hair brushed or done in any way, and also sleeps a solid 12 hr night

big with braids!