Matt turns 13 and is loving every minute of it!

Happy 13th Birthday Matthew!

Well, my firstborn has entered the next 'realm' of growing up. Thirteen years old. We never know what life is going to offer us and look what Tris and I ended up with. An incredible, funny, intelligent, good-looking, compassionate, out-going son who loves his family, his friends, and asks questions about life like he can't get enough. For his birthday breakfast I gave him a stone egg on a pedestal...an unusual gift for a 13 year old boy, but he loves rocks! This one is from Indonesian soil, made here and sold to me by an Indonesian man. It's a reminder of his first year here as well as a reminder of how cool creation is. That's what I love about Matthew...he notices and appreciates the world around him.

Also, Matthew received a rather thick book on trivia about WWII. He was so excited that he started reading it at the table (surprise, surprise???) and took it to school with him. Wonder what he's going to be when he grows up?

The top photo was taken this morning while he was talking to Grandma Sunny on skype. Thank the Lord for Skype! We could hear her clear as a bell and now we can start chatting more regularly. If, by the way, you are on Facebook, Matt has already checked his profile and was thrilled to see how many greetings he got on it...if you haven't already sent him a birthday greeting and are able, please do! I think that is the biggest gift he could get...lots of hellos. Also, if you go to the "blogs I read" at the top right of our blog, you can click on Matt's blog and write a comment on there as well if you'd like.

Just as a little aside, we have had gardeners in our yard this week, preparing the ground for grass. They've spent hours just chopping at the ground with hand tools (they do everything close to the ground, not high up like we do) and breaking up the clay soil. The ground is ready and the grass was delivered last night. See the bags? They're full of grass! I thought it was a hoot, especially when they arrived on 2 motorbikes, piled up on the back. Today the workers will come and plant it. The "mini gaja" rumput or "small elephant grass" comes as little plugs, which they put into the ground in rows. When it's done maybe I'll take a close up. You CAN buy what we would consider regular grass here but it is more expensive and has much higher maintenance. The stuff we're buying is pretty reasonable and pretty popular...probably because you don't really have to mow it!

I'd like to buy a topiary tree and the gardeners say it's really expensive. They're quoting me about $50-70, which if I am correct, would be about the price in Canada of a bonsai tree in a little pot! I'll think on it, because we have a bunch of purchases we've made but still have to pay for when they arrive (desk, bedding) and hope to still buy a vehicle soon. The car guys come to your house if you can't get to them, so unfortunately it's Matt's birthday and we have 2 guys coming at 5:30 tonight. I keep telling him maybe dad's buying him a car for his birthday!

Well, that's all that I have for you this morning. I hope your Tuesday is as wonderful as mine was yesterday.

Thanks for reading.