JSB

JSB- Junior/Senior Banquet. The biggest event of the school year. The event that Juniors work all year for, raising money and planning, to honor the Seniors. I was fortunate enough to be able to fly to Penang, this year, to help out and watch the kids prepare for the night. 

First things first... making sure things are ironed. While the kids did not have a problem with ironing, the boys, or shall I say Teddy, had quite the problem figuring out how to collapse the ironing board. Of course, he also had no help from the peanut gallery...  Unfortunately I must say.... it took them quite a bit of time to get that figured out. They were great sports though because they had the whole dorm in stitches!! 😂

   

As part of JSB, the kids give gifts to their dates. Mersades made a chocolate caramel cake for Emmett. It was worthy of a professional picture from Uncle Craig. That will come later...
 

I took over curling Rainbows hair. A "professional" was needed!  😉. I also did Mersades' hair, however I didn't get a picture of the process. 😔

Gavin wasn't allowed to go to the actual event but he was asked to help serve at the welcoming event, at the school's chapel. He cleans up nicely... well except for the fact that he didn't listen to his dear momma and put on his dress belt! And then when his big sister told him he missed a belt loop, in the back, he didn't care about that either and went to serve as is. Love fifteen year-old boys!  At least he took a shower!! LOL!!  

We just have to screw around... it never changes... 😏
 

Finally!! They look smashing baby! 
 

The only pic I got with all three of them for the week!! At least it was acceptable. 😊 

Mersades and Emmett exchanging gifts. He baked for the baker. He also gave her...

This.... so awesome!  His words, "It was fitting for your family!" 😊
  

The unprofessional photos... mine... Ted and Kayla.    

I tried to capture Ted being the gentleman... wasn't fast enough... but caught a pic of the professional waiting on the next set of kids.   

After the welcoming in the chapel, the kids paraded out to the buses and loaded up to be taken to the super secret event location. I didn't get Ted and his date because they were the first ones out and I had no idea what was going on!
 

The theme was Beauty and the Beast!!  So fitting for Marz for her last JSB. Ted was chosen to play Gaston!  How fitting for him...  he at least knows how to hold the gun!!  Love this

picture!
 

Now on to the "professional" photos. These were all taken by the kids dorm "dad", Uncle Craig. 

Here is the delectable cake Marz made for Emmett!!  Awesome job Marz!!  By the way... with the exception of the Hershey Kisses and the caramel, everything was homemade by Marz! 

Probably my favorite of Marz... it's actually hard to pick. They are all so good!!  "The cologne commercial."

   

This one was "Hey dude, you were suppose to have my "Mercedes ready!!" Or Lamborghini ...😂 
"Singing in the Rain."

Cute. 
  

And that's all she wrote!  From all reports, it was an extremely wonderful night for the kids!  Until next year...

"OH SNAP!"  - You'll have to ask Ted!! 😉

Penang

We are in official countdown mode and coming up on the last month of Mersades high school days.  I thought I would take the time to document some of our activities we did around Penang.  This is also for all those back home who always ask "What do you do when you go see the kids?"

The other question I get, probably even more than "What do you do..." is "Where do you stay?"  Well, depending on what's going on, I usually stay at the hotel that's right next to the school.  I had a great view from the room, this time, of the school grounds.

Yah, what kid doesn't want to go to school where you have ocean views?!? ;)  Also, if you notice the building, upper mid picture, with the black roof, that is the new dorm building.  The kids will be moving in there the start of the new academic school year!  The view from the great room and the kitchen in the dorms is outstanding!  I will try to get a pic the next time I go to the school.
 
I was there for almost a week.  The first day,  Marz and I went out for lunch. The boys were stuck at school.  The first few days were very busy, so I did shifts with kids feeding them.  I think that is all I do really, as you will see... ;)
Breakfast with the boys while Marz was busy.


On most Saturday mornings, Mersades wakes up early to walk to the wet market to get her weeks supply of fruits and veggies.  I have never seen a Jack fruit cut up.  Interesting...
 
Marz paying for her purchases... with money from my wallet. :D

Finally, Saturday night, we were all able to go to dinner together.  We went to this place called Two Buns, a burger joint.  The best part of the dinner was finding the dessert labeled this way.  Good thing the SJW's (social justice warriors) haven't discovered Asia yet!! LOL!!!

There is a ton of street art in Georgetown.  The boys liked this one.  ;)

Then we walked to this place called China House.  It's a little restaurant, but the desserts are out of this world!  The pictures are what we ordered.  Soooo sweet and soooo filling!

 

 
Upstairs was an "art" museum Mersades wanted to go check out.  The best piece of art!!! LOL!!  Where do these people come up with these signs?!?!?  You know, they had to have caught someone doing these things in order for them to be added to the sign!!  There are some weird people in this world!!

Took the boys to Guardians of the Galaxy 2.  While....


Marz went and bought us tickets to Beauty and the Beast then watched the Penang International Food (forgot what the last F stands for) ;).  She is becoming quite the baker!  Wait untill you see her creation in the next post!!
 
That's about it.  Well, add in about a dozen more "eating moments" I will call them.  They are constantly eating!!!  Love my teenagers!!

Gunnin' - Vietnam Style

This is why Ted went!  Well probably the biggest reason anyway... ;)

Sorry about the sideways video...

Vietnam

This was a "vacation" Chris has been waiting to go on ever since we moved to Indonesia.  He finally had the chance to take Mersades and Teddy (because they were the only ones who wanted to go...). ;) So as I'm sitting in the Bali airport, waiting on my flight back to Timika tonight, I thought I would get some of these pictures posted.

Now, I really have no idea where they were or what they were doing, so out of about 300 pictures Chris sent me, I picked the pictures with the kids or Chris in them to put on the blog.  They are in no particular order... I figure if Chris wants them that way, he will just have to sit down and do the blog! LOL!!  I don't think that's ever going to happen. ;)

Enjoy!

I'm sure Marz had to put on Chris' shirt because she wouldn't have had appropriate clothes on, to go in the church.  Shoulders must be covered.  Nice fashion statement Marz! ;)

The Food:

Thought this was a great picture of a can of beer and Mersades' eye. ;)

Chris' description:  "Courage's turds on a plate."  Courage is my mom's dog. LOL!! :D

Mekong juice:  Hope that's spelled right... Poisonous snakes soaking in a jar of water, I think... Then you drink the juice.  Chris thought it was great!

Interesting way to serve fish.

And last but not least...  Chris fed my collection!!  He got me all three!  Awesomeness!! :D  

I'm very glad I didn't go, if you must know the truth.  I would have been freaking out having the kids go in the tunnels and for sure I would have been freaking out when they drank the "snake" juice.  So it was better overall that I didn't, and I'm totally OK with that! ;) 

Marz and Ted had an awesome time with their dad and made memories that will last a life time!  Chris was excited throughout the week, anxious to see what great things they would see every day. For him, it was probably the best trip he has been on so far! 

He is now back home working... Or should I say resting up from his "vacation"! ;) LOL!