Fabulous Phelps

Sunday, January 20, 2019

We had a dinner tonight at Mary Phelps home 

with some of our Thailand youth ~ such a fun evening!

Here are our cute young friends from Thailand (they are all studying 

down at BYU).   It was quite the delicious, healthy meal that Mary prepared 

(except for my fruit salad that had many preservatives and whip cream 😋😋😉)!

Such sweet, wonderful kids with such strong testimonies 

(Alaina brought her cute boyfriend, xxxxxx).

It is always so fun to get together with these kids ~ having an Ex-pat experience is the best thing in the world and brings a special 'family' bond that last forever!

Melanie & Emily Bunker, xxxxxxxxx, Mary Phelps, Alaina Pinvises and me.

 

      Healthy desserts and healthy ice cream ~ yummy 😋😋😋! 

After all the Thai kids went home there was a lunar eclipse!  Mary and I crept outside in our jammies and watched.  It was amazing ~ just beautiful. 

If you, like I, aren't sure how this took place I looked up exactly how a lunar 

eclipse happens; it's simple: it's when the Earth comes between the Sun and 

the Moon and covers the Moon with its shadow (the eclipsed Moon sometimes appears to turn red, earning it the nickname of "Blood Moon")! Pretty cool.  

The next Lunar Eclipse is in May of 2021.

Mary and I were planning on a sleepover Sunday night but instead
 we got two nights of partying! There was a huge blizzard during the night 
and I couldn't get my car out of the driveway.  It was gorgeous and I got 
to spend another wonderful day with one of my very favorite people!

The drive home on Tuesday was gorgeous!

#skymiles

January 23-25, 2018

Going to visit Billy in Thailand/Cambodia! Can’t wait to see him!

  I got up at 3am, Tuesday 1/23/18; picked up Robbie at 4:30am
and he took me to the airport (bless his heart)!
Arrived in LA for a 4 hour layover!
 
Left LA at 11:30am and had a wonderful flight to Shanghai Pudung, China.
Billy used his skymiles to upgrade me to a cozy, comfortable, spacious seat! 

 
#doesntgetbetterthenthis #sugardaddy #wontwanttogetofftheplane

I got a "pre" take-off drink (oj & 7up) and a goodie bag full of, well . . . goodies😊!
As we landed we were asked to remain in our seats because a quarantine crew was
coming on board.  I either understood incorrectly or everyone ignored the announce-
ment because they all began collecting their bags from the overhead compartments.  I
just stayed in my comfortable seat as I was going to have a 9 hour layover in China, so no
rush! Another announcement came on so everyone went back to their seats and sat back down
while they carried a person off the plane . . . Interesting!  Arrived a little early in China at 5:15pm (Wed) instead of 5:50pm (2:15am UT time). Got to my next gate and settled in for the 9 hour layover. Left China at 8:50pm (5:50am UT time).  Judy (my personal flight attendant 😉) explained the seat belt procedure then brought a delicious freshly squeezed glass of orange juice (of course!)!

#Diedandgonetoheaven
 
I'm all set for this flight! I've got my scriptures, nook, oj, headphones (brought the nicer ones from
the previous flight), moist washcloth (full size), and steroid drops (I've been instructed by Dr Faber, who I saw on Monday, to increase my drops to every even hour for the next two weeks - this
worries me just a bit cuz sometimes steroid drops will cause the eye pressure to go up.
Monday my right eye was 8 and my surgery eye was 11 - which is great as they
want it in the 7-24 range [a week and a half ago my surgery eye was 17]).

We arrived in Thailand Thursday (midde of the night) 1am (Wednesday 10am, UT time)!

Arrived!

 Lost luggage! So my luggage never showed up but as I was waiting for it I noticed how
they have these marked circular lines around the carousel that everyone is instructed to stay
behind so everyone can see their luggage and are able to grab it when it comes around (also
for those of us whose luggage doesn't show up they can see that easily too)!  I do love it!

Doppelganger - Jon Hamm

It's been a long haul - about 27 travel hours (6am SLC departure Tues. Jan 23 - 1am arrival Thailand Thurs. Jan 25 ~ 14 hour time change) - but with the amazing seats Billy got for me it just turned into a fun 2 day journey! I got a taxi to the Novotel Hotel at Siam Square.  Billy has been delayed and will be arriving Friday afternoon.  I arrived after midnight Wednesday (officially Thursday early AM). The taxi's have gotten a bit more expensive and the toll alone was $2.25 which is a lot higher then before.

~you for me

~Brianna and Adam~

For Time and all Eternity

I was able to be a part of the celebration at the beautiful wedding of these two 

adorable kids as they were married in the Salt Lake City Temple ~ June 30, 2017!

Brianna looked absolutely gorgeous and was radiant.  I could not have hand picked a better 

man to be her husband; Adam is compassionate, a spiritual giant and so kind and 

wonderful with Brianna (which is a good thing as Brianna was one of my Young Women 

in Thailand so he would have to contend with me if he is anything other than perfect to her)!

Brianna's train was phenomenal ~ Mary spent hours getting it just right 

and the result was spectacular; a complete masterpiece (and fun for the kids)!!!

Jamie and Mary Phelps

The gorgeous Mother of the Bride; one of my very best friends in the whole wide world!

Michelle Gibbons, Me, Heidi Gailey and Molly & Amy Bunker!

So many fun friends to hang with and enjoy! 

NEXT UP: THE RECEPTION

 I am going to try to list everyone here although there are a few I don't know!  Far left: Lesley (Sampson) Bidwell and children, Natalya (Poulson) McPharlin, Bishop & Wendy Sampson, Ron & Heidi Gailey, Jeanette Nielson, Marianne Poulson, ?,?, Amy & Molly Bunker, Dave & Mary Phelps (Brides Parents), behind them is Robert Griffin and 3 people I'm not sure of their names. Then Robert Gibbons is in the back row then Summer (in front) is holding her baby, not sure who is behind her.  Then we have Grant & Barbara Anderson and behind Grant is Michelle, Lane & Lauren Gibbons (then 4 people around Lauren who I don't know). In front of Barbara are Jeanette's 2 youngest children; Kalen and Arynee, then hop over to Jeanne Griffin and Jordan Phelps, above them is Brook Solario, next to Jordan is Jeanette's daughter; Aybrielle, then Naowarat and Daryl Gygi, behind them are Bill and Jamie Matthews (me), then Ambrian Nielson and Micah Phelps. 

Isn't her train so amazing - Here is the traditional throwing of the bouquet! So fun!

It is crazy cool how being part of the "Expat" group gives you a whole other family to have and to hold that are there for you at all times!  I think the best and funnest example of this is me and Heidi Gailey's friendship.  Bill and I traveled back to Thailand a number of times while he was working at DSU.  On one of these trips I met Heidi. She was the YW's President in Thailand and I was the YW's President in St George.  The previous year I had gone into YW's to see all my old friends and the 
Heidi and Jamie ~ instant best friends~
 adorable YW from when we had lived there and I met Heidi.  I instantly had a connection 
with Heidi and we became best buddy's!  The next year when we came back Heidi and I
 spent a whole day together just hanging out - we barely knew each other but we were
 instant friends and she welcomed me into her life as she would any other family member!
 Bill and I visited with her and Ron when we came up north during my whole eye adventure!

Two of our favorite people - Grant & Barbara Anderson

 More fabulous friends; Catherine Beck, Marianne Poulson and Naowarat Gygi!

Naowarat, me, Jeanette Nielson - Bill and Jordan Phelps

Brooke Solario, Naowarat, Catherine, me, Daryl Gygi, Robert Gibbons and Jordan

Cute Chinese themed table decorations with fortune cookies and their wedding announcement picture as the chocolate candy wrapper - Adorable!!

~ Naowarat, me and Jeanette ~
Jeanette and I have been closest of friends from the minute we moved to Thailand in December of 2005!  We ended up working in the Primary Presy and were instant spirit sisters (me big, her little)!  I love her to pieces!!

The party came to a close and new memories were made ~ 
just a perfect evening and wonderful time spent with our Thailand Family!