Countdown

New Car

I bought a used car on August 13th. It is a Chevy Malibu. Thank you Scott Ekstrom for helping find a good deal, and thank you Scott Keagie for trying to fix my old one. Now I can get to work reliably. Besides running well, there are many other improvements over my last car. This one has air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a CD player, cruise control, and is very clean.

Culinary hobby

Since I've gotten back from Cambodia, I've enjoyed cooking lots of great American foods. Here are some of my latest creations that Ben has missed out on while he is at basic training.


We celebrated our 3rd anniversary before Ben left with pizza and a French Chocolate Coffee Cake.
.I harvested some vegetables from my friend's garden that I'm tending.



Vegetable and cheese tart
You know that chewy European bread with crispy thick crust? mmm
This cream puff is actually from the Wisconsin state fair. Cream from local cows I'm sure.
Peach and nectarine freezer jam.


Pad Thai. Doesn't look as good as it taste.

Wahoo!

Ben is gone, and everyone else in my family is at work, so I will have to suffice to tell the world via blogspot that I have been hired! I'm nervous and excited and scared. The company administrator extended an offer over the phone this evening and then asked how long I needed to consider the offer. She just gave me the salary that I had put on one of the applications I filled out months ago and forgot about...a very round number. I don't know the proper order of offering and counter offering, and anything sounds good to me as long as I'm not paying to work. I said, "Well I can tell you right now, it's sound fine." Then she said, "Okay, consider yourself hired then" I start this week.

New hairdew.

Here's my new military me.

-Ben

Trip Photos

Hello,

Here are some photos from our trip to Cambodia and Thailand. Now we're back and have a decent internet connection, so we'll share more pictures.

-Ben & Sarah


Victory monument in Bangkok. A city of 10 million was quite a change after visiting the jungle.


Look what Jared found.

This is a wild elephant in Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. It followed our car for a long time. Poor guy was lonely.

A waterfall (Haew Sovan) in Khao Yai.


Floating houses near Siam Riep.
So, they raise their pigs on water. The pig is getting fat--it's sinking the boat. Time for roast pig.


Sarah amidst pillars in Bontiey Kdei.
Kbal Spian where carvings were made directly onto the boulders in the stream bed.


Hope it doesn't fall down on us.
Bontiay Srey. Supposedly has the most beatiful carvings of any temple in the world. It was pretty.

apSarah and apStacie copy the apsara (celestial dancers) carved into the stone pillars nearby.


Ben near Angkor Wat.

Rain at Bung Mealea.

Giant spider. Scary. About 4-5 inches across.

Ben at Bung Mealea ruins.


Sarah at Bung Mealea ruins.

Angkor Wat

Bayon Temple

Today is our third day of seeing the ancient temples including Angkor Wat. The emencity of the temples and the depth of detail is unbelieveable. We are traveling with Ben's cousin Jared Allen and a friend from Ben's mission, Stacey.