slow dance

thailand. coffee. flannel shirts. sufjan stevens christmas. tasteful decor. pink nail polish. america. skype. the color combination of yellow and grey. the green house. my education. pie. good pens. the avett brothers. grand rapids, michigan. Hope college. parents. boy friends. sunshine. black beans. design blogs. smitten kitchen. the postal system. india. polariods. love actually. moutnains and valleys. thai food. isan. p facs. ray bans. jesus. my body. my brain. my heart. brothers. Virginia. post it notes. breakfast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fxvxn7wwrA

always thankful,
abby leigh

island life

we've been working like dogs ever since day one.

But not this week. This week it was time for the island life in Phuket, Thailand. It was time for bikinis and gin/tonics on the beach. It was time to finally drive a moped. It was time for Italian food and seafood salads. It was time for kayaks. And big white beds. It was time to drink tea and breathe deep. It was time to dance to american music and meet cute boys.

What a beautiful and cool and fun planet we live on.

peace on earth

There is nothing like listening to Iron & Wine while drinking tea in bed to start off the day.

Sam Beam: A man among men.

dress clothes

The First International Conference for Human Rights in Southeast Asia.

Across the globe, women confront manifold violations of their human rights — when they cannot participate in the decisions that affect their lives or claim fair political representation, when they face discrimination in employment, when they are denied entitlement to land and property, or when they suffer violence within their own home. Other obstacles to rights arise when women and girls are prevented from going to school or attaining health care, or are subject to harmful traditional practices.

the simple secrets of my heart

humans all over the world

I am pretending to sleep. Katie is passed out next to me in our mosquito net and I hear mom closing up the house. My eyes are open enough to see what's going but closed enough to keep her fooled.

After locking the door mom comes over to my bed and gently peeks her head in. She looks at us sleeping for a long time. And then she smiles. I know what she is trying to say. All moms say it.

In that moment I forgot that I was living in the middle of a landfill. We were just two humans trying to love each other. There was nothing else.

This is the biggest lesson Thailand has taught me thus far.

birthday vegetables

today madelyn ruth van eck is 21 years old.

Her face is a testament of gods goodness. And I have a lot of hope in her to change the world because she makes my world better everyday.

She is fresh and beautiful and fun just like greenhouse community vegetables.