Absence makes the heart grow

 Stronger. And fonder. And thankful.

Our new family of 3 embarked on our first little road trip a couple weeks ago.  Accompanying Andrew to his away rotation at Travis Air Force Base in California was our mission. Due to a one month old (at the time) who needed frequent stops and to a mama who feared her little one would display her hatred for the car seat rather robustly the entire drive, we chose to make the 9 hour drive a two day event. 

 To our pleasant surprise, Bonnie did AMAZING in the car ... as long as one of us rode back there with her and as long as our day was framed around her needs (feed, play a bit, then back in the car for nap time and get as far as possible before she woke up!). Bonnie was also exposed to Andrew & Jenna's car trip concert extraordinaire! A.k.a.- Andrew sings beautifully and Jenna sings ridiculously loud and annoyingly and then we spend many minutes in out of control laughter. Over and over again... And you thought only Andrew was the goofy one... 

I sure hope Bonnie is taking notes on how to sing from her dad and not her mom.

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We spent the first night in Ashland, OR. What a neat little town! 

Next stop, Travis AFB. 

Andrew LOVES planes. It made my heart so happy that he wanted to walk around and "show Bonnie all of the planes." I found the shaded area and admired their mini daddy-daughter date from afar. It was quite certainly roasting hot the entire trip. 

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I sure love watching Andrew be a daddy. He's the best. Bonnie is one lucky gal.

 

A quick Chick-fil-a stop made for a great birthday treat before Bonnie and I caught our flight back home. My little travel buddy did a fantastic job once again.

 Literally counting down the hours until we get to see our guy again. And, they are very few! We are meeting half way for the weekend and couldn't be more excited! A certain Daddy is missing his little girl too much...

"I'm dying to get to the weekend so I can hold her again."

Heart melting over here... 

Around here

Our home is happy around here these days. It's a nice change from what seemed like a very long and dark summer. Perhaps it's happy because I woke up this morning with the craziest boost of energy for which I used to deep clean the house. Windows, floors, and all. Whew! I'm liking these 2nd trimester little bouts of energy. When it comes, I run with it!

 

Perhaps it's happy because we've had a few loved ones as visitors over the past month.

My sister and nephew stayed with us for a few days in early January. What a joy to have little Reid around. His smile is contagious. His little baby cheeks are irresistible. I wish you could see this child eat real food. He's quite the patient & polite little fella. He sits with his mouth wide open, ready. What a sweetie. We also learned that baby-proofing the house needs to happen asap. This little guy is quite the explorer and got into everything. Children truly are a gift. I love watching my sister delight in her son. And I love being Auntie.

 

 Perhaps it's happy because little bits of life surround us. From photos of favorite spots, to each of our baby ultrasounds on the fridge, to a few lively plants, to the above meaningful painting of "Rock Gabriel" from my Dad. The day Andrew and I told my family we were expecting our first baby, Dad and I took a daddy/daughter date, chased the light, and painted this view as the sun was setting. What a meaningful little gift this was to me. A day to be remembered, a moment frozen in time. Dad, thank you  for this beautiful piece that livens our home.

Perhaps it's happy because Andrew always seems to be happy. He even wakes up happy. Sweet, giddy, and happy. Every morning, it still catches me off guard. I can't help but start the day with a smile waking up next to him (a nice change from the past 2.5 years of working nights and not being on the same sleep/wake schedule). 

Andrew is currently in the middle of his Psych rotation. This means that he spends his work days on the inpatient psych unit. As you can certainly imagine, it's quite the interesting place. He continues to keep a positive attitude and amazes me with how he takes each rotation and tries to find every way that it can apply to his future as a family practice physician. Andrew is already planning his next (& last!!!) year's schedule. It's exciting to think that the light is in sight and that this med-school journey is nearing an end. This week's sermon addressed the idea that besides salvation, people are the best gift God could give us. I couldn't agree more and am thankful every day that God gave me Andrew. What a gift.

A weekend together & 3rd annual self timer photoshoot

I end up taking lots of photos of friends and family, but rarely get actual photos of the two of us. So, we packed our gear and handy tripod (kitchen stool) and headed to this spot I've had in mind since last April. This inactive railroad lies adjacent to the Willamette river and glows if the sunlight hits the tree tunnel just right. Truth be told, I much prefer to be the one behind the camera than in front of the lens. Andrew too, I think. Hence, why we have seemed to make this self-photoshoot thing an annual event. Though, I do believe we'd get much sharper and better photos if we just gave in and let someone else do the work. 

There is something to be said for taking turns setting the camera and running to the said spot in 10 seconds. Lots of laughter!

We both had this past weekend off and it was oh so nice. We didn't actually do much of anything. Went out to eat, ran errands together, I sewed while he watched football, helped him cut his hair, caught up on tv shows together, accompanied each other to church etc. It was a very normal weekend. Nothing special. Just normal and so nice to just be together. 

While dropping Andrew off this morning for the start of a new rotation (parking is difficult & costly at OHSU), he told me that the past few days, he's gotten used to being together.  He explained that he already missed me for this week and it hasn't even started yet. Our opposite schedules really get old fast. But, good news folks, I'll be moving to day shift in a few weeks! Hallelujah! I cannot even begin to imagine seeing Andrew every day/night of the week. That sounds sad, doesn't it? Seeing your own husband every day? Imagine that!

 

Learning that this is our life

 We pass by each other at the entrance to the hospital. He's leaving. I'm coming.
His eyes light up and we embrace. "Perfect timing!" A sweet little surprise for the day.  
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He calls to say he's on his way home but won't make it in time before I leave for work. I say, 'let's meet in the middle for dinner at Chipotle!' Quickest dinner we ever did have, but the best company and a kiss to remember until we see each other again. 

Learning to appreciate the little things over here in the busy MS3 world. Learning that this is our life. Learning to make the most of it. Just thankful he's home, he's happy, and summer is behind us.
Med School- year 3, keep it coming....

Sunday Adventure | Gorge Hiking

Though Sunday started with thunder and rain, we didn't let it stop our outdoor Sunday adventure. With packed lunches and rain-gear, we enjoyed a starbucks sugar kick along the way, and headed out I-84. We stopped for a waterfall-filled hike just past the well-known Multnomah Falls. I much preferred this "Horse Trail Falls" hike compared to the packed Multnomah falls paths. The views of the gorge were beautiful, the paths quiet and private. We hiked around numerous waterfalls and creeks- they seemed to be around every corner. Most of all, I was with my sweetheart, and that's all that mattered. 

I want to remember our sweet conversations about our silly high school dating days and what we see ourselves doing 10 years from now. Sweet conversations indeed. And, no better place to have them than hand in hand in the Oregon beauty. It certainly felt like Fall and made me anxious for cool, fall days that always seem to make me more productive.

Hope you had a great weekend!