Summer Fountain Fun with Isaac & Eliza

We had a great time with these two little ones and their mama yesterday afternoon. We played in the fountain for a bit and then enjoyed a refreshing fro-yo treat. I think the photos speak for themselves... Isaac sure loves the water! ((Isaac is 2 and Eliza is 7 months))

Sun & Sand | Day 2

Day two in San Diego was glorious. Andrew and I drove to LA to visit his sister, who attends Chapman University. The town surrounding Chapman has a vintage, yet pristine feel to it. We enjoyed touring her college and the nearby streets. My favorite part of the day was eating at the Grinder and tasting a few different sodas. It would be so much fun to try a different soda each weekend as a little date! Maybe I can find a place like that in Portland. I'm sure it exists. 

After lunch, walking, and cupcakes, we drove back to Ocean Beach to meet Brandon and Catherine and spent a little while in the beautiful sun before heading downtown for the evening.

We briefly walked around the USS Midway and are looking forward to heading back to the navy ship museum before our return flight home. My Andrew sure loves his planes, ships, and boats. It makes me happy to see him so happy. 

this summer was an appetizer

He walked in the door late last night and we embraced. I knew my time with him was short as he had a "shelf" exam (test at the end of each rotation) in the morning and needed a major cramming session. Furthermore, I was on-call at work (those darn mandatory over time shifts) and could get called away at any time. A solid ten minute hug turned into big crocodile tears of relief. Andrew is home, home. For reals, home. "Summer" is over. It certainly has not been an easy summer. Besides recovering from our miscarriage and grieving that loss, the mister and I were apart for 2 and a half months. He was first living in Stayton for his rural rotation and then in Salem for his OB/GYN rotation. Ten weeks of little visits here and there; 10 weeks of short phone convos or little texts just to semi keep in touch. Our opposite schedules didn't help either. He mostly worked 7am-7pm while I work the opposite. Thankfully, he was relatively close to Portland and we made little visits as much as possible, but time is precious and certainly limited.

This summer has been a strength-building time. Strength in getting through each day, strength in not being an emotional basket-case (at least about him being gone), strength in sometimes not letting him know just how hard it was to have him gone. Just how much the quiet house made me sad. Because, he's thriving. He's learning. He's doing the work he was called to do. As am I. I'm learning to support him in this career of his. This life of ours. I'm learning to be the best wife I can be.

In the shortest way to possibly describe it, this summer was an appetizer. A small tasting for what our future will continue to look like for many years to come. I can chose to enjoy this appetizer and make the most of it, or have it ruin the rest of the meal. Here I am, peeking through a crack in the wall at what a future deployment(s) or TDY (temporary duty assignment) time will look like. At what busy residency may look like. I know that on the other side of that wall is a vast field of beauty. Hills of knee-high grass, wild flowers, shady trees, a beautiful home of our very own and a family of youngsters. And, we will thrive together as one. We will continue serving, continue living with the same passion and love for each other. These hard times will make us stronger. The hard times will keep coming. The beautiful times too. 

I think the Lord gave me a little extra dose of strength to get through this time apart. He gave me those little bouts of energy to make it for short visits, a little extra emotional-self-control, a little extra braveness. He certainly knows what his children need. His grace is sufficient.

Welcome home babe. Let's have a great weekend together sans work/school! 

iLife explosion

Anyone who hangs out with me knows that my iPhone is normally right by my side. I couldn't dare miss a moment to capture via the iPhone camera. It often times drives Andrew crazy. I'm working on limiting the number of photos I take and the number of times I stop to take photos when we are out and about. I think I'm actually improving in this area, yahoo. It's understandably annoying. But, this is how I remember. The images I capture help form memories. I envision myself as an old, confused lady with a sweet husband by my side who has made book after book of all of my photos. Imagine the 'Notebook' story line but with photos instead of a written story. My mind works in images. I look at each of these photos and instantly remember what the rest of that day included. What I was doing, what I was thinking as the light so beautifully fell beneath those clouds. I remember that meal we shared together, those laughs we enjoyed, that great conversation we had on that walk...

 

Yes, I even remember the ridiculous number of times I had to stop at starbucks just to get through those long and sleepless days and worth-it drives back and forth to see my Andrew :)

 With a cleared out iphone photo-roll, fall candles burning, and a stormy day outside, I'm ready to make & capture some new fall memories. Happy nearly Fall! It certainly feels like it around here...