dear blog:

I am so sorry for how much I have neglected you of late. sorry in deed. I just really haven't taken the time to to give you the attention you deserve. I PROMISE that soon you will be filled again with happy, new pictures and witty bantor about our lives.
love~char

{I was born with a suitcase in my hand}... and other randomess

I have always loved to travel... a few times I have even been known to be planning a vacation while on a vacation. Twice since we left Oregon I have unpacked a suitcase and washed clothes, then put them back in the suitcase for another round of traveling without them even touching a hanger. And I loved it. Derek has been enjoying a very flexible work schedule and we have really had some good quality family time. I think we are being completely spoiled on this rotaion and the next few are going to feel a lot like work.

Easton is obsessed with the question, “What City are we in?” And we have had many mini-geography lessons in the car lately. He still doesn’t believe that St. George is in Utah.

I am trying to think of a place we can go next May when Derek graduates. If there ever was a reason to take a vacation I think that would be a good one. Derek wants to go to Alaska and I want to go to Hawaii so… maybe we will just meet in the middle and go to Sea World or something.

There is a lot in life that I am grateful for right now… for example, a lot of times the biggest decision in my day is whether I am going to go swimming in the morning, afternoon, or evening. It can be a really tough decision. I love it that some of the days on my calander are empty. Totally blank. I haven’t had that feeling of freedom in years.

I miss the green lush beauty of Oregon. I am also completely utterly in love with the sky here and the red rock mountains. The Earth is beautiful.

We are still enjoying the enlightening experience of no internet, or t.v. I have realized that I spend hours of my life wasted brainless with them, and without them I feel completely out of touch and isolated from the world. I would like to restore a balance between the two sometime.

And in case you are wondering, the heart is healing.

I am not dead.

Even though my lack of blogging lately might lead you to think otherwise.

We have had a whirlwind of a time these past weeks. First trying to recover, then swiftly on to packing and many goodbyes as we headed out for a year of rotations. now that we have one move down and 4 to go I am starting to realize why everyone thought we were crazy. oh, well. too late now. 

Thanks for all your prayers, emails and comments. It has been such a comfort to have so much love and support. We are so grateful for our wonderful friends and family and we could have never made it through the past few weeks without all of the support we recieved. 

We are trying to adjust to our new life. No office phone. No house phone. No TV. No internet. um... lots of talking and soul searching and family time. 

It is just what we need. 

Thanks again for all your kind words. I will update when I can find the time between swimming, catching lizards, and watching ice melt on the hot, HOT sidewalks.

How do you explain a heartache?

There has been a lot going on these past few days. I have debated about how much to write about, but I also know that there are so many of our loved friends and family that would love to know what has happened I also am so exhausted of telling the sad story that perhaps this will be a therapeutic exercise for me.

I first have to say that I know for certain when I look back on this time in my life I will remember it as one of the most spiritual times in my life. I truly feel surrounded by the Spirit each day and I have felt the Lords angels around me.

Shortly after learning I was pregnant about a week and a half ago, Derek and I realized that we had become one of the unlucky one tenth of of 100 people that experience an ectopic pregnancy. We didn't know anything about it and have been on a roller coaster of emotions after being fully educated. It truly is beyond any sadness I have ever experienced in my life. I have in the same moment been scared for my own life and even more heartbroken at the loss of one that will never be.

I will spare most of the details. For now we are still waiting for this all to be over. Because there is still a good possibility that I will have to have surgery, I will ask for your prayers and faith. I really need that more than anything. More than dinner, or babysitting. I need that comfort only the spirit can bring.

Right now it hurts to be standing in the Lords refining fire. It's hard to understand why the answer is no sometimes, but in the past, that has always been before the greatest blessings have come into my life. Until then, we will will continue to be patient and wait for another miracle to come our way.

Did "Eye" go overboard???

I love my {future} Optometrist. I really do. And I am so proud of him. He deserved a big fat party after hours of tireless studying and 2 full days of testing...

He would like me to think he was embarrassed by the sign (but I know he likes it because he asked me to take his picture with it which he never does). He is HOT. Eyeball orderves...

And and Eye Ball cake...

and Eyeball cupcakes and cookies... too much???

and I am not quite sure what this is called... it has no name- it's just pure genius. Spectacle bread. That's what I'll call it.

Shirley Temples with floating Eyeballs...

That's how I say Eye am so proud of you!!! With a CHEESY themed-out party. We also had real food. Stuffed Shells and Meat {EYE} balls. yum.

Thanks Bekah for all your help and your culinary brilliance. I love that we pulled this off. It was a great day with you and one more memory here that is so good, it makes me forget the bad. You are the greatest friend.

And honey, I love you so much that I let you name this Post. Look at you, you little blogger!