Mommy's Little Helper

Lately, Alex has become an eager little beaver when it comes to helping around the house. He helps me sort the laundry and push the laundry basket to the door. He helps me make the bed. He throws things in the trash, helps me pick up his toys, and if I say, "Take this to Daddy," he will run and do it. Today, we were moving a big stack of books from the hallway into our bedroom. When Rusty told him he could help us, he got so excited. He made several trips back and forth, carrying books, and when the stack was gone, he said "More? More?"

Alex also likes to "help" in the kitchen. He is not quite old enough to start doing the dishes, but sometimes I will let him stand on a chair at the sink and play with plastic cups in the water. He also has his own cupboard that is full of nothing but Tupperware and plastic containers. His favorite thing to do is to climb inside it and throw everything out onto the floor. I'm not sure how he thinks this is helping me, but he is quite industrious about it, so obviously it is something that needs done in his mind.

Now, if only I knew how to make the "helpful" stage last forever.

I'm Baaaaack!

Well, hello, everyone. I've been MIA for awhile, but I'm back now with an update on life through my eyes. Let's see, where to begin... oh, I guess I should start with the above picture. I have a big boy haircut now. I was getting a bit tired of everyone asking if I was a boy or a girl, so I had a talk with my mommy, and she agreed it was time for my first haircut (although she was sad to see all my beautiful blond curls go).

We went to a Cookie Cutters hair salon for kids. It was totally cool! They had all these cool toys and things to climb on. When it was time to get my hair cut, I sat in a car, and the lady put in a Baby Einstein video for me to watch and gave me a sucker. So far, so good. But then she started messing with my hair, and I wasn't sure I liked that too much. And then she got the clippers out, and I let her know in no uncertain terms, that I certainly didn't like those things!

Finally, it was over. She took my picture and put a lock of my hair in a little baggie for my mommy, and gave me an official "First Haircut" certificate. But I didn't care about all that -- I just wanted another sucker. Anyhow, I'm quite pleased with the results. It definitely keeps me cooler when I'm playing outside in the hot weather, and I don't get mistaken for a little girl so much. They say, "less is more," and in this case, I would have to agree. What do you think?

I have had a really fun summer. Our road trip was a blast. I got to see and do so many cool things, and I met all these people my parents say I'm related to. Now, we are living in Memphis. I really like it here. I have my own room, finally, with space for all my books and toys. I have a great big yard to run around in, and a ginormous sand-box (my mom says it is really a sand volleyball court). I also have a new friend. She lives across the courtyard from me. Her name is Mackenzie, and she just turned three. We like to play outside together and go swimming when it is hot. Sometimes, our parents trade baby-sitting, so they can go out on a date. Speaking of baby-sitting, I have a baby-sitter now that my mom has started working. She comes and plays with me two mornings a week. Her name is Miss Rachel, and we have fun together. On Wednesday, she takes me to the library for story time.

On Monday, my mom took me to the doctor for my 18-month check-up. I now weigh 26 pounds, 2 ounces, and I am 34 inches tall. That's almost 3 feet! The doctor says I am a healthy little boy. Then, I got four shots, and I did NOT like that at all! But my mom says those are the last shots I will need until I am 5, unless we go to Africa before then. I don't think I want to go to Africa, wherever that is!

That's it for now, I guess. Oh, my mom says to tell you that she updated my "Corner." Just scroll down and you'll see it in the sidebar on the right. Lots of love to everyone! -- Alex

Home

Any missionary kid will attest that the question, "Where do you call home?" is a difficult one to answer. Part of my heart will always think of Kenya as home because that's where I grew up. Now that my parents live in Michigan, I feel like I'm going home when I go up there. Something about walking into their house and seeing all the familiar objects that I grew up seeing every day (like the Egyptian table, the framed family picture with all our names and their meanings in frames surrounding it, even everyday objects like the stainless steel salt and pepper shakers) is just so incredibly soothing. Bear in mind that I never actually lived in their house in Livonia; but it still feels a little bit like home.

This last year, though, when I thought of home, a jumbled hodge-podge of images flashed through my mind. Images of our old three-bedroom house in Mississippi, just across the street from the church where Rusty worked blended with those of our spacious six-bedroom home in Japan (and mixed in from time to time were images of our first apartment in Mito). It's odd, but I still remember practically every detail of those two homes, like how the furniture was arranged, where this or that picture or decoration was hung, even what drawer housed my silverware or my collection of wooden animal napkin rings.

Lately, my thoughts of home are beginning to organize themselves around our new abode at 1000 Cherry Road. We have been here little more than a month, but already, I feel more at home here than I have since we left Japan. No offense to Rusty's family, or to the Onsomu's (who were like our second home while we were in Portland), but there is just no real substitute, as far as I'm concerned, for a place of my own, for being surrounded by my own things. Sitting on my own couch, eating dinner (cooked in my own pans) off my own dishes at my own table -- just ordinary activities, yes, but that first week we were here, I was practically revelling in those things!

It's just student housing here on campus, just a 2-bedroom, 1-bath, cinder-block apartment, but it feels like a palace to me! For the first time in over a year, I can say the words, "It's good to be home."

We Remember...

September 11, 2001

May God comfort

all those who still mourn.

Changes

Our family has been dealing with a lot of changes lately, so I decided our blog needed a face lift to reflect this. I've added and changed a bunch of stuff in the sidebar, chosen a new template, and figured out how to add a customized header. I browsed my favorite free stock photography website for a long time, trying to decide on the kind of photo I wanted. If we were still living in Japan, I would have chosen something with an Oriental flair; if in Portland, a picture of the Cascade mountains, a waterfall, or the rugged Oregon coast would have been cool. However, there just were not that many inspiring pictures of Memphis. So, I finally settled on the above picture of a winding country road. I feel like it is somehow reflective of our lives right now. We are still on a journey. (Memphis is not our final destination.) Our path doesn't stretch out straight in front of us, but twists out of sight through the trees. (We don't know yet where we will be going after this.) And I am learning, slowly, to be content with the journey I am on -- with the winding road, with the unknown, out of sight around the bend.

Anyway... back to the "changes" in our lives.

For one thing, we have a new address! Unpacking and settling into a new home is always a slow (and therefore frustrating) process for us, but we continue to make headway a little bit at a time. Along with the new address come a whole bunch of other new things -- new bank, new doctors, new pharmacist, new driver's licenses, new plates for the car, new insurance company, new phone number (still working on some of these!), and the list goes on...

Rusty is back in school, taking 6 hours (two classes) this semester. Having not taken a class in almost two years, it has taken him some time to "get his groove back." This was made more difficult by the fact that he has also been working long hours at Starbucks, trying to get in enough hours this quarter so we can maintain our benefits eligibility. Now that the quarter is almost over, he will be able to cut back on work so he can focus more on school.

I have faced some big changes as well. I am now a "working mom." (I say that somewhat facetiously, since of course all mothers work.) But, after 18 months of being a stay-at-home mom, I have re-entered the work force. This was not a decision that was made lightly, since both Rusty and I have always been committed to being a one-income family once children came along. However, the "perfect job" was offered to me, and I accepted. No, really: if I am going to work outside the home, this is the ideal situation. I am now working for Freed-Hardeman University as the Secretary in the Memphis Graduate Education Office. My office is right here on campus (where we live), alleviating the need for a second car, and making it possible for me to come home for lunch each day. My boss is extremely flexible and fun to work with; and the work itself is something I enjoy doing. Despite all of that, adjusting to working 32+ hours a week is going to take some time.

Needless to say, Alex has also faced his own set of changes as a result of my new job. He is spending two mornings a week with a baby-sitter, and a full day plus all other afternoons with his daddy. (Luckily, he still takes a pretty long nap in the afternoon, so Rusty can get some studying done!) Being the flexible, easy-going little guy that he is, he seems to be handling all this pretty well so far. In fact, it has probably been harder on Rusty and me than it has on Alex!

And that's what's new with us. Check back next week for some new pictures (I hope).

Worth Reading

Thank you for all the comments (10) on my last post. Ten comments is a record for us (never mind the fact that I made 3 of them)! We don't have a very wide "readership" here in this little corner of cyberspace. Actually, I have a sneaking suspicion that we have quite a few readers, just not a lot of people who leave comments. We call that "lurking" here in Blog-Land. So, if you've been lurking around our site, leave a comment sometime and make yourself known. And you don't have to have a Blooger/Google account in order to do so. Just click on comments, and in the little window that pops up, type your message. Then, you have to complete a word-verification (this is to prevent "comment spam" from those morons who have nothing better to do than leave their political rantings or sales pitches in the form of comments on random blogsites). If you do not have a Blogger/Google account, make sure to click "Anonymous" or "Other" (and if you click "Anonymous," please type your name in the text of your comment so we know who you are). Then, click "Publish," and you're done!

Having said all that -- onto the real purpose of this post, which is to share a couple of links to things I have read recently and thoroughly enjoyed! Yes, I know, you are all eager for updates on our life, and I promise I am working on several posts to that end (or at least, I have them in my head). So, for now, this will have to suffice.

This first link is one of those laugh-out-loud-til-your-sides-hurt-and-the-tears-roll-down-your-cheeks kind of reads. At least it was for me. Who would have thought that an auction listing on Ebay could make me laugh so uproariously?

The second link is more thought-provoking, even bordering on academic. In the midst of all the hoopla surrounding the release of the 7th and final installment in the Harry Potter series, this Christian author and professor of English gives a thoughtful and well-organized defense of the merits and religious implications of "The Youngest Brother's Tale." Definitely worth a read, especially if you are a fan of the books. Thanks to my dad for sending me this link.

I Finished!

I finally finished "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," and let me just say, IT ROCKED!!! It exceeded all my expectations for the conclusion to a fantastic series. I can't wait to see the movie because it's going to be awesome (of course not as awesome as the book, but awesome, nonetheless)! I'm looking forward to unpacking the rest of the series because I plan to read it over again from start to finish now.

I don't want to say anymore because I don't want to spoil anything for those that haven't read the book yet, but I'm dying to know what other people thought of it! Leave a comment and share your thoughts... favorite part... the thing that surprised you most... whatever. And if you haven't read the book yet, be warned -- the comments may contain spoilers, so read them at your own risk.

Trek Across North America: Conclusion

Well, last week, after almost 4 weeks on the road, three tired travelers finally reached their destination. This road trip was a lot of fun, and a nice way to transition from our time in Portland to Memphis. Still, I have to say, it sure is nice to know we won't be packing up again for awhile!

Last Sunday, Rusty preached at the church in Livonia, and did a great job! Monday was spent packing. We had purchased a small enclosed trailer the week before to haul the furniture that my parents had been storing for us down to Memphis. I didn't think we would be able to squeeze it all in, but my husband is a master packer, and in the end, all we left behind were two chairs from our dining set. On Tuesday, we said goodbye to Mom and Dad and began our drive south. After a long day of driving, we arrived in Clarksville, Tennessee, and stayed the night with Uncle Dennis and Aunt Diana Campbell. It was really great seeing them again -- and relaxing in the hot tub!


On Wednesday, after a great breakfast at Shoney's, we headed out again and arrived in Memphis about 1:30 p.m.

And that was our trip!

26 days...

4795 miles...

2 countries...

13 states...

3 Canadian provinces...

8 different beds...

14 stops at Starbucks...

4 sermons...

2 trailers...

and 1 lost hat!

Trek Across North America: Week 3

We began our third week in Coldwater, Michigan, visiting my grandparents, Dean and Ruth Clutter. Rusty preached at the church in Coldwater on Sunday morning, and we enjoyed a delicious dinner and a good visit with my Aunt Cyndi and her family that evening.

Alex and his great-grandparents

On Monday, we drove up to Livonia to spend the rest of the week with my parents and brother. We have had such a great time! Highlights have included: a trip to Cedar Point, home to some of the world's tallest, fastest roller-coasters; celebrating Matt's 21st birthday; visiting Greenfield Village; and of course seeing all the dear folks at the Livonia church of Christ, some of whom have known me since before I was born. Pictures are below.

Riding the carousel at Cedar Point

Riding the train (again at Cedar Point)

Another kiddie ride at Cedar Point

The big 2-1!

Sharing an ice-cream with Daddy at Greenfield Village

You may notice that Alex looks a little different in the last picture. Yes, while we were in Livonia, he got his first haircut! More on that later -- but doesn't he look so grown up now? And, in between all of our fun outings and family time, I have been using practically every spare moment to devour "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." (Ronda, Robbie, and Johnny -- I am now on page 350, where are you?)

Our time here in Livonia is quickly drawing to a close. Tomorrow, we will begin the last leg of our journey to Memphis, and hope to arrive there on Wednesday afternoon. Although this trip has been fun, I am looking forward to settling into our apartment and our new life in Memphis.

Trek Across North America: Week 2

Well, here we are in Livonia, Michigan, enjoying some family time with my parents and brother. Before I forget, I wanted to mention that you can see more cute pictures of Alex and Sophie (and Rusty) during our time in Montana by visiting Roxanna's blog.

The second week of our journey was spent mostly with Uncle Ken and Aunt Rae in Manson, Manitoba. The weather was extremely hot and humid (reminded me of Japan), but we had a great time anyway, and it did cool off by the end of our stay. Here are some pictures of our time there.

Rusty preached twice on Sunday -- once in town at the church his aunt and uncle attend, and the second time at this little country church. It is actually an Anglican church, but the church of Christ folks meet there every Sunday. Hard wooden pews... no electricity (read: no AC)... an outhouse for a bathroom... an old cemetery outside. I definitely felt like I had stepped back in time!

Rusty and Alex "preaching the Word"

One day, we visited the memorial garden in Manson. The town of Manson consists of this garden, an ice rink, a church of Christ, an old community center that is now Uncle Ken's woodshop, and about half a dozen houses, only half of which are lived in! Can you say, "po-dunk?"

You can tell how hot it is by Alex' red face and super-curly hair!

Another day, we visited the Antique Auto Museum in a nearby town. They had lots of really cool old cars and old farm equipment. Alex enjoyed driving the tractors and combines.

Alex and Auntie Rae playing with her snow globe

Aunt Rae's beautiful flower garden

The Canadian prairie.

We left Uncle Ken and Aunt Rae's on Thursday, July 26, and drove to Edrans, Manitoba to visit Rusty's cousin Kemmy and her family. Despite a mishap with a trailer, on loan to us from Uncle Ken (his way of making sure we HAVE to come back), we arrived safely and had a good visit.

Rusty with Kemmy and her four kids.

After a long discussion, we decided against taking the trailer (sorry, Uncle Ken, I guess you'll just have to figure out another way to get us to come back!) and repacked what we could into the van. We left Edrans at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 27. 25 hours later, we arrived in Coldwater, Michigan! We drove all through the night, a decision that was made partially for time's sake (Rusty had to preach in Coldwater on Sunday morning), and partially because we were too cheap to get a motel for just a few hours. We made it safely, but it took us several days to recover! I remember when I used to pull all-nighters in college, and let me just say -- it is not as easy as it used to be. I must be getting old or something!

And that was Week 2 of our Great Adventure!

Trek Across North America: Week 1

We have been having a great trip so far -- thanks for your prayers! No car trouble as yet... good visits with family and friends... and Alex is such a great little traveler! We are currently in Manson, Manitoba (a little town just north of the Trans-Canada highway and just east of the Saskatchewan border) with Rusty's uncle and aunt.

Here's a brief rundown of our journey so far.

We left Portland on Saturday, July 14th and drove to Kalispell, Montana. There, Alex, was reunited with his little friend, Sophie. We stayed with Sophie and her family for two nights. It was so much fun getting the kids together again!


For the first time, Alex and Sophie were actually able to play together, although they did have trouble from time to time with the whole concept of sharing. For the most part, they did pretty well, though!


Creative sharing -- Sophie sits in her doll stroller while Alex pushes her. This worked better for some reason than taking turns pushing the stroller. (Don't worry -- Alex isn't sunburned -- he just gets really red when he runs around outside in the hot summer weather!)


We went to the lake on Sunday afternoon and had a great time swimming and playing in the water.


Finger painting was a real adventure. Sophie preferred painting her own face and hair, while Alex wanted to eat the paint! Luckily, they were the non-toxic kind!


My mom has a picture of my sister and her friend Adam in a rocking chair together when they were not much bigger than Alex and Sophie. I was attempting the same level of cuteness here; unfortunately, the kids were not cooperating.

On Monday, July 16th, we drove north to Red Deer, Alberta and stayed with Rusty's cousin Gwendalee and her family for two nights. On our way, we drove through Glacier National Park. The Going-to-the-Sun Road, which cuts right through the center of Glacier, is absolutely stunning. I remember driving through the park in 1995 with my family, and it was just as breathtaking 12 years later!


At Logan Pass, we stopped and went for a hike with Roxanna and Sophie. We hiked up through alpine meadows to a spot overlooking a glacial lake (see picture above) and had a little picnic. The terrain reminded me of something out of "Heidi" or "The Sound of Music." We got to see mountain goats up really close (they crossed our path about ten feet from us).


In Red Deer, Alex enjoyed playing in the sprinkler and jumping on the trampoline with Gwendalee's kids (his second cousins). Cousin Calvin and his wife Kim drove down from Loon Lake for the day to visit with us and took us all out to dinner. We had a great time with everybody!

On Wednesday, July 18th, we drove to Regina, Saskatchewan, and stayed two nights with Rusty's cousin Christina and her family. We stopped and had a late lunch in Drumheller, Alberta. They had a great little water park with all kinds of cool sprinklers for the kids to play in. Alex had a really great time. I'll upload a video when I have a high speed connection again.


Drumheller is the home of the world's largest (man-made) dinosaur. It towers over the visitor center, where the water park was. It's quite obnoxious, really, but then again, I guess every place has to have their claim to fame.

In Regina, we went to a little park one afternoon and let Alex feed the ducks and play on the playground. Cousin Cheryl drove in from the farm with her family to have dinner with us that evening. We had a good visit with them.

On Friday, July 20th, we drove to Manson to visit with Uncle Ken and Aunt Rae for several days. We have been having a wonderful time with them. They live way out in the country in an old farmhouse on an 11-acre plot of land. Alex has been having so much fun playing in the yard, chasing the dog, digging in the sandbox, and eating raspberries that he picked right off the bush. We have been thoroughly spoiled by Aunt Rae's delicious home cooking. She makes wonderful saskatoon (like blueberries) and cherry pies -- the cherries come right off a tree in their front yard (eat your hearts out, Dad and Josh!).


I will post more pictures later -- they are calling me to come and play some 42, a dominoe game that I learned to play just a few days ago!

On the Road Again!

Our shipment is on its way to Memphis... our bags are packed... the car is loaded to the brim... goodbyes have mostly all been said. We are leaving Portland early tomorrow morning to begin our long trek across North America, and I sit here trying to absorb the reality that this is our last night in the Northwest for who knows how long.

I really have mixed feelings about leaving Oregon. On the one hand, I am excited about going back to Memphis, reconnecting with the friends we have there, getting into a place of our own, being just our family again. But on the other hand, I will really miss living here! I love the Northwest. It is such a beautiful part of the country. In fact, I can't think of any other place in the U.S. that I would rather live than here. And after having lived here for five years (four years in college and then this last year), I feel more "at home" in Oregon than anywhere else. It is where Rusty and I met, dated, got married, and started our life together, and I have always hoped that when we finally stop being global nomads, we will settle down somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.

We were supposed to leave today, but we had so much still to do that we finally decided to just stay one more night, and get an early start tomorrow. So tonight, Rusty took me to Beaches, one of our favorite restaurants in the Portland/Vancouver area. We sat outside on the deck overlooking the mighty Columbia River, felt the cool breeze as evening fell, and reflected on this last year. It has definitely been a year filled with lots of struggle and sadness -- but there have been bright spots and moments of joy, too. I had the sense that we were closing out this chapter of our lives... And I look forward to turning the page tomorrow to a new chapter!

Memphis, here we come!

A Day at the Zoo

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Amanda invited us to go to the zoo with her for FREE! She has a special pass that allows her to bring guests free of charge, so Alex and I enjoyed a day at the Oregon Zoo with Amanda and several other friends. Rusty joined us after he got off work.

Alex loved looking at all the animals. He especially liked the fish and the water animals because the aquarium windows allowed him to get up so close to them. He even got to pet a few of the animals (the domesticated ones, not the lions and tigers!). We had a picnic lunch on a grassy field, spent some time playing in a big sandbox, and then enjoyed a ride on the zoo train before going home.

Here are a few pictures of our day.







Thanks, Amanda, for a really fun day!

Baby on Board

When we were still living at Mary's house, Alex absolutely loved to watch his cousins skateboard. He would stand in the front yard, with his nose pressed up against the fence, and watch them for hours as they flew up and down the street. On this particular day, Robbie left his board in the front yard, and Alex decided to show everyone that he can skateboard too! He just adores his cousins and wants to be able to do everything they do.

"Peerless" Lives Up to Its Name

Well, the estate sale is over, and I must say, I was very impressed by the transformation that took place in two weeks. Watch the slide show above to understand what I mean! Anyone who knew my mother-in-law knows I speak the truth when I say that she was many things, but "organized" and "minimalist" are not two words I would choose to describe her. Peerless Estate Sales did a great job! And now, the big question that remains is, "Just how much money did we make off this?" We probably won't find out for at least a few more days -- but Rusty and I both feel that the point of this sale was just to get rid of stuff, not necessarily to make money.

By the way, I am very proud of the slideshow I created using pics from my digital camera and some basic movie software. Still working on how to get music to go with the slideshow. I tried for that this time, but it just wasn't happening!

What I've Been Up To

Well, since my mommy stopped posting "Month Milestones" on the blog, I figured it was time to let my readers know some of the things I've been up to lately. (By the way, I have my own space on this blog. It's called "Alex' Corner," and it's in the sidebar to the right. You can always check that out to see how I'm growing. My mommy updates it about once every month or so.)

I really enjoy playing the piano with Mommy. We make pretty music together. (Editor's Note: Sadly, the piano, which originally belonged to my great-great grandmother, will be going to its new home at Allen and Kristi's soon. We just didn't see the point in hauling it back to Memphis just for a year or two. We are thankful that we have family who are willing to give it a home for us. Still, I am sad that I will not be able to play it whenever I want.)

My cousins turned fifteen this month. They had their birthday party at a bowling alley, so I got to try bowling for the first time. (Cousin Johnny helped me.) I had fun, but the balls were too heavy for me to pick up, and that was really frustrating.

I really love to read! I bring books for Mommy (or whoever else happens to be around) to read to me several times a day. Sometimes, I even read on my own.

Like my scraped up nose? I am always falling and banging my head on something these days. I guess that's part of what being a little boy is all about. This scratch came from falling down some carpeted stairs and getting a rug burn on my nose. I cried, of course, but I'm looking much better this week!

Future Basketball Player

For the grandparents (and anyone else who is interested), here is a short video of Alex playing with his basketball hoop.

Exodus

Well, the great exodus from Mary's house is now complete! It has been almost a week, and I still feel like I am recovering, so forgive me for not posting sooner. We are now staying with friends in Vancouver, WA (just across the river from Portland). Words cannot express how grateful we are to Tim and Chalon and Baby Lemuel for allowing us to move in with them for the next month and use their garage for storage until we can get our shipment packed. The estate sale is next weekend, and I must admit, I am curious to see how well the estate liquidator handles the mess we left them. I did take some "before" pictures on Sunday night before we left the house, and I will try to take some "after" pictures next Friday when we do our pre-sale walk-through.

Several have asked for more details regarding our upcoming move back to Memphis. So, here is our general plan for the next two months:

• We will leave Portland on July 12th
• We will spend most of July traveling through Canada, visiting some of Rusty's relatives who live there.
• We will spend the first week of August in Detroit with my parents.
• We will arrive in Memphis (Lord willing!) on Tuesday, August 7th.

We are definitely taking the scenic route to Memphis, but I am really looking forward to it! Although I have been to Canada before, I have never driven through it. Also, I will be meeting "cousins-in-law" and their families whom I have never met. We are planning to do some camping along the way as well, which should prove to be an adventure with a 16-month old!

Pictures to follow as soon as I can locate the digital camera!

May Days

May is always a busy month for our family, and May 2007 was hardly the exception! Not only were there several special events to celebrate, but this year we have also been busy sorting, packing, and getting ready to move out of Mary's house. We have to be officially moved out of the house by the evening of June 10th, meaning that we have to leave and take with us everything that we are keeping. After that, an estate liquidation company will have the house for two weeks to prepare everything left behind for an estate sale. With just over a week to go before our move-out date, I am starting to do a slow panic. So much to do, so little time...

But, I digress. Back to the special events of the past month...

First, there was Mother's Day. We went to early service at church with Ronda and the boys, then to brunch at Acapulco's, a local Mexican restaurant. After that, at Ronda's request, we all visited the cemetery and placed some flowers on Mary's headstone. Rusty and Alex both gave me very sweet cards, along with gift cards to Bath and Body Works and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Me and my precious boy!

Me and my one and only sissy-in-law!

May 19th, we celebrated Rusty's 34th birthday. Ronda kept Alex all afternoon so the two of us could go to lunch and then to see Spiderman 3. Later that evening, we had cheesecake and chai, two of Rusty's favorite things! It was a much more low-key celebration than the party I threw him last year, but it was still a special time.

Rusty, Ronda, and "the nephews"

Rusty blows out his candles

May 25th, we celebrated Ronda's birthday. Officially, she is "29 and holding" for the 8th time. (I'll let you figure out how old she really is!) I baked her a German chocolate cake which we ate outside in the front yard since it was such a gorgeous day. Then, we got a baby-sitter for Alex so we could all go see "Pirates of the Carribean 3" (BIG disappointment, even bigger than the second one, but we will not speak of such things here).

The birthday girl

Alex and Daddy share a piece of cake

On Memorial Day, we visited Willamette National Cemetery, where Rusty's parents and my grandfather are all buried. It is truly an amazing and humbling sight to see the hillsides covered with tiny, fluttering flags, and to think that each one represents an individual (or a spouse) who has served our country in some capacity through the years. After that, we went to a barbeque at some friends' from church. They live out in the country, and Alex just had a ball! He got to see sheep for the first time, and play with several dogs. There were several kids there, all older than him, but he enjoyed trying to keep up with them and being pulled in the wagon.

Rusty's parents headstone

My grandfather's headstone

That evening, we drove up to Seattle to spend a few days with Rusty's cousin Linda and her family. The next day, May 29th, was our 8th anniversary. Linda kept Alex for the night so the two of us could enjoy an overnight getaway. It feels like forever since we have gotten to do something like that! It was my first time to leave Alex for a whole night, but it wasn't as traumatic as I thought it might be. I knew Alex was in great hands and would have a great time. Linda's four kids just dote on Alex, so he certainly didn't lack for attention!

We went to a little bed and breakfast on Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound. It was a truly lovely spot, and we were the only guests that night, so we had the place all to ourselves. There was a hot tub and a great hammock big enough for both of us to read in! We enjoyed a walk through the little town and a delicious dinner at a restaurant called the Edgecliff with a gorgeous view of the sound.

8 years and counting!

I have been doing a lot of reflecting lately on where we were a year ago. May 29th, 2006 -- about one month before we found out Rusty's mom had a terminal brain tumor and our whole world turned upside down. The last year has been, without a doubt, THE most difficult and stressful one we have lived through in our 8 years together. There is a "stress scale" that Rusty remembers studying in one of his counseling classes that rates different life events according to how much stress they bring to your life. Almost every single one of those events has happened to our family in the last 15 months. Birth of a baby... loss of a home... loss of a job... moving (international moves are much more stressful than domestic moves, just for the record)... caring for a loved one through a debliltating illness... death of a parent... financial difficulties.

I say all this, not because I'm feeling sorry for myself or because I want anyone to pity us, but because I want to celebrate that through it all, our marriage has not only survived, but grown stronger. Oh, sure there have been some difficult moments, frustrations, angry words, hurt feelings, a multitude of tears. But I don't think either of us ever questioned our commitment to each other for a minute. I always felt secure, knowing that whatever the future held for us, we would be facing it together.

Rusty said it best the other day when he said, "If our marriage survived this year, I'm pretty sure it could survive anything." Here's to another eight years!

Flying High

The look on his face says it all!