Ralph Update

Here's the token picture of our cute girls.

Lots of questions being asked. Here's the lowdown. Ralph will be leaving Baghdad two weeks from tomorrow, on June 22nd, flying out to Columbus, Georgia. There he will drop off the three duffle bags of gear that he never unpacked in the last two years. From there his company will fly him to Salt Lake City. We don't know the exact date yet, but I would bet it would be that Wed or Thursday. 

His plan for work is to work for a contracting company named Aegis, which is the original company he worked for in Baghdad. He has had offers from them already, but they needed someone before he was available to start. So depending on where they need someone when he gets home, that is where we will go. It will be stateside and the whole family will move with him. We will be together at last. Hallelujah. 

I attest to all of you that it is possible to do hard things. And how you do it is simply to do it. I have heard that comment so many times over the last two year, "I don't know how you do it." That's how. I have just done it. And tried to make it fun. I think I have succeeded, for the most part.

So we will continue to keep everyone updated as things progress, and as we find out ourselves where we will be moving to. In the mean time, we will be visiting Florida, Colorado, Idaho (which is braking out marriage vow of never setting foot in Idaho, but I think we have grown up a bit since then and realize that was silly), Northern California, and Southern California. Any more requests? If you want us, let us know.

Photo Shot

The girls and I went to visit our friend Karyn that we knew in Taiwan. Her husband is a professional photographer and was so kind to take some shots for us to share with Ralph over the internet. Here are the best ones that he took. First is Karyn with her new baby Miriam, then Amber, Hannah and I.

I am in love with this picture

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TO SPAIN, with Ralph, and no kid! A dream come true.

We made it to Spain, luggage and all. Ralph served his mission in Madrid during the open house and dedication of the Madrid Temple. His mission president said that ten years from then they were going to have a reunion, and a 10 year anniversary celebration of that wonderful event. So, he put this great trip together. There were about 50 people at the Mission reunion. There were events Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, then an overnight trip Monday and Tuesday with some of the group. The rest of the week we finally were able to relax, take it easy, and site see around Madrid. So get ready of a bunch of pictures of old buildings with Ralph and I in front!

Ralph at our first lunch in Madrid. Ralph landed about twenty minutes before me, came to my terminal and met me outside of baggage claim. And from then on, we weren't really apart.

The Madrid, Spain temple. It has a special place in Ralph and my hearts.

I made Ralph try on this hat while we were shopping.

Outside of the church in Torajon, where Ralph served for 11 months of his mission. This is Rafa, who Ralph helped to baptize, and Sean Aker, one of Ralph's companions on the mission.

A church in the square in Torajon.

The Glass Palace in Retiro Park in Madrid.

The group went to Segovia, here we are with the Roman Aqueducts. I seemed to have lost the other pictures of them. Oh well.

The Cathedrial in Segovia. I think it is one of the biggest I have ever seen.

From the top of Alcazar, the castle in Segovia.

The front view of the castle.

La Granja, the summer palace of the Spanish royalty.

The reservoir at La Granja.

We stayed in Avila that night and had traditional Bean Soup.

The next morning, we went to El Escorial, where all of the dead royalty are entombed, or "waiting." (They let their bodies rot for 30 or 40 years, I can't remember which, then entombed their bones.) It is also a monastery and a school for boys.

We went rowing on the lake in Retiro Park. Very fun, and relaxing.

 

Ralph, eating squid, at a delicious restaurant.

 

The Placio Real, at night.

The next night I had squid in our delicious Pealla, a very good traditional rice dice from Spain.

This is a self portrait outside of the Prado Museum. We went there, to the Reina Sofia, and the Thessen something all in two days. That was a lot to take in.

There are the highlights from the trip. It was wonderfully relaxing, and very exciting at the same time. I started relaxing hard core on the plane from Salt Lake to Atlanta, I watched a movie, took a nap, and read half of a book. I was using my free time very wisely. I arrived home on May 23rd. Ralph will leave Baghdad for good on June 22nd, so the end is within reach!

California, Here we come!

Our Fun Trip to the Bay Area!

We played a little dress up the night before we left. Amber as Sleeping Beauty, Hannah as Tinkerbell.

The plane ride there was a synch.

Amber watching Dumbo on my iPod.

We walked around down town Pleasanton with our friend Nickie and stopped at a park to play.

Sunday night we went to Gretchen and Mark's house, Ralph's sister. Amber enjoyed the watermelon there.

Mark and Hank, Hank is two months old.

Gretchen and Hank

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We were all set for a fun day in San Francisco, just as soon as all of the kids wake up.

Amber had a muffin, which is shaped like a cupcake, which she loves, with cheese in it, which she also loves. She was in heaven!

We went to the Aquarium on the Bay at Pier 39.

The  crab kept trying to get Amber's hands.

Hannah at the star fish touching pool.

Amber at the star fish touching pool. She got a little wet...

A beautiful San Francisco day. The Golden Gate bridge in the background.

Then we saw the sea lions.

Hannah with the big people. She is growing up.

Back to Gretchen's house. The girls lived playing with the magnets on her fridge.

On to Pleasanton. Here's the house that I grew up in.

The park next door to the house that I grew up in. We would play here for hours, two play structures ago.

Amber got a sucker to match her shirt.

It was a wonderful get away. We had a great time! The man who bought the old house even let us in to see the changes, which were almost nothing. It was fun to see it, but it has a completely different feel to it. I think it had to do with the liquor that had replaced the church books on the book shelves in the family room. Thanks for a wonderful time Nickie, Dave, Gretchen, and Mark!