On Veteran's Day: Being a military wife

I didn't grow up knowing anything about the military. My mom is a pacifist and the military just seemed so far away and foreign. I remember being on a bus in 5th or 6th grade, after school, when I heard the announcement that the Gulf War had started. I think I felt scared at the time, but quickly resumed my daily norms and forgot all about it. On September 11, 2001 it hit a lot closer to home. Shortly thereafter, we were in NYC for the marathon and I remember the smell of death in the air, smoky and putrid. It made me want to vomit. Seeing the aftermath of violence on our turf brought me to attention quickly. As much as I want to live in my oblivious, comfortable world where "everything is great!" I now had seen first hand the global reality of discord and unrest.

A few months later I met a guy who captivated me. But he was joining the military. I don't "do" or "speak" military. I moved to CA and he moved to FL, as far away as we could be from one another in this country... Yet my heart couldn't shake him off, so on Veteran's Day weekend 2002, he flew to Oakland from Pensacola to come see me. And after that my staunch, stubborn heart was ruined for good- whether I liked it or not, I loved a man in the military.

Over 18 months we only saw each other 3 times. But letters and emails and phone calls flowed like wine, entwining our hearts together. On Christmas Eve 2003, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I cried. He lived in Corpus Christi, TX for flight school, I lived in WA, having started grad school. Nothing about our proximity to one another would have suggested our relationship would last- but God knit us together from afar. On New Years Eve 2004, he asked my parents for my hand in marriage. My step-mom said, "it's about time!"

So I took Matt Damon (aka Will Hunting's) advice, and packed up my stuff into my little Acura, moving 3,000+ miles across the country to "go see about a boy." I didn't know a soul in Jacksonville or the state of Florida, other than my boyfriend, but God provided me a wonderful job and community. And I learned, as it turns out, when you live in the same city, relationships are harder! The other person finds out you're not perfect and vice versa. I used to always straighten my hair at the salon the day I'd be seeing Los. He was dismayed to find out I have curly hair:) But God continued to grow us closer to one another, and one day, in the middle of a labyrinth in a gorgeous cathedral in France- for the first time, I heard Carlos say, "I love you." Which was immediately followed by, "will you marry me?" I sobbed. Amazed. Grateful. I forgot to say yes until he asked again.

So I married a military man. I had no idea what I was signing up for. I had no idea how many times I would fear for his safety and life, praying to God fervently. I had no idea 5 years ago how my heart would despair when he would leave me on deployments. We spent our first two Christmases and anniversaries apart. I wept like a baby when he left me and tried to bury myself in grad school books to ignore my broken heart. I lived for hearing his voice from Japan or the middle East, carrying my phone everywhere with me. One time I answered in the middle of a dental exam, shedding tears in the chair- that was awkward. Getting a dog was the best decision we made early on in our marriage. We call Burly the "glue that holds our marriage together." After finishing our 'sea' tour and starting our 'shore' tour, life changed once again. After having a rhythm of together-apart for 3 years of marriage, being together all the time was hugely unfamiliar. And not exactly graceful. But it has become so wonderful and now I can't imagine life apart. I have no idea how I will explain to our little girl next summer, in Japan, that we are not going to be seeing daddy for months at a time. Daddy loves us, but daddy is serving our country.

Being a military wife is hard, certainly not for the faint of heart. I am fiercely proud and completely in love with a man who has given his life to something bigger than himself and our immediate comfort. I am grateful that God is our rock and nothing, not life nor death, heights nor depths, can separate us from His love. He who knit us together watches between us when we are apart. I never imagined that this would be my life. I never imagined how proud I would be to call a military veteran my husband. I still largely see myself as a pacifist, and long for the day when war will cease. I don't know what will happen in the rest of my lifetime, but I am grateful to be married to a man of fortitude, strength of character, who serves us daily and serves our nation. I can not adequately or succinctly express my admiration for my Veteran on this day. Suffice to say, being in the military is hard and comes with great sacrifice. Your family, comfort, community, mental health and even life can be be taken. We live in a country full of luxuries and people (myself included) are spoiled and self-centered, forgetful of the fact that others are sacrificing on their behalf. So please thank a veteran for their selflessness today.

The Pursuit of Happy-ness

Yes, I'm spelling it incorrectly, b/c I want to be like Will Smith. Who doesn't, really? Anyway, I was driving down the street today with a friend who asked how I was doing. We've left WA 4 months ago, now, which had essentially been "home" for the past decade of my life... And I shared with my new friend that this week, for the first time since we've been Texans, I really felt HAPPY. Like deep inside your bones happy. I was surprised by that feeling! When we moved here things were rough for me. I was lonely. I thought I was just depressed. Turns out I was having morning sickness unbeknownst to me:) Eventually that passed (I think the last time I puked was at 17 weeks?)

I prayed for #1: friends and new moms to get to know, since this whole parenthood thing is such a mystery to me. Then I prayed for #2: stuff to do, other than sit at home and blog:)

And now I sit here, looking at my February calendar which has lots of things written on it, and I am grateful for how God has answered those prayers... This past fall, for the first time in my academic life, I lived without a DayPlanner. For as long as I can remember, I've been on a "school year" calendar (August to August) rather than a normal January to December calendar. Since I finished grad. school in September, I tried to live without a DayPlanner until I could join the rest of the non-academic world on January 1, with a new calendar. It was a big step:) But to be honest, I had hardly any friends, not to mention plans, this fall. So I wouldn't have had much to write down, if I'd had a calendar:)

Ceremoniously, during the first week of January I walked into Barnes and Noble and bought a 1/2-off 2009 calendar. I "put myself out there" and met one of my neighbors, who's also a Navy wife in our squadron. Turns out she's pregnant also AND from California- could that be more awesome?! Thanks Lord. Step one, check. Step two, meet some other gals. I went to a "Bunko" night (this stupid dice game that takes no skill, or at least that's what I assume, but I'm terrible at it- so maybe it is hard?). I knew noone except my neighbor at the beginning, but eventually I found two girls I liked and connected with. In turn, they invited me to a dinner party a couple weekends ago. I was nervous going to that alone, but lo and behold, I met MORE girls I liked and connected with at that- some of whom are new moms! And just like that, now it's February, and I have a handful of gals I could go walking with, or to yoga, or a movie, or have a game night/dinner party with. And people to talk about the craziness of pregnancy. I am not alone- it is good for the human heart to know it is not alone. God is good. That prayer was answered, and my calendar looks encouraging, even if I'm living in South Texas.

Prayer two was for some stuff to do. Having no idea what motherhood will be like, I've been hesitant to commit to a full or part-time job. I had pursued one as a chaplain at a local hospital, but the economic downturn took that job away in November. Then I pursued one at a local church, but it never felt "right" to us. So I dropped that, but I wanted to exercise my gifting and skill set, so I asked God to hook me up. And in January, after our ski vacation to CO, my prayer was answered. A local church has asked me to preach there once a month for a few hundred dollars a time. I am thrilled. It is so fun, because Los and I get to lead the service together, something that is encouraging (and unexpected) to us both.

And THEN, last week, even more random and cool, Los' "head boss" called him up. Los was nervous b/c he thought this shouldn't happen unless he was in trouble:) But his commanding officer was wanting to know if I'd be interested in being the liaison between him and the command and all of the families in the squadron (student spouses and pilots' families). It is kind of a big deal, and at first I was shocked- since I was not involved in the slightest at our last duty station! But as I learned about the position, I got really excited- I get to love on people who are hurting or need help, and be a resource/encouragement to them... kind of like a chaplain to the squadron:) I have no idea how this will shape up, but after years of college ministry, loving young women is something I'm pretty professional at- so I look forward to getting to know some people here in that capacity.

So things are looking up. And I am happy. Life is simple here. Slow. VERY different than what I was used to in grad school. But we feel healthy. We have LOTS of uninterrupted time together. And are making memories together and with new friends. AND the pregnancy is over half-way done. We will meet our little girl in 4 months:) Life is good, and I am grateful.

The "Spouses Club"

So there's this thing in the military called the Spouses Club. I'd heard frightening things before joining the military about how catty and gossipy these women could be, even though my rare encounters with wives in our first squadron were quite the contrary. Granted, I only did like two things with them in three years, but I'm a big fan of Shannon and Beth, so I imagine everyone else was as cool as you two! I never participated regularly in WA, since grad. school commitments and previous friends were readily available. But since I only have one official friend here (whom I had to import from WA, mind you), I decided to take the plunge, as it were.

Today I went to my first Spouses Club function, which included a cookie exchange, painting of an airplane ornament, making gift tags, etc. It feels awkward to interview 30 women to be potential friends, so I'm glad there were activities to keep my hands busy while I tested the waters with various unsuspecting victims. Little do they know that I've spent more time watching seasons of Alias on my computer than talking with actual human new friends:)

But I am pleased to report that there is hope for me, after all. Everyone I connected with was pretty nice and I even gave my phone number out twice. It feels awkward to say that, like I'm looking for a date or something:) But in some ways, the feeling is kind of the same. "Hey you're cool, I'm cool, let's hang out..." I talked to two gals who'd also just arrived this fall. It seems weird to interview women, but this is the thought that goes through my head often times, "you're neat, but oh you're leaving this spring? Then I'm not going to invest in you as much." The two gals I gave my number to will live here the same 3 years as us; and fortuitously, both live pretty close by. One is even in my neighborhood, she and her hubby just got back from Japan. The other is due a week before me, and is a Christian. That was encouraging to hear, since I have no clue what the heck I'll be doing as a mom. Apparently they have play dates for squadron babies through 4 year olds weekly, as well as a book club, bunko nights, and monthly events like today, or wine tasting nights.

So I'm encouraged that I won't be alone here, after all. Los and I have enjoyed how peaceful it is down here (e.g. not much to do, so lots of time to hang out); and I'm excited to start expanding our circle of friends and to get to know some of these women who've lived everywhere in the country and who've had similar experiences to us. It is nice for the human heart to know it is not alone.

Our So-Called Life: Whirlwind Edition

So the winds of change are a-blowin' with hurricane force! Here are updates:

#1- OUR HOUSE SOLD! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!! In this horrible buyers market, we were really nervous (read: I was really nervous) that I'd be stuck here until winter, with Los having to go ahead of me to TX. The market here has 10 months SOLID of inventory, our agent said she's only selling 3 houses a month!!! Compare this to 2005, when we bought: she closed on a house every other day! She said she took no days off, didn't vacation that year at all, and buyers were running around like mad. The day Los found our house, he was the first of 3 or 4 offers on the FIRST DAY it was on the market! Crazy... NOW the average house is taking 6 months to sell, and those are good houses, not crappy ones...

So the fact that our beautiful home took LESS than a month to get TWO offers, and for us to settle on a buyer and contract is nothing short of a providential miracle! I am oh so grateful, as it makes our move to TX right on time (as we thought out months ago), which NEVER happens! Our next door neighbors have been Geo-bacheloring from VA for 4 months so far with no end in sight, b/c getting out of their house is tricky, our other next door neighbors have put their house on the market TWICE in 3 years, with no luck, and are relocating to CA. Los' brother's house has been on the market in Seattle for 5 months while he's been in NY, and dropped $80,000 and still no offers, another friend's home just took 11 months to sell, so... WOW. I feel really blessed that this worked out so perfectly for us! We didn't make money, as we'd hoped to, but our peace of mind is priceless, as we don't know if we'll ever return to the northwest, and selling just made sense. Is my relief palpable to you?!

#2- WE GOT THE GOLF COURSE HOUSE IN TX! The link I posted this past month was to a slideshow of our fave house in TX (gorgeous custom home on the course: 3 bed/2 bath and amazing features everywhere- like the built-in 48 bottle wine cooler and gargantuan master closet, all of our clothes could fit in 1/6 of it!) We are so excited the owners picked us, when the realtor showed us around, it was by far our fave! We'll have wonderful neighbors (they gather once a month for wine/hors d'ouerves) and it's super safe/peaceful/gated community). After living near I-5 (I am such a light sleeper) I can't WAIT for our home to be somewhere SO QUIET!

So all this means...
#3- WE MOVE TO TX IN 3 WEEKS FROM TODAY! I can hardly believe it, even as I type this! It went from such ambiguity (will our house ever sell?) to GAME ON! So we're having a GOING AWAY PARTY THIS WEEKEND if you want to come? We'll be in Seattle trying to connect with people, and for Los' next race; and at home next weekend, when I may sky-dive with friends. The following weekend we have Kendall's wedding and then I'm going up to Canada to see JJ/Lisa and volunteer at Passion's World Tour stop in Vancouver. That will be fun, even though it means I won't sleep at our own home the last 2 nights we're in it. I'll drive back from Canada Tuesday morn and then we'll be off!

Our probable itinerary is as follows:
Tuesday 10/7- Lake Oswego, OR: playing with the Bishop's and buying stuff where there's no sales tax (can I say Apple store, with my 10% student/military discount?! Boo yah...)
Wednesday 10/8- Redwoods National Forest, CA
Thursday 10/9- Napa, CA and playing with the Flory's
Friday 10/10- Berkeley (maybe?) or Central Coast (SLO/ my parents' house in Los Osos)
Saturday 10/11- Fresno for my mom's 60th bday, woo hoo! Also FSU football tailgating and game with fam, fun!
Sunday 10/12-Flagstaff, AZ (or maybe Vegas, but probs not)
Monday 10/13- GRAND CANYON: we've never been, can't wait to hike around!
Tuesday 10/14- Santa Fe, NM (one of US' coolest, most unique cities, love it!)
Wednesay 10/15- Dallas and Austin, TX (we heart Austin, it's so awesome)
Thursday 10/16- shop and look at furniture (since we're selling ours on Craigslist for the most part)
Friday 10/17- arrive at the beach and new home. We're staying with some friends on the Island for 2 weeks until we can move into our new fab house on 11/2!

Many pics to come in the month to follow! Stay tuned to the life and times of the Evans adventures:)

Air Force One update

Yeah, so Los has to tell the story, but let's just say he was no more than 'a stone's throw,' 30 yards away from it when it parked on the puny Waco airstrip and was subsequently flanked by a small train of secret service SUV's and no less than 5(!!) helicopters... Unreal.

Stranger than Fiction (Bush Twins, again!)

So Los is flying a plane from TX to FL today. Our conversation earlier went something like this:

Him: Yeah, I'm trying to get out of here within 1/2 an hour before it gets crazy

Me: Why would it get crazy?

Him: Because the President is flying in.

Me: The President? Of the United States?!

Him: Yeah

Me: Is flying into the same little air field you're in?

Him: Yeah

Me: Why?!

Him: Because his daughter's getting married this weekend right by here.

Me: (obsessed with the First Twins) Well ... if you can't get out right away, please tell him I want to be friends with the girls.

Him: Uh, okay, will do.
---
When does that happen?! You couldn't plan for something like this...

Moving and Option C) none of the above

Well, we still don't know where we're moving, but we're getting closer to narrowing it down! We feel good about California and Texas (for VERY different reasons). Of course, I am hesitant to commit my heart to either of those places, b/c God (and the Navy) always seems to surprize you with option C when you were least expecting it. Choosing our next set of orders is a lot bigger than just 'where do we want to live the next 3 years?' If that was the only question, CLEARLY we would choose CA. My wonderful family, the wonderful weather, our fun friends, and all the opportunity there, plus the like-minded culture make it the shoe-in vote. Plus, I want our (future, currently non-existent) baby to be born in the best state in the union!

However, it's not quite that simple. What we're wrestling with is more of the long-term question, what does he want to do the rest of his life. I am pretty clear on my vocation, but he's still a little fuzzy. The TX job would give Carlos a lot more flight hours and he'd get to spend his time instructing students, a job he loves and is gifted in. He is a born leader, and wouldn't have those chances in CA. And the TX job opens up a couple of avenues for future vocation, both in and out of the Navy. He is brilliant and could do anything, but equivocates between wanting to stay in the military, or be an airline pilot, a lawyer, and a highschool teacher and basketball/track coach:) Maybe he'll figure out a way to do all of them? And then there's always option c, that we can't even predict or imagine just yet... All that to say, we'll keep you posted:)

Good Friday: I GET MY HUSBAND BACK!!!

I almost didn't want to type that, for fear of cursing myself. But then I remembered I don't believe in curses... So there it is! He is in our country (albeit Maine) and should be home tomorrow night, that is a GOOD Friday indeed! Amen.

My Grief (Stages) Observed as I Geo-Bach’ once again…

Okay, so I’m ripping off C.S. Lewis’ book title and good ole’ Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ work , but I’ve been grieving like a champ this week. Los going back to Iraq came out of nowhere, which is the worst kind of grief. When people have years or months to process things, a death, a change, whatever- it seems to allow for grace and the space needed to adjust. My neighbor had 18 months with her husband, knowing she’d have to say goodbye for the six months following. Not me, I had two days. NOT EVEN 48 hours! He was supposed to be home for good. Augh… Enter the stages:

1. Denial- this can’t be happening to me! To us! We had plans, my birthday’s coming up, and spring break. And we’ve never been together for our anniversary-isn’t that enough sacrifice for our country?! Dammit…

2. Anger- this is the stage where I said things unfit for a pastor-to-be. But then again, most pastors I know are fans of emoting, whatever that might look (or sound) like. This is also the stage in which I said if I ever met the guy who “had to take leave” and come home (hence, Los replacing him) I would punch him in the throat. In a more sane moment, I decided I would first ask if he had a good reason for coming home before said throat-punching.

3. Bargaining- This is where I scrambled to figure out what we could do before he left and he scrambled to get the latest flight out of CONUS as possible. We had so many “to-do’s” on our “we’ll get around to it eventually” list. Why do we do this? Why don’t we go for what we want, and do what we need to do, rather than put it off for tomorrow? I realize this is an existential question I’m not going to solve now, but people, we need to take Timmy McGraw’s advice and live like we’re dying here!

4. Depression- This is where I’ve been today. I dropped Los off at Sea-Tac wicked early, then ran/walked Burly around Green Lake in the rain, feeling sorry for myself and wondering how it was possible for there to be any joy in the world when I felt like this... I had no hood on, my curls were dripping in my eyes, I didn’t care. By the end I looked pretty pathetic/awesome. Then I went and bought comfort food at the grocery store (Sunmaid Raisin Bread, citrus fruit and Fudgsicles- yeah, random, I know). Then I curled up with my puggybear and we watched chick flicks on the couch all afternoon.

5. Acceptance- getting back on the proverbial horse. I’ve been avoiding my bedroom since this morning. I always do this when Los leaves- I do anything not to go in our bedroom and look at the bed where I will, once again, have to sleep alone. Hearing Carlos’ breath and feeling his heartbeat is just about, if not my favorite thing on earth. Not to have that is devastating; like half of me has been ripped away.
But tomorrow morning will come, the sun will rise, and it will be a new day. I will go to work in Bellingham, and have a good time. This weekend I’ll play Settler’s, go to school, have a meal and laugh with the Kissinger’s. As the days tick away, all will go on and be well. And God will be faithful to carry me, as he has unfailingly to this point. As my friends’ new tattoo says, “Do not fear! For I am with you.” It’s a good promise to cling to when we can’t see what is going on in this thing called life.
(but just for the record, don’t get me wrong, this still sucks, and I’m still pissed that we have to go through it- that’s the great part about these stages, you can be all over the place at once.)

Our Christmas "Update"

Happy Holidays from the Evans family! We look forward to hearing about your year. Carlos was gone about 6 months again this year, for deployments to the Middle East. In his last tour, he was the Mission Commander, and this fall he was promoted to be an Instructor Pilot. When he came home we bought him a new Prius, which we love (50 mpg!) and he just ran his 5th Half-Marathon with his best friend Erik. I have kept busy with school (I’ll finish my Master’s this summer!), being a chaplain in the ICU at a local hospital, mentoring college students, traveling 10 weeks myself, and gardening at our house (over 400 things planted, including a vegetable garden, which was fun).
When he was home in spring, we went to Australia for two weeks. Beforehand, we didn’t really care where we went; we were just looking forward to spending some concentrated time together. However, snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef is now among the top highlights of our lives: the brilliant rainbow of sea life was breathtaking. Queensland is a lot like CA or HI, without all the people and development; really peaceful and restorative. If you’re up for an adventure, we highly recommend it!
This summer when Los was gone, I hung out with my family in CA, and visited my bro, who was playing baseball in Switzerland. I took my mom, who’d never been to Europe before, around Switzerland, N. Italy (Lake Como, Cinque Terre), the S. of France and Paris. It was special to be with them in countries I love, and to show my mom where Los proposed to me in France.
Los and I love to see the world and are now gearing up for our next trip, with our great friends, the Flory’s, to South America. We’ll hike a lot, ride horses and kayak in Patagonia, and see Santiago and Buenos Aires. We leave the 4th, which is why you’re getting this early? We’ll be back in Seattle for the holidays and hope to spend time with as many of you as possible!
p.s. by this time next year, we will have sold our house (yikes) and moved somewhere in the country/world (unknown to us at this point), so PLEASE keep in touch. Our blog is a great way to stay connected, we regularly write and post photos, and would love to stay up to date in your lives as well. You can reach us at www.caseandlos.blogspot.com no matter where we go!

Frequent Flyers in Florida

One of the highlights of fall was the trip we just took to Florida. Los became an Instructor Pilot (very cool), and I got to play with people my heart loves in Jacksonville. I don’t know if we’ll ever live there again, but walking on the warm beach in November, eating at our favorite places, and spending great time with beloved friends was such a gift.

Having Hubby Home

Soooo good. Our first weekend back together has been amazing. When he is gone, I am busy and “fine” (using that word makes me think of how Meredith/Cristina use it on Grey’s Anatomy- they’re always ‘fine’ though they are not…). But when Los is back, life is just so much sweeter. Better. I forget that until I can touch and smell him, but then I remember. Everything is better with him…
He flew in on Thursday and it’s the first time I have seen him fly a plane, that was cool! Our wonderful friends, the Pendleton’s (about to welcome a little Pendlebaby this week) took me and Burly out on the flight line as Los landed the plane. When they parked it and all the gear was off, Burly and I got a tour of it. It’s huge! Pretty cool to see what he does for a living for the first time☺
Thursday night we had dinner, and one of the high school seniors that Los loves, Matt, came over; then we went and played with our favorite friends, the Woods. Nick, the husband, is our area’s Young Life Director, and Lindsay is a teacher of middle school students. If we could live near them the rest of our lives we would. Pretty amazing people.
Friday we hung out in Anacortes (little town by us that’s the gateway to the San Juan Islands, which are fabulous). We went to lunch at Gere-a-deli, which is a popular spot, and we randomly saw 10 people we knew there! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many people we know at a restaurant… Fun. We also went to our fave farm in Burlington, Sakuma Bros. www.sakumamarketstand.com and bought pumpkins and berries (since Los missed the plethora of berries this summer).
Then we relaxed before our big day yesterday. I had class in Seattle and Los chilled at one of our fave bakery/coffee shops, Macrina. (who made our wedding cake) Then we walked around Green Lake, went to dinner in Ballard, and to his Seattle Prep 10-year reunion until midnight. Full day.
Good weekend. So glad to have him home and to resume normalcy. We’ve been test-driving cars/researching them, we are hoping to buy something this week… Life is good.

Being separated from who you love

I used to try to decide, and I would ask people, which is worse: to love someone you can’t be with, or to want to love someone, but not have a relationship? When I was single, I thought it was the latter, but now I’m reconsidering. Today is Carlos’ 28th birthday, and he is half-way around the world on deployment… Again.
He was supposed to come home a week ago, but the government had other plans for him. My heart is sad… I missed our first Christmas, his birthday and our first anniversary last year, and now I’m missing our second. I didn’t know I signed up for this☹ And I thought maybe it would get easier… Yeah, it doesn’t.
I was trying to plan a big celebration this year, since we didn’t get one last year. I wanted to go to Hawaii (to also go to a friend’s wedding). Then I thought we should stay in WA, and go to an awesome resort, go white-water rafting, kayaking and horseback riding. Or I thought maybe we’d go to the fantastic hotel we stayed at our wedding night (across the parking lot from the best restaurant in Washington, and next to the Red Hook brewery and the Chateau Ste. Michelle winery.) None of my plans came to fruition.
Sigh. I am not very good at grieving the loss of him. I either busy myself at home (I planted 53 things in one day, with my mom’s help!!), or avoid home like crazy… I just hate looking over at his side of the bed when he’s not there. Having Burly helps a ton, but no pet is a replacement of your true companion. I immediately planned a trip to Texas when I learned of his change of plans. I was all set to go ahead when Los called me out on avoiding reality.
Dangit. How do you do it? How do you tell your heart just keep waiting? The definition of patience is long suffering. I believe it. There’s something beautiful about it, because it keeps my heart in the right place, longing for his. But it is also like torture. I love the Navy, for all it has unexpectedly brought into and provided for our lives (the people, the places, the Kingdom of God in surprising ways); but this is certainly the hardest part. I am proud of Los, and glad his heart is for service. But Godspeed October when I can wrap my arms around that guy… (it doesn’t help that my ‘love languages’ are quality time and physical touch, eh?)
Holler at me if you have free time, I am available☺