Livin' it up in Idaho

I feel like I have an ok excuse why I haven't blogged in ages. The last few weeks in Des Moines were insane. I really don't know how we managed to get out of there on time. Erik and I parted ways on Friday, May 30th and I met my mom later that afternoon in Omaha at the airport. About a bazillion pit stops later, 30 movies later (thank heavens for portable DVD players), 2 very horrendous nights in hotels, 2 bags of animal crackers, and some real bad food- we staggered into Rexburg on Sunday afternoon. I was so incredibly exhausted emotionally, mentally, and physically that I proceeded to crash for the next week and a half. Ridiculous I tell you....just ridiculous.

We've been having a lot of fun here at Grandma and Grandpa Garner's the past three weeks. It has been more than lovely to be living in a home with a backyard and a family friendly community. I will NEVER EVER EVER go back to apartment living. If we don't buy a home during residency we will surely rent. Enough said. Reagan has absolutely been livin' it up here. We've been spending lots of time outdoors watering Grandma's garden, strawberry patch, and gorgeous flowers. We've been grilling yummy food and playing in Reagan's new sandbox and making frequent trips to the park just a few blocks away. I've also been trying to teach Reagan how to ride her new tricycle but it's just not clicking for her yet. Oh well, she still likes it. It has been so nice to be out here with family so close. Two of my brothers are here, along with Erik's sister Elizabeth and a lot of my dad's family. Reagan has loved all of the attention. We also had a visit from Erik's mom Kathy, her parents and brothers, and Erik's youngest sister Rebecca. So spoiled are we.

I have no pictures to post because I somehow managed to forget to pack my USB cable. So, we'll have to wait until Erik gets here in a week. Yes, a WEEK! I am beyond excited to see my husband!!! It will have been 4 weeks since I last saw him. I have been dreading the 4th year for quite some time and to be honest, it just plain sucks. I think we're both actually dealing with the separation a lot better than we thought. My family has been a huge support and Erik is such a trooper and is soooo busy. He barely has time to sleep and eat every day. I can't say enough how proud I am of him! I am so so thankful to him for all that he's doing for our family. He'll be here for a week and it is going to be so fabulous. Thankfully we've been able to chat on the webcam almost every night. What would we do without modern technology?

Erik is surprising me with an overnight get-a-way while he's here. We haven't been on a trip just the two of us since our honeymoon. Those who know us know we rarely ever go out without kids so this will be a real treat. I can't handle surprises- I just get so anxious and impatient so this is really bugging me that I have no idea where we're going but I just can't wait!

So, that is a little update on what we're up to. To all of my dear friends in Iowa who I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to, I am so sad and so sorry. I was so overwhelmed and Reagan was sick the last Sunday we were there. I miss you all terribly and I hope all is well. Best of luck to you guys who are leaving soon for rotations.

Pictures to come soon and Reagan's 2nd birthday is next week :)