June

It's hard to believe that June is almost over and we're careening toward toward July as quickly as I've ever felt a month coming on. During the year that Adam was deployed, time really seemed to stand still at certain points. I think the worst were the months of February and March, when it seemed as though every day lasted 40 or 50 hours, and we used to talk about how we felt like we'd never see each other again. Part of that was due to his being on missions and us only being able to communicate via email, but another big part was just the anticipation of what life would be like when he finally did get home. Sometimes I'd lay in bed at night and wonder what it would be like to have him sleeping next to me, and I even started to worry that it would be hard to adjust to not sleeping diagonally across our queen bed anymore.

I am happy to report, though, that all of the apprehension was for naught, and that we have actually settled into married life much more easily than either of us had anticipated. The hardest part so far is to get used to NOT being around each other after the initial "glued at the hip" phase we went through when he was first back and during our honeymoon to Disney. Recently we wanted to watch different shows on tv, so he went to his "man room" and I watched on the big TV downstairs. Afterwards, we talked about how we felt guilty being in the same house but not being together in the same space, and we realized this comes from having done four years of long-distance dating/marriage. When we would visit each other during this time, there was an incredible sense of urgency to spend as much time together as possible because someone was leaving at the end of the weekend. Now, we're slowly adjusting to the fact that neither of us is going anywhere, and that it's ok for us to be the awesome, independent people that we've always been in this relationship haha.

Adam has been doing an intensive job search and is looking for things in all areas of education and student support, as well as government jobs. He is really focusing on middle and high school teaching positions since this is what he got his degree and certification in, but he is being very open-minded about things. We are trying to be patient and make the best of the free time that he does have now...don't be jealous ladies but my man does laundry, prepares dinner, cleans the house, and even packs my lunch for me in the morning :-) At the same time, we both know that we're facing a very tough job market here in Columbia, especially when it comes to teaching positions. A few weeks ago Adam attended a teacher job fair for a district almost an hour away and there were literally hundreds of people there for less than a handful of positions. Many schools are anticipating openings after the new fiscal year begins on July 1, but there's just so little out there right now that it's easy to start to become frustrated. Fortunately, he's been kept very busy filling out substitute teaching applications and setting up interviews for that in case he doesn't get a teaching job by the fall. In the meantime, please keep us in your prayers...not that he gets a specific job, but just that things work out according to God's plan and that we remain patient with and faithful to that plan. We know that we are supposed to be in Columbia right now--I'm sure I've said to many of you over the past year or two that "this is the place I'm supposed to be and the time I'm supposed to be here"--so we are just keeping our heads up and never forgetting what an immense blessing it is that I do have a job, and one that I love at that.

Anyway, I'm heading to bed, but I do promise that we're going to be better about blogging. We talk all the time about things I mean to post, but it's just the sitting down and doing it part that's difficult. Have a great week and be well!

D

Great dog quote

The past week has been a rough one for me and Brady. He had a cutaneous histiocytoma above his right eye, which is basically a lump/cyst that will go away on its own if allowed time to heal. Unfortunately, he must have scratched it open at some point because it became infected and ruptured on Monday night. Thank God the vet had late hours on Monday night because they took him in and performed emergency surgery to remove it and clean out the infected tissue. They got it in time so that the infection hadn't spread to his eye yet, which would have been disastrous. He had to wear the head cone thing and take pain meds, and he ended up having a really bad reaction to the anisthesia and/or meds and Tuesday he was like a zombie. Wouldn't eat, drink, or move, and I was feeding him ice chips to make sure he didn't get completely dehydrated...he didn't stop shaking all day and would recoil every time I touched him. It was awful, but thank goodness he's now well on the road to recovery. He will get his stitches out in another week as long as everything has healed properly, and gets to stop wearing the cone after tomorrow. I'm sure he'd be happy if he understood it :-)

Anyway, all of this has made me realize just how much I love this dog. He's totally like my kid and seeing him in so much pain was absolutely devestating. In celebration of his continued recovery, I wanted to share one of my favorite dog quotes. Hope you enjoy:

"He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.) When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever — in case I need him. And I expect I will — as I always have. He is just my dog." -Gene Hill

I shall now begin to blog

I have recently been inspired by the ambitious kids of HESA to go back to blogging, so here goes nothing :-) Stay tuned for the greatness that is sure to ensue!

D

P.S. Adam should be home in the next few weeks. That's all I know about it, honestly. I'll let you all know when he's back in the states.