Patience is a virtue? Really?

     I'm still on the fence about whether or not John's deployment has helped me to grow in patience (ok, yes I think it has), but I am confident that I've become very good at keeping myself busy with projects and family/friend activities. As you can see below, my parents' garage was recently converted into a table number production line as Dad helped me to create mini chalkboards (what a sport he is) for the reception tables.  I love a crafty project, and I've had quite a bit of fun working on such wedding details while John has been away. Additionally, and as usual, I've kept busy with family and friends. Recent weekends have allowed me the privilege of meeting up with Laura and Derek during their visit to So Cal and a trip to the Grammy Museum in LA with Mom (yes the included picture is my best attempt at a self-portrait of us). I also finally got to take Dad on his surprise father-daughter outing to celebrate his birthday and retirement. What did we do? Hot air ballooning, of course! It's something I've always wanted to do with him and since the occasion and a Groupon presented itself (and because I'm leaving the country) I decided that now was a good time. As you can see, the burners were quite hot and in close proximity to our heads, yet we donned our hats and hat a fabulous time floating over Temecula! John's return is not too far off now, and I am eagerly anticipating is homecoming and the chance to show him in person everything I've accomplished in his absence :-).

Family Fun!

     June was full of family fun as we celebrated Mom's birthday with a round of tennis and Dad's retirement with a trip up the Palm Springs tram. Lisa and Tim actually got engaged in the San Jacinto mountains back in 2006 so it was fun to make the trip together and get some good hiking in. Mom is still the tennis queen, but it was exciting to all hit the court together.

I've also included some pictures of John for good measure. We are both very excited for his upcoming homecoming, but he is indeed enjoying his time in Timor. He's spent many hours taking salsa, tango and kisomba lessons, both for fun and to get some added groove for our wedding :-). He's also coordinated a few camping trips and enjoyed meeting tons of interesting people through his liaison work.  Needless to say, we've all missed him!

Adventures Behind and Changes Ahead

Well it seems these days that no matter how frequently I update this blog, it is not soon enough to capture everything that is happening and changing this year.  Rewinding back to March, I must first mention a few amazing outings with Jessica and Manny.  First, we ventured to Nor Cal for a visit with Cal Poly friends. It's always a wonderful treat to reconnect with people who shared the CPSLO college experience and helped to shape you into the person you are. A couple of weeks after that our travelling trio ventured north once again for the Newman Center Spring Fundraiser, which again allowed us the unforgettable opportunity to visit with old friends and support the Newman Center.

The same day that I returned home from SLO, I headed to LAX to catch my flight to visit John in the South Pacific. After a brief layover in Taiwan, John and I excitedly rendezvoused in the Bali airport. Success!  By the time our two week journey was done, we visited Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Timor Leste. John was the master mind behind all of our plans, and he did a fabulous job!  Highlights included bike tours in Bali and Sydney, hiking and road tripping in New Zealand and a sunrise hike in remote East Timor.  After parting ways with John (again, sad face) I spent about a week in Bali on my own where I went horseback riding, white water rafting, took a cooking class and indulged in $6 massages (if you're ever in the South East Asia and are looking for bang-for-your-buck, try Bali).  Overall it was an unforgettable trip and we are looking forward to John's homecoming in August!

On the home front, my sister and her husband bought a house and are currently working their way through the  escrow process. Concurrently, Dad decided to retire. If that weren't enough, John received his (anticipated and sought out) written orders to work in Atsugi, Japan beginning in January. Wedding planning and work keep me on my toes, but we are also preparing for a big move shortly after the wedding (yes, we are both moving to Japan). I finally notified my work that I'd be leaving at the end of the year, so Dad and I like to joke that we retired on the same day :-).

I hit the road once again for Memorial Day weekend on a camping trip with my friend, Abbea. Although camping is not my forte, she was an awesome planner and we enjoyed the opportunity to experience the beautiful scenery of the Inyo National Forest.

I suppose that's all for now, but as you can see there's lots to stay tuned for in the months to come!

Biking in Bali

Sightseeing in Sydney

Hiking in Timor

Rafting, Again in Bali

Dad's Retirement

Hiking and Camping for Memorial Day

Distance makes the heart grow...

...fonder, of course, but what the saying leaves out is impatient. Sometimes it feels like November can't come soon enough, however this year is proving to be full of fun and excitement even before the wedding. I'm proud to say I think I'm thriving while John is away on deployment, which is a huge victory considering the incredible "meltdown potential" this situation has. Naturally he deserves most of the credit since he often calls more than once a day and we're able to communicate quite a bit via email and instant messaging as well. I was thinking that John's distance, while unfortunate, would give me the chance to catch up on sleep considering I've slept about 6 hours a night for the past few years, but true to form I'm keeping rather busy with work, wedding planning, preparing for all of the changes that our upcoming nuptials will bring about (more info to come as the year progresses), trip planning, preparing my condo for rental, etc. The pictures below highlight a few recent happenings, although I realize that I really haven't been putting my camera to much use so far this year.

Valentine's Day surprise from John at work!

Friend's brewery opening with Manny and Jessica!

Baby sprinkle for family friend with the ladies of the family!

Watching Mom play tennis in her Monday night league!

All while John lives here...

Georgia!

This holiday season I had the pleasure of spending over a week in Georgia with John and my future in-laws.  What a wonderful family and beautiful state!  Aside from spending time with John's immediate family in John's Creek, north of Atlanta, the two of us ventured down to Sarasota, FL to see his grandma and aunt. After a wonderful visit, delicious food and a few intense games of Rummikub, we headed back north. John made a dream of mine come true when we veered east and visited Savannah on our way back to Atlanta.  The city is full of history, literary association, Spanish moss and of course charm.  Since we were in "America's most beautiful city" we decided to take some engagement photos!  Below are a sampling of the few we've received so far.  Overall we had a fabulous time and I am very excited for my next visit to the South East!