The Big Three-O

The goof in the crazy mask and the "It's my 30th Birthday" shirt is me.
And, yes, that's the real Taj Mahal.

For more pictures and info about how we spent my birthday weekend, visit our Singapore blog

Labor Day Fun

In honor of the holiday, we piled into our car and headed to the beach. Ahh, nothing like a little sand and sun and a three-day weekend to make you depressed about going back to work!

Is that a beach ball hidden in there?!

L-R: Dustin, Elizabeth, Me (and baby), Yvette and Josh

Our backseat was converted to a veritable technological hub for Apple devices (three ipods and a laptop).

Favorite Memory from Prague

Perhaps I am committing a logical fallacy by generalizing from the specific to the universal, but I believe that traveling is very good for relationships. For me, it is a wonderful opportunity to get out of the everyday pattern and experience unfamiliar situations that increase my love, respect and appreciation for the gift that God has given in my spouse.

On this trip, I learned that my husband is extremely kind, compassionate and patient. I knew all that before, but I saw it demonstrated in a way that was overwhelming to me while we were abroad. Absolutely overwhelming.

Unfortunately, the combination of a 14-hour plane trip on Saturday, 7-hours of walking on cobblestone streets on Sunday, and a genetic predisposition to lower back problems resulted in severe back pain for me, beginning the 3rd day of our trip. By the 4th day, I was completely bed-ridden. I couldn't walk, even from the bed to the bathroom. I couldn't sit. I couldn't stand. I couldn't lay down. I was literally sick from the pain (I vomited for the first time since 7th grade!). My mom has similar back troubles so I knew that what I was experiencing was not dangerous, just exceedingly painful. Every time my mom has had a back spasm, the only thing the doctor tells her is to take prescription muscle-relaxers (which I can't take since I'm pregnant) and wait it out until the muscles release their vice grip. Sometimes that can take hours, sometimes days. Meanwhile, the pain is intense (I told my mom about it after we got home safely and she assured me that between child labor and back spasms, she thought child labor was easier)! However, experiencing a back spasm for the first time in a foreign country while being 5-months pregnant with our first child, made the experience very scary.

God sends us trials to teach us things. And, I can truly say I am very thankful for those 96 hours of physical pain. I am thankful it was utterly debilitating. I am thankful it happened while we were thousands of miles from home. I am thankful because through it, I learned to completely entrust myself to the protection and care of my husband. It's so easy to rely on myself for many things because I've always been able to "handle it". While single, I put myself through college, established a good career, and was able to buy my own home. The last 8 months have been a joyful process of learning to submit to the headship of my husband, but it's a continuing struggle to see him as truly necessary. I thank God for the abrupt and convincing lesson that I really am the weaker vessel and that I really do need him. I learned that I cannot make it on my own; I shouldn't try. . .I need the protection and covering of my husband. While single and unable to rely on my parents, God gave me the grace to handle situations on my own, as He does for all Christian single women who are awaiting marriage. However, the grace He has now given me is through my provision of my husband.

Being completely and utterly dependent upon Josh was a wonderful and humbling experience. I saw him in a way I had never seen him before. He was strong yet tender, adamant yet gentle. He amazed me. I was so blessed by him and so grateful to God for giving me a godly, loving, servant-hearted husband.

I am happy to report that the back spasm passed by Thursday evening and we had a wonderful vacation, despite the little interruption. The city was beautiful and we had many cool experiences, but my favorite memory from Prague will always be the moment Josh lifted me from the bed, put me in a warm bath that he had drawn, and sat by the side of the tub to give me sips of cool water.

Picturesque Prague

Just about everyone who heard that Josh and I were going to Prague asked the same question-- "Why Prague??" Well, a picture is worth a 1000 words so here is my 8,000 word essay to answer that question. For those of you that aren't convinced, I can send you more pictures.

Yosemite Pictures

1) The view from our room
2) Afternoon Tea in the Great Lounge











3) Biking the Valley Floor 4) Dressed for Dinner









5) On the bridge at the bottom of Yosemite Falls

6) Yosemite Falls

A Weekend in Yosemite

For one of our wedding gifts, we received a weekend get-away in Yosemite at the Awahanee Lodge. When we opened our gifts back in October, seven months seemed so far away. But, as always, time flew by and now we're already back from our trip. Our room had a wonderful view and we were able to enjoy a 5-course dinner in the Lodge's dining room.

The weather and scenery could not have been more beautiful. The falls were absolutely stunning. And, due to a rock-slide at the southwest entrance, there were less tourists than we expected. On Saturday, we took a bike ride and on Sunday, a nature walk up to the bottom of Yosemite Falls (brrr!). And, of course, I took a ton of pictures with my new camera!

There is something amazing about Yosemite. The sheer granite cliffs, the majestic waterfalls and the rushing rivers are reminders of how powerful and beautiful God is. Truly, there is nothing that man has ever created that can even come close to the stunning beauty of nature. The best we can do (and we do quite well because He made us to be creative beings) is to imitate God's creation. But God created from nothing. . . nothing but His own imagination. He is so amazing!

The 2nd-Choice Game

Josh and I have a theory that in the Dominican Republic it is a tradition to ask for something you don’t want so that you can get what you actually do want. I like to call it the 2nd-Choice Game. Of course, not knowing the rules of the game ahead of time, we spent the whole weekend asking for our 1st-choice only to be told we couldn’t have it. I’m sure the Dominicans thought we were playing the game, too, and were quite happy to have our 2nd-choice. And, in reality, we did discover that “last choice” isn’t always so bad.

Let me give you a few examples. . .

1) When we arrived to the D.R. it was about noon on Good Friday. Being a very devout Catholic nation, we quickly discovered that virtually everything was closed. So we settled in for a nice afternoon in the hotel and planned on attending a jazz concert at a local restaurant (concert, date and time listed in a local weekly tourist guide) later in the evening. At the appropriate time, we hired a taxi and made our way to La Briciola, nestled in the heart of the Colonial Zone. Much to our surprise, the sign on the door read (in Spanish), “Closed for Observance of Good Friday.” So, we settled for the dinner at a local pizza chain (the subject of the next example) down the street. Had we asked to be taken to The Pizzareli first, I have no doubt that we would have ended up at La Briciola.


2) The Pizzareli was hopping when we arrived (probably because it was the only place open in a city of about 2.5 million residents). We got seated at a table and after perusing the menu, decided we wanted two Fantas, an order of breadsticks, and a combination pizza. When the waiter arrived, we placed our order. He quickly informed us that they didn’t have any Fanta, and wanted to know what else we would like. I asked for mineral water (listed on the menu) and Josh asked for Coke (listed on the menu). A few minutes later, the waiter came back and said they didn’t have Coke and they didn’t have mineral water. Being the very bright guy that he is, Josh said, “Well, what do you have??. . . Sprite? Okay, we’ll take two Sprites.” Our Sprites arrived and were delicious. Why didn’t we think of that in the first place!? Oh, and by the way, we never did get those breadsticks!

Note—One reason we suspect this little 2nd-Choice tradition is a national sport the locals play with tourists is this: while we were sipping on our Sprites, we saw several other tables being served Fanta and Coke. Probably their 2nd-choices!

3) One our guided tour of the Colonial City on Saturday, we ended up at another pizza place for lunch (our only choice on the tour). We pointed to the #1 Lunch Special pictured on the poster next to the register—a personal pepperoni and a soft drink. You can guess what happened with the soft drink (see example 2 above). This time, however, the game got even more exciting. When our pizzas arrived, they weren’t pepperoni; they were Canadian bacon. We asked the server why we didn’t pepperoni and he simply said, “Oh, we don’t have any more pepperoni.” I think we would have gotten pepperoni if we had ordered ham instead.

I have at least 5-6 other examples I could cite to document the 2nd-Choice Game, but I’ll spare you. After a while, we agreed that the game was quite fun and really increased the mystery of being a tourist in the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic

Here are some pictures from our recent travels to the Dominican Republic. We had a wonderful time. It's a very neat island and culture. Our only regret is that our time was so limited. Oh. . . and that everything was closed due to the Holy Week celebrations.

Pic1: We had just arrived after an all-night flight. Thanks to the man with severe body odor sitting behind us, and the never-ending turbulence, we didn't get much sleep. But the tiredness disappeared when we saw those palm trees and blue waters.

Pic2 : This is a sample of how pregnant tourists dress. Note the highly fashionable combination of skirt (only clothes that still fit) and tennis shoes.
Pic3: My favorite picture from this trip. This was taken inside Los Tres Ojos--three caves, complete with underground pools of sparkling blue water and bats flying overhead. I would have to classify these as the coolest caves I've ever seen. Do take into consideration, however, that I'm not a cave connoisseur and have probably only seen 3 other caves in my life.
Pic4: If you'll note, there is quite a bit of activity going on in this picture. Josh with his wallet out, the guy on the left trying to sell him a music c.d., the kids who attacked Josh's shoes with unwanted shoe scrubbing, and the officer who had just finished knocking the kid in blue over the head. I think we must have been wearing signs that said "Too nice to say NO!"

Pic5: The Santo Domingo skyline in the background. It is the oldest city in the new world, founded in the late 1400's. The Zona Colonial, the old city, has quite a few structures dating from that era. One of the restaurants we ate in was over 500 years old. Thankfully, the food wasn't :-) It was very fresh and by far, the best food we had while in the D.R.

More stories to follow. . .

No MSGs

On Saturday, a carload of us decided to visit San Francisco. First stop, Chinatown. We arrived just in time for lunch and after wandering around for about 20 minutes realized we had no viable criteria for choosing a "good" restaurant. Our first pick, the Golden Palace, was chosen based on the large sign on the building. But, as we approached, we saw that the Health Inspector had beat us by a week or two. . . the business was closed for health violations. Hmmm. . .

So, on we marched amidst the hanging chickens, foreign vegetables and ceramic Buddhas. And then a friendly Chinese woman on the corner waving a flyer and announcing "Flee! Flee pot stickas. Flee ice cleam. Have coupon. Have coupon. Look no MSGs." That's right. Free pot stickers, free ice cream and no MSGs (until then, I didn't realize MSG came in the plural). . . what more could we want!? The decision was made. And, I must say, the "flee" pot sickers and green tea ice cream were worth it. Not to mention the "flee" refills on the Shirley Temples =)

If you're ever in Chinatown, look for the coupon lady on the corner. She won't lead you astray.

Speaking of Travels

This is another favorite photo. My friend, Yvette, and me at the Westin in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. We went in 2004 and had a blast. I never thought the desert could be so beautiful.

A Magical Honeymoon

There is something magical about a honeymoon. For me it was a combination of 1000 things. I'll only name a few here, to spare you, though. One was the fact that for the first time in my life, I was traveling with a boy. Boys, as I am discovering, are much different than girls. I've always had a ton of fun traveling with my girlfriends. I'm thankful I have been able to travel with my girlfriends as much as I have. I've been to Europe with my friend, Jen. West and Central Mexico, and England with my friend, Yvette. The Midwest with my friend, Kay Ann. And misc smaller California excursions with my friend, Christianne. And, I enjoyed all of those trips immensely. But, traveling with a boy is a new and fun adventure. We went jet skiing (something I probably wouldn't have tried on my own) and rented a jeep and took it for a drive deep into the jungle.

Another was just the fun of getting to learn all about this man I was now calling husband. Before we married, we had spent lots of time together. But, once you're married, you learn all kinds of things about your new spouse (and yourself) that you could never have guessed beforehand. For me, thankfully, all of those things were happy discoveries. I found out that even first thing in the morning, my husband is in a calm, cheerful mood. I should have guessed it, because 99% of the time, that's the mood he's in. But, until I woke up next to him, I couldn't be sure. I also discovered that he is a very clean and tidy person. Again, this was something I had suspected, but until you're living WITH the person, not just visiting their house for a few hours after work, you don't know for certain. And, I discovered that my husband is a man of integrity. I knew that, of course, before I married him (one of the reasons I did marry him). But, seeing him in every situation, under new stresses in a foreign country, tired from traveling, and other circumstances that would normally make people compromise, he lived out his Christian faith in a simple and tangible way.

We had a magical time. The weather was idyllic. The hotel room was enormous and beautiful. The food was excellent. And the company, superb. I had been extremely ill with the flu the week prior to our wedding, but God graciously put the illness on hold so that I was able to fully enjoy our week in the Mayan Riviera (south of Cancun).