4 months later...

It has been 4 months since I last posted. This was brought to my attention by Angie. It was always in the back of my mind that I needed to update my blog, but since we've moved to Hawaii, I've been busy, busy, busy. I finally have some time to get everyone up to speed. So the end of August we went home for 2 weeks to visit friends and family. The visit seemed very short. We were on the go constantly. I think I got to see everyone. I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss anyone. We had a wonderful baby shower/cookout while we were home. The turnout was amazing. Everyone we love was there. It really made us feel good. We were very appreciative of everyone who came and all the gifts that were purchased to help us prepare things for our baby. So the trip home was short and busy but well worth it. So we've been in Hawaii since September 2. I'm pretty sure I was on the go and doing things nonstop for at least the first 2-3 months of us being in Hawaii. We got here and we had to look for a place to live. Both Ryan and I had to get our vehicles and get things squared away with out jobs. I got to Hawaii September 2 and started work September 7. I didn't even have the chance to adjust to the move before starting work. So we chose a place to live within the first week of being here because we were tired of being homeless. I mean, we had been living out of a suitcase for 2 weeks or so by the time we signed our lease. It was definitely frustrating. We were excited when we moved in and even more excited when our things arrived. So basically it took a while to get into a rhythm of things. So after we put the furniture where we wanted it, and Ryan figured out where he needed to be for work every day, and I figured out where my job was, then we had other things to tackle. The nursery was next on my list. Ryan didn't understand why I wanted to get the nursery done when baby wasn't going to arrive for another few months. I tried to explain to him that I didn't want to wait until the last minute to do the laundry because at that time I would be tired and too big to be able to do anything. The biggest challenge with the nursery was finding a crib. No one delivers to Hawaii. It was so frustrating, but we finally found one at Babys-r-us. Ryan was a proud daddy and painted the nursery, put the crib and changing table together, put our glider together. He did so much. I didn't even have to ask him to do any of it. I was so proud of him. I did some of the painting. I got to do the fun stuff. I decorated. I cleaned her tiny little clothes and beautiful bedding. I found a place for everything. So the nursery is finished. We just need to fill it with a baby. So I'm still working as a labor and delivery nurse. My last day is December 25. Then I'll be waiting. Waiting for the day I go into labor. Right now Ryan is on leave until he checks into his boat. He doesn't have to check in until December 16. So he's been enjoying his time off. Lately the fatigue and exhaustion has come back. I am all up for a daily nap. After work the only thing I want to do is take a nap. I can't wait until I get a little more energy back. A couple weeks ago, we finally got Niko and Loui. That was another added stress. I was completely freaking out. I wanted them to arrive safe and sound. After Pooky died, my anxiety of flying my other animals increased. I was so devastated when he died. I felt like it was all my fault. I should have done things differently. I should have just let Ryan smuggle him into Hawaii. Nothing I can do about it now. I did write a letter to UPS letting them know my complete dissatisfaction with the way they handled my pet. I never got a response. Maybe it wasn't a big deal to them. Well, anyways, things are going well right now. Ryan and I just celebrated our 1 year anniversary. It doesn't feel like it's been a year. Things have gone so quickly that it feels like only a few months. Living in Hawaii is definitely different. It's December and the thermostat says it's going to be a high of 80 degrees. That's so weird to me. Back home, they've had a few inches of snow and it's in the 20's. Ick. I love that I can go to the beach any time I want. The community where we live has it's own private beach. It's just a short walk away. So crazy. However, although I live somewhere beautiful, it still doesn't change the fact that I miss my family and friends so much. The hardest time for me came when my niece was born. That was so hard not being there. I was there for Logan but not for Addison. If I wasn't pregnant, I would have been there. We're lucky for technology. I have been able to skype with my family. It's not as good as seeing them in person, but it will have to do until I can go home again. So at this point, I don't know if there's anything else I need to report. Ryan and I are doing well. We are continuing to learn how to have a happy marriage. Marriage is work. I'm glad I know this otherwise we would be in divorce court. I think people give up too easily on each other. I'm going to stick this out. Even though we didn't have family or friends there to witness our marriage, God was there. We made a promise in front of God. I don't intend on going back on that promise. So that's it. Any questions, fill free to ask. We miss everyone.