Eleazar & Heather

Change

2010-08-24T13:29:00.001-07:00

Well it has been a long time...

First I gave up at this... so El took over... then he gave up...

So here I am again. It has been a long time since El finished Spring break. What have we done, lots!

1) El's out of the military has 2 1/2 years of inactive reserve duty left which is required of him after being enlisted. But they would only call him back before they initiated a draft so... hopefully that won't happen

2) I quit my job at Hoag after 3 1/2 years working on 5 west and I miss those peeps terribly

3) El and I went on our dream second honeymoon to Italy we had a blast it was beautiful but incredibly hot!!! (pics are on our new facebook account our name is Heather N El Nepomuceno)

4) Jair & Kim got married

5) We said good-bye to our friends and family and MOVED to Prescott, Arizona

We are still getting settled in. It was interesting moving all of our furniture into a three story townhouse in a mile high city as opposed our usual sea level living in Dana Point. We definitely are out of shape and not used to the altitude yet. My parents came and helped with the move in process they were kind enough to leave us with the family beagle Annie to hang out with us for a couple weeks. Were having fun exploring the town and going on little hikes.

El starts school this week on Thursday at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. His bachelor's degree will be in aeronautical science with a concentration in rotor-wing flight. We both are excited and I'm very proud of him. I see his heart in wanting to provide for our family financially, emotionally and most of all spiritually. We have tried two churches and are still praying about where to go. I am patiently :) waiting for my Arizona nursing license to be processed so I can work over here. In the meantime I'm enjoying embracing my creative side... HELLO I am left handed... So I've been sketching, and I have some canvas's, watercolors and acrylics that El bought as a surprise for me. I am putting the easel El made for me on the 3rd floor balcony with my hammock that I got on sale from World Market. It is very peaceful where we live and there is nothing behind us but nature and even some black-eyed susan's which I love to look at in the morning.

More to come later I'll post pictures after I figure out how to get them off my phone since our camera shutter broke in Florence.

We send love to all who read this

El & Heather Nepomuceno aka the Newest Prescottonians

Spring Break is Over.

2010-03-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

Heather and I were able to spend some time and relax by visiting Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at Prescott, AZ. Even though we have been accepted to Le Tourneau University in Texas, we decided to check out another option. To be honest, I did not think Prescott would be feasible due to the high cost of the school. I thought this would just be a good opportunity to travel and enjoy time with Heather and also to reinforce my hesitations about Embry-Riddle.

We asked about Prescott and were told that it was a beautiful place. It was located next to a national forest and it is just south of the south rim of Grand Canyon.

Granite Dells is this area of Prescott that is home to hiking, mountain bike riding, kayaking, running, walking...it is just an outdoors person's dream come true!
We were able to see the city and we found cool restaurants in downtown Prescott, a historical site. I of course looked for great restaurants and was fortunate to find many there; it is nice that different types of foods can be found, even BBQ...the beef brisket and peach cobbler...yum...
The great thing is that there are historical and modern locations at Prescott. The city has mixed both very well so it caters to a wide range of people.

We visited the school and we were very impressed with the program.

The biggest thing that I could not get over is the expense that came with Embry-Riddle. However, we talked to the financial aid counselor and she said that the tuition and the flight fees of $45,000 per year was covered under the new GI Bill. This was such a blessing. We were very surprised and God totally blew us away. This is a good school to attend as a pilot. So we applied and hopefully in 2 week Heather and I would find out if we got accepted. If we do get accepted, Heather and I will be making a big decision of where to move. We ask that you would pray that God enables us to align our will with his; that our decision to move would be directed by his word and will. Either way, we had a great time there and we highly suggest that Prescott, AZ be a vacation spot.

Spring Break...

2010-03-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

Spring Break! I am once again reintroduced to this old familiar concept. It is nice that I do not have class for a week. I can't wait to play golf...

Heather and I were blessed with a guest.

Our guest comes from LA. She came down to work with Heather in the preparation of Francis's baby shower. I am very proud of them both for working so hard. I am very confident that the shower will let Francis know that she is loved.

We took her to breakfast at Laguna Beach's White House. This is what I got...eggs a la reynolds.

This is a Eggs Benedict offshoot. It is an english muffin topped with a 5 oz steak (instead of ham), then topped with a poached egg. The sauce is a cream sauce that had mushrooms and some type of reduction sauce, maybe with wine. It was very good.

As we were ready to leave, we were introduced to Iggy. He was a regular to this store. He had eggs with sausages.
He was enjoying his meal as we all did. After, we walked across the street and strolled down the beach.

I thought this was cool. I never realized that this was at the Laguna Beach. I might have to play here with Heather. The beach is quite relaxing.

We continued to have a great day in preparing for a game. We went to find the prizes and I believe that we were successful.

So we got lots of goodies for one of the games that I think is quite good for a baby shower. Today was a great 1st day of spring break. I praise God for having a loving wife and family and friends. God is good to provide them to me, even the beach, food, and ice cream...Thrifty's ice cream!

Focus, focus, focus...

2010-03-03T23:13:00.001-08:00

I have been looking at this picture lately...It is definitely a change in pace. Just 2 months ago, I was diving into helicopters. Now, I just dive into my book bag looking for my next textbook I have to read. Starbucks has been my second home for the past couple days now and it seems that it will be until the semester ends. I know that I am busy but I can't lose focus. It can be easy to be overwhelmed by life and all that it entails. However, we LET these things hinder our true focus: God. Jesus saved us, he saved me so I can focus on him and then be able to do what he has called me to with joy and hope. So here is a little reminder of what he did. Focus...I know its hard but focus...I am very forgetful so I am going to say again FOCUS!

“He spares not His Son, but sends Him in quest of the exiles. He comes into the land of banishment, lies in an exile’s cradle, becomes a banished man for them, lives a banished life, endures an exile’s shame, dies an exile’s death, is buried in an exile’s tomb. He takes our place of banishment that we may take His place of honor and glory in the home of His Father and our Father. Such is the exchange between the exile and the exile’s divine substitute. Though rich, for our sakes He becomes poor. Though at home, He comes into banishment, that we may not be expelled forever.”

—Horatius Bonar, “The Restoration of the Banished”

date night

2010-02-28T18:57:00.001-08:00

Mom and Dad are very instrumental in our date. They gave us season passes and are now able to enjoy each others company. We have not had a date like this for some time now and I promised Heather that I would set aside time for her to do this.

Then God had us enjoy the company of some we have not seen for a while. It was fun and was a blessing to spend some time with...
... Mike and RJ. Then Leon came from work and joined the fun. We were able to introduce RJ to one of the more enjoyable shows that featured the late Michael Jackson aka Captain EO.
We of course come to Disneyland with agendas...
...eat our favorite snack: corn dogs...

...meet new friends i.e. George. He reminded RJ and Heather of carpet...

and of course...ride the best ride in the park, Tower of Terror.

We had a great day. We were able to see God's goodness and grace to us by giving us friendships. It is amazing that even when friends that love God who have not been able to spend time together can immediately be able to catch up with each others lives & to be reminded that God places people in our lives for us good, for us to see God's glory. I was able to and I am blessed to have friends that love to serve God and point others to Christ.

What might be to come...

2010-02-27T17:25:00.000-08:00

If this is God's will, then this will be the site of our next 3-4 years. With our acceptance to this school, we are able to plan more concretely this next "dance" Heather and I will experience. This would entail leaving our home of southern California and trading it for a small, low key area; we would be away from what we are comfortable with, we would be farther away from friends and family...this would definitely stretch both of us and it will help us to rely more on each other for support. I know that it will be different and at times tough but praise God that he gave wrote 1 Corinthians 10:13. He will not give anything that is too hard for us to experience and better yet, he already provided a way of escape. So, what's really there to worry?

We are both looking forward to this part of our life. I am definitely blessed that I, Eleazar, will not have to go through this alone. Heather has been a blessing and she continues to show me God every moment I am with her. To God I am very thankful for her.

So back to Le Tourneau...

This is all over the campus...it speaks of their moto: Every workplace, Every nation. We like their focus of training porfessionals that will make an impact to their workplace in order for them to reach the nations. That is definitely the shift in my mind when it comes to missions: there are so many people around us, especially in big cities like Los Angeles, that are unreached people groups.
Le Tourneau's statue...and below, these are some of his inventions...
Then this will be one of the airplanes I will be able to eventually fly, quite exciting...

there is something else that I will be looking forward to ...it is local cuisines. I love hole-in-the-wall restaurants. And Heather can testify that Bodacious BBQ is awesome! Better yet, it is affordable and it is across the street from campus.

Overall, we are excited. We just have to visit one other school and once we hear their answer, we would be able to finalize the plans. Please pray that we trust Christ in this time. Thanks.

God's Answered Prayer

2010-02-24T09:44:00.000-08:00

I know that this has been overdue. So many things has happened and I am blowing by so much memories & experiences; I have failed to look back and savor the blessings that God has given me and Heather. At times I feel that I am "bothering" people with my thoughts or updates but that is wrong! God wants me to be open and share what God has done in our lives...we are works of art of a great master painter...just like art, it is not to be left in the closet. This is what I feel I have been doing. Reflections, the time to analyze and learn of God's goodness in the different experience helps me, and will help us, to not be ignorant of God. My life is "busy" so I say, that I forget the one who has saved me, the one that has given me the joy and oppuortunity to live free. Jesus Christ saved me to show his glory. So...let my relearned think express itself today: God has given us another stepping stone for us to jump on...as you can see from the picture, I got accepted into Le Tourneau University in Longview, Texas. Thank you friends and family that have encouraged us with your words, actions, and prayers. You have been instruments of God's grace in our life to point us back to Jesus.

El

PS- look back to what God has done for you and share it with someone...it will humble you and help you to see God's goodness.

Wahoo Anthro!!!

2009-05-19T09:51:00.001-07:00

Case study finished... paper, currently working on... so apathetic at this point...

But by the way there is a HUGE Anthropologie sale going on which starts today!

I'm going to the Grove in LA tomorrow. There is a dress I have my eye on for Circ de Solei. We'll see. But I just thought anyone else who's not enslaved to a term paper might want to know about it today.

Happy Springtime!

Almost There...

2009-05-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

Four days until my fist semester of graduate school is over...

Thirteen days until my husband should be home...

Eighteen days until I take my vacation from work...

Twenty-three days until El and I leave for our vacation...

Lord help me to be patient as it feels this month is going by at a glacial pace!

Remembering a Great Day

2009-01-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

El and I went to Sprinkles after stopping by my work to take care of some business. It happens to be right down the street :( so dangerous and tempting.... what's your favorite? Unlike most people I ask my favorite is not Red Velvet. Don't hate me it's good but it's no strawberry, which is my favorite.

Afterward El and I took our stale bread to the park and brought Annie with us. She enjoyed the smells as most beagles do. I enjoyed the peaceful time feeding the ducks. El enjoyed taking some pictures and here is one of them. I did the editing with my Christmas present from El and Santa Mac.

My Furry Sister

2009-01-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

This is my best little buddy Annie. One of the blessings about staying with my family while El is away is that get to see her everyday. And this I how I find her every morning when I wake up she's waiting for me at the door. She's such a good snuggler and she gives the best puppy hugs.

Yes We're Still Alive

2009-01-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone.

For those who don't know El is in Iraq and should return early June. This pic was taken on our trip to Chicago back in September. He is doing well but we both appreciate prayers. His safety, our marriage during this time of separation. He's in good spirits and has made some good friends. His request for his next care package was for me to vacuum seal my Grandma's Pecan Pie and ship it to him. Too cute!!! Huh!

As for me I'm doing well. Still working at Hoag. I start school next week at CSULB just one day a week. I'm just taking the basic masters courses for right now, just one very full day a week. I'm taking Adv Pathophysiology, Adv Pharmacology, Human Behavior/Psychosocial Issues, and Health Management and Economics. If I finish the program I'm in I'll be a nurse practitioner however I'm just planning on taking it one semester at a time. We'll see how this one goes.

I hope to see everyone I haven't seen in awhile like Mikey P at Genyem's Big 30th B-day party on Sat. I hope I can go I was planning on it but I got in a car accident on Wed night and my car's in the shop so I'm not sure how I'm going to get there. I just praise God for his protection it happened on the 605S in the fast lane and the guy that hit me was going about 85 mph. My car needs to be realigned, and some other things need to be replaced but the damage is minimal. I walked away with only a bit of soreness.

heather

2009-01-21T17:46:00.001-08:00

she misses ele!!!

2008-04-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

I had such a great day with friends and family for my birthday bbq. Heather was very kind and generous in getting me a gas grill for my present. It was funny because she was going to surprise me but then I asked her if we could get one. It is so cool that we were on the same page. I just love her so much. Anyways here are some pictures from that day...

Heather's mom did a great job decorating the tables in the backyard...

...so much great food prepared...and even Heather's dad got in the action...

...friends relaxing...

friends in the making...

"...I can't wait till someone pinches my cheek!"

...I LOVE pies! I was treated to pecan, french apple, and banana creme pies...SOOOOOO GOOD!

We improvised and decided to use the pie as my birthday cake...

It tastes better that it looks!

Overall, I had a great day. Friends and family were great reminders of God's grace & goodness in my life. There are so many things I can look back to the past 25 years...He is to good to me and I continue to praise Him. I would have never imagined that I would be married to a loving wife and have supportive family and friends. God is too good!

RECAP!!!!

2008-04-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Um okay so obviously I'm really not the best blogger. Maybe I'll be a good updater. Huh? What do you think?

Okay so there is no way I can go back and get into all of the things we've been up to since our last post i.e. our honeymoon (um okay I said it... not so good at this blogging thing yet)
1. We got married (still waiting for the pics) yeah I know having a hard time being patient about I've seen them I just don't have them
2. Honeymoon we blogged a little about Belize was wonderful we enjoyed just spending time together but we were also able to share our adventurous side going hiking, snorkeling, and kayaking.
3. Christmas was a blur...
4. Back to work
5. Ele works 5 am to 6pm (mon-fri) ... I work 7 pm to 7:30 am (3 days/week) It can be hard we're praying about making some changes.
6. We took a lovely trip up the coast Hwy 1 for our first married Valentines day! Made stops in Santa Barbra, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterrey and Santa Cruz (yes I have pics but hey this is just an update)
7. My cousin Kara who is one year older than I has Cancer for those who don't already know. She found out after having some simple knee pain walking up stairs. Her daughter was 9 months when she found out. She's gone through chemo and removal of her femur and knee joint, then more chemo with still no effect on the cancer. I just found out this weekend she's responding to this last dose of chemo. Praise God!!!
8. Sad news is that her dad looks like he will need a heart transplant.
9. My Grandma was hospitalized this weekend for heart problems, things I deal with everyday at work but I might be making a trip up there this weekend to help her get situated with all of the new medications and M.D. appointments.
10. Looks like Ele might be making Sergeant with the next cutting score!Yeah go Ele! It's a big deal in Marine land.
11. Ele had a b-day April 3rd. He's a quarter of a century now! What an old fart :) We had a bbq it was fun.
12. I signed up for a Neonatal resuscitation course through the hospital. Praying about switching focuses to Labor and Delivery :)
13. Considering going back to school for my Master's Degree this fall. Need to take the GRE and decide really soon :(
14. And last but definitely not least Ele and I have been married 4 months as of April 15. Yahoo! Love that man.

Our Day at the mayan ruins!

2008-01-14T15:32:00.001-08:00

Pronounced Choo= non- nu- witch! So beautiful. The drive from where we were staying was about an hour away. Our tour van comes the side of the river and our guide Gabe says, "Okay get out." A little bewildered having no idea what to do we walk down and see this wooden raft with a cable attached to it coming toward us.

Just as we begin to noticed the one man standing on the raft working HARD to crank it toward us our guide drives our van down the hill on to this little raft. I'm thinking ... is that sturdy enough and then he yells hop on. :(

Adventuresome Ele, who later today will eat a live termite simply because the guide says it's good protein, hops right aboard and sticks his hand out like come on' honey jump. In the spirit of adventure I did and went right ahead without concern for safety drowning or things such as weight capacities since we are on this thing with a van and about 30 people. Again: One man hand cable crank... he must have some guns in those sleeves.

We get across the river pheew.... and get back in the van, drive a little way up the mountain and then begin to hike. Its absolutely beautiful and lush and green. I'm thinking I don't see any huge ruins, little beaten down used to be something here and there and then BAM! Turn the corner and there it is... now the climbing begins.

According to our guide Mayans were very short. i.e. like Ele's Lola and Armenia would be giants. These ruins have steep stairs to climb so that anyone who would ever climb them would have to go on hands an knees before the gods and the Shamans.

It's steep with no rails El says, "go on ahead honey I want to get a good picture of you up there." :0 aaaahhhhhh uh gee thanks for the nomination of going first sweetheart. I climb. He snaps a few pics and then joins me.
We made it all the way to the top. Wahoo! Its so beautiful from up there you can see the other ruins in the distance. According to our guide this was the central communication tower where they would take shiny rocks or gold and face them into the sun to create a glare and send light messages to the other Mayan temples.

And then now to get down....

2008-01-14T14:13:00.001-08:00

Finally time to sit down and write a little bit. So much has transpired since our "moving day." Well first of all WE GOT MARRIED!!! wahoo I love this man... **** !!!! Then we went on our honeymoon!!!!! Wahoooooo!!!!!!!!! God is good and his plan for marriage is perfect! Came home from Belize and wouldn't you know we had one day to attempt to "settle in" and then it was Christmas Eve with his family until 3 am and then Christmas Day with my family. Then the 26th more family came to visit that had been spending time with my Grandparents in NorCal and came to spend a few days with us. I've got some cute pics from out trip to disneyland. My cousins first trip since they were 8& 5 years old. They're from Oklahoma and wanted to soak up some California fun and adventure. From then on it's been back to work, lovely dates here and there and working on the house. We went to The Melting Pot restaurant in Irvine. (Both of our first time) It was a lot of fun but would you know we didn't take a single picture even though we got dressed up and fabulous. I need to work on this. Maybe if I get an SLR it will motivate me to document our lives more efficiently... maybe :)... What do you think El will say...
Anyway here are a few pics from lovely Belize on our honeymoon.
This is our little hut complete with a grass roof and everything.
The place was so relaxing the first day we just relaxed and enjoyed hammocks and umbrella drinks! One thing I loved about Belize was the food. Ele and I both LOVE seafood. So a country on the Caribbean was a perfect choice for us. Staples for them are spiny lobster, shrimp, conch (mmmnnn conch curry so good!). One night we had the sea bass that our honeymooning friends had caught earlier that day on an excursion. This is spiny lobster cooked in a wine cream sauce, with an appetizer of ceviche. So good!

Moving Day: Tuesday November 20th

2007-11-24T23:31:00.000-08:00

I never thought this day would come...moving into a new place, a place that Heather and I could call our own...even if it is only for a year. This truck, this ugly yellow truck as PJ would say, did its job.

We got a desk & a bed from Heather's parents & a bed. My parents gave us a dinning table and the dresser. It was very generous of them and for that we are grateful to God.

Elijah was so helpful that we rewarded him his own room.

Heather and Derrick, THE BOY COUSIN, messing around for the camera. Thanks again for the help. We praise God for you.

After we got everything in the house, we took PJ, Francis, Elijah, and Derrick to the petting farm at downtown San Juan Capistrano located by the mission.

There we saw and met new friends...

...Mr. Donkey...

Mr. Piggy, whom we found out that their names are...

Oreo is the black pig and the white one is Ruby! They had a ball in their play pen. Oreo would jump on top of it, smashing it, the would run around in a circle and then go back to the ball to smash it. Oreo did this a couple more times then started chasing around Ruby. Well, he tried. Ruby just stood her ground and they started to grunt at each other. After some more grunting they separated. Oreo went back to the ball and Ruby went back to the stack of hay to look pretty for her audience.

We then got hungry so we drove in traffic to go to Stonefire. Let's just say that this was worth the trip. We got the usual BBQ and Lemon Butter tri-tip and BBQ & lemon garlic chicken with Caesar salad and bread sticks. We spiced it up by adding a mesquite BBQ pizza, half tri-tip, half chicken. It was delicious! We were so hungry that we forgot to take pictures. Sorry...but if anyone wants to go, I found one in Costa Mesa off Broookhurst, west of the 405.

After that, we went for desert at Coldstone.

Heather, Elijah and I ended up sharing a strawberry blonde ice cream creation. We all had our own spoon. It was so tasty!

To recap...we had a great day of moving stuff into our home with the help of friends and family, followed by a fun time meeting new friends, to end it with dinner and desert. What a blessing to have fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to come to our aid. We are very grateful for their help and we know that God will repay them accordingly with his riches. Praise God for his grace and good times! We are looking forward now to settle in and eventually move in together. Only 20 more days to go...

We HAVE a house!!!

2007-11-02T23:54:00.000-07:00

Well were leasing one... but praise God we have a place to live after we get married which is only in about 28 days! Ele's going to live there for now. We'll come up with better pictures These are our originals from our first walk through. The place is nice, safe, quiet and feels brand new! Ele loves the garage and backyard for barbequing but I love the tub and walk-in closet... priorities people... priorities!

We just found out that it is ours for the next year and we started moving in today. My productive little husband-to-be got busy and got the water, electric and cable all set-up before I even got home from Anthropologie. (I like saying that "Home" :) we have a home to come "home" to )

We were pretty tired after getting some of our things moved in after busy work day for Ele and wedding preparations for me; so once we had unloaded we decided to go out to treat ourselves to dinner. This decision to go out was secondary to the fact that our electricity will not be in effect until Wensday and we only had one flashlight. Otherwise we were considering pizza or something take-out from the Farmer's Market down the street by candlelight on the kitchen floor. Romantic huh? would be if we had candles... no so much though with just a flashlight... not exactly the right ambiance we were going for. We headed out to explore our new town some more.

Well what do you know there is a mall five minutes up the street from our new house! Uh oh trouble Nordstroms is the first store on the left.... :0
We had yummy PF Changs we shared the crab wontons with plum sauce, and then I ordered the Kung Pao Scallops and Ele had the Orange Peel Beef. But as always we just shared everything and it was absolutely delicous.

I really praise God for our safe place to live. I had concerns about securing a place in such a short time after Ele came home from Iraq and when we actually were to get married. I'm so happy God knew that I needed him to come home sooner. Just goes to show you that he knows the desires of our hearts.

FYI Please pray for the rest of Ele's squadron they are coming home this Sunday. Pray for a safe return and travel of these men and women. He was sent home early because of leadership and good behavior to set up the shop and get everything ready for the rest of the guys when they get here. SO GLAD HE'S HOME and that they are beginning to see in him what I see everyday.

Details for our Wedding Guests

2007-10-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

This is our wedding web page. Click on the link below to find out information on when, where, and other important details pertaining to our special day.

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/HeatherLinder&EleazarNepomuceno

Love Eleazar and Heather

It's True! He's home! Early and Safe!

2007-10-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

So Ele called me on Monday mid day I was sleeping (or least trying to) before going to work that night. He seemed extraordinarily happy. I could figure out why. I told him the woes of wedding planning without him and how much I loved him and wished he were here. We talked for a bit and then he told me his time was up and he had to go...

Went to work... ordinary night... nothing eventfull... no one coded... had some interesting patients.

Came home mom was giving me a list of things to do for the day we were on #5 when she started hyperventilating. I knew she had seen something outside because I saw her look out there before she started breathing so hard. I had never seen this strong of a reaction from her by the impression I got from her I thought it was an axe murderer or somthing. I turned around to look and nothing was there.

Suddenly there was knock on the door and she ran to open it. I had no idea what was going on. The door opened and there he was with a big smile. I could not breathe, and then I started crying which made it even harder to breathe. There were hugs and smooches exchanged, but I was in such shock and still could not breathe.

I'm breathing now. I still look at him sometimes and wonder if I'm dreaming or not. I'm not though it's such a blessing he's really here.

We've just been enjoying one another company. Getting things done and having a blast spending time together. We'll make our way around to see as many as we can or we'll see you all at church and others possibly on the 21rst.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support. I'll post pics of his arrival when I figure out how to work our new photoshop system.

Whahoooooooooooo!

stress and decisions

2007-10-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

Please pray for me and the plans God has for our future little family so many things need to get done within the next month or so and it's all starting to pile up.

Ele should be home in 33-37 days and I'm excited but I'm trying to get everything done before then so that when he comes home we can just relax and enjoy one another's company.

... I miss him I wish he was here to walk beside me in all of this and lend his ears, shoulders and hugs. :(

A nice cool day...

2007-09-22T02:16:00.000-07:00

Today was beautiful day for flying...today the Lord blessed us with a cool day. The average temperature would range from 110 F to 120 F from 10:00 AM to about 4:00 PM. However this past week it has been nice and it has only been around 100 F to 110. I know this might be funny to you and you might think that I am talking madness but please understand that 10 degrees DOES make a difference. I praise God that I can give him the glory even though it is hot. His grace does abound...by the way, I looked at the temperature for LA and it said it was 62 F...i think i would be freezing!!! I hope that your weather there is not as bad as mine. Take care and as we are always told, "Drink water!"

Update

2007-09-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

Baby Andrew is doing well he was discharged home last week with parents Paul and Shannon.

I'm awake @ 3:49 pm which is my 3:49 am when I work but I can't sleep...uuuuuugh!!!

On a brighter note though my studly little muffin man should be home in about 43 days not that I'm counting or anything. Gosh I just can't wait to get a hug...

When was last time you went 7 months without a hug from your love? Trust me this feels like forever. He sounds ready to come home, I spoke with him a few days ago and he is just as ready for a hug as I am.

It was a day for laughing and for crying...

2007-09-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

Crying...

Today I heard news of a good friend from work that made tears swell up in my eyes. The news was of a co-worker Shannon who recently left on maternity leave to deliver she and her husband's first born, a son they would name Andrew. I remember she liked the name because people could call him Drew or Andy or Andrew (I vividly remember this conversation all of two weeks ago). Well, she was a week overdue so they decided to induce. Bring on the Pitocin... right Ruby... the delivery process was going smoothly until she got to the point where she was trying to push the babies head out he turned and his head became stuck. They tried vaccumm extraction and then moved on to metal forceps. When the forceps alone did not work they tried forceps with nurses physically on top of her pushing on her abdomen tring to get the baby out.
Three deep cuts to Shannon and three hematomas with blood coming out of Andrews head later the baby was delivered. 8lbs 3oz 21 3/4" long. The baby coded on delivery was taken immediately to the NICU. Intubated and on a respirator. The prognosis was poor but the next 24 hrs would be critical.
Currently the baby is doing much better. He's extubated now. Breathing on his own (lungs are the last system to develop in utero). Peeing which means his kidneys are functioning. The baby is even drinking from a bottle. However the baby is showing signs of brain damage on the EEG. The plan is to wait and see if when the hematomas and the swelling go down if the intracranial pressure resolves. Lord willing at that point brain wave activity will stabilize and Andrew will be okay. Shannon has asked for everyone to be in prayer for her baby so I thought I would share the new with her family members in Christ who read this blog.
The whole situation made me think and be thankful for all of my friends who are new mothers and for the gift of life to their children. Praise God from whom these little blessings flow. I stopped where I was in the middle of the chaos of the nursing station and prayed for Sabrina Hannah Barrett today. Life is a precious gift granted only by God's grace.

Laughing...
I don't think anyone would call Ele's and my relationship the normal way to go about things. Fall in love, get engaged, plan a wedding, word of deployment, postpone wedding, get deployed, replan wedding, await arrival home with much anticipation. I have to just laugh sometimes. We're doing everything with such inginuity. I love that my husband-to-be wants to be as helpful as possible even from Iraq after long 12 hour days at least five or six days a week. I am thankful that God has grown us closer together through this time in our relationship. It would be easy to grow apart through this time of separation but were learning to lean upon one another more than ever before.
Our current project is our wedding registry. I went this past Saturday with mom to register and then e-mailed Ele a list of honeydoos to look at on things I was unsure of and wanted his opinion on. Things as simple as a shower curtain. It would be nice to have his opinion. I don't want to pick out anything too feminine, my man is a manly man, but I want it to have style. Knives, I know nothing about them but Ele who loves to cook is so particular about them. A knife set was definately on Ele's honeydo list.
My birthday was a week ago my sweetman tried for two hours after to work to call but the phone lines were down. I received an e-card the next day explaining the situation and few e-hugs and e-kisses to go with it. Heard from him a few days later when he had access to a phone. I cherish our phone calls. One week and two days later after being lost in the mail my birthday present arrived. An outfit picked out by my sweetie from White House/Black Market a dress complete with earings and a clutch. I'll have to post pictures. I never knew an outfit, a package, a phone call or even an e-mail could mean so much. I praise God for this trial.

So bring your cameras!

2007-09-08T04:25:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of our wedding site. Heather and I enjoyed the beautiful, calming and intimate ambiance that Rancho Capistrano offers. The Lord displays the glory of his splendor quite well here. You cannot help but be swept away by his creativity, his grace, and his majesty. Pictures captures the essence of the scene as best as it could with the purpose of giving one the opportunity to share in the joy of what the beholder sees. With the help of these pictures, I humbly do the same. Though I am not the originator of these pictures, please, enjoy the pictures. I hope that this gives you a slight glimpse of what Heather and I was able to see. So please, bring you cameras. Enjoy what December 15th can entail for all of us. Celebrate the goodness of God by creating many memories, reminding us all of tGod's grace through scenery, family, and friends. However, of all the pictures you will take, I must admit and be honest. The best and most beautiful picture you will take will be of my darling bride to be...if you do not believe me, try it when the day comes. I am convinced that once you see the pictures, you will be in awe of the beauty that God has instilled in his creation, my soon to be wife, Heather.

This is the sign to the entrance...

This is the front of the church where the ceremnoy will take place...

This is the fountain in the spanish courtyard where the reception will be held...

This is the gazebo extending out to the middle of the lake...this would be a nice location for the wedding ceremony but it is quite small. One would definitely have trouble fitting 200 people...

This is a view of the trail that leads up to the spanish courtyard...

So, are you bringing your camera? I hope so, Heather and I will!

Even in the heavens...

2007-08-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

Even in the midst of war and duty, the graciousness of God still abounds! With the idea of freedom and sacrifice comes love. I am and foremost in awe of the love that Christ has shown me through the cross of calvary. Moreover, to think that I am in the heavens, watching over cities and people gives me a minute and small glimpse of what God does for me. In the heavens he guides and watches over me. He leads and gives me direction of places where not to go and even gives warnings of protection. And when there is trouble, he swoops in and saves the day. He comes with blazing glory and speed that those that stand in his way find justice and peace for those he has come to save. I know that my job deals with these very things. I just pray now for the guidance and help of the Lord since I am not the perfect one as He is. May my mind and heart be of him echoed with my actions and thoughts for all to see. The picture here is to my love, that though I am not there to physically protect you and be with, my heart and my mind is; even in the midst of war you are in my thoughts. I pray that you also recognize what the Lord does for the both of us in our time of being apart. Heather, I love you and I will be home soon.

The Happy Couple

2007-08-24T00:21:00.000-07:00

Ele and I decided to create this blog to post information regarding the wedding such as addresses, local hotels, and details like where we are registered. Then following December 15, 2007 the blog will become our little family's web blog. I am so excited to be joined to this man as my family. For the rest of my life he's gonna be stuck with me! Whahoo!

That settles it!

2007-08-19T03:51:00.000-07:00

Heather and I were both glad to see the ring as a symbol of our commitment to stay true to one another as we prepare for marraige. A beautiful ring for a beautiful bride to be! The uniqueness of this ring is just a representation of the amazing and unique personality and beauty that Heather has been blessed with. A "lucky," blessed man that I am to be engaged, preparing to be wed to a beautiful and foxy lady as Heather...