New Baby in the Family!

Don't start spreading rumors now, it's not MY baby, it's my brother in law's baby. Mike and his wife had a little boy last Friday and named him David. He's very cute and looks a lot like Mike. They're one of those lucky people to have the baby early, instead of going past the due date like I usually do. The little guy had a hard time breathing at first and the nurses were pretty worried. After a few hours in intensive care, he was healthy as can be and breathing like a champion. My kids don't quite understand that they have a new cousin but they really enjoyed looking at his newborn pictures. Unfortunately for us, baby David and his parents live in Utah, so we won't be able to meet the little guy until they come for a visit this summer :( For now, we'll just have to enjoy pictures and home videos.

Welcome to the world baby David!! Can't wait to meet you :)

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Baby David Henry 7 pounds 10 ounces

No Longer a Single Mom

A few weeks ago Dave left on a 2 week trip to Ukraine. He used to live there for 2 years as a missionary and hadn't been back in about7-8 years. They were finally dedicating the new temple in Ukraine and Dave and Al decided it was a good time to head on back to the old mission. Their trip was a total of 2 weeks.... 2 weeks without phones and very limited internet access.

I stayed home with the kids because A) we couldn't afford to go as a family B) it's not really a family vacation spot. So there I was crying as he walked out the door, not because I didn't want him to go, crying because I was going to miss him so much.

It was three days before I heard from him (due to lack of internet) and I was so happy/relieved to finally get his email and hear that he arrived safely and that all was well. I was so emotional about him leaving on the trip that I was crying when I finally read his email. Even though it was in writing, it was so nice hearing that he loved me and missed me. We emailed each other back and forth while he was away and a few times I caught him on gmail chat, which was the highlight of my day. I thought about Dave every single day, wondering how he was doing and wishing I could be with him.

While Dave was gone, life at home was simple. I tried to keep things to a minimum to avoid stressing myself out too much. Dinners were simple, like pesto, spinach pizza, mac and cheese... and limited driving. I didn't want to drive very much because I was afraid of getting in an accident. I couldn't imagine dealing with scared children, injuries, insurance, and car troubles all by myself, with Dave helplessly in another continent. I did however make a quilt while Dave was gone, and I painted Rosie's bedroom and bought a few decorations for the living room. Dave also happened to be gone for his cousin's wedding, which I attended by myself, and he was also gone for our anniversary. I think that day was the hardest for me. We've never been apart for this long before, and to be away on our anniversary was very difficult. I went to visit my inlaws that day and they treated me and the kids to dinner at Ikea, which was lovely, but I still missed Dave terribly. The 2 weeks went by rather quickly and I managed to get a lot done while he was away. The house stayed clean, the kids stayed happy, and I even managed to make it out to church both weeks. I did better than I thought as a single mom, but I missed having Dave by my side through it all.

Dave had a wonderful time in Ukraine. He was able to catch up with families that he hadn't heard from in years. They were all doing better than he expected. He also (by some amazing luck) was able to meet up with his relatives and spend a few days with them. He said that the temple was absolutely gorgeous with one of the nicest celestial rooms he'd ever seen. The entire trip Dave felt so strongly that families can be together forever... obviously he has a testimony of this, but he felt the magnitude of it all while he was away. He loved running into families he taught on his mission and to hear that they had been sealed in the temple to their spouses and children and he loved knowing that with the new temple, more families would have this privilege. He thought about us at home and how grateful he was to be sealed to us and how much he loved us. Dave also enjoyed meeting new people like the very first member of the church in Ukraine, the first mission president, and some of the very first missionaries ever to serve there. He was able to enjoy a few celebrations while there and he attended a wonderful concert put on by the members in he temple district (President Monson, Uchtdorf, and Nelson were also in attendance).

It was so nice to finally have him home after his adventures. His flight home, including layovers was more that 30 hours, and he didn't get much sleep. I think he's never been happier to be home. Rosie was so excited when he walked in the door that she was shaking with joy. I couldn't contain my excitement either. In the moments before he returned home I was nervously pacing around the kitchen. I was excited to see what he thought of Rosie's bedroom. Kissing him when he came back was so great! The last couple weeks of having him home has been great. Despite the fact that the both of us came down with a tiny cold, it was great being able to hear all his stories, cuddle with him, and spend so much time with him. We have yet to celebrate our anniversary, and we're going to go to the restaurant that catered our wedding (I can't wait).

So happy to have him back!

Me Ka Aloha
-Elisabeth

Dave in front of the Ukraine Temple

President Monson, Uchtdorf, and Nelson enjoying the concert

Dave and Al with one of Dave's relatives Yulia

Rosie in her souvenir dress, holding her beautiful Ukrainian doll.