Fun Down South

Bottom line up front: I love living in Texas. We have experienced a lot of new and exciting changes, mixed with the bittersweet reality of living separated from Tim.

On a happy note, Tim and I just celebrated our 7th anniversary. We could hardly believe how short 7 happy years can fly by, and just how much "life" got crammed into those seven years. We looked at our wedding pictures and were amazed at how young we looked!

For our anniversary, Tim came down to San Antonio and I surprised him with a few fun activities. One evening we spent dining on the "Riverwalk" at an outstanding restaurant that we both enjoyed. We spent the rest of the evening doing a wine tasting (well, Tim anyway) and taking a riverboat tour of San Antonio. The next day was incredibly busy. I got up and ran 3 miles (yes, I'm still feeling great. I don't think my body has realized it is pregnant) and then took Timmy to the pool for some family fun. Afterwards Tim and I splurged on a couple's golf lesson. If anyone wants the name of a great gold pro in San Antonio, we have your man. This guy got us both consistently hitting balls straight down the green, at least twice as far as we were hitting before. We were thrilled and had a great time. My only problem was that Lydia seems to enjoy golfing too, because she was wiggling around a LOT while I was trying to swing. This really didn't help with my concentration, but maybe we have a future golfer in the works.

Tim and I completed the day with a couple's massage and dinner out (at the Cheesecake factory, my new passport to gluttony). We had a great time and were happy to take some time out to celebrate 7 years of marriage.

Over the past few weeks I have pretty much been running errands and vacationing in San Antonio with Cansu and Timmy. This has been a really valuable time because it has helped me relax and decompress from Company Command and moving headaches and has put me in the right relaxed state to prepare to start school. No kidding, my heartrate has dropped 20 points since I moved down here.

Cansu, Timmy and I have been to the Riverwalk in San Antonio, where we had dinner, ate organic ice cream and took a River cruise. Cansu was absolutely delighted by all of the sights along the river and I was thrilled to be able to show her to a good time. We also went to the Children's Museum one day, where we basically just played with a bunch of toys for a few hours. Cansu jumped right in and played with Timmy at all the exhibits. I am not sure who had more fun...Timmy or Cansu.

I also took Timmy to Sea World. This turned into a really touching day for me. Cansu was not feeling well that day, so she opted to stay home and rest. I was pretty bummed at the prospect of spending an entire day at Sea World with no adult interaction, but the day turned into a learning experience for me as a parent. Timmy and I went on our own, and we both had the time of our lives. I got to spend a rare moment alone with my son, and we really bonded and had a great time. I realized just how much I have been missing as a parent lately since I have been working so much. It was a good reminder of just how rewarding it can be to get priorities straight with your family. Anyway, off my soap box. Timmy and I had a great time and I will never forget our special day. Maybe Shamu has a little magic in him...

I have also had a few experiences that I can only describe as "Texas" since I have been here. One of those is my discovery of the "mega-church." Lucretia Melton, a longtime family friend from Virginia gave me the number of her sister in San Antonio. She mentioned that her sister went to a large church, so I decided to give her a call and check in when we arrived. For the past few weeks we have been visiting this church that really warrants a description on this blog. First, upon entering the church, the parking lot of more akin to parking at Sea World than any church I have ever attended. The only difference is that instead of of parking in section "Shamu" the million lots are lettered and numbered. So, if you were smart enough to leave the house at least an hour early to account for traffic and parking (a problem we tend to have on Sunday mornings in our household) you should arrive to church in plenty of time. But, if you are a heathen like me, you rely on the "I'm pregnant" card and park up front (then ask for prayer and forgiveness for being so lazy). Upon entering the building, you should probably get a map and a tour guide, because it is big enough to warrant this. I checked Timmy into the nursery, which was bigger than the Child Development Center that he attended at Fort Riley. They have an electronic tracking system complete with bar codes, key fobs for parents and a "your baby won't stop crying" notification system in the sanctuary. Wow. At any rate, Timmy may as well have been back at sea World because he loved being at church. I had to peel him out of the room when we left. Upon entering the sanctuary, I was completely overwhelmed. First thing I noticed was the absence of pews. Instead, there was stadium seating for thousands that was similar to an over sized movie theater. At first I was a little concerned, because comfort in church spells disaster when it comes to staying awake in church. I usually prefer my hard seats and the occasional poke in the rib from the person next to me to keep me on track. However, the pastor was so good I actually got lost in the hour and a half service and somehow didn't realize that the sermon had gone over the requisite time frame. I have to admit, this is the first time that has ever happened. I was really impressed by the preacher. I was also pretty impressed by the jumbo-tron screens on either side of the church. With the professional videographers and giant screens, you could just about see the nose hairs on the members of the band (who were quite talented and extremely professional.) Another thing that I just couldn't help but notice was the set-up in the bathroom. There were leather Lazy-Boy chairs in the women's room, complete with flat screen televisions with live streams of the sermon. So, if you are the God-Warrior plagued by amoebic dysentery on Sunday morning, there is still hope for you. The church has you covered...come on in, you won't miss the sermon.

I make a lot of jokes, but I share the story because I was really impressed by the Church and pretty excited to find a great place so quickly. It is also an illustration of a lesson I have definitely learned since being here: everything is bigger in Texas (most of all, the churches). Tim made the comment that there is more technology in the church than what we see in the state-of-the-art training facilities at Fort Riley (which are pretty impressive by their own right). I have to agree.

So, alas my vacation has ended and work started this week. We had orientation for school this week, which was mercifully light. We start classes full time next week, and by full-time, I mean FULL TIME. In order to give us a full year for residency, they have crammed two years of classroom learning into 52 weeks. What that boils down to is that we will be taking 17 hours in a semester that has been truncated to about two months each. We have a total of 5 semesters with oral boards at the end of the year. What this means for me is that I will need to be back in class almost immediately after having Lydia. Missing more than a week of class will be like missing several weeks in a normal school. Ain't got no worries, ain't got no stress... :)

This is where it is so wonderful to have Cansu around. Not only is she really turning out to be a good house-mate, but she really, really, really helps me out with Timmy. I feel like I was really selective in choosing her, and I could not be more happy with the match. While Tim is away, it is so nice to come home to another adult and spend time cooking, eating, chatting and laughing. Cansu helps out with Timmy a LOT, which is helps bridge the gap of only having one parent around and takes a lot off of me. Aside from that, it has also been a lot of fun getting to learn more about Turkey. I can tell you one thing-when it comes to good cooking, the Turkish cooks take the cake. Cansu has fixed a few dishes and I have loved every single one of them. We scoped out a Turkish restaurant, which has quickly become a favorite in the sea of San Antonio dining choices. I'm also slightly addicted to Turkish coffee, which is a bit of a bummer since I really shouldn't be drinking it while pregnant. All in all, I have really been happy with our choice to host an au pair. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who needs flexible childcare and is willing to host an international student. The rewards and learning experience for everything is worth every penny (shameless plug).