A Very Quick Update

ooooooooooooo, lahwday, lahwday, lord. Sorry for the lack of posts, but things here have been, uh, UNBELIEVABLY BUSY. Let's see ... since my last post we:

- Attended my friend Amanda's wedding here in SD. It was an absolutely beautiful and personal ceremony in the Rose Garden at Balboa Park, and the roses were in full bloom and the sun was shining brightly (maybe a pinch TOO brightly). Nick and I had a wonderful time and were so glad we were here to send Amanda and Andre on to a happy married life together.

- WENT TO ALASKA! Yes, we took a trip that we've always talked about and always wanted to do but never imagined we would at this stage of our lives. The trip was so incredible and I, of course, have a bajillion pictures to go through and once I start this process, I will blog about some of the highlights. BUT. That won't happen for a little while, because ...

- We're moving to Ohio! We got back from Vancouver on Aug 1 and have had this week to finish sprucing up the house for our renter, who moves in on Tuesday, Aug 11. The movers have been here yesterday (Thursday the 6th - my birthday!) and finished packing and loading the truck today. We start our cross-country drive in the trusty Prius on Monday, Aug 10!

- But in the interim, we are attended our friends Kim and Jared's splendid nuptuals this weekend! We strategically packed enough clothes to last us through this wedding weekend, the drive cross country, and the first week or so in Dayton. Which is, like, a LOT of different degrees of formality and preparedness for temperature swings. But we will finish cleaning and touching up the casa and still have enough time to party ourselves silly at what is sure to be the wedding blow-out of the year. WE LOVE YOU GUYS!

- We should get into Dayton on the 16th, a day ahead of Nick's check-in date of the 17th. We will be staying at the Wright-Patterson Inn on base for a couple of weeks (or less, if we find a place right away). I don't want to rush into signing a lease until I get a feel for the neighborhoods and we are sure we are picking the absolute hippest place in Dayton (an oxymoron? Perhaps).

There's a part of me that's really really hopeful that we can find hotels along the route to Ohio that have free wi-fi so that I can update y'all on our travel status ... but I thought I'd be updating like crazy from Alaska, and you can see that simply didn't happen. So I promise to try, but I can't promise to deliver.

Anyway, exciting times are here for the California Sinnokraks ... soon to be the Ohio Sinnokraks! To say that my emotions are mixed is a huge understatement. I'm sad to be leaving our little house. We closed on this place just three weeks before we were married, and so it's been not only our first house but it holds so many memories and reminders of how much we've been through ... on Nick's first deployment, I painted a couple of rooms, and whenever I'm in those rooms it makes me think about that time and what it meant to have him home. Every room has its "thing" and I think that while moving into a new place allows for all sorts of NEW memories to be created, I will sorely miss this home. I am SO going to miss the wonderful friends we've made here in San Diego. Thank GOD for Facebook!! I'm glad we'll be able to stay in touch and be part of each others' lives, even though Nick and I are so far away. And as for the weather ... let's just say that while I am going to LOVE having an autumn again, come next summer I may be cursing the heavens and dreaming of those San Diego 72 degree days ... But we are looking forward to what Ohio may hold for us. We already have all sorts of activities and short road trips planned, and I think we will find ways to celebrate the best of Dayton and its environs during our two years there. Only time will tell, and you KNOW I'll be keeping you all updated ...