Greetings from Oregon! It feels really good to be back in Portland…where we lived for 6 years, where we went to college, where we met and got married, where we have so many awesome memories, where we still have many great friends. I apologize for not writing in awhile. We’ve been on the go so much that it has been hard to sit down get it done.
On June 6th we flew from Germany to Michigan. We had a week there with my mom to work out our jet lag, visit with a few supporters, and get some of our “stateside errands” done including getting my bridesmaid dress altered to fit over my growing belly. The following Friday, I flew to Denver for a very good friend and fellow Malachi-worker’s wedding. Meanwhile, Anthony took Alethia to Kansas for a week with his family. My time in Colorado was very busy. The first four days were all about wedding activities and preparations. Between the busy schedule, the altitude, and being nearly 5 months pregnant, by the time the wedding came, I couldn’t even stand-up through the entire ceremony. Just 15 minutes in and I realized that I was going down…either I could walk myself to the nearest chair or I could wait and have to get picked-up off the ground. Deciding that it was best to avoid making a commotion, I tip-toed off to the side and slipped into a chair next to the mother-of-the-bride. 
The wedding was beautiful, though, and I am extremely happy for my dear friend, Andrea, and her new husband.
I stayed in Colorado for two more days to connect with a few supporters and spend some time with family in the area. However, between my tiredness and some car confusion, the Lord mandated more rest for me than I had planned, and I spent the majority of those two days with my step-sister, Angie, and her family. It had been over 2 years since I had seen them, so the kids had really grown and it was a joy to watch them play and interact.
I had never been apart from Alethia before for even one night until that week, so I was going through major withdrawal. I was missing her and Anthony like crazy and was super anxious to get back to them. I made it to the airport over an hour before my flight, but had forgotten just how big the Denver airport is. It took me 20 minutes to check-in and nearly 40 minutes to get through security. Then, I still had to board a tram to my terminal and, once at my terminal, had another 5 minute jog to my gate (even with those fancy moving walkways). I reached my gate just in time to watch my plane roll away. There wasn’t a worker in sight to talk to, so I scurried down to the next gate that was boarding to try to get help…surely I hadn’t really just missed my flight! Unable to get any help, I found a service desk that directed me to another service desk that was another 10 minute walk away. When I finally got to the service desk, I found a long line that was moving at a snail’s pace. I was starting to panic because I didn’t have a cell phone and Anthony didn’t have a cell phone and I knew that he had already left for the airport to pick me up. I was so anxious to be with him and Alethia and the pregnancy keeps my emotions right at the surface. So, I was just about to lose it. I kept asking the person next to me to save my spot in line while I ran to the pay phone to try to get ahold of anyone who might be able to communicate with Anthony or who might be able to help. However, there was nothing to do but wait my turn and try to control my mounting emotion. It took an hour to get through that line and all the time I was wondering if I might be missing the next flight out. I got put on standby for the next flight and had a really good chance to get on it, so that was encouraging. Now came the business of trying to communicate with Anthony. When I asked if there were any way to page my husband in the Tulsa airport, I got looks of confusion and disbelief. I had the same conversation about 4 times and it went something like this:
Service Agent (SA): Can’t you just call his cell phone?
Me: He doesn’t have one
SA: Won’t he just think to call yours when you don’t get off the plane?
Me: I don’t have one
SA: Aren’t there any family members with him or ones there that you can call?
Me: They are all with him and none of them have cell phones either
(More looks of confusion and disbelief)
SA: Well, I’m sure he’ll see that you’re not there and ask at the counter. All your information is in the computer and they will tell him what’s going on.
Seriously though…it has gotten that bad. We are so dependent on cell phones that no one had any idea what to do to help me. I admit, even I had to read the directions thoroughly before using the pay phone because it has been a long time since I have been anywhere without a cell phone. And most of the people sitting at the pay phone were actually just using the bench while talking on their cells. Finally, I found someone who was willing to at least try seeing about a page. However, it didn’t work…the people at the Tulsa airport didn’t know what to do either. Again, I convinced someone else to try and this time, what-do-you-know, they put me on hold, found the intercom button and paged Anthony. In moments they were able to put him on the phone to me. Of course all the pent-up emotion was set free at the first sound of his voice. Through tears I explained that I missed my flight and that I was on standby for the next one. Since I wasn’t sure that they would let me page him again, we planned that he would just ask the airline counter for updates about whether or not I made it on the next flight (as was suggested by the service people). The funny thing was the when Anthony did ask, he was told that they couldn’t give out that kind of passenger information. Apparently the people in Denver weren’t using the same policy as the folks in Tulsa! Fortunately, the person Anthony talked to went on to say “but I wouldn’t go too far if I were you. That flight lands in an hour over there.” So, I was only about 3 hours later than expected. Alethia ran right up to me and gave me all kinds of hugs and kisses. She couldn’t stop touching me for the next several hours…making sure I was really there.
It was so good to be back together.
My time in Kansas with Anthony’s family was really nice, but very quick (just 4 days). We packed a lot in. We all went to this small wild animal park where Alethia got to pet baby llamas, cows, goats, etc. But she was most taken with the baby chicks. 
She kept going back to watch them and mimic their “cheeps”. 
We also got to go to an orchestra concert in the park. 
The evening was nice and the music was sweet. We traveled to Springfield to see Anthony’s grandparents and great-grandma another day. 
We walked to the park almost every day and even went swimming one afternoon. It was great to watch Alethia bond with her grandparents and with her Aunt Noelle (who she treats like a sister) and Uncle Bryan (who she adores).
Now we’re in Oregon, and I must go. I will share more soon. Thanks for reading and caring and thinking of us.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I will let my words be few and let my photos tell the story of our vacation in Estepona, Spain.
That is it for now. I still have photos from our day trips to Tangier and Gibraltar, but I will put them in a following post since I already have so many photos here.
I hope all of you mothers out there enjoyed your day and know how loved you are! I know I did. Anthony got me a hammock for the occasion (which I had been dropping very obvious clues for). 
It pretty much takes up the space of our entire balcony but, seeing as we don’t get out there much anyways, it is worth it. So, I got to spend a little relaxing time on my new hammock and enjoy the sunshine. Then, all three of us took a hike up to our castle ruin and enjoyed the beautiful day. Alethia had fun exploring the castle grounds. 
For dinner, Anthony took us to one our favorite places in Germany to eat, Die Kartoffel, which is a 45 minute drive away. It was worth the drive, as always. They serve awesome baked potatoes with the best sour cream ever and then they serve your meat (we always get steak) on a hot stone so it cooks right there in front of you. It is served with three amazing sauces. You just have to experience it to know how good it is. Alethia did great on the drive and in the restaurant and loved running around on the cobblestone streets of the little German village. It was really a nice day together. Here is a peek at my growing belly. I’m officially in maternity clothes. And next year 
I will be celebrating Mother’s Day as a Mama of two!!!
***Side note: For those of you who have been asking…I am hoping to post photos of our vacation soon! We have been having some technical difficulties with them, but I think it is almost solved.
