Here is our new normal

     Ok people, one last post to get us up to date.  I’ll sum up the last few weeks quickly!  I promise.  David’s job has been a little bit different than we had anticipated.  He was supposed to be working directly with the Submarine Search and Rescue, but it’s only a small part of his job.  The rest of the time, he helps to coordinate Midshipmen summer cruises, arrange foreign sub visits, and work with different commands to coordinate training opportunities.  He is the only one in his rank at the office; so unfortunately, we won’t have work friends like we are used to.  However, the schedule is night and day from what it has been the last few years, and we live in a beautiful place, so we really can’t complain! 

     We are still looking for a church and ultimately for community, but we’re working on it!  I have tried out a few women’s Bible studies and we have tried a few churches out here.  We’ve been to both extremes, the ultra traditional and the urban, hippy, homeless church.  We are hoping for something in between.  But God is providing, and we are hopeful!  While I was out for a jog the other day, I stopped a woman coming out of the church near our house.  She was carrying a Bible Study booklet so I got her contact info and she was thrilled to pass along the info about the study.  She has turned out to be such a blessing!  Her name is Sylvia, and she is a precious elderly British woman who has reached out to me and made me feel so welcome.  We are to visit her church next week where she said there is a wonderful Navy community.  She has also offered quite extensively to babysit Nathan, whom she would not relinquish to me for even a second while we were at the Bible study. 

      There is so much to do here and the weather is so incredible that no matter how hard the day, or how lonely it feels, we can never really have that bad of a day.  We have loved exploring the area.  My uncle, Rob, and brother, Matt, came to visit en route to their business trip nearby and we had a wonderful time exploring Torrey Pines golf course, the breathtaking cliffs and the hang gliders that jump off of them in La Jolla, the beautiful views in Carlsbad (Rachel Gallo, you grew up in an amazing place!!), and admiring the gorgeous sunset at the lighthouse near the top of Point Loma.  

Other than that, we have hit up several Diners Drive-Ins and Dives (Caleb and Jennifer, we are preparing for our arrival), 

several surrounding beaches,

David had his first day of surfing,

We got a zoo membership

bought matching tank tops

and we have been practicing lots of new skills!

   Basically, life is good here.  God is faithful, His creation is beautiful, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to deepen our marriage through more time together, and we have a son whom we adore.  We are so blessed.