Week 3 and the Weekend

We celebrated Grandpa's and my birthdays with Key Lime Pie and Carrot Cake.
(Yes, I am a little obsessed with presentation of the things I bake!)

Jenna did AWESOME in her recital! Maddy too!

We spent a lot of the weekend with the boys. And Landon thinks he is a photographer with my phone!

We were able to help Lindsay get the boys ready on Sunday morning. In this picture, Emmett is thrilled for me to feed him breakfast! Buddy LOVES to eat!

Emmett watching as big brother and "Unca Swad" play basketball...laying on the floor?

Week three went quickly for the Rucker household!

A few highlights:

1. I had an advising call for school

2. Chad got to work one day with another adviser for the lake area

3. Team Chenzhou 2012 had our first conference call! It went great!

4. All the bibs are DONE for the babies in China!

5. I started packing for China!

The Bib Brigade...

...is finally ready to make it's way to China!

All 52 of them.

Which, at last count, was the same number of little ones in the baby room at Chen Zhou!

After all the hours of pinning, cutting, sewing, and pressing, they're ready to go!

In...

...wait for it...

TWO WEEKS!

Only 2 weeks until I leave the Lake area for another amazing 2 weeks with my Chenzhou babies!

On another note, thank you to Mom, Darla, and Lindsay for the fabric donations and creative input!

From Apartment to Home!

Finally!

We were able to hang pictures to make it look like a home, not just an apartment!

Hubs is very OCD about hanging pictures and using a t-square and level to make sure it's all perfect!

Which is the opposite of me, but oh well! 

He/we did good work!

Think we have enough picture frames? Sheesh.

Nicely organized pantry!

A shot of the dining area (over the couch). The collage is all cruise pictures!

The hallway is dedicated to everything China!

In that blank spot, I will be putting a bulletin board, as well as pictures in that collage!

All about Mizzou in the den/spare room!

I think we need more tickets for the wall!
(Season tickets, please, Hubby?)

China Update/Prayer Request

Okay, prayer warriors, I've got a request for you from our team!

We have the same guide, Fawn, from last year.

We LOVED her.

And really bonded.

We were able to pray over her as we went to our gate to fly home.

Everyone was in tears.

She really became part of our team, and was very loved by us!

And now we get to see her again.

Try to show her Jesus again.

I can NOT wait.

So please be praying that our hearts as well as hers will be prepared for whatever it is the Lord has in store for us!

Week Two (a little late!)

Here it is, halfway through week three and I am running behind on blogging like none other!

I have 5 in the archives for this month.

If you know me, that's strange.

I love this blog.

In fact I told Chad last week that my dream job would be a travel blogger.

For real.

Anyways, Week 2, here we go!

1. Chad is getting more comfortable with his summer internship, but not sure if that's the direction to take after college.

2. I had an interview for a job at Pier One Imports. But I didn't feel at peace about it, especially since I'd have to take 2 weeks off for China.

3. I didn't get the job, and that made both Chad and I happy! Because now I can focus on all the little coordination things that have to be done after getting married, and focusing on China!

Then we went back to the apartment for the weekend to unpack more and decorate! (more on that later!)

So that's all!

Life is good at the Lake :)

One of the Best Parts of Vacation!

I finally got the pictures scanned in from when we climbed Dunn's River Falls.

I had previously mentioned that Jamaica has been my favorite port thus far, and this part was a huge reason why!

The guide told us that climbing the falls never gets old.

She said she often comes here on her days off.

I was a little nervous to climb, because I'm the farthest thing from "outdoorsy".

But that. Was. AWESOME. (If you've seen Tommy Boy you should have known what voice to say that in!)

The guide also told us that climbing the falls is said to make a person feel ten years younger.

I'd have to say that's true!

Yep, this girl made it to the top!

It's interesting how I've been pushing myself in the past year...

Climbing to the top of the steepest part of China's Great Wall, and to the top of Dunn's River Falls.

I think it's something about getting away from home and knowing I may never have a chance to do these things again.

It's been awesome!

You can't really see in this picture, but right by the green sign was a group of men smoking. And I am pretty sure it wasn't cigarettes. Welcome to Jamaica, right?

21 Found Me

My birthday was yesterday, and I turned 21.

I guess I didn't spend it the way "normal" 21 year olds do.

We did some more unpacking, drove home, finished our registry, and went out for dinner.

Then we came home for YUM ice cream cake.

I missed my family yesterday.

Well, I guess, the other half of my family.

But I think being gone to Chenzhou last year on my birthday helped this year's transition easier.

Last year's cake

But I was thinking throughout today 2 main things:

1. Only NINE more years until Chad and I get to adopt! (I told him I wanted paperwork for my 30th birthday!)

2. If you would have told me a year ago all the would happen between last year's birthday and this year's, I would've told you that you were crazy.

In the past year:

- Not one, but TWO cruises

- Changing my major

- Changing my school

- Getting engaged and planning a wedding

- Getting MARRIED!

- And preparing to go back to China

Wow, what a year.

Thanks, Hubs for the seasons of Grey's Anatomy to watch on the plane to China!

Opening gifts from Darla and Kevin

Week One!

It's been a few days since I blogged so I thought it would be a good idea to catch up on the week!

No, I don't have a job yet.

Although I have to admit, Chad and I are both kind of liking me doing this "stay at home wife" thing.

I'm able to go out and run errands, write a million thank you cards, do laundry, and a ton of other misc house stuff, and still have dinner on the table for Chad when he gets home.

Anyways, Monday was a little stressful for Chad on the new job but I can't blame him.

The good news is that it's gotten steadily better from there!

He also gets to accompany his host financial advisor to various meetings and events, which is helpful considering Hubs needs a 350 people contact list by the end of the summer.

Yes, that is a lot of people.

Isn't that what you were thinking too?

Anyways, life here in the RV isn't so bad!

I'm learning how to cook up here, (no small feat, trust me!) and we aren't too crowded thanks to storing stuff in Darren's room.

The biggest adjustment for me was having to light the stove on fire to cook with it!

And by "light it on fire" I mean, turn on the gas to the burner and light that with a lighter.

Still, that's lighting it on fire if you ask me!

As far as the week goes, we've only had one small mishap, but it wasn't anyone's fault so that's good!

After dinner Monday night, I stepped down from my seat and onto wet carpet.

Now, I know I didn't spill anything so it had to be coming from somewhere else.

It turned into a issue that needed to get fixed by the people at the RV shop.

Which meant no house for us for 24 hours.

It wasn't bad though. We went out Tuesday night to dinner for a celebration of Chad's first days of work, and then stayed in Darren's room that night.

We got it back to following day and jut had to run fans over it.

Other than that though, nothing really exciting has happened.

We leave tonight for Rolla and will spend the weekend FINALLY moving into our apartment.

I can't wait!

And mommy and daddy and Jen and Josh are coming down to help so we get to see them!

Grandpa had his 81st (I think?) birthday yesterday as well as his last in this round of chemo treatment.

Now THAT is something to celebrate!

That, and that they are coming up in 2 weeks for Jenna's dance recital so we get to see them!

I am SO ridiculously excited!

I'm even more excited for that than for my 21st birthday on Sunday.

(Even though I've seen the presents Chad has wrapped up for me in our room!)

Anyways, I guess that's about it!

Here's a picture of Hubs on his first day of work! Isn't he so cute?!

(Not So) Grand Cayman

Our second port for the cruise was supposed to be Grand Cayman.

We were SO excited to snorkel there and go lay on the beach.

But when we woke up bright and early Wednesday, the waves were REALLY moving the boat and it was raining.

We still got ready assuming that the storm would clear and we could go on as normal.

Unfortunately when we got up on deck (at SIX THIRTY A.M.!) Grand Cayman seemed to be getting further away, not closer.

Then, sure enough, the captain came over the P.A. system telling us that the water was too rough to tender in to the island.

Which meant no Grand Cayman snorkeling and beautiful beach for us.

Instead of all the fun we had planned, we spent most of the day in our room.

NO. NOT LIKE THAT.

Get your mind out of the gutter; this is NOT that kind of blog.

I was SO seasick.

With waves like this, no wonder I was so sick!

So, yes, I'm sure Grand Cayman was awesome; Just not for us!