It seems like quite a bit has happened since you last heard from me. For starters, I discovered a gorgeous little town in the mountains about two hours from the city last weekend. AJ has been part of two small groups since he first started attending church here, and he's been itching for me to get involved ever since I arrived. Finally, I agreed that we should go to one of the group's retreats just for the day. Others were staying Friday through Wednesday--something I would have loved to do, but I have no idea how they make that work with career obligations.
It was really fun watching the landscape change from dry, rugged mountains, sand dunes, and open deserts (which are a little greener with the rain we've gotten) to even bigger mountains covered in pine trees. This all happens extremely quickly--if you look at where we live, you'd never know there was a landscape so lush and beautiful just two hours away! On the way we passed tiny desert towns, the kind where you wonder who in the world chooses to live there. We also drove through a reservation, which was also interesting to me.
Once we arrived at our destination, I felt right at home. It was beautiful. It was so much cooler, wetter, and quieter than our big, dusty, noisy city. We spent the morning in a condo doing devotions with the group before splitting into men's and women's lunch groups. After that we discovered a small herd of wild horses, something I didn't even know existed these days! It was incredible how friendly and beautiful they were. Finally, we got around to what I was looking forward to--a hike in the mountains. Unfortunately, it rained on our hike, but we still got some amazing views. That night we had dinner, made a fire, and studied more of 1 Kings. Although AJ and I were out pretty late, it was well worth it. I'm dying to go back--somehow the city just doesn't feel quite right after being in a place so quiet and beautiful.
In other news, I have a new field placement just in time for the fall! To make a long story short, my original placement fell through at the last minute. Although I did nothing wrong and the staff were excited to have me, certain people neglected to take care of some important details and I lost the placement. Now I can say I have an even better one though! I'll be at one of the major hospitals in the city, working in the Crime Victims Unit. This means I'll see everyone who comes through the ER as a victim of crime, including survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, gunshots, drunk driving accidents, and more. I will also be seeing children who are victims of chronic sexual abuse in the unit's clinic. In addition, I get to sit on the hospital's ethics committee, which is super cool. I'm so excited. The placement is very prestigious, and I was told that my experience in sex trafficking is what got me the internship. I'll also be getting paid! Not as an employee, but it's something! I'm so happy with the way things turned out. Now I'm busy getting CPR certified, making sure my vaccines are current, getting drug tested, etc. so I'm allowed to start working in the hospital. I can't wait!
For those who don't know yet, AJ and I have acquired two pets this summer! We love animals and would love to have a dog, but our lifestyle doesn't allow for a dog yet. Between the expenses and living in an apartment with no private outdoor space, it's not ideal right now. So, we settled for two very cute, smaller mammals :)
Meet Otis and Ron the guinea pigs! The name "Ron" is short for "Old Ironsides", the name of the 1st Armored Division. So we're poking a little fun at the Army with our guinea pig ;) We first got them in June, but ended up having to take them back to the vet for about a month when they got colds. Now they are back to their old selves! They love to run around the cage and "popcorn", which is when guinea pigs twitch and jump seemingly uncontrollably. Ron really gets some air! They love to squeak too. The only bummer is that they're still rather shy--Otis in particular is afraid of just about everything. Once you get them in your lap they're pretty cuddly though!
This past weekend we also had some visitors. AJ's grandparents came from Arizona to spend some time with us. This was only the third time I had seen them in the six years AJ and I have been together, so I'm still getting to know them. Even so, we appreciate their willingness to drive out to see us and their interest in our lives over here. We spend a relaxing Saturday with them, hosting them for a last minute lunch to begin with. They have the honor of being the first people we've hosted for a meal here! They were very sweet to bring some vegetables, fruit, and chips to help. After that we went on another tour of post. I learn something new every time! We even looked inside the museum on post, which is pretty big. Next we enjoyed the scenic drive and snapped a couple pictures, chatting the entire way. We treated them to a belated birthday dinner at one of our favorite Mexican fast food restaurants and then brought them back to our apartment to play with our pets. Before long we were all tired, so we said goodbye. All in all, it was a good day. Maybe we'll see them again someday while we're down here.
I'm finished with the summer semester of school, and did really well. So now we're just regrouping before the fall starts--which is way too soon! AJ's busy with deployment-related things, and he is officially going to some training for about three weeks coming up in a couple months. So, we're busy enough these days, but just trying to focus on enjoying our time together as husband and wife. I am one lucky girl!
It seems like quite a bit has happened since you last heard from me. For starters, I discovered a gorgeous little town in the mountains about two hours from the city last weekend. AJ has been part of two small groups since he first started attending church here, and he's been itching for me to get involved ever since I arrived. Finally, I agreed that we should go to one of the group's retreats just for the day. Others were staying Friday through Wednesday--something I would have loved to do, but I have no idea how they make that work with career obligations. 
Once we arrived at our destination, I felt right at home. It was beautiful. It was so much cooler, wetter, and quieter than our big, dusty, noisy city. We spent the morning in a condo doing devotions with the group before splitting into men's and women's lunch groups. After that we discovered a small herd of wild horses, something I didn't even know existed these days! It was incredible how friendly and beautiful they were. Finally, we got around to what I was looking forward to--a hike in the mountains. Unfortunately, it rained on our hike, but we still got some amazing views. That night we had dinner, made a fire, and studied more of 1 Kings. Although AJ and I were out pretty late, it was well worth it. I'm dying to go back--somehow the city just doesn't feel quite right after being in a place so quiet and beautiful. 
In other news, I have a new field placement just in time for the fall! To make a long story short, my original placement fell through at the last minute. Although I did nothing wrong and the staff were excited to have me, certain people neglected to take care of some important details and I lost the placement. Now I can say I have an even better one though! I'll be at one of the major hospitals in the city, working in the Crime Victims Unit. This means I'll see everyone who comes through the ER as a victim of crime, including survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, gunshots, drunk driving accidents, and more. I will also be seeing children who are victims of chronic sexual abuse in the unit's clinic. In addition, I get to sit on the hospital's ethics committee, which is super cool. I'm so excited. The placement is very prestigious, and I was told that my experience in sex trafficking is what got me the internship. I'll also be getting paid! Not as an employee, but it's something! I'm so happy with the way things turned out. Now I'm busy getting CPR certified, making sure my vaccines are current, getting drug tested, etc. so I'm allowed to start working in the hospital. I can't wait!
