we're cute

what we wish we were doing.

the 6th, soon to be 7th move

I would 100% agree with Ben that life is much harder apart.  I'm not sure if it was just us being apart again, or life here in the Dominican....but life hit the pavement full speed for me when Ben left.  All in the first week I had a lot going on with work, my personal life, and I moved for the sixth time in 3 years.  I am now living with a woman named Sharla and her two twin 3 year old boys.  

...and soon to be moving on the 7th move.  I leave for Baltimore on June 8!  Ben has purchased my ticket and we're both ready to start life for good together in the same place.

I am very excited to be with Ben again...and hopefully be able to have somewhat of a relaxing summer, make new friends, learn life on the East coast, etc!  I can't lie and say that moving to the United States doesn't terrify me at times.  ie...having a speed limit again. 

But for so long, I've called this country my home, and I've been more comfortable here than in the States....but wherever Ben and I are together, we'll call it home.

Life apart

After having being spoiled with 10 weeks in the same country, Steph and I are pretty bummed to be apart. DR life for Steph kept right on going when I left. Another move is on the horizon and work has been keeping her busy. Trying to plan for Grad School and a move to the states has been occupying the rest of her time. Life in the states for me has been good. It's been fun to catch up with friends and family and to spend time with them. It's been nice to have the chance to ease back into work as opposed to jumping right in. It's also been hard. Some of the things about the DR that can be so frustrating are some of the things I miss the most. I enjoy the roads here much more but being able to pass at will is much more convenient. Being apart again has been less than exciting for us especially after having so much time together this winter. We are slowly adjusting back to phone and skype communication, but it's no replacement. We are excited for June 8!

boo

50 cents left today.

enjoy him friends and family, he's back.

what happens when ben is away...

ben leaves for the week.

the creepy guys in the neighborhood notice.

and they try to break into the apartment under mine at 2pm.  

i am then told by a neighbor "they're usually looking at your apartment.  they know when your husband comes and goes."

one, i don't have a husband.

and two, ben, get back soon.

and three, LADY??!!! what is WRONG WITH YOU?!!  letting people creep on my house.

you can pray for us as we instal an alarm system in my house on friday.  i'm hoping ben's nerdy electrical skills are on fire!

Ben's Turn at the Hospital

I warned Ben when we met that he would be entering into a world of chaos sharing life with me....and my warning has deemed truthful through concussions, flat tires, running through airports, and other strange and stressful encounters....

Low and behold....Weds morning my car would not start in my parking lot.  So, I called Ben who told me he was feeling "sick" but would be over soon in a taxi.  He arrived and convinced the taxi driver in Spanish (nice work!) to jump my car.  Problem solved.  Except for Ben kept getting sicker and hotter...with a temp of 101.  I figured he was just tired and had a little cold.  I was wrong.  He woke up the next day with a fever of 102...and since I'm a worrier...we rushed to the ER since also his throat was so swollen he could barely swallow.  

Here goes round 2....

We were seen very quickly and it was determined right away he needed to do blood tests and start an IV....I was praying no one would recognize us as the couple that fainted and barfed last time, but it didn't matter.  As soon as they brought in the needles, I almost passed out, and Ben threw up in the lovely bucket I had to hold for him.  WOw.    Thankfully, I had whispered to a nurse earlier that if needles were involved, he would feel sick.  The doctor came in later to congratulate us on "knowing each other so well!"

We finally got blood taken and an IV started and Ben had shivers for about an hour.  Once he calmed down, into the wheelchair we went to get a chest X-ray.....where the guy did not tell me to MOVE and I'm sure I ended up in Ben's chest X-ray as well.   I was standing next to him translating when they took it.  We could not stop laughing.

The ER doctor freaked me out by pulling me aside and telling me she was worried about him, and that's all...and then put us a in room upstairs at 10am where we waited for our "doctor" to come until 6pm.  So, the whole time Ben was getting sicker with no meds and no one would tell us anything.  Our doctor walked in, she was so sweet, and told Ben right away he had a throat infection and would start meds.  THANK GOD.  I could have hugged and kissed her.

So....we spent the night in the hospital again.  I felt terrible for Ben.  He was so uncomfortable.  And when I tried to run home for a minute to get us things, my car was dead in the parking lot, of course.  

We were able to sleep through the night, this time the nurses did not come in every hour!!!  (Well, Ben says that I got some sleep at least on the broken couch...)

The next morning Ben was feeling much better and our Dr. came in and said he could leave in the afternoon.  So we stayed put and tried to beg nurses to bring him white rice (who kept saying that he was not allowed to eat while they also kept brining him nasty chicken and soup....this place...).  We went home finally at about 3:30pm.  Ben went straight to bed, only to get up to eat some pizza and run out for some frozen yogurt for his throat.

He is doing much better now...thanks to his prescription for INJECtioNS GIVEN AT HOME (WHAT??!?!!).  But, I learned how to give shots!  I'm real good!  

He is up at the Young Life camp now working and back to full health.  He'll come home on Thursday.  I already can't wait.  And I have texted him about every hour to see how he is feeling.  (So, don't worry Mrs. Boblooch, I am doing enough worrying for the both of us!)

But, we are still loving living life together and learning all the ins and outs, and ups and downs of it together.  

And...no more hosptials....it's so gross.

I bought a machete

I bought a machete today!