CA Tour Guide: J's 1st birthday as my brother-in-law

I seem to be one of those people where the things that SHOULD scare me don't. For example...

-living in a foreign (somewhat unique security) country

-being surrounded by people who speak a foreign language

-traveling a month through Europe by myself

-sending my transportation card to the front of the crowded bus because someone else told me that's what I was suppose to do - I did get it back.

-living in a city of 20 million people

-getting lost in a city of 20 million people

-what I will do next year
-where I will live, stay, sleep...

-not having money (ok, that one does kinda worry me sometimes)

And the things that I SHOULD NOT be scare of - do. Like

-water skiing in river cause there may be trees under the water I can't see.

-deep murky unclear water

-the dark - mostly in big open spaces where I am not familiar with (yeah, it's true. I used to not want to go to the garage at night cause I was nervous about my big fence in back yard... remember that mom?)

-missing moments like touching my sister's pregnant belly

-missing chances to be there for my family

-never having kids

-not knowing the people that my sister and brother may marry because I live overseas

The Father works in funny ways. Especially on that last one.

I actually spent more time in the same city with my brother-in-law than my sister did before they got hitched.

I actually met J in 2005 when I spent a summer in Iowa - the blessed land of corn, state fairs with all butter creations, young married couples with lots of kids... :) This Southern gal has had many years to observer your culture...

So here I would normally insert cute old picture back from 2005... but...

Because I live overseas, I can't just pop over to my little photo collection that I had before the hard drive and flash drive storage age. All of my pictures are stored on cds, yes, cds prior to 2007. Wow... (note to self: put that on list of things to do when I move home to the states) Anyways, there are some pictures that maybe I can post one day from that time.

So that summer J had just moved back to start university, and he spent the summer helping me with kids programs. This is actually the summer my sister (who came up the last two weeks) and J met when they were both kids counselors. We all still wear our shirts from that summer! They met but didn't really keep in touch.

I went back up to kids camp summer after next in 2006. I can't remember if I saw J then...

Anyways, I moved overseas in the Fall of 2008 and found out that a group of 4 were coming to spend 6 months in the same city. They were coming from.... you guessed it, Iowa. J was one of the 4.

Here are a few pics from that 6 months in 2009: (cause you know I moved on to the age of saving my digital photos on a hard drive....)

J at the far right.

Us on the ferry.

At my apartment. Emma is actually on the computer screen here. :)

During my time overseas in 2009, that is when my sister and J reconnected through a skype call to my sister. J kinda took it from there. And I am soooo glad they did. Really, I am.

He is good for and to my sister.

The new family picture at their wedding in 2010.