The End

Have you ever survived 15 days without your spouse and lived to tell about it? I have...barely. Kirk has been in Singapore for the past two weeks for work (he's a software trainer for IBM). We've known about the trip for months and have dreaded it's arrival. I considered going to Utah to be with family but opted to stay here to save money and because I would rather go in July for the family reunion. As the trip came near we were both ready to get it started so we could get it over with. The first 5 or so days were  great. We were busy with friends, had a good routine down, and the girls behaved like the good girls they are. But then we hit a wall. Everyone was tired, grumpy, and someone in particular reached a new level of defiance. Oh the drama! It literally took every ounce of willpower I had not to drive to Utah. The 5 days in the middle were miserable. Lots of crying by me and Audrey. Kirsten was Kirsten. Happy go lucky, obedient to a fault, and kind. As we began to see the light at the end of the tunnel things got better. We stopped crying about the injustice of it all and began smiling at the prospect of "being all together again" (as Audrey would say).
The girls and I have been insanely blessed by the kindness of friends around us. We had many play dates, friends took the girls for a couple hours so I could have quiet time, we were invited over for dinner (this was particularly huge because nights were so lonely), one friend even took the girls overnight so I could go to bunco (it was incredibly strange to come home to an empty house). There was even a girls night out in my honor one night (we went to dinner and What to Expect When You're Expecting) and a friends husband watched the girls. Yes, we are very blessed to have so many incredible friends. It's not hard to imagine why we dread the day we leave Vegas is it?
Kirk really had an incredible time in Singapore. It certainly wasn't somewhere he had on his "places to travel" list but it was one of his favorite places he has ever been. He wants to take me back, he loved it so much.  He said it was very clean and most people speak English. He said it was owned by Great Britian at one point and that is why English is spoken so well. It is very close to the equator, humid, and tropical. I know he had lots of fun shopping for different things. He thinks he will be waiting for my birthday to give me my gift, but I'm certain I can talk it out of him tonight, ha ha! He traveled through Korea on the way there and through Australia on the way home. He missed his original flight out of Singapore because of visa problems but was able to still catch a flight that got him to Australia in time to catch the flight back to USA.
Kirk likes to travel, he likes to see and experience new things. But it's really hard to be away from the family. It's very much a bittersweet experience. Hopefully we can just travel the world together someday.
He had a neat experience going to church the Sunday he was there. He found the English ward online and got the address. Now his hotel was at the airport (strange, I know) so he had no problem finding a cab. Well the cab driver had no idea where the church address was and neither did his gps. Kirk and the cab driver were sitting there for a moment trying to decide what to do when there was a knock on Kirk's window (right?!). Kirk rolled down the window and there stood a man who asked Kirk if he was going to church. "Why yes I am" and the man asked him which congregation. They were both headed to the same place and the man asked if they could share the cab. That man knew exactly how to get there (Kirk said he would have never found it on his own). The man had just landed in terminal two but felt like he should go to terminal three, which is where he found Kirk. It amazes me how aware the Lord is of us. How Kirk did everything he could to get to church and the Lord made up the rest. What a huge blessing. Cool story, right?!
Anyway after 21 1/2 hours on the airplane and 6 hours of layover Kirk is very ready to be home. I pick him up from the airport in 2 hours....oh my word I can't wait.
Audrey said it best last night when she was crying uncontrollably and I asked her why "I miss my Daddy, I want him to come home in his yellow car."