Room with a View

Eric is now safe and sound back in Panama! I just got off the phone with him, and he reports that it's super hot, very rainy, and that our dalmation Dewey is twice the size he was just a mere 4 weeks ago! Some of you know that I decided, after much prayer and discussion with Eric, that I needed to stay behind for just a few more weeks, so that I could attend my only sister's wedding. I have dreaded the thought of being separated from my best friend for 3 weeks, but we both felt that it was a sacrifice that needed to be made. Please join me in praying for Eric as he is separated from me and Anna- and pray for me to be strengthened and to use this time to have sweet fellowship with the Lord.

To celebrate our upcoming anniversary on August 7th, Eric took me to San Diego the night before he left. We stayed in the Hyatt on the marina next to Seaport Village. We found a fantastic discount code online that actually worked when we made the reservation, but the condition of the discount was that the room was supposed to be on a low floor. When we were checking in, however, Eric just casually asked for the highest floor they could give us... and they assigned us a corner room on the 30th floor! From our window we had a view of the bay and Coronado Island from one side, the downtown "gaslamp" district from the other, and the gorgeous 4th story pool deck below.

We had a great time... laying by the pool, crusing around Seaport Village, & dining at a water-front restaurant (followed by chili cheese fries for Eric to compensate for the tiny but expensive portion he was served for dinner). The next day we drove a few blocks to do some business at the Panamanian Consulate and then I took him to LA. Here are some pics from our hotel room:

On the Road Again...

Eric did a fine job of towing my parent's RV trailer all the way to Pismo Beach! I was so proud of him! We spent 3 nights at the Pismo Coast RV Resort... which packed us in like sardines... but was still fun! We got to spend two days visiting with Eric's parents, which was a blessing for Eric (and for his parents also!) We headed to the desert for an additional 3 nights, but left after one night because the sprinklers soaked all of our stuff and the 105 temps were too much! It was a busy few days, so I didn't take many pics... but here are a few of the campground.

M.I.A.

The Tharaldson Family needs a vacation! We've loved every moment of these past 3 weeks in America... but we are literally exhausted from all the traveling and meetings and activities. We had always planned to go up north to spend some time with Eric's parent's... and so we are leaving in the morning for one week! We are taking my parent's travel trailer (it's a neato one with a slideout and everything!) We'll be in Pismo Beach for 3 nights to visit with Eric's family, and then we will be at another campground for 3 more nights, just to relax and be together as a family. We're not taking computers on this trip, so that we can truly refresh and spend quality time together. Sooooooo..... you'll hear from us next week! We'll miss you guys at church, but we'll hopefully see you next Sunday (the 27th) if Eric can figure out how to manuever the giant trailer into the church parking lot. See you soon!

Wild Animal Park! Yay!

Today we decided to spend the day together as a family! We found discount coupons online for the San Diego Wild Animal Park... and since Eric couldn't remember ever going, we thought it would make a fun day! And it was a blast! We waited until after Anna's long morning nap to head out, and we spent the whole afternoon enjoying the cool weather and beautiful animals. Anna was in a great mood all day, and had a very fun time!

First Birthday Bash!

I cannot believe my baby girl is ONE year old!
To celebrate Anna's first birthday (July 1) we had big family party!

Relaxing with Daddy...
Whooooo Hooooo! PRESENTS!

Getting ready for the sugar rush!

Cousin Kayla

What a beautiful family!!!

awwww!

Anna, Eric & Nic (Anna's self-proclaimed GodFather)

The Kiddos

Something New...

It was time! I was never thrilled with our blog design, and until recently had no idea how to design one myself. But, with the help of my amazing friend Lauren, I now know how to design a blog and am so excited to show off our new blog makeover!

If you're interested in getting a blog facelift, check out Lauren's graphic design shop at www.Restored316Designs.com!