After the Move...

Wow, it's been forever since I last updated! Although we're pretty much settled now, I haven't been able to find the cord to our camera so I can't upload any recent pictures yet. But we will be making our way to Oregon this next week and will be taking a ton of new pictures anyway, so I'll make sure do to a great post once we get back.

So far, we love living here in Salt Lake City. We live in the Holladay area and it's so nice. I love how close it is to everything, it's very safe, and it's simply a pretty area in general. Manuel can take a bus directly from our place up to the University and I've got easy access to grocery stores, the local recreation center, parks, and shopping. We feel very fortunate to have found a place that seems to be just right for us at the right time. And so far we like our ward too. We haven't yet received callings but hope to soon even though I've already been asked to play the organ and piano.

It's been an interesting ride since we got here. Soon after we moved in, I started having some stomach pains and finally got in to see a doctor after suspecting it was an ovarian cyst. An ultrasound confirmed it and although there's not much I was able to do, it was good to know it wasn't something more serious. Next, I developed an eye infection which I was originally told was simply an allergic reaction. I had gone to an optometrist locally who told me I just got something in my eye that got irritated. Well, after it was getting worse and swelling quite a bit, I went back and he just told me the same thing. The next day I got in to see an ophthalmologist at the Moran Eye Center up at the U who told me I had contracted a really bad case of pink eye. He was surprised it hadn't yet spread to my other eye and told me it was extremely contagious (after the fact the optometrist told me it wasn't). On top of the eye infection, which did spread to my other eye a couple days later, I had been feeling very sick with an achy body and sore throat. When it first came on, I brushed it off thinking that it would go away on its own after a couple of days. I tend to think it's something and then it turns out to be nothing so I thought I would just wait. Well, it kept getting worse and some days seemed unbearable, especially with Manuel at work and me at home to take care of Isaac. I went to yet another doctor who confirmed that it was NOT strep throat like I had imagined it might have been, so I think I'm harboring a case a mono. Just today I have felt a little bit more relief but am hoping to be free of all this by the time we go to Oregon in a few days. So my health has been a bit of a roller coaster these last weeks but I'm so thankful to have Manuel because he has been such a big help with Isaac and has been so understanding through all of it.

We're so excited to go to Oregon and enjoy a last trip before Manuel starts pharmacy school. I'm so proud of Manuel and am really excited for him to start his career. He recently applied for a pharmacy internship position which we're hoping works out well with school. We'll update once we get back from Oregon with how things turn out and with some recent pictures of Isaac. Isaac has been such a fun little boy. Although he's getting a little tougher to handle when we go to church, he is growing and learning so quickly. We love his smiles, his laughs, and he loves to explore. His thing right now is rolling from room to room. Hopefully he'll get to crawling soon, it will be even more exciting for him. He also got his first tooth a couple of weeks ago, it's very cute. From the looks of things, we better get on baby-proofing the house pretty soon here.

I love having my own kitchen! It has been so fun to cook and bake and start using all of our wedding gifts that have been in storage for 3 years! Although the last couple of weeks with all this illness, I haven't been able to do much, we have still been able to try some new things. I've finally mastered making rice in our rice cooker and I've made lots of yummy food and dessert. Plus, I finally attempted my first Peruvian dish (estofado), which turned out alright the first time and pretty darn good the second. Can't wait to make ají de gallina, lomo saltado, papa a la huancaína, solterito, and starting in the fall, one of my faves, picarones. I'll post pictures and recipes once I make them. We're going to find the Latino Mall this afternoon which is supposed to have Latin American foods and ingredients so I'll be prepared.

Thanks for those who helped in our move and in helping us along in this new journey of ours. We are going to have a blast in Oregon and we'll back back to write about it. Lots of love to all our family and friends!