1/2 Way and Happy

Bret's first clinical is officially half way over. YEAH BABY! We can be tough for four more weeks! Especially when we have three more fun weekends to look forward to. I think we may have done a verbal run-down of the next 4 weeks about 20 times....

Bret: "Okay, so this weekend has been awesome. And then nothing next week... are you sure you're going to be ok? Because if not let me know and I'll make an emergency visit to see you." (I pause to insert that I have the sweetest husband ever.) "So that means two weeks without seeing eachother, but then I'll come home for conference. Maybe we can make a nice dinner or go to Fuentes before Priesthood session. And then the week after that you'll come to San Antonio and we'll do a temple session at 11:00. Jarom and Becky will probably come. Did you tell them what time the session is? Maybe we can take them to the Japanese Tea Gardens. And then then next week I move home for good!"

We had this same conversation over and over and now I'm writing it down and I'm sure we'll keep saying it over the phone... I guess it is just reassurring to break it down like that and know that even though the time apart is hard we have so many fun things to look forward to.

BUT ANYWAY...

This weekend was wonderful. I took the day off on Friday... let's call it a "mental health" day. It worked wonders. Then I met Bret at Enchanted Rock, a state park right outside of Fredericksburg. We got there about an hour later than expected due to Bret getting let off late + my faulty mapquest directions, but we got there nonetheless. We set up our tent as the sun faded from dim to dark. I wish we had taken the camera, but I forgot it, along with the hammer. I'm not sure which one I am more sad about not bringing. The tent was impossible to set up without a hammer for the stakes (yes, we tried it without stakes and yes, the whole tent fell down). Luckily an LDS scout group was camping near us and we borrowed a machete from them which did the trick. It was perfect weather and we slept with the tent "window" and "door" open (screened for bugs of course). In the morning Bret made an awesome breakfast while I slept in a bit. Then we packed everything up and went for a hike around/up Enchanted Rock. It was actially pretty cool. Nothing compares with the mountains, but the hill country is very pretty and we loved the view from the top of the rock. The breeze and overcast weather were perfect! We can't wait to go back with friends - hopefully when the burn ban is lifted - and camp for a little longer!

After camping we drove into Fredericksburg, went window shopping on Main Street (where I did give in and buy some really pretty fabric to make a shirt). Then we checked into our hotel, cleaned the camping smell off of us, and decided to go do dinner and a show before the BYU/UTAH game. We ordered some delicious pizza and ate it outside where we could people-watch and enjoy the breeze. Then we went to a show that was SO FUN! It is called the Rockbox Theatre and they put on performances of different styles of rock music but they do it in a way that it is really fun and entertaining and totally family friendly. When Bret called to get tickets he asked for a student discount and the lady on the phone felt bad that they didn't offer one, so she gave us front row seats for the regular price. I haven't sat on the front row of anything for a long time, but this was awesome! We liked it so much that we took advantage of their "cheap tickets at intermission deal" so now we have tickets to use sometime within the next year. Unfortunately we went home from this awesome show and watched BYU get smoked by Utah. Sigh.

Today we went to church at the Fredericksburg Branch and loved the speakers' messages. Then we took a little drive out of town past some orchards and wineries to the Lindon B. Johnson State/National Park. We didn't know what to expect but it was actually pretty cool. They let you borrow a cd for free that guides you, in your car, past LBJ's birthplace, little schoolhouse, gravestone, around his ranchland, and to their "Ranch Whitehouse". You can stop and go in, but we chose not to (you do have to pay a small fee to see the "Whitehouse"). The land was gorgeous (although we were sad everything looks so dry and brown in this drought) and we liked learning a little about President Johnson. Then we ate a picnic lunch (aka-granola bars and "extras" from the continental breakfast at the hotel) and went for a walk before heading our separate ways. What a fun weekend. I'm sure glad we will have so many fun memories to run on for the next week.

(And to Bret: "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow." [from "Romeo and Juliet"]  Thank you for everything. I love you.)