The Camera Loves Ya, Baby

¡Hola! ¿Cómo andás, che blog? Hace tanto tiempo. Demasiado tiempo. Hay varias noticias que compartir…ya te actualizo.

I've changed locations since my last post. I am now home sweet home for the summer. I wrapped up everything at work (and not a moment too soon), aced my finals, neatly packed everything into a corner of our house in Magna, UT, and returned to Mosier for a summer lacking in grocery bills and rent checks. It would be rather posh, except that in order to live this life of luxury it meant I had to be 2,299 miles (according to Google Maps) away from Erin. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be! Not to say that I was anticipating that this summer apart would be quick and easy. But, to go from living 33 feet apart (also according to Google Maps) to being separated by at least six states (and these are big Western states we're talking about) is not something I would recommend. All those crazy looks I got from people who found out we were getting married at the end of the summer? I think I understand them now.

One thing that makes me happy though is my sweet job. After a week of hiatus, I started work at the Oregon Child Development Coalition in The Dalles. The organization works with Head Start and Migrant Education to provide a preschool for children ages six weeks to five years. During the summer, these children are mostly from families who come up from Mexico to pick cherries. I was one of the first people hired specifically for this busy summer season at OCDC. Basically, my job is to hire everyone else. I am a human resources assistant, so I'm the one updating policy manuals and scheduling job interviews and calling references and putting together paperwork and training new employees on OCDC policy.

(Toby Flenderson, my Office human resources counterpart)

The best part is...I get to do a ton of it in Spanish! I always loved Spanish, but it grew to a full-fledged affair during my two years in Argentina. On the brink of returning home, I could never imagine that my Spanish abilities would ever wane. Alas, waning did occur. But thanks to this job I'm getting caught up and getting some good practice. A gringo who speaks Spanish is a highly valued commodity. It's fun to be appreciated at work.

Anyway, the matter at hand...

Order was restored to the universe when Erin and I finally took our engagement pictures last weekend. I took a day off to extend Memorial Day to a four-day weekend and spent virtually the entire time in Texas or in transit to Texas. It was oh so sweet to see Erin again. She waited for me on the baggage claim floor at IAH with a sign marked 'Despain,' just in case I forgot what she looked like. Of course, any fogginess in memory was instantly scorched away the moment I saw her amazing smile.

And now, all of you get to enjoy that smile (although under slightly different circumstances). I present to you...The Best of the Engagement Pictures.

A kissy one!

I like her feet.

She surprised me!

Looking into eternity.

Assisting the lady as she traverses the perilous waterfall.

Foot pop!

Erin says the timing is off on this one, that the picture was taken when I was already done kissing her. I still like it.

The cliché piggyback picture.

Here I am spinning Erin around, like I did with her cousins a couple of months ago. (I'm such a good cousin-in-law.)

I love when I say something funny and she scrunches her face up like that. I am crossing my fingers that all our kids will get her cuteness gene.

We think we're so cool in our sunglasses.

We're such dorks!

Our kids are doomed. The dorkiness genes will be coming at them from both sides.

Carl (Erin's dad) gave us instructions to high five each other. Maybe he had had enough of me kissing his daughter right in front of him.

Look at that rock!

Many thanks to Carl for his photography expertise.

The picture we will actually use for announcements, according to instructions from Erin, will be kept a secret. You'll just have to wait until yours comes in the mail!