safe and sound...

just a little note that we arrived safely in california a few days ago, have been sleeping and relaxing ever since!
more later...

leaving sooner...

so, change in plans... patrik was able to go pick up his passport yesterday afternoon, so we decided to leave a few days earlier. we'll be leaving early sunday morning for LA, rather than wednesday. ... so last night we did some wickedquick cleaning of the flat and final packing, and today is our last day at work... tomorrow we'll just relax and try to spend as much time at the shrines as possible, and then... we're off. it's a strange strange feeling to be leaving, i gotta say. exciting, but sad.

smooth sailing from here on out (i hope!)

our trip to tel aviv yesterday was successful! patrik's visa was approved, so now we are just waiting to hear back from the embassy about when we can go pick up his passport (hmm... it seems throughout all this it has been "and now we are just waiting for [fill in the blank]"...) it seems, though, that everything is going smoothly... we have reservations for a flight to los angeles early next week, though we might have to change the date if anything gets delayed with the passport. keep those fingers crossed...

scary night ~ happy morning

yeah... so last night a rocket hit directly across the street from us.

VERY loud.

VERY scary.

i cried.

lots more rockets kept falling in the city, making it seem like the world was falling apart. but then, it was quiet, and we counted all our fingers and toes and baby bumps and everything was accounted for.

we're ok.

we're safe.

we slept soundly afterwards.

~*~

and so then this morning, a happy suprise... the embassy called us (yes! and not the other way around! it's a MIRACLE!) and said they have the paper they needed in hand so we can go tomorrow to finish up our paperwork!

VERY exciting.

VERY relieving.

i did a happy dance.

it's looking promising at the moment and i will write more tomorrow about how it goes... hopefully all will be well and we can travel soon.

we're happy.

we're cautiously excited.

we will most definitely sleep soundly tonight.

~*~ sending you a birthday wish ~*~

happy birthday sweet samita!

...wish i was there with you...

hope you had a marvelous day!!!

i love fridays...

cuz it means only a half day of work :) yup, i am the essence of laziness as the week wears on...

our big plans for the weekend? more staying home with the occasional movie and some more half-packing... but i'm also looking forward to reading a book i'm half-way through... :)

here's hoping we have some visa news next week!

back to routine?

after a couple days of quiet, the sirens have returned today...

but just a quick note for those who check in-- we're doing fine :)

getting nowhere slowly?

yesterday we got some news for our visa process... not quite the exciting "coming soon" type of news we were expecting, but news nonetheless. the document we need from the israeli police will be sent on thursday of this week to the embassy, meaning it should arrive by monday or tuesday of next week at the embassy... meaning maybe on wednesday we can go to the embassy to finish up the paperwork?... it's all still veeeeeery iffy, since the isreali week (sunday thru friday) versus the embassy week (monday through thursday mornings) leaves very little common time for things to take place. all still very vague. but, best case scenario, if the document manages to get to the embassy by early next week and we get there and verify that our file is complete, the visa should be issued by the 14th or 15th... wost case scenario? the police certificate gets lost for the third time and we are out of luck (and out of all our big bucks paid to the embassy in application fees)...
getting this "news" yesterday afternoon left me in a little bit of a funk and once again very frustrated.. but then, patrik and i went to say some prayers, and it was soo good. a total shift in focus... we get to stay here serving for at least two more weeks, at a time when both our departments really need us to be around... and that's why we came here in the first place, to serve, and were initially wanting to stay for much longer, so now that we've been given a couple more weeks to do what we came to do, we should look at it as a good thing, not as a frustrating one... and the rockets... well, they've become part of our routine... yesterday there were no airraid sirens at all, and to tell you the truth, i think it freaked me out more than having the sirens go off all day... will i ever get used to peace and quiet again? ;)
so, at least two more weeks in the holy land, maybe three... and by late next week we'll know something... we hope!