Welcome to Spokane! We love our new home! We are finally
getting situated and our apartment is starting to feel like home. Alex has been
in school for a week now. He said that some 2nd and 3rd
years told him that after a few days of school it would feel like he had been
in school for months, and that is so true! His schedule is crazy busy! He gets
up at 6am, leaves the house by 6:45, study on campus from 7-8, lecture and lab
from 7-4, and sometimes hospital stuff till 5pm. This is when he gets to come
home, have dinner and a little play time with me and Ellie and then back to
studying from 7:30 until 10 or 10:30. Ellie and I play; go out exploring the
city, run errands, bake and our favorite is to walk along the river trail that
is right by our house. Life is crazy, but it’s wonderful too. I’m mostly happy
that we have survived our first week of medical school.
Our church ward is awesome too. We have met some people and
have felt very welcome. I am going to be part of the play group and book club.
Ellie enjoys playing with all the kids at church and is excited to start
nursery next week. Our ward is very missionary oriented. They have had a lot of
investigators and converts. On our first Sunday I was asked more than a few
times if I was an investigator. Wouldn’t that be so neat if missionary work was
like that in every ward that every unknown face you assumed was an
investigator? It’s awesome to look out and see people from all walks of life
embracing the Gospel and coming closer to their Savior, Jesus Christ. Last
Friday we had this ward BBQ at a local park. I noticed an older man sitting on
a bench watching the kids play. I asked Alex to go see if he wanted something
to eat. When Alex asked him, the man turned and said, “oh, I don’t speak
English, only Russian,” so Alex replied, “Privet!” He was able to talk with the
man and help him get dinner and then introduce him to the Russian Sister
Missionaries who were in attendance. It was a neat experience. I’m glad I acted
and Alex too, on the prompting to ask the man if he was hungry. I have started
to study Preach My Gospel in my scripture study to help me prepare to be part
of the work!
I’m not currently working. We are living in a subsidized
complex and if I get a job, it complicates our rental lease. They are looking
to hire a complex manager. I told them I would be interested in doing that. It would
be about 15 hrs a week, but could all be done with Ellie, and would include
free rent (which wouldn’t complicate the lease). It does involve us moving to a
different unit, and I’m not looking forward to moving all our things again. We’ll
just have to see.
Ellie is handling all the changes pretty well. She is
getting a bunch of teeth and so that doesn’t help but she is happy most of the
time. She really misses her Dad and often will walk through the house calling, “Dad?”
We have started introducing potty training. She pooped and peed on the toilet
for the first time yesterday and today. I’m not being too serious about it, I
still don’t think she’s completely ready, but when she asks to sit on the big
girl potty, I let her!
Anyway, all in all we are doing really well and are looking
forward to spending at least a year here in Spokane! If any of you have great
places here you’ve been to and recommend, let me know! Until Next time!
