Day 11 - From your house!!!!!!

That's right...I'm blogging from your house! Unfortunately you haven't turned on your phone yet, but I will keep trying to see if I can reach you tonight. I want to hear your voice.....I miss you.

Today I reffed 6 games! First it was Japan v. Ethiopia, second it was Cambodia vs. Iran (I was in the center), and third it was Romania v. Korea. I had a ton of fun doing the games...making 200 bucks in one day isn't bad either! ;) After I get home I'm going straight to bed because I have 5 games tomorrow, but after that I have a nice long break from reffing.

I have been reading your letters each day. Thank for putting so much effort into them because they are really getting me through these lonely times. I hope that my blog entries are helpful in that way as well.

I'll keep it short tonight. I just miss you and can't wait to see you and hear about all of the cool things that you are doing. Stay strong and keep up all of the great work! Everyone (Kenai and me especially) is really proud of you and the girls for what you are doing!

Can we seriously go away somewhere for a couple days when you get home? I can't wait...

Love,

Chris

Day 10 - talked to your fam today

Hey Em,

I hope that you are having a great day so far. I'm just climbing into bed and have to referee a couple of games tomorrow morning fairly early. It was a nice day for me - did one game and then took Kenai for a nice long walk. Also, I was able to go to the Y with my Mom so that was really great as well. I have been really impressed with how well she has been doing with everything.

I talked to your family today, it was nice to hear your Dad's voice, but it reminded me in a weird way of how much I miss you. We aren't even half way..

I would like to schedule something where I could talk to you tomorrow morning your time, evening my time. Maybe 9 pm for me and 7 am for you? Kinda the perfect way to spend a Saturday night :) I can't wait to hear all of your stories and have you close to home again. The time away has reminded me of all the years of distance between us. It's hard having you away after having such a glorious glimpse of what it's like when you're around. I want that back asap...

Can you let me know somehow if you'll be able to talk tomorrow on the phone? Thanks babe, I love you ::opening arms Steve Style:: thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much. ::giant air hug::

Seriously, I love you!!

Day 9 - on time (sorta)!

Hey Emily,

I really really enjoyed hearing your voice tonight on the phone...it has honestly been one of the highlights of my week this far in. Just in the past couple days I have really begun to miss you even more than I did when you first left. I guess it's all kinda sinking in...you're going to be gone for the next 3 weeks and thus we are left separate. I mean it's totally okay, I love the fact that you are able to have this life-changing experience, but I just honestly miss you so much. I wish that I was better at expressing exactly how I feel about you, but there's only a few things that capable of that. :)

I had a great night seeing Justin, Josh, Karim, and Jacob. I'm pretty excited for Justin and Rachel...can we please go visit them soon? Of course that means that we can stop in and see everyone else, like all of the girls you're currently in Africa with plus a few more! We should honestly do it this summer and possibly make it into some sort of camping trip. Let's talk about it when you get home.

Tomorrow I have one game to referee in the morning (I had 3 today) and then I'm going to try and walk with my mom, go to the Y, and then maybe start building the greenhouse in the back. I hope that you call me tomorrow my time (in 8 hours ish) if you're able to because I would love to hear your voice. I referee at 10:00, but am done by 11:30.

I Love you so much!!!

Day 8 - Tennis ball yelps

So I began day 8 by going to the YMCA with my Mom in the early morning. After getting back I had to head into Seattle to teach my normal ESL class. It went really well - I have 3 students now who are all pretty fluent so we're able to basically just talk - so I was pretty happy. After ESL I met up with Josh at Seward Park down by where I was teaching in the South end and we hiked around a bit in the old growth forest there. It was fun to be in a crazy forest in the middle of Seattle (we'll definitely have to go there sometime). The best part was that Josh glanced to his right and saw a tennis ball screaming out for him from the woods!!!!!! I was sooooo happy and of course immediately thought of you. Can't wait to go tennis ball hunting again once you're back in town.

At night I had a soccer game and played really well in it. I even got a goal to tie the score up at 3-3! Unfortunately once I left the field they scored another goal and so we lost 3-4. When I got home I took Kenai for another walk - he was going absolutely nuts when I got home - and then went to bed right away because I had to be awake early this morning.

I have still been thinking about you so much Em and love all of the updates to the blog. Keep up all the hard work, and I'm glad that you girls can run fast from those crazy farm animals chasing after you. Please call me soon! I miss your voice!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christo

Day 7 - (On day 9)

Sorry that I have been bad the past couple days about updating my blog...it has been a very busy couple days with ESL, soccer, and helping out around the home while Stevo is in Boston playing soccer.

So on Tuesday I reffed a couple of soccer games in the morning and then went and taught an ESL class for this guy that I was subbing for. (This means I get to ask him to sub for me when we go away camping in August!) It went well, but I was happy to get home after a long day. At night I took Kenai for a long walk and he was very happy to get out.

Sounds like a pretty eye-opening experience going to the Nairobi Children's home. We should figure out how to help the little dude that struggles to stand. I bet that was just ripping at your heart. Were there any old kids in the Orphanage? I think that would be really tough...

Alright babe, onto my next post, which I think that you will especially like :)

Love you tons!!!!

Chris

Day 6 - I take a nice break

It felt so great to be done refereeing this morning and know that I didn't have another game until Thursday...it's been a long couple of days getting up early and running around all day. It would have been easier if I had been able to get coffee with you every morning :)

How was you day? Once again it was really nice being able to talk to you this morning - I loved the fact that you were excited for what is going to be one of the hardest parts of the trip. I think that it will be great for all of you to experience something so different than what we are used to. Stay strong!

I don't have too much new to report to you - just the fact that I love you more than anything, but you already knew that. :")

Love grande,

Christo

P.S. There's flossers beginning to float all around my room and house!

Day 5 - legs are tired

Em, it was great being able to talk to you this morning - and after Spain won the World cup. yeahh!!! Couldn't have been happier and Spain couldn't have deserved it more. Were the people that you watched it with going crazy at all?

Later in the evening I reffed a couple of games. They both went pretty well and I have one more tomorrow morning. I'm excited for a nice break from it until Thursday when I have 3. I'm planning on stopping by your parents house tomorrow to say hi and to pay my respects. Kenai has been sad all day...we both know why. There were many good times though, and she was a truly uniquely special cat.

I think i'm heading to bed now, but I hope that you have a wonderful day tomorrow, babe. I'm excited for you to get home so that we can plan out a great camping trip together for some time in August. Please say hello to all of the other girls, critters and other folks around Tumaini for me. Maybe I'll be able to visit someday...:)

Tons of love, Christo