August 9, 2011

Any Portal fans out there?
"Here we are again, it's always such a pleasure.....Oh how we laughed and laughed, except I wasn't laughing..."

"I'm doing science and I'm still Alive! I feel fantastic and I'm still Alive!"

I think poor Nate must have felt that way coming out of the GRE. Yay for Portal to narrate the unpleasant parts of our lives!
This past weekend has been extremely interesting. Thursday morning we received a phone call informing my family that Grandpa Uustalu had a silent heart attack and was in the hospital. Thankfully, Nate's boss graciously granted him the time off to come to the hospital and give Grandpa a blessing. Johnny Duncan, a friend of ours, was able to accompany Nate for the blessing. Grandpa was released later that evening with a heart monitor. After a visit on Monday morning with his cardiologist, we were thrilled to learn that Grandpa Uustalu will only need medication to manage a heart condition called Atrial Fibrillation. He will have to take it easy, but he's going to be around for a while longer! While this was a difficult experience, our family was united in prayer and fasting for Grandpa's health. We have been so blessed to feel the love of Heavenly Father and witness his tender mercies.
On a lighter note, the family reunion was a blast! We drove up to Lake Isabella Friday morning with everything we needed for the weekend. We also decided to bring my Mom's dog, Ben, who has never been camping. He swam and swam until he was too tired care for the water anymore. Its was so cute, and funny! He's such a good dog! Nate also made the most of the trip-he and I rode the SeaDoos for a while, until we were both burned to a crisp. I decided to sit out for a while and let my brother and his friend Ryan take Nate out on the SeaDoo for a while. They had a ton of fun as well. Nate dumped them off the SeaDoo several times doing water donuts, but don't feel bad for them. They threw him off intentionally as well and had the time of their lives doing it.
We drove to Camarillo that night to get a good night's sleep before the exam. Nate and I spent the next morning just wandering the city and sight seeing before the test. The GRE lasted for Four and a half hours-wow! During that time, I took the opportunity to see Harry Potter. But poor Nate worked so hard-he was so tired when he came out of the exam! But he came away with scores he wanted, so were both ecstatic. On the way out of the parking lot, we found our first treat for the evening: an Aston Martin parked close to our car, Wedgie! Nate was overjoyed. It actually really helped him unwind from the test. We could not help but take a picture with it. That evening we discovered another special treat: a Cafe Rio in Camarillo! We both thought that Cafe Rio was exclusively a Utah treat. Then we walked on the beach and enjoyed the sunset. It was a great way to end a busy day.
Needless to say, this past weekend was full of praying, fasting, tears, and laughter. It was a nice vacation away from the stress of everyday life. Even Grandma and Grandpa made the trip Sunday morning to Lake Isabella to catch the last day of festivities. It was nice to be all together again. Our next vacation won't be until Christmas, so we soaked up every moment! But fall is coming, and an end to the heat is in sight.....hurrah!
Our next battle will be college applications. Nate has selected Stanford University, University of Southern California (USC), University of Washington, and University of Utah as his potential schools for application. The hardest part is over, and we can only go up from here. As leaving for Grad school grows closer, we grow even more excited and nervous for the adventures that lie ahead. Wish us luck! Thanks for the love and support!
-Steph & Nate