Wow. Where to begin. It was so great to get to see Matthew. I have said this before, but I will say it again. I do not know how women do this on a regular basis and how women do this for longer than me! Being without Matt has been tough and I cannot even put into words how blessed I am to have been able to go see him! I can now make it the last 6 weeks until he comes home at the end of September! During my time in Guam I thought of Tyler so much. The last time I went on a beach vacation was when the whole family got to go to Cancun in June 2006 before Tyler's car accident. So, there were so many things that reminded me of him and of my family's time in Cancun. I was reminded of the family relay races we had in the pool, the family races on the beach, the snorkeling, the hanging out by the pool, the volleyball games on the beach, the sitting around the dinner table together...what great memories we have as a family! For my birthday one of the things that Matt did for me was rent scooters for us. We spent an entire day driving around the island and seeing the sites on those scooters...a very great birthday present! This reminded me of Tyler because he used to say that when he went to college he was planning on buying a little scooter to ride to and from class. Can you imagine Tyler's 6'4" frame riding a on a tiny little scooter. That image always makes me smile! Tyler was a very unique individual! Also, for my birthday Matt got me an Ipod. I have been wanting one for about 2 years...but just have never gotten one. So, I was so very pleasantly surprised by this gift! He also got me several other small gifts from his time in Japan. And, we got to go parasailing too. This was so cool! We got to do it together. So we were just floating along about 100 feet above the water for about 15 minutes. Very cool experience! But the greatest birthday present of all was just getting to be in Guam with him! Man, I have missed that guy so much! I think one of things that I missed the most was the way that he makes me laugh. He can make me laugh like no other! So fun!
Hanging out on the beach with Matt!
Scooter ride for my birthday! We drove all over the island. It was so fun!
Beautiful view we saw when we were on our scooter ride. 
My birthday dinner!
Hanging out at the pool again. :)
Birthday breakfast
Delicious hazelnut coffee!
Gorgeous view of Gun Beach
Got to see my first starfish up close in real life!
More Gun Beach
Cool little cove that lead us to Gun Beach
By the pool at our hotel.
As a dear friend reminded me. I am so blessed. I am living this great adventure and getting to see so many amazing places and experience so many different things right now in my life. As much as I miss my family and I miss Tyler (and right now I miss Matthew)...I cannot say that I am lacking anything at all. I am so blessed. I probably have mentioned this verse before but I am going to share it again. This verse created a turning point in my grief for Tyler.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." ~1 Peter 1:3-8
