Satisfaction

You know that feeling:

That feeling you feel after you have been searching for something for quite a while but can’t find it because the picture in your head is not matching what is available in the stores.  You know it. Dismay. Disappointment infringing on your shopping trip.

You know that other feeling:

The feeling after you are in the store (Meijer in my case) and you are walking along in search of a specific shopping list item (butane for me). And all of the sudden, with out warning and with out meaning for it to happen that picture in your head materializes onto the self! JOY. Jubilation. Satisfaction in your shopping trip.

Since May I have had a picture of a great wood bowl in my head. One that would match the salad tossers Sean brought home from South Africa for me. Despite several attempts I have been unable to find the perfect bowl. While at Meijer however, with out warning- it jumped out at me.  I am now the joyful owner of the perfect wood bowl.

Satisfaction!

xoxo

Finding Strength

I’m sitting here all alone save the cat who finds it amusing to continuously bite me. I’m reading an awfully sad book right now about a man who’s wife has passed away, his house and cars are repossessed and his business partner walks away with the business and all the clients. He is left with nothing. In his despair he decides to walk from Seattle, Washington to Key West, Florida. Under normal circumstances this book would make me cry until I had to put away due to temporary blindness from my tears. Strangely however, it brings me comfort. Comfort in knowing that my loneliness is not permanent due to death.  

Sean is in San Antonio, Texas doing an audition rotation for 4 weeks. Following that 8 more weeks in two more states. I am so proud of him.  I have a lot to learn from him. When I came to Columbus I had my best friend by my side. Today Sean entered into a brand new world.  Surrounded by the unfamiliar. A new hospital, new people and new challenges- alone. 

He is getting some hands on experience in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehab and it’s different aspects to ensure that is where he would like to see his medical practice take him. 

Tonight I am grateful to for a such strong, caring man to call mine. I am happy for this opportunity and anxious to see what doors it will open as residency draws nearer.  

Good luck my love. 

xoxo

Say Hello to our Little Friend

This is Darby.

She is going to be my buddy while Sean is away.

We are bonding nicely.

She likes the same books I do.

She appreciates a good moisturizer.

She's already putting my clothes to good use.

She gets along with Sean.

And she even likes to jump to me (or at me) from the counter.

She likes to bite. And bite and bite and bite. 

She's snuggly first thing in the morning and that is my favorite.

She likes feathers and eating the pedals off of my fresh cut flowers.

She loves to get in the shower after it's just been turned off and lick up the excess water.

She is good at standing on the dishwasher door while I load to ensure I'm doing it correctly.

She is our Cat. 

Darby.

xoxo

A B C

A- Applications

With the big exam over we get to start thinking about Residency Applications!

These are just a few of the programs we are thinking about.

B- Bar B Q

On Saturday our ward had a fun Bar-B-Q at the park.

C- Cook

Almost every night.

D- Dishes

Follow cooking... Every night.

E- Exam COMLEX

Taken on Wednesday! Woo hoo!

I am so proud of Sean.

F- Flight

I booked a flight this week to visit Sean while he is Texas.

G- Giggle

I'm lucky enough to be married to a man who makes me do this daily.

H- Hiccups

Accompanied me to work on Tuesday.

I- Ice Cream Snicker Bars

Friday night movie treat.

J- Jacuzzi Wishing

We were thinking it would be nice to have one of these on Wednesday after the Exam.

K- Kisses

Nice sweet ones.

L- Laundry

Washed, but still not put away : )

M- Moulin Rouge

Sean watched it for the first time this weekend. Love that movie!

N- Nursery

Sean's last day was today.

O- Oil Changed

Found out I got a 15% discount because I am an OhioHealth employee and I was wearing my name badge when I went in.

P- Post-Exam Diner

Steaks marinated for 2 days. Peppers. Twice baked potatoes. Corn on the Cob. Apricots.

YUM!

Q- Quieter Kids

Our Nursery kids didn't cry as much this week. That's always worth high-lighting.

R- Restaurant: Tres Potrillos

New Mexican restaurant we tried.

S- Study Beard

Grown to save time during study time.

T- Temple

Tuesday night temple trip.

U- Ultimate Frisbee

At the ward Bar-B-Q

V- Visiting Teachers

I have never really appreciated this program before but I am understanding the purpose of it. It is helping me to meeting new people and create relationships and I am starting to feeling like I actually have friends out here.

W- Watered Plants

Egbert the Egg Plant, hanging flowers and pink flowers.

X- Xerox

Bless you copy machines at work.

Y- Yellow Sunflowers 

No placemats to report yet.

Z Z00

Fun Saturday date!

xoxo

Yellow

WANTED:

Yellow Placemats-

Rectangle or Circle

To accompany:

 Fresh Yellow Sunflowers

REWARD:

Dinner at our house

XOXO

Go Time

As many of you know Sean is Medical student at Des Moines University. He just started his 4th year -aka last year of med school (woo hoo!) With graduation just around the corner testing, exams, and more testing is imminent.  The second step to the COMLEX (medical boards) is just about here. Step one was taken after second year.

**Side note- Step one tested the medical students on the first two years…what they learned in the classroom. Step two is testing them on what they have learned being the field of medicine with the medical rotations they have been doing for the last year. It is made up of 2 eight-hour exams. The first is written and taken here. The second part is a practical taken in Philadelphia.**

 Sean is always and excellent study bee but these last few weeks he has had to be even more focused as he gears up for the big test.

Have you ever seen “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”? Well, there is a part where the children in the movie find an armoire that leads to a different world when they get inside and exit out the back. Sometimes that is the best way to describe what happens to Sean when he enters the spare bedroom to study. He enters a world unknown to most of us.  

His dedication and stamina never ceases to amaze me.

Recently I have been getting glimpses into the world that has been surrounding Sean for the past few years. By quizzing him on the material he has studied over the day we get to spend a bit more time together as well as cement the material into his mind.

Now I already know he is brilliant but when it is quiz time and he brings in 5 or 6 six pages that look like this

And this

Front and back

 And he can recall and expound on all the information on every sheet my respect and adoration for him escalades.

Keep him in your thoughts as prepares this week. The exam is on the 18th. 

IT'S GO TIME!!

xoxo

June 19, 2010

Ill, sick, under the weather, ailing, out of order, broken, kaput….all of these words describe my Kia as of late. But I get ahead of my self. Let me back up to Saturday June 19, 2010. This is the weekend Madison was visiting.

You remember Madi right,

 yes, that’s little Madi she was visiting for the week and on Saturday June 19, 2010 Sean and Madi and I made our way Cedar Point.

It was great fun. We rode rides until we felt sick, took 20,000 steps and Madi even got a great hoodie to take home. When 10 o’clock came, the park was closing so we made our way to the car - my lovely black Kia Sorento the one I only bought a year and a month ago (Keep that in mind). It took us a little while to get out of the parking lot but as soon we did we were cruising down Ohio State Road 4 going about 55. We are about 30 minutes outside of the Sandusky- the city the park in located- it’s dark and we are surrounded by fields. We are having a lovely conversation, giggling being giddy and then all of the sudden…. A LOUD CRASHING SOUND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THEN…. Nothing. My car (the one I only bought a short time ago) died, went kaput. Gave up the ghost and departed this life.

Luckily there was a dilapidated old farm house (the only one for miles) right in front of us so we coasted into the drive. The poor little car wouldn’t even turn over. So Sean being the great provider he is got out to see if he could tell what the problem was. He decided we couldn’t fix it or do anything about it where we were. We didn’t know anyone in the area and we were about 90 miles from home.

Tow truck to the rescue! Sean (the great provider) had gotten us a tow truck package when we signed up for our car insurance when we moved here. (phew!) We returned home at 4 in the morning. It was quite the adventure!

It doesn’t end there though….

The timing belt broke and seized the engine! So after 1 month, 3 days, 3 mechanics, the Hatfield Kia dealership and over $4,000 we now have my 2004 Kia back with a whole new inside! Rebuilt engine, timing belt, clutch, radiator, passenger head light, belts and who knows what else has helped my car return from the dead and I am so happy!

Sean even got me a “new car scent” air freshener for it. He’s such a great husband!

Here is it! Fresh from the operating room and ready to go! Sean brought it to work to pick me up in since we had been riding to work together for a time.

xoxo