Beep!

Yesterday Joe got his hospital "doctor-y" badge and beeper. Can you believe this man is excited about having his beeper?! He played with it all night. I told him he's going to come to HATE that beeper!! Ha!!
I'm home for the week from work so I decided to set up a meeting with the Ronald McDonald House here in Wichita. I've been really wanting to find a way to give back. Since the Ronald McDonald House has a close relationship with the hospital Joe is working at, it made perfect sense! Yesterday I met with the coordinator and my first "day" is Friday! I'll be helping them with odds and ends around the house. Eventually I might even try cooking a meal for the families. Let's see if I can get brave enough for that! ;-)

Bowling Birthday

I want to tell you about one of my favorite people in the entire world - my oldest friend Shawna. She just had her 25th birthday and we celebrated with a bowling bash. She and I have been friends (the best of friends!) since the 7th grade. Over a decade! We practically grew up together and when I think of "us" I remember some of our best times, like...

1) Track practice and track meets: we were supposed to run ONE LAP to warm up and we lied every day and told our coach we ran our lap when we didn't! Speaking of coach...
2) Our first shared crush: our track coach. He was an "older man" and we both wanted to marry him and have his babies! I don't think it dawned on us that it would be hard to share him! He also tried to kill Shawna by throwing a shotput at her. So, in turn, I threw a discus at him. Ouch...
3) Vacations! We visited Disney World for the FIRST time ever, together. And, we explored NASA together for the first time.

us as astronauts

4) We saw Titanic together (more than once!) and fell in love with Leo. And we cried when he died onscreen.
5) Getting our driver's licenses: I failed the first time, she passed!
6) We were in all the clubs and activities our teeny tiny school had to offer. We did Duel Improv for many Drama Tournaments. We did Choir (I was jealous because Shawna got to be a soprano!). Honor Society. FHA. Science Club.

Shawna: 2nd from left, Me: far right. Nerd alert!!

7) During the sewing unit in Home Ec. I secretly finished her gym shorts project because she hated sewing! Then, she convinced me to make sweet potatoes during Cooking. Yuck!
8) We graduated high school together and although I moved away we shared our college experiences.
8) We were in each other's weddings. I was there at the birth of her little one.

Shawna on the right

9) There are so many more memories I can't wait to make!

On to the bowling pics!!


I LOVE YOU SHAWNA!

And IT Begins...

Today, Joe got up really early, put on a shirt and tie (which he hasn't done in a long time now!) and went to work. It's DAY 1 of Orientation for the new doctors. He has to get blood drawn and do paperwork and learn the medical software for each hospital he will be working at. Today is the beginning of a 4 year marathon that we (mostly HE!) will be running with lots of late nights away from home and very little pay. I've gotten so spoiled because since April he has had lots of time off as medical school winded down. Since my job affords me to be at home sporadically, it's been nice to be home all day together. We wake up, get some breakfast, watch some tv, maybe do a bit of unpacking, run errands, take a walk with the dog, cook dinner and head to bed and get up and do it all over again. Now, that will come to a screeching halt. At least it was fun while it lasted! I'm also so anxious to see who his fellow residents are. Just like Grey's Anatomy, the residents develop a close bond and I want him to have good friends at work. I sound like a Mama Hen, don't I? Ha!

Well.. I'm also really excited because I've been planning a Birthday Bowling party for my friend for tonight. So, this afternoon I'm driving up to Kansas City to meet her and the girls at the alley. Last time I bowled I got several strikes. Ya hear that, girls? ;-)

Well, Hello Friend

Joe left his muddy shoes on our front porch. This morning, when we walked out we had a little visitor in one of them. Hello Kermie!

I'm Baack!

I flew back home today from working in San Diego...

Can I tell you how much I LOVE California? And, since I've been there many, many times now, I'm totally learning my way around. So, while I'm there, I like to pretend I'm a local rather than a country girl from the Midwest ;-). I didn't even need my Garmin this time (which, when you travel to so many random places like I do for work, is *essential*!). Yesterday I only had to work for about an hour so I took advantage of an afternoon off and got a mani and pedi. There is this little nail salon in downtown that only charges $20 for a full spa mani and pedi! I try to go each time I'm in town, and this time I took my co-worker. She loved it!
I also wanted to show you a sneak peek of something Joe and I worked very hard on last week! We bought and mounted a flat screen above our fireplace. All Joe wanted for graduation was a flat screen tv (are we not the last people in America to get a flat screen? seems like it!), so his parents gave him the money for one as their gift. We finally went to Best Buy and picked this one out. Then came the fun part of hanging it into a stone fireplace. Oy.. Well, after lots of drilling, sweat and heavy lifting we got it up there. We decided we will probably sell this house with that tv up there! It's not going anywhere! Ha!

Something else I'm really excited about is finally sending these moving announcements I ordered a couple weeks ago. I really wanted to send these to our friends and family to give them our new address. I found them for CHEAP online and they can be personalized so I snatched them up!
Tomorrow we have a landscape artist coming to our house to give us suggestions on how we can liven up the yard. We don't even have one little shrub right now, it's kind of pathetic!

Summer Reading

I flew in this morning to San Diego for work. I had a long layover in Denver so I *finally* finished Pride & Prejudice. What an awesome book (and also kinda hard to read because of the old fashioned phrases and big words!) I think next I'll get into The Reader. I didn't see the movie but I have a girl crush on Kate Winslet.

I recently decided to take the GRE this fall. I want to keep my options open for graduate school since I know we're situated in the same city for the next 4 years. I've ordered lots of study books - let's see if I actually find the motivation to use them! ;-)

We're In!

We're moved! We said buh-bye to Oklahoma and helloooo to Kansas! We're still in the moving and settling process but we've already taken on WAY too many projects than we should (fencing and sodding part of the backyard, running all kinds of wires for a mounted tv, hanging a porch swing, mounting shelving, hiring a landscaper, stocking the pantry, and on and on!). I'm starting to think a new construction home requires as much work as a fixer upper! It has been FUN and TIRING! I can't wait to start posting pics as we put everything together. Stay tuned ;-)

Misery

Last couple of days:

Job Interview + Flu + Packing to Move.

Anyone wanna take over my life??? ;-)

Fellow Blogger Giveaway

If you're ready for summer (Lord knows I am!), then run over to Downtown Southern to win a FAB beach bag and tons of goodies inside. I'm thinking I could use this at my BFF's b-day pool party in a few weeks!

Then, when you're all finished, run over to Living in the Moment and enter to win HER giveaway! Ya'll know I'll be hoping for that Master Your Metabolism book! Swimsuit season is upon us afterall!

Waiting and Waiting

This is my lesson in patience, I just know it. The closing for the house got pushed back again. Third time! We won't be moving until next week now. So we wait. Want proof of my impatience? I've already ordered seven new magazine subscriptions to the new house. I've already designed "We've Moved!" cards to send to our loved ones. And all I can do is wait. And wait.

I never did get a chance to post a picture of the china hutch I bought at a thrift store. It's big because I needed lots more storage for dishes. Our kitchen is on the small side! We're going to paint it cream to match our newly painted kitchen table and chairs. No need to buy a new matching dining set when you can just get a can of paint!

Sanding, painting and priming our table:


Did I mention that Joe is an actual, full-fledged doctor now? I couldn't be more proud of him!! His graduation went off without a hitch. It was exhausting having all of our family in town but it was SO FUN to see him walk the stage and to celebrate with a party at one of our favorite restaurants.

Signing his name with "MD" after it for the first time:
Ha! I just noticed that I'm standing off to the side of this pic. Can you see how proud I am???

Look at the awesome cake we brought to the restaurant:


Are you keeping up with the Jon and Kate drama? How could you NOT be, right? It's everywhere! I admit, I watch the show. Can you believe how good Kate is looking (after 8 kids?!) My mom always said that women tend to focus more on their appearance right before they leave their man...