that just happened...

A cute little moment between my main squeeze and our pup. So cute, I didn't want to disturb them and grab for the camera, so this crap-tacular Photo Booth with no light will have to suffice:

And even in her sleep, she's a hussy dog. Dang, girl.

I love be married to this man and getting to enjoy the company of this dog.
That is all.

<3
Ash

Sunday Funday.

I know you're ALL wondering how we spent our FUN SUNDAY (the most fun Sunday in the history of Sundays). We managed to have a great day while still squeezing in that pesky grocery shopping (the run didn't quite make the cut). We decided to spend our afternoon at the Arizona Science Center.

[Note: It is not looking this green right now. Or green at all, for that matter. 112 degrees on Wednesday, all the plants are dead except the cacti.]

Nerdy? Perhaps. But Chris is a second year medical student with a feel for all the sciences (and I mean every kind of science...the guy is kind of smart) and, besides all that nursing stuff that I do, grew up watching an unhealthy amount of these guys:

I've visited the science center once before with a visiting friend, but I've been dying to take Christian so I was excited to go. We saw/did a lot of science:

This guy knows DNA. Had this puzzle knocked out in a few seconds.

But I can honestly say (as can his face) that he did not see that sneeze coming... (I had him stand nice and close too...)

I pray to whoever will listen that this is not what our children look like. Yikes.

BED OF NAILS. Need I say more?

Chris spent forever teaching me about circuits (electricity dummy in the house) and I got to make a spinning fan machine. If he didn't want to be a doctor so darn bad, I'd peg him as a science teacher. I feel like I would've learned a lot more about physics and electricity and those other science-y things that aren't biology and physiology if he was my teacher. Or maybe less because I would've been staring at his cute butt all day. :D

And then he cooked me dinner. Which may cause some of you to ooh and ahh except for those of you who know us know that he cooks approximately 98% of the meals in our house. Translation: when he leaves for San Francisco in a week, I will begin a month of involuntary starvation.

He sure can handsomely navigate himself around a kitchen. He's always teaching me things, though (I'm making dinner tomorrow night!!!) and he's always nice about my cooking, even when it isn't spectacular. What a guy.

We met up with some med students tonight to watch Boondock Saints (it's been a while, I forgot how funny...yes, funny...parts of that movie are). It was so nice to see everyone and I hope they'll still hang out with me when I'm only half of the whole. They better or Viesa and I might die of boredom. More on our impending separation (tear) later.

Happy Monday,
Ash, Chris, & Fiesta

Dad!

My dad became a dad pretty young. While all the rest of his friends were running around, cruising Speedway, going to parties, my Dad was...well...working his tail off and being my dad (and occasionally cruising Speedway with a baby in the car). On the list of things I admire about him, being there and putting in the hard work are tops. He's literally one of the hardest working people I know. I could go on for hours and since many and most of you all have comparably spectacular dads with similar resumes, I'll spare you the rest. But I will say that it doesn't take a random day in June for me to think about how special my dad is and how happy I am that he's mine. And I guess my sister and brother's too. I think about it often. But today I am pleased to share with anyone who will listen.

He flies huge helicopters capable of doing serious damage. When we were first dating, Christian may or may not have had nightmares of my dad flying the helicopter to his house to destroy him.

I inherited from my dad, among other things (including freakishly long toes), the inability to make a normal face in photos (as evidenced here). We have this issue with blinking, sneezing, trying to talk, or just looking terribly awkward in most pictures.

He does, however, do a mean Blue Steel. 

He makes a good bench/pillow and there's something about that carpet my parents installed a few years ago that puts that man to sleep (and Christian too...hmmm...).

Did I mention he can sleep absolutely anywhere? (A trait also shared by my husband.)

Also Happy Father's Day to my grandfathers that raised me some awesome parents, my uncles who wrangle my awesome cousins (specifically with the wrangling...Uncle Mike...that guy does some serious wrangling), and my father-in-law who raised one hell of a husband (who I know will make an out-of-this-world father one day). Also to my dad-friends raising amazing babies (hi Justin!), I salute you. 

We did unholy amounts of laundry in this house on Friday (I think the last little bit of med school we just ignored the giant pile that was taking control of our room) and even cleaned out closets, so I have deemed today FUN SUNDAY. We weren't able to make it down to Tucson to spend the day with our dads (we were in Florence last night and have to be back in Phoenix Monday morning), so we will instead have the most FUN SUNDAY that we've ever had. I'm going to have to come up with some ideas because so far Christian has come up with running and grocery shopping (two of the most un-fun things one can possibly do in my book). Now he's talking about Salt River tubing with Viesa in a doggy-floatation device. I think he's losing it. 

Happy Father's Day/Sunday to all.

Ash, Chris, and Viesa

mrs. angela knox.

I spent nursing school pretty much attached at the hip with four ladies who became great friends of mine and wonderful nurses. We graduated together last May and we have all had a crazy year: I got married, moved to Phoenix, got two jobs, quit one, and got accepted to grad school; Kristin gave birth to the most amazing and beautiful baby, perhaps in the whole entire world; Lacey got a residency at Cook's Childrens and moved to Fort Worth; Kristen moved to Pittsburg, worked for a year (what the heck, it's been a year), and is moving to Seattle for a new job; and Angela moved to Lubbock, worked at a hospital there, and JUST GOT MARRIED! Six months ago to the day, the same group of girls was posing for photos at my wedding (except for our new addition in tonight's photo!). Holy smokes, how time flies.

I was SOOO thrilled to be reunited with them, as we're all so crazy busy (and scattered across the United States) we don't get to see each other often these days. Angela was a STUNNING bride, their wedding was absolutely darling. Christian and I couldn't have found a better way to spend our six-month "half" anniversary even if we tried. Nothing reminds you of your own vows quite like hearing someone else say theirs. :)

Here's a few iPhone snapoos from the night.

Amazing night. One wedding down, one to go next weekend. 'Tis the season.

Happy Weekend.
<3
Ash, Chris, & Viessey

Movie Hopping

Is illegal. I know that. It's also something we've done occasionally since I was younger (my parents MAY or MAY NOT have been involved....occasionally). Luckily, we live next to an AMC that has fantastic summer deals ($5 movies Mon-Thurs before 5 or 6 PM, free refills on any size popcorn or soda) so we keep the hopping to a minimum. Tonight we payed full price for the midnight showing of The Green Lantern (oh my darling husband and his midnight showings of superhero movies) so we decided to sneak in a pre-movie movie.

Tonight was a Super 8/Green Lantern double feature. Super 8 was great! I rhymed. But the movie was still great! The suspense builds through the entire movie and near the end I think I was pretty much squeezing the life out of Christian's fingers. It had some cute and funny parts and it was heart-warming/entertaining all at the same time.

Green Lantern was a little bit of a different story. Cool idea, WAY cool powers for a superhero (Um...a being that can create anything they can imagine?! Limitless possibilities!!!). Writing was eh. Storyline was eh. They tried to squeeze too much into one movie, meaning they didn't really develop any characters at all. But boy oh boy did I enjoy watching Ryan Reynolds do whatever he was doing. The entire movie. Sorry people, but the dude wasn't named People Magazine's 2010 Sexiest Man of the Alive for no reason.

In total, today was incredibly productive and I got to spend it with my number one. And Viesa got a new bone, so she's pleased.

Tomorrow (technically today) is Friday! Meaning Angela Davidson gets married REALLY SOON!

TGIF, peeps.
Ash, Chris, & Viesserton

P.S. Is it terrible that all my friends review books on their blogs and all I ever do is review movies?? I feel like it's pretty terrible. I swear, I read books. It's just that for every book I read, I probably watch about 100 movies. Which makes it easier...to review...the movies. Okay, I'm just going to stop there....

hump day.

Today I taught for the second day in a row (I'm subbing for another nurse on vacation). It went a lot better today than yesterday (today I taught post partum + labor relaxation), considering that I was so stoked to be teaching sex ed I kept talking and talking and definitely went over time without covering everything I wanted to. What can I say?! There's something thrilling about giving REAL information to teenagers in a state that forces abstinence only education in public schools. We all know that obviously didn't work with the girls I'm teaching, so I'm stoked to give them the real deal, factual information that covers EVERYTHING. Anatomy AND birth control. Which is why the Catholics don't like us. Oh well.

I finally got loaded up on teaching supplies so between my teaching gig and Christian being elected president of the Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG) and having crap tons of CPR teaching materials, we're a regular fountain of medical information. Come over and learn about childbirth and CPR. 

Some of my new goodies (pretty much like Christmas for me):

Viesa was SO freaked out by Baby Anne, the infant CPR doll. I took it out of the bag and she barked at it while all the hair stood up on her back. I cradled it like a real baby and told her to be nice and she didn't look convinced. Good thing we're not looking to have real kids anytime soon... 

In between teaching, Chris' summer research madness, and his EMIG work, we're doing our best to get going on our own personal Harry Potter marathon so we're caught up by the big day. What a perfect way to end a busy Wednesday.

And Viesa is smiling, which is always a good thing.

Happy Hump Day.

Lurve,

Ash + Chris + V

this guy makes scrubs look gooood.

Don't you think?

Yowza.

Good thing, because I think he'll be spending the next six years of his life living in them.

<3
Ash