This is love.

I didn't bust out the camera until after everything started to settle down. This includes two thanksgiving dinners (total bonus of getting married!) and homemade apple pie. Both my heart and my stomach are extremely full (the later almost uncomfortably so). No Black Friday for us this year. We're not opposed, just broke. In the past I've been known to help my mom and aunts out (I have some horrifying/hysterical stories) but it's raining outside and I feel incredibly content to just sit here and listen to it with the rest of the non-shoppers.

I hope every one of you are currently slipping into a food coma and basking in the glow of good company.

Thankful.

My life the last few weeks:

It sure is crazy, but it's mine. And I love it very much.

I am officially done with my first "semester" (block) of graduate classes (assuming I passed my final exams...here's to assuming!). One down, five to go. New block starts December 12th. I feel like I finally have a handle on the online thing. Hopefully. 

Tomorrow we will spend a glorious day eating glorious food with the most glorious people we know. So there. 

P.S.

We are so very thankful for our friends and family who care enough about us to read our blog and keep up with our daily lives. We love you very much. XO

the sprint.

Hello world. I know multiple family members have been dying to see more pictures of the house and to hear what we've been up to and how it's been going. Off the top of my head, I have at LEAST five stories I must tell, some photos and other stuff. However, they'll have to be shared when I can squeeze them in. My "semester" (3.5 months is not a true semester) is almost over and I'm down to two assignments and two finals left. The big push! The sprint at the end of the race! Although, technically the race will be drawn out over another year and a half and this is like the tiny burst around the first bend of mile one, but just go with it.

So until I get to it (hopefully I'll take a nice break sometime this week), here is a visual of my new fave study spot (even better when shared with my really good looking roommate). Picture me here (because I probably am here) until we meet (I post) again.

It is a beautiful day here in Phoenix. Hope it's beautiful wherever you are.

Happy Sunday.

home sweet new home.

Well folks, we survived it. Actually, there's one room (fullll of boxes) threatening to eat us alive still, but I think it's safe to say we're almost out of the woods. I still have so much to do today, it's kind of depressing, but I hope to get to a proper blog post for the juicy details soon. We have internet (yay!) so things are falling into place. Here's a sneaky peaky.

I cannot emphasize enough how impossible this move would've been if it were not for the help of my mom, my dad, my grammy, and Christian's brother Taylor (and Grandma Georgia for our new *free* couch!). Seriously, you guys...when we have money someday we're taking you all on a nice vacation. We couldn't have done it without you.

If you don't hear from me by tomorrow, assume a giant pile of boxes fell on me and I'm trapped in the office (send a search party).


Love you all.

Octubre.

Hello blog land. October is almost over (I'm pinching myself as I write this), and despite being unbelievably busy we've been able to squeeze in some October-y things; namely, a weekend in Tucson to do pumpkins and spooky things with family.

My extremely handsome husband and his family (minus two).

We took our annual (at least we try to make it annual) trip to Buckelew Farms to pick some pumpkins, then had a carving party at Christian's parents' house. Christian and I are extremely blessed to not only have super cool/relatively normal (emphasis on relatively) families, but to have amazing families that love each other too! For example: my 15 year old brother was deeply disturbed when he found out after the wedding that he isn't now legally related to Christian's siblings (apparently he thought the wedding would apply to him too). They're all staggered in age and get along famously. The fact that we can do holiday stuff all together is the coolest. No one has to miss out. It's the best.

From left to right: My brother (Josh), Christian (duh), my sissy's boy (Kyle),
Christian's brothers (Taylor and Ethan)

Seesters with pumpkins!

Carving is usually an extended affair, including our favorite friends and should-be-family. My best friend Sarah came and brought her mad carving skills (as she does every year). Two years ago she did the Mona Lisa, last year was Lord Voldemort, and this year was a shark! She wins. Every. Single. Time. I decided to free hand it this year and ended up with what I call a spooky tree. Christian did a classic jack-o-lantern and Viesa was too busy loungin' and smelling pumpkins to carve.

Sarah wins! Just like last year... :)

We have some fun Halloween stuff approaching this weekend, however I have an exam next week so we'll see how much participating I'll be doing. I hate to say it, but I'll be glad when Thanksgiving gets here! I'll be registered for my next semester, done with all of my exams, and totally drunk on mashed potatoes. Amazing.

Hope everyone has been able to enjoy the fun that is October.

busy bees.

Christian returned from the ACEP scientific assembly, and dare I say it was quite a successful trip. I could be measuring it's success in the number of residency directors he met or the number of up and coming techniques and procedures he learned about. Or I could be measuring it's success by the amount of free crap he was able to bring home. He said he even had to leave some things because they wouldn't fit in his carry-on. 

[Note: Computer was not free...]

Some companies/groups do the typical stuff: mugs, pens (why did he bring home so many pens?!), stickers, notebooks. Some companies/groups got a little more creative: flash drives, personal grooming kit (???), or maybe a T Ring (a finger tourniquet for when fingers get chopped off).

Or maybe they give out the best flash drive that's ever been created and the med student recipient decides to give said flash drive to his wife!

Doctor Man has two gigs of storage!!!!

In other news, I've been trying to balance school, keeping the dang apartment clean so our landlord can show it, and packing. Christian has an easy schedule this week because he starts a new block next week (reproduction!), so he's been able to help me a lot. I think it's starting to sink in that we're leaving our first place. I have some feelings, but the new place is really neat and I think we're really going to like it. 

Little Vies is a nervous nellie and doesn't like things out of place. She saw the boxes everywhere and pretty much decided to hide under the bed all day today. I feel bad. Poor baby doesn't quite get what's going on. We really hope she loves the new place and adjusts to it quickly. 

It's looking pretty dang empty around here. We're spending the evening watching our Wildcats play UCLA (and we're winning!!!!!!!) while sharing some wings from Long Wong's. Great date night. This weekend, it's off to Tucson to spend some quality Halloween time with family. Any fun fall plans for the weekend? This is the time of year that I wish I had NO responsibilities so we could just wander around finding fun all day every day. 

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. This month is literally flying by!

P.S. I met with my cardiologist earlier this week and my ticker checked out! All systems are go (AKA my heart is oober healthy). Cardiologist says sometimes people just have skipped beats and seeing how she checked out every nook and cranny, that's fine by me. :)

a few of mah girls.

Today, I got to spend the day with a few of my fave girls. I love it when people come to visit. :)
Lacey flew in from Texas and Kristin drove up from Tucson with baby Emily! Christian is in San Fran this weekend, so it was a great day to be able to spend some quality lady time which is sadly too few and far between (this applies to you too, sissy & Sarah).

I really can't believe how many crazy things have happened since graduation!!!

May 2010

October 2011

[Note the new addition to our group photos...]

We had a delicious lunch at Lux, drove by the new casa for lady-friend approval (all systems go!), and looked through the pictures from Kristin, Eugene, and baby Em's photo session. The photos were taken by our fave (and only) wedding photographers, the Langs! They turned out so cute, it's unreal. I may or may not have got a piece of the action in a few frames!

Photos by Lang Photographers

Photo by Lang Photographers

The visit was amazing. A little birdie (rhymes with schmacey) told us today that she has a timeline for moving back to Phoenix in the next year!!!! AHHHHHHHHSOOOSOSOSOSOSOSOEXCITED!!!!

Happy Saturday! - I know mine was!

[For Husband: we miss you and hope you're having fun in San Francisco. Thanks for entering us to win an iPad at 30 different conference booths. You're amazing.]