Definitely a Marathon NOT a Sprint

Every holiday season that I get to come home, no matter if it's for 2 weeks or even this year 3 weeks it never feels like enough time. I'm sitting here this morning reflecting back on my past few weeks at home not believing that we are all ready getting packed up to head back to Ohio tomorrow. Although we were able to get a lot crammed into the semi-long time we were home there were still so many things that I wanted to do and I just don't know where the time went. It's also strange to think that this is the last time that we will be coming home as just Jason and I. The next time we are back in the great state of South Dakota we will be a family of three. CRAZY!!

The week of Christmas is always a busy one no matter if you have a big family or a small one. It seems like Jason and I were blessed with a really really big family though, which means unfortunately we weren't able to see or spend a ton of time with all of them. Our week started out with of course my baby shower. My sister, best friend and Aunts did an amazing job throwing me a wonderful shower in Sioux Falls. I still cannot believe how blessed Jason and I are to have such wonderful family and friends. We had a pretty good turn out for the shower which surprised me with it being so close to the holidays, and Little L got spoiled big time! Jason and I are still trying to figure out how we are going to get the gifts home. The next day the Lehr family (Dave and Kathy - Jason's parents, Ryan - Jason's brother, Jason and myself) made the trip up to Aberdeen, SD to spend some time with the Lehr/Jark family. The night of our arrival Jason's Aunts hosted another shower for me. So again very very spoiled Little L! It was a great time to see all of his Aunts though and kind of talk to them about what's been going on in our crazy lives for the past few months.

This year we actually started out our Christmas on Sunday with gift opening at Jason's parents house. We were able to spend time with Dave, Kathy, Ryan and his girlfriend Carissa. Everyone got exactly what they wanted this year which is always a good thing, and some how Little L ended up with a few things of his own. Christmas Eve is always one of my favorite times of the holiday season. It seems like that is when the most activity takes place, not only in Jason's family, but mine as well. Although this year I wasn't able to go over to my Aunts house for the big Italian Christmas Eve (by the way we are not Italian, but we tend to do themed Christmas Eve dinners - gotta love that family), I was updated on gifts opened, who drew who's name and some of the gifts received, so it was kind of like I was there. Jason's family's Christmas Eve is just as fun...I think in part because we get to see how much things have changed with the kids all growing up and all. We first were at the Jark's for gift opening and the adult gift exchange (which Jason and I both scored with a Qdoba gift card and Kmart gift card - I see dinner and a movie in our future). After we had that mess of wrapping paper cleaned up we went over to the Lehr's Christmas. This year it was a lot more mellow over there, but not all of Jason's Aunts were able to make it back from Minnesota for the festivities. On Christmas morning we woke up bright and early and headed back to Sioux Falls so we could have Christmas Day with my family. I tell you what having two little ones around makes the day very tiring. My nephew Caiden was entertaining as always waiting to have every toy of his assembled, charged, and functioning the moment it was open and not getting frustrated with us adults when we failed to complete this obviously simple task. Lesson learned open the present from the original packaging and have it ready for the 3 year old. Kinley was a lot more mellow I guess that's what you should expect from a 3 week old.

Now with all the Christmas-ing (yep it's a word) over with like I said Jason and I have to start preparing for that wonderful 16 hour drive back to Ohio. Of course though we can't have an easy trip back, mother nature has to throw in a few curve balls of her own and now we are going to be following (not leading) and snow storm for pretty much the entire trip. Slow and steady wins the race I guess. We are planning already to break up the trip into two days, one because of weather and two well I am to huge to be comfortable in a car for that long in one day. Speaking of me being huge yesterday was 31 weeks so we are in the home stretch with Little L. It seems so crazy that in a few short weeks Jason and I are going to take that giant leap into parenthood. It will be fun/scary/exciting all at the same time. To add to the fun I need to say Congratulations to the Wang's who are expecting their first baby in May, the Hatlestad's who are expecting their second in May and the Wiederich's who are expecting their second in July. Babies coming out of the wood work and the great part is that we are all such good friends so we can force our kids to be friends too haha! But yeah I'll keep you all updated on the trip back home and of course Little L updates.

There's no place like home for the Holidays....

Whoever came up with this song/saying was absolutely correct. You don't realize how much you miss home until you are here, comfortable and a lot less stressed. For those of you who didn't know I came back home about a week ago. We had a very hard and unexpected loss in our family. My cousin passed away from a blood clot about a week and a half ago, he was only 33. In true Mettler fashion though we all rallied together to be there for each other. Every cousin was able to make it back for the funeral, which is quiet an accomplishment considering the fact we come from such a large family. Going through this experience and losing a family member so young makes me really appreciate my family and friends that much more. There isn't a rule saying you have to be old in order to pass, so this holiday season enjoy every moment with your family and friends.

In other news since I came home a week early I will be spending not 2 but 3 whole weeks at home. This past week I have been able to see and spend time with my nephew and my new niece. They are so fun to have around and Kinley (my niece) is so small and cute you would think she is a cabbage patch doll. It's been really great to spend time with my sister too. I have really missed just hanging out with her. This week was also my Dad's 55th birthday so we were able to have a little birthday party for him. I can't really remember the last time that I had been home for one of his birthday's so I made sure to make him a double decker chocolate birthday cake just like I did when I was growing up. I think he really appreciated the gesture. I even had Caiden (my nephew) help me...kinda. I also have been able to spend time with my bestie Emily. She was kind enough to save all her Christmas shopping for when I got here. It's a tradition we either shop or bake, this year we shopped and I do have to say we did very well for ourselves.

Now Jason has made his way out (he had to drive 16 hours by himself, kinda felt bad), he is able to join in the festivities. He came at the perfect time too. The other night my parents big screen blew up, so it was time for them to purchase a new one. Who wouldn't love going to Best Buy and spending their in-laws money on gadgets and things your wife would never in a million years let you buy. So that's what the boys did yesterday, and of course they had the new bigger TV set up in time for the kickoff of the 49ers game. As if there was a doubt that would happen.

This week seems like it's going to be pretty mellow for Jason and I at home. We don't have a lot of plans yet. Come this weekend that's when things get tricky. We have my baby shower on Saturday which I am so looking forward to and then Sunday we leave to head up to Aberdeen for Christmas with Jason's side. Then once the holiday's are over it's pretty much time to head back to Ohio.

Cooper did not come with us this trip. Jason dropped him off at Doggie Day Kamp on Thursday. I am trying really hard to wait a couple more days to call and check on him. I know he is having a blast though and will be super worn out when he comes home. I do have to say I really miss that crazy pup and can't wait to hear if he likes his Christmas gifts I sent with him to Kamp. (oh yeah that's right I'm that crazy dog lady!).

I hope you all are having a safe and happy holiday season!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

With Thanksgiving coming and going and now preparing for Christmas it's hard not to sit back and reflect on all of the craziness of the past year. This Thanksgiving we obviously had a lot to be thankful for and a lot that we get to look forward to. Jason and I spent a quiet Thanksgiving at home just the two of us. I did a complete turkey meal with all the yummy sides that we love, just in a smaller portion. As we were sitting there enjoying our dinner we started talking about how different next year will be. It won't be just the two of us (and Cooper of course), but we will have a little one who will actually be big enough to enjoy a tiny bit of this wonderful Thanksgiving meal. We got to talking about how crazy it is going to be to have someone we are responsible for, who will come to us for advice some day and (this is my favorite one), call us Mom and Dad. I know this is something that we should have realized the moment that we found out we were pregnant, but the holidays just bring everything to a new light.

With that being said the nesting has begun. Jason and I have decided that since little man is going to be here in 3 months and 2 weeks of that we are going to be home for the holidays we better get working on stuff. So my first nesting activity was Black Friday Babies R Us. I was very lucky that my husband was willing to come with me and help on this mission. We went to Babies R Us at 4:30 in the morning. They opened at 5 and we got out video monitor for 1/2 off and enough diapers and wipes to last us a long time. Since they limit the number of diapers and wipes you can purchase at a time Jason was kind enough to go through the line with me twice so that I felt comfortable knowing that we could provide our son with enough poo catchers for almost a year. We walked out with over 1,200 diapers and over 5,000 wipes. I was very proud of us. We even made in home by 6:15. Not to shabby I thought. We have also moved the big chair from the office down to the living room to make room for my glider and ottoman. I have neatly packed away the diapers and wipes so that he has room. Next thing we are going to tackle in the bookshelf. Jason and I are going to condense our old textbooks and research materials to make room for thinks like 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed and I love you forever. It's funny how even those changes seem huge.

Jason and I will be heading home in 3 weeks to visit family and friends over the holidays. I haven't seen my parents or Jason's for that matter since we first told them that we were pregnant. We have skyped and face timed with them a few times, but I can't wait for them to see my belly. While we are at home we are also going to be having my baby shower. My sister and I have renamed it the mega shower because we are doing all family and friends at one time since I wont be able to come back home till probably May. Since Jason and I both come from a very large extended family it deserves and should be named the mega shower. I am excited to see everyone and have them all in one spot. It makes it easier for me to visit them all on our quick trip home.

My semi-long term job with Massillon ended last week on Tuesday. The school was closed for Thanksgiving after that. I have to say that I will really miss all of the kids and working there. It was a really great experience and it was so great to see that I do still have the skills to run a classroom successfully. Hopefully, when we move next time I will be given the opportunity to have my own classroom permanently. Jason has also finished up with all of his traveling finally! He has gone to all of his interviews and it now at home with me for good. The interviews went really well, now we just have to wait till February and see what happens, which is the hard part. Cooper is excited to have Jason back around. I think he was getting a little worried that his home was never going to be the same, which he is learning that even with Jason here there are a lot of changes happening that he's not sure about. Although he likes the addition of the chair to the living room, Mom's ever growing belly is making it harder and harder to cuddle up with on the couch and the crib and glider in the office are starting to mess with his space. A few of the many things that I guess he's going to have to learn to deal with.

Well that's it for now. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying this wonderful time of year!

Boy oh Boy it's a BOY!!!

Well a lot of things are happening around here. First off is that Jason was able to come home for two weeks, and in those two weeks he was able to go to two doctors appointments with me. The first appointment was just my monthly check up so he was able to hear the heartbeat and ask all of the questions that I had no idea should be asked (gotta love that he's a doctor and knows these things). The second appointment was my ultrasound. The technician was very easily able to tell that we were having a little boy. I like to tell people he wasn't conservative at all and really just knew that we wanted to know what he was so Baby L was like "Here it is, I know this is what you are looking for." Which I do have to say I was very grateful for, because now all the fun planning gets to start taking place. As excited as I am to know that we are having a boy (because that's what I wanted) I think Jason is now doubly excited (he originally thought it was going to be a girl).

Two days after my ultrasound Jason had to hit the road again for a month. He is spending two weeks in Kirksville, MO and then two weeks in Columbus. Then he will finally be done with the traveling and will be able to come home and stay for a bit. Thank Goodness!!! It sounds like the past rotations went very well, he has enjoyed seeing how all the different hospitals operate and how the current students and residents like it. I guess you can tell a lot about a program based on the level of happiness of the current residents, who knew?

I have been keeping busy with work. It seems like the cold and flu season hit a little earlier this year so I have been working a lot with subbing. However, I have recently been offered a semi long-term substitute teaching job in Massillon at one of their Elementary schools. I will be teaching second grade starting tomorrow until the end of November. I am so excited I can hardly wait!!! I have also put in my two weeks notice at DSW and my final day will be the 20th. When Jason and I were at my ultrasound they informed me that I am showing some signs of preparing for preterm labor so they would like me to try to stay off my feet when I can. So since I have the long-term assignment lined up something had to give. I knew that I was going to have to leave DSW sooner or later. I will definitely miss all of the people that I have worked with. They really have become like  a second family to me, but all good things must come to an end.

Cooper is doing well. He's having a hard time adjusting to Jason being gone then home and then gone again. It seems like every morning when Jason was home Cooper and him would have a mini reunion. Cooper was surprised that Jason was still here and that he was coming down the stairs each morning. Maybe that's why he's trying to sneak into our room so much now...he's trying to see if I'm hiding Jason in there. Anyway, he is once again enjoying the fall weather. He loves to spend time outside chasing Chip the chipmunk in the backyard and the leaves that blow over the fence. I like taking him for walks when the weather is like this because I don't almost die of heat stroke. But yeah, he is still as energetic as ever.

Other than that nothing else is really going on. Jason's gone, I'm working, having a baby boy (that right there is for the people who just skim the blogs). Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying this beautiful cool fall weather.

It's a....BABY!

That's right! Jason and I are expecting our first little Lehr on February 27, 2013. I didn't post or tell many people because I wanted to be able to tell my parents and Jason's parents face to face. So I was able to go home for a week and share the good news. Everyone is pretty excited for us. My Aunts and Jason's Mom are having a hard time waiting to find out what we are having before they can go hog wild in Kohls, Babies R Us, Target...and pretty much any other store that sells anything baby. I have a very firm light yellow and green rule. I would rather have gender specific clothes then have other people guess as to what gender my baby is. So that is the only reason why they are waiting not so patiently.

For those of you who didn't get the story back home. My pregnancy has not been an easy one. I thought I was going to be blessed and be one of those Mom's who glow and are running around with the cutest little baby bump. Nope not me. I was so sick and tired my first three months, I told Jason at one point to cherish this little one because it may be the only one he gets. I of course changed my tune when the wonderful Dr. Kiko (that is one of our Dr.'s) prescribed me Zofran for my nausea. After that it has been pretty smooth sailing. Morning sickness will occasionally creep up on me, but I feel like I'm better prepared for it. Now I am enjoying being pregnant. I have discovered a little baby bump that just doesn't want to get pushed back in no matter how hard I try to suck it in. So bring on the belly band!

As I mentioned before our Dr. is Dr. Kiko she is amazing. I also have the option of 3 others. I get to meet with all of them throughout my pregnancy so that way when it's go time I will not be told my a stranger that they are going to be delivering my baby. I have had two appointments, the first one Jason was able to go to and it turned out to be  more of a meet and greet. She was able to address any current concerns ect. Then when I came home I had a medical history appointment, blood work and I was able to hear the babies heart beat. It was the most amazing sound in the world! We have a strong heartbeat at 153, I was a very proud mama. Jason was a little disappointed because he couldn't come to this appointment since he's gone for audition rotations. So, I did make sure to schedule my next appointment and my ultrasound for when he will be home. We have our Ultrasound October 5 so we are really looking forward to that date.

Other that that big news, nothing else is really going on. Everyone in the Ohio Lehr family is doing well. Except for Cooper who seems to be getting himself into trouble. Gotta go!

Denial is not just a river in Egypt

I think the saying goes something like that. I am definitely having a big case of denial. Jason is getting ready to leave Mr. Cooper and I again for his audition rotations. (For those of you who aren't sure what this is, it's a time for Jason to show off to the hospitals and make them want him for their residency program). This is going to be the hardest separation for us yet I think. So as a result I have been denying that he is leaving and that way it maybe wont be so hard later. Haha yeah right! He will be traveling all over the place and is not really able to come home to visit. His total time away 3 months. I know to some that's probably not that long, but when you have been with someone for 10 years and haven't really spent more than a month apart from each other, this feels like an eternity. I am fortunate that I have a great support system here. My friends Jessi, Amy and Erica are all going through a similar situation. Their hubby's or soon to be hubby's are all away as well so it's a great opportunity for us to all get together and have some girl time.

Nothing much is going on here. I am getting geared up for the new school year. I got my first district approval in the mail the other day so I was really excited for that. I have a feeling that this year of subbing is going to be a lot better than last year. I feel that way because I know a lot of the principals and teachers from last year, so I'm starting out as a top 5 sub for them this year. Also I already have a long term subbing job lined up with one of the teachers from last year. So that's always nice when that happens. Other than that nothing much is going on with me. I am still plugging away at DSW and just hanging out the rest of the time. I will be heading back to South Dakota for a quick trip at the end of the month. I am so happy to be going home. I can't believe that it has been 5 months since I was last there. Crazy how time flies when you are measuring it by rotation schedules. Haha.

Jason and I were lucky enough to have a visitor come and see us last weekend. Jason's Mom was able to fly out and stay with us Thursday through Sunday. It was a very quick trip, but it was really nice to see her. While she was here we went out to the Bridgestone Invitational Golf Tournament up at Firestone Golf Club in Akron. Jason and I went last year for all of the tournament. Looking back on it now I have no idea how we managed all that walking last year. I was completely exhausted after one day this year. But never the less I was able to follow around my Rory and Jason got to see Tiger play and Kathy was able to see Phil a little too. We had a good time and the weather was perfect for it this year. The rest of the time we just spent hanging out and chatting. I think Jason was really happy that he was able to see his Mom before he left since he wont get to see anyone until around Christmas time.

Cooper is doing well. He has enjoyed having his summer vacation with me. I think he really likes the fact that he doesn't have to kennel as much since I am home. That is going to be a rude awakening when the school year starts. Jason and I have been working with him on some new tricks. He is able to sit, stay, heel, jump up, and lay down. Lay down is the new one we are trying to get him ready to roll over, but I'm not sure if that is going to happen or not. Oh and his latest trick that he learned on his own is how to open his food bin for a late night snack. Jason and I were sitting in the living room the other night and we looked over and Cooper had his head all the way in his bin taking bits of food for himself.  Not sure how we are going to solve that problem yet, but it was pretty cute the first time.

All in all that is about it for now. I hope everyone is enjoying their last bit of summer!

It's Finally Over!

Well for those of you who didn't know Jason's boards did not go off without a hitch. Two weeks ago my super prepared hubby went to take his very important test. He was doing great, felt really good about it too. Then all of a sudden his test timed out when it wasn't supposed to! Well you can imagine his concern and frustration when he was through 6 of the 8 sections and wasn't able to go back in and finish his test. It turns out there was a programming issue where the timeline of the test was set for a half day test instead of a full day. So Jason was only given half the amount of time. This was a nationwide issue that ended up affecting 463 medical students. Needless to say Facebook, email, and texts were blowing up everywhere, while we all sat and waited to find out what Comlex was going to do about the situation. Finally after 48 hours they contacted the students and gave them the option of if they would like to retake the entire test or only half. Well, since Jason felt really good about his first half of his test he opted to only take the second portion, then he was given a couple of options as to when he could go in to finish. So on Monday evening he went back up to Stow and finished his test FINALLY! It has been the looming thing that we haven't been able to get rid of. It was the longest studying process for him as well because just when he thought he was done he had to keep reviewing to make sure he remembered all of that material, and as many of you know Jason hates to study so it was a really really long couple of weeks at our house.

When Jason got home from his test we went out to celebrate at Handel's Ice Cream. One of our favorite ice cream places in Canton. Then we came home and passed out! In addition to studying for his boards he has been also working. This month his rotation is Pulmonology which he is enjoying and getting a lot out of but the hours are a little nuts. He goes in at 7 and usually is home by like 7:15 or so. So after working long days, studying and then having the stress of boards on him for weeks, he was ready for a good nights sleep. Now that boards are over and he has one week left of Pulmonology, it will be ER next on our list and then he will leave me for a while to do his audition rotations. Which we still have to set up housing for. Ahh the life of a medical student is never dull.

For me I haven't really been up to anything. I have finally been getting more hours at DSW which is nice. Now I'm starting to get all my subbing stuff ready for another school year. I can't wait for this year, I feel that now that I know a lot of the teachers it will be a lot less stressful for me, but you never know. I am also planning a trip home in August. I didn't really realize that it has been almost 5 months since I have been home to see my family so it is definitely time to head back to South Dakota. I am going over my nephews 3rd birthday so that I can be there for his big day and am going to stay for a week. I am so excited to see my friends and family back home. I get more and more homesick when I actually have the trip planned and booked than any other time. I think it's the anticipation of finally going back to familiar territory. But yeah that's all for now!

What a Summer so far!

This summer has been a very busy one so far. It seems weird since I am only working one job right now for me to say that, but I have been doing a great job of keeping myself occupied. I have been spending a lot of time at home doing house work, reading, I even started another swedish weave blanket. I have been picking up more hours at DSW which is really good. I don't know what I would do without that..probably would go crazy! The girls and I have also been taking full advantage of our pool days. I am starting to look pretty good I have to say....well I mean Jason's stopped calling me Casper so that has to mean something right?

Jason has also been off work for the last three weeks. He was at home studying for his Step 2 Boards, which took a very interesting and upsetting turn. Boards are supposed to be an 8 hour test taken all in one day with 8 sections of material to cover. You can taken your lunch break after 4 sections and then you come back to finish the final 4 sections, you also have an optional 15 minute break. Well Jason was doing well he finished his 4 sections early and took his lunch, but when he came back the timer on the system never reset to give him an additional 4 hours, instead it gave him the hour and 15 minutes that he had left over from before lunch. At first Jason was like ok well maybe his roll over time and it will rest itself when time gets closer to running out. So he continued on and when he was in section 6 of 8 his computer told him he has 15 minutes to complete his test. Well, he knew that wasn't right so he raised his had and the proctor came in and said he knew there was a problem with the system but to keep going with the test and see if it resets itself anyway. This did not comfort Jason at all. He was able to answer about 6 or 7 questions and then the timer ran out kicked him off the computer and said his test was over. Apparently this happened all over the country 463 students ended up only getting 4 hours to take their test instead of 8 hours. It was the first time that this had ever happened so no one knew what was going on, if they only had to take 1/2 the test or if they would have to retake the whole thing or only half, when they would be able to reschedule to take it.....it was a mess to say the least. After two days they called Jason and said he had the option to retake the whole test or just half and then he could reschedule for two weeks. Well, Jason felt really good about his first half of his test so he opted to just take half the test and now he takes the second half two weeks from today. Such a mess!!! He was so mad and I didn't know what to say to make him feel better. But now he has moved past it and just going to do the best he can on the second section of his test.

Other than that nothing much going on here. Boards, work, and relaxation. Oh and a planned trip back to SD in August for me! Happy Summer to everyone!

Reading Review

Ok so I don't know about you guys, but I find summer is the best time to catch up on all the books that you didn't get to read over the year. I know I have been really bad about posting my latest reads, but here are the books from both April and May!

In April I was actually only able to squeeze in two books to read.

I know you are probably looking at my first pick and saying...oh Becky where have you been. But I always am a little behind in the latest reads. This was an amazing book for those of you who haven't already read it! This is a sad tale about a family from Hawaii. The Mom was in a very serious boating accident and is in the hospital in a coma, leaving Mr. King to learn the ropes on how to be a father to his two daughters. During this terrible time he finds out that his wife was having an affair with a local real estate agent. He and his daughters set out to find the "other" man and tell him about the events that have taken place with Mrs. King. Will they find him? What will happen if they do? Will this family ever be the same? You will have to read and find out!

I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan and I love Pride and Prejudice, so when I saw a book that was a spin off of my favorite classic tale I couldn't resist. P.D. James had a big undertaking when she set out to write a book worthy...but she did a pretty good job. Death Comes to Pemberley is a great tale! The story takes place years after Mr. Darcy married the lively Elizabeth Bennett. The annual ball was going to be hosted at Pemberley despite a war taking place in Europe. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy were preparing for all their guests to arrive when an unexpected and unwelcome guest shows up at their door, Lydia. Lydia is in hysterics screaming that Mr. Wickham has been murdered, thus starts the mystery and trouble at Pemberley.

May was a better month I was able to get through three books. I am going to talk about all three together because they are a series.

the Fifty Shades series was our book club books for the month pretty much. I have to admit that they are a bit racy and a bit of a guilty pleasure book, but very interesting as well.

The series starts with a young shy college senior, Anastasia Steele. Ana is an English student who loves nothing better than to settle down with a good classic book. During finals of her senior year Ana is recruited by her roommate Kate to conduct an interview for the last edition of the school newspaper. This was really not Ana's cup of tea, but as a friend she agreed to do the interview. The interviewee is non other than Christian Grey CEO of Grey Enterprises and Holdings, a HUGE company that has made Christian a VERY wealthy man. Ana goes to the interview and is stunned when Mr. Grey is a very handsome 27 year old bachelor. She finds herself attracted to him in a way that she has never been attracted to a man before. Grey being a very powerful and private person realizes that he is very attracted to her too--this series follows their relationship through it all.

HAPPY READING!

Busy Busy Bee

Well, the last part of this month has been very busy. My parents came to town for a visit, and boy did we take the state by storm. I honestly didn't think we could cram that much stuff into one visit, but we did. We were able to go downtown for Taste of Canton which was really cool. It was kind of like Rib Fest but a bunch of different restaurants from around the area. Then of course I took them to DSW and Mom went crazy in there! The next day we went up to the outlets, Dad enjoyed him time sitting on a bench reading his book while Mom and I did some damage. Then we had a veg day by the pool, went to the bookstore, went to the Columbus Crew game (so much fun!), saw the Football Hall of Fame and then they left. Like I said a very busy visit! Forgot to mention the Crew won 2-1 amazing game!

Crazy Crew Fans

Crazy Chicago Fire Fans

Mom and I 

Dad and I 

Let the Game begin!

Whoa! That's dedication!

However when we went to Columbus I was able to meet up with my hubby there. After a whole month of not seeing him! It was about time. Gosh I missed that man so much! Anyway, he was able to just relax at the hotel while we went to the game and then we picked him up afterwards and went to have some drinks all together. He got to tell us more about his time in K-ville. Which I have to say he did so well. He rocked that rotation. I am so proud of him and everything he was able to accomplish there. He said that it was a very busy rotation that he put in a lot of hours, but he got a lot out of it too, can't get much better than that. But anyway he was able to come home for a day then he flew out to Philadelphia, PA for part 1 of 2 of his boards. This part is the SP encounter where they have to go and see actors pretending to be patients and diagnose them and write notes on their visit etc. They only have a certain amount of time with each patient and to write notes and then they have to move on to the next one. Jason saw 12 patients and it started at 2 in the afternoon and he didn't get out till 9:30! Crazy!! He says that it went pretty well. (You have to remember this is Jason we are talking about so he doesn't really give to much away so I will do quotes). "It was fine." "I think I did alright." "I know I don't want to do it again." that is pretty much all I got out of him.  So we find out the results of that test in 10 weeks. Now that he's home he has a two week rotation in ER which actually is only 6 shifts 12-10pm. I am so happy he doesn't have to do overnights, and then he has three weeks off to study for boards. He takes his written on June 27th so coming up pretty quick here. I will have my husband fully back for July and then August he leaves to start doing his audition rotations. Ahh the life we have chosen. 

Things for me are going pretty well. This week was the last week of school so I didn't really get to sub much. I have changed my availability at DSW so hopefully I will be getting more hours there, otherwise this is going to be a long summer. Since everyone flew out and left me on Memorial Day I was able to have a pool day with the girls. I went over to my friend Amy's pool and our friend Jessi and her little one Blaiden came and we had a great time. Definitely got some color.....red. I want you all to know that I did put on sunscreen later in the day it was just too little too late. But it was a nice and relaxing day I am going to have to hang out by the pool a lot more this summer. Other than that nothing much is going on with me, just doing a lot of reading again which I noticed I haven't posted about my books from the past two months so I will have to do that next time. 

Cooper is doing well. He really enjoyed having my parents around...apparently I'm boring, and he was super excited yesterday when Jason came home. I think he was more surprised this morning though when Jason was still here. On Monday he took a veg day where is slept the day away. I think the constant excitement of having visitors really wore him out. But he was ready for playing the next day again. It was really cute Jason and I took Cooper for a walk last night together and Cooper just kept looking from Jason to me over and over. I think he was one making sure we were both there and two just really enjoying having both of us with him.  

Harder Than I Thought

Not having your spouse around for a whole month is a lot harder than I thought. For those of you who don't know Jason left for Kirksville about two weeks ago. He is doing a Anesthesia rotation there for the month of May. When he first left I had a really hard time with it, I am not used to him not being around. Then as my friend Emily said it got a little easier when Cooper and I established a routine. However, now that it's getting closer to the time that I get to see him, it's getting hard again. I just want to speed up time so that he will be home. I have no idea how I'm going to face the three month separation that is looming over us this fall. Oh well I'll cross that bridge when I get to it I guess.

Anyway....I have been keeping pretty busy. The school year is starting to come to a close so I have been trying to sub as much as I can. DSW is looking forward to the day when school is over and I can give them all of my time. Not sure how much I'm looking forward to that, but oh well. My friends here have been really super this month Amy and Aaron have had me over for dinner almost every week. It's nice to have something to look forward to that isn't work. This last weekend Amy, Erica and I went to Cupcake Binge in North Canton. It's a cupcake, wine bar thing super cool and really yummy cupcakes. Then I went back to Amy's for dinner and a movie. It was a pretty good day. Next week my parents are flying in to visit us for a week. I have so many plans for us! They haven't been back since move in day. I really want them to come and see Ohio without having to do a bunch of work.

Cooper has been doing well. Since Jason isn't around to play I have had to try to step into that role. I'm really not as good at it as Jason, but I have been taking him for runs every other day. That seems to take care of some of his energy, for a little bit anyway. I really can't wait for Jason to be home to help me out with the dog.

Other than that we are doing fine....only 11 more days!!!

Reading Review!

Ok so the past few months have been slow reading months for me, so I am putting February and March books together this time.

I know a lot of you are seeing this cover and saying..."What she just read that!" and to you I have to say yes, I did. I know this wonderful story has been out for a while, but I just hadn't gotten around to reading it until now. For those of you who have read it yay for you, for those of you who haven't...what are you waiting for! This is a wonderful, amazing story about strong southern women standing up and telling their story about what it's like to be "the help" in the south. There are wonderful characters that will make you laugh and moments that will make you want to cry. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

I broke my rule on this one and watched the movie before reading the book, and not going to lie I liked the movie just a little bit better. Something Borrowed is a great story about love and friendship and what happens when the two cross in an unexpected way. If you are looking for a fun and quick read for the spring/summer, I hope you put this one on your reading list.

This book was recommended to me by my friend Amy. I seriously did not know if I was going to get through it when I first started it. Sarah's Key is definitely a slow start book, but if you stick to it you will be pleasantly surprised. This book is about a journalist living in Paris and writing an article for her magazine about the round up that took place in Paris during the Holocaust. During her research she discovers a connection between her and a young girl who was taken prisoner during that round up. She then goes on a quest to find out what happened to this young girl....and the rest you will have to find out when you read it. A really great book and highly recommended! Thanks Amy!

Happy reading everyone!

Whoops!

Well it has been a bit since last time. So this is what has been going on. Jason has now finished his Psych rotation and is in Family Practice, which every day I get to hear more and more about how it really isn't his thing. Oh well he only has two weeks left and then he gets to start picking his rotations. I have been very busy working. I had a semi-long term substitute teaching job for a bit which was really nice. I enjoyed knowing when I was working and getting familiar with the kids etc. Now I'm back to bouncing around from school to school. My hours at DSW have picked up a lot so I am working like a maniac. I should probably take advantage of it now though. Who knows what summer will bring.

I have also started working in the backyard finally! Our backyard has so much potential to be pretty, but it just isn't. Now I know we are just renting this town house, but I still want to be proud of my space. So I am going to budget very well and get a decent backyard for a good price. I have already started by building a stone boarder and planting a flowering tree and some tulips. Next Jason and I are going to cut out some roots from our tree that died and blew over last year so that way we can get ready to lay a little sod for Mr.
Cooper. The previous owners planted some plants in the back by our garage so we will have to see if those come back. I really hope that they do. Then we will be able to see what needs to be replaced and what we have to do next. So far so good though. I feel like I could stretch out this process through spring.

Our friend Dabbert came out to see us for a few days. It was an interesting visit. He has a lot of flight trouble, we had a lot of Cooper problems. Overall though it was really great to see him and we had a good time! Now in two weeks Jason and I will be making our big trip. We are going to Columbus for a day where he will take a test and I will most likely be sitting in a Starbucks. Then we head back to Kirksville, MO where Jason again will be taking a test and I get to hang out with all my friends there. Then it's up to South Dakota for a few days to see our friends and family there. So yeah lots of friends and family time all packed into one week.

During our little trip we will be kenneling Cooper. It's our first time doing this so I'm really nervous, but I found a great place. It's called Doggie Day Kamp it's in North Canton, OH. They have both an outdoor and indoor play area (in case it's raining). They take him for two walks a day and he gets a bed time treat. They give all the dogs fresh Brita water to drink, which is what he gets at home, and there are lots of other dogs to play with. I think he will have a good time, but I always worry.

Other than all that. I guess nothing new. I will keep you all posted as more unfolds.

One More Day!

Ugh my wonderful husband had to remind me how I have one day left of being 26! Isn't that a great way to wake up in the  morning. I don't know what is so difficult about this birthday. I have an internal struggle on some of the strangest birthdays. For example I had a break down at 23.....and now 27 very strange. I think the 23 was because of school and the fact that I wasn't done yet. Now 27 because....well it's approaching the big 30 a little faster than I would like.

Anyways other than my birthday, nothing really new is happening here. Jason is still working like crazy to get his out rotations set up and is stressing a little more about it each day. I really wish there was something I could do to help, but really I can only sit here and wait to hear about where he's going and when. It's really depressing to feel this powerless about your future.

I'm trying to work like crazy. I want to take advantage of my subbing days while school is still in session. So against what I said before I am going to work on my birthday. I know childish of me to think otherwise. I am also keeping busy at DSW.

Reading Review

So I was talking to my friend Emily last night and she was telling me about another friend who has a blog and does reviews on books etc. and I thought hey I read a lot what a great way to tell people about some of the books I've been enjoying and see if it's something they are interested in too! So this is what I've read in the month of January...

The Beach House by James Patterson



The beach house is a surprising story about two brothers. One (Jack) is a successful law student making his way through the new corporate world and the other, Peter, is serving the rich by parking cars in the Hampton's. One night after a party in the Hampton's Peter is found dead on the beach. The death was filed as a drowning, but Jack knows it was something different. This was a very good book I love James Patterson and almost all of his books. I was able to sit down and read this one in a day. Amazing!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I know I'm probably the last person in the world who has read this book but I think it's post worthy. As a matter of fact I loved this book. It is a beautiful story about a young man named Jacob who has lost everything, runs away and joins the circus as the veterinarian. While on the circuit he meets a beautiful young lady named Marlena and falls in love, however, she is already married. It's a story with suspense, love and sadness. A wonderful read for anyone looking for something a little different. I also really want to see the movie now!

Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah

This one was my book clubs book of the month. Kristen Hannah has always been a favorite of mine, so I was really excited to read this one. This story is about two sisters Margaret and Nina who have a really distant relationship with their mother. They never have understood why she doesn't show affection towards them and why she always is obsessed with the garden. When Margaret and Nina's father passes away he make them promise that they will try to get to know their mother. Their mother also promises to tell them her story...and it's a big story! Overall I really liked this book. I was a little upset about the very very ending, but I would still recommend it to friends and family.



Beach Road by James Patterson

As I have said before I love James Patterson. This book is not to disappoint anyone who enjoys murder mysteries.  Tom is an ex-professional basketball player and new lawyer in the East Hampton's. When one of the local hero's and Tom's friend Dante gets arrested for a triple murder Tom is there to help him out. Tom quickly realizes he is in way over his head for this type of case and quickly brings on Kate as an assistant attorney and Tom's ex-girlfriend. The case is very heated and turns slightly racial. This book has a lot of suspense and surprises!

I hope you guys try some of these great reads! There of course will be more coming soon!

Finally some snow!

Well it's was an ugly Christmas...a semi pretty New Year and now finally towards the end of January we get some snow. I can't believe it took this long to get here. It wasn't just a light dusting either it was a dumping of 4 inches over night. Wonderful! I love the snow it could snow for a lot longer, but the only bad thing about snow in Ohio we have discovered is that the don't plow the roads. I don't know what they are thinking, but they leave the roads with tons of snow on them, they don't salt that much, it's a disaster.

Things are going pretty well here. I was able to substitute teach three days last week which was really good. I also found out that I can renew my teaching license without having to take 3 credit hours of class which was really awesome as well. I was in a state of panic when I thought that I had to take a class. See I was getting my license out to make a copy because I'm getting all of my applications ready for the spring for next school year. When I looked at my certificate though it said that it expires on 6-30-12 well, I paid for a two year license so I was a little confused, because technically I had it only for one school year. After talking to the Dept of Education I found that they back dated my license a year because I submitted my application before the new school year date. CRAP! I think it's a good way to get another 160 bucks out of me, but oh well. The lady I talked to was really nice and assured me that I could transfer my two year provisional to a four year without having to take the classes I just have to pay the money (of course!). What can you do I need it to apply for teaching jobs so there it is.

Jason is doing really well. He is almost done with his Pediatrics rotation, and I think he's pretty excited about that. I have to tell this part because I think it's strange. He gets assigned readings to do at night for the next day and sometimes has a little homework assignment. Well this weekend in addition to his reading he has to watch two half hour cartoon shows. Seriously when I was in school I would have loved to have that as my homework. Apparently it is supposed to help him relate to his patients better. I don't know if that's true or not, but we will go with it. Outside of school things are going well for Jason as well. He is now the proud owner of a new TV. We had some friends over for the playoff games last weekend and we realized how small our TV was for the living room so we upgraded to a 50 in which now that it's in the living room we realize is a huge TV, but it will work. So now we have our 32 inch in our bedroom. Speaking of playoffs as many of you know Jason is a huge 49ers fan and I am my proxy so our house has been all a buzz from their recent win. Go 49ers!

Cooper is doing really well. When we came back from Christmas we found out he has allergies and he was put on some medicine to help with it. Well in addition to that we switched his food and shampoo but he still wasn't able to get rid of the redness all the way. The other night Cooper was in his kennel and he ate a hole in his bed I made him for Christmas and ate part of the stuffing. (Don't worry he's ok no vet visit was needed for this emergency). Well after he did that his belly turned bright red and he started getting little spots on it. Turns out he's allergic to the bed! So we took out his bed and the past few days the redness is going away as well as the spots. Ugh this dog is going to be the end of me!

Other than that all is well in our house!

It's about time!

Finally we are having some snow in Ohio. Seriously where there was no snow on Christmas back home that was completely strange, but then to have it continue until now...ugh. For someone who actually loves snow this was a hard winter. But yay! Today it is finally snowing and it is supposed to continue until tomorrow.

Well things are keeping steady here. I have been substitute teaching a bit, not as much as I would like, but considering everyone is just coming back from a long break, it hasn't been too bad. I have been semi-busy at DSW as well so all in all it's been a good start to the new year. I am hoping to get started on my applications at resumes for teaching next year. I think it will help to actually have my Ohio certificate all in place prior to submitting applications.

The big news is Residency in our household. With the residency match a little over a year away we are planning out rotation site visits, where we want to apply to, back up plans etc. It's been a little stressful and I'm not sure how to make Jason calm down. I think it would have been easier on him if we would have gone to a place that already has his residency program, but that didn't happen, so now we have to do more work to make it happen. Jason has set up a pretty solid plan for audition rotations. He is really good with people and making a lasting impression ( a good one too) so I think that we don't have anything to worry about. It's just so competitive out there. Now generally I am the optimist in our marriage, silver lining, glass half full, but the stats on Anesthesia residency even have me worried a bit. I just hope for once things go our way and we can get something that we want instead of having to settle for what was given to us.

Whew!

Well a lot has happened and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it and figure out where to start. Christmas is over and it is always a little sad for me to put away the tree and decorations, but I know that Jason and I have an exciting year ahead of us.

Jason and I were able to go home for Christmas this year. It sounds like by his schedule our number of Christmas's in South Dakota are going to be limited from this point one, so we definitely made the most of this one. We were home for a total of two weeks, which sounds like a lot, but really when you try to fit everyone in to see, it goes really fast. We were able to go up to Aberdeen and spend a few days with his Grandparents. Which was good since we hadn't seen them since our wedding...two years ago. Jason's other set of Grandparent's actually came to us. His Grandpa had to have a hip replacement surgery so they drove down to us to have that done. So we got to see them during our time home as well. Not under the best conditions, but it was still really nice to see them.

We were also able to send a lot of time with our friends. We were able to see Dave, Emily and Colin a lot which was good, because Colin is growing so much and I'm sad that I am not there to see it all. We were also able to see Andrea and Tori, which this was my first time meeting Tori and she is such a cutie. Unfortunately Travis had to go back to Maryland before we had a chance to see him, but maybe Jason and I will make a trip out there to see them. We were able to see our friends Heeyoung, Dabbert and Phil as well. So I think for the amount of time that we were home we were able to squeeze in a lot of people. Yay for us.

Cooper did a great job during our driving trips. The trip out there was a little easier than the trip back, just because we divided it into a two day trip. He was able to sees almost all of the SD family which was nice. Unfortunately he wasn't able to play with the dogs like he normally plays. Jason's family dog Sam is 12 and wasn't to interested in Cooper and not to happy to have the crazy pup in his space. Abby which is my parents dog is a small dog and felt the need to defend her turf so wasn't really much up to playing. Sophie, buy sisters dog, she's just always a little mean so that didn't work out either. He made the best of it though and did get a lot of walks. We also made sure that he got to go play with Fred and Jessi's dog when we got back into town so it all worked out.

I am still trying to figure out which is harder though. Preparing to leave to go home or dealing with the aftermath when you get back. I swear our house is still a disaster and I'm not sure when it is all going to be put back together again. I was able to de-Christmas and get caught up on laundry so far, but that's about it. Hopefully I'll be able to get the rest of the cleaning done today...we will see.

Hope you all had a Happy Holiday and a safe New Year!