The Saunders in NC

2010 Year in Review

2011-01-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

2010 was an awesome year in the Saunders house! We are feeling so very blessed to have had so many great things happen in a year. Our lives are so full of wonderful activities and people and it really just gives me butterflies :)

Wiggy and I spent Christmas with my family in Maryland and West Virginia and got our fill of snow I might add. It was wonderful to see my entire family and be able to spend some quality time with my grandparents as well as see some old friends for a fun Christmas Eve lunch! I love to go back home and talk about old times. It's almost a little like going back in time there!

Wiggy and I hosted New Years Eve at our house with lots of our fitness focused friends along with my new friend Doug. Doug has had a tough life thus far with a family that tries to control him by force-feeding him his entire life. He weighs 600 lbs but with the support of lots of new friends and a weight loss challenge I know he will succeed in losing a significant amount of weight and gaining a life! His story is incredibly sad and almost makes me sick to my stomach, but all I can do is be there for him and that's the plan! In fact, he will be attendigng church for the first time in years with Me and Wiggy this Sunday!

This past Sunday our Church Small group hosted a 3-D night at the Bethesda Center for the Homeless. We had a wonderful time praising God with a fantastic group of people who are down on their luck. It is truly amazing to see those who have so little be so thankful and to REALLY praise God for their blessings. We will be returning in a few months and I'm already looking forward to it!

I am still setting my goals for the New Year as I want to be able to really focus on them! Will keep you posted!

So many Blessings!

2010-12-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe it's December! Wow.. where does the time go? So much has happened over the last few weeks! Wiggy and I had an incredible time in Vegas. I told many people that I would "die" if I placed in the Top 10 at Fitness America and here I am in 8th Place and still standing. I feel so blessed to have met the many people that have helped me along this journey. I NEVER expected to place so well in my first competition and I'm so very proud of my husband who placed 12th out of 74 men... AMAZING! We were able to meet so many people in the Fitness and/or Modeling industries and got some really useful Feedback! I can't wait for next year!

Thanksgiving was really really nice! We spent the Holiday at Tim and Laurie's house with our friends Michael and Carrie, Christian and Gregg and a 9 months pregnant Tiffany. We had a big smorgasbord buffet with lots of yummy food and then were entertained by Break Dancing children. What fun!

Wiggy and I got in some Black Friday shopping and had a really nice and relaxing weekend. I even saw TWO movies! Our house is cozily decorated for the Holiday and I am looking forward to the arrival of my parents this evening for a weekend of shopping! I feel so blessed for the many wonderful people that I have in my life and for the fact that God has provided us with a beautiful home and the two greatest pets in the World. We have found a wonderful Church and Small group that is made up of amazing people! I miss my family dearly all the time, but Winston-Salem is truly home!

Updates!

2010-11-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

Oh my it's been a while since I've updated! I will start back at the October show.. I am very proud of my Jillfit girls all of whom did fantastic in their first competition! I am thrilled that it was a positive experience for all and that they will be competing again! I ended up placing 4th in my class (of about 12 girls if I remember correctly). It was definitely a tough bunch! We all had a wonderful weekend in Charlotte. Wiggy and I met up with my childhood friend Heather on Sunday for brunch then went to see "9 to 5" off broadway.

Shortly after arriving home Wiggy and I started discussing the FAP show in Vegas. We had decided we wouldn't compete this year but instead wait until next... Well... the plans changed. We will be leaving next Thursday for Las Vegas and our first glimpse of the national stage. I must admit I'm a bit nervous but also very excited! We will both be competing in the Fitness Model Division.

In other news, Wiggy's best friend Brian got married last weekend in Nebraska. We had a wonderful time and I am thrilled for Brian and his new wife Kinsey. Brian and Wiggy have been friends forever. They grew up 2 doors down from each other and though they are quite different they couldn't be better friends. Wiggy was Brian's bet Man (and Brian was his at our wedding 5 years ago) and his speech was amazing. Even after hearing it rehearsed many times it still made me teary eyed! We also had a chance to enjoy Wiggy's family while back in NE which is always a nice treat.

Finally, our basement is completed! It looks great and I am so excited to start training clients next week! It is by no means exactly how I want it but the improvements are complete and it looks great!

We leave for Vegas next Thursday... will be back with updates!

The Final Stretch

2010-10-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here we are in the midst of fall! The weather is still quite warm but I think we've all felt that switch from Summer to the brisk mornings and cool evenings that require long pants and sweaters now and then. Amidst all of this my Jillfit girls and I have been hard at work preparing for the Mid Atlantic Classic that takes place this Saturday! I am so proud of my 3 clients that will be competing in their first fitness competition and am honored to share the stage with them. I have learned a lot from them over the past 3 months and I hope they have learned from me too! It's an exciting yet difficult week... the last dry meals that require immense amounts of self control.... basically they are amazing!

In other news, Wiggy has sold his printing business and will be moving it out this weekend! Our workers will start on finishing our basement next Thursday and I'm super excited!

Wiggy's Mom visited us two weekends ago for a wonderful time. We spent time downtown, enjoyed a play at our new arts center, shopped a bit and enjoyed lots of time chatting. We've also enjoyed WFU football (even though it's kind of a tough year) and lots of activities with our friends. Our new Bible Study group started 3 weeks ago and we have loved the fellowship thus far!

That's all for me... good luck to my girls this weekend!

Fall is in the air!

2010-09-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

It's still warm around here, but not nearly as steamy as it was a month ago and a busy month it has been! Wiggy completed Renal, the most dreaded rotation of residency and a celebration was had. It was a very tough month but it's over! September has been busy with the beginning of my Junior League New Member year, becoming more involved in our new church, River Oaks Community Church and keeping up with my own training and training clients. I am competing in the NPC Mid-Atlantic Classic in 3.5 weeks and looking forward to sharing the stage with 3 of my clients! It's been a wonderful experience watching them transform and become more confident in all areas of their lives!

Labor Day weekend was Wiggy's BF Brian's bachelor party in Kansas City and they had a great time. I stayed home and spent some time with the girls then Wiggy joined me for a nice long Labor Day Hike on Monday at Hanging Rock after arriving home. This past weekend was my Uncle's wedding back home in MD and a great time was had by all. My parents hosted the Rehearsal Dinner and although we almost froze I think everyone really enjoyed themselves. I am happy that things will be slowing down this weekend and looking forward to Wiggy's Mom visiting us next weekend!

August Updates

2010-08-14T18:41:00.001-07:00

It's HOT in the Twin City! The last few weeks have been really busy but fun! My Grandparents visit really nice and then my parents visited the following weekend. With Meme and Grand we had several yummmy meals and did some shopping. With Mom and Daddy we also had several great meals and went to a musical based on Fishing in the Outer Banks... right up Daddy's alley. Wiggy and I have decided to finish our basement and will probably take our house off the market for a while and just enjoy it as is. We've had lots of showings, but no real interest thus far. But that's fine! Today was my first New Member meeting for the Jr. League of Winston-Salem. I am really excited to be a part of such an amazing group of young, educated and professional women. This year Women's Health/Obesity is a new focus...yay! We've been enjoying as much of Summer as possible... Wiggy is now on a very tough rotation, Renal... he is ready for it to be OVER! Tonight we were able to go to the Meridian Seafood Festival which was quite fun. Work has been crazy busy for both of us...Lots of great stuff going on with Jillfit including my pictures in Family Circle Magazine this month! Yay!

We did it!

2010-07-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

I am proud to say that Wiggy and I both won the Fitness Model Division at our recent competition in Roanoake VA! It was a very fun weekend complete with a well-run show and lots of nice people. Following the show they had an Afterparty- FREE for all competitiors! It was really nice to have such special treatment. The next day we hiked up Star Mountain prior to returning home. I am so proud of Wiggy!

In other news, our house is on the market! We found another house that we LOVE nearby that would be a bit of an upgrade for us. We are really happy where we are, but are hoping to take advantage of the market.

My lovely Grandparents are coming to visit tonight! I am very excited to see them as it's been a long time since their last visit.

From the Beach to the Mountains

2010-07-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been wonderful! I got to spend my 28th birthday with my family at our house in Avon, NC along with all of my Aunts and Uncles, my beautiful Mimi and my cousins. The Moomau's never see a dull moment and it was definitely a full weekend. I returned to beautiful hydrangea bushes that my wonderful husand planted for me. Last Wednesday Wiggy surprised me with a Birthday dinner complete with 12 of our friends at Foothills Brewing. It was a lovely evening and quite a surprise as my husband is not usually a big planner. On Friday evening we left for Asheville where we celebrated our five year anniversary! We rented a tiny cabin which was really quaint and perfect for us. I gave Wiggy his golf lessons and he gave me gorgeous diamond earrings. Another big surprise! On Saturday we hiked up the highest point East of the Mississippi, Mt. Mitchell. It was only 60 degrees at the top compared with Asheville's 85+. That evening we celebrated at The Grove Park Inn with a beautiful view from the terrace. On Sunday we took in Asheville and did a lot of window shopping before heading to the fireworks. It was quite a show! Now we're back and preparing for our next Fitness Competition next weekend! I am so very blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life!

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

2010-06-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

I've been really horrible about regularly updating the blog recently! Shame on me! June has been a bit of a crazy month with Wiggy back on call every 4th night. It seems that just when I'm getting used to having him home on a regular basis he's up and gone again! Intern year will be officially over after next week! How exciting! I will also turn 28 next week...awfully close to 30! We've been spending a ton of time outside enjoying life music, World Cup Soccer and steemy southern evenings eating outside. Our garden is even looking amazing because despite the heat we've been getting plenty of rain along with it.

I am looking forward to spending time with the Moomau side at the beach in Avon for my birthday! It will be Jasper's first real trip to the beach (3 years later)and I'm really excited about it. Sadly Wiggy won't be joining us because he's yet again on call. THEN, the next weekend we'll be celebrating our 5 year Anniversary in Asheville! Can't wait for that! Finally 2 weeks later we'll compete in the Fitness America Competition in Roanoake VA! Lots of big things coming up! That's all for now.

Show Time!

2010-06-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well, he did it! Wiggy competed in his first fitness competition in the Fitness Model Category and WON! He looked incredible and is a true natural on the stage! I also won both Elite Fitness Model and Elite Swimsuit Model! We had a wonderful time and all of the Jillfit team really did well. I will definitely be competing in FAME shows in the future! Following the show we had a big greasy dinner at Natty Greens in Greensboro. On Sunday we met several of our fellow competitors and their spouses at Sanders Ridge Winery in Booneville for Brunch. I highly recommend it as the setting is unmatchable and the food is to die for! Following brunch we headed to Stone Mountain for a nice long hike. Stone Mountain is my favorite hike around Winston Salem. The flat smooth rock is just breathtaking along with the 200 ft. waterfall. The trails are never super-crowded and Jasper loves it! On Monday we met up with an old college friend of mine who is moving back to NC from San Francisco. We are very excited for fellow Deacon fans in Winston!! So, what's next? July 17th- Model America in Roanoake VA... a few weeks of building then back to the cut. The body is an amazing machine and I feel so blessed to be able to do the things I can!

Vacation!

2010-05-13T10:03:00.001-07:00

We have returned from our fabulous vacation to Mexico! Wiggy and I left on 5/2 to head to Rivera Maya south of Cancun for a week long trip in the sun at Dreams Rivera Cancun. I was the resident fitness instructor for the week which is a really sweet deal for us! The resort is new and absolutely gorgeous with fantastic food and staff. We are of course preparing for the FAME show on May 29th meaning we couldn't indulge in the All-Inclusive excess, BUT that certainly did not affect our fun times! We really just relaxed by the pool and on the beach and enjoyed each other's company. Each time we return from vacation I miss my husband when we go back to work, so sad! We were certainly NOT ready to come home, but it was definitely a much needed and much enjoyed break. I even read 4 whole books while we were there! I LOVE to read! This weekend I am co-hosting my childhood friend Megan's baby shower with my Mom so it's on an airplane for me again! Then the FAME show is in 2 weeks! My time flies!

Showtime

2010-04-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Where to begin... I keep getting worse about posting updates! Last weekend was the NPC NC State show in High Point and I am proud to say that I placed 4th in Bikini Class A. Moreover, I am very pleased with the changes in my body since January and really like carrying a bit more muscle, even if my glutes are constantly sore! I got to see a lot of old friends and hang out with my two new Jillfit girls Nina and Faizah backstage. I was a mess for the morning show though because I drove all the way to High Point WITHOUT my makeup and had to make a mad dash to Winston to get it an then have Neely put it on before going on-stage, craziness!

Now it's time to prepare for the FAME show in May! I am going to enter Fitness Model and Bikini so we'll see what happens!

Spring into SUMMER

2010-04-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

Ahhh... the weather has been gorgeous and in the 80s for the past 5 days or so here in beautiful NC and we have taken absolute advantage of it! Starting with last weekend, Wiggy and I went to Greensboro for our belated Valentines Day and Birthday celebration. We arrived in GSO in the early afternoon and went to the new Civil Rights Museum that opened in February. It was a wonderful experience, yet it's hard to believe that things were so different in this country for African Americans even 50 years ago. The experience was quite eye opening. Next, we checked into the Proximity and took a long nap on the super comfy beds before time to get ready for dinner. We got dressed up and then headed to the Green Valley Grill just up the road for some tasty salmon and farro. Came back to our room and met up with one of Wiggy's fellow interns, Thomas and his girlfriend Katie. We headed out on the town until far too late for dancing (my fave was the rooftop even though it was a bit chilly). Sunday morning was leisurely and we finished with a nice clean brunch of egg white and chicken omlets with steel cut oats at Printworks, the bistro on site. It really was a lovely weekend!

This past weekend was Easter! We spent Friday evening with our good friends, new parents Neil and Ashley Morgan. It was great to catch up and spend time with baby Fletcher! Saturday was a super busy day of "getting the yard cleaned up, flowers planted, and garden ready". It took all day and we were exhausted, yet made it out for my steak and potato dinner! Yesterday was a nice hike at Pilot Mountain and then relaxing for the evening and dinner on the porch. It truly feels like summer in the South and I am a happy lady!

Wiggy is back on inpatient this month so that is an adjustment, but it's not too bad as he works NO Saturdays! I am less than a week out from the NPC State show so a bit carb deprived right now, but overall feeling good!

I'm excited for Church tonight and to celebrate the fact that He has Risen!!!

Florida!

2010-03-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a very long while since my last post so I'll try to update things. The most recent excitement is certainly our trip to Florida last week to visit my family. They are staying on Hutchison Island near Stuart very close to the beach and right on the river. We had a great time relaxing and eating lots of seafood (both healthy and not so healthy, love cheat meal). It was really great to catch up with the fam, celebrate Meme's birthday, and watch some good and bad WFU basketball. Meme and Grand were real troopers staying up until at least 1 am to watch the Deacs beat Texas in overtime!

We have really been enjoying Wiggy's outpatient month and sadly it is almost over! At the same time, so is intern year, so it's not so bad! I have gotten really into the Personal Training thing and have a solid handful of clients now. Wiggy found a doctor in Greensboro that practices functional and anti-aging medicine and is thrilled to have found a mentor!

My first spring competition is less than 3 weeks away! Crazy! Wiggy and I are both training hard, but making sure to keep it fun. We have spent some wonderful time with friends as well. I am truly blessed by my Winston-Salem family!

Spring Please

2010-02-28T16:33:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the end of February! I must admit that February is my least favorite month. It feels like Spring is too far away to look forward to and is just dreary and cold... especially this year. I am thrilled that it's over for weather reasons, but also the fact that this completes month 8 of intern year. Over the first 8 months Wiggy has had only one outpatient month meaning that he's been on call every fourth night ALL of the other months. Over these final 4 months he has TWO outpatient months which means every other month starting tomorrow! I am estatic to have him home every weekend in March! We will also be traveling to Florida to visit my parents and grandparents in Stuart in 2.5 weeks! Can't wait for that!

I haven't written for a while so some catch up:

Last weekend we went to a Casino Night Fundraiser with four other couples and the entire evening was a blast. We met up at Noma beforehand for dinner and wine and everyone laughed throughout the entire meal, it was a great group. We then headed over to the Nissen building for a Mardi Gras party before going to the Piedmont Club for the party. Fun was had by all and I even won a gift card to Christopher's downtown!

Yesterday Wiggy was on call, but I went to the UNC vs. WFU game with my friends Blake(a UNC fan) and Erin. Unfortunately our team is once again falling apart at the end of the season and it was an absolutely pitiful performance. What will happen in the post season? Let's hope it's better than next year!

Valentines Day

2010-02-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

The commercialized day of love has happened yet again. I have never been a huge fan of Valentines Day... I'm more of the camp of.... Wow.. this would mean so much more if it happened any other day of the year.. Of course it's super nice to be showered with flowers and nice meals, but Valentines Day makes it seem like an obligation that I've just never been super crazy about. My husband knows this and because of it he has become an expert in doing a little something nice on Valentines Day and then providing me with an itinerary for an upcoming weekend of fun and true celebration aside from the packed restaurants and super organized events that happen on Valentines Weekend.

This year my itinerary looks like this... and I'm so EXCITED!

March 27th.

9am Workout/teach classes

12pm Lunch at Whole Foods (a Sat. tradition)

2pm Visit the new Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro

4pm Check in to Proximity (Greenest Hotel in America)

6pm Wine on the outside patio

7:30 pm Dinner at Green Valley Grill

9pm Meet friends for drinks (mostly fellow Moses Cone residents who helped him plan this)

11pm Dancing at Much with said friends

Now, I must explain that my husband is not much of a planner. That falls on my plate... all the time. I learned that he had thrown this idea out there at a resident meeting weeks ago and that just made my heart sizzle! To know that he was planning something special for me in advance really makes me melt. I know, this probably sounds absurd, but he works 80 hour weeks and spends every 4th night at the hospital. He is also going through the rigors of training for his first fitness show. The boy doesn't have much free time. This year has been difficult. It has also made us much stronger as a couple and we appreciate each other so much more. I am crazy about my husband after 8 years together and that gives me butterflies!

Happy Valentines Day!

The Winter Blahs

2010-02-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

I can say that this is certainly the most "winter" that North Carolina has experienced in the 10 years that I've lived here. I don't mind snow all that much. I'm not allowed really as I grew up in a place that it snows almost daily from November until March every year. I absolutely do not miss snow, ice and frigid temperatures and I do not enjoy them when they come to hang out here in the South for weeks at a time. The problem isn't the snow, it's that everything shuts down for five days over six inches of snow. My early morning classes were cancelled Sat, S,M,T,W this week and are again cancelled tomorrow. I mean really? Is this necessary? I know that it's sometimes best to err on the side of caution, but come on! Ok, enough with that.

We've been quite busy with the daily grind lately. Wiggy is back on an OB rotation that keeps him super worn out all the time. That combined with lots of newsletter printing and fitness competition preparations beginning for both of us has kept us quite busy the past few weeks. Wiggy has gained a full 15 pounds of muscle in about 5 weeks, Wow!!! My first competition will be on April 10th and Wiggy and I will both compete on May 29th... after that who knows?

I am very excited to report that I'll be participating in a Personal Training Certification this weekend. I have been assured that it will go on regardless of weather and that makes me happy. I am very excited to step into a slightly different arena in the fitness world.

Other than that, we've had a wonderful beginning to 2010 with my "real" job and I am oh so very thankful for that! All is well, just busy busy... now, can we just stop the snow?

Basketball and Parties

2010-01-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

So here we are well into January and yet again, it's been a while since I posted. We are back in the grind as they say... Wiggy is in inpatient Medicine right now which is a brutal month so it ends up being stressful for both of us. However, he will be finished with his most difficult intern months at the end of January.. woo hoo! My work has also been quite busy which is a blessing!

We have been having a great time with WFU basketball this year! So many buzzer and overtime wins and a big win over Carolina on Wednesday. Wiggy and I gathered with some young alumni friends to watch the game at Bridger Fieldhouse, part of our football stadium. It was very fun!

Last weekend we hosted our "Post New Years Party" after we had to cancel our Christmas party. We had a blast with about twenty five friends who joined us for an evening of food and fun! I thought we were going to have tons of leftovers, but that was not the case at all. The little bit we did have was whisked home in plastic containers with our guests. It was a very fun evening :)

Winston-Salem has a new Independent Film cinema! I was thrilled to hear that it would be opening and last Sunday we went to go see "An Education". The Theaters are super nice and the movie was great. They server beer, wine and cakeballs, definitely not your typical theater!

This weekend will be very low key after a busy week and I'm looking forward to it!

2010!

2010-01-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

The New Year has arrived! Not only the New Year, but a new Decade! I find it strange to write x/x/10 as the year. It just doesn't feel right!

Wiggy and I celebrated the New Year with my family at the Fur Ball, a fundraising event for one of our animal rescues in Garrett County. The event was very fun with lots of dancing, great food and a casino complete with our hometown World Series of Poker winner Darvin Moon. My parents and grandparents were both there with us and it was the first time we rang in the New Year together for at least five years if not more. Our visit home was truly memorable. I had a wonderful time just hanging out with my family for a full ten days. Wiggy got to snowboard and have some serious down time. He received a shot gun for Christmas that we learned to shoot and practiced on an old door which we spray painted with target spots. It was super fun! Oh and it snowed... every day... a lot. By the end I was ready to be finished with scraping snow and ice off of my car.

With the New Year comes reflection (why can't we reflect all year long)? It's been a very eventful year with Medical School graduation, the beginning of residency, starting Grad School, my first fitness competitions, placing in the top five in a large half marathon, our first week long vacation together since our honeymoon, Wiggy's induction into AOA honors society, lots and lots of weddings, our 5 year college reunion, my first good friend had a baby, Wiggy and I have gotten further involved with the House of Service and so much more.

I must say that I am really starting to feel like a full fledged grown up. I don't feel like a child anymore or that I need to call my Mom for every little thing. Teenagers are starting to seem very young to me and many of the activities or "ways we did things" when I was in high school and early college are already obsolete. I feel that I have more confidence in my decisions, more direction in my life and am settled into my little "family". It's hard to explain how all of this comes together, but sometimes I feel down right old.

So 2010 is here! What is to come? Well a few things for sure. I will continue Grad School and compete in multiple fitness competitions this year. I would like to branch out with the opportunities that come with competing more aggressively this year. I must say that we've fared rather well considering the immense challenges that intern year of Residency presents and I am quite proud of that, I pray that it continues and for the ability to relish in the moments we'll laugh about later. We plan to go on another "grown up" vacation in May and visit my family in Florida in March. Wiggy's best friend will get married in November and my "Uncle/Brother" Adam will get marriend in September. We have so much to look forward to and I love that we have the opportunity with each New Year to appreciate where we've been and be excited for things to come. I also must remind myself of my life motto... "If You Want to See God Laught Tell Him Your Plans". It's a wild ride.... here's to 2010.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-27T12:45:00.001-08:00

Hello to All,
I hope that all of my readers had a very Merry Christmas spending time with friends and family. I have the wonderful opporutunity to spend ten whole days at home in Maryland with my family. Wiggy will join me on the 29th when he'll have 5 days off for the New Year.

The big news of last weekend was the snow in NC! We had 6 inches in NC which caused the whole place to shut down. We were supposed to have a Christmas party on Friday the 16th, but of course the 6 inches caused many to cancel so we decided to host a post-New-Years Party instead. We spent that evening at Walmart purchasing the remaining gifts for the House of Service. Needless to say we were one of about 5 customers in the entire place. Saturday was spent finishing up shopping and then Wiggy and I exchanged our gifts and then went out for Thai. Sunday Wiggy worked so I began packing for my trip to MD, wrapped lots of gifts for the House of Service and delivered them, then headed to the Wake vs. NC State game with my friends Carrie and Michael and Emily Crawford.

After a whirlwind of a few days I headed North to MD on Christmas Eve to meet up wih my family. We went to a nice dinner then Church before crashing for the night. Christmas morning we exchanged gifts and then brunched before heading to my Mom's home town of Petersburg, WV for a Moomau side reunion. It's a crazy place at Mimi's house at Christmas, but always a time to treasure. I spent the night at my Aunt Sarah's house then had a lovely conversation with her the next Morning. Yesterday I headed back to my parents house and then met up with a ton of high school friends to celebrate my friend Megan's birthday.

I almost forgot to mention an amazing experience that I had a few weeks ago. My chruch group participated in DDD at a local homeless shelter. We served dessert and gave a short devotional and then a converastion with the men and women. Many of them were so full of faith that you could feel it radiate through the room. Two gentlemen were even moved to sing for us which was just amazing. I can assure you that we got more out of the experience than any of the men and women we were serving. Praise God for such an amazing experience!

Happy New Year to all!

It's Christmas Time in the City!

2009-12-14T08:09:00.000-08:00

It's time for that bi-weekly update and so much has happened since last time I wrote! Starting back where I left off... Wiggy and I enjoyed an impromptu Christmas event a couple of weeks ago when we decided to head downtown for the Twin City Santa young professionals charity event at about 6pm when it started at 8pm. We quickly got all gussied up and went out on the town. We met up with lots of friends and acquantiances there, none of which we knew would be there, so it was quite a fun surprise! That Friday Wiggy was on call, but my gracious friends Erin and Laurie invited me out with their hubbies for a night of Mexican. Saturday evening the festivities continued with a WFU Soccer win in the semi-finals and then a night of fun and tacky sweaters (minus the Saunders, our theme was "warmest sweaters in your closet" as the game was FREEZING) at the Clines. Quite an event I must say!

This past Tuesday I took my final for my Masters Class which is now gladly over! I did well and am now accustomed to the juggle of full time employee-part time student lifestyle. I celebrated with a Biggest Loser Finale impromptu gathering at my house with a couple of girls who are also fanatics! That show is such an inspiration for everyone with a goal! Wednesday evening Wiggy and I attended a WFU Young Alumni Happy Hour where we caught up with some fellow alumni and met some new Deacon Fans as well! Afterward I headed over to Heather's house for Bunco, which ended up as a chat fest and wine tasting... better than Bunco in my book! Friday evening the fun continued with a holiday gathering at the home of our friends Blake and Erin. More yummy food, punch and good conversation.

Friday night my parents arrived for a weekend of Christmas shopping. We did pause long enough to go see the Black Nativity on Saturday night. What an inspiration! The actors and musicians not only got me in the Holiday spirit, but did an amazing job praising the birth of our Lord and Savior, the true reason for the season! I will definitely go again next year! We also had some tasty Thai food at an all time fave... Cha Da Thai!

I can't believe Christmas is less than 2 weeks away! I'm really looking forward to my 10 day visit home... it's been a LONG time since I was able to spend that much time with my family and it's a true blessing.

Thanksgiving and Fall Fun

2009-11-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that the Holidays have arrived! We've just returned from celebrating Thanksgiving with Wiggy's family in Nebraska and catching up with his Best Friend Brian and his new Fiance Kinsey. We enjoyed lots of great conversations (some a little heated, but that's to be expected in Saunders family conversation), lots of great food, The Christmas Carol in IMAX 3D, and the excitement of wedding planning. All in all it was a great trip, just a little short. We always wish both of our families were closer!

Last weekend was also a fantastic weekend! I started Thursday with a girls night catching up over appetizers and wine at Sixth and Vine. Friday evening we caught up with some Medical School friends over Thai food and then Saturday we decorated our house for Christmas and sipped wine and chatted before heading out to meet up with friends to watch The Blind Side (my favorite movie of 2009 by far). Sunday was the best of all! We got up and worked out together (something we rarely get to do) and then spent the afternoon delivering Thanksgiving Dinner bags to the families we work with at the House of Service. Not only was the delivery a wonderful experience, but I was amazed by my friends and even acquaintances that offered to put together a bag. I ended up with 6 bags and $110 in gift cards (allowing us to put together 8 more bags)from a simple Facebook posting! It is amazing the small ways that God displays his Grace through our friends. We fed 14 families through one little posting! I am still in awe of this! That evening we headed to Greensboro for an interview dinner for the incoming intern class at Moses Cone. It was really fun to answer questions as the spouse on the "other side" this time.

The past two weeks have been wonderful and I am truly looking forward to the Holiday season. Lots of Cheer and Joy coming my way!

Competitions and Vacations

2009-11-18T08:53:00.001-08:00

I'm finding it very hard to belive that Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is a mere 4.5 weeks away! Our lives have been very eventful and very blessed of late and we have much to be thankful for!

I'll begin where I left off with my recent fitness competition. My wonderful family came into town to support me (even though this whole thing is new to them). The process starts on Friday evening witha super-dark spray tan followed by Saturday morning early makeup/hair followed by pre-judging. We finished pre-judging super late so just went to get coffee and wine and got ready for the night show. I ended up placing 2nd in the bikini division and went out with the fam to celebrate with a super late dinner at the Village Tavern. Sunday we enjoyed the beautiful weather and did a tiny bit of shopping.

Last week was Wiggy's first bit of vacation since he began residency in June. It was so nice to get away to the NC Mountains for a few days and even though it was off season and the leaves had all fallen, the images are still breathtaking. We stayed at an ancient little inn in Beech Mountain which is about 10 minutes up the mountain from Banner Elk. Our first day was quite cold and wet so we enjoyed the sites and shops of downtown Boone and watched a movie before spending the evening sipping wine and talking for hours and eating a wonderful Organic dinner at Tupelo's in Boone. Friday we became adventurous and took on the difficult slopes and ladders of Pilot Mountain. Unfortuantely we got to a point where Jasper could not get up the inclines/ladders so we turned around, but not before getting lots of awesome pics from a mile up. That evening we did a wine tasting at Banner Elk Winery then had some more chatting time before grabbing calzones from a little pizza shop nearby. Saturday was our final day and we decided to pay homage to Wiggy's hospital's founder Moses Cone at his old estate on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are 20 miles of trails! We went on a nice long hike down to the lake and then of course straight back up before heading home. The down time was much needed and it was really great to spend some quality low key time together! Next week we're off to Nebraska to visit Wiggy's family for Thanksgiving!

The leaves are falling!

2009-11-03T13:49:00.000-08:00

Time is absolutely flying by lately and here we are in November and well into the transition to cooler weather. The leaves are even beginning to fall here in good ole' NC! The past two weeks have been crazy as ever induced by a week of illness following my fitness show (yes two full days in bed plus two more of struggling to function, ick). Our excitement for the weekend was chinese food on Friday night before Wiggy was on call on Saturday/Sunday and I studied, exciting stuff right?

Last week was super busy with printing, studying, and writing for class, hard training getting ready for show #2 and Wiggy wrapping up his last week of call. We have survived four months of inpatient service and now have a vacation month, woo hoo!!!!! This past weekend was a nice celebration. Friday night we had dinner with our friends Ashley and Neal who are expecting a baby in less than two months. They are our first close friends with a baby on the way so this is super-exciting for all of us! Saturday afternoon we watched a heart breaking WFU football game that came down to the wire and ended in a 28-27 loss, so sad! We sat in the rain the entire second half just knowing they were going to pull it off. Determined not to lose faith in our team! Saturday night we enjoyed several glasses of wine while waiting for Trick or Treaters that never came. We only had two!!!! I've now had to hide the candy from Wiggy until I can get rid of it! Sunday morning was a change as we went to church (we usually go on Mondays). The formal service is nice now and then. It was wonderful to have an alert husband home on a Sunday to help me cook, double the fun in half the time, can't beat that. We really relaxed for most of the rest of the day, which is what you're supposed to do on Sunday right?

Busy week this week... photo shoot tonight, writing for class, parents visiting this weekend AND the SHOW on Saturday! Ready for some more fun and then for it to be over!

Fall Splendor

2009-10-24T16:35:00.001-07:00

Hello Readers!

Again it's been too long since I updated, but here I am!

Thanks to all who sent me well wishes for my first figure show. I ended up placing 4th in the bikini division so I was pleased with my performance/results. But, those of you who know me well know my competitive nature and that 4th isn't good enough for me, so I'm very excited that I"ll have the opportunity to particpate in another show in 2 weeks from today in Greensboro! Unfortunately, I was sidelined with a stomach bug for 2 days this week but am back on the band wagon so very thankful for that. I met a ton of wonderful people during this adventure and got to know a couple of wonderful girls much better throughout the process. This is definitely not something you can go alone! A big thanks to my childhood friend Heather who came to watch me and cheer me on along with my ever supportive husband, sweet yet viscous trainer Tara and the brains behind it all Jill Coleman! After the show we indulged in some major Cheesecake Factory goodness and then had a blast at Carowinds Amusement park on Sunday, what a weekend!

The weekend before was Wake Forest's Homecoming and our 5 year reunion. I was fortunate to have 2 of my best friends from College come to stay with me and partake in the festivities. We started with a double overtime tied soccer game with UNC before 3 hours of surrealness and meeting up with our old classmates at the Diamondback Grill on Friday night. Saturday my girls and I visited our old suite to make sure our over the door message was still there (it is, we had a nostalgic and a teary celebration over it) and took a peek at all of the updates on campus. It's hard to believe it's been 5 years! We watched a big win over Maryland and then had a fun night out with more old friends, ahhhh the memories! It was great to have everyone in town for a weekend, wish they were around more often.

So now, it's 2 hard weeks of diet/training before the competition and then Wiggy and I will go to the Mountains on 4 day vacation the following weekend. Yippeeee!!! This is the final week of his four months of inpatient service and being on call every 4th night. It's finally almost over, much prasie for that. Until next time... lots of sunshine and many blessings!

And it's Fall

2009-10-06T16:43:00.001-07:00

Hello lovely Readers,
Yes, I have been MIA for quite a while. I can't even remember where I left off! Let me just start with a general update. Wiggy is now well into his 4th and final month of straight Q4 (every 4th night) Call! Yay! I am working hard getting ready for my show that is now in less than 2 weeks, crazy! We've also been busy with church, a new bible study that I joined, WFU football, tutoring kids at the house of service and much much more!

A few weeks ago we got to go to Smith Mountain Lake for the Moses Cone Family Medicine retreat. The entire department takes off for the weekend for a nice get away. The first night we had a theme party of decades, which was super fun! On Saturday we hiked, had a big cookout and a big Catch Phrase Game among the interns and a ping pong tournament among the guys. The weekend was a super nice getaway and a chance for all of the residents to bond outside of the hospital.

My parents came down to visit in late September for a big football win against Stanford. We also went to see "The Color Purple" with Fantasia. It was quite possibly my favorite show ever!

I am well into my Master's Program and actually aced my first test which made me feel good as I had major test jitters since I hadn't taken a test since 2004.

Wiggy is hanging in there. I can't say he's been doing much more than working and hanging out with me when he's off. He just doesn't have time to get into much fun in his time off. The printing business still keeps him busy as well.

We are going to the Dixie Classic Fair tomorrow! "Need to Breathe", an awesome Christian band is playing and we're excited for that. We have lots of friends coming into town this weekend for Wake Forest's homecoming and our 5 year reunion! Have we really been graduated for that long? Wow!!! We're getting old. We're very much looking forward to catching up with lots of folks from the Class of 2004!

Promise I won't be a stranger this time!

Summer... Slowly Slipping Away

2009-09-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

Gosh, it's been a while since I posted and a lot has happened since then.... I'll try to remember everything but this is a toughie..

2 weekends ago Wiggy and I spent a night in Galax VA in a tiny cabin where we could easily enjoy the New River Trail just outside of our cabin. We saw tons of wildlife and were so impressed with how woodsy and green the area was so close to our little city... yet a much higher elevation. We also listened to Bluegrass off the Blue Ridge Parkway in an adorable amphiteather surrounding by green rolling hills. It was a combo of traditional and gospel bluegrass and we LOVED it!

Last week I had the opportunity to help out with the House of Service Elementary Bible Study where we taught the kids about the meaning of baptism.... about a week before 7 of these kids had accepted Jesus as their Savior and it was beautiful to watch them comprehend the magnitude of the step they had taken in their lives.... I will be back!

I also had a chance to meet a couple of other intern wives at a friend's house for Bunko night... I had never played, but had a great time catching up and laughing about the joys of resident life.

We kicked off WFUfootball season last weekend... it was great to be out there, but our team has some things to prove. Well make that a lot to prove, come on Deacs! Get-it-togethet! That night was cheat meal though... Wiggy and I shared a bottle of wine on the porch and chatted and then headed downtown to Mellow Mushroom for a calzone... yummy! And then frozen custard with maple syrup... double yummy!

Sunday we hosted a cookout for our church group called Seeds. We were welcoming home one of our own (also Jasper's favorite human other than Wiggy and I), Ross after his 4 month mission in the Navajo. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and catching up with the wonderful things Ross accomplished while he was away. All the little boys gathered hundreds of walnuts out of our yard (thank you!) and made a huge pile and then hammered them open. They are all boy and so energetic and fun to hang out with!

As for me... my muscles are subtly becoming more defined and I have practiced this whole posing thing to get ready for the competition. It's been a fun experience so far... like an experiment within my own body of what to put in it and how to work it out for optimum functioning... how fun!

My family is coming in this weekend and I'm looking forward to that!

Training... in a very new way

2009-08-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me well know that I've been practicing or training for something for all of my life.... from gymnastics to cheer to dance to running etc... always training. I have embarked on a new training adventure of preparation for a fitness competition coming up in October. For this effort I have given up all of my eating habits (3 square meals/lots of bread/a major sweet tooth) for 6 mini-meals per day filled with protein with the bulk of the eating done earlier in the day.

I'm on Day 5 of the new plan and I must say my body is adjusting. It's ready to eat at the designated times and I'm never starving so I haven't even had a craving for bread one time! I thought for sure that part would kill me and there is no effect at all! My exercise routine is changing too... less cardio and more weights. I had my first training session with my "trainer" Tara on Wednesday... all lower body... all very heavy. I'll just say that I still can hardly get up out of my chair!

That aside I am very very excited for this weekend! This is Wiggy's first weekend off since he started residency on June 20th that we will both be in town (one of his weekends we flew to CA for 40 hours and the other one I was gone for a wedding). Tonight will be my first big "cheat meal" where I get to eat whateva I want and have a glass of wine! Tomorrow we're heading to Galax VA where we're staying in a tiny cabin on the New River Trail. We'll be hiking maybe biking and partaking in the Blue Ridge Parkway and the bluegrass at the "Blue Ridge Music Center". Very much looking forward to a night away!

Last night I hosted Girl's night at my house with a game of Apples to Apples. I never win games and I tore this one up... it was crazy. Last time I played this game I ended up with one card at the end. Last night I had 7!!! We had a nice time chatting and got to meet a couple more wonderful women of Winston-Salem! There really are some fab and hilarious gals around here :)

Happy weekend!

Adjusting

2009-08-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

Just as we've begun to feel accustomed to Wiggy's crazy intern schedule things are about to get crazier. Next week I begin my first class for my Masters Certificate in Healthcare Administration. Even though it's only one class per semester it's been over 5 years since I've been an estudiante and I'm a tad bit nervous when I think about juggling work, volunteering, social life and my extra responsibilities that I cover for Wiggy AND school. On top of that, this coming Monday I will also begin my training/eating regimine for my first fitness competition that will be on October 17th. I really just want to get it all started so I can rid myself of this weird anxiety!

Otherwise, it's been a very full couple of weeks. Fortunately for me, I have re-connected (and connected for the first time) with a wonderful and random group of girlfriends that have been great support and company while Wiggy's gone a lot. Friday evening I did get to hang out with the hubby over a nice dinner with wine at Hutch & Harris. We admired our little city and how incredibly much cooler it is now than say even 3 years ago. Saturday evening I met up with a group and headed over to Meridian Restaurant for their seafood festival. Very fun... great food and music and so many people. On Sunday it was "The Time Travelers Wife" (another book club movie) and pedicures with Lindsey and Carrie. Thursday evening we even had a fondue party with about 15 girls all whom have at least one connection to someone in the group. We always invite everyone to bring a friend so our group is growing. I'm hosting a Game Night next Thursday (a call night that I'm livening up) and the invite now has 25 ladies on it! Everyone gripes about how it's hard to meet new people in Winston-Salem... our group is challenging that! Bring on Girl's Night!

This weekend Wiggy will be off Friday AND Saturday and next weekend he's off completely. I'm very excited to spend 2 weekend days in a row with him!

Summer Sizzle

2009-08-03T09:15:00.001-07:00

The past two weeks of my life have gone by like a big blurr... not even sure I remember everything! Last weekend Wiggy was on call basically all weekend except for Friday night so we indulged in a patio dinner at our fave Sixth and Vine for some good convo and yummy food (their goat cheese salad with cherries is the BEST). Saturday I went hiking at Hanging Rock with 3 friends and my puppy. My friend Carrie's pugs were supposed to come as well but they were conked out after playing with Jasper for 10 minutes so they went home. That evening Carrie and I saw "The Hangover". It was absolutely hysterical... Wow! Sunday I had lunch with my good friend Ashley who is expecting! She will be my first very close friend to have a baby and I can't wait! That evening Wiggy and I went on a bike ride and grilled shrimp, yummy!

This past week was quite exciting as Wednesday night I caught up with lots of the Group Ex gals who used to take my classes at the now closed Jonestown Peak Fitness. We had a great time catching up and enjoyed our 1/2 price wine. Thursday evening I finally caught up with my Med School gals Meg and Jamie for the Skirt Magazine one year anniversary party. They gave away lots of free goodies and fried food. It was really great to see them after such a long break!

Friday afternoon I flew home for one last wedding and my Mom picked me up from the airport and took me to my fave.. Red Robin for a juicy and greasy Whiskey River Chicken Sandwich! We then had a nice 3 hour chat on the way home. Saturday morning I got to go running at home, my favorite place on the earth... think... super low humidity, mild Summer temps, beautiful green surroundings and killer hills! Then it was off for pedicures with Mom and Meme and a lovely patio lunch with the whole fam before getting ready for the wedding. The bride was beautiful and I got a chance to catch up with lots of high school friends that I haven't seen in a long time. We all had a great time mingling and dancing and reminiscing. Sunday morning was rough as we had to get up by 6:30 to head to the airport. Fortunately I got to spend yesterday with my hubby which was worth the early wake up call.

Off to another week... no more air travel in sight for quite a while... sighhhh

Summer Fun

2009-07-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the most relaxing weekend I've had in a LONG time. Friday evening my friend Jenny and I went to see "My Sister's Keeper" which we had just read for our book club. What a tear jerker! I liked the movie ending better than the book but I wont go into detail as I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet. Wiggy was on call Friday night and slept until late on Saturday afternoon as he got NO sleep and delivered 6 babies on his shift. I took the opportunity to lunch, run errands and take Jasper to the Dog Park and then we finally pulled our bikes out of the garage and put them to use.

Wiggy and I purchased bikes in mid June (his was a graduation present from his parents) and frankly have not ridden them one time due to being so busy on the weekends and so tired in the evenings! We went on a lovely ride along the Greenway at Muddy Creek. It's so close to our house yet seems so rural, I love it! I must say that I was a little skeptical of my bike as I haven't ridden in many years, but once I put on all the "gear" I was ready to roll. I teach cycle classes about 5 times per week, but it's just not the same! In comparison to running, I loved that Wiggy and I could carry on a full conversation while exercising and I loved the breeze even though it was quite sticky out. I'm sold on this biking thing and I'm just getting started. I am, however, still terrified of riding with cars nearby!

Saturday evening we FINALLY celebrated our anniversary (2.5 weeks late) in style. We went to a very nice patio dinner at Ryan's where we shared a salmon dish and a pork dish and a bottle of wine and then we headed to the live music in downtown Winston put on by the Arts Council. The band was the Vagabond Saints Society and they played some great "oldies but goodies". The best part was watching the people dancing... quite a riot. Finally we headed over to NOMA to check out their new Saturday night DJ. The music was great, but us old folks got a little sleepy before it really got going.... next time.

Sunday we went on a nice hike at Pilot Mountain with Jasper. I love hiking with him as he's always on his best behavior while hiking and will even heel for us without any trouble. We often let him off his leash when its not crowded just to allow him to entertain us with his explorations. Sunday evening we grilled out and ate on the porch. What a wonderful weekend... I'm glad this one isn't far off!

To Cali and Back... hurry!

2009-07-14T09:25:00.001-07:00

I feel like I haven't "lived" at home for almost a month now simply because I've been gone so much! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining as I've gotten to really enjoy a lot of old friends and visit family. The issue is the globetrotting has me exhausted... I mean beat tired and I'm very excited to be home for 2 full weeks.

One of the most difficult things about intern year is that there is very little time off in that they get one weekend off per month (and that means you're on call on Thursday and again on Monday). Wiggy had the honor of serving as a groomsman in his good friend Kurt's wedding in San Francisco last weekend. We were really excited to be able to attend as my college roomate Kristin, and good friend from Wake Lara played key roles in them coming together when Kurt moved to San Francisco (after transfering from WFU to UCLA) a few years ago and Lara invited him to a party to introduce him to people. It was there that he met Joanne, a high school mate of Kristins. So it's a sweet story that involves many people that I am close with made happen.

Fortunately we arrived to SFO early on Friday and were able to make the rehearsal dinner of German food in honor of Kurt's heritage. We were at the bride's aunt's beautiful home in the hills of Orinda, and I knew I wasn't in the South East anymore! That night we crashed as the wedding party had to be up early. We had the pleasure of staying at Kristin's parents house and receiving some Kuhn hospitality.

The wedding took place at Stanford Chapel which is absolutely beautiful. It was nice to visit an area of SFO that was new to me. We then headed to one of Kristin's high school friend's parents' houses for drinks and fellowship before heading to the reception which was in the VERY nice Catholic School that Kristin and Joanne attended. The food and party were incredible and it was hard to believe it was time to leave already.

Someday, after residency, we will return for a long West Coast trip to LA, SFO, and to visit Coach and Mrs. Kurt Schmid to cheer on the Sounders!

Weddings Galore!

2009-07-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

Over the fourth of July I was in Philly for my dear friend Julia's wedding. We all arrived on Wednesday evening (delayed of course) and headed out for a quick drink and catch up session. The wonderful thing about my Wake girls is that we always pick right up where we left off.

Thursday morning was mani/pedis and then we had a nice lunch and wandered that afternoon before the rehearsal and a lovely Italian dinner and Vino.

Friday morning was hair and makeup before a long photo shoot complete with the bride and groom's emotional moment of seeing eachother for the first time, adorable! The wedding was on the roof top of the Franklin Institute and was just gorgeous. The reception took place in the white marble room with Ben's statue. The entire event was just magnificent and the bride absolutely sparkled.

Saturday allowed time for us to check out the Liberty Bell and more exploring around the city. I also got a chance to shop with my Mom for the first time in a very long time, always a blast! We had Philly Cheese Steaks for lunch, yummy, and tart fro-yo for a snack. Saturday evening the entire wedding party got together to listen to the Roots and Sheryl Crow and watch the wonderful fireworks. It was really a lovely reunion for all of us Wake girls and a nice mini-vacation as we had a good bit of time to relax and tour a city that I wasn't expecting much from, but really impressed me. I also must mention the wonderful greenways full of statues and landmarks that allow one a history lesson while running, you can't beat that!

June Hoopla

2009-06-29T19:13:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I wrote as the last few weeks have been quite full on this end. After Jamaica it took us a week to get back in the swing of things and catch up around the house and at work. Wiggy and I purchased road bikes and I'm very excited to get started. I'm a bit terrified of my toe clips, but I'm sure I will adjust quickly. We also played a lot of tennis after all the free lessons we got in Jamaica. We've got to keep practicing so we don't forget what we learned!

Last weekend we had the opportunity to meet all of Wiggy's fellow interns at a picnic (he had a ropes course that morning as well). Everyone is so cool and laid back... I think it's going to be a really great group for him. Last Monday was Wiggy's first day of orientation and tomorrow will be his last before he's set loose delivering babies as his first rotation is OB. My poor husband is terrified of OB and of the stresses of being on call. He's about to pull his hair out with nerves.. not sure what they told him at orientation, but I'm desperately trying to remind him that he'll survive just fine.

This weekend was my friend Bethany's wedding. I arrived home on Thursday night with my friend Andi who lives an hour from me in NC. We got in super late then it was up on Friday to decorate the reception site. We had a nice lunch on the lake and then headed home for a quick nap (or so I thought) before the rehearsal. I arrived to find 25 nutrisystems bar and snack wrappers (yep I counted) strewn about my parents house courtesy of a fat and miserable Jasper. Fortunately he was fine by the next day after a long night of an upset tummy. Will he ever learn? The wedding on Saturday was absolutely gorgeous and the 80s band for the reception was fantastic and kept the energy rolling. Now we're back and I have 2 more days before leaving for wedding weekend #2 of 3. So glad I get to see everyone over these couple of weeks, but wish I had a bit more of a break!

Wedding season is in full swing as is intern season... here we go!

Jamaica!

2009-06-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

Wiggy and I have just returned from an incredible week long vacation to Jamaica! We had an absolutely wonderful time and really needed that week away together. It was our first real vacation since our honeymoon 4 years ago! We planned the trip around Christmas time and we were able to stay at a wonderful resort, Couples Swept Away, in Negril for a very very small fee as I served as the Fitness Instructor for the week and taught 2 classes per day. Those of you who know me well know that I love to teach classes and this was by no means work for me!

I could go on and on about our resort but I'll just name a few of my favorite things:

1. Everyone says Yah Mon all the time and it's contagious
2. The hammocks on the palm trees on the beach were fantastic
3. The food was amazing! Specifically the mangoes, the 2 "fancy restaurants" especially the Thai restaurant called Lemongrass, our daily fresh salads with all kinds of toppings for lunch, the lemon coconut sorbet AND the extra spicy bloody marys! We also had room service for breakfast everyday.... how's that for all inclusive?
4. The beach was amazing... 7 miles of beautiful turquiose water. Also they gave us mats for our chairs that also work as rafts.. comfy and convenient
5. The evening entertainment never failed to impress. Each night there was live music of all different kinds. One night there was a bonfire on the beach with a singer/guitarist singing old love songs. Another night there was a Jamaican party on the beach. One night was a talent show and then late night there was a nice nightclub for dancing... ALL on the resort!
6. The staff was super-friendly
7. We took tennis lessons everyday from Rob.. the tennis pro for the week with a similar set up as I had
8. The gym was fantastic.. they had everything and it was all nice and new and in good working order... that makes a fitness pro happy!

Finally, the resort was just beautiful. Wiggy said it well..." it's like they built the resort around the landscaping rather than the other way around". ahhhh... Jamaica.... we'll be back, I'm sure of it! Now just 2 short weeks before intern year begins... I think we're trying to savor them while also anxiously anticipating the upcoming year. I'm so glad I have a lot of girlfriends that will be surviving intern year with me!!! Will post pics soon!

Reflections

2009-05-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Having had a week to let it sink in, I must say that I'm still a little shocked that Medical School is over. For me, the first 2 years drug on just a little, but the past 2 years have flown by. Wiggy and I got married two weeks before Medical School began. I must say that contrary to expectations, this experience has had no negative effects on our marriage. Quite the opposite in fact.

Medical school taught us patience, time management, and to appreciate the time that we have together. It taught us to dream big, to expect the unexpected, it taught us faith, to listen to our hearts rather than others opinions, it taught us to be unconventional, that difficult weeks or months come to an end, that we could be quite happy living on one income, that together we can accomplish anything. It taught us to appreciate eachother's strengths, how to best talk through things, it taught us patience, and to wait for answers. It provided us with wonderful steadfast friends that I am happy to say will be sticking around the Dash with us for a few more years.

These are not the things that I expected to learn from Medical School. Quite frankly I was a bit terrified of Medical School. As an only child I am quite independent, but I was quite weary that I would be living life as a single person with a studying body in the room upstairs. Of course those days and weeks happened, and I felt a twinge of self-pity now and then, but overall we have grown so much as a couple during these four years that I wonder where we may be without them.

Here we are at another crossroad... in a few short weeks Wiggy will be an Intern beginning his first month on an OB rotation. I have joked with him that his legacy of his first month will live on in the stories that the Mothers of the babies he delivers will tell them years from now... the stories about the young Dr. who seemed to have no idea what he was doing when he delivered them.... all jokes aside, I know my husband will be a wonderful Doctor. It is now time for me to go back to school so we can move closer to our dream of owning our own practice... we're not exactly sure what it will look like yet or exactly what type of medicine we'll practice... but in the meantime I better get started learning how insurance/staffing/liability/EMR etc. etc. etc. works.

Are we ready for the new stresses? Of course I wonder just as I did 4 years ago. But I've learned from those four years that we'll learn so much more and rather than only looking forward to the future, we will savor the next 3 years and soak them up. I will try to be better at remembering "Life is what happens while you're making other plans".

Dr. Wiggy's Graduation

2009-05-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we reached a major milestone in the life-long process of evolving as a physician. We were so fortunate to share the weekend with both of our families. Wiggy's parents came all the way from Nebraska and my parents and Grandparents from Maryland for a long weekend of celebration. The festivities began on Friday when we all attended an Award's Ceremony for the graduates. Wiggy was quite surprised to be the recipient of the award for interest and aptitude in Oncology. His dear friend Dr. McQuellon played a major role in his receiving it and for that we are grateful! Friday night we hosted a cookout for our families and a few friends. However, our cookout resulted in a torrential downpour and became a cook-in with the chicken prepared in the oven instead of on the grill! A good time was had by all though and it was a great start to the weekend.

Saturday festivities included a trip to Pilot Mountain and the faculty reception at Forsyth Country Club following dinner with our families. Sunday morning we attended our church with our families and were able to watch our dear friend, Ross, be commissioned into
Christian Service as he begins his mission in the Navajo. Sunday evening was the big event... The Hooding Ceremony where the graduates officially became Doctors! This was held in Wait Chapel which of course is nostalgic for all of us Wake grads anyway. I made it through Wiggy's name being called and all without any overrun emotions. However, when they introduced the entire class and we all stood up I lost it.... totally unexpected moment as always, but it was quite an emotional couple of minutes for me! That evening we celebrated with a tasty dinner and great conversation at Ombu!

Monday morning was the "real" graduation. The speaker was Joe Biden so we were encouraged to arrive early for the "airport" like security. I kept looking for this as a lady quickly glanced at my purse as we shuffled onto the quad. It was FREEZING that morning and the ground was quite soggy from the night before, not the best of conditions for graduation, but we made it through. I must say the VPs speech was inspiring.. and we'll leave it at that. The final leg of the morning was a quick jaunt over to the Fine Arts Center where the MDs received their official diplomas. This process was nice and quick as just about everyone had reached their fill of "ceremonies" over the weekend. We finished up with a celebratory lunch with other new MD's at Forsyth Country Club before wishing our families goodbye.

I must mention Wiggy's special graduation gift from his Mom that he will cherish forever. She gave him her Mother's bible that was given to her when she was 7. Not only that, but she made a beautiful velvet bag for him to keep it in and found a beautiful marble box to keep that in. I know this is very special to him and he will cherish it always.

Congratulations Dr. Wiggy! We did it... let the journey continue!

Stone Mountain

2009-05-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday Wiggy and I embarked on a new hiking route at Stone Mountain. We've been talking about going forever and finally had a beautiful AND free afternoon to go for it. The drive ended up being less than an hour and was absolutely beautiful and green. We went on the 5 mile hike that started by the water then allowed us a gorgeous view of the huge Molten Rock Mountain before taking us by the waterfall. We then hiked a couple of miles straight up-hill/steps before the breathtaking view and breeze at the top. It was well worth the tired legs! We hung out on the top for a while before heading down the mountain. We always let Jasper off his leash on the descent because he hops like a mountain goat which is adorable, but very hard to keep up! Afterward we went to a nearby country store for icecream and listened to bluegrass on the front porch while in rocking chairs. What a perfect Sunday!

Flying High

2009-05-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I completed my first half marathon since the start and now maintenence of chronic plantar fasciitis. I hate it, I mean really hate it. More than likely my foot will never feel 100% normal again unless I completely stayed off my feet for months and I hope to goodness that never becomes necessary!

Labor Day weekend of 2008 was my last race prior to this one and it was absolutely horrible. Wiggy and I were ready to go at the start aiming high for record times and the weather and the stress that we put on ourselves just killed us. I mean the muggiest grossest weather I've ever run in... we were slow and it was painful.... mentally, physically and especially on my foot. After that I sought treatment first through a podiatrist that just gave me cortisone shots, a night brace that doesn't work for people with high arches like myself, and really hard orthotics. The shots felt good for a few weeks then the pain came back much worse than before. I did some research and then went to my friend Keoni at the Naturopathic clinic in town for some acupuncture and cool laser therapy. After 6 weeks of no running, lots of stretching on a stair climber (allow foot to hang off back, works wonders) and the dreaded elliptical with the therapy I started feeling quite a bit better.

Through the winter months I was very cautious running just a few miles 3 x per week and one long run on the weekends. Starting in February I picked it up a bit running faster with an incline on the treadmill and 12 mile runs on Sunday (no time just running). I think this easy training paid off!

I arrived in High Point on Saturday morning to cloudy skies and said a quick prayer for no rain and no pain then was off. We'd gotten up around 5 which is normal for me. There was also very little hype around this race and I didn't really think about it as much more than a chance to get back into it. I was feeling great and realized at mile 7 that I'd been running 7 minute miles the entire way as I stayed right behind a guy that was running the full marathon barefoot, that's right barefoot. He even got a shout out in the paper the next day!

We split off from the full marathoners around mile 8 or so for 2 miles straight up hill. I had no one really running around me except one guy who kept walking then would run and pass me just to walk again... irritating. I still felt really strong and kept looking for my wonderful hubby and baby boy (Jasper) who were following me around the course. Finally at mile 12 I kicked it up a bit and finally passed the 10-year-old-looking boy that was just ahead of me the entire race. I finished with a PR of 1:34. 42! Good enough for 8th overall (an olympic gold medalist 52 year old FEMALE won), 4th female and won my age group. I must say I blew myself away. I am one of those people that does not impress herself easily, but I must say I was quite proud that morning!

Now I'm just trying to figure out what I did right! Is it time for the full thing? I think it might be but 26 miles is so freaking daunting! Anyway, I'm back... plantar fasciitis is under control and I'm very happy right where I am!

Thanks to Meghan for the margaritas and burgers to celebrate at her new house that evening... hit the spot!

The Most Beautiful Time of the Year

2009-04-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

All of the rain of March and early April really created quite a splendor in North Carolina! This spring we have enjoyed some of the most beautiful floral foliage that I've ever seen. Our yard finally looks lush- not like a new lawn. Our landscaping has filled in and our flowers are just gorgeous. From the azaleas to the dogwoods to our clymadis and all of the Wisteria, it's just breathtaking. Attached are a couple of pics of our treasures that Wiggy snapped last weekend.

Meme, Grand and Smarty Pants

2009-04-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Wiggy and I had the lovely opportunity to host my grandparents for the weekend. For Christmas we invited them to come down and stay with us for a weekend and a trip to explore Old Salem. It just so happened that the weekend we picked out fell the same weekend that my brilliant husband was to be inducted into AOA, the medical honors society.

They arrived last Friday afternoon wary from the long drive but very excited to attend the event with us. We got gussied up and headed over to Forsyth Country club for drinks and mingling before an excellent dinner of steak and salmon. Dr. Ober, the leader of AOA at WFU said some kind words about the students and then a very young Dr. that heads up Mission operations in Rawanda and Darfur gave them some words of wisdom for moving forward at this point in their careers. He was very self-depracating and honest and very entertaining. That evening we crashed after watching Seven Pounds.

Saturday we had our traditional Whole Foods lunch and then headed to Old Salem. The weather was gorgeous and perfect for our tour. The trees and plants were all blooming beautifully and it was nice to have my grandparents knowledge and green thumbs readily available to tell us what everything was. After an afternoon of touring we went home for a quick nap before heading to a tasty patio dinner at the Zeveley House downtown. It was an absolutely perfect evening under the southern sky. I think Summer may finally be on the way now... it's about time but I suppose the Good Lord wants us to appreciate it that much more!

Sunday morning I went for a strong long run in preparation for my race next weekend. I checked out the times from last year and I have the potential to place if I run well. It's been a while so we shall see!

We are again experience beautiful weather and it's supposed to be in the 80s this weekend. Perfect for our yard sale at the House of Service, a patio dinner with the Better Halves (medical school wives) as well as finally planting my brand new vegetable garden that my dear husband built for me. Ahhh.... heat, sun, sweat.... my faves!

Southern Charm

2009-04-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Wiggy and I took a wonderful trip to Charleston, SC with 2 of our great "med-school-couple-friends" Matt&Meghan and Zac&Jamie. We headed out on Friday morning riding with M&M and arrived to a sunny and warm Charleston at lunchtime just in time to eat some lunch at The Mustard Seed Cafe.... a mix of organic and southern and quite tasty. Afterward we checked into our hotel and proceeded to take a long walk around beautiful historic Charleston. We browsed through shops on King Street and enjoyed the wooden swings at the Waterfront park soaking in the beautiful sites and the sun. Meghan has a great camera and well practiced clicking skills that allowed her to capture some great images throughout the weekend. We also ran into several of our classmates from Wake Forest both walking about and in our hotel, very small world here in the South!

That evening we headed to Vickery's for a tasty patio dinner and drinks before bar hopping to Mad River and Wet Willy's where we heard a great band that mixed 80's along with lots of alternative 90's music from high school and threw in some classics. We stayed up way past our bedtimes and finally crashed.

Saturday we slept in and awoke to another gorgeous day! I went on a short run around the Citadel and the Northern part of Charleston before we again put on our walking shoes for more adventues down King Street and through the Hay Market (where I found goodies for gifts!!), tasted lots of candy and of course ended up watching some of the Master's at a local brewery. Wiggy and I walked along "Rainbow Row" and the Battery before shuttling back for a nap.

Our cabbie friend, JD picked us up in his van (we made friends with him early on Friday thanks to Matt) and dropped us off at the Library, a lovely roof-top bar that I talked about constantly in our planning efforts for the trip. We had some tasty drinks and enjoyed the fabulous view along with our 3rd spontaneous reunion with Wiggy's very good friend Ben (his roomate from the soccer academy he attended in Florida for his Sr. year of high school and college summers) and his older brother. After catching up we headed over to Hank's (or Frank's as I called it all weekend) for some seafood. I must admit that this old girl is not accustomed to consecutive late nights and I believe we were all starting to drag at that point. We attempted a rally and went to a dance club called Trio, but as we were some of the first to arrive the downtime did us in even though another great band played for a while.

Sunday was the drive back to Winston-Salem and then weekend catch up. I think we all enjoyed a change of scenery and the beautiful weather along with the great company. To think that these boys will graduate in a month still blows me away. The best part... no one is going very far. Wiggy's daily trek to Greensboro along with Zac will be the farthest anyone is going. I just hope that residency schedules allow for more great trips in the future! Ahhh Charleston...Pictures to come :)

Wiggy's 27!

2009-04-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

Wiggy turned 27 on Tuesday which also marks our 7 year anniversary.... yes we started dating on his birthday in the parking lot of the Macaroni Grill here in Winston-Salem. For some reason I don't know if we've been back since which is sad!

This year we celebrated Wiggy's birthday over a several days. We began on Friday evening with dinner with friends Matt, Meghan, Zac, and Jamie at Bleu. The wine and food were wonderful as was the conversation which centered around happenings in the Psych Ward of the hospital and the fact that medical school is... well... pretty much over!

Saturday evening I baked Wiggy a homemade cake with homemade icing. I have been making him the same cake ever since his 20th birthday. It's super moist and made with pudding. He finally informed me this year that he just doesn't like that cake very much... hmm... well he ate it all and you could have fooled me. I must say the homemade icing was pretty tasty.

Finally on Tuesday (his real birthday) I gave Wiggy his presents. I had stayed home from work that day with a one day flu kind of thing... I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. Groggily I handed over his gifts which included an eggplant colored polo (my hubby loves his purple), a funky DKNY V neck T, some socks, and best of all lift tickets to Copper Mountain for his Colorado Ski trip (his real present) that he leaves for tomorrow. I am super happy that he will be wearing a helmet!

Unfortunately, I took 0 pictures of all of these events including my tasty cake... my memory card is full and I haven't gotten around to deleting anything. In other news, I am thrilled that the sun is supposed to be out for the next THREE days and it actually feels a little like spring! Yippee!!!

Match Day!

2009-03-25T12:13:00.001-07:00

Oh the anticipation of Match Day- the day when Medical Students in the US receive their assignments for residency that will affect the next 3-7 years of their lives (not to mention their wives/children/families). We all gathered outside of the room where cards are given out a little before noon last Thursday March 19th. At 12:00 on the dot the hoards of people poured in to get their assignments. We were near the back so much of the excitement was over when we arrived at our assigned table.

Upon opening the letter we found out that Wiggy will be training with Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, NC specializing in Family Medicine. We were both pleased with these results, although a little surprised that he did not match at WFU. Following the excitement everyone gathered for a nice lunch at Bridger Field House overlooking our football field. Following lunch and pictures Wiggy and I went for a little walk at the gardens before taking a nap and getting ready for a big night of celebration.

Around 8 pm. many of our friends came over to our house for some pre-celebration time before we headed to the Piedmont Club at the top of the BB&T building for the celebration. We danced the night away and all had a really great time.

Now that a week has gone by Wiggy and I are both really excited about his assignment. It will be fantastic training for him in the field of Sports Medicine (his ultimate goal) under the doctor who created the field of Family Practice Sports Medicine- can we say good connections?

Unfortunately the celebration ended there as our WFU Basketball team lost pitifully in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday night..... what am I going to do for the rest of March?

A Taste of Sunshine

2009-03-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend last weekend with my grandparents in sunny Florida. They spend the month of March there every year like smart retirees escaping the LONG Garrett County LONG winter. This year they rented an adorable house on the canal in Port Charlotte.

I arrived to big hugs on Thursday evening and then slept in in true grandchild fashion on Friday morning before suffering through a stifling hot run that my body was not acclimated for thanks to unusually cold NC winter. We then proceeded to enjoy the pool before heading out for me to find some wireless internet and go shopping. Meme helped me pick out and then proceeded to purchase a cute dress for Match night festivities this Thursday evening. We finished up at a cute sports bar with fabulous sandwiches to watch the miserable WF game, but at least I had other loud company. * Side note: every place we stopped by/called to ask if they'd be showing the ACC tournament had no clue what we were talking about.... I MEAN FL STATE IS IN THE ACC!!!

Saturday we headed to Englewood to the beach after stopping by Howard's for some fantastic Greek Grub. The beach was fabulous and FULL of large shells, hard on the feet, but fun for searching. That evening we headed to Fisherman's Pier to wander through the shops and had dinner at a fabulous seafood place at the end of the pier overlooking the water. The scallops were HUGE just like I like 'em.

I also taught Grand how to program numbers and assign speed dial on his new phone. I am number 2 and therefore, my nickname has changed from "Prince" (short for my old nickname Princess) to "#2". Kinda sounds like a bathroom joke? hmmm...

We had a wonderful time catching up and hanging out just the three of us for the first time in a really really long time. Thanks Meme and Grand for a wonderful weekend!

Piano Men

2009-03-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a weekend! We were incredibly blessed with beautiful weather over the past 3 days and continuing today. I wore full out summer attire all weekend and it felt wonderful! My parents arrived into town late Friday night after we grabbed dinner with friends at our local brewery. Saturday was full of excitement beginning with Wiggy's soccer team winning the regional semi-finals and only one game away from advancing to regionals (where they'll play other state winners). After the game we dashed back to the DASH to change clothes and headed to Charlotte for a wonderful pre-concert dinner at Morton's steakhouse. My salmon was oh so yummy... however, I think the bread and the marinated mushrooms were even better. Where to begin with the concert? Let's just say my Mom loved her birthday present and was on her feet singing and dancing the entire time. I participated as well and I think we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The best part had to be the ending where they sang Piano Man together.... absolutely incredible. After the seemingly long drive home we all crashed at 2 am (considering daylight savings time).

Wiggy's graduation is quickly approaching and as promised, we purchased a 52 inch Sony Bravia Flat Screen last weekend to celebrate. Yesterday was dedicated to hanging that beast in our over-the-fireplace cut out. This actually involved nailing 2x2 wood around the cut out then screwing a large piece of wood to that. The mount then hung from the large piece of wood and finally the tv was installed. The picture is amazing and it's huge! Very excited to watch my DVRd fun.

We ended the weekend with a Deacon win over Clemson to clinch the 2nd seed in the ACC tournament this coming weekend! Way to finish it off with a bang Wake!

It was a wonderfully enjoyable and busy weekend and after all the excitement, I'm in need of a Monday nap!

Ellie

2009-02-20T12:50:00.001-08:00

I often talk about Jasper on the blog, but realize I've neglected to talk about Ellie, the queen of our house. I have decided to make a list of all the things that make Ellie a totally One of a Kind cat that intrigues most of our visitors.

1. Ellie should be in the circus. She can jump extremely high and has turned our house into an obstacle course. She will run around, up and down after toys launching herself onto small surfaces 12 feet high and then sliding down walls etc. It's quite interesting.

2. Ellie is a Daddy's Girl. She much prefers Wiggy over me. It doesn't matter who feeds her and who is nice to her.... she curls up on her Daddy's lap every single night.

3. Ellie lives to eat. She is at her best and most affectionate when she is hungry and will do just about anything for food. Her food is kept in the laundry room which is connected to our guest bathroom and has a bad habit of following guests into the bathroom in hopes they might feed her.

4. Ellie loves drawers (see photo). Ellie loves to open drawers (a nighttime habit that earned her her own special room that she sleeps in so everyone else in the house can also sleep). Her favorites are my sock drawer and t-shirt drawer.

5. Ellie is surprisingly a wonderful traveler. In the car is the one place I can get her to sleep on my lap for hours at a time.

6. Ellie is a wonderful heating pad. She always knows the perfect place to lay when you're sick or napping to keep you warm.

7. Ellie loves pudding. I eat a pudding snack just about every night and Ellie loves to stick her face in it and lick up anything that's left in the cup. This always entails her getting pudding all over her face and whiskers.

8. Ellie likes to punch Jasper. She does not like to play with him (unless she may get food and then she'll even rub up against him). When he gets near her she strikes him with her clawless paws very similarly to the way a snake bites and then recoils.

Birthday Mama

2009-02-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was my Mom's birthday and after a very stressful first month of the year (her Office Assistant quit unexpectedly the first week of January causing 12 hour days for my Mom), I decided to have my Dad whisk her away to Winston-Salem for the weekend. They had not been to visit since September and that's just too long!

Upon their arrival on Friday evening we went to the Little Theater to watch "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change". It was delightfully funny and appropriate for the Valentine's Day feel in the air.

Saturday morning Mom went to the spa for a massage and facial I had given her for Christmas. Afterward we headed to Whole Foods for lunch (both of our favorites) and then took Jasper to the dog park and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. After that Mom and I got pedicures and went to TJ Maxx for a mini-shopping spree before meeting up with the guys for dinner at The Chop House. It was absolutely wonderful as always. At dinner we presented Mom with her gift from Daddy, Wiggy and me... tickets to see Elton John and Billy Joel next month in Charlotte. She is oh so very excited (as am I!)

Sunday we all slept in then I went for a lovely long run while my parents did a little more shopping before we all headed to the Joel to watch the Deacs redeem themselves. Woo Hoo! Finally, we ended the weekend watching "The Secret Life of Bees" and eating crock pot chili.

I had such a great time that I'm beginning to think maybe it was in fact my birthday? Oh yeah, that's in June and will be here soon enough!

Wiggy becomes a Snow Bunny

2009-02-03T18:08:00.000-08:00

My husband has swiftly and strongly become a snow boarder. My parents got him "skis" for Christmas and he randomly decided to try snow boarding before making the purchase. He headed to Boone all by himself for a day of lessons and practice and came home determined to buy a snowboard immediately. After many hours of surfing online and lots of help from our friend Zac he settled on a board, boots, helmet, wrist guards and I forget what else....

Anyway, the snowboard arrives after several hours of Wiggy looking out the window looking for FedEx to come to the door like a kid waiting for Santa. Fed Ex arrived and he couldnt wait to open it. After doing so we admired it for a few minutes then i went back to the kitchen and whatever I was doing and about a minute later I hear "NOOOOOOOOOO" coming from the bedroom. Apparently, the Canadian company he ordered it from sent him the wrong size... by 3 centimeters and he would not settle for it.

So later in the week the correct board arrived. This Saturday Zac helped with the bindings and whatever else is required in setting up a snowboard. Sunday morning at 7 AM Wiggy was again off to Boone to try out his new board. He arrived home that afternoon waddling with a very sore tailbone and a comment that " I'm really glad I got the helmet because I definitely hit my head".
I try not to worry during these excursions, but I can't help it. I guess I'll just say a prayer that the helmet does it's job.... oh my husband and his hobbies :)

Monday Monday

2009-01-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, so today really feels like Monday and the work day is now over! Yay! We had a very low key weekend with a few good conversation, a low key dinner with friends, a chance to be a tour guide on the WFU campus (there's a Starbucks now!!!) for a friend's younger cousin, and a nice long convo at another Starbucks with a friend who has been through a rough time of it lately. All in all it was a great and relaxing weekend.

I am now super-psyched for the BIG GAME.... WFU VS DUKE Wednesday at 7:00 EST. Be there and wear your Tie Dye!!!

An Unexpected Gift of Relaxation

2009-01-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

I love 3 day weekends. Especially when you expect to be busy with traveling and then find yourself staying home instead with 3 whole unexpected days to chill. On Friday when I got home from work to grab my post-call husband and hit the road I found a husband that had just gotten into bed 1.5 hours earlier and was totally incoherent. That on top of the fact that the weather was horrible at home (-19 degrees) and I didn't feel up to driving 7 hrs by myself lead to the decision to stay home!

I crawled onto the couch myself for a 2 hr nap followed by groggily chowing some chinese and heading to bed early. Saturday invited 2 impromptu get togethers with the Medical School Crowd. First a Demon Deacon win that puts us at 16-0 AND #1 in the nation at Matt and Megs and then dinner at our house with simple bean soup and The Game of Things that we recently purchased at which I am a miserable failure. Oh well it was still fun.

Sunday we slept in and then I went on a little run before watching movies, cooking stir-fry and catching up on my reading.

Today was the best as I finally got up early, worked out, got a heavenly massage (that Wiggy had given me for Christmas), had a lovely lunch with my hubby and hit up Forever 21. What a wonderful day!

Ah the bliss of those 3 unexpected days of total enjoyment and relaxation. I have a big smile on my face and am postponing thinking about work tomorrow!

Year in Review and First Week Happenings

2009-01-13T06:37:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm finally going to copy my friend Meghan's 2008 questionaire. It's been a bit difficult for me to get back into the swing of things after the extended break. I can't go to bed on time and have to get up early, so I'm exhausted ALL the time. Must get better about that! However, our first week and weekend back to the grind were quite enjoyable. Summed up by a great date night, coffee/movies with the girls, dinner with the Med School Group, a Sunday morning long run (painful), and a Sunday night WFU WIN over UNC!!! I forgot my camera or else I'd have pics! So here goes the year in review:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Hmmm. Well, Wiggy and I became avid hikers and I also went skiing for the first time since I was 13. I spent Christmas away from my family for the first time ever, that was tough!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I did! We decided that we wanted to get more involved with our church and become more spritual. Of course, this is a life long resolution...
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No, but I have a great friend who is expecting
4. Did anyone close to you die? Fortunately no, but I had many friends and family members who lost loved ones.
5. What countries did you visit? NONE! For the first time in a long time we remained stateside. We have planned a trip to Jamaica shortly after Wiggy's graduation
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? Patience, the story of my life
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? October 18th, I had lasik surgery and now have perfect vision!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I won a trophy for placing in my age group at the Frederick, MD 1/2 marathon
9. Did you suffer illness or injury? A bad bout with plantar fasciitis.... not sure it will ever go away completely
11. What was the best thing you bought? A new pair of expensive, but perfectly fitting 7 jeans, I know they're not that cool anymore, but they fit me great!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My Mama, Meme and my hubby. Mome and Meme habe both lost and kept off significant amounts of weight and my husband has been so very helpful this year in his time off!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? All of the battling politicians and smear tactics
14. Where did most of your money go? Hmm.. the mortgage, Walmart, and many random repairs that were necessary this year
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Lasik surgery, friends engagements, trip to Austin with the girls.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Kid Rock "All Summer Long" ... heard it too much
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder?b) thinner or fatter?c) richer or poorer? Equally happy, equal size, a teensy bit richer (hopefully it lasts)
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Kept in touch with friends, gone dancing, prayed, spent time outside
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Worry about things I can't control
20. How did you spend Christmas? With Wiggy's extended family in Chicago after we visited my family in MD and WV
21. Did you fall in love in 2008? I love my hubby more every day
22. What was your favorite TV program? Biggest Loser
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No.
24. What was the best book you read? Oh man, too many to count. The Twilight Series and Midwives stand out for me
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? I listen to "Oprah and Friends" too much
26. What did you want and get? Lasik surgery, new tires for my car, a Dyson Vacum
27. What did you want and not get? Nothing I need now!
28. What was your favorite film of this year? "Marley and Me" and "Slumdog Millionaire". I had been anticipating Marley forever. I also really enjoyed "The Secret Life of Bees"
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 26. Wiggy and i celebrated my birthday and our anniversary in Myrtle Beach.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If the economy hadn't tanked
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Oh man, I'm such a hodge podge it's crazy. Ever heard of the book "Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Dress"? That's me!
32. What kept you sane? My faith, our Seeds service, my husband, my family, and my friends
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Hmm... I still love Kelly Ripa
34. What political issue stirred you the most? The corruption that is starting to seem like a normal thing on the news.
35. Who did you miss? My family and my college girls
36. Who was the best new person you met? Oh lots... the new Better Halves, Julia's Fiance Mike, Wiggy's grandma, aunt and tons of cousins...
. 37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.. Count your blessings.. they are many. And save as much $ as you can even though it's not fun :)
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Love when you can, cry when you have to, be who you must, that's a part of the plan. Await your arrival with simple survival, and one day we'll all understand. - Dan Fogelberg

The New Year!

2009-01-06T07:06:00.000-08:00

I can't belive 2009 is upon us. This is a special year as it is the year that my dear husband will become a doctor. We've been referring to this year for a while and it's just very hard to believe that it's here! Fortunately for us, and unlike many others, 2008 was a pretty good year. We have been very blessed to have some comfort in a time when so many are suffering.

Wiggy and I brought in the New Year with dinner at our house with a small gathering of friends. I even got out the wedding china for fun, something I've only done a few times. Our friends Blake and Erin and newlyweds Neil and Ashley came over for a lovely dinner and a game of Catch Phrase before the quiet ring to the New Year. It was a nice break from the traveling fiasco we'd been experiencing.

On Friday, we headed down to Atlanta for Wiggy's former soccer teammate, Brent's wedding. We also were able to catch up with my friends Darcey and Christine and others while we were there. It was a wonderful spontaneous reunion of many college friends!

My friend Meghan posted a really fun 2008 recap which will be my next post. Until then, Happy New Year!

We made it!

2008-12-30T07:38:00.000-08:00

Wiggy and his Nana

Wiggy and Baby Bro Taylor

Wiggy and his Mom

All the Kids and Significant Others

Wow. We finally arrived home from Christmas #3 with Wiggy's family in Chicago. Although it was a wonderful trip on many levels, the traveling part was a nightmare. We arrived almost on time to my surprise after I watched news story after story about people sleeping in cots in the Chicago airport the night of the 23rd. We landed on Chrismas Eve just a little after scheduled and got our luggage no problem. We were scheduled to attend a Christmas party at Wiggy's Uncle's family's house; however, we had an unexpected detour when my Father in Law got quite turned around in the car and we ended up far from the party as it was winding down. We decided to find someplace to eat instead and ended up at a lovely Italian place after begging them to serve us. They even had grilled calimari, a favorite of mine and Wiggy. After the meal we settled in to the hotel before attending a lovely Christmas Mass with the family.

Christmas morning we slept in and then headed over to Wiggy's Aunt's house for a day full of meeting cousins, eating, and game playing. It was very nice to finally meet Wiggy's Nana, Aunt, and all of his cousins. We played Secret Santa along with lots of rounds of Catch Phrase and Apples to Apples.

On the 26th we finally were able to see Marley and Me. This has been my most anticipated movie in quite a long time and I must say I was holding myself back from sobbing the entire time. I have had dogs my entire life and read the book 3 times and the end just kills me. We then sampled Chicago pizza before venturing into the city for some bargain shopping and a car tour as the weather was kind of icky. That night we went back to the movie theater (it was in the same parking lot as our hotel) for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". We all really enjoyed it, although it is quite long.

Saturday it was time to head out. Our flight wasn't until late afternoon so we got a chance to catch yet another movie after everyone else left. This time it was "Slumdog Millionaire", a surprisingly great film that had us both glued to the screen. Our airport experience was horrible as our flight was delayed about 3 hours and our connection cancelled. We found a room in Philadelphia for the night and then finally made it back to NC at about 7 pm on Sunday just in time to pick up our greatly missed Jasper.

Sticky Fingers

2008-12-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

When Wiggy and I arrived home last night he discovered that someone had tried to break into our basement window while we were away and today we found out that our neighbor's house was broken into! I felt so violated when we found out... I guess it's one of those.. oh, that will never happen to me things. We have an air conditioner in the window that Wiggy has placed super locks on which fortunately were too much trouble for the would be intruder. I am so thankful that my hubby is so incredibly cautious. He has spent the entire day laboring downstairs while installing metal bars across the window to scare and create more work for anyone else that tries to get in. What a great hubby I have :)... take that thief!

Half Way There

2008-12-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

Wiggy and I left last Thursday morning to visit my family in Maryland. We had a lovely time beginning on Thursday evening with dinner and a movie with my parents and grandparents complete with great conversation. Friday we headed to Morgantown to help my Mom finish her Christmas shopping along with an annual last minute frantic trip by my Daddy to purchase my Mom's gifts. Saturday evening we headed to Petersburg, WV to visit my Mom's Mom "Mimi" and my Aunt Sarah and Uncle Eric among other extended family. My Aunt Sarah hosted a "Weiner Dog Party" where our poor baby Jasper was tormented by 6 miniature datsunds. He was really happy to leave after being cornered one too many times! Sunday morning we went to my home church (something I always love) and then had a wonderful long nap, a lovely dinner and exchanged gifts. Yesterday morning we packed up and headed back to Winston before we head out for Chicago tomorrow!

Whirlwind

2008-12-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

It doesn't quite seem possible that the Christmas season has arrived. Wiggy and I will head out of town on Thursday morning headed toward Pittsburgh for a residency interview before visiting my fam in MD and then heading back to NC only to fly out the next morning to Chicago. We then return for 4 days then go down to the ATL for a wedding. wheew.

I must say that my favorite part of the holiday season is providing Christmas for those who would not otherwise have presents on Christmas morning. We were able to help out several families this year through various charities and church which was a huge blessing to us. Most memorably we bought a bike for a little boy. Wiggy and I both stared inquisitively at the racks of bikes as none of them look quite like the bikes we rode as children. They are lower and the frames are thicker now. With the help of a nice salesman we were able to pick out a fab bike for the little boy and then Wiggy proceeded to try to ride the bike all the way through the store to the very far away register. It didn't quite work, but he gets an A for effort.

I am so happy that we'll still get to see my entire family this year even though we're not going to be home for Christmas day. I get to attend my Aunt Sarah's Dog Party for the first time, sounds like a blast and I can't wait :)

As Christmas day sneaks toward us I become a little more filled with the joy of this incredible season. May we all stay focused on what this day really represents and give praise for the birth of our lord and savior who lay in a manger! Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving and Med School Prom #4

2008-12-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

My boys in my old room at my parents house. Aren't they just irresistable :)

Thanksgiving! My Mom did an excellent job of starting the Christmas decorating early this year! Good job Mom! The tables were beautiful and so festive. It's the Holiday season, who cares which one?

Wiggy and I attended our final Medical School Christmas Ball "aka Prom" last weekend. I totally look forward to this event every year because we don't have many opportunities to get dressed up and go dancing anymore! We usually have a get together before hand but everyone is running around interviewing this year so no one could come :(

The Holidays are here! We're so busy this year preparing to "globetrot" from NC to Pittsburgh for Wiggy's interview then to MD to visit my family then back to NC only to get up the next morning to fly to Chicago to visit Wiggy's family. We return for a quick breather before we go to Atlanta for the weekend for a friend's wedding!!! AHHHH... we need a vacation when it's all over with. I find it a bit unsettling that this time of year should be about the peace that we celebrate with the birth of our savior and that we continue to make this time of year busier and busier. I pray that at least the true spirit of Christmas lives through the hustle and bustle and touches each of us.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T09:04:00.001-08:00

The day of Thanksgiving is upon us! Where did Summer go? I often feel that in uncertain times like those we're presently experiencing- being thankful for the many blessings that we DO have and that DO NOT depend on outside forces is even that much more important. I am so blessed to have my wonderful family and husband to ride this wild ride of life by my side.

The last several months have been quite trying for my family as my Aunt and Uncle recently separated and have 2 young boys that are struggling through this as well. That said, I am so thankful that my Uncle and the boys have an incredible support system within the family.

The shining ray of light in these times is that we concentrate on the things that really matter rather than the "stuff" that we have or want or think we need. So this Thanksgiving I want to hold tightly to loved ones, both family and friends, and celebrate family and friendship.

One of my favorite quotes is "If you want to hear God laugh tell him your plans", my isn't it true!

Finally We Have a Blog

2008-11-21T13:23:00.001-08:00

So, it's taken us a while to get started on this blogging thing, but I can no longer resist. Some background? This May Wiggy will graduate from Medical School and will begin living the life of an intern!!! Oh, the challenges and victories that lie ahead! Emily is keeping busy with managing the recruiting firm and teaching lots of classes. Racing has been put on hold for a while due to multiple foot issues.... I am learning patience.. I think. We have also become quite involved with our church and a new organization called The House of Service that provides support to single mothers and their children. It's been a wonderful experience thus far. Additionally, we have been taking a course called Alpha that has really renewed our faith in the Lord... I strongly recommend it to everyone!!!