Doctor's Orders

Somehow I failed to include the fact that RICK GRADUATED MEDICAL SCHOOL within the last few months!!! It was a pretty big deal. We are so blessed and I admire all of his hard work. I'm constantly in awe of how he works so hard on everything he has on his plate and still makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world every single day. I love you doctor Ricky! 

our wonderful parents

my sweet grandparents came too but somehow got lost in the crowd during pictures 

of all the places he could want to eat...Chinese food!

we had a long day after graduation - driving down to the house/for an interview

Then we turned around and drove back and Rick found these kiddos and a surprise

our nieces & nephew worked extra hard putting everything together

We ended his graduation weekend with niece Ansley's blessing.

isn't my sister in law gorgeous?!

Life Lately...

In an effort to get caught up...[& I hate when this happens because it means I've forgotten all the details I love to remember :/]...here's a summary of April, May, and most of June via pictures...and captions:

Took a farewell picture with the Hardman's! 

We had Easter dinner with our good friends the Eubanks!

^ Rick's last day of his 4th year of medical school!!!

^ we did the final walk through on our house & put blue tape all over the place. Picky buyers.

^ we met our new niece Ansley, Jon & Lindsey's little angel baby

Rick built a headboard for the guest bedroom!!!

I got a haircut.

I made cookies for the Young Women's fundraiser dessert auction

We settled our boys vs. girls bet with the Eubanks...us girls lost but somehow the boys still ended up cooking

But we definitely helped out with the eating. It was delicious. Love this girl!

Our favorites, the Smith's, threw us a farewell/memorial day bbq

I miss these girls!

We moved...I was at work..so really, Rick and some amazing people who came and helped loaded up

We made it to the new house with lots of family help - including Ansley who exploded out of her diaper shortly after arriving.

I hung this beauty that my friend Deina made me.

this crazy girl who I claim as a best friend came and visited!

Megs made us that beautiful wreath on our door. She's the best.

Rick and I enjoyed a few weeks off together and got moved into the house, relaxed, spent lots of time with family, celebrated Rick's birthday, spent a few days in Sarasota, rode bikes a lot, and just tried to enjoy each other before the chaos of residency!

If you're ever in Sarasota you've GOT to go to C'est La Vie for a strawberry croissant 

^it deserves two pictures. The service there is sub par (which makes me not want to go there because Disney made me a service snob) BUT their strawberry croissants are out of this world and I do not have the will power to deny myself of that deliciousness. 

Ledo Key is officially our favorite beach. "That was nice. I loved every second of it" -birthdayRick

My mom's cute self posing for the camera

Rick's first day of residency! (orientation week, but still!) 

Somewhere among all of that were also the building of another big framed mirror, the whole buying a house PROCESS, and our trip across the country -- but those will have to be posts later this week-ish!

It's Been Too Long...

I've neglected my blog baby for too long now -- life has seriously been so busy -- the last 2.5 months have consisted of buying a house, traveling across the country for 10 days, my computer graphics card dying, training somebody in my last 2 weeks of work, packing, cleaning, moving to a new city, setting up house, having visitors, visiting family, Rick starting residency...so this post is mostly a note to myself - I needed to write down all of the posts that have been building up in my brain.

- Framed oversized mirror tutorial
- Summary of April
- Summary of May
- Rick's graduation
- What we learned through the process of purchasing a home
- our trip to California! (in the process of narrowing down the 750 photos...)
- Where to eat in San Francisco

...I'm sure I'll come up with another as I scroll through photos to jog my memory. I've got my work cut out for me but I can't wait to post!...as I mentioned above, my computer graphics card quit on me (it did this before and then started working again...but this time it's for good...I've tried getting it to work every day for the last 3 weeks...it's a goner) SO that means Rick and I share a computer now...which was difficult while he did all of his pre-residency requirements...but now I should get plenty of time on here to catch up...because unfortunately (for me) he'll be spending most of his time at the hospital...

I've got to finish preparing for my second interview with a company - wish me luck!

he MaDe it ...get it?...MD!

In case y'all didn't notice -- we had to update the blog header because Rick is no longer an "almost" dr. -- he's official!  

& here comes the freight train of residency!

Easter...3 weeks late

The train of life has not slowed down one bit over here so I'm very behind but trying to catch up on blog posts!

Easter is one of the holiday's we do at Rick's family's house every year and this year it came early for us since J&L's baby girl was due right around Easter...every year after the kids have their traditional Easter egg hunt, we get to have an adult Easter egg hunt -- however, since Meg just had a baby and Lindsey was about to have a baby...conditions weren't really great to have them running around (let's just say it gets really competitive out there).

SO my mother in law came up with more low key alternatives this year...a wheel of fortune type game and PLINKO (she's the cutest) Rick and I won. I promise our Easter gathering isn't all about the money.

Tess and I made a fancy Easter bonnet

cutie Tess

Easter basket #2 from my parents. Ma gets us the best treats!

This was the first year since we've been together that we were at our own house on actual Easter. It was really nice because without all the hustle and bustle and competing we really got to focus solely on what Easter is really about.

"To all who accept Him as Savior and Lord, His literal resurrection means that life does not end at death, for He promised: “Because I live, ye shall live also.” (John 14:19.)" -Ezra Taft Benson

I am beyond grateful for the knowledge that, through Christ, families can be together forever.