Celebration #2

Our second celebration in honor of Tyler and Stephen's birthday and to celebrate finally being done with the match was a trip to Big Bear! Thanks to Brooke and Stephen who set it all up and letting us stay in their timeshare we had a great little getaway. While everyone went snowboarding I drove around the little town since I had never been there. It was adorable! I really hope to own a little place up there someday. It's a short drive from San Diego and a great place to relax! Also, Tyler and I forgot how fun it was to be with other adults just relaxing and having fun. 

Celebration #1

Tyler's 32nd birthday was the week after Match Day and fell on a Thursday (which meant both kids were at school) so we decided to have breakfast in Oceanside, hang out on the pier for a bit, check out the O'Side farmers' market and just generally relax a bit. It was some much needed downtime for just the two of us. Walking on the pier made us extra grateful we get to stay in San Diego for another 5 years.

MATCH DAY!!!

One of the days we had been waiting for for seven long years had finally come!! MATCH DAY!! For those unfamiliar with the matching process here's a brief explanation. During the second half of your last year of med school you apply and then interview at various hospitals around the country in hopes of procuring a spot in one of their residency programs after graduation. Residency is actually a real job where you get to be a real doctor with a salary! Once you interview at all the places that have extended one to you, you sit down and make a rank list, ranking each program from ONE (I want to go to this place over all the others) to however many you have in order of which program you'd like to go to most. Then, on a day in March, every single fourth year medical student who has participated in the match process opens their letters altogether at the same time all over the country to find out where they've matched. You get one offer from one program and it could be the number one spot you picked or it could be farther down your match list, it all depends on how the programs ranked YOU.

So... because Tyler is brilliant and hardworking (I'm allowed to brag, I'm the wife) he interviewed at places like Harvard, Yale, Duke, Michigan, Stanfurd, UCSF and others. He interviewed insanely well at all of those places which made our rank list extra hard to put together. We had so many good programs to choose from that we, especially Tyler, agonized over which one would be best for not only him, but also our family. We went to the Temple, prayed about it for hours and hours, weighed the pros and cons, the quality of the programs, the quality of living in whatever city they were in. We thought we had finally figured out who we were ranking number one and then a phone call and some serious promises changed it all. While Tyler interviewed at UCSD, we were pretty certain we'd be making a big move across the country. For various reasons UCSD wasn't high on our list (even though it broke our hearts to leave here) but then days before the final list was due, things began to fall into place, questions were answered and doubts were erased that made us put UCSD as number one. We honestly didn't really have any bad options but when it really came down to it, UCSD suddenly felt right for us. So, with our list turned in we waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally, Monday of Match Week came and although we never really had any doubt that he would, we found out Tyler did in fact match in Radiation Oncology! We had to wait until later that week though to find out WHERE. We were fairly certain where we'd be but it was still a LONG wait.

Finally Match Day was here!! We sent Max off to school but Lia came with us and we waited until 9am when everyone would open their letters!! And wow were we excited, relieved, thrilled, happy beyond belief -- soooo many emotions!!! Not only do we get to stay in SAN DIEGO, Tyler will have some amazing research opportunities while he is here. We are THRILLED to get to stay here!!! Part of us felt a little sad that our big adventure would have to be put on hold for the time being, but really we are just beyond happy. And honestly, I was so glad to not have to TALK about it anymore!! We are so proud of our Tyler!

Tyler and the other student that matched at UCSD for Radiation Oncology.

Random iPhone Photos

Another post of random iPhone photos. (I know so many of these are seen on Instagram but for those that don't follow me there and because this blog is the journal I keep for our family, I posting them here, too.)

The face of a boy who is sick but was just told he could watch the third Harry Potter movie for the first time! We had always thought it was rated PG-13 but it is actually rated PG. Having just finished the third one with Tyler he was SO excited!!

As second counselor in the Relief Society presidency in our ward one of my jobs is planning and executing the birthday party celebration for the sisters in our ward. Tyler helped me decorate and set up the day of and was my lifesaver! We had Cafe Rio salads for dinner and had two service projects. It was a great night!

Lately I've experienced a lot of suffering through the eyes and lives of others around me. It's a difficult thing to watch the ones you care about deal with things in their lives that are heart wrenching. After a day of lots of mixed news I was blessed with a gorgeous sky that helped me to remember that there is a specific plan for our lives and although we may not know or understand in this life what it all means, our paths do have meaning and our beginnings and our endings are significant and the things we do in between get us back to where we came from.

Danielle bought a giant backyard pool for the kids to play in so they jumped right in one hot Saturday afternoon and had a blast!

Lia has successfully been off of her reflux meds for about two months now! We had a visit with the gastro doctor that gave us the go ahead. She's only vomited 3 times which is a vast improvement from the last time we took her off (where she threw up after almost every meal). When her tummy bothers her now we can give her Tums and that seems to be working. Fingers crossed that reflux is finally behind us!

After a brief nap in the car we stopped at 99 Ranch for lunch since her doctor's appointment was right near there. Lia was freaking out excited to be there!! She asked for pretty much everything she saw and enjoyed some fried sticky rice for lunch with me. I think she has a love for Asian food just like her mom and grandpa.

My new obsession: Bahia acai bowl from Juice Stop. Can't. Get. Enough.

One Saturday morning after our donuts we decided to walk around the Encinitas Street Fair. We got there right when it opened so it wasn't too hot yet and the crowds were small. It was perfect! Also, I totally want one of these long skateboards -- they are so cool! The kids got to decorate some cute masks and play some games, too.

It's nice to know that Tyler is finally catching up to Mater (from the Cars movie).

We rearranged the playroom and it feels so much more homey. The only way to get the kids to sit and play up there is if I'm up there working at the desk so we are trying to make it a bit more functional up there for that. So far it's working great!

Such an amazing reader now!

Trying out the new Subzero ice cream place. We found it to be subpar. Expensive and their ice cream wasn't even that good.

Someone got a haircut.

Took the kids to the Build It Workshops in Carlsbad one afternoon to kill some time. They LOVED it. We spent about three hours there building and racing lego cars, playing with blocks, making robots and watching a 3D printer make fun toys.

Legoland fun! Also, we are learning that Lia is actually a little thrill seeker. She LOVES roller coasters and rides and she was so excited that she is getting taller so she can go on more.

Went to the library again. So glad we are passing our love of books on to our kids!

Have you ever seen someone eat an ice cream sandwich with a fork and knife? Well, if not, you are in luck. Tyler made that possible for you.

Tyler got a new surfboard for his birthday.

I spend a lot of time with this girl and she keeps me continually laughing and smiling! She has a big heart and a hilarious personality. Love her!!

For the first time ever we are having regular Family Home Evenings together! The kids are loving it and so are we. I made a little board that has our names and jobs on them and we rotate through them each week. We all participate with either the lesson, treat, activity or prayer (since there are only four of us). The kids have both taught lessons and have done a really really great job! If Tyler's crazy schedule has taught us anything it is to value and make the most of our family time together and we are loving it.