Residency Ranks are in!

It's done. We did it. Complete.. It's all down. The conclusion is there. It isn't changing and we are throwing in the towel.

After lots of prayers, thoughts, fasting, and long talks (I wish I could end those words with 'on the beach'). We have submitted our ranking list for residency.

This is a big deal.

There has been a lot, A LOT of thought and prayer put in.

So you ready to hear our list?

Wait, hold your horses a little tighter. I'm getting there. I just want to explain a bit.. Most students receive somewhere in their top 3 of choices. BUT-you could definitely get your last choice as well.. And! You could even not match at all and have to go back for a rematch.

With those fears being said.. Here is our top 5! Start slapping those thighs to your own drum roll please...

#1 University of Utah and Affiliated Hospitals-UT

#2 Case Western/University Hospitals-OH

#3 UC Irvine Med Center-CA

#4 Loma Linda University-CA

#5 Mayo School of Grad Med Education- AZ

We have listed down to 13.. but no point in listing those unless we match there.. in that case it will just be a surprise to all of us!

At this point, we truly would be happy with any of those. And I'm happy to say, I really mean that. Of course we want to be closer to family and somewhere in the West, but that may not happen and that is fine with us.

In the beginning of interview season, our prayers were "Please let us know what to rank" and there weren't any sure answers coming. So then we started praying "Please send us where we are needed and where is best for our family" and instead of getting a sure answer.. We felt peace with our list. That's all I have really wanted.. is feeling peace and knowing we are doing our best with what we know.

And here we are waiting for Match Day on March 18th.. Brian and me with our anxious (yet excited) smiles and Lydia with her "I just want pretzels and cheese and no cameras" face. Wahoo! 

January Bundles

I still can't believe that it is February. I am really trying to get used to writing 2016 and seeing it everywhere I go. January has been both good and frustrating to us.. There is always a bit of goodness and happiness if we look for it, but we have had a great deal of doctor visits as well. And those are rarely fun.

Lydia has been battling double ear infections for a couple weeks that don't seem to want to go away. So we have been back a lot. Between fevers and weird rashes that have driven us here as well..

Lydia has trigger thumb on both of her thumbs. This is where she isn't able to straighten her thumbs. Her right thumb is bent at a 90 degree angle and her left is at 45 degrees. It doesn't hurt her, but she does get frustrated when trying to open books or grab things with her thumbs. We have gone to an Pediatric Orthopedic surgeon to see if there are steps we can take to help her.

We'll decide by March if surgery is needed or if we can wait a few years and just watch them and see what happens.

This is truly how we have felt about this room at our doctor's.. every week.. And there have been a few weeks of multiples and up to 4 visits! What?!

Lydia's favorite toy in the world would be a book. She is obsessed and I'm not even kidding. This girl owns her own private library and she will sit for hours and just look at her books and be completely satisfied. She knows how to say book , though she isn't great with her "k's" and she will often speak gibberish as she looks through them as if she is reading them. I love it. I love having a little book lover.

My sister Raquel came to visit.. which easily made this January the best January we have had out of our 4 Januaries here. We did our usual Chicago Show-down.. Took her to Millennium Park and to the Field Museum and to the famous and delicious Wildberry and Portillos.. and of course had to top her visit with a visit to the Silo for the best deep dish pizza! It was amazing. We have been so blessed to have so many family members come out to visit us here. We definitely get lonely and so it always feels nice to see those you love. 

Lydia was in heaven to have her aunt here.. but so was I. I really do hope that we will be within driving distance when we move in a few months.

We also took a big leap of faith this month and said goodbye to our precious and beloved cat Minnie. After the big break of being home in Utah for 7 weeks and having her stay with our friend Lynn, we just felt very strongly that Lynn needed to have the cat.

With our current situation of moving and then being in limbo for a couple months while we looked for somewhere to live and whatnot-it just felt like Minnie needed a secure home and environment. Though I have cried because I have seriously loved and adored this cat.. we gave her to the best home in the world. She will be pampered and given the attention she needs and deserves.

It still is hard when I see a boot lying out in the corner of my eye and think it's the cat-or when Lydia tries to climb under the bed looking for the "hi titty". But I know we did what was right and needed. So long sweet Minnie.

With January being such a cold and frigid month, we have been SO blessed to have good neighbors just in our backyard who can walk over and play. Lydia and Lincoln are more like siblings and it is adorable to watch. They love playing together and it makes cold winter days go by that much faster and better.

So long January. We are ready to welcome a fresh February!

Welcome 2016

I remember when we first got married and Brian would say "I will graduate from Medical School in 2016" and it seemed like ages away then.. but now we just welcomed in the year 2016 and I have a hard time believing that it is really here.

There are many anticipated big changes for us this year, and I am sure some unexpected surprises. At the beginning of 2015 we each chose one goal word to focus on throughout the year instead of remembering a long laundry list of resolutions, we chose a word that would sum up our focus for the year.

At 3 months old, Lydia had started discovering the world and it seemed only fitting that this be her goal for the year 2015. Discover.

Now reflecting on this past year, it was the perfect word for such a busy baby.

-She has discovered her love for books and will choose them over any other toy.

-She has discovered that she loves to be constantly moving, jabbering, and busy all the time.

-She has discovered the pride she feels when she does something all by herself.  

-She has discovered words and ways to communicate her wants and needs. 

-She has discovered love for people as well as for her blanket and stuffed animal dog.

-She has discovered her favorite foods and ones she couldn't care less for.

-She has discovered her favorite animal which is a dog and will try to bark and pant to be like one.

-She has discovered that she would rather run than walk.

-She has discovered that if we say "no" to her then she only wants to do it 5 times faster.

-She has discovered that she loves to figure out how things work whether it is putting the lids back on bottles or stacking containers, she loves the process of things.

Lydia's new goal word for 2016 is Explore. It is our hope that she will now explore the life she has discovered and let her curiosity expand as she learns and experiments.

It was hard for me to narrow down just one word for me to focus on this last year, but the word Brave just kind of spoke out to me. Through many of my own personal struggles I found that I just needed to be brave in all that I do and to brave through trials that come our way.

-I changed brave into a verb. Instead of just "being" brave. I decided that I would brave through life this year. I have braved motherhood. Being a mother is what I have always wanted to do more than anything, and then being pregnant brought so many fears and thoughts of if I would be a good mother or a failure. And then going through different battles of thrush and losing my milk supply.
-I have braved through my feelings of low self-esteem. While I realize everyone battles feelings of inadequacy and negative thoughts towards one's looks or abilities, I feel like at times it was happening a bit too frequent for my taste. Society places so much emphasis on how a woman should look after having a baby and how if you really dieted and exercised anyone could lose the baby weight quickly. This was not so and it took me a whole year to brave strict eating to get off what I had gained and just be healthy. I have braved through these negative feelings to find the good qualities about me.
-I braved through a very demanding calling of being Young Women President.. It has sent me to my knees more times than I can think. I have had to brave boundaries of my comfort zone by talking to families who are in need, making confrontations, and dealing with situations I never thought I would enter.
-I have braved standing up for myself and being more independent. I would often feel nervous to make phone calls to businesses or look or feel stupid for not understanding questions and whatnot. I have wanted to push through that and be more confident.
-I have braved through living away from family while having a small family of my own. Braving many long days of being a single mom while my hubby worked long hours.
-I have been brave through my personal pursuit of happiness. All of this has been a work in progress but I feel much more brave after this year.

My new word for 2016 is Embrace. I want to embrace this new year and all the changes and experiences that are in store for me and my little family. Embrace is such a warming action word. It involves attitude and feeling, enthusiasm, and support. I think it will be just the word I need for this year.

Brian choose a very fitting word for 2015 that allowed him to continually push himself and devote himself to everything he is involved in. He chose Dedicated.

-Brian was very dedicated this year-to me, his daughter, school work, and to the Lord. It isn't easy to be a full time medical student and the Elder's Quorum President in church at times, but it has been so worth it. Watching this man give everything he has to the Lord and the people he has stewardship over has been spectacular.
-Brian has been very dedicated to me and to our marriage. Marriage can be a roller coaster at times and it isn't always thrilling, but Brian has been dedicated to me through all the good times and bad. Social media makes it easy for a person (like me) to make my life look perfect through smiling faces and fun activities. Not that everyone needs to know about the marriage woes, but they are there-just like in any marriage. Brian has been and still is dedicated to making our marriage something special for us.
-Brian is a dedicated father. The days I would see him come through the door after a long day of studying and be completely exhausted-and yet he would fall right into his roll of fatherhood-playing with Lydia, changing diapers and feeding her and cleaning around the house. Even though he could have every reason just to flop on the couch and turn on the TV.. he didn't. His love for that little girl melts my entire being.
-Brian has been so dedicated in school. Through boring and hard rotations, lots of praying to decide his specialty, taking the big Step 2 exam, being in the top 10% of his class, applying for residencies, and going on what seems to be endless interviews, he has exceeded the definition of dedicated to me. He works so hard for our little family and in serving the Lord.

Brian has chosen the word Better for 2016. He has his personal reasons for this word choice, but I am sure it will help in this coming year and all the opportunities in store.

Goodbye 2015! You have been good to us. Welcome 2016!

Touring residencies and freaking out...

Want to know what the heck we are thinking right now?

What Brian is thinking: A lot of these interviews are very similar. Maybe I should cancel some of them. Why did I apply to so many? Lots of traveling and being fed.  4th year is so easy. I feel so lazy not studying all the time. I am ready to be training already.

What Lydia's thinking: Wow! Oooh! Look toys! Doggies and Kitties! I want Cheerios and grapes! Catch me if you can!

What Anna is thinking: Oh no, Brian likes Ohio.. I guess it is cheaper there and we could take a trip to Niagara Falls or go see the Palmyra Pageant. But it's 6 hours to the EAST of our home in Chicago making it 27 hours away from Utah.. Not exactly what I would call driving distance. And then there is California which would be so much fun to experience and a little bit closer to family.. a day's drive isn't too terrible. But it is SO expensive... could we even find a place to live? We'd be close to Brian's little sister and family which would be nice. But next is Arizona which would be a completely different climate for me. We'd again be within driving distance of Utah as well as 2 hours near Brian's oldest brother which again would be awesome... And what about Texas? Brian wants to cancel his interview there but I would much rather go there than Ohio and I hear it is a great family-friendly area to live. And of course there is Utah where family is and that is ideal, but I don't want to get my hopes up. And what if we end up in Utah and become just another Mormon? It has been so great to experience the church outside of Utah and feel like we are truly contributing to the building up of the Kingdom. It has been the mission I was never able to go on. Of course we can do the Lord's work anywhere we go I just pray we go where we are needed. And what about all the other places he has interviewed and I'm not even thinking about them? What if we go there and it is so unexpected? What if we were to stay in Chicago? What if, what if... WHAT IF?!

Can you tell who the person that is freaking out the most?

It is so hard for me not to think about the next few months. Especially when it is all anyone talks about? "Hi, Good to see you. What are you guys doing? When will you know where you are going? And when will you move?"

Now that it is finally drawing nearer, I find myself wanting to hold on to every part of our life in Chicago. I know we will miss it there-the area, the experiences, and the friends that have become our family these past 3 and a half years.

As Brian has been off interviewing around the country it has given me a lot of time to mull things over.. and I have decided I truly want to be done thinking and ready to have more trust and faith. This is what our prayers have come to.. Instead of praying for where we want to go, it is asking for us to be sent where we are needed and where will help us grow and learn the most.

I know now that we were needed in Chicago-for Brian's learning but also for our spiritual growth and opportunity to serve others and be served in return.

I pray for the spirit to confirm that where we are matched is where we are needed. Now to anxiously wait until the end of March..

Brian hiking in Arizona on an interview at Mayo Clinic

Fall into October

When the trees begin to get that brown sugar and cinnamon look to them, that's when you know that fall has arrived. Breaking out the boots and the sweatshirts in the crisp cool air while sipping on marshmallow laden hot chocolate after a long walk through a park bursting with deep pumpkin oranges, ruby apple reds, and sunshine yellows of the surrounding leaves is enough to make anyone long for this season.

Fall in Chicago is what first helped me fall in love with this place that we have called home for 3 and a half years and it will be one things I will dearly miss. 

Some of my favorite fall activities here have been apple picking at Elegant Farmer in Wisconsin and downing an entire peck of apples while you pick. Then polishing off the tart sweetness with a apple cider donut on the way home.

Raspberry picking at Thompson Strawberry farm and then making homemade raspberry jam afterwards. Then going to Jerry Smith farms to go pumpkin picking and Krolls Farm for a fun cornmaze.

And then there are all the leaves here.. sooo many leaves in sooo many colors. We have loved taking our bikes around the different little towns and riding around looking at the houses perfectly framed with flames of color. We also have enjoyed walking along Lake Michigan with the bright blue on one side of you and the fiery trees on the other.

Fall has always been my favorite season. It's where the world practically bursts with it's last beauty of the year.. I have the hardest time staying in the house when I know all this gorgeousness is just outside our door.

If you are wondering why Lydia's mouth is black above.. yes we are those parents who let our child eat dirt.. but only sometimes Ha, sometimes I wonder how we make it through the days alive with this little girl. She keeps me in a half sitting/standing position all day because she is always trying to get into something. But boy, oh boy.. is she a beauty.

This picture overload is my way of preserving this fleeting but wonderful fall. I am so grateful for photos and how they allow us to preserve moments and memories in this extremely fast-paced world. It allows me to love this season just a little bit longer while I'm glancing through photos on my phone laying in bed at night just listening to the breathing (or Lydia's midnight teething cries) of my family around me. 

Goodbye Fall.. Who knows where we will be when we meet again.

] Anna

First Residency Interview... or something like that

Today Brian has his first interview for residency.

And from now until the end of January he will drive and fly up and down the West coast and Midwest telling everyone why he wants to go their residency program.. or something like that.

His suit will be freshly dry-cleaned, his hair neatly trimmed, face smoothly shaved and he will try to convince these programs why they want to choose him for a resident.

Well.. kind of choose him... rank him on their list of top residents is a better explanation.

And then come January when all smiles have been shown and questions asked and answered, and with interviews completed. We will compile the list of our top programs.

And then our list of desired residency programs and each program's list of desired students gets plugged into a computer that uses a mathematical algorithm to calculate where we best match and wallah!! It's a MATCH! Or.. something like that.

We leave our fate to a computer that assigns one person to go here.. and another here. We could stay in Illinois, we could move North to Wisconsin, or East to Ohio.. or South to Texas.. or West to California.. or let my heart hope.. Utah.

So let's take a look at our current and future to do list.. ✓

→ spend life savings (or more loans) on applications, interviews, flights, rental cars, gas and an interview wardrobe.
→ match day (3rd Friday in March)
→ move in April to residency location (we've set up our schedule to move earlier than graduation to have more time to get settled and take a graduation vacation)
→ graduate (First weekend of June)
→ work, work, work, cat nap, work, work, work, cat nap, repeat for first year of residency
→ 3 years of Internal Medicine residency
→ 2-3 years of a fellowship (yet to be determined)
→ get first paycheck to pay off $300,00+ loans... or.. something like that.

It truly is exciting.. and scary to be at this point of the medical school process. There are so many unknowns and new opportunities just around the corner.

Match day will come. I will wait anxiously like a kid on Christmas wondering if I'll get a sack of coal for calling my brother names or if I sneaked by with the barbie doll I wanted.

Brian will come home tonight from MCW and tell me all about his first interview and then we'll prep him for the next one this time next week.

Things are really hopping around here.. or something like that.

] Anna

Chicago Lovin'

Chicago... my current mountains..

We have wanted to go to the Shedd Aquiriam for a while, but call us cheap (actually, just call us medical students) and you'll understand why we waited for the museum free day to go.

Fish are amazing.. the sea/amazon/ocean/fresh water creatures are incredible and mysterious. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a God who created all these creatures. They are beautiful and I'm grateful we had the chance to admire them.

For date night, Brian and I boarded The Spirit of Chicago cruise and boated along the skyline of Chicago. It was GORGEOUS.. or let's be honest.. We made it that way. 

What we didn't know when we got on the boat was that 90% of the people were there for a booze cruise.. And the music was horrible. I must be getting old because I did not want to spend my date night among sweaty flirty scantly dressed people singing along to music whose lyrics were completely full of swear words and nastiness..

So.. we went outside on the deck (though it was cold) and I turned on Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin from my phone and we spent the night dancing. THAT is my kind of date night and cruise. We even had some people jump in on the dancing.

We are lovin' our Chicago experience. 

] Anna