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[SuzySunshine]

I'm sure its a very popular wedding weekend - where are you guys staying? I don't know how much we'll be in Vegas, the wedding and the hotel are out at Lake Las Vegas so we're staying out there. Hopefully we'll have some time for gambling!

[PrincessFiona]

It's great to kind of catch up with everyone.

I've been busy finishing up this semester (last lab was yesterday...YEAH!). I have about 2 months now before the 4 weeks of summer lab and then I'm officially DONE!

The weather was so beautiful the last two weeks that I spent a lot of time outside riding bikes and doing gardening. I had grown up veggies from seeds (carrots, onions, green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes...) and I got them all transplanted into the garden. Then we had a freeze and...most of them died.

I'm looking forward to summer. I have a trip home to visit my mom in the planning stages and we are hoping to also have the house painted and start fixing things up...we're officially planning on moving next summer! :ra:

kris

[SueC]

..we're officially planning on moving next summer! :ra:

kris

Yay!!!

Kinda a newbie.
We leave on Saturday for a trip to MN and Madison, WI to visit the campuses and do a little apt hunting.

Our current house goes on the market on May 1st, so I have been busy doing that.

Dh just finished working on a merger (changing over all the leases, signage etc) that meant 18 hour days including the weekend for his whole dept.

SIL is getting married late June and I still haven't bought my bridesmaid dress.

Realized that public schools don't let out til the 20th of June because they start late (so the tourist industry won't lose their cheap high school labor before Labor Day weekend). Which means another 2 months of hauling Henry into the building twice a day to drop off/pick up Timothy.

Great thread-- I've been away from the boards for a while too.

I've been getting by at work, pretty much hating my responsibilities and my clients, and hoping to quit a lot earlier than I had planned on. I am SO fantasizing about taking the whole summer off...

I've been getting ready for school and meeting some of my future classmates, so that's been fun. I'm really looking forward to the new challenges.

BF is good-- ready to wrap up intern year. He's leaning toward applying for GI fellowships, but wants to put it off for a year and do a year as a hospitalist.

[Sheherezade]

Things here are finally going smoothly. I was almost afraid to post in the first half of the new medical year because we finally got through training ...and things weren't so great . We emptied our savings account to buy our house and landed here with no furniture, a fixer-upper, and no cash. The kids spent time adjusting and I mourned the loss of my close friends and networks in Boston. It was a harsh awakening to land in a small town with no connections.
We can finally afford to do some of our remodelling and the kids are happy. My son is thriving in his new school and sports and my daughter is less anxious about the new place. Although only a kindergartener, she is reading like a second grader already and looking forward to horseback riding lessons this summer. I have made some tenative friendships; nobody's dropping by for coffee, but lots of people wave and chat with me when I run into them. I have stripped almost all the hideous wallpaper out of this 100 year old house and repainted 4 bedrooms. I'm starting on the kitchen tonight. We've done some basic remodels as well - moving cabinets, putting in new countertops, adding moldings and built ins. Our yard and garden was coming along well until this weekend's 14 inches of snow. GRRRR. Hopefully, I'll get my spring fever back.

Apart from near constant construction and decorating work, I have also begun freelance writing. I am hoping to use my science Ph.D. and past teaching experience to do science-related writing. I've had a few submissions picked up for little publications and I'm getting inspired. I'm hoping this is something I can build next year when my daughter goes to school full time. I'm also plugged in to the school volunteer network here, which could honestly be a full time job if you let it. I'm in the school a few times a week working in various capacities.

My husband's career has taken off in this first year post training. Finally, all those workaholic tendencies are paying off. He still works long hours many days, but he does have more control of his schedule. He is already the most busy doc in the hospital surgically. He has published several papers this year already, and has many collaborations started. He was recently offered a head of department job at another institution in a different state! He was very flattered, but said no. (Like we would move again this year . ) One thing that surprised me was how much travelling is involved in academic medicine. He has been to 7 meetings so far this year. At least we are getting lots of frequent flier miles. Next year, when we have more available cash, we will go to some meetings with him. He is really soaring and I am very proud of him.

That's our update. Great to hear how everyone else is doing. I think this is a busy time of year for everyone.

[Phoebe]

Glad to hear how everyone is doing! Things have been crazy here the last few months. We had our basement finished which caused some minor diasters but fires are almost put out. In April, we took a trip to FL to visit my distant father and he held true to his typical self by not taking time off and constantly being on the phone or on the computer. The change of scenery was nice though. The week after our FL trip I went to my brother's wedding in OR. It was an orchestra to put together plans for childcare while I was gone. It amazed me how second nature taking care of my kids has become and to put it in someone else's hands is difficult. My in-laws helped out and didn't kill the girls like I imagined. It may open up future opportunities for DH and I to travel. I owe DH big for my trip.

I finished helping write an article for my old thesis advisor with lots of praise from her only to have another author turned around and rewrite it to his prespective. Kris, I feel your pain! It has got me rethinking the school idea. Oh well the experience was good.

Today I just sent off, DH's CV to our dream location and I have high hopes for positive results. The girls are lots of fun and I am amazed at how they changed in the 4 days I was away. My 3.5 year old, although intense, just surprises me with conversations she comes up with. She makes me laugh.

Thats the latest!

Hi everyone. We are in a moving craze. There are boxes and crap everywhere. I feel like I've been throwing/giving away for a month and it is getting more crowded in here. Yuck. We fly to the US on May 22nd. So 22 days left of being a foreigner. woopee..

[Amiens]

It seems lately when I have had a chance to post the website is down.

I got my walking cast off, and now have to buy shoes to fit my feet properly. We're surely but slowly getting packed. We move in 46 days, and Matt is trying to start work on June 30th rather than July 11th, so he can get what I think amounts to $30,000 in retirement benefits which he would lose if he doesn't start on June 30th.

Brigham has learned to climb out of his crib and so we will be getting a twin bed for him this week. He is trying to potty train himself- figure it's time when he lets me know when he needs a diaper change, and also when he pulls off his diaper to sit on the potty.

Emma asks regularly if she can go and see "daddy at his hospital home" and when we will pack up our stuff to move to our "Boise house."

That's what's new here.
Crystal

[Rapunzel]

I've got about 8 weeks left with my pregnancy and am looking forward to having another little bean bag. I haven't had any more major problems since my little "incident" a couple of weeks ago and all tests came out normal.

I'm in the process of getting school all wrapped up for the kids before I go into labor and we've got a bunch of mundane goals to meet before then as well. I've had to cut waaaay back on our schedule because I just don't have the stamina to keep up with all the playdates, the chess club, the Greek Mythology class, the basketball practices, and the other stuff that I'm forgetting at the moment! I get so tired just thinking about all of it. So, after a bit of introspection I've decided the next couple of months are going to be pared down to the absolute basics for me and the kids. They may find that boring but I honestly don't care at this point. I've got to be a bit selfish right now and they're just going to have to put up with that!

We're looking forward to my husband's last year of residency. I can't believe we've already been through four years of this! His chief resident responsibilities are now over (Hallelujah!!) and he's actually around a *bit* more because of that. I've convinced him to cut back on his own endless professional "extras" (ie writing papers, conferences, doing websites for programs, etc) and after he gets back from this next conference in Montreal (where he is giving THREE presentations - I kid you not!) things should slow waaaay down to him just working on a textbook with someone and doing some moonlighting.

Assuming they remain "en vogue" I will be changing my ticker over to the end-of-residency countdown after I have the baby. That will be really nice!

Jennifer

[DCJenn]

Things here are pretty exciting with the addition of the little dude to our family. We're just getting to know each other and having fun hanging out.

My professional life has come to a screeching halt at the moment but I plan to contact some local providers and offer my services to their various boards.

My beloved has one more year of peds neuro fellowship and then we're off to wherever the Army decides we need to go, although I very much expect that if things are still happening in Iraq, he'll go there first.

That's all that's happening. My home improvement projects are nearly finished but for now, the focus is on the young lad.

Jenn

[Vanquisher]

I'm relatively new, but I will post anyway. I hope nobody minds.

Dh is in the home stretch of his intern year. He is just starting his rehab month, and then has radiology and anesthesia in June. These last few months are the easiest months, and it has been nice to have him home more. I am not looking forward to next year when he is solidly on ortho as a junior resident. I've heard that PGY-2 is by far the hardest year here. I hope I can get through it.

My kids are both doing well. My daughter freaked me out the other day by fainting. She is 13 months old and has no right to do that to me! I'm a basketcase as it is! My son, who is seven, is just plugging along.

My MIL just barely left here, she was visiting for a week, and it was the usual nightmare that it always is. How I can see past her and manage to love her son is sometimes beyond me. I must be a very good person. :>

We are all heading to Calgary, CA on Wednesday. DH's best friend from med school is getting married there, and DH is a groomsman and my son is the ring bearer. Sadly, I know nobody else in Canada and will spend my time at the wedding making sure my daughter doesn't cry at the wrong time or run amok. She's the only baby invited (aaaaack!). My son and the flower girl are the only other two kids that will be anywhere near anything. I know my son can handle himself. This is his 4th time being a ring-bearer and he has another one after this (my sister is getting married in July). Plus, he's a pretty good kid. It's the little monster that I'm worried about. The child has an evil gift. Good thing she's so cute!

My sister's wedding that is upcoming is a source of stress. It is a July wedding, outdoors, and I am the only attendant. She wants me to wear a formal gown. Yipes. My dad, who is walking her down the aisle won't be wearing a tux, or even a suit or tie! I thought it was supposed to be more casual than that. Aye yie yie. I'm also doing her wedding cake. She also wants me to make individual cakes for all 300 guests. I told her and my mother (who agreed with me) that I would not be doing 300 individual cakes, as I am not a bakery, and it would be virtually impossible. Since then, my mother has decided that we can do the cakes, it won't be that hard, and she will help me. She's bought the pans, and it is decided. If I told her that I wasn't doing that, my mom would try to do it herself, and I would feel guilty. Sometimes I wonder what a concience is for anyway.

Here's a pic of a similar style cake to what I'll be doing. The flowers will be purple orchids, and I'm adding ribbon.

http://www.hawaiibride.com/cake%20gallery/bowe0479.jpg

My mom also told me that she wants my aunt to do the bridal shower, even though I've been planning on doing it for months because it would be easier and less expensive for me. If she wants to make things easier for me she'll drop the individual cakes idea. Her thought is that my aunt threw my wedding shower. Yes, but my sister was 13 when I got married. It's a bit different, I want to do it, and she is my only sister. Sometimes I think my moms intentions are misplaced. She already told my aunt, without asking me, that she could do the shower. Ugh. Now I have to call my aunt and see if we can do it together.

I can't imagine when my daughter wants to get married. I'll probably go insane. That's probably why my mom is acting the way she is.

Anyway, that's the scoop here. Thanks for letting me be a part of this group.

Hi everyone,

It's nice to finally catch up. Things here have been crazy. Our little one is 3.5 months now and is doing great. DH finishes fellowship in less than two months and we are off to Massachusetts! He starts July 18. We were up there this last week looking for a place to live but didn't have any luck We put an offer in on a place we loved but it wasn't accepted. So now we have to go back, which with the little one will not be an easy task. Today was my last official day of work and I went in to say some goodbyes. So we have a lot of change!