It's been a whirlwind!

Clearly, we have been quite busy since I was accepted to nursing school last February! It's hard to believe that in two months I will graduate and then be a nurse! It's amazing how much can change in just one year. We have celebrated birthdays, traveled to Spain, taken roadtrips, enjoyed anniversaries, completed major steps in schools, moved, adopted a puppy, sold a car, bought a vespa, traveled to the mountains, and grown in many ways as a family.


I plan to do a series of several posts to try to catch this ole' blog up. How to post enough to catch up over a year?? I will do my best!


Here we go!


Shortly after I was accepted to nursing school, we celebrated my 23rd birthday! Will planned a surprise birthday party- and I was COMPLETELY surprised! It was topped off with Joseph wearing a penguin costume. Awesome. Almost our entire family was there and it was wonderful. We had a bbq and I even had my first piñate!

It was a wonderful(!!!) Birthday! 

Celebration!

This wonder woman is going to nursing school!!!!

Merry (late) Christmas! Happy (late) New Year!

Hola Amigos!


It's 2012.

I feel like the older I get, the faster time goes by. What is happening?

Will and I were both looking forward to the end of 2011, but already 2012 has turned out to be another surprising year. The day after Christmas we moved about 3 blocks down from where our first apartment was. And of course, it was raining All. Day. We were drenched all day, but thankfully we had the help of both our families. We couldn't have done it without them mainly because we wouldn't have had trucks to transport stuff!! But being around family all day and having their help means the world to us.

I have pictures to post of our first tree :) It was (and continues to be) a year of firsts. We got our first tree, and at the end cut off a slice of the trunk to make into an ornament for next year. We made some ornaments of our own and had so much fun looking at it each day in our apartment. It just felt magical. It was a little piece of us. Next year we would like to keep our tree up for longer, but with the move we had to take it down right after Christmas.

We absolutely LOVE our new place. We are still renting, this time a duplex rather than an apartment. The neighborhood and street we are on is great! It is so quiet and quaint. The other night we were going on a walk around the neighborhood and saw two GIANT bunnies in someone's front yard! We couldn't figure out if they were someone's pets or just random bunnies. They were there for about a whole hour! Awesome! Our house is bigger and feels so much like home. It's cozy, but the perfect size for us right now. We are still in the process of hanging pictures, but once we are all moved in I will post some pictures.

We knew moving in that we would not have a washer/dryer for the first few weeks probably. (The old tenants had broken it and our landlord needed to replace it). We didn't know, however, that we wouldn't have a stove though! It was an OLD, OLD electric stove. Day one when we tried to turn it on- after 45 minutes- the burners still wouldn't warm up. The ironic thing is that when Will first saw the stove he started to plan a way to "make"it break so we could get a new one. Guess he didn't have to work too hard at that! So for the past two weeks we didn't have a stove. Well, that's all fine and dandy for a few days. Take out is great- it means I don't have to cook! But honestly, there's only SO much take out you can eat. You begin to get desperate to cook your own food after a few days! Luckily for us, we remembered that we had an electric skillet! Voila!So for the past two weeks we have been boiling water, cooking pasta, sauteing vegetables etc in the glorified electric skillet!

Never have I been so grateful to see a giant moving truck pull into my driveway than I was on Monday when the new stove arrived! And the best part was that we were able to switch to a gas stove! Cha-Ching! We got the new washer/dryer about a week ago, but until then we made a habit of randomly showing up at our parents houses carrying our laundry! They thought it was hilarious! Just another reason I am so happy to live close to family :)

Apart from a busy Christmas break, Will and I were able to fit in a  lot of time just to catch up. He had a THREE WEEK vacation from school!!!!! I was expecting a weekend...so 3 weeks was like Heaven! He went back to school Monday, a week after I started back teaching. It's been tough adjusting to his schedule again, but everything will work out. This summer is supposed to be more manageable than last semester, so our hopes are high!


At this point, I am waiting to hear from UMC about nursing school. I expect a letter sometime in March. If I am accepted then I will begin school in May, if I'm not accepted, then I plan on starting at a local community college in August. Either school would be excellent. The community colleges around here have outstanding nursing programs and are still very competitive. I can officially say that I will be starting nursing school sometime this year!

Pictures coming soon!

December 1st

Will here.

I love Christmas - always have. The lights, the cold, the fires in fireplaces, the friends in town, the family visits, the awesome food, the fantastic music... It never gets old for me.

But this year, Christmas means something extra special. Yes, it will be the end of a long and demanding semester, and for that I am grateful. What I'm thinking of, though, is much bigger.

Clare and I will be celebrating our first Christmas as a married couple.

As I write this, the night is passing into morning and plenty of work remains to be done, but I am just overwhelmed by my situation at this very second. Clare and I are married. Still totally blows my mind. We live in a quaint little apartment in the heart of Belhaven. We went and picked out a Christmas tree for our place yesterday and had to ask the folks if they had anything smaller they could show us. It was fantastic! We really are at such a unique junction in our lives together, and I'm just thankful for it - for all its quirks, its bursts of laughter, its understandings that the important things in life don't cost a dime.

When Clare and I were early on in our courtship, we used to lament the fact that there were so many years separating us from where we were then to that ONE DAY when we would, in front of God and everyone, be married. After feeling sorry for ourselves for a little while, we finally realized how much fun we were having just being right where we were. 'Besides,' we said, 'What's six years in the span of sixty?' How true that's been, even with the little time we've had.

But yes, I am amazed and humbled to be at such a spot in my life. Clare, you are wonderful - thank you for agreeing to share your time on this planet with me. That is just too cool.

So, in sum: Med school = finite. Challenges / Obstacles = come and go. Getting to spend the first of many, many Christmas' with the woman you love = just no beating that.

Welcome, December! You are always a sight for sore eyes.

Best to all of you,
Will

PS - Found a neat quote that I think is worth sharing. It's a Serbian proverb: "Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars." Just excellent.

Mary Kay Beauty Consultant

I think that probably every woman out there has hard of Mary Kay, right? It is a line of make-up and skin care items for women, and they also have several items for men. A few weeks ago I went to a May Kay party for a friend of mine (her husband is also an M1 at UMMC, and we are in the Wives' auxiliary together!). I was listening to the beauty consultant talking about what Mary Kay was like for her and I was so inspired! Not only was she really able to boost her financial situation, but it gave her an opportunity to meet some really amazing woman and touch so many lives. I was inspired to look into becoming a consultant myself. So.....last week I signed up and I am now an official consultant!

I am so excited to be working with such a great group of women. They emphasize that our priorities should always be- God first, Family Second, and Career third. I was so impressed that from the very beginning they were emphasizing that a career should not be the most prominent thing in our lives. Of course we need jobs to survive and pay bills (etc etc etc), but a job or one's desire for money should never be the ultimate goal or our driving force. 

I think this is an especially hard concept in the world today, particularly in my generation. We are beginning to enter the work force now and it is hard sometimes to remember that all the benefits of life and work will come in due time. Our parents didn't have 3 story mansions and granite counter tops when they were our age. I believe there is a certain sweetness that comes with working hard at something and then enjoying the benefits. I've been thinking about this a lot lately because I think the timeline Will and I are looking at has become more apparent and 'real' to me. He's got at least 3 1/2 years of school left and then several years of residency, and soon (hopefully!) I'll be back in school. We've still got a long haul before we'll be in our careers and working. 

I know our time will come when we can work and enjoy the benefits. For now I am trying to enjoy all the small things that come with our lifestyle at this point, for I know this time will pass all too quickly. 

I love that I can vacuum the whole apartment without having to plug the vacuum into more than one outlet. 

I love that I can always hear where Will is in the apartment. 

I love that Will can ride his bike to the hospital.

I love that we are in the middle of a neighborhood and can go walking and visit with our neighbors. 

I love that we are almost equidistance from all 3 families. 

I love that this apartment has so many windows and we always get so much sunlight. 

I love that the small space means we are constantly bumping into each other. 

I love that our laundry is right in the kitchen. It makes me laugh now, but I know I'll miss it one day.

I love living in such an eccentric part of the city and seeing all of our weird neighbors walk around. 

I love that in the afternoon I can hear the local high school marching band playing. 

I love that we are right across from a park where they show free movies like ET and Indiana Jones. 

I love that we have two porches and a little patch of green space that I have reclaimed. 

Circa May 2011

There are so many things that I love about this apartment and this stage of life we are in now. I'm trying to enjoy everything about this moment because it's going to pass too quickly. So for the time, I am going to take too many pictures, stay up way too late with Will (every night this week), and try to enjoy all that this stage has to offer.

Go hug someone you love :)

Pardon Our Progress- We Are Under Construction

I think that title pretty much sums up this blog right now. Last week I got really into updating the blog and trying to give it 'the look' that accurately depicts the feeling we want to convey (....and I'm REALLY good at procrastinating....more on that later).

I spent several hours researching how to change the look of a blog, and how to add tabs. It would be really helpful right about now if I had taken had paid attention in my Computer Science class last Fall. Whelp. Ya see, I don't exactly understand HTML code. I know, I know....It's not that hard. I'll get it soon....but for now I'm on strike.

So this weekend was Halloween! And Will's 5 year High School Reunion! And the UMMC Student Body Halloween party! And my tour for the UMMC School of Nursing! And game night with my sister Rachael and her hubby! and Will's only 'free' and relaxing weekend in a long time! woohoo!

It was a fabulous weekend, but I must say, I am sad that it went by so quickly. Will and I had some great time together and it felt like we were a married couple again- rather than two people occupying the same space.

I say this in jest, seriously. Ever heard the phrase "medical school widow"? I used to laugh when people said that (and cringe on the inside).  This past month has given that statement some credibility. Will has been a great husband with what little time he has, but let me say that I am so glad that Blacktober is over.

This too shall pass. 

Why, hello there, Movember. To raise awareness about Prostate Cancer, this month Will will be growing out his 'stache in support. We will be taking either daily or weekly pics to display in an effort to help raise funds for research. Did you know that Prostate Cancer affects 1 in 6 men? That's huge! My uncle was just diagnosed a few weeks ago and is now preparing to have the radical procedure of having his prostate removed. Let's get involved, ya'll.

In other news, I submitted my Nursing School Application. I am very excited and very nervous. I applied for two programs- they only differ in the amount of time. The Accelerated BSN program is 15 months, and the Traditional BSN program is 2 years. Both would begin next May. These programs are very competitive- but I know in my heart that I am meant to be a nurse. My fingers are crossed and I am praying that I find out soon! I applied Early Decision which would let me know of an acceptance in December, and if I'm not accepted into the first round or decision, then my application will be put back into the general admission pile and I will know more definitively in March. Please say a prayer for me!

For Halloween Will and I were "Black Eyed Peas". NOT The Black Eyed Peas. Just, Black Eyed peas. Pictures to come soon.

I'd love to know what your Halloween Costume was this year! Or was there a favorite one that you saw? Please leave me a comment and let me know!

Have a great week. Happy Movember.

P.S. You know those times when you feel absolutely certain that you have the best mom? Today is one of those days. I've been struggling the past few weeks with some personal stuff- mainly just normal life growing pains, and my mom went out of her way to get me a sweet happy- an electric wax melter scent diffuser thing-a-ma-bob from Scentsy. Thanks, Mom. I love it.

Isn't it beautiful? I love the angels. I think I know where Christmas gifts are coming from this year!

Fall Football and other Musings

I come from a large family, with my youngest brother on this earth is Joseph. There is an 18 year difference between the oldest biological, and the youngest. For the past 26 or so years, my parents have had children at both the local Catholic Elementary School and Catholic High School. Last year marked the first year that my parents would not have a child at the elementary school. It was bittersweet for certain, but these are life's changing stages.

Joseph is now in 7th grade at the junior high/ high school, while my other sister, Mollie, is a junior. I am glad that they have each other there. My oldest sister, Rachael, and I also work at St. Joe right now and so I find it so funny that there are 4 Gray-Lewis' at one school now! I am loving being around family so much, and I am so impressed by how much Mollie and JoJo are growing. They are becoming such independant, intelligent, and kind people. I thought JoJo would be embarrassed about seeing his older siblings at his new school, but he will still come up to me in the hallway and give me a hug! I love it! JoJo is playing football this season and he such a good athlete! I have been fortunate to attend a few games and get some pictures of him- no matter how much he protests- It's not cool to have to stop and smile while playing football, ya know?

I don't remember what my dad was doing here, but he sure was proud of himself! 

Joseph has decided he doesn't like to smile in pictures anymore. He's too cool for it.

When we were kids, if we were not smiling my dad would always say, "I can see that smile!" over and over again until we smiled. Works every time

Can you see the red hair? #17

We called his name for a while to try to get him to turn around- finally he acknowledged us!

 

This is my pitiful attempt at a picture of all of the Gray-Lewis men. They are such goofballs! Oh, and my mad photography skillz could use a little work. Any tips on working with low light?