Memorial Day!

Yesterday was an unexpectedly profitable day. Aaron and I capitalized on the typical Memorial Day furniture sales. We can't believe the amazing deals we were able to get! Our living room will look completely different once the pieces are delivered and set up this Friday afternoon. I'll be sure to post pictures later this week.
We dropped by a furniture auction with friends in the morning, munched on some delicious sushi for lunch, and split up an afternoon of browsing stores with a QT icee, Macee's favorite treat.
Aaron and I cooked up some fish tacos and guacamole for dinner with our friend Sean, then dragged out the fire pit for the first backyard evening under the stars of the summer.

 Macee squealed as loud as I did over my furniture upon seeing the size of these fluffy marshmallows

 Sean was so excited for s'mores!

Everyone attempting to get the perfect golden-brown toasted marshmallow before s'more assembly. 

Another friend, Jason, joined us soon after this. Aaron asked him to bring a lawn chair - he wheeled a rolling cooler from his house a block over instead, complete with beverages. I hope people drove by to witness it.
I couldn't be more grateful to and appreciative of the many men and women who have selflessly sacrificed so much so that we may enjoy these simple pleasures. We have a wonderful life because of their acts of service.

Bad Habits

I love being married to my best friend. The reason our wedding was so special to me was that it was a true new beginning. We hadn't lived together before, so the exchange of vows and all that followed was very exciting. Moving in together was an adventure, but also came along with a period of discovery of each others' habits.
I was reminded of this last night as I walked into the bathroom to take out my contacts and discovered my husband peeing with a popsicle in one hand. You can take a moment to gag if you'd like...I did.
When I'm rounding up loads of laundry, I now know to check a specific corner in the dining room, underneath the large sofa, and on his side of the bed for the piles of dirty clothes he collects in these random places for reasons unknown. I can expect that if I clean the bathroom sink, he will inevitably decide to trim his beard the next morning. I no longer attempt to figure out what in the world the sticky substances on the kitchen counters are.
For every undesirable habit of his, I undoubtedly have at least one of my own. Sometimes they even make me smile, because I know that I would miss them dearly if he were ever gone. They are evidence of our life together and the home we've built. So I'll take my boyish man, bad habits and all, and love him all the more for them.

I could get used to this...

Aaron and I are just now settling in to our summer schedule of staying up late, sleeping in, reading for enjoyment, and doing whatever else we desire on a whim. Heaven.
After a late lunch, Aaron, Macee and I went to our favorite antique shop and perused the booths for over an hour. We discovered three beautiful tea cups and saucers for the tea party I'm planning for my mom's birthday this June. I'd love to one day have an eclectic collection of tea cups and other dishware and am slowly building a nice little foundation. In addition to my future shoe closet, I will have a large butler's pantry lined with dinnerware. Sigh. 

 I thought it was unique that the floral pattern was continued on the inside of the cup.

I LOVE this color palette! This set is especially delicate.

I'd also like to mention that Aaron found a Hobbit record that he had to have. Now we need a record player.

 After shopping, we spent some time outside on the deck enjoying the utterly gorgeous weather. Macee is re-reading the final Harry Potter book in anticipation of her themed birthday party that coincides with the final movie premiere this July.

It was so refreshing to see this image after the recent string of storms. I spent several minutes staring up at the sky, taking in the breeze and sunshine and reflecting on how enjoyable the past week has been. Many more to come this summer...

Aaron's Quest

I've drafted a list of goals for my last summer ever. Camping, antiquing, dinner parties, game nights, barbeques... I've got a lot to fit in.
Aaron has some aspirations of his own. First and foremost: beating each and every Legend of Zelda video game in sequential order, special quests included. The first and second have already fallen at his hands. It's only a matter of time (days) before the third and fourth are conquered as well.

The theme song on a continuous loop is embedded in my head. I'm pretty sure it was the track to my dreams last night.
If the correlation between video game talent and surgery prowess is true, my husband will be the go-to man for all of your surgery needs. Play on, babe. Play on.

Rainy Day Love

I have a love/hate relationship with rainy days. I abhor them when I have to travel or study all day. I love them when I have absolutely nothing to do but be lazy and lounge around the house all day. Now that I'm on summer vacation, every rainy day has the potential to be the latter.
I took a luxurious 3 hour nap this afternoon...because I could. There's nothing like curling up in the sheets with the sound of raindrops pattering against the windows.
After my snooze, Aaron and I made tacos, cheese dip, and yummy guacamole for dinner, settled in on the couch and watched two episodes of Criminal Minds.
To top the day off, we played an intense game of Scrabble.

 Not bad for a first draw!

 Aaron's first word...

My 66-pointer!

 Final score: Aaron dominated with a win of 313 to 284. Don't challenge us unless you're prepared, folks.

I realize I might have described a typical day in the lives of an elderly couple, and I'm OK with that. I found my old man :)

Take Away

It's the end of our second day of summer vacation. It's only beginning to seem real that I don't have upcoming exams for which I need to study, or 8:00 AM classes requiring an early morning alarm. Aaron and I have both dreamt about studying for the past two nights. Last night was Clinical Skills... maybe because it was my last priority this week? It's so difficult to fully relax, breathe, and accept the fact that I have three months of freedom before me.
I've realized that while I covered more information than I ever imagined possible in only 2 semesters, the life lessons I've learned during this first year of medical school outweigh the thousands of pages of notes I spent hours devouring. Here are a select few.
1. No one truly understands what you go through as a medical student unless they have gone through it themselves. Those that realize this fact and do everything they can to empathize anyway are priceless (mom, dad, and Macee).
2. You will never, ever, walk into an exam feeling prepared...with the exception of OMM. Regardless of how many hours you spent in preparation, you will undoubtedly feel as if you could have done more. Accept it, acknowledge the work you did accomplish, and move onto the next exam.
3. You cannot conquer medical school alone. The success is shared with those select loved ones who supported you every step of the way, and owed to God, who heard every single prayer and answered exceedingly and abundantly every. single. time.
4. My marriage is more important than a 4.0. Choosing to spend quality time with my husband over putting in an extra hour of studying was an investment in our future and undoubtedly one of the reasons that our marriage is stronger than ever after this first year.
I'm so blessed to have survived the first year, and to have learned a few things in the process. Second year lessons can wait. I have a lot of naps to catch up on before then :)

Graduation(s)

Aaron and I are officially MSIIs. Wow. I'll dedicate an entire post to that feeling sometime later this week; right now, I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that the first year is over.
It was a big weekend in our families. Aaron's youngest sister graduated from high school Friday evening. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make it because our Neuro final ended too late for us to make it in time.
One of the toughest sacrifices medical school demands is time stolen from friends and family. My sister and his oldest sister graduated from the University of Arkansas this past Saturday. Due to Snowmageddon, our finals week got pushed back a week, which put Aaron and I in a precarious position.We had a final all day Monday and two the following Tuesday. However, we gave up an entire day of much needed studying to celebrate the momentous occasions with our families. My beautiful, intelligent, sweet sister graduated with High Distinction in the top 10% of her entire college with a BS in Communication Disorders. I wouldn't have missed it for the world...every single second was worth it. I couldn't be more proud of her.

Could she be any more gorgeous- inside and out?!

My grandfather obtained his Masters and Doctorate from the U of A, so he and my grandmother celebrated with us Saturday. We heard some interesting stories from their time in Fayetteville and how different the campus, and town, were back then.

Aaron attempted to study before Macee's ceremony began since he attended TWO that afternoon. He was really disappointed that his graduating sister chose to spend the evening with friends when he had made such a sacrifice to spend time with her, but he got to spend some quality time with his sister Celeste and his parents, which made the trip worthwhile.
It's now been 3 years since Aaron and I graduated from the University of Arkansas. It was so surreal to be there for my little sister, whom I often still see as that precious 2 year old shadow of mine. Mom made the comment that the next time we'll be there is for our children's graduations - you can bet they'll continue the tradition and become Razorbacks themselves!!!

Wish List

Neuro exam in T - 1.5 days. I'm doing my part by studying to my limits, and my family is doing their part by praying and offering encouragement. Sometimes I feel as if my prayers become a "wish list." A list of things I want or need, staples that become repetitive night after night. I get stuck on auto-mode and lose the personal connection that prayer creates. I forget to thank God for the many prayers He's answered and the blessings He's given me for which I didn't even ask.
And then times like these arise, in which I'm forced to fall on my knees and fervently seek God and His promises. How much more effective would my prayers, for myself and for others, be if I were always so passionate? How would my daily affect change if I took the time to reflect on what He's already done for me and praised Him accordingly?
One of the best things about God is that I can come to Him with anything. This week, I'm praying for some very specific things. Total clarity and recall, wisdom in uncertainty, quickness in recognition and association, and identification of any mistakes. I'm thanking Him in advance for meeting me more than halfway and answering these prayers this Friday. For fighting my battle for me when I am no longer strong enough to fight. For being beside me throughout this process.
The challenge: to be just as diligent in my prayers and praise next week, when these trials are over.

Neuro Zombie

Our first final, Microbiology, took place yesterday. It covered Mycology and Parasitology - I am now hesitant to eat cereal, go swimming, be without bug spray, or tread anywhere near cats or dogs. I'm doing you all a favor by not posting some of the more memorable pictures from this unit...just know there were lots and lots of worms. Eeeew. Ok, maybe just one picture.

Try eating when you're studying this...

The most popular type of Facebook post right now from my classmates is the number of exams, practicals, and hours we have left before we officially become MSIIs. While I couldn't be more excited for summer, the majority of my stress will be lifted this Friday afternoon upon my slaying of the beast that is Neuroanatomy. A comprehensive exam covering 42 lectures; 13 labs; 29 CT, MRI, and dissected brain Powerpoint presentations; and cases...I'm too tired to count the number of cases. Pressure is on, and I've managed to suppress the anxiety and any possible meltdowns so far.
I am capable of acting like a normal human being right now, but I can feel the lethargy starting to set in. By Thursday evening, I will be a Neuro zombie. While I may blink and stare, I will be incapable of any coherent conversation. Mentally evacuated. My onery sister once took a picture of a dehydrated, disoriented me suffering from a nasty stomach bug and lovingly framed it. That image pretty much sums it up.
All I know is this: after the final, I'm heading to Tahlequah to hug my mom and dad and to attempt to recover from the week before Macee's graduation. Otherwise, people may not believe I'm in medical school...

Best Mom Ever

Everyone is biased in thinking that they have the best mom ever. I feel, however, that I am objective enough to accurately state that my mom actually takes that title. :)
Here's some supporting evidence to back that statement up:

Wasn't she a cute baby?!

My mother works 50+ hours a week yet still somehow manages to keep her home spotless. No dishes in the sink, no mounds of laundry in the utility room, no misplaced items lying randomly about the house (exception: my dad's computer desk, my dad's ottoman in the bedroom, and visits from Macee and I). I don't know how she does it, but I hope to one day learn the secret...or hire a daily maid. Always organized, always prepared, always put-together: she is Supermom.

My mother selflessly places my sister and I above herself, always. She has just recently begun to buy nice clothes and shoes for herself, as for years everyone's wants came before her own needs. I can't begin to describe the sacrifices she and my father have made for us, and know that I will undoubtedly discover more as I grow and have my own children. I can't wait until I'm in the position to bless their socks off!

True friends are rare, and their relationships invaluable. One of the greatest pleasures of growing up was seeing my mom in a new perspective: as a person, not just a mom. What a blessing it was to discover the qualities a true friend possesses in her - loyalty, honesty, faith, selflessness. With her I can share anything, and it gives me joy that that she now shares intimate aspects of her life with me. She is my role model, who I attempt to emulate and from whom I seek advice. I love spending time with her, in person or on the phone, and can't wait to do so more often this summer.
I love you bunches and gobs, mom!
Micah Joy

Last Day of MSI Classes

Nearly nine months ago I walked into medical school, Aaron at my side, for our very first day of classes. I hoped I had picked a suitable outfit of scrubs and sneakers. I did not want to emulate the freshman at the U of A that always showed up on the first day in high heels and skirts, only to be smirked at (in a friendly way!) by upperclassmen like me in jeans and t-shirts. In the madness of that morning I had forgotten to take a picture of Aaron and I, something I'd promised my mom I'd do.
I walked in that morning and blinked...and I woke up and the year is nearly finished. One seemingly never-ending, sometimes nightmarish dream later, classes are over. This gives me hope. Hope that I'll blink and it will be the end of second year, and rotations, and so on until I'm in my residency. The years ahead feel just like that - years; but so did this first as I looked forward in August.
We have a tradition of standing and applauding each professor after their last lecture of the semester. I'm looking forward to the standing ovation in three years, at graduation, in honor of us.

Softball Practice

The annual Faculty vs. Student softball tournament is quickly approaching. It's scheduled for the last day of our finals and the first year class has had several practices. There was a low turnout today, probably because our first final is Monday...the closer it gets, the faster the material seems to overwhelm us. However, the gorgeous weather coaxed a few of us out of the library to take a break and soak up some sun. My position: official team photographer ;)

 Warmup

 The talented first baseman :)

 Action shot!

 Aaron says he needs to work on his back foot...

Jared sending them over the fence

Get ready, Meekster (our histology professor), the first years are coming for ya!

Mortui Vivis Praecipant

A brief ceremony honoring those who donated their bodies to our Anatomy Lab last semester took place during lunch today. My brilliant husband organized it, and Dr. Jarolim, one of the Anatomy professors, gave a speech that was quite lovely before candles were lit in remembrance. It centered upon the unique gift that these individuals bestowed upon us, our education, and our future careers. He mentioned a Latin phrase on a sign hanging from the Anatomy lab director's office door, which roughly translates to "The living learn from the dead."
How true is that? Yes, a bit morbid, but a wonderful reminder that the legacy we build here on earth continues (hopefully) after we pass. It's been a rough week already. I've put in 6 hours of pure studying today with a few more to go. However, it's nice to remember that I'm investing in my future - in my legacy.
What kind of legacy are you creating?

Female Exam and H&Ps

The past few days have been interesting indeed. I was once again reminded of the fact that I live in a medical school bubble through the discovery of Bin Laden's death via Facebook. Sadly, that seems to be a legitimate news source lately and my only connection to the normal outside world.

Justin and MacKelvie chose to personify "Mercka" (America) and its awesomeness in celebration

Yesterday, my entire day was consumed by Clinical Skills. The female exam lab was scheduled several weeks ago, but several physicians and patient models failed to show up; therefore, my group and several others were rescheduled for this week. I mourned the loss of study time, suited up (white coat), and was amazed at the difference between this exam and my confusion during the male prostate tutorial. Possessing all the "parts" was very helpful. As much as I didn't want to take precious time to makeup the lab, I ultimately was grateful for the experience. I will now look much more competent in rotations. Ex: I will correctly insert the catheter into the urethra instead of stabbing at the clitoris...apparently this is a common mistake. Also, if your male OB/Gyn ever says anything in that region looks "beautiful" or "pretty," he missed etiquette 101. Creepy.

 A lecture actually walking us through writing a H&P would've been extremely helpful

While my afternoon was spent with a speculum and KY, my morning was spent waiting for a meeting and then being told of my absolute failure in writing my first History and Physical. My instructor/physician purposefully did not give anyone in her group over an 80%, which was upsetting considering the time I put into it rather than studying Neuro the day before the exam. Apparently, the example H&P's we were given that were written by actual physicians would not have received above an 80% either, because that's what my classmates and I followed. We should also know what questions to ask in all circumstances and be able to determine which lab tests to order at this point (?). While the critique I received was much appreciated for its future benefit, I would have appreciated not being held accountable to a much more advanced knowledge base. Has it been that many years between their first year and the present?

Plans

I'm spending today studying for the Epidemiology final (in two and a half weeks - I'm on top of it!) and writing the paper that is due at midnight tonight (not so on top of it). Papers in medical school? I thought I was done with them for life in college. Then again after my MBA classes. When will it end?!
Despite the impending task, I have a fresh perspective on the rest of this semester, which is quickly dwindling to summer. I've struggled with a particular person the past few months, with no provocation, rhyme or reason behind the malicious actions. Then, last Wednesday, something was initiated that made me feel as if a bomb had been dropped on me and my future. It wasn't fair. I asked the typical question: "Why me?"
I remembered one of my dad's sermons in which he taught that it's not the events that occur in our lives that define us, but rather our responses to these events. So I asked for prayer and guidance from my parents and husband, and prayed fervently myself.
In my devotions that night and the night that followed, I read about Gideon's victory over the Midianites. About his complete faith and trust in God. And my favorite verse came to mind: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" This promise to me, along with an amazing passage of scripture from my mom, reminded me that God has already crafted my future. No thing and no one can change those plans as long as I follow His will. How comforting is that?
And God was faithful to hear and answer my prayers. Just like Gideon, I had a major victory over my enemy. As finals approach, I know that as long as I do my part, God will be faithful to carry me through. So take heart, first years, because nothing can stand in the way of God's plans for you; especially not these next few weeks.
Amen!