Christmas Train!

This past Friday evening we met my parents and sister at Camp Dry Gulch to ride the Christmas Train.
An old-fashioned steam train wound us about the property while we listened to the Christmas story and watched the illustrations through the windows.

Waiting to board the train!

After riding the train we toured the "town." It was spectacular, modeled after an old western city. We browsed the general store, sampled saltwater taffy, grabbed a bite to eat at the Stew and Chili House, and warmed up by the fire pits before enjoying a funnel cake at the night's end.

Main Street in Dry Gulch, USA

What a wonderful evening with family. I'm loving all of the special moments this holiday season has brought so far. Christmas is my favorite!

Christmas Dates 1 and 2

Aaron and I recently made a "to-do" list for this holiday season consisting of old traditions and new experiences we considered musts this year.
We've gone on several special dates so far, the first being our night out in Fayetteville several weeks ago.

Lights on the Fayetteville Square

We bundled up the next Saturday evening and grabbed a quick bite to eat at one of our favorite delis before finding a prime viewing spot for Tulsa's Parade of Lights downtown. It was the first evening with a chill in the air, and I was thankful to have my husband as a wind shield as we watched the floats and performers pass us by.  I always get a kick out of watching the reactions of the kids, who inevitably test the boundaries by sneaking farther and farther into the street. :)

The parade passed by the BOK Center, which is the site of Arvest's Winterfest. They set up an ice rink each year, and Aaron and I have another date planned to go ice skating one afternoon this month. This night, however, we enjoyed a spectacular fireworks display after the parade's end in honor of Winterfest's fifth year. 

Hot chocolate in hand, snuggled up with my honey, and witnessing the night sky explode with vivid color as the echoes bounced off the skyscrapers behind us. It was a magical night. 

Afterward, we took a leisurely drive through several Tulsa neighborhoods in search of festive outdoor displays. I don't think it's possible for me to ever tire of Christmas lights... which is why we also have a date to Rhema planned!

Fayetteville Weekend Getaway

Yes, I was born in Oklahoma. No, I don't consider it "home" any longer. Fayetteville, Arkansas quickly stole my heart while I attended college in the midst of Razorback nation. While we currently reside in Oklahoma, Aaron and I seize every opportunity to travel back to the home of our alma mater.
Spending the first weekend of December at the Pratt Place Inn was absolutely the perfect way to relax and rewind before beginning our next rotation.

Someone was excited to relax with some Rick's Bakery

I enjoyed an amazing bubble bath that evening - prune hands!

The square in downtown Fayetteville is brightly lit every holiday season. We took a lovely stroll around the block, did a little shopping at the unique boutiques, and had quite a bit of fun people watching. If Aaron would allow it, our future yard would look very similar to this picture. Clark Griswold-style.

We miss the restaurants the city has to offer, so each trip we try to hit as many of our favorites as possible. Two of the best restaurants in town are located in motel parking lots. They don't look like much, but they have delicious food! On this occasion, we chose one of the two - Cafe Rue Orlean - for dinner. We shared a fried seafood platter, jambalaya, and crawfish etouffe.
We managed to somehow make room for dessert after our stroll on the square and savored white chocolate raspberry cheesecake from one of the coffee shops on Dickson Street.
I'm full again just thinking about the evening...

Old Main's holiday silhouette 

We arrived "home" for the evening to this festive and cozy front porch display. Sigh.  I could live here.

Sausage rolls, winter fruit, and freshly squeezed orange juice were on the menu at breakfast the next morning. We dined lazily in our plush white hotel robes and made a wish to return again soon. Until then, Fayetteville.

Lessons Learned: Rotation #5

Now that Aaron and I received word that we passed our Pediatrics Shelf exam (whew!), we can officially mark the rotation as complete. As much as I enjoyed the month, it posed a problem - I am now even more confused regarding which career path I want to take.

I've always had a passion for children and was thus expecting a nice November. However, after spending several weeks in the clinic and a week at Saint Francis Children's Hospital, I can realistically envision myself working with kids for a living.

Lesson #1: Information is key. Refusing the influenza vaccination because they (parents) believe it can cause the flu. Failure to thrive (dangerous lack of growth) because they don't know how much to feed a child, how often, and/or even that they must wake an infant during the night to feed. Demanding antibiotics for a viral infection because they desperately want their child to improve immediately. A great majority of the frustrations between caregivers and pediatricians is due to a lack of, or misinformation. It's important to take this into consideration, and even more important to attempt to educate the patient/caregiver for the good of the child.

Lesson #2: My husband is superhuman. I was ecstatic that I'd made it past my third week of Pediatrics without getting sick...until I caught a stomach bug that had been circulating in the hospital. Looking back, I'm still patting my immune system on the back for only one sick day. Aaron, however, didn't have so much as a sniffle the entire month. I'm not sure that has ever happened in the history of medical school. Well done, sir. Well done.

Turkey Day

It has been a busy couple of weeks! I'll be playing catch-up on the blog for awhile, beginning today with Thanksgiving (or Turkey Day, as Aaron calls it).
We were fortunate to be given Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday off to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season with family.
We arrived in Tahlequah late Wednesday night to find the fridge stocked with the beginnings of our favorite dishes - my mother begins prepping days in advance. Lots of yummy goodness was to come!

It is officially a Nolan/Meigs family get together if there are as many desserts as side dishes. Mom tried Paula Deen's Pumpkin Pie recipe with cream cheese this year in addition to the family staple - delish! Dirt cake, apple fritter cake, german chocolate brownies, lemon sour cream pie, and (my favorite) pecan pie cobbler rounded out the selection.

Everyone pitched in to put the meal together that fed the 20+ of us.

My two favorite boys spent some quality time together shooting Bryce's pellet gun and talking about paintball, while Bailey told me all about the design scheme for her new room and why she no longer likes Justin Bieber (too many tattoos...and he sags!).

The best part of Thanksgiving, of course, is time spent with family I don't often see. I love this moment I captured of my mom and grandpa.

My favorites :)

I do believe this picture was a first, capturing most of the women in attendance (and those that avoid the camera at all costs!). Love these ladies, and looking forward to seeing them again at Christmas!
Happy (very) belated Thanksgiving!