8.28.2011

water dogs

Today, after church, Mikey and I took our pups to the James Island County Park.  The dog park there is so great, with a good sized lake on one side that the pups can swim in.  Oliver and Berkeley had so much fun!  Here is a video of them swimming in the lake...I thought they were so cute!



Now we are off for Mikey's flight lesson...his big present for his 25th birthday! :)  Not to worry...more videos and pics will be uploaded shortly :)

8.20.2011

life update

This past week has been absolutely insane! Mikey and had a lovely stay-cation at the end of last week and then a super fun visit to Atlanta, GA at the beginning of this week.  We got a lot of great time together.  The braves game we went to was awesome, with the braves winning on an RBI on a 3-2 count, with two outs already in the bottom of the 9th.  Excitement!  Then on Friday we went to Bodies (the exhibit) and walked around Atlantic Station...both were very cool, especially the exhibit. Mikey even liked it, although he was very skeptical going in.



THEN, on Wednesday, I started my MUSC College of Medicine orientation, and I haven't slowed down since.  We learned a lot about the program, what to expect, what we stand for (as students and as future physicians), and what support systems are in place when things get rough...there is so much to learn!  And I cannot even tell you how excited I am to get started on Monday!!

To top off the festivities, I had my White Coat Ceremony this afternoon, and family from in-town and out-of-town, as well as a group of some wonderful friends, came to make the occasion especially memorable.  I was truly humbled to have so many people there to support me and cheer me on as I take this big step into my future career as a physician.


Getting "coated" by one of the Associate Deans of the COM.

With some of my wonderful support system :)

With my super awesome husband!!


Let's do this!

8.13.2011

crossroads

O. M. G.

In the past week, I had my last day of work, most likely until I start residency in four years.  I have been working at my mom's office, and while the job was perfect for this past season of life, I am so extremely excited to be heading into a medical career!

I also had my last day as a "nursing" volunteer at the Dream Center Clinic.  Hopefully, I will be back in the coming years to shadow the doctors as I make my way through medical school, but I will not be triaging patients or volunteering on a regular schedule any more.  It was so bittersweet to hug the nurses and doctors goodbye, listen to their very encouraging words, and realize again how truly blessed I have been to know and learn from them.

The rest of the week was spent at the beach, watching movies, and generally soaking up some sweet, sweet time with my husband before classes start up.  Next week, I have orientation, and the following Monday, classes begin.

It. is. finally. here.

If you have a free moment in the next week, please send up a little prayer for me and this huge life changing event that is so quickly approaching.  I am absolutely pumped to get going, but I am also extremely aware of the incredible task ahead of me.  I pray to take it seriously, to grow in leaps and bounds, in skill, knowledge, and wisdom.  And I also pray to enjoy this journey. 

Craziness.  Pure, joyful, scary craziness.

8.07.2011

give 'em a break

Lately, God has really brought home to me the importance of giving people the benefit of the doubt.  So often, we forget that people who may appear to have it all together on the surface actually have a lot going on behind the scenes...personal issues, family issues, medical issues.  There is so much we do not know about not only the person we consider an acquaintance, but often also the person we consider a close friend.

You may think you know a person's circumstances, but chances are, there is something, maybe a lot, of which you are completely unaware.  It is a lot easier to vent our frustrations or feel "righteous" indignation when we claim that a person "should know better," or whatever your excuse of choice may be.  I know I've used a lot of excuses in my life.  But the truth is that these responses to our fellow man are actually uninformed and selfish.

Remember, we cannot see another person's heart.  That harsh word or selfish action may be a coping mechanism to a much deeper problem.  So next time you or I want to jump to a conclusion or feel justified in our judgement of another person's attitude or actions, let's give them a break.  There may be a lot we don't know.

"The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
-1 Samuel 16:7