Buster

Most Funnest Tree Ever

2008-12-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

So the 'rents were gracious enough to let us get our own tree this year. Normally they put up 2 fake trees for Christmas, 1 upstairs - that is very nicely decorated, the 2nd is downstairs and is usually the "kids tree" b/c the decor isn't really for show. So Cheryl and I asked if we could take over the "kids tree" and get a real one, which they were more than happy to allow (MIL says this is going to make her want a real one every year).
Since being married Cheryl has taught me to be more and more frugal...she didn't know this would come back to haunt her. Last year, after Christmas, some of my favorite lights went on sale, i mean like dirt cheap (around $1 a box, maybe $1.50); we ended up purchasing a bunch of those big 'ol colorful Christmas lights! This year...they went on the tree...enjoy
Disclaimer: the lights didn't really "haunt" Cheryl, she actually liked them a lot.

2 in 1 day?

2008-11-03T17:33:00.001-08:00

Most people already know that i recently was able to upgrade my computer. Because of school, my computer is my lifeline and the good 'ol VAIO just wasn't cutting it. So now i am a proud owner of a MacBook Pro. That's right, i am no longer held down in the world of Windows, i have moved on! Anyway, the day after i got it, we had a little fun with the built in camera. Stupid but fun!

Army 10 Miler 2008

2008-11-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, cheryl participated in the Army 10 miler in Washington D.C. She ran in it last year and had a lot of fun...so here is round 2. It was also a good time for us to meet up with our buds "the clark's", cheryl's friend anna was also running in the race. enjoy

Game face

little pre-race ispiration...i told her she had to run it at a pace 10 seconds faster than what her goal was ;) which she did!

the runners...that's our friend Anna and her dad

lost of people running

Almost there! just another 25 yards to go...and look at the smile! 10 miles at a 9:24 pace...way to go.

Ah...all finished. The trains smelled so bad on the way home.
Here's my update you pains in the neck!

What's up Big Haircut?

2008-04-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

She just keeps pushing the limits doesn't she? Good thing she's hot. The only thing i want to say about these pictures is, when I was trying to get a nice picture of Cheryl facing the camera, she always ended up looking like she was on drugs. I finally said, "give me a goofy smile," and voila, a nice picture of cheryl smiling. I think she looks awesome, enjoy. Oh yeah, and the results of the previous post will be coming soon.

Survey Says...

2008-04-12T17:10:00.000-07:00

Let's see what everyone thinks of me. No, I'm not being narcissistic, I just thought this would be funny. We were given a welcome packet way back at orientation, and it had this cartoon in it. I stumbled across it and thought it would be funny to share; let's see which one of these 12 options I most closely resemble...according to the 5 people that read this. Although this is a cartoon, there is definitely some truth to it. We'll see what the majority thinks, then we'll test it against what Cheryl thinks. There is only 1 rule to this...since i'm sure most won't want to lump into one category, you CAN select two. I think you should provide a brief explanation of why you selected them.
Sorry if the text is small, if you zoom in a little you should be able to read them. I have tough skin so bring it on!!

Still don't like myself...round 2

2008-04-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

NOTE: If you are just joining me, you may want to read the post below this one, otherwise, you may not fully understand what i'm talking about.

When Cheryl came home the night of that frustrating day, we had some really good talks. I explained how her email did not upset me in any way. It was a great reminder, encouragement and conviction all wrapped up into one. I explained how the rest of the day was well spent - I wasn't discouraged, I really felt like i had moved past my frustration and was even able to prepare for the next days exam. But little did I know that tomorrow was just going to be another chance for me to...shine?

Not so...but let's discuss this idea first. Prayer is a crazy thing. Cheryl and I were talking recently and I was explaining to her how the closer I feel in my relationship to Christ the more difficult I find it to pray. When I'm closest with Christ, I have this heightened sense of His will in my life...I don't think this is uncommon. However, when I go to pray and be before Christ I find I have little to say. It isn't b/c I think I know the answers, but it's an ultimate realization that I don't know the answers. I don't really know what to pray for. Sure, praying for others isn't that difficult, but when it comes to me, most of the time i'm silent or just praising God for the Holy Spirit in our lives, who intercedes for us and conveys our message. Then i'm reminded that God does care what i have to say, ask, seek and I should ask...but now the response is tricky, which brings me to the idea of having the chance to shine.
When we pray and ask for courage, wisdom, boldness, faith, etc., do we think that Christ sends it to us? Do we expect that the next moment, the next hour, the next morning we will wake and BE courageous, wise, bold or faithful? Sure God has the ability to work that way, but God knows us...how would we grow or learn if our request were granted as if He was a genie in a bottle? So when we pray, God may grant us with the OPPORTUNITY to be courageous, an OPPORTUNITY to be wise, bold, faithful. It's up to us to recognize this and allow God the ability to work through us and "give freely". I see these circumstances as God's answer. He knows we can be faithful, if we are just given a chance to be; sometimes we fail to see it, sometimes we fall when we do see it. God definitely used Cheryl to help me see that I was failing in my chance to persevere, to rely on Him, and yet, the very next morning I fell again.

A little background on that morning. The exam was Nutrition...as far as med school goes, not a heavy hitter for boards and doesn't really rank high on the list of important things we need to know. It's important, don't get me wrong, but with Pathology and Physiology taking up a HUGE chunk of boards, this just doesn't quite match up. The nice thing was the material was easy to study (well put together, organized, etc.), but as usual, the amount was insane; just a lot of info that i can't seem to fit anywhere in my head (I told Cheryl a few weeks ago that i felt like my brain was full). A few students had to take the exam earlier b/c they were leaving for a conference that day...and through the rumor mill, I learned the the exam "was insane". Oh goodie, now as an added bonus to an already tough week, I have a not-so-important exam that is going to crush me no matter how much I study. Usually I don't let the rumors get to me, but like I said earlier, this week was different than most.

On exam days, I typically get up early; anywhere between 4:30 and 5:30 depending on the exam. So that morning i'm up, working on the few hours of sleep I got, trying to review what i've studied the past few days. Meanwhile there's that voice in my head that keeps reminding me, "this exam is going to be awful...this is such a pain...I don't know it well enough...memorize every detail...this exam is going to be awful." And so I enter into a territory I haven't been at in my med school years. In the past (and this morning), when I would study and feel overwhelmed, I try to study faster. I try and read faster, I try to memorize faster, I try to squeeze it all in faster; this usually ends up counteracting what i had originally intended. I just get more and more frustrated - "I can do this, I can remember this, I won't let this beat me" - anyone notice a reoccurring theme there? I did, and it made me stop dead in my studying.

It's the same with every sin, isn't it? When we do recognize the sin, WE try and beat it - "I know this is wrong, I'm going to stop thinking it", and yet the only thing we can do is think about the thing we were trying to avoid; "that which i ought to do, I do not and that which i ought not to do, I do." Lust, greed, gluttony, envy, gossip, anger...pick your poison. For some reason we've convinced ourselves that WE overcome these sins...when we're told to "flee from the sin" ultimately we should be fleeing to Christ to carry us through it, to rely on Him to protect us and "deliver us from evil." We will overcome them, but it's by Christ, not ourselves.

I sat at my desk, staring blankly at my papers, "I'm doing it again...this is the OPPORTUNITY to rely on You and I'm blowing it." Nothing more humbling than realizing you screwed up that fast. Well, I still wasn't too happy with myself, as I pictured Jesus standing next to me saying, "i'm right here, what's the problem?" But isn't it great that His love for us is unconditional?

In that moment I knew what I needed...Him. With just an hour left to study and what seemed like a mountain of papers to get through, I had to walk away. I could have studied for a week straight, I could have memorized every word on each piece of paper, but none of that would have mattered if I didn't let God walk in front of me. I went downstairs away from my desk, prayed and read some scripture. It wasn't a magical time where i turned to the exact scripture I needed to read for that moment, it was just time for me and God. It was time for me to find forgiveness, time to recognize His presence in every hour of my life, and time to offer it to Him. It was a good time.

The rest of that morning, I casually looked over my papers as time allowed, but i didn't feel the pressure, I didn't feel the stress, I didn't feel the need to absorb it all. I don't think it was because they were taken away, but rather that I wasn't bearing the weight.

I didn't like myself, even after it was over, I still didn't like that I let those "things" take control of me; even now i'm annoyed that i ended up there. Hopefully, this will just be a reminder for the next time.

I don't like myself lately...(part I)

2008-03-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

The title really says it all. It's always fun/scary/embarrassing to sit back and reminisce about the past. Sometimes i'm remind of high school days - the drama, baseball, mentors, girlfriend, friends - all the fun stuff that you thought would never end. Every once and awhile i think back to college, usually i'm reminded of my time in IN; it's where i found some of my closest friends and also learned a lot about myself. And some of my best moments of nostalgia are when i'm reminded of how Cheryl and I started, and ended up - it all really happened fast and was so much fun.
These memories were years ago; i used to use that term "years ago" lightly, but now that i sit and actually think about how long ago that was, I feel old. However, recently i've been flashing back to quickly, at least for my liking. Last week I had exams, it was not a fun week (they usually aren't), but these week proved more difficult than most. The pressures of school have been getting to me. Whether that consists of workload, drama (med school is just like high school), boards, etc., everything just felt like it was raining down wherever i went.
For over a year and half, Cheryl would always say how impressed she was at how i handled school; she would point out that i stayed pretty optimistic and didn't complain, I just did the work. I try not to get stressed, i just figure, it has to be done, there's no sense in complaining b/c it just wastes time. I attribute that perspective as a result of "tough love" from my pops...i keep hearing, "just do it and get it done," over and over. Used to tick me off - "no dad, i'd rather sit here annoyed, complaining and just delay the inevitable," (yes i had amazing syntax as a child). But now, my skin crawls whenever i'm walking around school hearing my fellow students, in the exact same boat as everyone else, whine about how much work they have (scratch head)...what? But i digress...i promise, this is more about me than anyone.
So last weeks exams...like i said, school had been frustrating and time consuming, not to mention the annoying things administration decided to dump on us in the middle of it all. So after a very frustrating exam I came home and I swear my head was about to pop off...like a cartoon where steam comes out of their ears...that was me. I called Cheryl and just let a lot of stuff out. I know, b/c we talked about it, that she literally didn't know what to say at the time. Then I called my dad, and if anything was left over, he got to hear it - "it doesn't matter how much we study, these exams are ridiculous; how is this testing our knowledge, how is this preparing us" , you get the idea.
After about an hour I checked my email...from Cheryl:

"I was thinking about what's been happening with school lately. I'm really praying that it doesn't get you down. You are goign to be such an amazing doctor and I fully believe that God made you to be in that position. I know you were probably joking about quitting but I'm sure there is some teenie bit that would be truth b/c it would be a relief to not have to deal with all this junk. Please take a breath, maybe a break with the dogs or just yourself and God and get back to who you are. You are amazing and it upsets me that these people who have so much control over your past couple years and the next couple years can cause this frustration and discouragement. Don't worry, I'm not scared that you're going to quit...I just don't want your spirit to be broken. I love you so much and want you to have the best experience and I know that bad experiences will come and you'll learn from them, but I hate seeing you go through them and it's hard when I have nothing to say back to you to help you. Anyway...I hope you understand the point I'm trying to make.
Have a wonderful day. I can't wait to see you when I get home.
I love you so much!"

The short of it is...my wife is amazing and i don't deserve her. I know she was worried how i would take this, but i can assure you as soon as i read this i just sank. My heart rate slowed, my breathing calmed; I had an immediate reflection on what had just passed...and I didn't like myself; how could i forget so quickly how gracious God is to even allow me to live each day? How can I not be reminded that becoming a doctor, taking these exams, studying, is a blessing? What is stopping me from seeing this as an opportunity to persevere? Why did i lose sight of what is really important so quick?...but it didn't really stop there, I had another opportunity to disappoint myself the very next morning...(to be continued)

Man's Best Friend - The Movie

2008-03-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

Because I love my dogs...

For My Girl

2008-03-14T06:18:00.001-07:00

Cheryl's amazing and I wanted to do something for her, so i made a video for her. I slipped it in the DVD player when she came home from work and we watched it. She really liked it and I wanted to share it with everyone.

Locks for Love...stinkin good causes

2008-02-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

So I know this is the big moment everyone has been waiting for...of course, everyone but me. No, in all fairness, Cheryl did ask if I was ok with this and I was. Although I didn't think it was possible, she looks even more incredible than I could have ever imagined. I think the funniest part of this whole thing was after the haircut. Cheryl was like a little girl who had just gotten the most amazing doll to dress up, she just couldn't stop playing. Everywhere she went she was stealing an extra glance at the mirror or, just one more toss of the hair. At one point I had to tell her to get away from the mirror. It was really cute. Enough from me, enjoy my beautiful girl.

who would want to get rid of all that beautiful hair?

that's Bethany by the way. She cuts my hair and Cheryl likes her, so now she cuts Cheryl's!

Not my proudest moment...if you look close, you can see a tear running down my cheek.

isn't she cute?

Snow Dogs

2008-02-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

I know it's been over a month since we had this snowfall, but like i said in my earlier post, this is when i have time to do all this stuff. We had about 4 or 5 inches of snow, and I think VCOM was about the only school that still had classes...annnoooyyinng. Don't they know i'm still a kid at heart who likes to play in the snow? Even Cheryl didn't have to work, which is ok with me b/c when i did come home we got to play in the snow with the boys. I'm not sure Jonnie had ever seen a decent snowfall b/c he was completely clueless on what to do. Doc on the other hand just wanted to dig, run, roll, and jump through the snow all day. He was hilarious...all you had to do was toss some snow in the air and he was superdog! He would also chase snowballs, catch them, and chew um up. here's some footage.
Also, there's one picture i took in the house that was just priceless. I promise you i did not pose them, and Jonnie is, in fact, asleep.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

2008-02-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

This is just to hold everyone over while i get the rest of my pictures and videos together. As my sister so lovingly puts it, I've been taking "quizzes" the past few weeks, but now i'm on break and I have some time to update. It's also appropriate that this entry follows my infamous "Christmas Memories" b/c I did ask for money for Christmas to purchase a new stethoscope. This is the one i bought. I really wish everyone could hear the difference a good stethoscope makes, and since my ears are still amatuers when it comes certain sounds, this will help a lot while trying to discern them. It's the Littmann Cardio III Black Edition:

Christmas Memories

2007-12-17T13:05:00.000-08:00

I know my sis has this on her myspace, or at least she used too, but this video brings back so many childhood memories. I had to share it with the 4 people that read this.

Carol of the Bells Claymation | Funny Jokes at JibJab

I wanted to share this video with everyone in my family because, I think we all fine humor in a little gas. For some reason it brings about childhood memories too...weird:

Farting Elves: 12 Days of Christmas | Funny Jokes at JibJab

This last video has a song that is near and dear to my heart. To this day I can't listen to it without crying from laughing so hard. I'd like to dedicate this to someone I know is going to appreciate it...my dad..."FINE, YOU'RE SO SMART, YOU RIG UP THE LIGHTS!"

The 12 Pains of Christmas | Funny Jokes at JibJab

The Tale of the Rebel Sewing Box

2007-12-16T15:31:00.001-08:00

Last night Cheryl and I were downstairs watching some TV and talking. Cheryl was working on fixing a bed for Jonnie, while he was sleeping on me. Cheryl had been working on the bed for a few hours while i was studying, but then I finished up and wanted to hang out before bed. At one point, Jonnie wakes up, looks at Cheryl's sewing box and doesn't seem to happy. I was lucky enough to have our camera near by and caught what happened. Check it out:

Rockefeller's got nothing on me...

2007-12-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

There's a little story behind this tree, which most of the people that actually read this blog already know. For some reason, last year Cheryl and I were watching Martha Stewart...i know, it's already funny. Anyway, she was talking about a different way to hang your lights on the Christmas tree; she showed how to make your likes look like they are "floating" in the tree by wrapping each branch individually. I believe Sonya, Cheryl's sister, said it best, "you guys hear something and say 'that sounds hard, lets do it!'" I don't think Cheryl really cared to much, but i really wanted to try it, so I went and got some more lights b/c we did not have enough to pull off this project. Well, 2 hours and 1200 lights later, the tree is finished. About a 1/3 of the way through i finally got into a rhythm that worked and started moving pretty good. It's a lot of lights, but it looks really festive and we're happy with it. Hopefully I'll have some more pics up later, I want to hang some lights outside too. So, here's what it looks like so far.

Thanksgiving '07

2007-12-05T06:28:00.001-08:00

This Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. First, Mark and Jared stopped by for a few days to hang out in Christiansburg. We had a really good time, I couldn't believe how big Jared got. I was letting him listen to my heart in the picture below.
We also hosted our first Thanksgiving dinner. It was fun seeing everyone, especially the little tike Avery. What a happy kid! Here are some snapshots of this Thanksgiving.

Tryptophan does wonders

Some people didn't eat enough turkey and were still hyper...but which on is it?

How can you say no to that face?

that's either the turkey's heart or kidney hanging out of doc's mouth.

MMMM...foooood. Man, that meal was good. Great work ladies.

Post-dinner chill. I think this was during halftime. sorry it is so far away, had to fit everyone in the pic.

Man's Best Friend

2007-12-05T06:22:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to put some more pics of the boys up. They are the best and cutest dogs on earth.

The 2nd Annual Great Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza

2007-10-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

Last year we had some friend over around halloween to enjoy some treats and carve some pumpkins. This year we wanted to continue the tradition! We had a good group come over and some sweet pumpkins to show for it. Some people had to leave so we didn't get every pumpkin carved in the finished products. The boys had a great time with all of the people there, they were eating pumpkins, candy corns and anything else people felt like feeding them. Here are some pics.

This is the cake Cheryl made. I saw it on TV and asked her to make it...it tasted as good as it looked.

Here is a close up of Cheryl's. I really liked this one and you can't see it too well from far away.

here's a shot of mine close up. Richard called him "the bully".

I also carved the pumpkin on the far left, Cheryl really like the design and we had an extra pumpkin.

Cascades

2007-10-22T05:39:00.000-07:00

Sonya, Rob and the kids, Dakota and Connor came to visit a few weeks ago. It was a ton of fun to see how big the kids had gotten and we also had the chance to head to the cascades. The boys were a little unsure of the water, but i pushed them in anyway. Doc was a great swimmer, even though he wasn't fond of it. I think Jonnie was too freaked out to swim, he was flailing around like he was drowning. It was pretty funny.

I'm 12 years old

2007-09-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

You might think that when people finally make it to medical school they are mature enough to be there. However, I would like to take this opportunity to show you that it is not true. We are currently studying male and female endocrine/reproduction, that means cervical exams, breast exams, testicular and prostate exams...joy. I don't think we ever lose the kid inside of us and sometimes prime time tv likes to remind us of this. I would like to dedicate this blog to my dad, in light of celebrating his 50th year on this earth.

DMB ROCKS!!!!

2007-09-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

I know i have to put up pictures from the cascades...i will i promise, I just have to get the pics off the camera. Last week, various artists got together to put on a benefit concert for the individuals that lost their lives in april. The playlist consisted of Phil Vassar, Nas, John Mayer and Dave Matthews Band. Every tech student received a free ticket for the concert. I was able to get one for Cheryl too, which was nice. I just want to say that the concert was AWESOME!!! It was fine hearing some of the artists, but DMB was the main event and the main reason i went. He played for almost 3 hours!!! They were so good, I lost my voice for a few days. anyway, I want to share some pics from the event. I wish we could do it all over again. Enjoy.

Pope was excited to see the blog so I had to put this picture in it.

Camping

2007-09-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

So, I'm finally putting up our camping pics. Recently we went to the Cascades, which is a beautiful waterfall not too far from where we live so, stay tuned, I should have some more pics soon. Enjoy

I did read the directions...i thought it was going to rain soon after we got there so I couldn't mess around too much.

Teamwork!! Cheryl did so much work to go camping, I couldn't have done it without her.

That tent was sooo hot...the second night i slept with my head at the door.

This is how we cooked dinner...we met a nice couple there that gave us an electric skillet, which is how we cooked the rest of our meals.

Our typical breakfast...we ate better here than we do at home.

Of course we can't go without a picture of the boys! They had a great time hiking and sleeping by the fire.

Who'da thunk it?

2007-08-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

Let me expound on why I think embryology is so amazing. Embryology is the study of development...in this case, human development. I'm not sure how many people realize that all of our organs don't just come to being as they are found when we are adults. Cells form organs, connect in places, twist, turn, move up and down, and miraculously, a good majority of babies are born "normal."
***WARNING - NERDY MEDICAL TERMS TO FOLLOW - WORTH IT IN THE END***
I was studying tonight and just wanted to share with everyone (all 3 of you that read this) a crazy possibility. A babies developing kidney is known as the mesonephric duct, which originally drains into the cloaca. The cloaca, which is like a wasteland, will divide into the urogenital part and rectal part, so now we have urine and poop covered. The urogenital part is continuous with the allantois which, as many will know, is where the umbilical cord is (belly button after birth). Eventually the allantois will constrict, called the urachus, and form a ligament that connects the bladder and the belly button. Here's the big finale...there is a rare condition known as a urachal fistula where the urachus remains patent or open (never constricted), which will allow urine to escape through the belly button! You can leak urine through your belly button...ha!
Isn't is amazing how many babies are born without these conditions?

Our Babies

2007-08-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

Since i don't update this enough, I'll hold you over with some cute pictures of our babies. Enjoy!

Cheryl said "sit," so Jonnie, plopped down and started to kiss!

Flyleaf

2007-08-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

this is going to be a quick one. I stumbled upon this group the other day and really liked their song. This is the video, but a little background first. I'm careful not to recommend a band that, I don't feel, respresents something against God or Christianity, so when I listened to this song and felt that there was a Christian underone, I wanted to check it out. They aren't under a Christian label, however, the lead singer went from being "an athiest who was depressed with suicidal tendencies to and outspoken Christian." She talks about how she wants her music to show people that there is a Hope to look towards during difficult times. Anyway, I really liked the song and wanted you guys to check it out and let me know what you think. You can look them up on youtube to watch/listen to some other songs.

The 4th

2007-07-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

What better excuse to indulge in my pyromaniac tendencies than to burn stuff on the 4th. We had some friends over for a BBQ with the 'rents, and had some fun lighting off some weak fireworks. But then we ventured up closer to the local high school to watch the big ones go off. Good times...which reminds me...we purchased some fireworks and wanted to play a little prank on our friend Mike and Anna. They are good sports so I didn't think they'd mind, sooo, we set off some loud-crackin fireworks in front of their house, basically at their front door. After they finish Mike walks out with his gun (true Indiana) with a big grin on his face. We all got a good laugh, but it wasn't over yet. After we had gone up to see the high schools fireworks, Mike and Anna stayed behind to "get some stuff ready for vacation." Oh really, well, when i returned Cheryl's car and my parents van was missing. To be honest, i thought the worst, then it hits us...those little punks took our cars. We followed clues spread throughout the house of where to find our cars, eventually we found them. Driving back and forth down our street to return one car and get the next, we notice that Mike and Anna's house is dark, but the blinds are open...I can just feel them laughing at us. Finally we retrieve my parents van and drive past their house one more time to find the lights on with them waving and smiling at us as we go by...evil geniuses. they got us good, but their time will come!

How does it look?

2007-07-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well, the first year of medical school has come to an end...aaaahhhh. It's like drinking a cold beverage on a hot day. It was a good year, Cheryl and I expanded the family with some dogs, traveled to Honduras and met a lot of people along the way. Typically, when a block ends I come home after my last final and just kind of look around and think..."well now what?" I feel a little lost when I don't have to think about studying or an exam (quiz to some) or any other pressure that comes along with school. This "end" was a little different. First, as I've said, this block signified the end of first year, when I start up again in august I will officially be an MSII. The other interesting thing about this block was I had some company at home. My mom and dad arrived shortly before my finals were over and did a little house work for us. I say "little" with a smirk on my face because I can't believe how much they got done in such a short period of time. Cheryl and I have been joking with them that they would be painting, we weren't really sure if it would happen or not. I believe it was the day after they arrived that we went to the HD, picked out our paint, and they were at work. Even after we purchased the paint I wasn't sure when it would start, but "you know mom," she gets too excited to see the end product of a project, so she was off to work. Within a few short hours (while i was studying) our wall and bathroom had one coat. Early the next day, they were done, and the next day, our entire kitchen was finished before I left for my afternoon exam. They did an awesome job, we love how the colors ended up looking; my parents like it too, I'm pretty sure they are taking the suede paint home with them to use it. Cheryl and I are so fortunate to have such great families, here are some photos:

Our suede accent wall, this is the only wall in our living room that we painted, it really looks nice; mom did a great job with the suede technique. The "Jersey Shore" bathroom. We had some pictures from the shore and thought it would be fun to have a room that reminded us of our vacations from previous years. I actually did do a little painting in this room (smallest one).

I liked the color we picked for the kitchen, but was still unsure of how it would turn out. After I walked downstairs for a break my apprehension was gone. I think it looks great, Cheryl loved it too. One big concern was how it would blend with the accent living room wall, check it out...

The Boys

2007-06-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Shhh...the beast sleeps. I thought some people might enjoy seeing some updated pics of the boys. Jonnie's put on some weight, which is good; he needed to gain a few pounds. Him and Doc are great study buddies, i love um to death.

White Coat Ceremony and some Christmas

2006-12-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

DOC!

2006-10-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

Normally I wouldn't blog a few days apart. First off, time is precious, but this will be shorter than the others. You see, about a month ago Cheryl and I added onto our little family. We always said after we bought a house, one of the first things we would get would be a dog...we weren't lyin'. He was rescued and being held at a foster home when we found him. He was around nine weeks old and as friendly as can be. Cheryl and I fell in love with him right away. We took him home and now have a child that never grows up. Now I know why they say to get a dog before having children...you gotta wake up in the middle of the night (well, i do b/c cheryl is scared of the dark) to take them to the bathroom, spend time training them, pamper them, etc. A lot of the time its frustrating, but then he comes and sleeps at my feet while i'm studying and I'm a sucker all over again. (this pic and the first pic are from when we first got him, he's a lot bigger now).

To answer any dog questions...His name is Doc, a friend of ours suggested it and, given our situation, it seemed appropriate. Doc is a blue tick mix. He definitely has the blue tick coloring which is the white with dark speckles. He's not as big as i thought he would be, but he's only 3 months now. He head kind of looks like a terrier, but his bark is definitely a hound dog. One night he didn't want to go to bed, so he barked for a little (which is high pitched) and then broke out into a full on howl...i looked at Cheryl and said "what is that!?, is that Doc?" then i lost it, i laughed forever, i thought it was so cute.

He loves people and wants to play with every dog that goes by. Yogi and Boo, our cats, aren't all that fond of him, but i'm sure when he calms down a little they would mind him so much. I'm very proud of Doc, everywhere we take him, people fall in love with him; our neighbor asks to babysit him all the time. He's a stud, what can I say?

Is med school as hard as people say it is?

2006-09-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Yup. Really, that the only way it can be described. It's not always an easy thing to explain. You see, for a large majority of med students, we've spent 4 years of high school shooting for top scores. Then we go to undergrad and spend 4 years doing it all over again, just focusing more on science; so working hard to do well is no stranger to me. Then comes what we've been waiting for...med school.
Med school is in a league of its own. The analogy I give to family and friends is that, what we learn in a month in college, we cover in 2 hours in med school. That's not even an exaggeration. My first week of classes a few weeks ago, I remember thinking, "did we really just cover all that?" And then on top of it all, we have AT LEAST one exam a week. In undergrad, you could put off studying until a day or two before an exam b/c 1. There wasn't a ton of info and 2. There was a nice break between the exams. Not so anymore, you take a day or two off, you just lost a nights sleep to make up for it! It's not worth it, study every night for hours; that's the nature of the beast.
Am I complaining? No, I'm so happy to be here and am truly enjoying what I'm learning...it's just a lot. But look what's coming. We will soon be responsible for treating patients, real people that are suffering from a variety of illnesses. We need to know this stuff, I don't know if knowing all the enzymes utilized in glycolysis in necessarily going to help, but I'm only a few weeks into my first year...what do I know (nothing)!
Yup, med school is no joke.

The Farewell

2006-07-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

In less than two weeks, Cheryl and I will be departing to our new home in VA. For Cheryl, it's another move. Cheryl has had a few homes in her life...from Teaneck, NJ to Ridgewood, NJ to Lumberton, NJ to Voorhees, NJ...you get the idea. I on the other hand have called Riverside home up until I was married. But now we both bid our farewell to family, friends...life as we know it.
Nostalgic isn't the word, but it's the first word that comes to mind.
Like a departure for college, tears will be shed, hugs will be exchanged, long goodbyes are inevitable. But this farewell allows us to reflect on the blessings in our lives. In my case, all the major events in my life happened at "home." I was saved at an early age at my church, which is also where I met and married my best friend. A good majority of my loving family live less than 20 minutes away; and seeing our families is anything but a chore. Our ministry with our high schoolers is here, one of the aspect I think we will miss the most.
We were happy here in NJ, comfortable, which is probably why God timed it so that we leave it all behind for now. I want this to be our thank you. We've been loved and touched by everyone in our lives. New adventures await and we still feel the support from home. So this farewell is not forever, the only forever is our lives in Christ.
See also: Savior
See also: Father
See also: Defender of our faith
God has a plan for us...God has a plan for everyone. Cheryl and I hope for God to work in all of you, just as He has continued to work in us.

2006-01-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

Danny Kass poppin out of the Halfpipe at Mountain Creek. My cousin took that picture with his cell phone. The only bad part about that day was we didn't get to see the finals because the wind got to strong for the riders. Any other sport I would call them pre-madonna's, but when you're flying in the air, 15 feet out of an 18 foot pipe, I say wait till the wind calms down. At least the warm-ups were tight.

2005-11-23T21:06:00.000-08:00

My boy Lester! He's a lot bigger now.

2005-11-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

Yogi (right) and his sister Boo. Our babies for now.

2005-11-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

Someone told me that "anyone looks good in sepia tone," obviously she lied!

2005-11-23T20:58:00.000-08:00

Virgin Blogger

2005-10-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

I've never really been one for writing, especially about myself, but in recent weeks there has been a compulsion building inside of me to let go of my inhibitions. It's time to become a voice in the 21st century, feel free to say whatever I want. It wouldn't seem socially acceptable to walk up to strangers and greet them with a, "here are my political, social and spiritual views," nor would I ever have that desire. Instead I've decided to find my refuge in a pseudo-outspoken manner; welcome the blog!
I feel a little background is in order for anyone who dares to read into my life. I was born and raised in Riverside, NJ. Grew up with three sisters, two older and one younger...love them to death, so fellas' beware (doesn't matter anyway, oldest is married with children and the other two are on their way). Graduated college in 2004 from Philadelphia University where I studied biology. I graduated on a sunday and the following saturday walked down the aisle with my best friend, Cheryl. She's my girl and in no way shape or form did I ever deserve to have her. My current occupation is in the field of Urology research. But my aspiration in life is to become a doctor.
I wouldn't be who I am today without so many influences in my life and since this is my first time, I feel it is only appropriate to talk about the influence closest to me. I met Cheryl when I was going into my sophmore year...I don't even know why she talked to me, but it worked out pretty good. I love everyday I have with her. Some excuse it to a "honeymoon phase," which I think is crap, but marriage is great. There is nothing better than coming home to your best friend everyday. I love her to death...the more I show her that, the more i let her know that, the less chance i have of letting our love for each other fade.
If love is blind then be blind to your spouse forever.