as summer comes to a close

the end of July always makes me feel like summer is going to end so quickly..

so here are some more things that happened.

I think I told you all about the 8 week Research Program Jordan was in this May/June.

It was a great learning experience for him, and look what he won (and was published on the front page of UTMB's newsletter for) on the final day when 

all the medical students that do research present their 'Poster' of what they did/learned:

(PS I love reading the last sentence of the caption under his picture that says what his poster is about, b/c I still have YET to understand what in the world it means...I told him to stop trying to explain it.)

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Sorry, I HAVE to brag on my husband, bc he never does it for himself. Here is a better

picture of him and his poster that he made and designed himself (in case you wanted a closer look-b/c I know deep down you really do.....)

and on a lighter note, here is Bella helping me make it through a drive to Dallas-she

makes me smile=)

our friends Amanda and Phil were SO awesome to let us go with them to the Astros Game-

I love this 'air conditioned' stadium! And we were 13 rows back from home plate...THANK YOU GUYS!

on Pier 21 for 4th of July!

About to watch 4th of July fireworks with our friends Josh and Taylor

and my parents:

In Dallas for Kelsey's shower last weekend:

isn't she beautiful??!!

decorations!

with the mother of the bride //and little sister Emma

all the hostesses from the shower, it was fun to see family!

The wedding is in less than 6 weeks, I can't believe it!

Good thing I just tore the ligaments in my ankle jumping out of the truck and landing on a 

wonderful truck strap ratchet.

pictures and info to come about this later....

for now, I must get some sleep.

lately..

//I have been debating whether to go back and re-blog everything that has happened...I think I decided just to sort of 'move forward' and if I have time to go back and re-blog things that have happened I might like to put on here, but just don't hold your breath//

Summer is going by way too fast! I cannot believe it is almost August. I am very much enjoying having my husband here this summer, as opposed to last summer when he was gone at Officer Training for the AF. (I wish I would have had my business back then so I wasn't so bored!)Ha. However, Medical Students do not get a summer break=( So after Jordan's 8 week research rotation he went straight into his 1st day of Year 2 that following Monday..boo! 

Speaking of Medical School, Year 2 is the HARDEST and WORST year of medical school, or so, everyone will tell you. But it's nice knowing that going in b/c you can prepare for it. Why is it so horrible? 

Well, just the fact that they are still 'studying' books (and not really seeing patients yet) makes it difficult, and obviously the classes are getting harder...but the main reason is the dreaded STEP 1 USMLE exam that happens in June. That is the 1st and hardest Board Examination Test they will take on their road to becoming an MD. Their are 3 STEP tests, the 2nd and 3rd ones are 'not as hard' so they say. The stress for this test starts in, well, lets just say day 1 of year 2, however, it doesn't really get bad until about January....so bring it on 2012!!!! After that its smooth sailing. Years 3 and 4 of medical school are the more 'fun' years where you do rations and no more lectures...I think.=) 

I am looking forward to meeting all the 'newbie' medical student wives. I have not forgotten what it feels like to be living in a strange place and not knowing anybody! I am also hoping that this year, since I will be setting my own schedule, I will have more time to devote to hanging out with these ladies, and hopefully doing some 'mentoring'...or just having fun is nice too!=) We are going to be starting a Bible study for the wives of medical students for us to discuss and share our perils, joys and laughter with older wives, younger wives and us in between. I am very pumped to meet the new ladies and hopefully connect on a deeper level with the ones I already know.

I cut my hair at the beginning of summer...that's right-the day AFTER school got out I went and chopped it all off! I was ready for a fresh start. It's been an exciting/rough/different kind of year for me so I wanted a fresh start for my new journey...i guess you could say.

Speaking of new journey, Jordan and I have decided that next year I will not be returning to the school I was teaching at. To most of you this is no new news, but I just felt like I should blog about it for some of you who may not have known. I have decided to stay home and do my business full time (and by business I mean my calligraphy/shirt stuff) and I am also going to be teaching piano lessons part time at a private school on the island. I am also going to be teaching some free lance after school music programs/clubs for students that are interested, so I am excited about that. I am glad to be home and setting my own schedule, its been really great for Jordan and I as well. I think it has been a really great change and I am looking forward to the future. here's my new do:

We have had some visitors this summer, which of course, we always LOVE LOVE LOVE! So keep 'em coming=) It is so nice to be in this place in our lives where we live in a 'vaca destination' that people like to come visit. We have been so blessed having people here at our home, (and we hope we have blessed them...?hehe) and we are always excited about who God might bring into our home next..

here are a few snapshots of what's been going on this summer:

Kemah with the Carls

feeding the sting rays!

grillin on the beach with my family 4th of July weekend!

he loves meat.

First camping trip with our NEW TENT=) awesome. we love it=)

floatin' the river..both good and relaxing..oh my..these glasses are NOT cute with this short hair...

guess I need

to make another Target trip soon=) hehe.

We went 'tubing' in New Baunfels-so fun! It was our 'early' anniversary celebration.

and we got to eat at the Gristmill after our tubing experience...and then we returned back

to our tent. HA! we were really roughin it....

and these are a couple pics from 5 years ago (July 8th, 2006)...wow, i just typed that. craziness. 

it has been such a good 5 years though. God has and still is taking us on an amazing journey together, and I am so glad to get to share it with my husband. 

that's all for now....have a good night!

The Laurens!!!

It sounds like a family, although they sort of are like family, it actually means

Lauren and Lauren=) They came to visit me in Galveston!!

I was so very excited to have some 'girl only time'.

They have been my good friends since elementary and I am 

so very blessed to have their friendship!! 

Lauren and Lauren=)

Lauren (coats) was in LOVE with Zeus, I was worried

she was going to put him in her suitcase. She wanted to keep him, but

of course, you know, Jordan would never allow that! lol

Going to the beach with all our gear! We were ready for it!!!!

 

hard core.

ahhh...the beautiful beaches of Galveston=) hehe

gettin our tan on!!

I wrote this for Jordan since he was away...sand graffiti

going out that evening to the Spot for some dinner!!

 

walking around on the Strand a little bit...fun times!!

Lauren's hair in the ocean wind! =)

Then we went back to the house to play BUZZ, it was intense.

The next day we decided to go to the pool! It was much more

relaxing without all the sand and umbrellas and stuff....

 

Gettin ready for Kemah! I dressed up specifically to send Jordan a nice picture of me

on my phone. My dress kind of blends with the rug, haha.

walking on Kemah boardwalk. 

Beautiful friends!!! :

 

They left the next day =( I had a lot of fun with them here, and hope they can

come back sometime!!!

Miss you girls!!!

island visitors!!

our first island visitors .....

John and Nisreen

 

went to the beach the first day. John is scoping out the best place

for our newly purchased umbrella to go...

ah yes, and Jordan begins the dig out...

ta dah! Our new umbrella. I didn't realize that I would be the

one digging all those holes for the umbrella after he left for training!!

chillin under the umbrella....dorito style...

in the water. Jordan wanted to play games like "who can hold a handstand the

longest, and who can run the fastest back to the shore." reason #1 I stayed

on the beach. haha

we went to the Aquarium at Kemah that night! It was so pretty inside!

 

                                                   typical guy pose here...

on top of the aquarium is a really neat rooftop terrace. It is so beautiful, we got to see

the sunset on Galveston Bay! and hear the band, as well as see the crazy fire 

juggling, chair holding, ball dribbling guy! lol

I love all the oleander bushes in Galveston!

on the beach day 2-notice some of the sunburns...

ahh...relaxing at moody gardens to bands in the sands. The band was actually really

awesome and the fireworks were good too! Again, another beautiful sunset to 

enjoy with my honey before he left.=)

=)

then my family came to visit for the 4th of July (notice

our super festive clothing...except josh's purple polo...)

 

at Kemah again...they'd never been. that's what happens when

you live in a vacation spot, you get to visit all the same places

over and over=) haha

It was SOOOOOO hot on the 4th.

 

waiting on seawall for the fireworks!!

Josh is not a fan of fireworks by the way. We said he was 'unpatriotic' for that one.

this picture came out really weird, haha. our faces look plastic.

 

yay! tons of people as you can see. we were kind of sitting far back.

Hotel Galvez for breakfast -so yum.

and then some shots my mom took of me randomly by myself! 

of course, I sent them all to jordan, haha.

by the way, I dug the hole for the umbrella this time!

out at the Hilton pool!! soakin it in!

we did the tour at the bishop's palace. it was so neat to see the 

beautiful wood and history inside!

Our front at the Bishop's palace. I was so sad to see them go!

boo.

I have had more visitors since then, but I'll have to save it for another blog=)

thanks for reading!!