THE BIG NEWS!!!!

Aric accepted the fellowship at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma!!! His one year fellowship in Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery will start in July 2011. We are so excited!!

During the lull of post-fellowship interviews, the waiting was unbearable at times (although it was only a few weeks and shorter than we expected). We started second-guessing things. We are planners, or should I say Aric really, there's only so much I can do. We were coming up with plan B-F if things didn't work out. Although we both knew he would get an offer from somewhere, we were not quite sure from where or when we would hear back.

I guess I need to do some homework on what my husband will actually be doing. I have been so focused on him getting IN a fellowship that I really didn't pay close attention to all that the fellowship involves. Now that the decision has been made, i can finally ask my husband, "what will you be doing exactly?" In general, I know he will be doing surgery on kids who have cleft lip and palate and also cranial/facial deformities. I'm pretty sure there's more to it than that.

Now I just have to look into apartments, and schools. Get my house ready to sell.... so much to do and so little time.

I am sad that this officially means our time in Rochester will come to a close eventually. The kids have been great sports about it. But they know that there is no fellowship available here in Rochester, so we kinda have to move.

I could probably live in Rochester permanently if it wasn't for these freezing cold winters though. I mean really -50 degrees? I feel like a cave man because we just go about our business when it's -20, but if it's 80 degrees here in summer, it's a heat wave. I'm not kidding, it really is, i feel like I'm going to die of heat exhaustion. We'll probably never win with weather, unless we move back to San Diego. That trully is the perfect place, except for the fact that it's expensive as heck to live there. I didn't know how good I had it growing up. BUT I love experiencing fall, and a brief snow on christmas would be great.

I think I finally got this whole fellowship thing started when I turned in an application for Hannah to start Kindergarten at Washington Elementary next year (it is a highly coveted spot), and I'll probably keep her registered until papers are signed and an apartment is found ... maybe until our house sells, who knows. I turn in the paperwork and I'm thinking to myself "I'm going to jinx this whole fellowship by doing this."

All of the sudden an hour later I get a call from Aric, saying that he is offered a spot at West Virginia and Oklahoma, and before the day is done, we know we are going to Oklahoma. We took our kids out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants, HuHot a Mongolian grill. They love getting their uncooked food prepared to let some non-mongolian-probably spanish-person cook their meal over a fire. I wish I could get my kids to get excited to help me make dinner at home. they would probably say something like "yeah, but it's just not the same at home." I agree for a different reason, i love any dinner that I don't have to make.

To get a nostalgic about our lives, it's actually crazy to think that we started out on this path of higher, higher education 10 years ago. Aric started Dental School a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed eager student. When my mom told my dentist who has sadly had to see my mouth since a young child that my husband is in Dental school and wants to be an oral surgeon, he told her, "that's what they all say." The truth is, he didn't know my husband, and my husband likes to be challenged. When he puts his mind to something, he does it. Aric (and I) am no longer the young bushy-tailed kids that started out on this journey, but 30-somethings worn and alittle rough around the edges, him by working 80 hours a week for residency, me, by my wonderful children, and the fact that I'll never get a decent night's sleep ever again.

Thank you so much to our kids that are so awesome and are willing to share their daddy with those who need him. To our family who have supported us from the beginning. To all of our friends and neighbors who have become our family here in Rochester. We are so blessed.

iPhone

I kept hinting that an iPhone would be a really awesome Christmas gift but alas, my cell phone died last week and I got the ok from the hubby to just go and get the iPhone already. You don't have to tell me twice. Yesterday morning I dropped Hannah off at preschool and off to At&t I went. I had already picked out the cover for the phone so this was a pretty quick buy with only one standard iPhone color to choose from.

I noticed my 2 year old, Mady , get that far off stare that children do when they are about to go # 2. I proceeded to tell the salesperson that this better be quick because my daughter has a present in her pants and you REALLY don't want to find out what it looks like. As he is finishing the sale which of course cost much more than I had anticipated. Because you HAVE to buy the apple warranty and also MUST buy the car charger. Apple is very clever. Walking out much poorer than when I entered I left the store in a much stinkier state that it wouldn't surprise me if there was a NO toddler allowed sign in the window next time I walk by.

I spent the last two days loading on contacts & schedules, music, and apps, preparing my mini-computer for action. I will never buy a different phone again that isn't compatible with the iPhone. i
It's not be because I don't love it (which I do) but because I never want to waste this much time again loading info onto my phone, ever.

If I can get it to work I am going to try to post pics I took of my kiddos. It's going to take some getting used to. Blogger is not iphone friendly. I guess no pics today.

This blog was 'sent from my iPhone'