"Life is partly what we make it, and partly what is made by the friends whom we choose."
- Tehyi Hsieh

Yesterday I was able to spend the afternoon visiting with some friends I had not seen in awhile. My friends Jacqueline, Cassandra, and I drove to Taylorsville, KY to see our friend Melissa and her one year old son, Lincoln. We had not spent time together in several years, and it was very good to be together again! We took a few pictures, and like old times, could not get Melissa to be serious long enough to get many good shots! I love these girls and it was great to be together again.

Jacqueline and I

Cassandra, me and Melissa (she could not keep a straight face)

Cassandra, Jacqueline, and Melissa

Cassandra, Jacqueline, and Melissa ( Jac is holding Melissa's son Lincoln....and you can tell she likes it)
Cassandra, Lincoln and I

(It took three tries to get the next picture right)



Cassandra and Jacqueline being silly

Melissa's son, Lincoln

I am a firm believer in the notion that you should not wish away your life.... For example when I was in Dominica, I would think "This time in 24 days I will be at home in Kentucky." Then those 24 days happened so fast and I wanted little moments of them back (even though I was happy to be home). However, now my thoughts are doing that very thing... I find myself wishing my residency was decided for me, and I had settled on going somewhere. Yet in hoping for that, I also realize that leaves me missing the small, intricate moments between then and now... like lazy Sundays with my husband, everyday conversations with friends, seeing crazy patients, and such. The overwhelming wave of change often makes me feel this way so hoping for security and "knowing" helps.... Oh well, no more lamenting my situation... It could be worse.
`nat

Step 2

So for those of you I have not told, I passed my board exam that I have studied for like crazy over the last three months. I did surprisingly well, actually. It was not without suffering...time, lack of money because I studied rather than working.... But today, it pays off. Now I will just have to work like crazy to make up for the weeks lost. In addition to working full time, I have nine weeks of rotations left. They are spread over the next few months... so that should not be too bad. Other than those nine weeks, I am done with medical school. Graduation will be next spring but for me, it is almost over!!!!!!

I thought this picture was appropriate because it was my white coat ceremony my first week of medical school... in front of campus...

DOMINICA Throw backs....

I did not have any new pictures to add. I had recently gone through some old pictures from the island, many of which were previously featured on here. However, I do have nostalgic feelings about the island and my friends and life there... So here's to reminiscing!

The Sunset from our beach

Me, Zubeida and Lisa in Antigua

Eunice's surprise 30th birthday party

The cows on their morning walk outside of campus

Typical "me" pose, before the Black and White party second semester

JT and Jay in the pool at Fort Young in Roseau

My 24th birthday at Blue Bay

My house on Lizard Trail

Lindsey, Zubeida and me before Linds' birthday dinner

Me, Adam and Maria at our banquet

The view from campus

Another sunset

Thanksgiving '06 when my mom and Bob visited

On the Atlantic coast after a free clinic for locals

Stewart Family Reunion


My aunt Gaye and me

My aunt Mickey and me

My aunt Fran and me
Me and my aunt Kathy
Me and my cousin's kids...

Me and my dad
Me and my cousin Heather
My dad bribing two kids with money...

Me and my granpa, who is 96

Me with my cousins....

Flight......
My uncle David recently bought a new plane. So Saturday night, he asked us to fly with him to my mom's for dinner. Here are some of the pictures...

The plane....
My mom and grandma....

Me and my grandma
My mom and me
my cousin, Isaac, and me
JT using my grandma's walker

Somerset from the air
Me in the plane
My grandma

Isaac with his headphones...

Post Step 2 Celebration!!!!

So for anyone who does not know, last Friday I took my last board exam for medical school. It was one of those eight hour written exams. I will not know if I passed for a few weeks and am still nervous if I will. We did celebrate taking the test (in hopes I won't have to do it again)....Below are the few pictures I was able ot take... Enjoy


JT, me and Zach (sarah's boyfriend)


Me and Sarah!!!

Me and Sarah, I did not do good in this one

Me and Jacqueline!!!

JT and I outside Molly Malone's in Louisville

Jacqueline and her man, Justin


Me and Justin


The view from our room at The Brown hotel


Our room at the hotel (true KY Derby blanket..)

#2

I am getting ready to shower and start studying (11 days until my last med school test)....However, I wanted to give a quick shout out to my friend Emily. She is having her second daughter, to be named Vivian Carol Fox, today in Dallas, Tx. (See either blog link to the left The Stella Stories or Notes from the Fox Family). JT loving calls their first child Mini Me and this one #2, using Austin Powers to assign nicknames to children... I do not like those movies so....
Anyways, I am excited for them and hope the C section goes well. Keep them in your prayers!
~nat

50 Questions...

(I did this on facebook recently. Since I am taking a study break, I thought I would add it here)

1, What color is your toothbrush?
Light blue

2, Name one person who made you smile today.
Dr. Bruner...he gave a good eval

3, What were you doing at 8 am today:
sleepily watching JT get ready for work

4, What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
eating a turkey and avocado stuffed pita and studying neurology

5, What is your favorite candy bar?
I will eat any one of them...however, I love peanut MM, snickers, reese pieces, skittles.....I am a candy fiend.

6, Have you ever been to a strip club?
No

7, What is the last thing you said aloud?
singing random Fray and Sister Hazel songs to myself

8, What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Pumpkin, orange sherbet, chocolate chip

9, What was the last thing you had to drink
Dt Mtn Dew chased by water

10, Do you like your wallet?
Ready for a new one...the ole Chinatown one is wearing out

11, What was the last thing you ate?
turkey and avocado stuffed pita

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
uh...end of last week I bought those tight shorts you were under your pants when you work out

13, The last sporting event you watched?
Western Conf Finals: Lakers vs Nuggets last night

14, What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
Caramel

15, Who is the last person you sent a text message to?
Jacqueline

16, Ever go camping?
Yeah with my friend Melissa at Burnside Island in KY.

17, Do you take vitamins daily?
sometimes, Flintstones

18, Do you go to church every Sunday?
not every Sunday, but we try when we are not traveling

19, Do you have a tan?
yeah...but not all the time

20,Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?
Pizza but if it were sushi instead of chinese, I would choose that.

21, Do you drink your soda with a straw?
if it is a cup with a lid

22, What did your last text message say?
"okay. Sounds great. Just give me a call! Lata!"

23, What are you doing tomorrow?
Working half day, studying, going to the gym with JT

25, Look to your left, what do you see?
Window and my books

26, What color is your watch?
gold and silver

27, What do you think of when you hear Australia?
The theatre in Sydney

29, Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
Drive Thru

30. What is your favorite number?
4 or 21....I am weird, but I prefer even numbers

31, Who's the last person you talked to on the phone?
JT

32, Any plans today?
Study and gym or outside walk with JT tonight

33, How many states have you lived in?
5 States, 1 country other than here

34, Biggest annoyance right now?
can't say the truth, otherwise, studying

35, Last song listened to?
Chasing Pavements by Adele, Where I stood by Missy Higgins, 1980 by Rehab

36,Can you say the alphabet backwards?
yeah

37, Do you have a maid service clean your house?
Maid...His name is JT.... jk, I do help

38, Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
Asics sneakers or Reef flip flops

39, Are you jealous of anyone?
in little ways but nothing consuming.

40, Is anyone jealous of you?
I can't a reason someone would be

41, Do you love anyone?
Absolutely

42, Do any of your friends have children?
Yeah, more of JT's friends do than mine..somedays it feels like everyone but us

43, What do you usually do during the day?
Now study and work for a surgeon, school rotations....varies

44, Do you hate anyone that you know right now?
haha, no

45, Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
I think so. Never thought about it.

46, What color is your car?
We have a black one and white one... I usually drive the white one because it is small, making JT look like Fred Flintstone in it

47, Do you like cats?
I could take them or leave them

48. Are you thinking about someone right now?
No, just that I need to be studying rather than this

49, Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Does the old Kentucky Kingdom count?

50, How did you get your worst scar?

After my parents got divorced and for some reason lived in the same neighborhood, I got upset and took off on my bike. I went down a hill and made a right hand turn in the gravel....My knee and the gravel became well acquainted