So I am back, as you could likely see from the pictures in the previous post. It has been a wonderful weekend of relaxing and hanging out with old friends. We, of course, watched a lot of basketball. Last night my friend Jacqueline and her boyfriend Justin drove down to have dinner and watch basketball game. She and I have known each other since we were tiny tots. Ironically, though, we have not seen each other in the flesh since my wedding almost six years ago yet we have kept in touch periodically since. Over the last month while I was in Chattanooga, she and JT have gone to several local basketball games together. Her boyfriend and I had a lot to talk about since he is an ICU nurse in Louisville. Anyways, it was great to reconnect and hang out with people our age. And I love her!

Tomorrow starts my month off of studying and working. I am going to work Mondays and Thursdays for the neurosurgeon. The other days I will be studying and working out. I plan to take my second written board exam at the end of May/beginning of June if all goes as planned.

I just wanted to give an update. And now that I am at hope, I plan to up date more!

Our New Place


BathroomLiving Room/Dining Room
Kitchen
Hallway "nook" area
Bedroom
Kitchen
Dining area
Entry area
Great Room

IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG.

So I am aware of how long it has been since I posted. Three weeks. Well, I have a little update. I have doing a rotation at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga in pediatrics. And I have decided to do pediatrics! Yes, I am going to be a pediatrician. However, I have decided to specialize, God willing, in Hematology/Oncology (cancer in kids), as of right now. And the better the news is that they have offered me a spot. I will start either Oct/Nov or next summer. It is a long story but once it is figured out I will let everyone know. So that is where I have been. It is probably a good thing I have not had my computer because I would have to tell too many sad stories...Sick kids are sad.

I am at home this weekend. I have worked the last 11 days so I get a three day weekend. JT has gradually been moving in to our new apartment pictured in a previous post. So this weekend, his brother is coming down (tomorrow night) to help with the couch and mattress and stuff. My mom is going to help put stuff together/decorate on Saturday morning and afternoon. I will definitely post pictures.... And thankfully we will have my step dad, Bob, and his extreme attention with detail in hanging the pictures and such!

Well I am going to go and take a quick (20 min) nap. I worked a thirty hour shift which the residents I am with call a "day-night-day" shift since call seems like something you can take from home. (Note: I did drive the three hours home after this. However, I did get a few hours sleep in there.)
~nat

Happy Birthday!

Today is my 26th birthday. Nothing eventful or life changing happened today. My mom did get me an iPhone, pictured below. We picked it up on Wednesday. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. I am likely not using it to its capacity, but I am hoping to gradually learn everything. We watched six movies throughout the weekend, most of which I was able to pick out. Below is the little cake my dad brought home for me today. It is cupcake-sized in the shape of a dog. I thought it was quite cute! I also included some pictures from Chicago...I did not take many, 2 actually.



A replica of the one my mom got me...

Me and JT on Valentine's, I know, I look a bit unsure
Jason and Lisa with us at dinner on V-day

Future Home

JT and I have decided to move into our own apartment. We have been staying with my father and step mom since moving back to Somerset. We are thankful for the opportunity they have given us to save money and have a place to stay. Now, it is just time for us to move on. We are not going to move into the apartment until I return from my pediatric rotation in Chattanooga in mid-March. However, I have taken pictures. So here is the unfurnished version.

In the main room
The Kitchen
One of the two bedrooms (they are a little small)
The bathroom
Looking in from the front door... the "great" room, which is fancy for kitchen, dining, and living rooms

"Heaven is not here, it's there. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for."

- Elisabeth Elliot

I (Natalie) stole this quote from our friend Abby's blog. Isn't it wonderful? We are still in Chicago. Tonight we are staying in a hotel near my testing site. My friend Jason is going to pick me up after my test so we can stay into the city before heading back to KY on Wednesday morning.

I don't think I have updated on my new job. Starting this Thursday, I am going to be working for the neurosurgeon with whom I rotated in December. In between rotations, I am going to work in his office and assist him in seeing patients. It will likely be two days a week until I take my next written exam, and after that, as much as he needs me. What a blessing!

Well, I need to go do some more studying. We are going to grab dinner in a bit and maybe watch a movie! It will likely be a few days before we update again!
~nat

Meeting Robert Gibbs and V-Day in Chi-town...



Natalie and I (this is JT writing) are in Chicago for her to take her Step 2 C.S. Exam (part of her boards examination process). We are visiting with our good friends Jason and Lisa (who are in med school with Natalie). Being in Chicago makes us REALLY miss living in NYC. The test that Natalie takes on Tuesday consists of her seeing fake patients for 9 hours. Please keep her in your prayers. Last night, the four of us went to a Valentine's dinner at the Landmark Grill in Chicago.

I have a random story that, if you know me, will thoroughly enjoy. We were in the Water Tower Place which is a popular mall in the Loop in Chicago. Nat and Lisa were trying clothes on at Banana Republic. As we were preparing to leave, I noticed a person out of the corner of my eye and realized it was Robert Gibbs. He is President Obama's Press Secretary. Gibbs is the unfortunate soul who holds the press conferences and gets hammered by reporters for not answering questions properly. Being the political junkie that I am, I had to meet him. He did not have Secret Service with him because only really weird losers like myself would recognize him. Nat and Jason were embarassed and quickly left the store. Lisa hung with me to snap the picture. Here is how the exchange went:

JT: Excuse me. Are you Robert Gibbs?
Robert Gibbs: Yes I am.
JT: It is an honor to meet you. I saw you and the President were in town this weekend. Are you enjoying your time off?
RG: Yes. This is actually the first full weekend I have had off in over two years.
JT: So, how crazy is your schedule right now?
RG: I thought it was nuts during the campaign. Then, we got put in charge of the country and it got really busy.
JT: Well good luck. If you could please give the President a message for me. Tell him I am praying for him everyday and we are all rooting for him to succeed.
RG: I sure will. Good luck.

I will take this opportunity to get on my political soap-box for a moment. While I did not vote for or agree on many things politically with Pres. Obama, I sincerely hope he succeeds. As Natalie and I watched the election returns on November 4th and it became apparent that Sen. Obama would be our next president, I vividly remember turning to Natalie and say: "I promise to you that I will pray for him everyday for the next 4 years." Our country is in a tough way. I believe that Pres. Obama is a once-in-a-lifetime transformational leader, much like FDR, Kennedy, MLK, and Reagan. He can lift this country from the political malaise (sorry Jimmy Carter) that we have drifted into. I believe him to be a very decent man who wants the U.S. to prosper just as much as you or I. I just disagree in the manner in which he intends to take us there- both economically and socially. However, I believe it is incumbent upon every American to rally behind their leader and genuinely want the best for that person and their situation. I am fascinated by the story that is Barack Obama. Can you imagine if someone would have told my grandmother just 40 years ago that she would live to see an African-American president? She probably would have bet her last dollar against that. This is the shining example of the greatness that is America. Our country has never been perfect. In fact, we make as many mistakes as most countries- just look at our treatment of Native Americans, injustice towards Afican-Americans, supressing women's ability to vote, the prosecution of the Vietnam and Iraq War, and the gross mis-management of tax-payers hard earned money. What separates America from other countries is our ability to evolve and sense our mistakes and make up for them. I love the fact that my children will be the first generation to truly grow up in a colorless society. Barack Obama has shattered the myth that you must be white and rich to accomplish things at the highest levels in America.

I know it has been awhile. This last week I started a new rotation here in Kentucky, cardiology. I am doing two weeks of this rotation and I have already seen several caths, two TEEs (trans-esophageal echocardiagrams....looking at the heart through the esophagus. I am also preparing for my board exam which is on the 17th of this month in Chicago. It is a practical exam where you interview and examine 10-12 patients and the examiners watch you through a one way mirror. Creepy and stressful but it is pass/fail, so that is on my side. To be honest, I am not studying right now. I am watching the Grammy's. Jennifer Hudson is singing.

Tomorrow, Feb 9th, is my Grandma Morris's birthday (my mom's mom). She will be 79. I made her a German Chocolate cake tonight but my dad and I were distracted practicing for my test and it is going to be dry. Thankfully, dad is going to bake one at his office tomorrow and I can put icing on it when I get home. She won't care. She will just be happy to have a cake. Plus, I going to pick us up some take out from Cracker Barrel, her favorite. She loves the country ham on sourdough bread with a side of hashbrowns and chicken/dumplins. She is very particular for someone who is not buying, but I do love her. She is so much fun, even you do inevitably smell like Dural Light 100's in a soft pack every time you leave. I also found her a little porcelain plaque thing that says "what happens at grandma's, stays at grandma's". I think she will appreciate it! Regardless, we will have a good time, eating Cracker Barrel, a Southern fav, and watching GAC country videos.

JT and I went to church today. We had a month long hiatus while I was in Knoxville, which was no real excuse since I came home. The service was great. We both enjoyed the music and it was good to hear a message on not compromising, even on the small things, like your language or what you do with your time and what you do when no one is watching. It made me think of the song Slow Fade by Casting Crowns, especially the ones that say:
"It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white are turned to gray

And thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away

People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day"

It really is something to think about. Thankfully they have started a new Sunday School class that is just getting underway. It is for 20-30s, singles and married. We are doing a study of 1 &2 Thessalonians. I have high hopes that will be something that helps both JT and I grow. Of course it comes the month before I head to Chattanooga for a peds rotation.

I will try to do better this week updating and will definitely take pics in Chicago.

Sushi Night....

My dad ordered a sushi kit and it came in today. He did such a great job, especially for his first time. We had five different rolls, three of which you will see below. My sister came home with me this weekend so she could take some weekend insurance class to maintain her insurance license. So it was essentially a family dinner, and fun one at that. Plus, I annoyed everyone with my camera.

Dad's Sushi Platter
Gretchen and her shrimp
Dad, the sushi chef
JT and Dad working together on the sushi
Me and Dad

Me and Gretchen
Me and JT

Last Supper....

Tonight is the last night I will spend in Knoxville with my sister. It is a bitter sweet night. Being her friends. Speaking of which, her neighbor and friend, Amber, who lives upstairs is cooking my "last supper" in Knoxville. I am just using it as a play on words. Anyways, she is making a great dinner...first, we got some antipasta of mozzarella, mushrooms, olives, and grape seeds. She is also making cous cous, vegetable and turkey bacon quiche, a spinach salad with mango, nuts, and pomegranate blueberry dressing. I love good food. Because of this, losing weight is not an easy back with JT will be great! However, I have enjoyed the time with my sister and getting to knowtask. We were also anticipating watching The Office, but it is a re-run. It looks like everything is a re-run.

We, as a married couple, also had some good things happen to us today. First, JT has been looking into refinancing our car because our original interest rate was 13%. He was able to refinance the car at 6%, saving us $1800 over the course of the loan. That is huge for us! Also, JT is going to start refereeing basketball games to make additional money. We are working to save money and pay off the little things that we owe on in order to begin attacking my monstrosity of a student loan. Additionally, we want to start saving for a down payment for a condo or home once I start residency. So JT has big plans! I am glad he is handling the money because it makes my life much less complicated. I love that man!

I intend to have a great weekend! I start cardiology on Monday and am looking forward to that as well! Have a great weekend.