Final STL Trip - Day 3

The day following David's gradation was a shopping day. Penzeys Spices is my favorite spice store and was the first place we had to visit.  I loaded up with some refills and new spices. 

Me outside of Penzeys after making my purchase.  

After visiting Penzey's we headed to the University to return David's cap and gown.  While we were on campus we journeyed over to the undergrad bookstore and purchased some souvenir items for the graduate.  

We became quite hungry and decided to head over to Central West End one last time.  On the way there I mentioned that I'd like to see the Basilica.  David didn't object to that because he's been trying to get me there for a year.  It just wasn't something that was ever on the top of my "to do" list.  Here are a few photos....

 The Basilica is covered in mosaics.

Each tile isn't much larger than the tip of my thumb.

 Part of the ceiling.

 The Basilica was absolutely beautiful.  

Me and David outside the Basilica

 Me at the Basilica

After visiting the Basilica we went to Crepes, etc. in Central West End for a delicious lunch.

Here is David with our Skinny California Crepe.  It consisted of chicken, bacon, avocado, tomato, and a mixture of Italian cheeses.  This crepe was wonderful.

 David and our Skinny California Crepe

 Me with our dessert crepe.... Blueberry!  

Isn't it gorgeous?  It tasted incredible!

 The best husband in the world!

 After lunch I spotted these roses.  Sometimes ya just gotta stop and smell the roses.  = )

David needed a post-lunch afternoon nap, so he dropped me off at Nordstrom Rack.  I spent a couple of hours shopping there and then went and shopped at the Whole Foods next door.  We'll be getting our first Whole Foods in OKC this fall, so I didn't buy a whole lot there this time.  

Friday was my last visit to the Brentwood (STL) Trader Joe's.  

 Trader Joe's has become one of my favorite stores.  I sure hope we can get one in OKC.

 I also stopped in at World Market to stock up on some sugar-free Torani syrup.  They have a great selection.

 We saw "Avenue Q" here at the Fox Theatre back in February 2008.

 The Powell Hall is the home of the St. Louis Symphony.

I met up with my friend, Rachel, for a bit in the evening.  It was great to see her and I didn't want our time to end. One of us are going to have to purchase a plane ticket soon.  

THE Graduation (Final STL Trip - Day 2, Part 2)

David had to be at the Chaifetz Arena by 2 so I rode with his family.  We found seats and I immediately called my fellow med wife, Tammy, to find out where she was sitting.  We were eager to see each other on this wonderful occasion so we met up half way around the stadium and hugged like sisters.  There were tears of joy and sadness.  

Goodbyes are never easy for me.

 Me and my fellow med wife, Tammy.

 David walking to his seat.  

Me with Lloyd and Dr. P-L following the graduation.

 Me with Tammy again.  We couldn't get enough hugs from each other that day.  It's tough not knowing when we'll actually see each other again.  

 Tammy and her DOCTOR.

 Me and my DOCTOR!

 I am an EXTREMELY PROUD  Wife!

 Me, Dr. M, Dr. B, and Tammy

 The doctor at his post-graduation celebration dinner. 

A delicious New York Strip steak from Maggiano's.  Mmmmm......

Congrats, David!!!

Final STL Trip - Day 2, Part 1

One week ago I woke up to this..........

What a glorious sight!

I quickly threw on some clothes and we loaded up the family to go downtown to see the Arch.

 David's side of the fam that came for graduation.  They enjoyed the Arch!

 This is me.... being silly!

 And this is my FIL being silly.

 Here's a J.D. standing with the historic St. Louis Courthouse in the background.  Priceless!

 Sisters!  

 My MIL.  We are too fun!

 The soon-to-be DOCTOR!


Keep posted for Part 2 (THE Graduation)!

Final STL Trip - Day 1

David and I arrived to St. Louis and immediately drove to the University to could pick up his cap and gown.

David's Parents and Aunt Amy arrived to STL shortly after us.  I prepared a delicious dinner (chicken fajitas and all the goodies that go along with it) and then we all went out for some late night custard at the famous Ted Drewes.

David's parents.

They LOVED Ted Drewes!

Me and Aunt Amy attempting to tackle our custard.

David and his mom 

Stay tuned for more details about our trip............

Reminiscing

Every now and then I remember that my St. Louis adventure wasn't all bad. There were many things I did enjoy.

As I was at Starbucks today doing some research for lesson plans and my upcoming program, I was wondering what I would be doing if I were still back in STL. Well, I decided that if I were in STL it would have been a good day to go to Bread Co (aka Panera) to hang out. Now, David and I never ate there, but often enjoyed going just to use their free wifi and pretending to like their icky coffee as we sipped on it. It was a nice place to go if we needed to get out of our apartment for a bit.

The Autumn season was another St. Louis favorite of mine. It was absolutely breathtaking. The colors of the leaves were so vibrant. I would often take Ethan for long walks and he would almost get lost in all the leaves. He'd hop through them like a bunny and was a little terrified by the crackling noise the leaves would make.

I miss my dear friend, Rachel. At this time last year we'd meet up regularly and go on long walks. We talked about anything and everything. After our walks, we'd often end up grabbing a bite to eat or getting some coffee at Starbucks. I miss being able to hang out with her these days.

I could go on and on about the things I liked in St. Louis. It's just that the bad outweighed the good for me there. I will never understand all the bad luck we had or why there was constantly a black storm cloud over our heads all the time. I do know that it makes me appreciate being back in OKC that much more. We love our apartment, I LOVE my school, and we are happy. We're the happiest we've been in several years. It feels really good. I pray we will be able to stay here.

Positivity Returns

Some random thoughts...

I was informed that ONE of the characteristics that caught my Principal's attention was my positivity. This showed me just how much my life has changed during the past few months.

Med School is hard.... REALLY HARD. And I'm just the wife of a medical student. It's rough seeing the one person you love most go through so much. I could go on and on about this, but medical school isn't the topic of this post.

My point is that St. Louis was rough. With everything that happened and didn't happen, it became difficult to have a positive attitude. I felt that St. Louis ruined me. While in STL I considered myself to be negative and pessimistic. I was miserable. That's not who I was pre-STL.

I prayed, hoped, dreamed, and wished that we'd end up back in OKC. I wanted to teach again. Those were the desires of my heart.

My prayers were answered! I feel that I don't have any reason to not be positive right now. I have so much to be thankful for!

Praise the LORD!

Farewell, World Market

I had to make one last stop by World Market (Brentwood, MO) to stock up on Sugar Free Torani Syrups. I'm proudly holding onto a bottle of the SF Coconut. YUM! I will miss World Market greatly!!!

Time to start ordering these syrups off Amazon.

Moving Photos

The 26' UHaul and my Honda Accord

Our stuff on the truck

David merging onto I-44 in Webster Groves, MO.

This was my view for 9 hours!

Our espresso machine was the first thing I unloaded after arriving in OKC. I made an iced soy latte so I would have the energy to unload my car and some of the UHaul.

Ethan's last moment with David. So sad...

Ethan cuddling with Buddy because he misses his Daddy...

The Move

We did it! David and I made the long drive from STL to OKC last Friday. He drove the 26' UHaul (yes, I have a lot of stuff!) while I followed in our Honda Accord with Ethan and our most fragile/sentimental items. We made several stops and one long stop for lunch in Joplin. The entire trip took us 9 hours. So yes, I stared at the back of a UHaul for 9 hours. Poor Dave drove the thing for 9 hours... talk about intense! The important thing is that we arrived safely.

When we arrived on Friday (4pm) I immediately unloaded our espresso machine, started it up, and made myself a 4-shot iced soy latte. YUM! The caffeine gave me just enough energy to completely unload my car and a nice chunk out of the UHaul. We also unloaded the bed so we could put it together and sleep on it that night. It was soooo comfy! Unfortunately the comfort didn't lead me to have a restful night. I stayed up until 1am unpacking/cleaning and then woke up at 5:30am on Saturday morning. I was ready to get the ball rolling and get that truck completely unloaded.

We had quite a few friends and family members that helped us unload. It was wonderful to have such amazing help.

So, I'd like to give a SHOUT OUT to....

David, Randy, Tim Jr., April, Caleb, Donna, and Amy for all of their help on Saturday!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

You are appreciated!!!

Update

Howdy! Once again, I've neglected the good ol' blog. I have good reasons though, really I do! Just when I thought things couldn't get any busier... they did!

Here's what's been happening...

• Rick and Julie's wedding weekend in Denton, TX; David was best man
• Signed apartment lease in OKC
• Moved summer stuff from parent's home to OKC apt.
• Bought a new mattress
• Went to my Dad's special luncheon to celebrate his 30 years of employment with Boeing
• Drove back to STL on Thursday, July 15
• ... And we are currently packing up our STL apt for the big move back to OKC

Boxes, boxes, and more boxes have taken over our apartment. I'm finding that's difficult to move from a 3 bedroom HOUSE to a 2 bedroom APARTMENT and then to a 1 bedroom APARTMENT. I hope this isn't a sign that my next place will actually be a cardboard box. Who knows... it may be with all our student loan debt.

Anyways, aside from all the work I am excited about moving and my new job. As I was packing all the boxes with my music stuff I was wondering about all the kids I'll soon meet. I was also thinking about the first day of school and about just how much I have to do between now and then.

Well, here's what going to happen...

• Move to OKC
• Unload the truck
• Make sure furniture is set up properly
• Unpack necessary boxes
• Fly David back to STL (and say our good-byes for now) = (
• Get in the classroom to PURGE and ORGANIZE!

Once I get the classroom organized and ready for the first day of school, I can start working on my apartment.

David and I have a tough road ahead of us, but we can do it. I'm so looking forward to my first paycheck and first trip back to STL to visit my hubby!!!

7th Anniversary

David and I decided it had been about a year since we actually went on a dinner date as just the two of us. So, we thought we'd splurge and treat ourselves for this special occasion (our 7 year wedding anniversary was on June 7). Please note that we both cheated pretty bad on our diets that night. It's not so bad if it only happens once a year. ; )

Ready for a night out!

Oh, yes! We finally experienced The Drunken Fish in Central West End.

My handsome hubby!

I'm the luckiest gal in the world!

Our vegetable tempura appetizer...

My Starburst Roll

I think this was the Drunken Fish...

I can't remember what this was. I'll have to ask David.

YUMMY!

Another look at my Starburst Roll

Chicken Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

He was lovin' the evening!

My California Roll

I'm really focused on my food... lol!

Decaf Americano from Starbucks for dessert.

We both had a wonderful evening and

are looking forward to celebrating

our 8th Anniversary next June 7.