room by room : kitchen updated

The kitchen is my domain.  If you want a refresher on what it used to look like you can go here.  I always say I feel like my entire house is so much cleaner if I can keep the kitchen clean.  For almost a year I have known that I wanted to paint this room green, and went out and rounded up every green paint sample in town.  But I just couldn't decide.  To make it a little more difficult, I had already bought the fabric that I would eventually turn into a window topper above the sink, and it was its own type of green.  

I eventually gave up since I had other rooms to work on, but I just was so unhappy with the beige in that room.  So when we decided we would be having a Staycation last month, I revisited the paint samples.  And from left field, Kyle made the decision.  We went way out of my comfort zone and picked a mossy/olivey/much darker green than I ever anticipated.  It is called "Everglade" by Behr in their Marquise collection.

Other than the paint, we replaced the knobs on all of the cabinets, opting for a larger oil rubbed bronze knob than what started out on them.  The coffee bar is a little less cluttered since I removed the espresso machine and we had to replace our regular coffee maker this past weekend.   Oh and the crown molding!  Part of my Christmas present from dad was that lovely addition to the top of all of the cabinets.  Kyle also requested that I move the prep area to the long counter instead of beside the stove, and I have to say it was a great idea!

Looking forward, my dad is planning on removing two of the top drawers to turn them into 1 large utensil drawer.  The large cabinets next to the microwave may get an extra shelf for better use of the space.  Hopefully within the next year I will be able to show off these improvements.  I would also love to replace the faucet with something a little nicer, if not the entire sink.  It is amazing what just a little bit of paint does once again.  What projects have you done lately?

I am a planner

Thank you Target Dollar Spot.  I couldn't find a small calendar like this anywhere!

I like lists.  I like planning.  I drive Kyle insane with all of my "plans".  If I have a goal... like most people, that goal will fail/fall through the cracks without planning.  So when I decided that I really want to be more consistent with writing in this space, I really needed to sit down and brainstorm and plan it out.  The best way for me to do that isn't just to jumble it down, but to put it into a calendar so that I can see my To-Dos a month at a time.   

This blog was started so that I could share all of our life changes, and to connect and offer our experiences to others in the medical life.  Then I had a kid, and the blog became all about him.  I have to be honest.  While I love that I have each month of his first year of life documented, I was SO GLAD when I wrote that 1 year post.  It felt like a weight was off my shoulders; I felt like I had earned permission for myself to go back to writing about more than just my kid.  Don't freak out family; Myles will still be on here, just not the main event anymore.

My goal for a while is to get back in the routine of writing on a regular basis.  Mon-Wed-Fri is what I hope to accomplish, and what better way to do that, than to have specific things to write on those days of the week? 

While I still have some brainstorming to do, and this space will continue to evolve as I go, I do have some things thought out that I will be making a regular occurrence around here.  

• Mondays are a wildcard.  Adventuring, photos, thoughts, projects...they will probably be here.
• The first Wed of the month will continue to be the spot for "currently" link-ups.  
• The 2nd and 4th Wed will now be "What We're Wearing Wednesday".  
• Fridays will now be Foodie Fridays.  
• Something med-life related every now and then.

I will miss days, I will move some things around on occasion.  Maybe I will get wild and post on a Thursday.  Who knows.  I will extend grace to myself when I fail, my goal is never for this to be a source of stress, but wholeheartedly a place for me to have something for myself.  I think that is important for a stay-at-home mom.  

Let me re-welcome you to homegrown in ky.  I love hearing from people and try to respond in a timely manner so please don't be shy.  

Hello 2015.

survivor story : night float with a kid

A year and a half-ish into residency and we officially have 5 months of nights under our belt. The more we have had, the easier and less ominous those months have become.  I, like anyone in this, have had to figure out what works and what doesn't and my new "rules" will probably work as Myles gets older.  I thought I would share in case others out there haven't figured out a routine that works for them yet.

First, let me sort of map out a typical day when my resident works a day shift.

Myles and I are awake sometime after Kyle leaves for work (6-7am).  Myles currently takes a morning and afternoon nap so we hang out until the first nap (9-10am), at which time I shower and get a chore done before he wakes up.  Then I get us ready to go out for the day, whether to run an errand, meet friends somewhere, or just go out in the yard.  We make it home in time for lunch or Myles' nap, depending on the activity of the day.  During the second nap (2ish- time and length varies), I usually do another chore of some sort or write while I catch up on a show.  Then I need to get a game plan together for dinner so that dinner is started or ready to be started when Kyle lets me know he is headed home (6ish).  Once he is home, we eat and get Myles ready for bed (7pm) before we relax together until bedtime (9-10).

A typical day when my resident works a night float (no rules included).

Myles and I wake up between 6-7am.  Kyle gets home around 7am or later, almost immediately going to bed.  Myles naps 9-10am or so.  We venture out sometime before his second nap which is usually around 2pm and lasts an hour or more.  I wake Kyle up by 3pm.  Kyle gets showered while I heat some food up and sometimes we eat together before he leaves for work again at 4:30pm.  Myles asleep at 7.  I go to sleep whenever I make myself (usually around 10).

Now my "rules".

1. During Myles' naps, I take time for me.  I take a long shower, I watch my shows, I read a book, I sit on the deck.  Other than yard work that needs to be completed during the day, I do not do chores.  Most chores are pretty loud inside (think dishes or vacuuming) and would bother Kyle even with the door shut.  This keeps me sane.  
2. We always have an outing.  We go to the zoo, or walk around Target or meet a friend for a play date.  Sometimes it is just going in the front yard to roll around in the grass.  We get out of the house. This is crucial.  Kyle has gotten better about sleeping through normal daily noise but this lets us worry a little less and not go so stir crazy.  
3. We try to eat with Kyle a couple times a week.  Because family time.  And it is important to me to make sure Kyle has something homemade so he doesn't feel so much like a zombie surviving off of Chick-fil-a and cafeteria food night after night after night.  Sometimes I fail and he ends up eating frozen pizza or chicken strips but he appreciates the trying.  The crock pot is my friend.
4. I do the chores at night.  I have had all of my "me" time during the day and once Myles is asleep for the night, I am alone, so I become productive.  Myles can sleep through everything so no chore is off limit.  It is pretty important that I divide up all of the chores on a calendar so that I don't get overwhelmed and shut down.  One major (like things I can't stand doing) chore per night.  
5. Kyle's days off are time to ask for help with things I can't do alone but otherwise, his days off are protected family time.  Basically, no visitors.  We might decide to do something fun for a couple of hours with some friends but family is discouraged from coming to visit us during these months.

Different things work for different people and every program does things differently. What "rules" work at your house?

five on friday

This week in honor of my dreaming of pregnancy ending (and having Myles in my arms) is the five things I am looking forward to enjoying once pregnancy is over.

one

forbidden foods.  Pregnant women are immediately faced with a list from their doctor of foods to avoid.  For the most part, it isn't too big a deal to avoid them... or you make up your own rules for what you will go ahead and enjoy.  For me, there was the awkward moment of a girl's night of wine and cheeses. Of course I wasn't supposed to have the wine... but then all of the cheeses (and meats) were on my list of no-nos.  Thankfully I had brought a large cup of hot chocolate with me, and there were some grapes to munch on.  My rule... I would still enjoy those forbidden cheeses if they were cooked... like feta cheese on a pizza.  The thing a little harder to work around... sushi.  Sure there is the fried rolls... and in Louisville that was no problem... most Japanese restaurants had some great tempura rolls... but I haven't really found that to be the case down here.  Someone bring me a spicy tuna roll to the hospital or even just a sandwich from Subway (because cold lunch meat was forbidden too...).

two

the occasional drink.  I miss beer.  And wine.  Not that I drank much to begin with... but I really missed out on Summer Shandy season.  And heck... it will be nice to not worry about how much caffeine I might consume in a day anymore.  Grande pumpkin spice latte please (even if I did wake up with a mug of caffeinated coffee).

three

doing whatever I want.  Now, I probably did more than any sane person would do... I still stood on a step stool; I painted a room; I mowed the lawn until about 2 months ago with a push mower.  Heck, throughout the past week I have slowly been raking the yard because I am going just that stircrazy.  But I cannot wait to be able to just do things again.  Just to get out of bed without my pelvis screaming at me will be nice.  Or put on shoes.  Or ride a rollercoaster.  Whatever.

four

normal clothes.  I get that I won't immediately look like my old self.. but to have a waist again... to wear a belt.  I am starting to get sick of these elastic waistbands that stretch out through the day. And its fall.  I love sweaters.  Thankfully I believe I shouldn't have any trouble wearing any of them pretty soon.  Pants will be an issue at first... but I can get past that to just be able to wear a nice warm sweater again.  And without fear that my belly has gotten so big that you can now see before mentioned elastic waistband or bare skin because the stretchy shirt is stretched to the max.

five

sleeping on my stomach.  Oh I can't wait for this.  I am a natural side/stomach sleeper.  Sleeping on my sides the past few months hasn't been too bad... but I just really don't sleep as well that way as I do on my stomach. 

although I am convinced he is trying to escape every night, it seems my body isn't ready for that to happen...

baby prep

I am officially nesting.  (My previous post was about mentally doing it...this one is about me actually doing it.)  People thought I was nesting before... no I was just scratching a curious itch for trying new things.  Like building a mobile or baking cinnamon rolls.  Now its real.  We are less than 5 weeks from the due date.  

And I am freaking out.

Every minute of the day has my thoughts towards wanting to be "ready" (as ready as you can be) for Myles' arrival.  

To me, ready is having quick, relatively healthy meals to survive on when cooking is the last thing on my mind.  And having a house that isn't so gross dysfunctional organizationally.

My house is still cluttered (sorry Nana...) but progress is taking place.  I have sorted through piles.  I have washed (and ironed!) the crumby table runner and wiped down the table.  I have scrubbed the kitchen.  I have vacuumed the dining room.  I have vacuumed off the duvet that was covered in cat hair.  I cleaned the shower.  I folded laundry.  I have started making stacks of pictures for my wall of frames.  I have started stocking the freezer.  And I have been trying to do this all leisurely so I don't overdo it and get back to square one with pain in my hips (I'm finally mostly better...just really pregnant so always uncomfortable)  Problem is... all I want to do is stock the freezer.  Because that is fun.  I made a special freezer stocking supply run to Aldi Saturday morning while Kyle napped just so I can work on that this week.  And I even held back on buying everything I wanted because lets be realistic... My parents are coming on Wednesday... I won't work on freezer cooking while they are here and I need to use part of the next few days to clean.

What else do I want to do?  

I think the better question is; what do I need to do?

all of those errands that I will not want to do alone with a newborn.  I need to get the oil changed in my car.  I should probably get my eyes checked/new glasses ordered (they are covered with our insurance so why not?!)  Oh.... and figure out who his pediatrician is going to be.

soak in social time.  I have been really working on this one.  I have been trying to go to as many social events as I can... in the past 2 weeks I have had 2 play dates with the residency moms, gone to a Thirty-One sales party, gone to Oktoberfest in Greer, stayed up late at a resident's house watching football (ok the guys were watching football... I was enjoying conversations), and gone to Fall for Greenville (lots of local restaurants set up tasting booths downtown).  It has been exhausting, but oh so nice to know we didn't miss out on anything.

soak in me time.  I have enjoyed doing a little browsing/shopping while Kyle sleeps during the day.  I treated myself to a purse at JCP (on sale with a gift card).  I have turned thrift store shopping into a sport looking for good baby clothes for super cheap (can't beat $1 babyGap onesies that look like new!).  I haven't hesitated to stop for a pumpkin spice latte* if I feel like it while I'm out.  And spend hours on the couch reading a book?  Why not?

share my house.  I've neglected my blog.  I'm not sorry.  I haven't felt like writing lately.  But I would really like to finally take pictures and share what updates we have made... finally reveal the nursery to you.  Unfortunately this item is at the bottom of the priority list.  

I wish I could have done a whole "babymoon", or had some awesome list of fun things to accomplish before I'm a mom... but that just wasn't in our cards.  And I don't think we have done too bad making the most of what time we have had to work with.  

*Dunkin Donuts gift cards are welcome at any time (think of it as the new-mommy-sanity-fund)

five on friday

I've been recouping from the past week of time at home.  It was relaxing and exhausting all at the same time.  I went non-stop... but I also didn't have to worry about anything.  It makes sense in my head.

Suffice it to say... the blog has been on the back-burner while I have vegged out on the couch... read a book in two days... and did minimal work around the house.  That changes today.  I am about to be busy for the next few days.  It is Kyle's weekend off.

Well its Friday so I will be participating in the 5 on friday link up again... write about any 5 things you are thinking about/things that are making you happy... whatever.  Five is the magic number.

one

baby showers.  Our amazing family and friends held two baby showers last weekend back in KY for us.  The turnout of people and love that was shared was really overwhelming.  And the homemade desserts were to die for.  I wish I could replay the whole weekend full of amazing cupcakes and intricately decorated cookies and candies that we enjoyed.  Oh and the presents.  Presents are fun too ;-).  Myles is one lucky kiddo to have so much love waiting for him back in KY.

two

thank you notes.  I will be starting out my day at a coffee shop or something in order to get away from the distractions at home so I can focus on the long list of thank you's that need to be written.  Will I get them all done today?  Heck no.  But it will be a start.

three

lunch with strangers.  Before I flew back to KY, I contacted one of the resident wives... Kyle had just worked with her husband on Peds all of August.  She got me onto a contact list of other wives for monthly dinners... which I had to miss while I was away... but she also meets with a few other moms for occasional lunches/play dates so they have invited me to lunch today.  It should be interesting... I'm excited to start making some friends that have kids, and the place we are going sounds pretty neat... its the Runway Cafe... next to the small airport to watch the planes come and go while we eat.  

four

projects.  There is a long list still.  Some I have started or bought materials for, others that I would rather be working on but refuse to buy things for until the other projects are done.  Either way... I feel stuck.  There just isn't much motivation except for the constant timeclock that is running down in my head to the day Myles makes his debut and takes all of my free time away.  Nothing is getting done and it is frustrating. 

five

blogging.  This is part of number four I suppose... I really wish I was being more consistent with writing on here.  I do enjoy it.  I'm sort of beating myself up for not posting about any of the updates we have done around the house.  But I feel like all of the things I have worked on still need those finishing touches before I am ready to share.  Have I mentioned lately how much I have issues with finishing things?  

I'm a little stressed out.  The whole realizing that my due date is in 10 weeks has not helped that fact.  Nor the thought that he could easily come earlier.  Or later... which produces a whole extra round of issues.  Thankfully tomorrow is Kyle's final day of his 19 day stretch without a day off.  While a few things are planned for the weekend, I hope we can just enjoy each other and relax.  We both need it.

weekend replay : under construction

Move in went smoothly, we happened to move in on a perfectly "cool" South Carolina day, plenty of sunshine and breezes, we have all of the furniture placed, satellite and internet hooked up, a few boxes unpacked, and my raised gardens built and planted.


But I'm still not ready to share the goods :)

We have a lot left to do... and while there is some order to life now, there is still a lot to figure out!  So stay tuned for some photos of the house with our stuff in it after we have everything unpacked room by room. 

There have been a few hiccups along the way this weekend, but many victories and I am in recovery mode.  This pregnant lady feels like she has barely slept in a week... because I haven't.  So bear with me and my lack of posting.

pregnancy : 17 weeks

I was reminded this week that I have yet to do a "bump" photo on here... Well as you are about to see... there isn't much of one to show.  It is noticeable in person, and I definitely feel like my body is starting to be taken over, but its just not a majorly impressive bump yet.

• due mid-November.
• I do have to do special stuff with a few pairs of my jeans now to be comfortable.
• most of my shirts still fit pretty well.
• laying on my back is officially a bad idea.
• I still feel pretty normal... no food aversions.
• I'm still kinda craving donuts, lemonade sounds good a lot.  For the most part though its just whatever I see I want.
• less than 3 weeks before we know what it is!
• we have names picked out either way.
• no you don't get to know what those are. ;-)

last day. last week?

Today is my last day at work.  A bittersweet moment.  I have dubbed it my early retirement.  Instead of a retirement package of $X each month though I will be getting:

• less stress... anyone that knows me knows that I will still be stressed regardless, but there is something to say for the amount of stress that is about to be taken off of my daily agenda from my job.
• more outdoor time... unfortunately this week the best weather was on the 3 days I worked.  I just feel less stressed and happy when I can actually enjoy a sunny day.
• more time to rediscover old hobbies... I haven't painted in years and only been marginally crafty
• plenty of time to discover new hobbies... I can't wait to garden, learn how to can food, maybe bake my own bread, volunteer somewhere, fix up old furniture.  Who knows, maybe I could go crazy and save up for a bike?
• the ability to be home when my husband is home...this is a big part of my decision to stay home.
• and eventually... the new job of stay at home mom will be the main focus.

What am I losing in this?

• daily interpersonal interaction... I'm a bit of a homebody so it will take a little forcing on my part to make me get out and make friends when we move.  Having a full time job has been my reason to get out and see people everyday.
• a pretty cool job... I started my science career working with plants.  I love plants.  But this being the only job offer I received...I had to get out of my comfort zone and get used to animals.  Specifically rodents.  And I have loved it.  No more will I be able to shock people with descriptions of what I do on a normal basis... spinal cord injury microsurgery, animal care, histology, staining, working with expensive microscopy equipment, injections into a mouse's tail vein, behavior testing, dissections... just a few things I have done in the past 3.5 years.  My normal day for a while is going to be along the lines of "oh yeah I cleaned the toilet and fixed dinner."
• an amazing work family... these people are hands down the best people I could have spent my last 3.5 years with.  We have laughed and cried and supported each other over the years and I will really miss them.
• a paycheck... Kyle's new income is going to be enough for us to live on without me working, but we are definitely going to have to tighten our belts a little and change up our budget.  I think it is going to be well worth it though.  Sure we won't be able to do the fancy vacations that others in his class may can handle with working wives, and shopping is going to be a more extravagant luxury, but the ability to see Kyle during his crazy schedule and be there for all the "firsts" of our kid are a pretty good trade to that stuff I think.

So is this our last week in Louisville?  We are still waiting for that to be answered.  The underwriter hasn't gotten back to us yet about an approval and closing date.  I'm still really hoping for early next week like they said our best case scenario is but who knows... We have to be out of our apartment by the 14th though.  

One day at a time.

photo shoot : siblings part 2

Here is part 2 of the photos I took with my brother and husband.  As I mentioned yesterday, he wanted to do some photos in his uniform but had trouble getting it.  He hadn't bought a new uniform since his freshman year of college.  When he was a stick.  The term high-waters was an excellent description of his pants 5 years later.  Little brother grew up.  And bulked up.

5 years ago.  Stick.

After over a week of trips to 2 different military bases in Ohio and Kentucky, he finally got the uniform put together.  So here is Mother's Day present take 2.

(1)

(2) 

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

I'm really happy to have both of my guys with me in these pictures.  They have become very close over the years and its going to be hard to have us all together after we move.  They have really become brothers since we got married and I absolutely love it, even though they drive me nuts when they are together.  Number 8 is going to have to be blown up somewhere in our new home.

well whadya know?!

Its Medical Monday Ya'll!  I didn't have the heart to cover up this post with something new just yet so here ya go!  

If you have never participated in Medical Monday, it is the first Monday of every month and for anyone connected to the Medical life in any way shape or form.  Great way to meet similar people dealing with similar crazy ways of life.

So go link on a link up!





This is the big announcement post.  I love how my mentor from college put it in an email to me:

"Obviously I was remiss in your education and did not convey to you that you don’t have to do everything all at once:  graduate, move, buy a house, have a baby."

Oh yes.  You read that right.  

Because moving out of state 7 hours from anyone we know, buying our house, and Kyle becoming a doctor just wasn't enough.  We might as well complete all of the tasks of becoming real adults all at the same time.  We are going to have a baby.  God help us.

We are SO excited.  It has been a long road that only a select few knew about.  

Little bro took this shot :)  Good job Lucas!

My mentor was right.  This is a lot happening all at once.  And its scary.  But this wasn't our original plan.   The plan had been to have this happen at least a year ago.  You know.. so we would be somewhat used to being parents before Residency.  But God had other things in mind.  Lots of lessons to learn.  To really prepare us and shape us to know that this is really something we truly desire.  Not something we are doing to make our families happy.  Not something I am doing to make my husband happy.  Not a role to fulfill.  But what WE want for our life.  Sure the timing isn't fantastic, but it is perfect all at the same time.

Details.

How far along?  12 weeks and some change.

Due Date?  as of now it is Nov 13th

When did we find out?  At about 4 weeks.  The week before the Match.  Imagine that anxiety people. 

How do I feel?  Pretty normal (PRAISE GOD).  I'm generally hungry all the time.  Early on I was a little more tired than usual and had some not-so-fun cramps but those are mostly gone.  I have to watch being on my feet for too long.

Am I showing?  I can tell a difference but I don't think its obvious.  Soon. I could while laying flat in bed yesterday.  Kinda freaked me out.  Just all of a sudden there was a very noticeable bump.  That wasn't noticeable when I stood up.  Or any other time that I have been on my back since then.

Cravings?  Nothing I can pin point... I think I just crave everything I see.  Driving down the road... ooh Panera sounds good, or Taco Bell sounds good, or the pasta I just saw on Instagram looked good.  But really I've always been like that lol.  I do really enjoy McDonalds McDouble (no ketchup) about once a week.  

I don't know what else to tell you...  My first doctor's appointment was a bit odd... I'm such a bad pregnant person.  (Don't worry, I'm a great pregnant person about taking care of myself... but you will see..)

Dr. P:  So what have you been reading?
Me:  Um. Nothing.
Dr. P:  O.K.  Well most women like to read "What to Expect When you are Expecting"
Me:  Oh O.K.
Dr. P:  Or some people like babycenter.com
Me:  I have the app on my phone.  (that I occasionally look at).
Dr. P:  What kind of exercising do you do?
Me: Um.  I walk to my car?
Dr. P:  You might want to look into yoga.
Dr. P:  Do you have any questions?
Me: (fumbling in my head... I was so not prepared for the Spanish Inquisition I walked into)  No.
Dr. P:  Ok well write any questions that come to mind down in a notebook for next time.

(The above commentary is only a snippet and does not mean my Dr. is weird or I hate her or anything of the sort.  I LOVE her and hate to be leaving her to have to find another in the middle of all this)

Kyle has bought me the book.  I haven't opened it.  Kyle bought me a fitness DVD.  Its cardio.  I did a little bit of it this weekend.  I about died.  And could barely move my legs for 3 days.  I'm so out of shape.  (I didn't overdo it... I am very careful about taking breaks... I'm just that insanely pitiful)

This has partly been the reason for my lessened amount of postings the past several weeks.  What do you talk about when this is all there really is to talk about but you aren't ready to talk about it yet?  We've been busy thinking about the move and such so I haven't had time to do any awesome recipes or photography... But I think about this often.

So here's Baby C. at 8 weeks.  Head is down, there are little arm buds sticking out. 

Heck of an adventure ahead.

a weekend to find a home

Its here.  The day we are leaving to check out homes in our next city.  The camera bag is packed, the suitcase is packed.  We will leave once I get off work (perhaps a little bit early), and stop about 2/3 of the way there.  Because I really hate driving through the mountains at night.  During the day its fun, but what's the rush?  So we will stop, and then Saturday morning at about 1pm start trying to find our home.

We have a list of about 10 homes to check out this weekend... still not sure how long we are staying... if we figure out what we like pretty quick (with a backup plan in case it falls through), then we might head back to Louisville Sunday.... if not, or if we just want to explore and take it easy, we will be back on Monday.

So what do most of the homes we are looking at have in common?

hardwood floors... or more importantly... limited amounts of carpet.  Some carpet is ok... it really is... but we have 2 cats and have hated having an apartment with nothing but carpet.

cabinet space... or the room to add more.  Our kitchen is overflowing with gadgets and pans.  We want more room.  So for the most part the homes we are looking at either have similar space to what we have now...more room... or have the space to add more... its nice to have a kitchen designer/builder for a father.

the Ranch.  All of the homes we are looking at are of the Ranch style.  I like the idea of everything being on the same floor.  It simplifies things.  And thats how I want to try to make life in our new city... as simple as possible... for having a husband in Gen Surg residency of course...

3bed 2bath.  Because why would we want any smaller than that?  And why would I want to take care of anything bigger?

more space.  Our current apartment is a little over 1200sqf... everything on our list is on average 1500-1600. I want to spread out a little bit.

close.  To the hospital (within 15 minutes usually (at least our online favorites are)).  To the mall.  To anywhere I might want to frequent.... Sonic... Homegoods... Lowes...

established.  All of the homes on our list were built in the 60s and 70s.  I don't like the huge pop-up cheaply made homes that anything is anymore... and I like some trees.  Not the tiny 4 ft tall things that the builder put in to watch grow... and not in the woods... But some real trees in the yard to watch blossom and fall year round... even if it creates extra yard work for me.  Leaves=compost.  Better yet.. these older homes on our list have been updated.

the yard.  Most of the homes on the list are on 1/4 to 1/3 of an acre.  A manageable size for us.. (me).. with enough room to throw in some raised garden beds.

safe.  I used a crime map online to help decide the areas we wanted to look... and had the realtor drive around a couple I wasn't sure about.  And utilized Google street view to check out a few for myself.  Nothing will beat seeing it in person, but this has definitely helped weed out a few.

What I can't completely tell from the photos but hope to end up with.

light.  I want windows.  I want to have sunshine light my days.  I don't want to feel like I'm living in a dungeon.

open spaces.  What I love about our apartment and our parents' homes is that the kitchen opens up to the living area.  We can cook and still talk to our friends... we don't have to feel like we are slaving away alone while everyone enjoys themselves somewhere else... or feel crowded in by everyone standing in the kitchen.

laundry room.  I want a room for this if we can.  Or at least not have the machines behind a closet in a narrow hallway like we do now.  This might be asking too much but I can dream.

So wish us luck.  I've already read all of the horror stories from others about buying a home during residency.  But you aren't stopping us.  Maybe we are idiots... but we are also a medical couple that isn't in debt.  And that helps in our decision.  My husband has no student loans.  The only thing we are in debt for is a small monthly car payment.  He did the military route for med school... so at the end of these 5 years (also a big reason we are buying) we don't have to freak out about selling quickly.  Because our next location there will be either free housing on base or enough of a housing stipend (on top of pay) to cover an apartment. So we can take our time selling... or rent out our house.  We have thought about this a lot.  Maybe we are still naive but we have to learn our own lessons.  So please just wish us luck.  Say a prayer that we find what we are looking for this weekend and it all goes smoothly.  Be happy for us.

Because we are about to live here:

   And this is downtown...

checking in : what are we doing?

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I know I've been off the grid for a few days... trust me... we've been busy.

As I've mentioned before, with the end of the Match, comes all sorts of changes.

And we don't have a clue what we are doing.

Finding a house is hard.  When there isn't a whole lot on the market.

Finding a loan is hard.  On a normal working month it would be no problem... but we would like to move the month before he starts residency.  When there is no pay-stub to show the bank.  Problem. (so far).

Doing all of it 7 hours away from your future home is just hard.

I really feel like the little man in the picture up there.  In a game that ought to be tons of fun... and it is sometimes.  But there's all sorts of pitfalls to slow you down.  And make things confusing.

This is just harder than I thought it would be.

So what have we done?

We have a realtor.  I like her.  A lot.

We have expanded our search area.  A little.

We have found a few homes we would like to look at.

We have gotten rid of a lot of homes we would not like to look at.

We have contacted a loan advisor-ish person.  He was some help...but not much.

I really need to start sorting through our stuff.

The beginning of a new normal

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For years now I've read from blogs of friends... Julia over at black tag diaries, Amy at That Winsome Girl, and various others from time to time... church leaders, traveling friends... I guess I decided its time for me to join in.

You see, I'm in the calm before the storm right now.  My husband, being a 4th year medical student, is a month away from finding out where a computer will decide we should spend the next 5 years of our lives while he is trained to be a surgeon... more on that later.  That day will hopefully set in motion many other new experiences for us: buying a house, moving more than 2 hours away from our previous location, and moving away from KY for the first time in either of our lives.

So why not?  Why not get in the habit now of semi-regularly writing a post about what is going on in our lives?  I plan to use this as a bit of a scrapbook... document photo sessions, craft projects, home improvement plans, dreams, thoughts, ADVENTURES.  Because that is what this next chapter of our life together is going to be.  A huge adventure.  I might as well look at it that way... otherwise I might just get swallowed up by the overwhelming dread of the unknown that is usually my passenger.  But what is the fun in that?

In the summer of 2009, I attended my husband's officer training graduation at Maxwell Air Force Base.  While there, I received some of the best advice of my life.  It holds true for not only military families, but medical families as well.  Especially for someone of my background.  An officer's wife shared with the rest of the spouses:

The best way to survive this is to change your sense of normal.

The normal I grew up with will never be the normal of my life as the wife of a surgeon or a military officer.  But if I can accept this new definition of "normal", and accept that the definition will never stop changing, I can do this, and have some fun along the way.

Any advice out there for the future of this blog?

Verse of the day: "Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3