GOOD NEWS!!!

I need to brag. My husband, Centrael, just got into his dream school: Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta!!!!!!!! At #19 in the country, its considered the Ivy League school of the South. He was playing XBOX downstairs in his underwear and I was watching Top Chef upstairs. I heard him squeal as he ran up the stairs and his mom's scream as she figured out what he was excited about. (We live with his parents until we move to Atlanta for school). We were all screaming and she and I started crying. Wrapped in his bathrobe, he lead the way to the garage where we put an "Emory University School of Medicine" sticker on the back of his Mini. We are so excited!!! He starts in July, so I am soon to officially join your ranks. Good luck to us all!

New Little Guy!

One of our tagalongs up here, Lauren, had her first baby!!  William Marc weighs 7 lbs. and 11 oz. and came into the world today!  Lauren is a teacher and her husband, Jeff, is in his 4th year of medical school.  

Happy Birthday Little William!  

I'm Katie, and I've been married to Brandon for 8 months now! We moved to Columbus, OH right after we were married, so Brandon could attend med school at Ohio State. I was so spoiled to spend every extra minute with him during this past summer before he started... then once he started school-I had issues! I'm so thankful that I found this blog! I have found a great support system here in Columbus, but could always use more!

Another introduction...

My name is Ashley and I'm from a small town in Kansas. My husband Jarod is in his first year at KU Med (University of Kansas) in Kansas City. We are high school sweethearts and married for 1 1/2 years. We also have a minuature dachshund named Harley and a little one coming our way at the end of summer! By the grace of God Jarod was accepted to medical school only 2 hours from our hometown so the extra visits and support from our families are wonderful! I am an ultrasound tech and have been for the last few years and fortunately understand the medical aspect of all this and time consumption...although it doesn't make it that much easier! I have to admit so far this first year hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I thought I would never ever see my husband but luckily he spends most of his time studying at home. So even though we don't get to spend the time that we are used to together, I know that he is here and working hard to secure our future! So I guess that gives an introduction to our life....only 3 1/2 years until the next big step, residency!!! :)

Remember When?

Isn't it weird to think about being a two-income house?  Or to remember what it's like to be a two-income house?  I can't barely remember what that was like...

This is the funniest season of life.  Just thinking outloud.

Your'e Gonna Miss This...

Before I get into my opinions on the life of a med school tagalong, I suppose I should introduce myself and my med-schooler. I am Ali, I am 24 and from Salt Lake City, Utah- I love to sing, dance, and drool over other people's kids. I am also a full time dental hygienist. But most importantly, a wife of a doc in training... My hubby is Josh, he is 26 and is the love of my life. We have been married a year and a couple months now. We dont have any kids yet (sadly) but we do have an adorable dog named Bella who is crazy and so much fun. She is my buddy. We currently reside in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where Josh is in his 1st ( yes, first) year of medical school at UNC.

Ashley: I AM ALSO, terrified and excited about spending the next decade as a medical school tag a long.

A year ago at this time I was right where you are. Josh and I were about to get married and 2 days before he was interviewing in New York. A few days after our Honeymoon he was off to Dartmouth, Oregon, etc. etc. etc. I would lay in bed at night and ponder what the heck I had gotten myself into. How I could possibly pick up my entire life for one amazing person and trust that everything would be ok, that I could live without my parents and friends, that I could be happy, that WE could be happy. Would I fit in in North Carolina? Would I be able to make friends, would I EVER see my husband? The one I waited 3 and a half years to marry?!?!

Now I talk about the title of my post. A good man named Trace Adkins wrote this song. I have heard this song a million times, as most of you probably have if you like country music, but it never hit me til about a month ago. I was driving to work...trees surrounding me on both sides, in every shade of yellow, orange and red. The skye was Carolina Blue and there was not a cloud to be seen. I was in a great mood. And to top it all off Trace was playing on the radio.

" Your'e gonna miss this, your'e gonna want this back, your'e gonna wish these days, hadn't gone by so fast, these are some good times, so take a good look around, you may not know it now, but your'e gonna miss this..."

Have words ever rang so true to me? No. I have loved every second in Carolina so far. Has it been the hardest thing I have ever done in my life? Yes. I miss my parents and sisters so much I could just explode. Sisters in law, best friends, my kitty, parents in law, the Gateway, the mountains, home cooked meals from mom... but man am I gonna miss this. Josh and I have had such a blast being on our own! We have learned a lot about each other. We rely on each other. I am forced to make friends and go out of my comfort zone. I have seen some of the prettiest nature I have ever seen and wouldn't have had we not had this experience. We love each other more every day.

However, sometimes I find myself wishing life would be different. Wishing it away. Sitting in church wishing I was one of those ladies with a newborn baby to cradle. Wishing I could stay home and do crafts all day, wishing Josh didnt have to study, wishing I didnt have 10 more long years of school to put my hubby through. But I know now, Im gonna miss this.

So for my new years resolution, I start today. To stop wishing life away, to live in the MOMENT. To love my job, love being without kids for the time, to love the time i do have with my husband because after year 2 it only gets crazier! And to love North Carolina. 4 years is going to come and go much faster than I think. To imagine the things ahead of us that will make NC special to us makes me so excited. Where we bought our first house, where we had our first baby, where we learned and grew together.

So to all who care to join, I begin this journey with an open mind and a new excitement in being the tag-a -long! We gotta stick together, lift each other when we fall and get through these times because in actuality, we are gonna miss this.

Out of my way, Worry Wart!

Happy New Year, everyone! This wasn't exactly a New Year's Resolution. It was more of a New Year's Realization. On the last day of 2008, I was sitting in my parent's cozy basement, eating goodies, watching my nieces and nephews bounce around, and admiring my big sister. She's 34, pregnant with her 6th child (everyone gasp here - yes, my family is trying to repopulate the planet), and happy as can be. Her husband is an AMAZING man and a terrific father. He is brilliant, but he can never seem to sit tight in a specific area of employment. Their married life, therefore, has brought many moves, changes, and unknowns. I sat looking at her on New Year's Eve, glowing and round from the little baby growing inside, and thought "How is she not more stressed out?" I realized a few things as I sat there. 1) I cannot remember a single time that my sister has called me and complained about her husband or their situation. She simply refuses to get stressed out. It sounds old-fashioned, but she just tells herself that she knows her husband will work hard and take care of their family financially. 2) She's a doer. Man, she's always doing something!! She gets involved with her community, goes to intellectual reading and discussion groups, and tries to stay fit. I think if she sat around all the time she might have more time to worry. 3) She's not worried about what people think. When her husband got a new job here in Utah, she and her family packed up their belongings and left their million dollar home in Arizona. They moved into a three bedroom condo here in Utah. They originally planned on staying in the tiny condo for only a few months, but it has been more than a year now. Others in her situation might be worried about what the neighbors, or friends and family members might think of their situation - 6 kids crammed under that little roof. But she loves it! She embraces the simplicity of their new life and chooses not to care what people care or say. So I guess my New Year's Realization is that I need to be HAPPY and stop complaining. I need to take advantage of beautiful opportunities for growth and learning all around me. I need to stop caring what other people think and JUST LIVE.

Happy New Year, everyone!!!

Much love,

Ashley