Adios Tejas

We're moving! The blog is on the backburner. Bye bye, Texas! See you around sometime.

One More Trip to the Sand

With Sean's parents and brother in town, we had to go to the beach one last time. No ocean shore in Minnesota, now is there?

It was a very seaweedy day.

Ain't goin' to bother those kids none, though!

Sand is sand and sand is fun.

Water is water and water is super fun.

Wave jumping is a favorite.

A Portuguese Man of War was stuck in the seaweed. It got free once and was promptly washed back in again a moment later.

Observing from a safe distance.

This kid ate so much sand...

His very own sandcastle, complete with cigarette butt landscaping.

So long beach, we'll miss you!

And then he graduated

Here he is, Mr. Graduation himself!

Somehow, those four years, which we swore would never end, has ended. (I'm growing my bangs out and they are ALWAYS IN MY FACE. Also, haircut suggestions?)

Look at us at the beginning of the this med school journey. Not a care in the world! (insider scoop: I was pregnant in this photo and didn't know it)

Now look at us, not quite so care-free, but sharing so much happiness and love.

Three kids. THREE KIDS! Never would we have expected to finish med school with three kids.

Thank goodness we do, though, 'cause they're awesome.

We're so glad Sean's parents could come for the festivities.

In the last month, their daughter got married and all three of their sons have graduated (high school, masters program, med school). That's a lot of big stuff.

They were there for Sean's white coat ceremony (he gets a long white coat now!) at the beginning of it all. It's nice to come full circle.

For the ceremony, we got a babysitter (a non-family babysitter! While the kids were awake! This is a big deal). Boo to paying for babysitting when I don't get to spend most of the time with my hubby. Boy did I hem and haw about the decision- wouldn't it be great for the kids to see their dad graduate? And how does someone else put down my non-bottle drinking baby to sleep? It was a good move though, it was so late and long and loud (the Three L's) that they'd have been miserable.

We got there near the start time and there were so few seats left we had to sit in the mezzanine. Here's Sean during the processional, looking for us in the wrong area because he read my text wrong.

The student president was the highlight of the evening, performing a marriage ceremony between the students and Medicine. A sad but funny truth.

They started with the hooding of the PhD students and wouldn't you know it, Jerrah, who worked with me in the lab when I was a working gal, graduated that night too! She's being hooded by my old boss! More full-circle making! (also, I could never get the hooding pictures to work- should brought my tripod for the telephoto lens- so no more hooding pictures from here on out, got it?)

Jerrah was such a nice friend, she was so excited for me when I was pregnant with the twins. I like her.

Then the med students recited the Hippocratic Oath. I think the thing could use some updating, but whatever.

And there's my hubby! Post-hooding, pre-diploma retrieval. There was a big group sitting behind us who was cheering loudly for various students and, of course, they cheered really loudly for the student right before Sean, so I barely heard his name announced (it might have even been only lip-reading), but I was still so excited.

Diploma in hand, he's truly a doctor now.

Then we got to see Jeff!

Then we got to see Elliott!

I'm so glad Sean had such great buddies to suffer with. (I'm not glad that I only had my telephoto lens in the dark-ish, crowded room with a giant headache to take this photo. You get the idea of their faces, right?)

Dr. Bradley, M.D.

Sounds pretty great, doesn't it? (so does Katie Bradley, Doctor Wife)

Goings On

Hey so have I mentioned that Sean's done with school and graduated and he's a doctor now and we're packing up our not-sold house and moving next week? Yeah. Things are happening.

Third Party

Liam and Dash had a birthday party! Small and simple. My kind of party.

It was map themed and we held it at a big park that had a map on the ground.

I was going to set up at a nice pavilion but it got snatched up just as we were arriving. Boo. So we went to a picnic table that ended up working fine, I just didn't get to use most of the decorations I made.

Though it was really super hot. Melt-the-frosting-off-the-cupcakes hot.

At least there was wind. Sure, it made it hard to light the candles, but it certainly cooled off the sweat.

We had a couple fun games. First, pin Texas on the Map!

Then we had a treasure map to lead them to their take-home gift.

Otherwise, we just had fun playing! Heat doesn't stop any boy from swinging.

Birthday Party #3: a success!

Three Years Three Gifts

We opened birthday presents a few days after Liam and Dash's birthday, just to extend the fun. Or maybe it was because they hadn't arrived in time for their birthday. Oops.

We combined their two great loves- puzzles and maps- into one.

These guys definitely take after their dad in the geography department.

We also bought them a fun spelling game.

These guys are going to write the great american novel by next year.

Grey liked all the presents too. Whatever his brothers would let him play with, that is.

Then we tried out my favorite gift, the T-ball set.

Liam thought it was most fun to hit the tee to let the ball fly.

It also brought out the viciousness in each other. As most things do these days. Sometimes they can be so sweet and then so mean to each other. Oh you guys.

Paint Your Face

On Liam and Dash's birthday slash Mother's Day, Sean had to work really hard to finish up a research project. But he still managed to make us all a tasty dinner. And then we followed it up with a little face painting? Why face painting? Why not!

I drew Liam an elephant and then he colored all over it with green. He liked it better that way.

Dash was super cutified by his daddy. I just wanna kiss him!

Grey got in on the party too. He thought it was a little weird.

The boys gave Sean some nice eyeshadow and I planted a nice smooch.

But I got the best paint job of all! I kept it on all day and was regularly surprised when I walked by a mirror.