Highlights from Year 2, Semester 3

I'm really enjoying my new built-in desk and decided to take advantage of this lovely Sunday evening by writing another catch-up post. Here are the highlights from summer semester of year 2 of Dental School.

1) CLOSING ON OUR HOUSE
After months of house hunting and paperwork, we finally closed on our first home in early June. Over the summer, we've worked on little projects here and there, slowly getting it decorated how we want it. There's still plenty of work to be done!

Move In day

Hanging some curtain rods. I love power tools.

Riesy loves her perch above the staircase

These are pull out drawers that have a base you screw into the cabinet. We found them at Wal-Mart and they made the narrow pantry so much more functional!

2) BEING AN AUNTIE
All three of my older sisters are now mommies which makes me super-Auntie. I can't get enough of those squishy little faces and every time we go up to visit Fort Collins, I'm shocked at how fast my niece and nephews are growing.

Went to the park with Ariane and Deborah

The niece and nephews with Altair and my mom

Holding my two squishy nephews

Grabbing breakfast with Deborah and Henry

3) COMIC CON
If you didn't already know Robbie and I were huge nerds, this will probably convince you. I had been to Star Cons as a kid (yup, I admit it publicly) but never a Comic Con. As this year marked the 75th anniversary of Batman, we decided we just had to go! My sister, Deborah, came with us along with my adorable nephew, Henry. Deborah dressed as Ripley from the Alien movies and made a sweet costume for Henry to match. Robbie and I ended up running out of time to make costumes so we decided to just sport some nerdy shirts and enjoy observing everyone else. We even almost got run over by Adam West in a golf cart! True story.

The cutest Xenomorph I've ever seen!

Robbie hanging out by the Batmobile

Me hanging out with Zangief from Mortal Kombat

A life-size functioning R2D2

I don't know which is better... the awesomeness of the Star Wars set or the fact that we got photobombed by Deadpool

4) NITROUS CLINIC
Robbie's class got to be in my clinic when they had their lab for administering nitrous oxide (aka. laughing gas). Everyone was laughing and saying silly things. It was probably my favorite day at work ever. Here's Robbie enjoying his turn:

5) CRAWDAD FISHING
Robbie's sister, her husband, and their two boys recently moved out of state. As part of their going away party, we had an epic water balloon fight followed by some crawdad fishing in the creek. I had never been crawdad fishing before, but it was ridiculously easy. All you do is tie a piece of hot dog to a string then throw the hot dog in the water and wait for the crawdads to bite. It doesn't take long before you feel a little tug on your string so someone gets ready with a bucket and you gently tug the hot dog upwards. The crawdad doesn't want to let go of it's prized hot dog so it lifts right out of the water with the hot dog! After playing a bit with the crawdads, we released them back in the creek.

6) ROBBIE SEEING PATIENTS
This by far is the most mind-blowing highlight of Year 2, Semester 3. Robbie has been doing fillings on real live patients! This part of school felt so far away when we first began the whole process but it has arrived in the blink of an eye. It's unfortunate that I don't have a picture to share (for the obvious reason of patient privacy rights) but he has already done 6 fillings and a crown! Hygienists can clean teeth and even Dental Assistants can place fillings, but only Dentists are allowed to drill teeth. He's officially Dentisting and I couldn't be more proud of all the hard work he put in to get here.

Guest Room Remodel

As you may know, Robbie and I purchased our first home a few months ago and it was... a bit of a fixer-upper. Prior to moving in, we were able to request a few improvements be made to the home such as having all new carpet and windows installed (the carpet was filthy and smelled horrible and the original windows were single-pane); however, there were still many projects left for us to complete ourselves.

By far the room that needed the most help was the guest bedroom and was the first project zone for me to tackle. Here is a before picture to show you just how terrible it was:

I don't know which is worse... the shamrock green, the Pepto-Bismol pink or the horrendous paint splatters that covered everything including the closet doors and window sill.

STEP 1: New Paint
In choosing the paint color, I was trying to keep in mind that this room will eventually be used as a baby room and I don't want to have to repaint. I chose a cheery green paint called "Rejuvenate" by Behr for the main walls and inside the closet I used a blue-green paint called "Aspen Aura." Here's the painting in-progress:

The green looks way more bright in this picture than it is in person.

STEP 2: REMOVE CLOSET DOORS AND REPLACE
The closet doors were beyond help so we decided to remove them completely and hang curtains with a tension rod in front of the closet. (see picture for next step to see a picture of the curtains)

STEP 3: WALL ART
I got the idea off Pinterest to hang a group of framed scrapbook papers as a cheap wall art. I chose to do a blue, green, and orangy-pink grouping. I love how it turned out! The frames were $2 each at Wal-Mart and I probably spent $3 total on the scrapbook paper for a total of $21. Another bonus is that I can change out the paper if I ever get tired of it!

STEP 4: BUILT-IN DESK
I've hated not having a desktop computer to use for the last several months, but Robbie and I couldn't decide what kind of desk to get for the Guest Room/Office. The day we took down the closet doors, I was struck with the idea of using half the closet as a desk space. I started planning out how I could build it, gathered my supplies from Home Depot, and went to work.

You can just barely see the edge of the 2x4 I used to support the front left corner of the desk

We used three shelf brackets to give additional support to the middle of the desk.

The final product

Here's the BEFORE/AFTER of the room as a whole:

That's all I have time for today. My next post will be about updating the guest bathroom.

Highlights of Year 2, Semester 2

So I know we just finished Year 2, Semester 3 and I'm a little behind on this, but I don't want to forget some of the great moments of Robbie's spring semester! This blog is, after-all, somewhat of a journal for us to look back on someday.

1) THE WHITE COAT CEREMONY
I wrote about this in a previous post, but Robbie received his White Coat in a ceremony marking the transition from student to Dental Care practitioner. His parents, sister, brother-in-law and nephews were able to come as well as my parents and one of my sisters. We celebrated afterward by going to a delicious Mexican restaurant called Ajuua!

2) GETTING NUMBED UP BY ROBBIE
I know this probably sounds crazy (especially to anyone not married to a Dental Student) but letting Robbie practice numbing me up for the first time was freaking awesome! It made me realize just how much I trust him and I experienced first hand one of the many skills he is gaining in school. What a long way he's come from those first days when he was filling in shapes with wax.

And he did such a great job, too! A tiny pinch but no real pain!

3) PRESENTATION FOR A.O.
Robbie joined a Dental Fraternity this year called Alpha Omega. They asked me to give a presentation about the rules of clinic, infection control, etc. because of my position as a Dental Assistant at the school. I had a great time prepping a PowerPoint and overall felt the presentation went pretty smoothly. I even threw in a few witty jokes for good measure.

4) BABY HENRY WAS BORN
Yes, I do indeed have another nibling! He was born in March to my third-oldest sister and he is absolutely adorable! How could you not love a baby who smiles so much?

 Are you overwhelmed by the cuteness yet?


5) OUR SPRING BREAK TRIP TO PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO
Jeez this is making me realize how behind I am on this blog. I didn't even write a post about our Spring Break trip! We went to Puerto Vallarta for 5 days and stayed at an all-inclusive resort (a first for me). Robbie's favorite thing by far about all-inclusive vacations is the unlimited quantities of food he has access to. And the hotel we stayed at did not skimp on the variety. Every day was a new buffet of deliciousness. We also got to go kayaking, shoot a little archery, soak in the sun by the pool, and even get a massage right on the beach.

The view from our hotel room

Yes, I am wearing a Little Mermaid shirt.

It had a swim-up bar just to the right of the picture.

The massage hut. It was glorious.

I honestly can't get enough of this guy! He is my favorite travel buddy!

6) SEARCHING FOR OUR FIRST HOME
Technically we didn't close on our house until the beginning of Summer Semester, but our search took up almost all of Spring Semester. Let me just tell you that the process of buying a home was a steep learning curve. I had no idea what a Conventional Loan was compared to an FHA loan. I had no idea how competitive and stressful the whole process would be. In the end it was well worth it and I feel like I am a little better at handling stress now.

I've posted this before, but this is right after we closed on our home.

Our cute little kitchen. The margarita glass was left by the previous owners when they abandoned the place.

Ah, this room. There have been some major improvements to this room since we moved in. I hope to write a post about the transformation as soon as I'm all done. The previous owners obviously let their child go nuts with paint in here.

The best improvement that was done before we moved in was having all new carpet put in. The former carpet was covered in mystery pet stains and wreaked like you wouldn't believe.

It was a hard semester-- probably the hardest of my life. But I'm beginning to see some of the ways God used it to mature us as a couple and we now are reaping the benefits of owning our first home.

Sun and Rain

I'm currently sitting on my comfy tan couch in our living room listening to the thunder rumbling from the afternoon shower that just passed through. While this summer has given us mostly mild temperatures in the 80's, yesterday and today shot up to 100 degrees. Having an air conditioner installed in our new home is still on the to-do list and even with all the windows open, the house felt horribly stifling. I laid awake in bed a good portion of the night last night adjusting and readjusting the wet cloth on my face, then my neck, then my leg, then back to my face in a desperate attempt to cool off. We had a tall fan that I pointed directly at our bed going full blast all night but even that only took the edge off.

After school today, Robbie and I ran to the grocery store (in our basket: frozen chocolate covered bananas, frozen waffles, and ice cream-- seriously). We walked out and I was never more happy to feel chilly little raindrops plopping down on my head. Now that the rain has passed through, I'm relishing in the cold breeze that's flowing in our windows. I can't wait to lay down my head tonight and feel that cool breeze wash over me as I sleep.

All I keep thinking about as I sit here is that this year of Dental School has felt like that night that was too hot. I've been tossing and turning, trying to find just a little bit of comfort, unable to find real rest. And then all of a sudden, raindrops of refreshment started falling. We closed on our house. Robbie's work load at school started to settle down to a more manageable level. We finally found a church to call home in Denver. I started working with the youth group. But the best part is that I feel Jesus breathing life back in me again. Reading my Bible has become engaging again. I'm desiring time with Him again.

Whether this is just a short respite before another heat wave, or a rainstorm that will cool the breeze for awhile, it is the refreshment I've been needing.

Back From the Dead

I just wanted to write a very brief post to let you all know that we are, in fact, still alive! I haven't written since April 19, but I honestly have a very good reason: we just closed on our first home about two weeks ago! The process of buying a home was a lot worse than we expected (and we made the wise choice of doing it during what is arguably the hardest semester of Dental School). And now I feel like I'm slowly coming back from the dead. I hope to have a chance to write soon about the details of what we went through and process some of the amazing lessons I learned but for now I'll just leave you with a picture of us the day we became home owners.

Babies. Everywhere.

Last weekend, Robbie was busy studying so I took the opportunity to head up to Fort Collins to celebrate my mom's birthday with my family. All three of my sisters were able to come to dinner and it was the first time I had all three of my niblings in one place.

Niblings: (plural noun) nieces and nephews; the children of your siblings

In the past year, all three of my older sisters gave birth to their first child. In addition to our two awesome nephews from Robbie's sister, I now have one niece (Olive) and two more nephews (Luke and Henry).

Left to right: Deborah holding Henry, Altair holding Luke, and Ariane holding Olive

It's been incredible seeing each of my sisters transition into motherhood, but it has shown me just how not ready to be a mommy I am. Maybe it's that 2nd year has been especially difficult but the idea of going through all the hormonal changes and needing to care for a little life who is completely dependent on me just doesn't feel as urgent as it used to. Anyone who has known me for more than a few years would probably be shocked to hear me say that; I have been talking about being a stay at home mom since I was in 9th grade! It's possible that Jesus is just teaching me how to be more content wherever He has me and perhaps, in a few years, he'll renew that desire in me to be a mom. For now, though, I'm content being the well-rested Auntie who sings Disney songs to the niblings.

Faithfulness

Well, it's been over two months since I last wrote and since I woke up at 6:30 with no alarm this morning, I figured it was a good opportunity to catch up. (Also, I know Robbie would really appreciate it if I let him sleep in. Sleep is such a precious commodity these days.)

I'm just going to be honest and say that this semester has probably been the worst semester of our lives. Robbie has been crazy busy and stressed with school; I've been exhausted from work; and we found out our rent was going up by over $100 a month so we have been trying to find a new place to live on top of everything. I've been complain-y, irritable, fault finding, disrespectful, and just plain unhappy. This semester has brought about more tears for me than any other season of my life.

Now I'm going to be really honest and share that the true reason this semester has sucked so bad is that I've let my walk with God drift into a lull. I haven't been reading my Bible with any sort of consistency. Taking time to get alone with Him has been pretty much non-existent. We've still been feeling really confused about which church to call home here in Denver and have used that as an excuse to just not go.

Had I been faithful in pursuing Him, I don't think this semester would have been as hard. This isn't because I feel like God is punishing me or something. He's not some distant god waiting for me to mess up so he can rain down lightning. I can't earn my way to Him by behaving like a good girl. As a Christian, the Bible explains that I'm "hidden in Christ" so when God looks at me, He sees the perfection of Christ's life and my sin is no longer counted against me. I've become His daughter for whom He cares deeply. I can come before Him boldly because I am no longer at odds with Him.

The reason I say that this semester would have been easier is that God specifically designed us as humans to be close to Him. He gave us an innate desire to know Him and have relationship with Him. It's only natural then that when I start to drift away from His incredible presence, I feel the inherent sting of  being separated from the one thing I truly need.

God gives us pictures of this over and over in the way he designed us. We need water or we'll experience thirst. We need food or we'll get hunger pains. We need shelter from the elements or we'll freeze/sunburn/get struck by lightening/sucked up in a tornado/eaten by wild animals/etc. We need sleep or we'll feel exhausted. We need air and if we can't get a breath of that sweet 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon mixture, we will very quickly die! In fact a lack of any of these things for an extended period would eventually lead to our death.

King David understood this concept and used it many times in expressing His need of God. He even went so far as to say that his need for God was more urgent and pressing than his very basic needs for water, food, shelter, and sleep.

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" -Psalm 42:1-2

 "Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men. For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." -Psalm 107:8-9

"You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance." -Psalm 32:8

"Surely I will not go in to the chamber of my house, or go up to the comfort of my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." -Psalm 132:3-5

I went up to Fort Collins yesterday to visit family and on my way back, I was still feeling lonely and miserable. I began praying, "Lord, I just need to hear a song about your faithfulness. I miss being close to you." I turned on the radio to my favorite station and as the first song started, I burst into tears. It was Kari Jobe singing "You Are For Me."

So faithful
So constant
So loving and so true
So powerful in all You do

You fill me
You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to You

I know that You are for me
I know that You are for me
I know that You will never
Forsake me in my weakness

And I know that You have come now
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who You are

So patient
So gracious
So merciful and true
So wonderful in all You do

You fill me
You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to You

Lord, I know that You are for me
I know that You are for me
I know that You will never
Forsake me in my weakness

And I know that You have come now
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me that...

I know that You are for me
I know that You are for me
I know that You will never
Forsake me in my weakness

And I know that You have come now
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who You are

You remind me

I know that You are for me
I know that You are for me
I know that You will never
Forsake me in my weakness

And I know that You have come now
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who You are

My God is so faithful even when I have not been faithful. His faithfulness overwhelms me.