Rainbow Bridge, Proposal, and Space Balls

So on my last post, I had every intention to finish writing about the previous weekend but feel asleep after completing Saturday morning. Also I reread it and was obviously tired so please don't mind the grammatical errors. :)  So here it goes:

After Jethros (the BBQ place) we came home a took a nap because we were in a food coma. Then we got ready and went to one of Peter's classmates and wife's place for dinner. This is a couple who I have felt an instant connection with and enjoy their company immensely. The plan was dinner and to go watch a free movie in the park. Dinner was great and I even got an idea for a wedding present for a wedding that we are attending here in about a week. I will post it once the wedding is over just in case she reads this ;).

After dinner we were following them there when we noticed he was leading us on a detour. He saw a rainbow bridge and wanted to check it out.

Now Peter and I have walked this park/bridge during the day but had no idea of the transformation it took at night. The bridge was incredible. I loved it and it just felt magical.

 

 Then it became even better when we saw the word "WILL" in chalk written about ten feet in. 

Immediately Heidi and I knew it was a proposal and we were looking for the next clue. We were like giddy school girls all excited and talking about how cool it would be if we witnessed it. Then came the "YOU".

There were a group of people that have been pretty even walking with us. All of them dressed up and enjoying the romantic walk over the water like we were. Heidi told me she thought it might be them but we weren't sure. Then finally, almost to the end of the bridge came the "MARRY ME?"

At this point we were ahead of the large group and just admiring the "marry me" when a guy came up to us and explained that his buddy is about to propose and asked if we could just act casually. So naturally we moved from the spot a little ways heading back the other way passing the group. Enough distance between us but close enough so we could witness it. Now we have been with this group majority of the time and I had not noticed and flowers but somehow when when we passed one man had a huge beautiful bouquet of roses behind his back. When the group got to the "MARRY ME", he dropped to one knee, pulled the bouquet from behind him and the woman's face lit up, her hands went to her mouth and then she just collapsed on his shoulder. I have never witnessed a proposal until that day and it was perfect. I love love. It was a perfect way to end a romantic walk.

Us :)

Our friends - they are so wonderful!

Have you ever seen the movie The Wedding Planner? Well if you have there is a scene where they watch an old romantic movie in the park, and everyone is on blankets and lawn chairs. Anyways I have always wanted to go watch a movie in the park like the scene from the Wedding Planner so when our friends asked us to go I was stoked! Well the movie wasn't an old romantic film it was Space Balls. But I guess that is more our style anyways.

I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy a full romantic day and evening with my husband on the first Saturday of medical school. And even though the movie in the park wasn't completely what I envisioned I still loved every second of cuddling with my husband on a blanket, with our friends next to us on a warm summer night.

World Famous BBQ

So right now it is passed midnight and I really should be going to sleep but I want to blog the rest of our weekend because it was quite memorable and I do not want to forget it especially with Peter's white coat ceremony this weekend and family coming in tomorrow. Just don't know when I'd have another time.

The day after closing down the bar was rough. But I already had a pre-arranged meeting with a man whose grandchildren go to the same Catholic school as my younger siblings. So contemplating rescheduling because of sleep, I got up got ready and met him, which I am glad I did. He was great and again having connections back home is always nice. But long story short he gave us some suggestions to go eat. Peter and I are going to have a date at least once a week where I get him for two hours. No studying, just me and him time. But since we had plans for dinner later with another couple, we went out to a BBQ place that this kind man suggested to us.

The BBQ place, called Jethros, is locally owned but nationally known.

Peter and I ordered the dinner for two and had enough left overs for both of us for lunch the following day. We had ribs, ten wings, a beef brisket, sweet potato fries, regular fries, coleslaw, green beans, and corn bread. AND they had six different bbq sauces on the the table for us to choose. It was delicious and we are hoping to take his parents and sister here while they are in town.

1st Week Complete = Celebration

Going from being lazy and relaxing at home to full time work and full time medical school student makes ya kind of feel worn out... at least it does for me. Friday after work I could have fallen asleep at 8pm. BUT it being such a big week, we felt the need to celebrate. So I dragged myself off the couch and we went down to a local pub that is walking distance from our place. This pub reminds me so much of a place back home called O'Doherty's, so of course we love going there.

We see a couple of familiar faces inside the bar and then get a text from another couple who were out on the patio so we all migrate out there. (I don't know what it is about Des Moines but they love patios and rooftops so there a lot of rooftop/patio restaurants and bar, which I love. Something about the ambience of being outside at night makes me happy.) We are sitting at a round table with a few couples, sharing a Boulevard Wheat pitcher and recapping on the week's events.

 The wonderful thing about new places is meeting new people. As I went around the table, there was a couple who were newly weds as of a month ago, from the midwest, moved to Missoula Montana just for the heck of it after college, went to Turkey on their honeymoon and just got a puppy. She was a first year and as of right now he said he was a "stay at home puppy daddy". Then I continue to the next couple, he is a first year student and she is a nurse, they have known each other for years (her husband and brother were best friends growing up and his name is Eric... sound a little familiar?) Then the last couple at our table were from Northern California, engaged and she is also a nurse and he is a first year. Now the crazy thing about this couple is they lived less than a mile away from us back home! He worked at O'Doherty's for awhile, went to Gonzaga, and she was a nurse at the same hospital I volunteered at. Small, small world.

I am truly enjoying meeting all of these people and listening to their stories. But as the night went on we were having a blast and then a song came on that reminded me of home. One of those songs that make you smile and then tug at your heart because you are missing things. And even though sitting at the table meeting some great people, I was missing the wedding of one of my former Sandpiper teammates and good friend's wedding.  And all of my family, including cousins grandparents, were all together at my aunt and uncle's house to celebrate a close family friends 50th wedding anniversary the following day. I think the hardest part of moving away is missing on those memories that you normally wouldn't miss and being around the people who you love. But I am thankful for the opportunity of growth but I sure do miss everyone.

The fun continued and more and more people kept showing up, and before we knew it, it was closing time. Even after they kicked us out of the bar we all stood outside talking some more before we all made the walk home. So I would say it was a successful evening of celebration, maybe even a little too successful.

His Birthday

Well it has been a few days since I've posted. Last post I was checking the mail everyday for Peter's birthday gift. On Peter's birthday, the 14th, I did not have to work till 1pm and Peter did not have class till 10am. It was refreshing having a morning off together especially on his birthday. While he was in class I ran to Costco, Walmart, and came home checked the mail again (no luck) and was prepping lunch/dinner when our door buzzard rang. His present was here! (I got him gray and red St. Louis Cardinals Basketball Nike Shorts) I had all of about five minutes to wrap it before he came back from class. We enjoyed lunch together and planned on having cake when I got home from work but he had his first quiz the next day and he studied late and then we went to bed. I guess putting off the cake was worth it because he earned a 100% on his very first medical school assessment!  I'm just a lil proud. So we had cake Thursday night.

It is amazing how much things can change in just one year. Last year on his birthday I threw him a surprise 25th birthday party at one of our all time favorite restaurants, O'Doherty's, and we were surrounded by family and friends. This year it was just the two of us and we sort of celebrated on his birthday but really the next day because of a quiz.

Also most of you probably already know this but Peter and his younger brother Danny share the same birthday. I think the hardest part for Peter was being away from his brother on their birthdays which has probably only really happened twice in their lifetime. Thank goodness for FaceTime. The boys do a silly thing where they "cheers" by putting the beer to their shoe and then cheers each other. I dunno when or where it started but they do it when they are celebrating something so of course it had to be done for a birthday cheer. I love these boys, especially for the daily random silly things they do.

Day 2 of being a Med Student's Wife

Well the anticipation is over and now the real world starts again. Yesterday, for my husband it was pretty much syllabus Day/ half a class then lecture. Unfortunately in undergrad we were used to "syllabus WEEK". Well today they hit the ground running in his all of his classes. His anatomy class covered in grave detail the first 2 weeks of embryology. Now at first your thinking well there is not much to it... but dang looking at his stuff there are words and words and layers and layers of things I can not even pronounce. So since I got off work he has been upstairs at his desk in the guest bedroom studying hard. I think dinner time will be my favorite time of the day when I finally get to spend time with Peter. When he is studying he has two computers open: 1 for listening to the lecture and looking at the slides, and he is typing notes on the other AND he has a book out too. So needless to say I needed to find something to do with my time.

(Side note: I love snap chat especially since my younger sister who is a junior in college snap chats me A LOT. Makes me feel like I'm there with her or at least not half way across the country)

Thankfully there was a scheduled first meeting for SOS (significant others of students). Basically this group is awesome. A bunch of women and some men get together and do things with other spouses who share common interests and all are there to support each other. The president said "no one truly understands what the spouse of a medical student goes through and that is why it is so great to have people go through it with you. We try and keep busy while our spouses are busier and we also make life long friends".

 I signed up for a few things hoping to try and stay busy, to not distract Peter and so I don't get lonely here. But another spouse of a 1st year too noticed that there was no Bible Study group. So we put down that we would be willing to lead one if others were interested. She is Christian and I am Catholic but I think between the two we could lead some awesome discussions. Plus I have some incredible resources back home who can help me lead this. If any of you out there have any suggestions I will gladly accept them. Other interests that you could sign up for that I did were: Fantasy Football, running group, cooking group (the facilitator is Thai and is teaching authentic dishes YUM!), crafts, etc...

It is almost 11pm over here and I feel like I have accomplished a good amount today. So it is comforting to be sitting on the guest bed while my husband studies in the desk next to me. Starting with  this morning I made our breakfast and packed a lunch for both of us, went to work and received a crash course on sales, different types of tile, how to install tile, designs of rooms with tile. and how to use their pos computer system. (Today was day 2 of my training as a Sales Associate/Manager Trainee at the Tile Shop)

Then I had about an hour to get home, cook and eat dinner and head to my meeting. Thanks to my amazing Mom I know how to plan and prep a meal. So was still able to I make salmon with couscous and steamed broccoli for dinner. Then went to the SOS meeting, came home made and Arnold Palmer for Peter, changed and went and worked out doing cardio and lifting. Upon my return I did dishes, made another veggie dish for an evening snack (zucchini, onions, mushrooms with gorgonzola cheese - recipe thanks to my best friend), prepped tomorrow's dinner, and finally packed our lunches for tomorrow.

I will be the one from here on out who does majority if not all of the house work which is a role I gladly accept. Since we've been married I can probably count on my fingers how many times I have done the dishes by myself. The last three years Peter has made me breakfast in the mornings, packed my lunch AND did all the dishes after I cooked dinner. Yep ladies he is quite incredible. So now it is my turn to make life easier on him.

Tomorrow is Peter's birthday. I have checked the mail way too many times these last few days for his present but still waiting on it. I am sad because I have the closing shift tomorrow 1pm-9pm but hopefully when I get home Peter can stop studying and we can just celebrate. As of right now I am either going to go to bed or studying the Tile Shop products until he is ready for bed.

Today is THE day

Well the big day is almost over. I am currently writing this post while my husband is across our new, little table studying and I can't help but smile. Reflecting back on so many years ago when we dreamed and dreamed of this moment. The moment when he would start medical school; and TODAY was that day. I have been meaning to start writing long ago but with the craziness of moving across the country, I've kept pushing it off. And then there were those times after we moved and everything was unpacked when I did have time to write but I did not want to use precious time writing when I could be spending time with my wonderful husband, even if that was just watching Scrubs on the couch. Because I knew, never again will we BOTH not be in school, or working, or have children. So I opted out of writing to cherish every lazy second with him.

Not quite sure what I want to get out of this blog. Maybe just a recording of our journey, or a way to connect to loved ones back home or strangers who happen to make a connection to my words. Either way I thought I would try it out.