playing catch up...

Wow... it has been a month since our last post?!?

Where do I even start?? So much has happened I hope I don't miss anything.

Okay, to start out; Dave spent a month in San Antonio checking out the Emergency Medicine Residency Program with the Air Force. Although he was still at Wilford Hall, this hospital is actually being converted into all outpatient offices and the ED will soon not exist there. Everything will be on Brooke's Army Medical Center in San Antonio. It is a Level One Trauma Center and even though it is on an Army base, he would still work there. Dave had a very successful time while in SA connecting with other residents and doctors and they all really liked him and wanted him to come back for his residency. He was pretty pumped and as of now he would rank them first overall. He will be going to Dayton, OH in October/November to check out the other military program. I am sure it will be fine, but I feel San Antonio has more to offer us. But, we will see. Also, December 15 is the big day that Dave and I figure out our future! Make your calendars:)


I was able to make a trip down to see Dave for a few days and we had a blast! We enjoyed a huge Texas sized margarita on the River Walk in downtown SA, saw the Alamo, viewed Lackland AFB, viewed Dave in uniform (very hott ;)) and just enjoyed being together. It was HOT but we were able to enjoy our time outside when needed. We floated the river while I was there and it was AWESOME! The water was warm and it felt great to relax on a tube and drink some beer:) We also ate a TON of mexican food, which I loved but my stomach did not love. We went to Sea World and it was neat to sea the killer whale show and ride the coasters with no line.









Next up, I went on a fabulous trip to Sanibel Island, FL. My family rented a condo and we hit up the beach for a wonderful family adventure! My parents, the Hagiwara's, CB squared, Sarah and I ate yummy food, swam in amazing water, enjoyed the warm weather, got eaten by mosquitoes and kept our eyes out for gators! It was an awesome family trip that I wish Dave could have been on, but he was still in SA.








Since Dave's return, we have been to many more baseball games, of course:) We have been able to see our friend Ty that had been gone traveling for 8 months in South America. He is also a die-hard Rockies fan, so it was nice to have him join in on our fun.



We also went to a concert at Red Rocks. We saw Sublime with Rome. It was a good concert and Rome did great filling some pretty large shoes. The amphitheater was awesome though and it is amazing how the rocks form such a great place for music.



In mid-August, we said out goodbyes to Kailey because she is headed to Korea for a year to teach English. She made the journey safely and is now preparing lesson plans and trying to survive the heat on JeJu Island. Please keep her in your prayers for strength, to keep well, to meet friends, connect with her students, listen to God's path and to enjoy her time.

Bryan is still in Africa and he is really finding himself there. He absolutely loves the children and everything he is doing there. He will be back for a short time in December but plans on taking a full time position in the Spring. Please also keep Bryan in your prayers.

Just last week Dave and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary! We went out for a nice dinner downtown and had a great time reminiscing about our years together. Crazy to think we met over 7 years ago! Wow, time flies! Oh, and I wore a cute black dress!







Well geezzz, I guess we should post more often. I think that is all for now.

A Fun(ny) Event at the Rockies Game

A few nights ago Gwen and I went to the Rockies/Cardinals game together. Gwen had to do some work in Colorado Springs that day, so we hit traffic going to the game and didn't get to the stadium until after the game had started. This of course stressed me out and I was trying to rush us in as fast as we can. As such, we didn't have time to really eat anything for dinner before getting into the game. Normally when we go to Rockies games we never buy any food there, however, since we were both hungry and I felt bad for making us skip dinner I relented on my frugal ways and we got some nachos to share. We were sitting way up in the third deck down the first base line. Our seats were right against the railing, which was actually really awkward because you had to lean forward to see over it. So we moved sideways a few sections to a relatively empty section.

A few innings in I was close to finishing off our nachos when Gwen hit me and pointed out a foul ball that was amazingly heading toward us. We were way up there and very far away from the plate so I thought there was no way a ball would ever come to us. Nevertheless, here it came, and I quickly stood up and jumped as the ball sailed over our heads. I couldn't quite reach it, but Gwen and I turned to watch it hit the fencing just a few rows behind us. We both took steps toward the ball, and now our backs were toward the field. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but somehow I tripped over one of the chairs/cupholders in the row in front of us and toppled backward into the row below, hitting my back on the seats two rows in front of us. This whole time I was holding my nachos, which were mostly gone but still had some cheese, a few chips, and a nearly full cup of salsa. The nachos flew all over me. Two very worried looking ushers rushed down to check on me, thinking the salsa all over my hands and jacket was blood. As I looked up at Gwen she bent down to help me up with one hand, and in the other she was holding the ball. She laughed as she helped me up and the crowd around us gave me a standing ovation. Unfortunately I walked straight to the bathroom to clean up before thinking to take a picture of myself. When the usher asked if I was okay, I said I was but I was pissed I spilled my nachos. Shortly after I came back from cleaning up, the usher came and brought me a brand new free tray of nachos, which was really nice.

All in all, it was a pretty crazy experience. Gwen got her first live game ball, which we were both happy about. I made a fool and mess of myself, but at least I got some free nachos out of it. And after eating almost two full trays of nachos, I also got a nice stomachache to go with the bruise on my back and Gwen's ball. Plus the Rockies won on a Chris Iannetta walk off HR in the 9th. A game we will never forget.




Where our seats were


Gwen with her ball


The aftermath of the spillage in the row in front of us. You can't really appreciate the salsa on the ground/seats, but it is there

Kailey's First Half Marathon!!

Great run today Kailey! She and a friend ran a half marathon from Copper to Frisco, that is at over 9,000 feet elevation! The weather was not great, lots of rain and cold. The girls running were okay, but the spectators were chilly. Kailey, you are a rockstar!




On a side note, I created a new mirror collage for above our dresser in our bedroom. I think it turned out nicely. I got all the mirrors at a thrift store, then spray painted them the blueish color.

Ultimate Frisbee Champs!!

Our frisbee team won the championship today! It was very hot outside but we were able to kick some booty and win! Here are a few team pictures. Woot woot!!!!

CO Marathon

4 hours 27 minutes!! Wahoooooo... the marathon was awesome! I felt great and all my hard work training paid off with a strong finish! I was so happy! Dave ran the last mile with me to support me, even after his stellar 10K performance of running 7 minute miles! Amy finished a little after me, but also did awesome!! We had a great race day with beautiful weather! Here are some pictures after the race.

Chicago

Chicago!!! What a wonderful city! We had a great experience here in Chicago. The architecture was a beautiful mixture of old and new. Dave and Amy took a National Board Exam on Tuesday so we made a fun trip out of it. On Monday we took in the sights starting with breakfast at a great local favorite. Next, we walked down State Street (lots of shopping) and then to Millennium Park. President Obama gave his acceptance speech in this park and it also holds the "bean". This is a reflective sculpture that is shaped like a kidney bean. Very cool actually. The park also had beautiful tulips and nicely landscaped gardens. From there, we headed out to Navy Pier. This was very touristy, but it was pre-tourist season so it was nice to walk around and see the pier without the hustle and bustle of too many tourists. By the pictures you can tell it was windy and chilly while we were there. Next we headed for deep dish Chicago style pizza at Uno's. This place was established in 1943 and started the 'deep dish' tradition in Chicago. It was delicious! They put the cheese on the crust then the toppings and sauce. Different, but yummy! Pretty long day of walking around, especially post marathon! Tuesday, Amy and Dave went to their exam, so I wondered back into the city. I was planning on seeing the Sears/Willis Tower, but the low lying clouds prohibited me from seeing past the first 1/3 of the tower; so I saw the building then headed to the 'Magnificent Mile'. This is known for its wonderful shopping! I found a giant H&M, which I spend nearly an hour in. I saw the Water Tower which was the only building still standing after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. I also spotted a three story Crate and Barrel.... had to take a pic! I also enjoyed the sights of the Chicago Tribune Building (very gothic), Wrigley Building, the riverfront and I enjoyed a yummy sub from "potbelly's sub shop". I headed back to the hotel just in time to meet back up with Amy and Dave. We took a nap to prepare for a dueling piano bar in downtown Chicago. It was a great time and we thoroughly enjoyed singing along! Wednesday was Dave's day: WRIGLEY FIELD!!!! We got Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast (very big out here) and got to the game in time to watch batting practice. Dave caught a fly ball without a glove and was pretty stoked about it! He is such a stud:) He got lots of cheers and 'nice catches!' It was a little chilly for the game, but luckily, no rain. Amy was pretty cold, but Dave and I have tough baseball watching skins:) The Cubbies won and we had a blast in the left field bleachers! This place in known to get rowdy and has crazy fans. The Cubs left fielder (Soriano) was interacting with the crowd during the entire game. It was pretty awesome to see the fan support and the players appreciation of their support. The area around the field was beautiful and fully supports the Cubs! Sadly, that was our last day in Chicago, but we packed plenty into our time in the city. Here are some pictures that sum up the fun:)

Breakfast at Lou Mitchell's: est. in 1923 and hasn't moved. Great waitress and yummy food.


Millennium Park- awesome tulips!


The 'Bean': awesome reflection in this kidney bean shaped reflective sculpture.


The three of us at Millennium Park.



Navy Pier


Navy Pier- Chicago Skyline in the back


Chicago at Night...


Home Plate View


Wrigley Field!


Dave's pumped for his 'on the fly' catch!!


At the Game with our free shirts:)


Pumped to be at Wrigley



Wrigley Field


Hugest Crate and Barrel ever- three stories... Carrie/Kezia/Mom/Sarah thought you would enjoy a picture of this:)

Prayers for Bryan and Uganda...

Dave's younger brother Bryan has begun his adventure to Africa. He will be volunteering with an Musana Children's Home in Iganga, Uganda. I included a map so everyone could see where Uganda is since Africa is a huge continent. Here is Musana's website if you want to take a look at the story of how it came into existence.

http://www.musana.org/index.html

The story is pretty fascinating and ironic that three women from Colorado University starting this school/orphanage in Africa.

Bryan has always had a passion for children, especially exploited children of Africa. We are so thankful for his wonderful heart and the opportunity for Bryan to serve the people of Africa. Bryan left on Saturday April 24th and will be spending the next year or so there. Please keep Bryan in your prayers as well as the entire mission of Musana. God has blessed them with many wonderful volunteers but work is still needed to be done.