My donation

Since there has been a big change in my life, the next step for me is usually a hair change. This time I had 9 extra inches to give away so my donation of 9 inches of hair is on it's way to Pantene Beautiful Lengths... it's just like Locks for Love... my hair stylist Briana, said we had to take pictures- I love her!

Before... holding my hair

After...

Profile...
Back...

I like it!

A Match Day Story...

So you wake up one day not knowing where you will be living in three months, it could be close, it could be west coast, east coast or somewhere in the middle. The way you deal with that is not sleeping for the previous three nights, but your not stressed, no- you are anxious... that's what you tell people!

So this is how the day went down:
I wake up, take a shower, eat (forcefully because I'm not hungry but don't want to pass out when I see Pittsburgh in that envelop), get dressed. Now I am trying to get Bryan out the door, he is pokey and decided last minute to change his shirt, that he needed to iron... ahhhhh!

I am stressed, I mean, full of anxiety... we get in the car and I don't say much, Bryan seems awefully calm and trying to joke around with me to help me relax. It's nice but he counters it with, "are you really stressed?" "No, I'm anxious, don't you know the difference?" (yea- me either!)

So we get the the McNamara Center at the U, it's beautiful, we have been there before for the med school prom his first year of med school. There are a lot of people there, sitting, eating, talking... we see some people we know and sit down. Then a few faculty come and talk, one of which had his letter from 1964 when he matched- that was pretty cool.

Then they have to waste some time because it's not 11am yet and we can't open them until 11am... Okay, finally they say it's time.

They tell everyone that there are tables around the edges of the room and they are separated by last names, A-G... you get it. So we find out table, Bryan picks up the envelop and then I see a TV camera right in my face, so we move out of the chaos to a little open spot. Bryan starts to open it... he looks at it, looks at me...
Bry- It's Mayo
Me- What?
Me- Where are we going for the first year?
Bry- No- it's Mayo, for all four years
Me- WHAT?!?!?! (A few tears)

Then I quickly snapped out of it and yelled, "where's Julie?" (Bryan's med school friend Tony's wife. aka my salvation through this med school thing)
I finally find Julie and yell- "well, where are you?"
She looks at me and says, "we haven't opened it yet."
Me- "well OPEN IT UP!"
They do and look over- "we're staying!"

I am relieved by this point and shaking and realize that I should call my family. Bryan goes to talk to some friends and Julie and I go and sit down at a table and start making calls.

My sister was bawling... My mom said she knew it and was very excited... my dad said he was happy for us... Carrie screamed... and Bryan left a message for his mom saying, "I hope you will enjoy visiting us in Pittsburgh!" But called back later and told her the truth!

Then we went to Sally's for beer and food which was a nice time to chill and talk to people beyond all the chaos. That night we went to Solera where they had free drins and app's for a few hours. They had the whole top room for us with a DJ and it was really fun! Those doctor's know how to drink!

So, that was it. The day we have been waiting for, and it was great! We are very happy and excited for the next step, especially the house!

Thank you everyone for all your love and support through all this!

Bryan and I at Sally's with THE envelop

Tony and Julie

Bryan and Tony at Sally's

Bry at home with his letter!

Me- kissing the letter!

TODAY IS THE DAY!!!

The day has finally come!!!

Hello all---it is Noelle (Elizabeth's sister) here. Elizabeth asked me to update her blog to let everyone know what happened today at 11:00am since she isn't able to, but wanted to make sure that everyone who cared could know what was going on.

So this is my perspective of things.........
At about 10:45am this morning I started to pace and my stomach felt like blah and I wanted to die. ha The anticipation was KILLING me!
My sister texted me last night and told me to be ready right at 11am because I would be the first person she called.
So I'm sweaty and shaky and cannot believe how slow time is going by.

At 11:02am, I get a call on my cell phone from my sister's cell phone. I answer it and keep saying hello but she is not there. I can hear her in the background but she isn't talking! So I hang up and call her back and when she finally answers and is on the phone...my shaky voice says, "What is it?? Where are you going???"
And among the many many voices and craziness in the background I slightly hear Elizabeth say---"We got Rochester. Bryan has all 4 years at Mayo!"
And I just about lost it!!! For those of you who were at my sister and Bryan's wedding, you know that I'm not one to hold back emotions, happy and sad. So you can somewhat imagine what I was like when it finally registered that Bryan got in at Mayo for ALL FOUR YEARS!!!
None of this Portland or Pittsburgh CRAP!!!! haha At least thats what I was thinking!!!
When I finally stopped my crying or tried to stop, I went out into the main office area and of course everyone was waiting to hear my news...and I told them all that they will be in Rochester, MN only an HOUR away from me!!! YAY!!!
I cried again when I got a hold of Rian to tell him the great news.
But no more tears because Bryan got into Mayo for all four years, which is basically the best scenario that could have ever happened!
This means that they can actually get a house right away and be settled--which is SO exciting!

I'll stop babbling now, but I thought it would be fun to drag it out in the dramatic sense that I had to live it!!!

Maybe now Elizabeth will get some sleep!!! hehe

Thanks to everyone who has helped Elizabeth and supported her and Bryan through all of this craziness! It was far from easy but today is a very happy day and all the hard work from Bryan and all the stress of travel and decisions that they both had to make have finally paid off!!!

Hope everyone has a great day and a happy holiday weekend!!!

YAY!!! :-)

Ahhhhhhhh!

That is my only thought right now so it'll have to do. I'm pretty sure I have started or ended almost every email this week with this one special sound...

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

Monday down... next stop- Thursday!

So to add to this confusion today all of the students get emails letting them know IF they matched. At 11am Bryan received this email:

Congratulations, you matched.

Yeah... that was it! For the students who do not match, they have to go through a scramble process to try and find open spots anywhere in the country. It's not fun but it's better than nothing.

I knew that he would match but until you get that email confirming it, you just never know! So it is official. Bryan has matched into an anesthesiology residency, where you ask? Good Question!!!

I think I'll have my sister update the blog on Thursday for me. I will be gone on Friday because it is Sarah's wedding and we will have fun bridesmaid things to do that day! Then the wedding on Saturday, Easter on Sunday... which is also Bryan's birthday!

Needless to say it is going to be a very busy four days and I probably won't get on the computer so... Noelle, you wanna update this for me on Thursday?

Thank you for all your good thoughts! Keep them coming, we're almost there!

One week to go...

One week from today is the day. I don't really know what I'm feeling but while I was organizing pictures last night I decided to post some of our engagement pictures...





Love you babe!

Weekend of Babies!

This weekend Carrie and I ventured out to KC, but not before meeting Anne for dinner at Bonfire. The three of us had a great dinner talking a lot and laughing pretty loudly as well!
Then Friday morning Carrie and I got up at 5am to catch our flight. As we walked into the airport we were informed that our flight to Chicago was canceled. So we went in a different line and they got us on a direct flight to KC a few hours later. Which was a nice surprise!

We got to KC around 1pm and Janell and Ryker picked us up! Ryker was so excited to see his Aunties that he fell asleep, but woke up during the ride home, crying because he was so happy to see us!

Friday night we met Kat and her friend Annie for dinner that night. Then Kat came over to Janell's for the rest of the weekend!

We had a wonderful weekend, that went much too quickly!

Ryker and Annie are new best friends!


Janell and Kat and their children!


We had a BBQ on saturday at some friends of Janell and Jeff's and the other two couples also had babies, here are the Mommy's!


And all the babies...


It was a wonderful weekend full of babies and friends and laughing, at babies and friends!

Thanks for a wonderful weekend ladies!

Babies, babies, babies

More pictures from the weekend!

Carrie and Janell playing with Ryker... and my legs!


Mommy and Ryker


Ryker was very tuckered out but we bounced him right to sleep!


SO CUTE... there are no words!


My favorite picture from the weekend! Ryker and Annie starring at me!