The beginning..10 years ago!

Christmas Day marked the 10 year anniversary from the day Gavin asked me to be his wife. We both chuckle to think of that day and all that we have been through since that moment. We have had a lifetime of experiences in those 10 years...and while we've had an occassional down, we have had so many wonderful memories that I wouldn't trade for the world. My life has not been the same since that magical day...I am so blessed. Here's to an eternity of magical Christmas'!

Help...........

What will happen in the next 4-6 years of our lives has to be decided within the next few weeks. Please help us with your opinion on which option sounds best-

1- Take the Navy ophthalmology residency spot in San Diego starting this summer for 3 years and then after that go off somewhere else for 3 more years with the Navy, as a Navy ophthalmologist.

.....or

2- Spend one more year here in TX and be done with the Navy, and then spend 3 years in civilian ophthalmology residency somewhere on the East Coast...and then hopefully be able to move back home to San Diego for good? Tough call, eh? Watcha guys think?

Holiday hurricane...

This Christmas season has completely blown in way TOO fast and its almost passed me by. We have been so busy with career plans, interviews, plans for IVF, and keeping our heads above water...that I feel like we haven't really gotten to enjoy much of the festivities. Gav's work parties (there were 3!!) were either last minute plans (kind of lame), or gone to without Gav (which makes for awkward) or not gone to at all because Gav was MIA. The ward party was great...but I felt too busy helping and preparing a bunch of stuff to really relish the "fun". Christian's class party...I was banned because I have a "younger sibling" (lame, huh?). So here we are now only 5 or 6 days away from Christmas and last night, with the help of a babysitter, was the 1st time Gav and I had been together alone...and able to assess the Christmas gift situation. And though we were able to pretty much finish it off (minus what I need to get for him...its so HARD!!) now we are so close to Christmas...I need to wrap and clean and buy food...blah, blah blah! I guess I need to slow it down and enjoy the time and the experiences. My perfectionism in me makes me want to do more to make it all perfect...but it also sometimes robs me of the moments of pleasure.
My goal today: buy some of the Christmas food and maybe do some cleaning...but mostly enjoy what Christmas should mean=)

Military Match Day!!

If you asked Gavin whether 20 years ago he would ever wear a uniform like this, ever, he probably would have laughed. Now we've been active duty military for over 3 years...we've seen the wonderful and not so wonderful aspects...and certainly have gained an overwhelming appreciation for military personnel who make this country what it is today. I look at our friends who are paying ultimate sacrifices of time and life to serve our free country.
So today was the day the decisions from the Navy came out. We feel VERY fortunate that Gavin was offered a position (1 0f only 3) at the Naval Hospital San Diego in their Ophthalmology Residency. We were all pleasantly surprised this morning...no one more so than Gav who dreams of being "home" and surfing his home breaks...but we certainly have not made any final decisions. It is yet another blessing of opportunity that we can pray about. We have so many life changes going on right now....but all of them are long-awaited blessings...remember those rewards after the trial of our faith...these are those fruits=))

"Wa-wa-wa-wataboy!" "foosball"

Home of the Champs, University of Florida GATORS!! Gavin is interviewing there tomorrow. I have to admit I am not quite as jealous of this location as I was when he spent a whole week in NY....but it still seems exciting to check out all of these potential new spots.
The good news: This is, as of now, his last interview. And the rest of his interviews have gone fantastically.
The bad news: According to his calculations, Gav has been home only 4 days in December...of which he has worked 3, had YM responsibilities and mandatory holiday parties. This is not surprising. We had a feeling things were going to be hectic and that he would be gone frequently. I think even more so than other specialties, because Ophtho matches earlier than most and only has a small window of interview opportunities.
This week I have SOOoooo much holiday prep to do...time has flown by and here we are less than 10 days until Christmas....I need to crank up my shopping urgency. However, I think part of me was waiting to see how much we were going to spend on all of the interviews to see if there would be any money left to have anything for Christmas...unfortunately/fortunately the money not spent on interviews is now going toward another worthy cause...hoping to get pregnant (stay tuned on that subject).

Back to this...

Can you say envy?! Ok---really he has no time to see this because he is interviewing....but as I sit here in Corpus doing dishes and laundry with kids screaming their demands...I can only wish this dream was a reality=) It certainly brings back great memories to look at this....I heart NY at Christmas!!

New favorite CANDY CANES

"You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly. "

~ Sam Keen

I am convinced that's why Gav loves me....because he made me his Mahana...by loving me so perfectly. Knowing I would need this on day #7 mothering alone.

If you build it, he will come...

We prayed for more interviews and they came. Weeks ago, we only had a few...and then a bunch rolled in...thanks to endless prayers by many. So Gav has spent a week in NY...and we are still holding down the fort here. We miss him...and when we are down...we remind ourselves that we prayed for these opportunities and it will be worth it=) These are the times that build character and make us stronger....its got to be refining us, right?! And think...3 years from now we will look back at these times and hardly remember the difficulty in it. Like intern year in 2005-2006....I remember it was rough....but the pain is so dulled....much like child-bearing memories.

Ok--long story short---we miss Gav, are grateful for answered prayers, but would please like our daddy back...these boys need some serious wrestling time!

Let them eat PiG

Ham it is...I think...unless turkey is cheaper and preferred by the incoming company! But thanks to all who shared their family traditions with us. We have spent most of our holidays traveling to be with family...and are slowly building our own family traditions. I love mixing our upbringings with our own tastes/desires. And some traditions...Gav and I differ on....I love his family's "cranberry salad" tradition....and he detests it. I enjoy a good competitive game on occasion...not really his jive. He would like to make every holiday tradition of morning togetherness at the beach- surfing, despite conditions or weather...I have other ideas of physical exercise or family bonding and dont like to FREEZE at the beach! One thing we do agree on---holidays are AWESOME!!