Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I don't know why it always seems to be such a long time between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. By the beginning of November I'm starting to get a bit homesick, and I definitely need a break from the everyday run-around. So, I'm so thankful that tomorrow we'll be heading to Spokane and flying out early on Thursday for the Mattson family Thanksgiving in KC!! It's going to be a great trip. . .family, friends, KU basketball, KU football. . .what more could I ask for? Actually, as sad as it is, Raoul and I are really going to miss our little furball while we're gone. He'll be staying at the kennel and will have to celebrate his 1 year birthday on his own (Thanksgiving Day). It's a good thing he's a dog and not a child so he will not remember that we were gone on his birthday and be traumatized for the rest of his life, blaming us for instilling a sense of abandonment in him. I love dogs but honestly had no idea how attached we'd get until Nelson came along. He really is our furry little child. :)

So, Happy Thanksgiving to all! And, Happy Birthday Nelson!!

Election '08

So, election time is here, and I am eager for it to end. Not because of all the media, or that I'm sick of hearing the candidates talk, or that I'm tired of negative add campaigns. The reason that I can't wait for this election to end is because my co-workers are making this time very difficult. Now, to preface this whole blog post. . .I am not a liberal. In fact I think that it is dangerous for the government to control a lot of things. My personal beliefs on many moral issues "line up" with the Republican platform. However, I do believe in changes from the current presidency such as more government assistance for education and more emphasis on diplomacy with issues of foreign policy. After weighing out the pros and cons of both candidates and attempting to disregard accusations that are mean-spirited and untrue, I will for the first time be voting for the democratic candidate for president. As an American citizen (and a tax-paying one at that) I have the right to my own opinions and beliefs and can choose to vote as I wish. Because I am thankful for that right, I try to respect the rights of others to disagree with me.

The last week, the exact opposite has been happening at my workplace. I work with 6 other male physical therapists. All of them are very right-wing in their political views and have been very vocal in that respect. This has played out in the following ways. First, one co-worker has proceeded to vocally attack another of my co-workers for holding a different political view, using such examples as Obama is like Hitler. Then, today, knowing my opinions, two of them proceeded to talk around me (not directly addressing me) saying that anyone who votes for Obama must be insane, brainwashed or stupid. Not exactly flattering comments to be making around someone who works her ass off for their company, sacrificing a lot to pad their retirement accounts. They used such arguments as Obama is more Muslim than he is black. These guys also love to bring out "evidence" such as e-mails sent from friends or reports taken from biased sources to show how right they are. I disagree with their opinions and their choice of sources, but because I believe they have a right to that opinion so I have not tried to convince them otherwise. They have not extended the same courtesy to me, stating things like: How can you as a Christian vote for someone who is pro-abortion? Again, I know it's not worth arguing with them, and I don't even want to get into a discussion about how they have no right to judge my level of faith. It is sad to me, not that they are McCain supporters, but that they stoop to such untrue and unintelligent ways to promote their view.

So, that leaves me, a little Independent voter who happens to have made her choice. I do not ask that everyone agree with me, only that they respect me as a person and my right to my own thoughts and convictions. I encourage everyone to exercise their right as a U.S. citizen on Nov. 4, and please, respect all others as they exercise their right to do so as well.

I Love the Fall!

OK, so once again I'm attempting to resurrect my blog. So much has happened over the summer, so I'm glad to finally be settling into normal life again with a regular schedule. After pretty much hating the way my job was going, I got the chance to talk about things with my bosses at my yearly evaluation in July. I tried to explain to them how being in charge of all of the hospital and home health scheduling/contacts and trying to keep a normal clinic schedule was too much for one person to handle. After much discussion, they decided to switch things up a bit. Now I spend my mornings in the outpatient clinic seeing patients. Then, in the afternoon, I go out to people's homes to see them for therapy. I am now only in charge of the home health aspect of our clinic, so my overall stress level is much more managable. The catch is that every six months there will be a switch among the therapists that I have deemed to "sit at the little kid's table" if you know what I mean :) So, in six months I will either switch back to the schedule I had before, or I will spend half day in one outpatient clinic and another half day in our other outpatient clinic. Still not exactly what I had in mind for my dream job, but at least I don't feel so stressed out and run down.

The summer was full of trips and visitors. In June Raoul and I went to San Diego for a 5 day vacation. We got to catch up with Erika and Matt and enjoy the sites. It was great to catch up with friends. . .and it left Erika and I wondering how Matt and Raoul were never really friends in college because they have an astonishing number of similar interests :) Over the 4th of July weekend we flew to KC to see family and friends. Raoul and I also drove out to Hays to visit my Grandma in her new home and shot off fireworks with my little cousins. It was a trip that was way to short, but fun nonetheless. At the end of July my parents came out for a visit and we finally got to take advantage of the amazing rivers in the area. We went whitewater rafting in Riggins, ID for a day and drove up to show them the Seven Devils Mountains lookout. They also got to meet Nelson--they've met all three of their granddogs now :) In August and September I worked several weekends and Raoul was busy preparing for his preliminary exams. We did take a weekend to see our friends Chet and Adrienne get married up north of Spokane and have a date night in the "big city".

Raoul studied very hard for his exams, and after a very stressful summer came out in one piece having passed all four exams. I am extremely proud of him and all of his hard work! Now he gets to experience a "normal" semester without crazy cramming, but he's trying to work things through to be able to propose his dissertation topic early next semester. A couple of weeks ago we went to Seattle to celebrate Raoul's success, Matt's birthday, and Doug and Dave coming into town. It was fun to catch up with people we hadn't seen in awhile, and good to get away for a couple of days.

This month is Physical Therapy month, so Nelson and I get to participate in a walk on Saturday to raise money for a free clinic in the area. Raoul and I will also be working with our church's mission team to build a wheelchair ramp Saturday too. . .can't you just see me with a power drill? :) Plus Sunday is Raoul's 29th birthday--don't forget to wish him a happy birthday!!!!

Summer is coming!

Since my last post, things have been moving along quickly. After our longest stretch of the year without a day off, Memorial Day weekend couldn't have come soon enough! Raoul's family arrived just as I was finishing another 12 day work "week", which is always an interesting time since by then I am pretty much unable to form complete sentences. :) We had a nice relaxing weekend, though, and we discovered that the new steak house in town is actually really good. They got to meet Nelson, and I'm proud to say that he was very well-behaved for the entire weekend! Finally with some time off it was nice to be able to take him on a walk down by the river. He made some progress with wading into the water, so maybe he'll be willing to try swimming this summer.

We've also got together with our "valley" friends a couple of times because, sadly, one of them is moving to Oregon this weekend to start a new job. It's a great opportunity for him to work on a wildlife refuge, plus we all eventually look forward to when we get to move on to greener pastures than the valley, but all the same it is sad to see Nate leave. We got to take Nelson over to Nate and Shannon's place and let him play with three other dogs. He's so short that he gets trampled quite a bit, but he's learned to use the bigger dogs as barriers when he's playing "catch me if you can" with other bigger dogs :)

Now I'm sitting in Matt and Erika's living room in San Diego, enjoying good company and a beautiful city, real Mexican food, and beaches. More to come on our little mini-vacation!

Nelson is home!

Just a quick update on the Nelson situation. He stayed at the vet for two days and received an IV dextrose solution. They ran tests after 24 hours and 48 hours to check his blood levels and liver enzymes. Everything came back normal, so either he is not one of the majority of dogs that is effected by xylitol or we got him treatment in time and he had no damage to his liver. Either way I'm just glad we have him home, and he is back to being his little puppy self. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!

Please Pray for Nelson!

Today was a day that I definitely was not expecting. I was heading home from seeing my last home health patient this afternoon after working all weekend and got a call from Raoul. Our cute adorable little fluffy friend decided to get into my purse which I left on the couch (he is not supposed to get up on the couch) and get into a pack of Orbit cinnamon gum. We're not sure how much he did or didn't eat, but Raoul immediately googled the possible harmful effects of gum on dogs. The type of sugar-free gum I had contained a sugar substitute that just happens to be toxic to dogs. So, Raoul spent 30 minutes on the phone back and forth between the vet and poison control--neither of which were familiar with the effects of the substance on a dog. After research being done on all sides, the vet suggested that we try to get Nelson to vomit back up the gum. I ran to the store to get hydrogen peroxide and mixed up a solution, which promptly made Nelson upchuck all over the yard but no sign of the gum (this substance evidently metabolizes quickly). The vet recommended that we immediately start IV treatment with fluids and dextrose to fight hypoglycemia and try to flush out his system to prevent any liver complications. Nelson is staying at the hospital over night and then the vet will run a full panel in the morning (evidently this substance not only causes liver failure, but system-wide increased blood coagulation and hypoglycemia too). If he does well then he'll probably stay on the fluids for another day or so and have tests done periodically to check his liver enzymes. If he starts to go into liver failure we would be looking at serious medical treatment (i.e. puppy ICU) or he might not make it. Raoul and I are pretty worried about Nelson, and just really want him to be alright without spending thousands of dollars to fix him. Please pray that he will have a full recovery! We already miss him being around :(

31 Cent Ice Cream!

What a whirl of month since I last posted! So first off, ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!! This year's tournament run was fantastic, and that it ended with a win was the icing on the cake! After our near escape from Davidson, I decided that the emotional stress of playing UNC in the Final Four was just too much to endure alone (Raoul was in Tulsa for a wedding), so Nelson and I packed up the car and drove to Seattle to watch with fellow KU fans! What a fun trip! Nelson actually did really well in the car and didn't get sick or fuss. We took long walks by the lake together in the mornings, which he loved, and then Emily and I went shopping that morning, which I loved. It was awesome then to come back and cheer on our boys to victory--what a high! I got to watch the championship game back in the valley with Raoul, and I must say it was really crazy. I'm just glad the cops weren't called on us! It's "one shining moment" I'll always remember, and with Bill sticking around I'm looking forward to more championships in our future!

The extra help we were so excited to get with the new therapist we hired in Dec. left as quickly as it came. By mid-March it was apparent that things were pretty rocky. She just was not up to par on her knowledge-base, but at the same time was not open to learning to catch up either. Really the whole ordeal just brought a lot of office drama, and I was constantly stressed-out trying to make sure she was doing what she needed to do. When she quit it was honestly a blessing, and even though I have more quantity of work to do, at least I know I will get it done and trust the rest of my co-workers to do their part as well. There's nothing more draining than trying to do your job and babysitting someone else at the same time. So. . .we're still looking for another therapist. . .anyone interested? :)

With school winding down for the both of us (Raoul finished yesterday, I have one week to go) we are definitely looking forward to some fun this summer. Last week, we got word that Baskin Robbins was celebrating their 75th anniversary and had ice cream cones for 31 cents! We took Nelson and met up with friends and their 9 mo. old puppy to enjoy the cheapness. Then, we headed back to their place which has a huge fenced-in yard and just let the dogs play. At first Nelson was pretty timid since he was by far the smallest of the two dogs, but after awhile (with all of us cheering him on) he started to take some shots of his own. The best thing (other than enjoying some great company) was when we got home he pretty much crashed like a limp noodle and slept. We need to make more puppy play-dates!

On the schedule for this month: teaching a four-part series on Mormonism to the high school kids, a trip to Seattle next weekend to hang with Matt and Emily, Raoul's family coming to visit! And, we're looking forward to a 5 day get-away we are taking to San Diego starting May 31st! If warm weather won't come to us, we'll go to it!

Here's Nelson!!!

My blog, back from the dead!!!

Wow, it's been forever since I've last posted. Things got really crazy after the New Year with work picking up, trying to train our new therapist, and starting up another class for my DPT. Work has steadily been climbing in the shear amount of work there is to do, so thank goodness we found another therapist to help distribute the load. She started in late December, and is now getting to the point that she's able to get a good chunk of work done so it's less of me directing her and more of her just helping out when we need it. That's made for fewer early mornings, but there still are several days a week I'm left working 10 hours. We haven't quite figured out if there are just more sick people now in general, but the hospital where I work has been full almost constantly, and all the other hospitals within a 100 mile radius have also been consistently full. That makes for a lot of people to take care of, along with the influx of surgeries that happen this time of year. Hopefully by May things will start to slow down a bit, and we can catch our breaths.

My class is really time-consuming, averaging 10-12 hours of work per week. This makes for some long days after getting home from work. The class addresses the subject of using research based interventions and evaluation tools for therapy. . .which would be a really good thing if the instructor wasn't the head of the occupational therapy department. So, instead of learning better ways to treat shoulder and knee dysfunctions, I'm learning about how people feel about their assistive devices and how bathroom aids increase function in elderly people. Basically, I'm just trying to fight through the material, reminding myself that after this class I only have 5 hours left to finish and I'm done with school FOREVER!!!!

Our most fun news of the last few months is our furry little edition to the Mattson clan. Nelson is now a 3.5 month old Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He has been a lot of fun, and thank goodness he potty trained in only 2 weeks!! His main vice at this time is biting, and more biting, and more biting. He pretty much chews on everything, especially my coffee table. Raoul did find a somewhat successful solution. He put tobasco sauce on the spots he likes to chew, and Nelson took a nibble, smacked his lips while looking a little taken aback, and ran across the room. Unfortunately the taste wears off after awhile, so it's only a temporary fix. He loves to take walks (which is a good thing) but hates baths (which makes that weekly chore rather challenging). He is (in mine and many others' opinions) the cutest thing I have ever seen, and hopefully I'll get some pictures up soon.

We did get to take a 3 day weekend to Nelson, B.C. in Feb. to go skiing with friends. It was a fun time and a much needed break. This weekend we are in Seattle visiting and had the pleasure of having Frank out here to hang with us in "the valley" for the week. Always a fun thing to watch KU games with other people who are as crazy about KU basketball as I am! Plus, it's almost March Madness, which is maybe my favorite time of year! Go Hawks!

That's about all it for now, mostly work with a little time to play. We'll be hanging around here for the spring with no major plans until the summer. Come see us and meet Nelson! We'd love to have you!

Christmas is around the corner!

Time just continues to fly by, and it seems like more and more I look forward to just sitting and doing nothing! It's been a whirlwind over the last few weeks with lots to do and so little time and energy to get things done!

After my quick trip to KC/Lawrence to see my family and the KU game, it was back to hitting the pedal to the medal at work again. This is our really busy season--combination of people trying to get their surgeries in before their deductibles start over, people falling on the ice, higher incidence of pneumonia--so there hasn't been much down time. We did hire a new therapist who started last week, so that means we are finally fully staffed!!! :) It will take time to train her, though, so we should be full force by the end of January. I worked Thanksgiving between 6-10 hours each day, so I've been relishing the weekends that I've had to do something other than work. I also finished my class this semester after sitting through a 7.5 hour final (done over three days time) and am glad to be one step closer to being done with school. Only 3 more classes to go!

We've been spending our weekends getting presents sent home for Christmas, doing Christmas baking, seeing friends, and attending my always interesting office Christmas party. We try to catch up watching KU games when we get them, and are excited about the upcoming Orange Bowl game--although insanely jealous that my parents are going to the game and I have to watch it on TV. We are leaving for Tulsa this coming Friday morning, so there is a lot to do to finish up some things here at the house and pack for our trip. We'll be spending 5 days between Tulsa and Hutchinson seeing family, and I will enjoy being paid to not work!

Our biggest news is that tonight we're going to look at a litter of puppies! Raoul has finally given in to my incessant rantings about wanted a dog, and actually I think he might be a little excited about this too! We learned of a family who bred their two corgis and had 7 puppies. We get to see them tonight and decide on one if we find one that we like. We'd get to bring it home then in January when they have been weaned. I've decided on the name Nelson, which I think is a proper British name for a proper British puppy (well, Welsh, but you get the idea). We'll post pictures when we make a decision!!!

Is it really still football season?

I almost feel like I'm in the twilight zone. . .it's November and I along with so many other Jayhawks are excited about football. Usually by now we've resigned to another mediocre season and started trading thoughts about our quest for yet another NCAA basketball title. But, not this year. I actually didn't know that KU played its first basketball game last week until Trina called me to ask if I was able to see the game. Instead, I've been so incredibly excited about football, a sport that I honestly still do not understand (too many rules, and why are there so many positions and what do they do?). So excited in fact that at halftime of the KU vs. Texas A&M game I called my parents with news that I really wanted to go to a football game (yes, I said a football game) and found a cheap flight into KC the weekend before Thanksgiving. The next thing I knew, by the end of the game I had booked a flight, and two days later my brother got me tickets to go to the KU vs. ISU game with my family and Trina. Psychotic and crazy? Yes, but I am completely stoked about this game!!!! Raoul will be in Cal. that weekend for a psych conference and we won't be able to come home for Thanksgiving because I have to work, so this worked out great. I'll only be in town for a day, so I won't be able to make the rounds, but I'm hoping to catch a meal with my sister (who has to work that weekend) and spend some time with my parents, brother, and Trina.

In other news, Raoul and I are heading to Seattle next weekend to see Matt and Emily one more time before the weather prevents us from crossing the mountain pass. I'm still working through the class I'm taking this semester. I've made it through the sixth Harry Potter book and am ready to start the seventh. Looking forward to ski season with a trip to Canada in the works in Feb. We'll be spending Thanksgiving with our pastor's family since I'll have to work that weekend, but will be able to spend a couple of days with each of our families at Christmas. Still looking for that camera cord so I can post pictures.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!

So Many Reasons to Love Fall!

I've had so many good intentions of posting after my trip to Seattle over Labor Day and showing pix from the event. However, I seem to have misplace the connecting cord that hooks my camera into my computer, making it difficult to upload photos. So, you'll have to put up with a verbal update and use your imagination until I find the cord lurking in my office somewhere.

Labor Day was definitely a fun time for all. Three of my PT classmates and a another friend (who also happens to be a PT) met up with me in Seattle for a mini-reunion. We stayed downtown and did all the "Seattle" things for a day. We stopped by REI where I finally purchased a good set of hiking boots so that next time I go hiking I won't come back looking like I was attacked by an evil tree monster from the knee down. Then we took a ferry to Bremerton for the Blackberry Festival and drove on to Bainbridge Island for a short stop. We did a lot of fun things, but hanging with the girls would have been fun pretty much anywhere--I miss them a lot being so far away. Plus, it was a great opportunity for me to tempt them all to move to Seattle. Trina and I had a laugh, though, because it would be quite sad if I convinced all these people to move there and then Raoul and I ended up somewhere in Alabama or something. :( I got to meet up with Matt, Emily, and Raoul then for part of a day before we had to head back. It just seems like there is never enough time to spend with people, but we try to make the best of it.

September has been pretty busy. I worked one weekend, and then the next Raoul and I went to Spokane for the weekend so I could attend a continuing education course. We also got to see a good friend of mine that is starting PT school in Spokane this fall and has since moved up there. I've been working on my DPT class, which has been extremely difficult to be motivated to get done. There's just something about working all week and then just wanting to crash on the weekends, not really getting excited to write 5 page papers every 3 weeks. I just keep telling myself, after this one there's only 3 classes to go and then I will be officially done with school FOREVER!!!!! Raoul and I have started helping out with the high school Sunday School class again and will be teaching a comparative religion set of lessons beginning this winter. I've gone to a few of the high school volleyball games--I definitely miss playing--and tried to get on a city league team, but no one wanted to add me to their roster and I didn't know anyone who was playing on a team. Hopefully, I can find something next year. . .

This weekend was a pretty positive one on the whole. It started with me dragging myself out of bed to watch KU and KSU play football. We had already made plans to meet up with friends for Oktoberfest in Lewiston, so I knew I wouldn't be able to watch the whole game. Thankfully Trina texted me about every 5 minutes with updates and them called me so I could have someone else to temporarily freak out with after we won. Gosh, I might have to actually learn about football now that there is a team that's worth watching! Oktoberfest was fun. The Homebrewers Association brought together several of their brews and we got to partake of some good beer and eat brautwursts while listening to a polka band play. Mostly it was just cool to meet other late '20 early '30 somethings since young people are kind of a rarity around here.

Raoul and I are honestly looking forward to just settling into a routine so we aren't running around like crazy like we did this summer. We'll be home for the most part until Christmas. I'm slated to work Thanksgiving Thursday-Sunday so we'll be here. I did get one day off for Christmas, but it's going to be cutting it close to see both Raoul and my families and fly there and back in only 5 days. Someday I'll have more vacation time again!

Mayhem in Hutchinson. . .

So, I get this cryptic phone call from my mom late on Tuesday night, telling me to call her the next day, and sounding like something wasn't exactly right. Considering the events of the past month, it kind of freaked me out, but nothing prepared me for what she had to say.

Most of you still living in Kansas probably have heard about the Dillons hostage situation that happened on Tuesday. If you haven't, here's a quick synopsis: 30th St. Dillons gets a phone call from a guy who gives details about the interior of the store, indicating that he is either inside or able to see from the outside what is going on in the store. He says he has a bomb placed in the store and instructs everyone to hit the floor and comply with his request to have $1 million sent to a bank account in Europe, or he'll detonate the bomb. He also stated he would personally cut off the fingers of the store manager if they did not respond. Weird situation in itself, but the sad thing was my poor grandma had decided to go to Dillons to pick something up at that exact time. After everything that's happened this month with my grandpa passing away, this is not exactly what she needed to go through. She made it out OK and eventually connected with my frantic parents and aunt, so everything ended up OK, weird and bizzar but OK. They haven't caught the guy yet last I heard, but they were able to catch some local moron who decided that it would be funny to call in "prank" bomb threats to all the other Dillons stores and the Super Walmart the next day. I guess it goes to show you never know what's going to happen back home. At least things weren't actually exploding this time. . .

So, Raoul and I are off to Seattle for Labor Day weekend tomorrow after work. He's meeting with Matt for some guy time (which I think involves Metroid and movies I would never go with him to see) while I meet up with Trina, Katie, and Megan for a fun weekend in the city. I love Seattle!

Back in Clarkston to stay in one place. . .for a couple weeks anyway!

So, after two weeks of some crazy traveling, Raoul and I are back and settling into our routines again. Here's a quick recap of our travels. . .

We made an overnight mad-dash home to make it to my Grandpa's funeral. Although it was sad (and hard hitting for me since I hadn't actually seen him since my wedding), it was really good to spend time with my family. The whole thing has made me realize how much I love and enjoy spending time with my parents. Watching them have to deal with the death of a parent at different times over the last few years has not been fun, but everyone handled things very well considering the circumstances. There are so many memories of growing up and spending time with him, but I will always remember one particular time. Throughout high school and into college, he constantly asked my siblings and I when we were going to get a job. . .jokingly of course. When I found out about my job in Lewiston, I was so stoked to tell him because after so many years of finding excuses, I finally had an answer. . .and one I knew he would be proud of. I will always remember the bows on his head at Christmas time, rides on the four-wheeler on the farm, coming in the door to their home and hearing "Well, hi!" and when we'd leave "Now you behave". He will never be forgotten and I look forward to seeing him again some day for one seriously big family reunion.

The one upside of the funeral coming so close to my sister's wedding was that I was able to spend more time with her and Joe and help out with some things prior to the ceremony. What can I say. . .we've gone from near enemies to the closest of friends in just a few short years--funny how growing up will do that to you. It's funny too, because neither of us cried at our own weddings, but we sure did a good share of tearing up seeing the other walking down the aisle. The ceremony was really nice, and again it was so good to just have family together. An added bonus was getting to spend some time with Trina (albeit too short), and we even did some livin' it up at Applebees in Hutch the night before Karen's wedding.

And here are a few photos from the rehearsal dinner and wedding--

The week was really emotional, with highs and lows, but having Raoul and my family there made it a very good time--getting to really spend time with the people I care about most.

This past weekend we decided to take a fun trip with our friends Adrienne and Chet--otherwise known as Jason's twin :) --to Missoula, Montana, where they had gone to school. We spent the time just hanging out with some of their friends and touring the town. It was really great to spend some time just having fun--and we had some great company. My big accomplishment of the weekend was having my first real beer. Now don't laugh at me just because I was actually 26 years old before I had my first brewsky. I've been a big wine fan and also like girly drinks (you know, the sweet ones--amaretto sour, seabreeze, cheerleader beer), but after living down the street from several bars in college and waking up to the smell of cheap beer, I've never quite had the appetite to try it. Chet and Adrienne have been gracious enough to help me out by easing me into the world of beer rather than me just stabbing around attempting to find something tasty. The verdict? I still like wine and the sweet stuff better, but a honey-wheat beer with pizza was pretty good. Here's the photo to document the occasion--

Isn't Raoul just the cutest designated driver ever? And here's the road trip crew, and yes Chet "Jason" is on the right. More on our next travels to Seattle coming up soon!

A Sad Day for the Schraeder Family. . .

Just as Raoul and I were about to embark to two straight weekends of fun plans with family and friends (my sister's wedding and a weekend in Missoula with friends), we got a sad phone call early this morning. My grandpa had surgery last week to repair some valve problems in his heart. His recovery had been going well, and they were working on weaning him off of the ventilator. Last night and early this morning, they found a serious infection and attempted to fight it with anti-biotics. Because of his delicate condition after surgery, his body was unable to fight off the infection and he passed away early this morning. This was a sudden, unexpected turn of events as he had been doing better the last couple of days, so my family is taking it pretty hard. My sister's wedding is still on schedule for Saturday, and the funeral is scheduled for Wednesday. I was able to take off Wednesday and Thursday to be back with my family, but there hasn't been much time to get things in order with trying to distribute my patient load among my co-workers and finding a last minute flight that would keep me from missing as much work as possible. Raoul and I are planning on leaving late on Tuesday night, arriving in Wichita aroun 9:00 AM on Wednesday. Please pray for my family, especially my sister who is trying to hold things together for the wedding as well as grieving for my grandpa. I'll try to post an update when we return.

I'm Back. . . and Married!

After returning from our wedding and honeymoon, I received many requests for pictures and updates. Over the last three weeks I've been slowly trying to get things updated, first my facebook page, then my myspace page, and finally my blog. So, here is what you've all been looking for!

The wedding was really fantastic. The ceremony really reflected Raoul's and my personalities, values, and interests. Although there were a few bumps along the way in the last minute details, no major problems occurred and most of our families and many of our friends were able to make it to the ceremony. It's hard to say much in words, so I'll let the pictures tell the story.

Afterwards we had a reception and danced the night away! Here are a few pix. Check out the rest on either my facebook or myspace pages.

Unfortunately, most of the pictures of Raoul and I together were taken by the photographer, so I don't have copies of them yet. They turned out really well, so when they come in, I'll post more pictures.

Overall, the day was great, better than I could have imagined it. Raoul and I got to make a committment to begin our lives together as a couple. . . spend a day with our family and friends. . . and have a blast doing it! It will definitely be a day we will always remember. Enjoy the photos!

Only 1 month to go!

Boy has time flown by. It's been forever since I've blogged, but things have been running like a freight train. Here I am only a month away from the wedding, and I am anxiously awaiting a time when I can officially not plan something for awhile! Things have gone pretty smoothly with just a few bumps along the way. We did have trouble with our first, second, and several subsequent choices for an accompanist. All of them cannot do it, so we're scrambling a bit with that. I've also been a bit stressed about my dress. See, I've been working really hard over the last few months to get myself healthier and in better shape (funny how a wedding and working with several morbidly obese people in the hospital can do that). Now my dress doesn't exactly fit--even after an alteration--so I'm a bit worried that it won't turn out just like I thought it would. Plus, then there's the worry that the dress will not fit down the aisle (Sarah + dress + Dad > aisle space). I'm sure everything will work out. What's the worse that can happen? The caterer bails and we order pizza for all. . .the DJ fails and we break out my ipod with my new "I love the 90's" mix. In all seriousness, I'm really looking forward to the wedding, it's the waiting that's a pain!

It's funny the reactions I get from people when they find out I'm getting married.

Reaction #1--everyone's excited and talks about it all the time. This gets a bit annoying since although the wedding is exciting and important, my life does include a few other things like work, friends, etc. I know, though, that everyone is just excited so this elicts more just a little annoying twinge with me. It has been kind of hard for me to grasp, this whole wedding/marriage thing. See along the way in my life so far, all the things that people have celebrated with me or congratulated me on have been achievements that I've worked for (i.e. high school, college, PT school, getting a job, track). Now, don't misunderstand, I know that my relationship with Paul is something that we've had to work for, but it's just different. Almost like an event in my life rather than an accomplishment. It's even hard for me to put into words because I don't want to marginalize marriage or my relationship with Raoul. I love him dearly and am excited to start our life together. Maybe it's been because we've been together for so long that this just seems like the right time to move forward with our relationship. So, it's weird to receive congratulations. I almost view it as a chance for all those who are coming to share in this time with us rather than standing back away and just sending their congrats.

Reaction #2--This one comes from the bitter divorced people that I have come into contact with. Now, again, not to marginalize the pain that a divorce brings but I really wish these people would keep this attitude to themselves. I can't tell you how many times that I've been asked if I really want to do this and if I've planned in case things don't work out. Enough already. If I didn't want to marry Raoul, I wouldn't have accepted his proposal. I happen to believe in relationships that can last until the day one of us leaves this Earth, and I am not idealistic--just ask all the patients I work with who have been married for 40-50-60 years. I am a realist, things aren't going to be rosy always, but I think Raoul and I already know and have experienced that. But, it can be done, and I wish those who are cynics wouldn't see it as their duty to enlighten the rest of us.

Overall, I'm looking forward to the time I get to spend with friends and family before the wedding and the reception/party afterwards. I admit that I am nervous about the ceremony itself. I'm just not one of those people who like to stand up in front of people and be watched. So, I figure if I can get through that everything will be fine. Then, Raoul and I will get a whole week to relax, spend some time together that doesn't involve wedding planning, and enjoy getting paid to not work. Then it's back to Washington, where we're planning on having our reception in July. My parents are planning on making it, and Raoul's might too. It will be a really relaxing time to just hang out and enjoy a fun time with friends. Then it won't be long before we get to do it again for my sister! We'll keep you posted as things come along and get pictures up when we can. Looking forward to seeing those of you who can make it!

One Shining Moment. . .

Quick post, but did anyone else watch "One Shining Moment" after the championship game on Monday? I found it kind of funny that the only clips of KU playing showed Arthur and Collins--both freshman and neither really integral players in the tournament. Funny. So it's farewell to another season--though we did end up #5 in the polls at the end of it all. Next year. . .we're Joe Lumbardi's pick to be the top #1 seed in the tourney. Please let it be true :)

In mourning. . .

So, last night officially ended our season, and I am continually amazed at how attached to KU basketball I get. The game was really sad for me, not because we lost, but because we shouldn't have. I feel like I'm a teacher or parent who's child/student is exceptionally talented, and after being with them throughout their journey, having to watch them fall down. Sad. Seriously, I really believe that our team is a better team than the UCLA team that they played last night. We have better defense, talent, and quickness. But, instead of being flexible and working around their defensive play, we just ran right into them like a stupid lab rat in a maze hitting the wall and handed them the ball. We worked so hard defensively on every possession to steal the ball, but then we didn't convert. . .making less than half of their layups? They truly started to give up that ballgame about 1 minute before halftime and never recovered. I don't mind losing if it is a hard fought battle where the other team is just better, but losing when we have the potential to win and head on to the final four is tough to take.

Now we begin to look at next year. Brandon Rush, although you played well in the tournament, you are NOT ready to jump to the NBA. Let this year be about Oden/Durant and don't make the mistake that McRoberts from Duke is by jumping early. Instead of sitting on the bench for a year in the NBA, work hard over the summer, gel more as a team, and help bring home our first national championship in 20 years. Next year is the year to do it. After that Self is really going to have to rebuild from the ground up with all of the players graduating and leaving for the pros. To all of "my boys", congratulations on a fantastic season. Big 12 conference and tournament champs, you have worked really hard. When you click on the court, you are AMAZING and very fun to watch. We're all bound to have our bad days. Store this one away and, like last year, use it as fuel to push further next season. . .all the way to the top!!! You have every reason to be proud of your accomplishments, and you will always be #1 in my book! Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Work and wedding planning and skiing. . .oh my!

It's been a hectic last few weeks. Work is really busy right now, the class I'm taking this semester is a lot more involved than I thought it was going to be (I mean, really, a 10 page paper for an online physical therapy course? --- I'm a science major, not a history major!) , wedding planning is continuing, and it just feels like the "to do" list gets longer and longer.

Wedding stuff is coming along, though. Raoul and I did our invitations this weekend and my mom booked our DJ, so I think all the big stuff is done. I honestly think this planning thing is overrated, and I'm beginning to dream of why we didn't just do a wedding/bbq in the backyard. It's getting closer all the time, and it will sure be nice for Raoul not to have to leave all the time. . .oh to live in the same town.

Raoul and I did go skiing a couple of weekends ago. He was very patient with my less than stellar performance, and went on green runs with me all day. I'm hoping I'm about ready for a blue, but I'm still not confident in my ability to stop, and then there's that fear of hitting a tree. Considering buying a helmet. . .

We watched the KU vs. Texas A&M game on Saturday. A loss that is acceptable in that they are a ranked team (and a good one too) but not acceptable in that it was at home, they were ahead the entire game, and it was college gameday. Did anyone else's jaw drop to the floor when Digger Phelps said that KU has the potential to contend for the national title? I'm pretty sure that guy has never said a nice thing about KU ever. . . maybe he got caught up in the magic of the Phog :) This week is KSU (who just beat Texas) and Missouri (at Columbia) both games where they'll really have to buckle down a play ball---and both of which will not be televised on the west coast :(

President's Day weekend is fast approaching, and Jaimee, Adrienne and I are ready to hit the slopes in Nelson, B.C. We're staying in a cute little hostel there and scored a good deal on lift tickets (yippee for the Canadian dollar!), so we're way excited for a fun girls weekend. Other than that I think that's my life in a nutshell. Now I'm just awaiting the groundhog's prediction. . .