I usually don't see...

I never see what happens when I close the door after laying Peter down for a nap, so one day I decided to hang out afterwards with my camera for a bit. I had fun and...now I know!

Meanwhile, outside, this was going on.

Then Dad got home and the real fun started.

Ah, the beautiful quiet pleasures of childhood, and motherhood!

We've been having some fun around town for the last couple of months, trying to pack every fun thing the city has to offer into the time we have here. Below are a smattering of photos to show you what we've been up to.

always on the go
crazy hippos in the background. they're not usually, or ever, this active so it was fun to watch them play.

J with some buddies after playgroup

a fun musical instrument at the Magic House

J was super brave on this beanstalk

Huge kaliedoscope

These pictures in the Oval Office at the Magic House were cracking me up!

Peek-a-boo! This is a cool organ that blows bubbles into the tubes when you play.

At the zoo again, March 2009

One year wiser...

I've got a ton of catching up to do and where better to start than with Kevin's birthday? I'm just about a month late in documenting it, he was actually born on March 2nd, but I didn't want it to go unnoticed by all. It's been fantastic getting to spend so much time with him these past few months before his residency starts. We've been trying all the things we never wanted to spend the money on...now that we're moving, of course. For his birthday we went to a fabulous Persian restaurant, well at least fabulous to us naive Americans, after an afternoon at the climbing gym. It was Kevin's first rock climbing experience and he was excellent. We decided it will be a fun family activity to get into, especially when our kids are a bit older and can enjoy it with us.

Man, this guy's handsome!

She's growing up way too fast! She likes to give her own order and introduce Peter whenever we go out to dinner. Don't these two look alike in this picture?

Peter doing the statue of liberty move Kevin taught him in preparation for our move to CT;)

P.S. Thanks to the Blanchards for watching the kiddos while we climbed!

I just ran 13.1 and it was fun!

That was the back of the shirt when Kevin and I ran our first half marathon. Also included was a quote, and I quote, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Light. -Jesus" This time it's some girlfriends and I training and the big race day is tomorrow. The weather looks like it's going to be perfect! Kevin was able to get off early, such a supportive husband, so hopefully we can explore Ab's hometown a bit today!

March 19th

There really should be a documentary made about MATCH DAY. It's a pretty interesting cultural event in the lives of America's future doctors. It begins to feel pretty routine in this family full of doctors/medical students but for those of you who aren't familiar with it, you enter your possibilities (or rank order of the places with which you interviewed) into a computer system and by so doing, are legally bound to abide by the results. On match day you get an envelope with the program where will do your residency. Emotions run high and some people were crying because they were excited, and some others seemed close to tears because they weren't happy, people gave shouts of joy and, I think, pretty much everyone was shaking as they opened their letter and felt relief to finally KNOW where they would be training. Saint Louis University had their event this year at a place called Lumen, a modern private events center that turned out to be really neat. We got there and waited for Kevin's name to be called so he could pick up the coveted envelope. He got faked out several times, since there are 5? Kevin's in his class and three of them were called before he was. He finally heard our last name and headed over to get his envelope. I felt a strange sense of panic that he was not going to be able to wait but he made it back with the envelope unopened:) His letter said he would be doing his transitional year in...Bridgeport, CT at St. Vincent's Hospital. Although this may seem random to some of you, since we already know we'll be at UNC for his ophthalmology training, we are excited for one last hoorah before we "settle down," at least for three years. We can't wait to see what New England has to offer and live by NYC at Christmas time!!! If you've got any suggestions or must-dos for the area, let us know! We wish we had gotten photos of EVERYONE but here are some we did get on 03-19-09.

Some of the wives, and Dan, waiting...Heather and Pete-Cincinnati, Jenny and Al -Houston, Mandi and Joel-Dayton, Emily and Mike-Mayo at Scottsdale, Dan and Tera-St. John's, Heather and Matt-Mayo at Scottsdale.

Randy and Gina, headed to UMass

My boys

Little Miss Thing wouldn't leave her sweater on. Anyway, I think she had fun sampling the cheese and crackers and people watching, definitely Daddy's girl in that respect:)

Um, why are we taking a picture. Just let me open it! For posterity, dear:)

Alex, Trisa and Cannon - headed for Memphis, TN

Some of our friends, waiting

Mid-sentence, Calling Mom and siblings with the report

This little cutie was helping his dad open his envelope.

Brooke and Jim and our family. We're excited that they're headed to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, although it would have been fun to go with them to Wake Forest:)

The family, again.

I could really take a lesson

J, A, and L were really cracking me up at playgroup a few weeks ago. They were being good little sharers, as A is demonstrating above. They were also being so patient with each other, as J is demonstrating in the pictures. I am surprised J wasn't the one eating something of someone else's. Oh wait, I'm pretty sure that is the Dobson's banana. I don't know but I think they put nicotine in their bananas because J always wants them. And little L is just being her laid back self, covered in mud and not even noticing. All very admirable qualities if you ask me.