What's up Doc . . .

So, since it has been a while . . . how's about a little catch-up.

1. Aukai and I flew down to St. Louis to look for a home. My dear Aunt Cassandra came out to watch the boys and introduced them to gummy peach rings and Winnie-the-Pooh.* Their lives will never be the same.

2. We didn't find a house. I flew home and Aukai stayed two more days to keep looking.

3. Aukai found a house. He sent me pictures and told me to let him know if I wanted it. He didn't tell me he'd already put in an offer.

4. I spent the last two weeks of medical school on surgery. Thanks to the wonderful ladies in student services I finally finished all my paperwork so I could graduate.

5. My sweet parents flew in one week before graduation to help us pack and spoil the boys. Holly came in 2 days before graduation and single-handedly pulled us from utter disaster to packed moving truck. Ashton decided only Holly could wipe his bottom. The boys frequently reminds us that they are two of Holly's favorite people.

6. I caught a horrible cold and spent most of graduation* wondering whether I was hot or cold. Just before I walked, I finally realized that after 24+ years of fighting, I'd finally done it. It was all I could do to hold my composure for the next 30 seconds.

7. We went to dinner with some of the finest people I know.

8. Thanks to the help of the world's best friends and neighbors, our house was emptied, cleaned and painted on time (barely). The boys are still recovering from being torn out of their bed and kicked outside just before the key was due. I cried as we left Whipple Park.

9. We spent the night at Bryce and Zion's home to prevent an accident.

10. The next two days, including my birthday, were spent driving across 5 states.
Aukai gave me the best birthday present ever . . . a home.*

11. I walked into my birthday home and realized how much work was ahead of us. Aukai's parents came and helped us clean, put in a dishwasher and fix a leaky main pipe. Ken shared a motto that has gotten me through the past week: "Other than hard work, there's nothing to it."

12. Isaac decided he wants us to keep the mustard-yellow appliances, is obsessed with the Gateway Arch and has concluded that St. Louis is much hotter than Rochester. Ashton is in love with the dogs next door and spends hours telling them stories about Rochester and our meals. Aukai is busy pulling up carpet, fixing things and researching insulation. I am working hard to find more projects for him to do. We will try to update the blog as we update the house.

*Stay tuned for pics.