New Beginnings

I am happy to announce that the title of Adventures of a Vet Student is no longer accurate!  Tomorrow I start my last official day as a fourth year veterinary student.  I still have a few more steps before I get my diploma but I decided to celebrate anyway.  I started a new blog (with a more appropriate title)!!!!

http://becominganoregonian.blogspot.com

Crochet and Other Recent Crafty Things

Since I FINALLY finished my boards (have you noticed a theme in my life recently- everything seems to revolve around boards!) I have had more time for fun things-like CRAFTING!!!  So many projects to talk about!  Probably my favorite and the one that I am super proud of is my new earring holder.  For Christmas I received many new earrings and needed a place to store them (just to make sure they stay paired!!!)  I was trying to think of a way to display them without it being the middle school earring holder we all had growing up.  I looked some at stores but didn't find anything I liked.  While out shopping, I found a picture frame that I loved (and I love Hobby Lobby's 50% sales!).  I decided to make an earring holder out of it.  The next question was what do I use as a background to hold the earrings.  I was thinking burlap would look nice but I was afraid it wouldn't hold the earrings well.  Luckily I had Jenna with me!  We found mesh wire (intended to make some wire mask thing-idk it looked weird) but it was the perfect width for my 4 x 6 frame! We decided that we didn't want just the wire mesh as a backdrop for the earrings (it felt too much like the middle school earring holders) so we went looking for burlap.  We found many different color options (did anyone else know burlap is now in a wide variety of colors??? Surprised me!)  I probably would have been boring and used normal burlap but Jenna convinced me to use the teal.  The results are amazing!!!!!  

Jenna's turned out great too!

I also had some time to create some Christmas and winter themed boards for the house.  This is probably my favorite craft project that I have made due to the versatility! It is so easy to change for each season.  Plus I love finding new things to hang on it!

Christmas Board- the right ornament says
The greatest story ever  told

The winter themed board!
Snow place like home!

Alright, the last thing I have is my crochet blankets. I have started a lot of them as gifts....and finished none of them!!!!  But I'm still working!  The first one is one I started for me.  Its very neutral colors and very thick.  I love it but its a slow process because its so big and thick.

The next one is probably my favorite pattern.  I love the colors and the chevron stripe!!!  I am half way done with it in this picture.  

I started a wintery, cabin-y themed one for Ginny and am really close to finishing it!!!!  Thats my weekend goal.  I think the colors just say Colorado Cabin.

That's all my current crafting projects!  I need to work on a  scarf for my new coat so maybe that will be coming soon!

Holidays

I was just thinking that it won't be too long before the blog title is no longer relevant!  Crazy.  Anyway, I'm sure there will be more on that later.
The Holidays passed in blur this year!  Its been really crazy with rotations and then trying to pretend that I have a normal person life.  This year Chris and I had to stay home for most of the holidays due to my schedule.  We were lucky enough to be able to spend Thanksgiving with his family in Winter Park, Colorado.  Their new condos are huge and gorgeous!

A shot of the outside of the condos.

The view from the condos was incredible!

We flew into Denver on Tuesday.  Chris was really unhappy that Peyton Manning, Denver BRONCOS QB, wished us a very Happy Thanksgiving while we were in the airport.  I don't think he is adjusting to the new Colts team well!

Chris's face upon hearing Peyton- you know the BRONCOS QB-
wish us a Happy Thanksgiving.  I probably should stop making
 fun of him at some point but its just so easy and enjoyable!!!!!

Chris and his family had an amazing time skiing and enjoying the cold.  I on the other hand had an awesome time staying warm inside while hanging out with Noah, Emie and Jessica!  I also found time to finish a few crafting projects!  I had been so busy studying for boards (which I took the Monday before we left) that I was behind on my crafting and relaxing.

I took my boards right before we left for Colorado.
 I got an amazing surprise for my boards.  Ginny
and Roger sent me a beautiful flower arrangement to
 cheer me up!  They were pink and gorgeous!!!!!

 I managed to finish a hat for Chris.  I think it turned out really well!  The wavy lines had me cursing up a storm the first 10 attempts but I finally figured it out!!!!

On the first day, we all met up on the mountain for lunch at the amazing soup restaurant in Winter Park.  Noah, Emie, Jessica and I rode the bus up the mountain to meet the skiers!  It was quite the adventure.  Noah loved the school bus.  

We had amazing food the entire trip but Thanksgiving was my favorite.  Prime Rib, brussel sprouts, roasted root veggies, mashed taters, and Reeses cookie pie for dessert- What's not to love?  Unfortunately we ate all the food before I even thought of taking photos.  So instead you get more scenery pictures.  

It was an amazing trip. It was so great to finally relax and hangout with family!

 Since it is currently January and I just wrote my Thanksgiving post- I'm slightly behind but that just means more holidays to come!!!

So Much FALL Crafting...So Little Time

So, while it is still 90 degrees outside- It is officially FALL in my house!  It wasn't really my fault.  I happened to go into Bath and Body Works and they had all the fall scents out.  Of course I HAD to buy some (ok most of them!).  Then when I got home and plugged in the new leaves and pumpkin scented wall flowers and used the hazelnut hand soap my house (and me!) smelled like fall but still looked summery.  What's a girl to do but redecorate for fall?  I started by FINALLY updating my seasonal board.  At first I had trouble making it appear fall-like and not Thanksgiving-y (I realize I am early for fall but I do know its too early for Thanksgiving decorations!!!) I settled on this.  I think it looks pretty fall-y.   

P.S. HEREis the link I used to make the board incase anyone is interested.

Next I started decorating the mantel.  Lucky me- Hobby Lobby had 50% off flowers!  I have always loved the silver pitcher but hadn't found a use for it yet.  I think it looks awesome as a vase! Plus for Chris and my anniversary a really awesome friend bought us  the colorful hanging candles! Although kind of hard to see in the picture-it looks amazing on the mantel.  

My final crafting project was a new WREATH!  I love wreaths!!!  There is something about coming home to a front door that looks warm and inviting with a wreath that makes me smile every time! I think this wreath is perfect for summer transitioning into fall! The fall colors combined with the flowers just seems right.  

This is just to show you how deep my love for wreaths really goes!

Some Assistance Needed

So I'm not usually one to post biblical references (The way I figure it if you wanted to know my religious philosophy- you'd ask me), but these last few weeks have been especially trying hence the needed assistance.  It all started when clinics hit the gas and I found myself smack dab in the middle of a particularly busy time with rotations that have higher time expectations.  Add to that a fear driven desire to study for my boards and you get a lot of stress.  With all the stress at school, one would hope that stress levels in another aspect of life would decrease but unfortunately that didn't happen.  Chris has been traveling a lot and dealing with his own work related stresses.  Together we were just trying to survive until things slowed down (aka I have an off block and he gets to take a few days off of work!).  

Even though life hasn't really hit the brakes for Chris and I, I found a few bible verses that helped me to focus on handling the things that I cannot change and fixing the ones that I can change.   Two verses stuck out in my mind.  Matthew 6:34 talking about handling worry one day at a time and 1 Peter 4:8 realizing love is more important than the everyday stresses really struck a chord.  Yes, I realize there are two images of Matthew 6:34 but I could not pick one! (I am a sucker for puppies and I love the rose version too.) 

 

I don't know if either of these will be helpful to anyone else but they have managed to bring me some peace and assistance in dealing with how hectic life has gotten in the last month.  Hopefully with my time off and off campus rotation I will get a break from the fast paced clinic world and recharge my batteries before diving back in for the last half of my clinical year (P.S. YES I AM HALF WAY DONE!!!)

therefore don't forget to 

Sweet Corn!

A few weeks ago ( I am pretty sure it was at least a week ago but when your life is super hectic time flys, days pass and who really can keep track of them?), Chris and I went to the Urbana Sweet Corn Festival.  It was a blast!  Sometimes it is nice to just chill out -even if it is just for an evening.

 Chris and I are HORRIBLE at taking pictures- we never think to do it.  So to try to rectify that situation we each had to take 5 pictures throughout the evening.  ( You may wish we just decided to stick with having no pictures because we are not very good photographers).

Are you starting to see why we couldn't make a career with our photography skills?

We started by perusing all the food options.  There were so many kinds of BBQ and grilled foods!  Once we finally settled on food, Chris was so excited about his he couldn't wait to eat it-which explains why he burnt his tongue.  The above right is a photograph of my brilliant husband who burnt his tongue on his chili so bad that he had to go buy ice cream to cool it off.  His tongue hurt so bad he wouldn't even share the ice cream!!!! (Or at least thats the story he told me!)

We met up with Jenna and Jesse!  It was really great sitting, people watching and listening to the music.  There were a few different bands who played country music.  I really loved Kaelyn Green (spelling? How do you spell Kaelyn when it is used as a boy name?) a country artist out of Nashville.  He sang some of my favorite country songs.  

When we got home, I was working on a blanket that I am crocheting.  Apparently I bored Elsie to death because she fell asleep on my yarn!

Chinese Valentine's Day

August 13th was my birthday and Chris and my 3rd year anniversary!  I also was informed that this year August 13th was the Chinese Valentine's Day!  Lucky coincidence!

While I feel like our anniversary is a much bigger accomplishment than surviving yet another year- I freaking LOVE birthdays!   It was an awesome day!  I made cupcakes for school like a 3rd grader and brought them in to share (but you cannot possibly understand how much I love birthdays- It doesn't have to be my own birthday-I love other people's birthdays! And I wanted to share the fun!).  I liked being at school on my birthday- Everyone said happy birthday :)   When I went home Chris and I exchanged gifts.  I got him an arm band to hold his phone while we go running and a hand exercise thing (he asked for it otherwise I'd still probably not know it existed) for while he drives.  I also found some really cool looking DVD workouts for us to try.  He got me 2 new necklaces and a pair of earrings (pictures to come!!!).  He also found a used Wii and got Wii fit, Wii fit plus and mario.  I LOVE THE WII!!!  (last night I found Kung fu Wii fit- needless to say I stayed up late last night!!!)

Once I finally stopped playing Wii, Chris and I found a new (to us) restaurant in Champaign, Bacaro, that specializes in farm to table meals.  We opted for the tasting menu since it was a special occasion.  Seven courses of deliciousness!  All the food was incredible.  Chris and I both agreed our favorite part of the meal were the sauces.  Each dish had the most amazing sauce paired with it.  If I had to guess Chris' favorite was the paprika vinaigrette.  It was fabulous.  I tried to take pictures of the food but it was soo good that I got distracted and forgot.  Here are a few of the dishes.

We had so much fun!  I am so proud of us for surviving 3 years of vet school, travel and stress.  Here is hoping for 50 more years of happiness.

Don't forget-Keep Calm and Carry On