Catch Up

Lots has happened in the last 2 months! I can't believe how fast time is flying.

Ben graduated from UVM in May. Was had such a fun time celebrating with family and friends. I was an emotional wreck that day! I'm blaming it on pregnancy....but it probably had much more to do with the reality of leaving so much behind that we had grown to love. Moving is so fun, but it sure was hard to say goodbye to a beautiful state, close friends, and such an incredibly rewarding job.






After the hectic week of graduation came and went...the stress of moving set in. We had an apartment to pack up and move out of, end of year recitals to deal with, and lots of loose ends to tie up.

Saying good-bye to co-workers and students was probably the hardest part of moving. My job is the one thing I miss every single day. I have to just focus on how lucky I was to be a part of such a great studio for three years, and realize that new opportunities will come my way....some day!
As for right now...I'm just trying to figure out what those opportunities might be!



The move to Phoenix was EVENTFUL, to say the least! Ben made the long drive across country, all by himself...in only three days! He's way hardcore. I'm so glad my trip only took me 5 hours. I'm anything but hardcore!

We were anxious for our belongings to arrive...but disappointed to find out our mountain bikes had been stolen off the moving truck, our tv had been smashed and our car that was towed, showed up in Phoenix not working. Not exactly what we were hoping for! (not to mention I was sentimentally attached to our bikes since I had ridden mine through college and my mission, and Ben's was a birthday present I bought him a year ago. SAD)

But alas...turns out they were only material belongings, and life goes on.
That being said...we'll definitely be looking for a different moving company come June, when we head back east.

We also found out a few weeks ago that we're having a GIRL! We would have been excited about either, obviously....but I feel great about the shopping possibilities that a girl gives us!

(I'm in love with the little romper look this season!)

Ben started his intern year the middle of June and has been working like crazy. He is so positive...it really amazes me. He works 80 hour work week, has one day off in about every 8 or 9, works every weekend, and yet he tells people it's just not that bad! All I can say is I'm glad that all of residency won't be like this! He is gone ALL the time!

We're loving the AZ heat. People here sure complain about it a lot...but it's still pretty new to us. We have no problem being out in it! On Ben's days off, we almost always get in a round of golf and some serious pool time! Not to mention we try to go to the movies as often as we can. I think we're realizing that November is coming sooner than we think!

You Decide...

Hard to decide what's more exciting....

Ben winning FIRST PLACE in my parents' ward "Chili Cook Off" (true story!)

-OR-

The fact we're having a baby in November!!

Recent Travels

If any of you have ever seen this show...



then you've hopefully seen the episode where Bobby Flay does a throwdown with the "Wafels and Dinges" truck in NYC.

On a recent trip to the city, we made it our first priority to track down the waffle truck! And let me tell you....we were not disappointed. BEST WAFFLES EVER!





It was actually quite an interesting trip to NYC this time. We usually plan our trips full of sight seeing and events, but this time, our objective was simply to see how much great food we could consume in 24 hours! Between the waffle truck, Mesa Grill (one of Bobby Flay's restaurants), the Shake Shack, Momofuku (and it's accompanying Milk Bar), and the Doughnut Plant...I think we were successful in consuming all of our allowed calories for the entire WEEK, in 24 hours.
Such a fun trip!

Other great trips in the past two months include a trip to the motherland to throw my mom a 60th birthday party...



a weekend in SLC with my sister...


three days in Calgary for my cousin's wedding...
(How did I come away from that weekend without a single picture...?)

and Washington DC with Ben for spring break...




This weekend is GRADUATION!!! Let the festivities begin!

Next weekend we head to Toronto for one last trip home before moving west, the following two weekends I have our end of year recitals....and then the BIG MOVE!

Where has the time gone?!

We're moving to PHOENIX!

Today was the long awaited Match Day...and we were thrilled to find out we will be moving to PHOENIX in June so Ben can complete his Medicine Intern Year!

Thank goodness we get a break from the frozen tundra before we head to Buffalo for three years of FREEZING COLD SNOW!

I hardly know how to put into words the excitement of the last 24 hours!

Below are pictures from the Match Dinner the night before....talk about A LOT of nervous energy!




We have shared so many great times with our friends here in Vermont. It will be sad to say goodbye to so many. But we are grateful for the time we have had here, and look forward to our next chapter!

(Thanks for the great photos Vanessa!)

And in honor of Ben matching in Ophthalmology...I felt it necessary we take a moment to remember the eyeball cake of 2009!

I think it needs to become a tradition!

True Story

Ben and I went to Buffalo a couple of weeks ago to check out the area and get a feel for where we might want to live. In an attempt to be somewhat frugal...we decided to Priceline our hotel for the weekend. I was feeling pretty enthusiastic about the steal of a deal I got on our room (2 nights in prime Buffalo location for $38 a night) until I started reading reviews of the place on Trip Advisor. 41 REVIEWS OF BEDBUGS! And Priceline had the audacity of listing the hotel as THREE STAR. I can't believe we were actually contemplating staying there!



I decided to take the advice of my brother and call Priceline to try and work things out....maybe threaten to call my credit card, and hope they would refund us our money. I mean, who in their right mind would stay at such a dump after reading what I had read?

Priceline was completely unhelpful and basically told me there was nothing they could do. I then filed a claim with American Express, and they assured me they were almost positive they would be able to get us a refund. A week later I received a letter in the mail that said there was nothing they could do for us, that Priceline has a very strict "no refund" policy listed all over their website and there was no way around it.

So not only did we incur the expense of the hotel we DIDN'T stay at, we also had to find a new place to stay! Moral of the story...Priceline isn't always the best way to go!

Also, best news of the week...

First sighting of mini-eggs this season. I have a serious addiction to these. I think I need therapy!

The wait is finally OVER!!

We found out today that BEN MATCHED!! He will begin his Ophthalmology residency in BUFFALO, NEW YORK, starting July 2011. We couldn't be happier!

We feel so grateful and so blessed that Ben was able to match in such a competitive field. It is such a relief knowing he will actually be able to do what he loves.

It may not be much of an improvement in weather....but we'll only be an hour and a half from my parents, in Toronto! Definitely something to look forward to!

We find out in March where we will be going next year for intern year...but at this point, that's the least of our concerns! HOORAY FOR MATCH DAY!

What was I thinking??

I bought a sewing machine this weekend....and I am so excited about it. The funny thing is, I have no clue why! I know nothing about sewing, am seriously lacking any sort of crafty/creative abilities, and I have limited patience.

But for some crazy reason I've been dying to learn how to sew!

We'll see if I'm this eager after my first attempt at a project...


Now the real question is...what am I going to sew??