Weekend Visitors

We have been blessed with visitors the past two weekends, and it has been so good to see our family face-to-face!

The weekend of the 9th-11th, Dusty, Erin, Oliver and Gia came up to see us. Gia has changed so much since I saw her last! Oliver and Abe seemed to have tons of fun playing together. They really interacted, calling each others' names and "helping" each other play. It was sweet to watch them. Here are some pictures documenting our time with them:

Abe holding Gia after they arrived Friday night.



Saturday morning, we went to the Farmer's market and discovered that Tosa Fest was also going on--there were some vendors, games, music, etc. Here are the boys while we were walking around Tosa Village:



After giving Dusty and Erin a quick tour of Ryan's school, we came back home for lunch and for the kiddos to nap. It was nice to just relax and chat with Dusty adn Erin during this time. Saturday night, Dusty and Erin took us out to PF Changs for dinner. Hard to see, but Abe is under the big horse--he thought he was pretty hot stuff! This is outside of PF Changs:



Afterward we wandered around the mall and the boys walked for a while like this--it was really cute!



On Sunday, we went to church and then came back to get Dusty and Erin all packed up. Then we picked up a few pizzas and headed down to the beach. It was one of the last warm days we had, and the little boys seemed to really enjoy the water! Ryan and Dusty took the kids down to the beach while Erin and I enjoyed some time to talk back at the pavilion.




After the beach, we bid them farewell and parted ways. We loved having them here, though it made us so keenly aware of what we are missing by being away, especially with our niece and nephew growing up!


The following weekend, the 16th-18th, Isaac came up to visit. We had a wonderful time with him too. He arrived Friday evening, and we enjoyed some apple pie and some time to chat. Saturday morning after breakfast (Ryan made us waffles!), Ryan took Isaac to his school and was able to show him the anatomy lab. Isaac was able to see Ryan's cadaver, hold the heart and lungs, among other things. They stayed at the school library and did some studying afterward; Abe and I hung out at home.

After lunch and Abe's nap, we headed out to the Miller Brewery Tour. Aside from the fact that we don't drink beer (personally, I think the very smell is a turnoff!), we found this to be so neat! Our tour guide was excellent and gave some very interesting information--their machines can fill 2,000 cans per minute! 40% of their production goes to Chicago (that's the equivalent of 3 surrounding states, all going to one city)! Their entire warehouse (HUGE) is turned around daily--so ALL the beer we saw stacked up in their warehouse would be gone and replaced by fresh beer within the next 24 hours. Crazy! After the tour, they offered us beer samples to try, which Ryan and Isaac took advantage of, while Abe and I shared soda pop and lemonade. Here are a few pictures from the tour:








After the tour, we headed down to walk along the Lake Michigan harbor. It was a beautiful, brisk afternoon, perfect for a fall stroll. Then we grabbed a bite to eat at Kopps Frozen Custard--AMAZING thick custard and big burgers. Isaac and I both had Mocha Chip; Ryan had Red Raspberry. Then we came home, watched a movie, and went to bed.

We went to church the next morning, relaxed/did homework in the afternoon, and Isaac headed home a little after 4 PM. It was a great weekend.


The next day, Monday the 19th, my mom, Aunt Linda, and Grandma came up to visit for the day. It was such a fun start to the week! We went to Bayshore Mall, about 20 minutes north of us, and wandered through all the stores. It was a really nice mall! When we arrived, we were a little concerned about the weather, because we didn't realize it was an outdoor mall, but the clouds cleared and it ended up to be a beautiful day. After lunch at Potbelly's Sandwich Works, we did some shopping. Everyone found a little something! Sadly, it didn't work out for them to see Ryan, as he was at class the entire day and we were too late getting to his lunch hour, but we're looking forward to seeing them all again in a few weeks to celebrate some special 50th birthdays in the family. Only one picture of the day, Abe playing at the play zone:



The end! Thanks to all our visitors for coming--it was SO good to see each of you! And to everyone else, you're welcome to come any time :)

Excuses

I know I need to update....I know many of you, namely family, have been looking for a blog update each Sunday, BUT we've had some very busy weekends, AND I just got two new magazines today! (Food and Better Homes and Gardens) Today has been one of those days that's just been on-the-go like crazy...and I still have a dishwasher to unload and laundry to fold! But, I'm going to give myself permission to let those go until tomorrow (something that is very difficult for me to do!), and after Abe is tucked in bed, I'm going to drink some hot tea and enjoy my magazines. Hopefully I'll update in the next few days! I'm looking forward to writing about all of weekend visitors as of late. Check back soon!

How Things are Going

After receiving some inquiries from family/friends about how life is now that Ryan is in medical school, it occurred to me that I've done a lot of posts about what we've been doing, but I've written very little about how things are actually going. SO, my apologies, and I hope to remedy that today!

To sum it up, things are going very well! Life is different, but so very, very good. This new phase has offered us some structure that we lacked before, and it has been SO good for our family. Perhaps the easiest way to describe our life is to give a snapshot of a day:

Abe continues to be our alarm clock, waking us up around 6 AM. I used to lament the fact that many of my friends had children who sleep until 8, 9, some even 10 o'clock! Now, I see that Abe's early wake-up time has actually been a wonderful blessing, as it has given us the opportunity to spend time together as a family in the mornings too, time that we don't have as much of in the evenings anymore. Abe helps me prepare breakfast while Ryan showers and dresses, and we eat together as a family every morning. Ryan does a brief family devotion afterward. We then have time to talk and just be together for a bit before Ryan leaves around 7:30. From then until 5-5:30 PM, Ryan is at school, and Abe and I are at home.

When Ryan gets home, he hangs out with Abe while I finish dinner. We usually eat from 5:30-6. After dinner, we have a Bible reading and prayer, and then Ryan and Abe play while I clean up dinner. When we lived in Peoria, it was easy to forgo our after dinner devotions, because there was always time "later". Now, without this "later" option available, we have taken advantage of the time we do have, and while I am certainly an advocate of personal Bible time too, we have been amazed at how powerful it has been for our family, together, to be washed in the water of the Word on a daily basis. For Abe, his after dinner playtime with Daddy is very special--he knows that every night, after we're done eating, he and Daddy get to play together.

Around 6:30, I'm done cleaning up, so Ryan starts studying (in our room with the door closed), and Abe and I play, he takes a bath, etc., until 8 PM. We usually don't interrupt Ryan during this time, but we certainly aren't banned from the room! (Abe always has to show Daddy when he goes potty--he says, "Show Daddy? Daddy proud me." So we go get Ryan, and Ryan comes out to see and then praises Abe!).

At 8:00, we have family time for about 20 minutes--sometimes we'll play a game or do a puzzle, sometimes we'll watch a VeggieTales or read a story. Then Abe gets ready for bed, we say his prayers, and tuck him in. He is almost always in bed by 8:30.

From 8:30-9:30, Ryan studies again, usually in the living room with me now since the little guy is sleeping and not vying for his attention! Then at 9:30, we have "us" time for half an hour or so. We try to be in bed between 10-10:30 each night.

The next morning, Repeat! It sounds pretty rigid, but surprisingly, it has been so good for our family. I've been amazed at how good it's been for Abe too. There's never any fussing or complaining when it's time to go to bed or leave Daddy alone or whatever it may be, because he knows that's how it goes every day. After he finishes brushing his teeth, he'll run into his room, sit down, fold his hands, and say, "Now pray!" He seems to really enjoy his routine. And of course, there are some days when the routine is thrown off, like tomorrow night for instance, when we're going to some friends' home for dinner.

Our evenings are definitely different than they used to be. Where before we had all evening as a family, now we only have short segments of time, but it's actually been okay. I don't feel at all neglected or overwhelmed, and I'm savoring this time, because I know that in the next few years, Ryan will be away much more than he is now! Now, I'm so thankful that he can at least be in the same place, albeit with the door closed. We still enjoy having his presence nearby.

I received an email the other day from a woman whose husband went through medical school many years ago-she also had young children while they went through both medical school and residency. She wrote, "I won't say that it wasn't hard, cause it was hard at times (real life)"--basically stating that their journey wasn't a breeze, but it was just life, their life, just as this is ours. We will have our triumphs and our difficulties just like everyone else. And yeah, when many of our friends are buying homes, advancing in their work, etc., and we're still living on a meager budget in a rental, it's hard sometimes. Making friends with some of Ryan's classmates' wives has been so wonderful for me in this regard. On another level, it's also frustrating sometimes when I'm worn out, I've just settled in with a book, and I don't really feel like going to see what Abe needs when he's crying from his crib--I'd rather stay cuddled up and ask Ryan to do it! Where we would have shared those responsibilities before, I now take care of that so he can continue to study. I know that those small things are a tremendous help to him.

On exam weeks, Ryan usually stays at school until right before Abe goes to bed, with studying being more intense on those days. It leaves me alone with Abe for pretty long periods of time, but it sure is sweet when Ryan is finally home! We're learning that our time together is quality over quantity.

Anyway, that was rather lengthy and wordy! I hope you followed along. I know life will continue to change, especially with the new baby and longer hours for Ryan in the years ahead. But, the Lord has shown Himself to be so faithful. I'm certain that the joy that encapsulates our marriage and our home has been bestowed upon us by our Father in Heaven, and I'm so exceedingly thankful to Him for His good gifts!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!

Fall is definitely making its entrance, at least here in Wisconsin, anyway. It's only 64 degrees here today, and the sun keeps peeking in and out of the clouds! I made some pumpkin scones after church, and the spicy scent of them baking combined with the breeze blowing through the windows is simply amazing! The crockpot is working on a hearty veggie-lentil stew for dinner tonight.

The decided nip in the air, as well as the new month of September, have made me so excited for the next few months. Fall is my favorite season by far: the change of the leaves, the smell of bonfires, trips to the apple orchard, the anticipation of the holiday season around the corner, and on and on.

Still, I thought I would be remiss to not give summer its proper farewell. We had a fabulous, eventful summer, and while I've posted most of our events, there are still a number from this past month of August that have been waiting on my camera. So, here is a snapshot of the last month of summer fun, exploring all our new city has to offer....enjoy!


Homemade Cherry Pie with tangy Door Co. cherries:




At the Milwaukee County Zoo:

Looking at the giraffe:





The "elfants" (as Abe calls them!)--we were super close to all the animals which was so neat for Abe:




At the beach of Lake Michigan:







Playing with Daddy:




Homemade Tomato Soup with Fresh Farmer's Market Tomatoes:




Brewers vs. Cubs Game--this was my first major league baseball game, and it was a whole different experience than the Peoria Chiefs! We had tons of fun:

Miller Park:





Munching his popcorn while watching the game:




Walking along the harbor with Shayne, Emily, and Brady:




Possibly the most delectable combination of ingredients that has ever graced my palate--fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, and fresh garlic:




And the best for last--I found my son doing this when I walked into our bedroom last week:



Thanks for reading!