September News

We can't believe September has come and gone! It really was a wonderful month with lots of new things for us.
Jacob started school at the beginning of the month and has really done well. He is learning to cooperate in a classroom setting, which reflects in his behavior even at home for good, and loves his teacher Melissa whom he has excitedly shown his Cars theme backpack to each time I've dropped him off. He is a dear, sweet boy and is growing up more quickly than I can believe. And I love that he is officially and completely potty trained....yes!
Madeleine is sweet, beautiful and petite as ever. I call her my little "petite" or little bean, although she is truly packed with dynamite, never afraid to shriek in protest if upset. She hold her own very well against her brother Jacob who is very good and gentle with her... most of the time. She has cut more teeth and so is looking more like a little girl instead on an infant. She is officially a toddler which I can't believe. The past two weeks I have weaned her off the bottle completely and also am attempting to go down to two naps a day instead of one, which helps her go to sleep at 7 more promptly.
Matt is LOVING his Sept-Oct rotation at the Veterans Hospital, only because he is home so much more. We have been able to spend more time as a family and take a few little trips this month: Martha's Vinyard (although we didn't stay long enough to brag), Utah for almost two weeks, Kimball Farm (photos of Jacob riding horsies), and of course Maine and Dave and Callie's lake house, which is always a blast and much appreciated.
My news to report this month is my marathon. Well, I'll just say it was HARD AND PAINFUL! My training did pay off and I got just under four hours, but I must confess I was very disappointed that my legs and body stopped working after I hit the wall at 17 miles. I thought the canyon would make the run faster, easier that a flat plane, but is only made the pounding more severe.
I kept up a sub 8 minute mile for most of the marathon as I had trained to do, but by the time I ran out of the canyon at about 15 or 16 mils, my legs felt as though someone had taken a bat to them. From then on out my Dad and Matt traded off and ran with me the entire way, almost to the very end, which I desperately needed. I experience blood blisters, regular blisters, hyperventilating from the altitude change, runner's cramps and nausea. Yes I must say it was very painful and difficult and I'm glad it's over. And I"ll always remember that day as a tender one, despite the pain, because my sweet husband never left my side!
We hope everyone continues to be happy and healthy as fall arrives!

My Dad's New Book!

My Dad has been working some time on writing a book that he has recently finished on pornography addiction and it's terrible effects. He wrote this from his own knowledge and vast experience (having been called the past couple of years to help couples and individuals in San Antonio dealing with this devastating issue) and has been working with the Lighted Candle Society, having received their honorary, annual award earlier this year. www.lightedcandle.org (a national organization to fight pornography and the modern disintigration of the family)
It is, in my humble opinion, an absolute masterpiece on the subject, other addictions, and how they affect the body, spirit and, from my Dad's unique perspective, the brain. It is inspiring, enlightening, enjoyable to read and full of beautiful metaphors and stories.
If you're interested in reading it I will be getting copies of it for everyone very shortly.
I highly, highly recommend it! 

June and July News!

It has been a wonderful month and finally has warmed up and is feeling like summer! It, quite literally, rained for all of June and the first week of July. The weather has turned BEAUTIFUL however and we have enjoyed several wonderful days at the parks down the street from our home, outdoors at the beach etc. We live in an amazing area, so clean, nice, quiet, family friendly. We are VERY happy in our area.
Matt started his residency at BU and on the days he isn't on call, it is do-able. Call, however, is exhausting and so I try to make sure he's well fed, happy, healthy and that he gets the rest he needs when he possibly can! He's had two weekends completely off, which is more than some residencies can brag! So not horrible overall!
We have enjoyed several fun outings including (after our trip to NYC) a visit to the John and Priscilla Alden home (my 9th great grandparents who came on Mayflower and the subjects of my book I am writing), visits to the park, the Louisa May Alcott home in Concord and Lexington Green and the Old North Bridge (first skirmish of the Rev. War) in Concord for the fourth of July. It was really neat to be in the spot where it all started, to think of the courage of the colonists who fought in the Rev. War and couldn't have possibly imagined what this nation would become because of their sacrifices. Really awesome! My parents and Matt's parents are coming in the next couple of weeks and we will be able to go to the other sites in Boston City then. There is so much to see and do outside of Boston that we haven't even made it in the city yet!
Update on the kids this month: Maddie has four teeth, is eating solids (no more baby food or formula) is standing on her own and saying "mama and dada". Jacob is in the process of being potty trained and seems to be finally catching on this week. It has been a process (quite stressful at times) but I am relaxing about it how that he is starting to take initiative more and go in on his own.
I am doing well and have been reading (finally, I know) the Harry Potter series. I will be done in a couple of weeks I'm sure, as I can't put them down! I have been trying to keep busy with the kids when Matt is gone and on-call and have been training extra hard for my Marathon on Sept 19 in Logan at which I plan on qualifying for the Boston Marathon. It has been a wonderful opportunity to push myself harder this time especially with speed runs to get a faster time. 
We hope all our dear friends and family are well and we love and miss you all! I've decided to do a month by month update on our blog, so I will do August next, probably at the beginning of Sept.
Love you guys!

Our Move to Boston!

Hello Family! 

Well, we've finally moved out of Louisville, KY and are now in our new home in Belmont (Boston), MA! We absolutely love it here and really feel that we belong here, that we were meant to be here. The past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic, but exciting. Matt graduated from Dental School with his friends on May 9 and it really was a wonderful ceremony, particularly since both sets of parents could be there as well. We had a wonderful weekend all together and celebrated at Ruth's Chris after Graduation which was a divine treat! The following week was crazy since we had to pack up our home, clean it etc. Matt loaded our truck on Thursday while I cleaned the inside (thanks to Jessica C. for helping watch my kiddos!). It really is exhausting as I'm sure you all very well know! Matt left for Boston the next morning and I waited until Sat. evening when my mother arrived to drive with me. We stayed at some friend's for a couple of days before taking off and are so grateful to them for their kindness to the kids and I.

My Mom and I drove with the kids and had a great time, stopping in Kirtland, OH and Palmyra, NY on the way. It really did feel like a Church History tour and, being Sunday, was very appropriate. It was such a wonderful opportunity to see the Sacred Grove and to explain it to Jacob in two-year-old terms. We arrived in Boston late Sunday night and so stayed in a hotel. Mat was still up in Maine with his brother and so we saw him on Monday after a long weekend. After a couple of days of back-breaking work, cleaning, unpacking, our house was functional. My Mom stayed with the kids while Matt and I took off to NYC for a pre-residency trip and it was a blast! We saw a lot and yet felt like we saw little, the city is so huge! The highlights were the World Trade Center museum and ground zero, seeing the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park, walking through Central Park, eating at the famous Carnegie Deli, eating at The View at the top of the Marquis Marriot in Times Square where we were staying (awesome location, by the way!) and seeing Wicked on Broadway which Matt loved. I really think I loved it even more the second time and Elphaba's voice was AMAZING. So now we are home and although are loving our new life here on the East Coast, really miss and love all our friends from our Dental School years. We hope you are all doing well and hope we can see everyone in the next months on one of Matt's breaks. We love you!