Forever

We met Allan and Shannon a little over a year ago when they moved to Portland. They had been married for a short time and Allan had just been baptized. They lived here for a mere 8 or so months and then moved back to California. While they were here I loved watching them grow in the gospel and watching Shannon drill David with her inquisitive questions.
This past weekend they flew up from CA to go through the temple. Unfortunately David was still down at Stanford so he missed out on the all the festivities. Friday they went through the temple together for the first time and Saturday they were sealed for time and all eternity. I can not explain the sweet spirit that was in the sealing room, but it was one of the most tender experiences of my life. While in the temple I was reminded of how much our Heavenly Father loves us and wants to bless us with all that He has.

Silicon

Valley, that is.... After our trip to Vietnam, David headed to the heart of Silicon Valley to do a rotation through the Cardiac ICU at Stanford's Lucille Packard Children's Hospital. So, I ventured down there for part of his stay, hoping to catch at least a glimpse of him. David unfortunately lived at the hospital during his 3 week rotation, so that's about all I caught of him. (I think it was a wake up call to the life of a Cardiac Intensivist, so he may be rethinking his desire to pursue that sub-sub specialty.)

I stuck around Palo Alto the first few days and took in some of the local sights and entertainment. First off, there is not a pleathora of things to do in Palo Alto, so I did a few of the obvious. I went to a Standford basketball game. Stanford lost in the last 5 seconds, but it was a great ending to the game. They were tied when Stanford made their last shot at about 7 seconds and then the other team's player hustled down the court and made the play. Bravo.

I also visited Stanford campus and went to the Cantor Arts Center and saw Rodin's collection of bronze statues including "The Gates of Hell".   Lot's of nudes everywhere...

My first weekend in CA, I took the opportunity to visit some friends in Santa Cruz. While I was in Santa Cruz, I went to the beach. It wasn't the best beach weather, but rain or shine, I love the beach. I walked on the pier and then headed up the coast to the Surf Museum and the Lighthouse.



Then I met up with Shannon and we went to see "New Moon" with some of her friends. I can't remember the last time I went to a movie on opening night, let alone a movie where people actually ran into the theater to get the best seat. And, to make matters worse, the theater was full of "tweens" swooning over Edward and Jacob. I could have done without the screaming, hooting, giggling and drooling.

The next day Alan, Shannon and I went to the Oakland Temple.   From the temple, Oakland looks like a beautiful city.  I guess the temple really can make everything look more beautiful! It was the first time the Dyson's had been to a temple visitor center so it was really neat to be a part of that experience.


  

One night David was working late, I headed to downtown Palo Alto to the Stanford Theatre.  It is this swanky, vintage theatre that offers double features.  I Saw "My Man Godfrey" and "The Thin Man". 

We spent Thanksgiving with David's cousin Jared and his family in San Jose.  It was nice to actually be with family on Thanksgiving.    

Sensory Overload

Vietnam November 2009

Photographer from Mission Trip

It is almost hard to imagine now that I am home in my comfortable, luxurious (at least in comparison) condo living in a clean, organized city with cars that follow traffic regulations and sidewalks free of people eating on child size plastic chairs around child size plastic tables that across the world a place like Hanoi, Vietnam exists. Our trip was incredible and I would go back in a heartbeat, but it definitely made me so grateful to live in America.

I'm forewarning this post is long, so I apologize in advance, but this is kind of a personal journal of our trip. For those who don't care about the details and just want to see the pics, I placed all of them at the top of the post.

Day 1 and 2: Friday/Saturday
The day after we arrived in Vietnam we headed out to Halong Bay. Per David and some native Vietnamese folk, I was told this was a must see in Northern Vietnam. I was not disappointed. The trip consisted of exploring an enormous cave, delicious meals, kayaking, swimming, relaxing on the "junk" boat deck, and an overnite stay aboard the boat while anchored in the bay.
When we arrived back to Hanoi in the evening, we walked around and took in the local sites in the Old Quarter. I tried my first taste of Vietnamese street food. David ate plenty of it during his first trip to Vietnam and he raved about it when he came home, so I had to try it. We did this before we had our mission trip meeting informing us that we should not eat the street food. Luckily our bodies survived it with no significant complications.
Day 3: Sunday
For our travels today David and I opted to venture out on a motorbike. I had experienced the chaos from a car and a bus, but not from the backseat of a motorbike and I was ready for the rush. We hired some random guy driving by and David and I both hopped on the back of his bike. Although he definitely ripped us off and then proceeded to drop us off blocks from where we needed to be, the ride was worth it. It was like paying for a roller coaster ride except for instead of going up and down you are weaving left and right all the while honking at every bike or car that gets in your way or you pass along side.
We visited the Ho Chi Minh Museum. This was quite interesting. Surprisingly the exhibits were very modern representing various people, events, etc that influenced Ho Chi Minh. I realized I don't know much at all about him and most of the displays did not make much sense to me despite the descriptive captions. The one thing I did understand is the admiration (worship-like)that the Vietnamese have for him. I saw a mother with her little child standing in front of a portrait of him and she was having her little child kiss the portrait. It was a little odd.
After leaving the museum we walked to the Truc Bach Lake where John McCain was gunned down. There is a monument displaying the proud moment in Vietnamese history.
We visited our second of several Pagoda's. I enjoy the architecture of the buildings, but do not fully understand or appreciate the type of worship, incense burning and fake money offerings.
In the lake surrounding the pagoda, there was a man fishing. Not with a pole, not off the side of a boat, not with a net, nope, none of those. He was actually IN the water stringing fish together and then putting them in a net. His wife and daughter (?) were patiently awaiting his catch. Now just moments before we saw this gentleman, we noticed that the lake was full of dead fish. Yuck!
During our lunch this day and several meals throughout the trip, we learned that all items placed on the table are fair game for having an additional cost. Generally the silverware/chopsticks are free, but the napkin, "handi-wipe", plate with peanuts, etc may all cost you a whopping 3 to 5 cents USD, but it seems like quite a bit more when the bill comes and it shows 3000 VND.
Day 4: Monday
Today was our first official day of work. As we walked through the hospital gates, I can only imagine what we looked like. Hospitals are not generally stopping grounds for tourists, at least not by choice. To give you an idea of the Viet Duc hospital grounds, there are people outside everywhere. Families waiting for their loved ones, patient's getting some "fresh" air (if you can call it that) and hospital employees bustling about to various departments. The hospital rooms have their shutters open so you can see right into the rooms. So, a huge group of white people walking through is a scene I'm not sure they have ever seen before.
We were introduced to the hospital staff we would be working with. There were several doctors that spoke English or at least attempted too.
I learned that my assignment of working with the database actually meant interviewing patient's prior to surgery to collect data for future research. I was pleasantly surprised since I had visions of sitting at a computer entering data for the whole two weeks. The possibility of working directly with the patients was an added bonus to actually having the opportunity to come on the trip as a non-medical personnel.
Day 5: Tuesday
Today we got to work. David worked alongside the Echocardiographer and consulted on patients to assess their surgery needs. I started interviewing patients and LOVED it. Everyone was so interested in what we were doing. Nurses and other patient's and their families would gather around and just observe. No HIPPA laws here.
Tonight, one of our young patients passed away after surgery. There were complications during recovery that could not resolved. It was a sombering experience for the team. A week later the grandfather of this young boy came to the hospital to pay an outstanding bill for his deceased grandson. David was there when he came in and said that this gentleman was so kind and so thankful for what we had tried to do.
The perspective of these individuals when it comes to medical treatment is so different then ours. In America we expect miracles all the time because we are blessed with such advanced medical care that miracles happen daily. Our doctors are well trained and we have the technology, equipment, facilities and drugs to save lives. In Vietnam patients die for reasons that they would not die for in the states. The patients and their families realize the risks and they accept them. There is no anger or hatred at the doctors when the patient passes on. The following week CardioStart operated on a married man. David saw his wife in the OR waiting room after her husband had been transferred to the ICU for recovery. She did not know his status because the doctors in Vietnam do not give reports to the family until they have been transferred from the ICU to the "step-down" unit. Families are not able to see their family members until this point also. So, when David went out he gave this woman the report that her husband had a successful surgery and that he was in recovery, her only response was: "Is it true?" She was prepared for the worst and still couldn't believe that he was alive.
Day 6-7 Wednesday/Thursday: Lots of work. I interviewed a very special patient and his mother. Vu, is a 21 year old male, with a heart defect from childhood. At the age of 10 he dropped out of school because he no longer had the energy to perform daily tasks. His teacher just thought he was lazy. His mom and dad worked for years to afford insurance so that he could get the surgery the doctors said he needed. Now at the age of 21, he is finally being treated. Vu and his mother were both so humble and so appreciative of this opportunity that he has been given. He has hopes of going back to school and developing a trade so that he can support his future family.
Day 8: Friday
Vu's surgery. I watched my first open heart surgery from creating a sterile field to cutting through the skin to cracking the chest, to repairing the heart (used a live donor valve for replacement, 1st time this has been done in Vietnam), to closing the ribs with wire. In the ICU during recovery I watched as Vu had a reaction to the blood products in the ICU. He was still bleeding but he was rejecting the blood products, so he had to go back into surgery to stop the bleeding. He had to be completely dry when he came out since we realized that giving blood was not going to be an option. By the time we left Vietnam the following week, he was walking, eating and doing fabulous. We found out that his father was in the Vietnam War serving in the same location as two of the men from our group. It was quite touching to see them together as they apologized to each other for fighting against one another and then embraced.
That night the hospital invited us a fancy dinner. It was some of the best food I ate during the whole trip to Vietnam. During the dinner I overheard someone telling the waiters that my table was vegetarian. Well, there were three vegetarians at the table, but there were three of us that were not. To give you a little background, the hospital would make us lunch everyday. Depending on the look of the food, I was vegetarian. Now, anyone that knows me knows there is no way I am a vegetarian, especially being married to David. So, because of those days I was a vegetarian at the hospital, expectedly they assumed I was.
Day 9: Saturday
Trip to Hoa Lu - Tam Coc – Bich Dong We visited the biggest pagoda I have ever seen. The country is in the process of building this pagoda in preparation for the 1000th year celebration of Vietnam. There are about 500 Buddhist monk statues lining the walkways up to the pagoda.
After the pagoda we took a river boat tour through some caves. It was so relaxing and the tour was breathtaking. We saw a monkey so I was thrilled. We could have turned around and went home and I would have been completely satisfied.
Day 10: Sunday
We visited an orphanage. There are some local artists that volunteer their time and teach the children how to paint. The children loved painting and some of them were tremendously good. I was a little frustrated because I wanted to talk to them about their paintings and there was only so much acting I could do to get my point across. The kids were all so well behaved and the orphanage was clean and organized. Later that night we went to see a water puppet show. If you have never seen one of these, it is a must.
Day 11-12: Monday/Tuesday
Day 13: Wednesday David flew home. During the day David worked in the ICU since the intensivist had already left Hanoi. The patient he was recovering was a women past her pediatric years :). He did a great job despite the stress of her condition and went home being able to breathe easy because she was stable.
Day 14: Thursday- The hospital took us on a tour of their new cardiac center. It is quite larger and definitely more luxurious then their current location and they are so proud of it. They are planned to set operating on their first patients in February 2010. When I got back to the hospital I wrapped up all the data on our patients and saw any final patients. This evening HSCV took our team and the hospital staff to a fancy restaurant for dinner. I ate escargo for the first time and admit it could be the last. There is nothing appetizing about eating a slimy booger, but I had to try it. There was so much seafood to choose from and it was all for the most part delicious. It was a great end to a great trip.

Day 15: Friday went to Hoa Lo Prison (known to American's as the Hanoi Hilton), met up with a couple other ladies for fancy ice cream at restaurant by the lake. Went shopping They have these fabulous bamboo bowls and ceramic dish sets. If I had more space I would have brought so much more stuff home. The prices were fabulous. Next time I will be more prepared. That evening I flew out with my friend Rachael for our long flight home and a long layover in Korea.
Day 16: Our flight home stopped in Seoul, Korea. We visited the Blue House (where the President lives), Medical Tourism Museum, Korean restaurant, Shopping Street- where I experienced first hand the art of negotiating. I watched a sales price for two leather jackets drop from $400 to $150 within a matter of minutes.

Memories of trip:

running around lake dripping wet and wondering if I could make it one more mile (it was so humid), taking a shower or at least cleaning my feet every night before bed to wash off all the grime, cooked dog at the market, hospital lunches and lettuce washed on bathroom floor, rat running across hospital hallway, walking across roads at own risk, bloody signs displaying body parts outside and and inside hospital, ate ice cream almost everyday and it was delicious- I thought while in Vietnam I would be forced to have a break from sweets, but of course that couldn't happen. I sniff them out. breakfast at the hotel- the cook would make me a "well done" omelete every morning. I loved all the fresh fruits and vegetables that we ate.

Alas, I am finally done with this post. I know I am missing so much stuff, but life is busy and it's about time I upload some pics and tell about our trip!

The Interview

We are home from our trip to Vietnam and it was wonderful. There is so much to tell about the trip, but we are now in Northern California until after Thanksgiving, so the trip details and pics may be slow in coming. I just wanted to share this news clip taken during our trip:

Vietnam CardioStart Heart Mission Video

David had a chance to be interviewed and after attempting to answer the reporter's questions in English and being reprimanded (lovingly) by his translator for giving long answers he did the interview in Vietnamese. I still laugh every time I hear him start speaking Vietnamese because it is just so, so different than English. I tried to pick up a few words while there, but it's pathetic when I can't even say the patient's name correctly and David has to quietly inform me that I am calling the patient, a 21 year old male, a "boob".

Leaving on a Jet Plane

In about three days we will be enjoying some of this:

(Actually, hopefully we will not be "enjoying" any of this!
At least not knowingly.)

Vietnam, here we come!

What Matters Most

Last night I received some sad news about family friends from our stake in St. Louis. Their mother passed away this week after a battle with cancer. As I was thinking about them and have been inspired by their strength and their testimonies, I was reminded of this video on Mormon Messages: .
I feel very blessed to have been raised to know the importance of families and to know that families are forever. I hope you enjoy this video!

Fall has arrived.

Earlier this week I woke up to a chilly morning and RAIN. Summer has gone away and fall has replaced it. It's interesting how this change seems to happen so quickly, but in reality, there are several things that have slowly, almost imperceptibly led up to this change in seasons. But this year it literally seemed like one week it was summer and the next was fall.
One of my most favorite things about fall, that I missed while living in California and Arizona, are the leaves changing colors. The colors are magnificent, especially here in the Northwest. The reds are so vibrant. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before. This picture does not even do it justice, but that's what you get when you have an amateur behind the camera!

Cool Video made by Amber and Jon

My little sister, Amber, called to tell me to check my email because her and her husband had put together this video they thought David and I would like. We watched the video and it was awesome so I had to share it with you guys. They made this with their digital camera and just combined a bunch of still frames together so they look like they're moving. I got their permission to post it on my blog since it is so cool.

Check it out:

Jeans from Jon Troutman on Vimeo.

(If it has problems loading, hit pause right after you hit play and then let it load all the way before playing it again.)

I didn't think much about them making this video since Ambie and Jon are both really creative and Jon is a graphic design artist that has made videos before. Did you notice anything in particular about the video? Pretty creative, huh?

Dear Doernbecher Children's Hospital,

Please send Dr. Bailly home. His wife misses him and her side of the bed is beginning to droop because he is not on the other side to balance it out.

She will continue to share him with you every 4th night, at least one weekend a month and some holidays because she knows that the sick kids at the hospital need him too.

Your cooperation is much obliged.

Sincerely,
His Wife

The Perfect Weekend

I love General Conference. It makes for two whole feel good days and lots of inspiration. I always come away with a renewed desire to be better. This weekend was no different and David was home the whole weekend to enjoy it with me.

We also got to experience a little bit of the outdoors. We headed out, with friends, to the Columbia River Gorge. During our year of living here, we have only gone out there a handful of times, and let's just say we could go out there every weekend until we move and still have so much more to see. It is amazing. This trip entailed hitting four more destinations and it only took about 4 hours one evening to do them all.

Crown Point State Park that overlooks the Gorge:


The Vista House:


Wahclella Falls:




There are so many waterfalls in the Gorge and waterfalls happen to be one of my favorite things, so I better take advantage of having so many nearby.

Bonneville Fish Hatchery:

Honestly I was not really sure what to expect at the Fish Hatchery, but it ended up being my favorite site. We got to see Herman the Sturgeon.
Herman's Stats:
70 years old
10 feet long
450 pounds.



He was impressive. If I were to see him in the ocean, I would be sure I was seeing a shark. He was that huge. And the even more impressive thing is that sturgeons can get up to twice as big as Herman. CRAZY! These are a type of fish that live in the Columbia River. I'm having second thoughts about getting in that river. A while back a friend of ours told us a story about back in the day when fisherman would fish from the shoreline of the Columbia River and would use horses to pull out these enormous sturgeons. After seeing Herman, I believe it.

I thought nothing could top seeing Herman. But, I was wrong. Last minute before we left we decided to go and see the adult salmon. Oh my gosh!!!! The salmon are in a salmon ladder and they await their turn for spawning. I don't understand how it all works, but let me just tell you that salmon are incredible. I could have stood there and watched them for hours.
This video will show you a bit of my excitement:


I could not believe that they would leap about 4 feet up out of the water. We were even privileged enough to see one salmon jump up, throw his body just right, and land up on top of the barrier. Then he flopped around until he flopped right off the edge into the next level. I wish I had a video of that but we couldn't get our camera to turn on quick enough. Dang slow digital camera. Here is a video of some of the jumping action:


(Karstaroni: when you come to visit next summer I will have to take you here. You will LOVE it!)

Homemaking 101

I would say in the past, prior to marrying, I was not very homemakerish if that is even a word. I come from a home with a very talented mom. Our home was always beautifully decorated and she cooked lots of yummy foods. My sisters all seemed to have developed these skills long ago and I am slowly trying to catch up. I think they took advantage of having a wonderful mom who could teach them and I must have been too busy dancing around practicing routines or maybe I was just too distracted by some high school boyfriend. Needless to say, it's never too late to start. So this past year I have been trying to work on honing some of these skills. So periodically I will post some of my newest projects that make me feel crafty or homemakerish. This blog will display my projects like a mother's refrigerator displays a child's art projects. (They are about that caliber of work.)

David pulled some chairs out our condo garbage a couple of months ago and I decided to take on the task of recovering them. I forgot to take before photos, but here is the final product.


I also had a friend come over the other night and we made freezer jam. I asked her to teach me how to do it and then was embarrassed that I thought I would need help. Who knew it could be so easy and so delicious.




We made lots and lots of Raspberry Jam, Blackberry Jam and some combo jam too.

Little Critters

The other morning while I was showering I noticed some movement near the edge of the tub. I promptly grabbed the shower head, aimed and washed that little critter right down the drain. After it was gone from sight and there was no hope of resuscitating it, I felt guilt. Not guilt because I had killed the bug (Portland hasn't rubbed off on me that much), but guilt because I realized I would much rather have my life squashed out in an instant then to sputter under water until I could no longer gasp for air at which point my lungs would be screaming for one last gulp of fresh air. From that point on I decided: I will just squash it and put it out of it's misery.

Visit from Mama Bailly

Two weeks ago Mama Bailly packed up her suitcase full of crafts and came to visit. We have never had the chance to have Mama Bailly to ourselves for one whole day let alone a whole week. We loved every second of her visit. While David was at work, we worked on craft projects (Beth multiple ones, me just one. I guess I'm slow). When David was home we went on walks through beautiful parks and on beautiful trails, hit happy hour at the Portland City Grill so we could check out the Portland skyline at night, stopped by to pick up some Voo-doo donuts, went to the Temple and stopped by my favorite Coldstone's ice creamy (you have got to try the Oatmeal Cookie Dough Ice cream with graham crackers, it is so scrumptuous), and met some Vietnamese guys in the hot tub at 24 HR (since David speaks Vietnamese, we tend to meet a lot of them), and then got hooked up with lunch at their Vietnamese restaurant.
It was a great treat to have Beth come to visit!

Plug for the Farmer's Market in NW portland: You can pick up a bouquet of these flowers for just $5.00. They are PERFECT!

Happy Birthday Sophie!

I don't generally dedicate a post to each of our nieces and nephews since there are 23 between David and I, but my brother Kenny's youngest, Sophie, deserves a special little post.
Last year Sophie was born on September 19th weighing 2 lbs 13 oz. She was born several weeks premature and was in the NICU for about a month. She was so tiny and precious when she was born. It is amazing to see her today (at least in photos since I haven't seen her in person since she was few weeks old.) She is a little miracle and we love her!

Happy 1st Birthday Sophie!

Isn't she a doll!

I GOT IN!!!!!

Last Friday I found out I got accepted to a nursing program in St. Louis at Barnes-Jewish College. I was thrilled for a couple of reasons: 1. I want to become a nurse and I began the process of taking pre-requisites and preparing to apply for programs last fall. 2. My parents are in St. Louis and my older sister and her family live only a few hours away.
Now the catch... we somehow have to make arrangements for David to finish his last year of training in St. Louis. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will all work out and we can move to St. Louis!
Otherwise, I will apply for programs in Portland, but I can't send those applications in until January.
Wish us luck!

What makes me intimated????

Well, having to speak in public in front of large groups of people is probably top on my list. And last night David and I both had a chance to do this, although I would say that David is actually quite good. So good I think that sometimes, probably in this case, I become the recipient of guilt by association and people assume I must be a good speaker too.
So, a couple of weeks ago a member of the Stake Presidency called me and left a message on my phone. Honestly I was thinking David or I must be getting a new calling so I didn't think anything of it. I quickly called him back and then as I began speaking with him I realized something... Stake Conference was coming up in a few weeks. As my heart started to pound, sure enough, this kind man asked if David and I would be willing to speak in Stake Conference. Uhhgg. What do you say? Umm, actually I get completely terrified in front of large crowds, I bawl like a baby and you might be privileged to see a snot rocket fly from the podium? Instead, I just said yes. There were two redeeming things he said during the phone call. First, David would be speaking with me. This meant he would get to sit by me and help calm my nerves. Second, that we would be speaking during the Saturday evening session rather than Sunday morning.
Well, after searching through numerous talks, the scriptures, offering several prayers and bombarding my family (thanks Ambie, Mom and David) for insight and editing advice, I survived. Elder Bruce Merrill of the Seventy spoke at the meetings and it was a joy to get to meet him and to learn from him.

One Last Summer Fling

Lucky for us we live in a place where people actually want to come visit. Last weekend we had Alex, a friend of David's from Philly, and Vince, our good buddy from Loma Linda, came to visit. Both have visited us before, but we wanted to make sure they had not forgotten Portland's quirkiness.


First thing Saturday morning we headed to Voo-doo Donuts. Where else can you get a bacon and maple long john, the "Blazer Blunt", a vegan donut or a voo-doo doll donut all at the same time as picking up a pair of undies. David jokes that it is the only place in Portland where people are wearing 7 layers of clothing but somehow you can still see their butt crack.

Derby Announcers...all I can say is H-O-T.

After the trip to Voo-doo donuts we headed over to the Adult Soap Box Derby. Last year David and I were introduced to this annual event and appreciated the introduction to Portland's culture. After attending last year, I remember thinking: Is it more common in Portland to go bra-less or to only wear a bra. As a Portland resident, I am now feeling very confined when I wear a bra and my normal 2 or 3 layers of clothing as David so lovingly likes to tease me.

So, I bet you're asking, what is an adult soap box derby. Just think of "big" kids that make life size themed derby cars that can be raced. Maybe these pics will inspire you to start up an adult soap box derby in your neck of the woods.

Mr. T's van is legitimately homemade. I personally had to touch it to verify it wasn't real.

This was by far the most disgusting thing I saw all day besides the sicko wearing a black speedo and chaps. I didn't take any photos of him to spare myself and all of you from experiencing a sudden wave of nausea.

There tends to be quite a bit of drinking at these derby events and unfortunately the individuals riding these beer barrels down the hill were a bit tipsy and at a speed of about 3 mph turned the vehicle right into the public safety car parked right along the side of the road.

Sunday we took our friend Vince to the Portland Oregon Temple for a tour. They give guided walking tours around the outside of the temple on Sundays. I enjoyed the tour because I never take the time to walk around the temple and truly appreciate all of the symbolism.


And then Sunday evening we headed to Washington Park and visited the Vietnam Memorial. Vince dared me to roll down the hill for $5.00 bucks. I was laughing so hard the whole way down, so when Vince decided to do it I had to do it again. I NEVER, EVER seem to learn that rolling, spinning, bouncing or basically any other head movement will make me sick. Here is a few clip of our trip down the hill.

If you listen carefully you can hear me laughing hysterically. That is until I stop rolling.... and then this is what I did at the park, on the side of the road heading out of the park, at some random street corner in downtown and then once more when I jumped out of our car at a stoplight. Finally relief!

Isn't David so nice? He took about 5 video tapes of this little incident.

Monday we headed out to the beach. We had to show our Californian friend the Oregon beaches. They are beautiful and refreshingly uncrowded. We hit the two hot spots, Cannon Beach and Seaside. My main motivation for visiting Seaside was of course to visit the 170 flavor salt water taffy store. Everyone gets to spin the Wheel of Fortune and Vince was a lucky winner. Vince this ones for you: "And a little extra cause you're special."

Vince was the WINNER and he got his name on the Wall of Fame!

Tuesday, we headed up to Washington to go white water rafting on the White Salmon River. The river was probably one of the most beautiful I have been on and this particular trip offered a few new adventures for us. Halfway through the trip we had an opportunity to jump off a cliff and then at the very end, we had the chance to go over a 10 foot waterfall. I think that was our first class V rapid ever, at least it was mine.

Husum Falls

We survived the waterfall. It was awesome!

Thanks Vince and Alex for coming to visit!

Awareness Test

David showed me this tonight and I failed miserably.

Home Sweet St. Louie

Make a Smilebox photobook

I love to go home. There is something about being at my parent's house that is just so comforting. We were able to pack a lot of things into such a short time period, but when I only get home once a year that's what I have to do.

The day after I arrived in St. Louis my mom and I headed to Champaign, IL to visit my sister Kari and her family which included my super duper adorable 3 month old nephew Garrett. During our short day and a half trip to Champaign we did the following:
-Went to the Botanical Gardens
-Saw Theron's new practice (the fact that Theron is finally done with training and is now a practicing oral surgeon helps me to see the light at the end of the tunnel for all of David's training, WHOO HOO!)
-Took the kid's on their bikes down to the lake
-Learned that a two year old knows the importance of exercise and will keep herself fit by doing sit-ups and shaking her booty.

After Champaign, my mom and I took my niece Morgan and my nephew Karsten back to St. Louis with us. In St. Louis we played for a few days before heading back to northern IL. While in St. Louis we:
-Took my nephew to see the RV/Motorhome Sales Lot by our house. He is obsessed with these things. He wanted to walk through every motorhome and get pictures. It is hilarious that a 5 year old boy would love these things so much. He told my mom that she should buy one so that when he comes in town to visit he can play in it.
-Played in the pool.
-Went to Toys 'R' Us to buy legos and built a Sponge Bob rocket ship. I thought Sponge Bob lived in the sea. What's he doing with a rocket ship?

Drove to Moline, IL for a mini family reunion with my mom's sisters, their husbands and a few cousins and second cousins. They arranged it so we could get together when I was in town since I never make it back to the family reunion in December.

After the trip to Moline my dad came up with a brilliant idea to drive through Nauvoo on our way back to St. Louis. I have not been to Nauvoo since I was in high school so I have never seen the new temple. It was beautiful and the spirit there is so strong. Now I'm hoping to go back again when I have more time.

For the last few days in St. Louis I managed to meet up with my two best friends, Ashley and Heather, from high school that I had lost contact with, my good friend Whitney and her husband Drew, and my boss from 6 years ago, Maureen. I went to the zoo and the Butterfly House with my mom. And the day I flew out, my mom, dad and I were able to go to the St. Louis Temple together.

It was a great trip and next time I will remember to invite my husband :)

Weekend in Review

Summer in Portland is going out with a bang. We ventured out on Friday night to a movie in the park at nearby Laurelhurst Park. We ended up leaving before the movie started to meet up with friends, but before we left we were able to enjoy the pre-movie entertainment which included all the "Wizard of Oz" main characters, popcorn, music, a rock climbing wall and a hot air balloon.

Saturday we headed down south of Portland to West Linn to enjoy the Art Festival. We saw a lot of yard "art" that appeared to me more like scrap pieces of metal that were haphazardly sautered together. But, we did get to see an aerial dance performance that I thoroughly enjoyed. After watching it David said he hopes our kids will just want to run track, but I was secretly hoping our kids will want to dance and perform even if the performing comes in the way of aerial dancing. Heck, I almost signed up right there for lessons. Although, I would have to get a better performance outfit.



After the art festival we headed to a packing meeting for our medical mission trip to Vietnam. It was amazing to see all the medical supplies that had been donated for these medical missions. We spent a few hours sorting through everything and I realized, I really DO NOT know medical stuff. I guess I'll have to stick to the basics.

Today we had a special treat. When we lived in Loma Linda, David worked with this couple, K & G, that were in the process of adopting one of his newborn patients. The family now lives in Washington and they were visiting Portland, so they stopped over this afternoon for lunch. I had heard all about this couple and their little girl, K, who was in the hospital for about a month after being born with some complications. It was so nice to meet them and to see their little girl that is now 19 months and is doing so well.