You play basketball?

I can't even tell you how many times people have asked Burke if he plays basketball. He always says yes. Burke loves basketball.

Up until last week he'd been playing ball in shoes he got 4 1/2 years ago for $20 that had holes in each side where his toes were busting out. But not anymore! Thanks to this awesome Christmas gift from Bonnie, Burke once again has the sweetest shoes on the block! 

It took them a while to come once she ordered them, and he was anxiously awaiting them.  So this is excited Burke ready for his new shoe debut.

Thanks Bon!

In search of incredible

After hearing some more sad news tonight, I'm feeling it. But it just so happens that earlier today I was directed to the following videos, and I have since returned to watch them again because they are so inspiring.

Sometimes life is a hard thing. We often see sorrow from a distance, sometimes in someone close to us, and sometimes we get our turn at it too. No one's experiences are quite the same, so it can be easy to feel alone. Of course, we are never alone, and our Savior is the one person who truly has been through it. He truly understands. And He chose to experience those things so that He truly can help us.

Sometimes I think it can help to observe others who have gone through something hard and to try and get an appreciation for how they dealt with it so seemingly well. Maybe if they can handle that, I can handle what I'm asked to too. Maybe those that I love that are struggling right now will be able to find that same power and strength. This filled me with hope. Melanie and I worked at the same place for a few months in 2008, and I had heard bits and pieces of her and Daniel's story for the next couple of years. I was so touched by their words in these videos, and by the comforting spirit that I felt.



"Sometimes tests are not about passing or failing. Heavenly Father is not sitting up there with a checklist and pen while we're enduring a trial...I know that the purpose of coming here is to grow and learn."

Daniel was chosen as the winner of a competition called In Search of Incredible. It's a longer video, but I love it too. You should watch it.

Lovin' Love

Happy Valentine's Day! I love this day to celebrate love!!! What a happy thing to celebrate!

Growing up, Mom and Dad always made us cute little valentines and put them out on our plates in the morning and then we'd have a nice breakfast. Such a little thing, but it really helped me to feel loved and to learn to love this holiday. It's not just about the love between Burke and I... it's about all the many people in our lives that we love so much!

Our heart-shaped breakfast and the valentines we made for each other.

To our family and friends, we love you!!

New!

Burke got a new job! He was hired for another position within Thrivent, the company he's been working for. It will be in the finance department, and he will be managing lender relations(?). He will still be working from home, so we're not expecting much to change, besides the fact that he'll be doing a completely different job! It's a fantastic opportunity for him to learn more in the finance side of things and get more experience that will help him towards deciding what to do with future school and employment. Plus, it's a pay raise!! :) He really does not love working at home but it's amazing how well it has worked out for us...we are so grateful. He'll be going to the headquarters in Minnesota in a few weeks to do some training. In the meantime he will have a lot to do to get ready to leave his current position.

Congrats,  Burke! I am so proud of you!

I have fake patient exams again this semester, but now they are a bit more realistic, with a real complaint and a real potential diagnosis! Last week I was so nervous. My patient had recurrent nosebleeds. While I was "interviewing" him he showed me a tissue with blood on it as an example of how his nosebleeds have been. Then when I looked inside his nose I saw a bloody place that truly looked like it had been bleeding! I was pretty surprised..... Dude! I thought you were supposed to be faking!!!

He ended up having 3 potential causes of nosebleeds, all of which could be readily addressed. I did really well on it and it was fun! So I am hoping it will inspire a new-found confidence in me so that I won't be so nervous next time.

Oh and, I can't believe how much BYU basketball we have been watching lately! I don't know why, but we have been staying up til midnight and 1am fairly regularly to watch the games.... and we've been loving it! I think we are hooked. Every home game though, I miss the Marriott Center so much.

Culture

Quote for the week: At school in one of my classes we were talking about being culturally sensitive.  We took a "quiz" at the beginning and it was not as easy as it sounds. Two of my friends were joking because they did really bad on it, and the one girl said to the other, who is Chinese and Vietnamese, "How did you fail the culture quiz? You are culture!"

These same two friends took me to eat sushi for (almost) my first time. I felt so "cultural" that I wanted to share the experience with Burke, who had never tried sushi before. This week was Restaurant Week in Norfolk and a sushi restaurant with an affordable lunch special was on the list. So, I took Burke out for a lunch date yesterday.

Let me tell you how it went. Burke ordered teriyaki chicken. It wasn't that he was afraid of trying the sushi. He just wanted to make sure he would have enough to eat. He ate the California rolls that came with it, but they were a little bland. I, on the other hand, wanting to be the adventurous one, mistakenly ordered the "sushi bento" which the server told me was like a chef's special. What came out was 5 pieces of straight raw fish. Not even in a roll or anything! My hypothesis is the chef was just being lazy. I was a little appalled, but I was determined to give it a try. I ate 4 of my 5 raw fishies. It wasn't good to me, but I got it down. (However, all the rest of the day, when I thought about what I had eaten I had to fight an intense gag reflex.) Maybe I will be a little less adventurous next time.

Also, Burke turned out to be a pro at eating with chopsticks. I don't think I had ever witnessed this skill of his before. I felt like an idiot with mine. So, that's how our "cultural" lunch date went.

Later on that same evening, our Puerto Rican neighbor knocked on our door and gave us a plate of unknown fish that he had cooked. I wasn't hungry but I did give it a try...at least it was cooked! It was pretty good. What a nice neighbor we have!

Some students on campus put together a medical Spanish class that they are teaching once a week. I started going to it and it is so great. I have missed practicing Spanish and I have forgotten a lot! Just being back in an environment where we have to try and converse in Spanish is doing wonders for me, but it's especially exciting to try and apply it to medical principles.

Also speaking of culture, last weekend we went to the temple with my mom and dad. Afterwards they took us to the NC Museum of Art for a Rembrandt exhibit. I like going to art museums but I'm certain I can't appreciate it like many others can. It was hilarious because they showed so many paintings that they once thought were by Rembrandt, but then decided that "it couldn't possibly have been the master because of [this or that] imperfection." Suuuuuuure......

How's that for a week of culture?

Bird-watching and cattails

Just because I love so many of these photos....

While in Utah we took a little walk to get some fresh air on a beautiful day. Beth taught us about some of the birds we saw, and we discovered the joy of spreading cattail seeds. 

Beautiful Farmington Bay

Dillon was the first to play with the cattails

But everybody took their turn.

It's kind of like a big dandelion

Simple beauties, simple pleasures, happy memories.

Christmas for New Years

My side of the family celebrated Christmas late this year, but all of us were able to get together except my sweet brother in Monterrey (and we sure missed him!). 

It was so lovely to see our niece, and most of our long weekend in Utah revolved around her. I was quite alright with that. 

How could I resist her?

She's a restless one, so "Christmas Eve" included a fairly abbreviated nativity. It's amazing what you can do with only a few towels and scarves for preparation!

I really can't express how nice it was to be together with my family again. I absolutely loved to see the thoughtful gifts that were given

and to watch my parents in the roles of grandparents.

Somehow, despite the hassle and expense of travel, it's always worth it to be together with our family.