Catch Up Part 3 (and life since then)

So where did I leave off? I had finished step 2 CS in LA and I went back to Seattle to settle in to my work space for another 2 weeks of studying. I spent 6AM-6PM hard at it with the exception of one glorious weekend where Tom and I finally cashed in on our winnings from the silent auction in the Spring—our weekend getaway at the professors guest house!

Before the weekend started I joined the girls for a lovely little bachelorette party with the bride-to-be at a local winery.

The decor as all home-made and pinterest inspired wine cork themed and was adorable. 

 The next morning I took the full day off to travel with Tom to Port Townsend and get settled into our getaway. It was a truly glorious wedding weekend with beautiful sunny skies and warm temperatures.

 We were greeted with fresh local crackers, cheese, wine and local chocolates.

 The decor was certainly IKEA inspired :)

 That is, it was IKEA inspired except for one small item. How we manage to get random and totally bizarre artwork in the places we stay is beyond me!! 

 

Who picks this as their artwork in their home? So, we decided Tom could have a new career posing for oddly pensive photographs!

We enjoyed some of Port Townsend's most famous ice cream.

 They had all sorts of desserts at the famous ice cream shop, but we couldn't go for the pie because the ice cream was so creamy and delicious!

 The next day was the big day. Tom, as a groomsman had a lot of groomsmen duties to tend to allowing me a full day at the cabin to study for my boards. It was hard to focus, but it was worth it with the good times coming at the end of the day.

The ceremony was so beautifully prefect and so fitting for John and Bri. 

 The sun was high in the sky, the sailboats and ferries were passing in the background and two families joined together.

 There's nothing like the smiles of a newly married couple!

 It was so hot and sunny the bride got sprayed with sunscreen on our way to the post-ceremony and pre-reception festivities. They took the entire guest list out on a late afternoon cruise about.

 It was pretty fun walking down the downtrown streets of Pt. Townsend in a large parade behind the bride and groom as we walked to the dock.

 Somehow, this is the only photo of Tom I managed to get during all of his duties as a groomsman.

 

 We were not the only couple in the crowd for the wedding. We were joined by two of our med-school friend couples: Scott and Sammi and Barbara and Ben.

 The views were spectacular.

 We came ashore and got ready for a lovely summer time meal of salmon and hand made salads and pasta dishes by Bri's mom.

 And a home-made wedding cake by a family friend that was delicious too.

 Look at this pasta dish! It was incredible (and I still need to ask Bri's mom for the recipe).

 The couples first dance was incredible--they've been taking swing dancing lessons together for many years and it was so fun to watch them twirl around together for the first time as a married couple.

 

 It was a mini med-school reunion which I felt like I was in desperate need of since I hadn't seen all these lovely ladies for so long. 

On each dining table they had trivia cards about the couple. and, it's like they knew Tom or something--they had him announce the winning trivia answers. 

They politely fed each other their cake, just as we might have expected they would :)

  Then they had the most spectacular send off I have ever witnessed (and I think of all time). 

 As the DJ played "Come Sail Away" they walked down the dock and boarded the most adorable little sailboat. 

They sailed away from the wedding in a perfectly pink sunset sky.

 As we all blew bubbles off the dock into the distance.

 I wanted to cherish the moment forever and never go back to realty--because reality meant that I would be saying goodbye to Tom for a full 1.5 months and needing to study for another full 4-5 days for my boards. 

The day before I took the afternoon off and got a lot of errands done to get things taken care of that I had neglected for too long: oil changes, emissions tests, laundry...etc, etc. And, it was HOT that day and topped off somewhere near 86 degrees inside the apartment. I knew I needed to exercise to work out my nerves and help me get good sleep that night, so what better choice did I have than to find a spot in the shade with an INCREDIBLE view to do my work out. People probably thought I was crazy, but I had essentially gone crazy studying anyway so I went for it. Step aerobics may be from the 80's but I always get a great work out and I find it more fun than running. So, I took my step and carried it to the water front and sweat my worries away!

 

And I learned this week was that it was all worth it. I not only passed the boards but I surpassed my own personal goal and I feel an incredible sense of relief!

I'm now done with my 3rd week of neurology so I am prepping now for another exam for the clerkship next Friday. The rotation is emotionally and intellectually intense but I'm staying sane by enjoying the fruits of my labor in the garden.

 I got to enjoy a lovely Friday night family concert in the park two weeks ago when it was the first cloudy day of the summer (so no one seemed to think it was a good idea to show up).

 And last week, I needed a mental break from the intensity of my work life. So, despite the fact that I wouldn't get more than 5 hours of sleep by doing so, I took in the first movie-in-the-park last Thursday night

 It wasn't the same without my partner in crime to join me in it, but it was a great break from real life and just enjoying the sights and sounds of summer.

 This is my view every day from the team room at work. Too bad it's not football season huh? (well, actually, I wouldn't want it to be football season because I couldn't see the action from here!).

.Ok, now I'm all up to date I think. I'll finish my Neuro rotation and it will be off to Urology at Children's for 2 weeks and Harborview for 2 weeks and I'm really excited to get started!