happy birthday...

to my sister... my first and forever friend

I hope your day is full of candles, true wishes, lovely moments, and new shoes!!

in bloom...

The blooms have arrived in all their loveliness! I believe that this year more than ever I appreciate the them. They are like ice cream on a hot day...exactly what you need after a freezing winter.

this tree is such a gorgeous sight right now...and the blanket of petals below... yum!

It produces the most beautiful blooms!

It is amazing to me that these delicate blooms are produced wildly each year...there is no pulling up of the bulbs and replanting {as in Texas} ...they come back on their own. They lay low under the snow and survive the cold winter until spring comes and they push up through the cold ground and bloom...even more beautiful than last years blooms...because this year they are stronger. It is amazing that May 2008 is next week and hubby and I's spring has arrived! We {yes, I say "we"...it was a joint sacrifice...I just don't get a diploma!} have survived medical school and are moving on...up and out to bloom where God plants us.

expiration date...

I picked up some milk at the store yesterday and as always was picky about the date on the carton...I stopped still when I picked up the milk marked "May 6, 2008". OH my goodness...May is so close they are selling milk for it already!
Yep...the BIG month around our house is May...its not only when the milk expires, but also the expiration date of our time in Cleveland. My day of "retirement" is May 6th, the moving truck arrives on May 12th { yep only 20 days away }, hubby graduates on May 23rd, and May 24th I head to Texas for vacation and time with family...and my little brother's graduation on May 24th.

So friends...please don't worry...I may be in and out over the next several weeks...I will be amongst the boxes!

{ thank you so much for all of your kind comments and wishes to help us move...your thoughts and safe wishes are appreciated! Glad you gals loved the spring pics!...I was most proud to finally post more than just snow! I hope to be back visiting everyone else's blogs in the coming months! }

{ image borrowed from superstock.com }

bbq and bubbles...

Impromptu bbqs are the best! We started the weekend on Friday afternoon with a bbq at the park with good friends, a great view... and bubbles!

We are enjoying our last few weeks in Cleveland with friends to the fullest we can.

Somehow it seemed fitting to start the fire with old test notes from the Boards!

never too old for bubbles!

let's eat!

...amazing to step back and remember our walks in this park the weeks before B started classes 4 years ago. We knew no one in Cleveland, I had no job, and we were newlyweds living in a new city! We have been surely been blessed with our years in Cleveland!

welcome back spring...

You were missed! I realized on my walk today that spring has finally arrived...warmer weather or not the buds are determined to bust...and some already have!

lets take a walk...

The weather was gorgeous today!!! Warmer, bright, and everything is budding! Jessica knew just what I needed to release a little stress from the week...a walk in the fresh air! She was so very sweet to wait until I got home from work to take her walk in the sunshine and invited Stanley and I to join her. Actually, she and Stanley invited me.
You see...she and Stanley usually enjoy walks together ...Jessica believes that you can't take a walk without a dog in tow...he is a main accessory! I tease her that she is a poser borrowing my dog, but the truth of the matter is that I am most grateful for their walks as it means she brings back a much calmer and exhausted pup! I was excited to join them today!

Even Stanley took a little time to smell the blooming flowers and take in the city view!

It is so hard to believe that in a few short weeks things will change...students will become doctors and neighbors will become pen pals! This is what the work was all about though...getting to this point...it is the precious friends and the memories that were the blessed part of the ride.

and away it went...

The weekends are flying by...I'm not sure if its because we only have a handful left before the BIG move or if its because we are trying to squeeze in so much with little time left. Either way I am taking them as they come and enjoying each one...one new memory at a time.

{ good friends }

{ good food }

{ good times }

tgif...

{ bath time for the little boys...drenched in fun! }

on the road again...

We are about to make our next big move. We are state hopping! We are headed to PA...this means lots of changes...new license plates {again}, new business license {urgh}, new address {gotta get those new return labels made}, etc. ...see when you move a few hours away in Texas you are still in Texas...the laws of the land stay the same! Not that I have ever moved in Texas...yep, my very first move was almost 4 years ago when hubby and I married and a month later moved to Ohio for him to start medical school...a long 19 hours from home!

We started this journey in 2004 with full anticipation of heading to Texas come graduation day May 2008. Well...that day is only weeks away and we aren't headed south. God had another plan and has spent the last 4 years molding my heart for the acceptance of that plan.

As much as we have desired to be home in Texas for Residency we have first and foremost desired to be in God's Will. We have tackled the possibilities of Residency placements with prayer and stood amazed and scared when God began to reveal that it wasn't quite time to go home yet. Not gonna lie...I was crushed...but for the first time it was a disappointment that was blanketed with a strong sense of comfort knowing that if we were in his will despite the fact that it didn't match up with "ours" then He would guide us.

We have prayed long and hard about this decision to go to PA knowing that it will mean many unanticipated changes while bringing unimaginable blessings. So we will journey a little longer from home while following God's plan for us. We will once again be starting over, just as we did 4 years ago, but the Lord has already blessed us with friendships through our visits to PA as we learned more about this program and a peace I never imagined as I began to realize it wasn't yet time to go home.

moving sale...

Thank you for the "welcome backs"! It is good to see familiar "faces" again! I can't promise any number of posts a week or even a month...we have yet another busy few months ahead. So I will pop in from time to time and plan to get back into a routine...ummm...come July!

I have opened up T&T's inventory shelves as a "thank you" for two years in business { my how time flies! } and in hopes that you will help me lighten our load to box and move!

Be sure and stock up on these goodies now! There is always something for everyone at T&T...

been blessed...

hello friends! Thank you all for your sweet emails, calls, comments, cards, and texts...I felt so loved and missed and had no idea I had so many loyal readers! I didn't mean to run away from the blog-o-sphere...there are just times in life when you need to kick off your heels and tackle life one day at a time!

March was quite the busy month for us! Among many things I...
...was blessed with God's daily grins
...surprised with unexpected news
...celebrated 3 of my favorite lovlies birthdays
...started planning a big move to yet another state
...began collecting boxes for the big move
...started packing those boxes
...celebrated hubby's accomplishments
...missed Texas when the snow lingered too long
...ate the best pizza in Chicago
...turned in my notice for "retirement" from the "working" world
...planned a trip to Texas for the summer
...found our new home
...weeped with a dear friend
...celebrated the return of sunshine {...oh how I missed it!}
...was honored to find T&T in another national magazine
...and have found myself so proud of hubby as his time as a medical student comes to an end!