A Family Letter: Indy Update 16 May 2010

Every few weeks I write up a family letter and email it out to my extended family and Brendan's parents and siblings and a few friends (if you aren't on that list and you want to be let me know BUT) I decided that I would start posting them on my blog as well. Here's my most recent:

Dear All,

We’re breathing easy (er) at our house! Brendan graduated last weekend!!! I’m officially married to a doctor! Well an M.D. and when people ask, he’s a medical resident. He won’t be a board-certified practicing physician until after his residency program (three more years). BUT medical school is over and we’re on our way to the rest of our lives! Which is funny, I keep thinking about what we’ll be like when we grow up. Does the feeling of ‘playing house’ ever go away? I realize this is my life but sometimes I still can’t believe it. Reminiscing over the last four + some years and thinking of all the things we’ve done in that short amount of time…crazy. 41/2 years ago Brendan was a janitor at the IHC hospital in Provo and I was in my freshman year of college at BYU, now he’s an M.D. (I’m still only a sophomore, but that’s beside the point). We’ve owned 2 homes and 4 cars. We’ve had 3 children. Family, callings, school, work, good wholesome recreation and extracurricular stuff. WOW. I feel tired. Brendan has done great, great work and I’m proud of him.

The boys and I spend every possible moment outside! The Ocelot isn’t a big fan of the wind, it has her face in a constant look of surprise! For Mother’s Day Brendan got me a bike (which according to The Giraffe is NOT a bike but a bicycle and he won’t stand for the use of the term ‘bike’) and a kid seat and cart. I look like a caravan! But that’s just true of my life right now. My triple stroller is called The BIG Caboose, it’s about the size of a stretch limo. We thoroughly enjoy the bike! All of us but The Ocelot (see previous wind comment) but she’s forcibly adjusting and the smooth ride (and probably the wind too) keep her quiet as long as we’re moving at a decent speed. Her hair doesn’t really need the styling because it’s always standing on end, anyway, but that just completely exaggerates the abuse the wind is giving her.

This weekend was the Father and Son campout! Brendan took both boys and reportedly had a wonderful time! He put the kids to bed around 9pm, they were the only kids in their tent and all the other kids collected around the tent to help The Elephant and The Giraffe stay awake for a while longer! :) Brendan stayed up late eating cobbler and playing capture the flag with the young men. I told him, before they left on Friday, to have fun playing capture the flag and he said, “Oh are they playing that?” to which I responded “Uh, aren’t they?” Perhaps I made a mistake, I thought, but that’s all I remember from my brothers’ stories about the Father and Son Campout, “Isn’t that what you do on a Father and Son campout?” Apparently our experiences were different. He did play though, and had a great time.

At this particular moment, I feel that three year olds are completely obnoxious. The Elephant doesn’t know what that means but he INSISTS that he IS NOT obnah, obnocks, obnockchess! He came with me to Primary today, he has a bit of a cough and I didn’t think they’d want him in nursery. So Brendan took The Ocelot to Gospel Princples and The Elephant came with me to teach the Valiant 9’s and for music/sharing time. He behaved wonderfully for my lesson (which was great because I had another class combined with mine, some 9 or 10 kids) but he spent most of music time with his hands shaped like binoculars and staring around the room, ALL around the room. Whatever he was looking for he found it behind us (I’m betting it was Lizzie, his favorite babysitter) and spent the rest of the meetings, not so wonderfully behaved. For whatever horrific reason poor behavior only compounds exponentially upon returning home. Plus a cranky brother, plus a shrieking banshee of a sister. Brendan got home from his meetings and I was standing in the middle of the kitchen recovering. Three year olds are obnoxious.

The Giraffe is requesting to jump on my bed to “da Fire Song” and “da Tractor Song” (Standing Outside the Fire by Garth Brooks and International Harverster by Craig Morgan) and I need to be available “Mommy, watch dis!”. He also just launched himself over the gate into my room. Duty Calls.

Love to you all!

Whit, Brendan, The Elephant, The Giraffe, and The Ocelot