It's been quite a while since I've posted on here...mostly because I've been super busy. I had a week of Spring Break where I went to the mountains and went snowboarding. My parents came out and spent the majority of the week with me as well, so that was nice. The only mishap during this trip involved a pile of rocks (not covered by snow), my lungs, and my thumb. You may be able to piece this together, but...I was riding along, just minding my own business, and as I came over a little hill I came upon a patch of ground not covered by snow. Of course, my board stopped, but I didn't. So I face planted into the snow while my body fell on top of all the rocks. I got the wind knocked of me and also landed on my thumb, apparently stretching a tendon. At least the doc thinks it's only stretched and not torn. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
So after my break came to an end, I started my next internship rotation at The Children's Hospital in Denver. It's been a great experience so far. I spent one week with the Cystic Fibrosis dietitians and another week in the kidney center learning all about pediatric kidney failure and replacement modalities. One patient even came in for a regular clinic visit on Monday only to find out her name had come up for an available kidney! So she went into surgery to have a kidney transplant early the next morning. How exciting!! Unfortunately, the child wasn't putting out any urine after the transplant, so they were worried that the kidney wasn't working. A quick test later they found out that there was simply a leak between the kidney and the bladder and her urine was leaking. She went back into surgery yesterday, and now everything is working beautifully. It was really neat to see all that happen, and so quickly!! Tomorrow is my last day at Children's, and then I head back to the Springs for the rest of my internship.
Today, though, was quite an exciting day. I got up and went in to work like every other day, but this time the roads weren't packed with cars; I hardly stopped once for traffic. It was amazing! Ironically, that reality soon changed. There was snow expected to move in, and it definitely moved in! With real authority. Weather reports were looking really bleak, and I even got sent home early from work. After arriving at 8:30, I was told to go home around 11:30, and I'm glad I was. This spring storm had turned into a full blown blizzard. Snow was falling at a rate of 2" per hour, winds were gusting up to 40-50 mph, visibility was awful, and it was freezing! I was advised to stay off of highways and interstates because many were closed or backed up due to accidents. I-25 and I-70 (the two main interstates around the area) had large sections closed, and the radio reported a 30-car pile-up and other multiple car accidents. I've never experienced that in my life. So, needless to say, I went through town to get home, and it really wasn't much better. I didn't see any accidents, but the roads were extremely slick, it was pretty much white-out conditions, and the wind was out of control. I felt like my car might blow away! That's some intense wind. What usually is a half hour drive turned into an hour and a half drive, and it started out so smoothly. As I got closer to the main area of town, traffic picked up, but also slowed down...if you know what I mean. I think a span of 3 blocks took at least a half hour. We were crawling. Cars and semi-trucks were stuck on hills in the middle of town, and vehicles were sliding everywhere and landing in ditches. I even slid out into the middle of one intersection, but luckily it was just as the light changed, so traffic wasn't moving yet. I just backed up to get out of the way. It was the most intense drive of my life - no joke!! I was seriously scared. My windows were relentlessly covered in snow making it hard to see anywhere but in front of me, and the moisture on my windshield kept freezing every time I sat at a light. All I can say about that is I'm glad I got my wipers changed with my oil last Saturday instead of going snowboarding. It would have been absolutely miserable trying to drive across town with my old wipers. I really don't think I would have been able to actually. The Big Guy really is looking out for me, even in small ways. :o)
So that is a quick review of my past three weeks. Pretty exciting and eventful compared to my typical week. Hopefully I won't go as long before my next post. Have a good one, and stay warm if you're in CO!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
I Wish I Didn't Have to Miss This
This weekend is the 30th Anniversary of my parents Sunday school class, the Couples and Families Class, and I really wish I wasn't 3 states away. This class has been the foundation for the person I have become, and the people in it are like my family. Let me explain...
When my parents moved to Springfield they joined the First United Methodist Church. Soon after, they found a Sunday school class that seemed to fit their needs; it was called the Couples Class, later to be called the Couples and Families Class. The name is pretty self explanatory, but just to be thorough - the class was made up of young, mostly newly wed couples, just like my parents. Most of these couples had either very young children or no children, and everyone was similar in age. My parents joined the class and quickly became good friends with everyone. Then, because everyone was around the same age and life stage, they all started having children and creating families of their own. And so the community continued to grow. With the challenges of babies and new struggles in their lives, the members of this class grew closer, and the children were wrapped up in the love and support of not only their own parents, but also all the other parents and members of the class. Then, as time would reveal, many of these children became best friends (two even got married!), no doubt due to the similarities in their upbringing and the community of faith and love in which they were raised.
I honestly feel that I was raised by this entire class, and every member of the class feels like my extended family. The influences of these amazing men and women (most definitely including my parents) have shaped me into the person I am today, and I am so thankful to have had that influence from birth. The examples set in regards to compassion, service, love, friendship, fellowship, fun, and commitment (to spouses, families, and every endeavor), among other things, is something I hold truely invaluable. I honestly don't know how to put into words how blessed and thankful I am to have been raised in this family of friends. I only hope and pray I can find a similar group in which to raise my own kids.
And I really wasn't kidding when I said many of the children (we're known as the Next Generation) became best friends. My best friend and my brother's best friend also happen to be brother and sister, and their parents are some of my parents' best friends. Crazy right?! And not only that, but many other Next Generation kids are my close friends and people I still stay in touch with today, even though I have moved away.
Here are some pictures of our families (the Solomons and Yerglers) on vacation or during random occasions in life:
Kim and me on our first play date to Lake Shelbyville.
Kim and me in the gondola at Keystone Ski Resort in Colorado.
Kim, her dog Cocoa, and me on our way from the lake house in Texas to Colorado.
Both of our families on a hike in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado.
Kim and me jumping on the trampoline one Sunday after church (a weekly tradition).
David, Adam, Kim, and me in a tree in Redwood National Forest in California.
Kim and me one Sunday at church.
The four of us on a beach in Mexico. (Are you starting to see why I said completely blessed?!)
The four of us at my high school graduation party.
Kim and me on top of a double decker bus in NY. It was a mother-daughter weekend getaway.
Kim and me outside our church after the wedding of another Next Generation kid.
Moms and daughters during a little going away dinner for me. I was leaving for a summer job with the Appalachia Service Project.
At Kim's college graduation party.
Christmas 2009
The rest are just some pictures to give you an idea of what fun things the people in this class do, and the amazing childhood in which I was raised.
They travel together (pictured in FL)
They have theme dinner parties, Christmas dinner parties, progressive dinners, and random dinner parties (often at the last minute just because). Here are some of the ladies at a Kentucky Derby dinner party.
They ski together - in Colorado...
...and in Utah (and they often bring their children!)
They go on canoe/float trips in the summer time down the Merrimack River. Here Kim and I TP'd our brothers' tent.
And we go on mission trips together. At least half of the youth group was made up of Next Generation kids.
Other fun activities include potlucks at the park, summer softball leagues, 3-on-3 basketball tournaments (back in the day), Superbowl and New Years Eve parties, working the Lemonade Shake-Up stand at the art fair, volunteering with habitat for humanity and other service organizations, men's and women's weekend getaway outings, trivia night fundraisers, scavenger hunts, and countless other spontaneous and fun gatherings, dinners, parties, barbeques, outings, etc, etc...
I couldn't have asked for a better childhood or upbringing had I been given the chance. Mom and Dad, I don't know how I can ever express to you or thank you enough for surrounding me with this community and allowing them to be a part of my life. To everyone else, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for choosing to be such a huge part of my life. Y'all mean the world to me, and I LOVE YOU!!
Happy 30th Anniversary, and enjoy your time together!!!
When my parents moved to Springfield they joined the First United Methodist Church. Soon after, they found a Sunday school class that seemed to fit their needs; it was called the Couples Class, later to be called the Couples and Families Class. The name is pretty self explanatory, but just to be thorough - the class was made up of young, mostly newly wed couples, just like my parents. Most of these couples had either very young children or no children, and everyone was similar in age. My parents joined the class and quickly became good friends with everyone. Then, because everyone was around the same age and life stage, they all started having children and creating families of their own. And so the community continued to grow. With the challenges of babies and new struggles in their lives, the members of this class grew closer, and the children were wrapped up in the love and support of not only their own parents, but also all the other parents and members of the class. Then, as time would reveal, many of these children became best friends (two even got married!), no doubt due to the similarities in their upbringing and the community of faith and love in which they were raised.
I honestly feel that I was raised by this entire class, and every member of the class feels like my extended family. The influences of these amazing men and women (most definitely including my parents) have shaped me into the person I am today, and I am so thankful to have had that influence from birth. The examples set in regards to compassion, service, love, friendship, fellowship, fun, and commitment (to spouses, families, and every endeavor), among other things, is something I hold truely invaluable. I honestly don't know how to put into words how blessed and thankful I am to have been raised in this family of friends. I only hope and pray I can find a similar group in which to raise my own kids.
And I really wasn't kidding when I said many of the children (we're known as the Next Generation) became best friends. My best friend and my brother's best friend also happen to be brother and sister, and their parents are some of my parents' best friends. Crazy right?! And not only that, but many other Next Generation kids are my close friends and people I still stay in touch with today, even though I have moved away.
Here are some pictures of our families (the Solomons and Yerglers) on vacation or during random occasions in life:
Kim and me on our first play date to Lake Shelbyville.
Kim and me in the gondola at Keystone Ski Resort in Colorado.
Kim, her dog Cocoa, and me on our way from the lake house in Texas to Colorado.
Both of our families on a hike in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado.
Kim and me jumping on the trampoline one Sunday after church (a weekly tradition).
David, Adam, Kim, and me in a tree in Redwood National Forest in California.
Kim and me one Sunday at church.
The four of us on a beach in Mexico. (Are you starting to see why I said completely blessed?!)
The four of us at my high school graduation party.
Kim and me on top of a double decker bus in NY. It was a mother-daughter weekend getaway.
Kim and me outside our church after the wedding of another Next Generation kid.
Moms and daughters during a little going away dinner for me. I was leaving for a summer job with the Appalachia Service Project.
At Kim's college graduation party.
Christmas 2009The rest are just some pictures to give you an idea of what fun things the people in this class do, and the amazing childhood in which I was raised.
They travel together (pictured in FL)
They have theme dinner parties, Christmas dinner parties, progressive dinners, and random dinner parties (often at the last minute just because). Here are some of the ladies at a Kentucky Derby dinner party.
They ski together - in Colorado...
...and in Utah (and they often bring their children!)
They go on canoe/float trips in the summer time down the Merrimack River. Here Kim and I TP'd our brothers' tent.And we go on mission trips together. At least half of the youth group was made up of Next Generation kids.
Other fun activities include potlucks at the park, summer softball leagues, 3-on-3 basketball tournaments (back in the day), Superbowl and New Years Eve parties, working the Lemonade Shake-Up stand at the art fair, volunteering with habitat for humanity and other service organizations, men's and women's weekend getaway outings, trivia night fundraisers, scavenger hunts, and countless other spontaneous and fun gatherings, dinners, parties, barbeques, outings, etc, etc...
I couldn't have asked for a better childhood or upbringing had I been given the chance. Mom and Dad, I don't know how I can ever express to you or thank you enough for surrounding me with this community and allowing them to be a part of my life. To everyone else, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for choosing to be such a huge part of my life. Y'all mean the world to me, and I LOVE YOU!!
Happy 30th Anniversary, and enjoy your time together!!!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Just a Quick Reminder...
In case anyone forgets, a quick stroll down this street will remind them. How thoughtful of whoever left this message. :o)
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