Graduation Catch-Up: Banquet

Nathan had his graduation banquet the last day in May.  It was during the day, at a little convention center thing in Phoenix.  It wasn't anything extra spectacular or expensive, but it was very nice to get together and celebrate graduation.  Nathan was nominated as his class speaker, and did a great job!  He couldn't figure out why he was nominated, but he spoke about professionalism, giving back to the profession of Podiatry, and expanding awareness.  I think everyone enjoyed his speech - and no one fell asleep :)

\

Nathan giving his Speech

Happy Wife - Happy Parents

Yeah - we did this - together!!

But mainly Nathan did it . . . cause let's face it, med school is tough.

Some of the guys

Med School Friends

The Best Med School Friends - EVER!

 (minus my DO wife friends who were at a different banquet)

My Parker Boy

Girls vs. Boys

Girls: Help in the Kitchen by trying to cook and clean with mommy
Boys: Dump out all drawers, empty all cupboards, sit in drawers and pots

Girls: Sing in the bathroom mirror, make faces in the mirror, take long baths
Boys: Dump out all bath water onto the floor, play in the toilet, eat toilet paper

Girls: Change 5 times a day because they like to have new outfits
Boys: Change 5 times a day because they like dirt, mud, and smashing food into their clothes

Girls: Push plate away when finished eating
Boys: Throw food across the kitchen but still want to eat more, then smash food in hair when full

We love our Parker, and all the new adventures he is bringing to our family!

AZPOD Class of 2012

This guy is . . . AMAZING!

Nathan is graduating next month from Midwestern University with a Doctorate Degree in Podiatric Medicine!  We are so proud of our Daddy, who has worked tirelessly to not only be an amazing student, but an amazing husband, father, and friend.  Some of Nathan's achievements:

* Created a website for his classmates to share study resources

* Created a website for H.O.M.E scheduling while acting as the H.O.M.E coordinator for his class

* Created the website for a Podiatric group

* Awarded 4 scholarships

* Participated in, and wrote a research article, "Posterior Post-Operative Heel Pain Caused by Multiple Etiologies Including a Neuroma in continuity of the Posterior Branch of the Sural Nerve: Case Report"

(It's ok, I stop reading that title after Heel Pain too)

* Submitted above article for publication (going through final edits)

* Nominated and accepted a Student/Resident Representative position on the board of directors for the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons (AENS)

* Voted by his classmates to be the Student Speaker for their Graduation Banquet

(he has no idea why anyone would want to hear from him so I think he's nervous - hehe)

* Ran his own business creating lots of websites for various people to support our family

(working and going to med school isn't always easy)

All in all, he's been one busy man while also trying to study for his exams, boards, etc.  He may not have the best grades in his class, but he put in a solid effort and has been nothing short of amazing.  And, may I add - he did it all while enduring some particularly challenging times . . . 

* Finding out his wife's adoption wasn't finalized (26 years later) and her citizenship was being questioned

* Meeting with lawyers and immigration people to keep his wife from being deported

* The bleeding of his wife during the pregnancy of his 2nd child and being told there was a 60-80% chance of losing the baby (she survived and is our awesomely crazy child)

* The hemorrhaging of his wife during the birth of his 3rd child, and almost losing her to massive blood loss

* The somewhat emergency surgery of his wife to repair an umbilical hernia that was causing other (gross and horrible) issues

So - the moral of this story is: Nathan is amazing!  He never complained about all the trouble I was putting him through while he was trying with all his might to survive med school.  He never once made me feel like I was a burden.  He never once put school before his family, even though sometimes his exam scores suffered because of it.  Nathan's 2nd year of med school was probably the hardest of his life, and most challenging of his entire educational endeavors.  It was academically and personally challenging.  But, he has done so well and is graduating!!!  The Lord has blessed us with an amazing opportunity to go to medical school, and has stood by us the entire way.

And Lastly . . . DRUM-ROLL please . . . .

We're MOVING to IOWA!!!  Nathan was offered a position with his #1 ranked program in Waterloo, IA!  He will be working with the Wheaton Franciscan Medical Group, or Covenant Medical Center.  This program is busy, busy, busy.  Most residents complete their surgical requirements by the first or second month of their 2nd year.  He will be on call for 2 weeks almost every month.  He will be participating in research and journal clubs.  And, he will be just as amazing through residency as he was through med school!  I love my hubby, and we love our Daddy!!

(p.s: If you want to buy a house in AZ, we have one available.  Or, if you want to rent, we're cool with that too.  Just give us a ring, and we'll hook you up with our lovely home!  Available Mid-June, or whenever you wanna move in.)

We're sad to say goodbye to Arizona.  We've made some awesome life-long friends here and we're sad to leave them.  Most of them are in our ward, or live within two blocks from us.  So sad.  Pool Party at the Bangart's before we leave though!!  And, Nathan had a pretty awesome class.  Seriously, they are all amazing.  Most of them I don't see hardly at all, some I don't even know.  But, I know what I heard at the conference Nathan went to in November, and that was that Nathan and his classmates were pretty awesome!  Except that Scott Robertson.  He's just weird!  Hahaha - we love you Scottie!  And I guess you're pretty awesome too (even though you are moving Jillian farther away from me . . .)

Congrats Nathan!

Life is Good

Dude and Ashley

Well, I've wanted to write this post for a long time now, but the words and feelings always seem to get in the way.  So, forgive me if this is a bunch of rambling and nonsense.

One of our very best friend's here in Arizona got hit by a car while riding his bike.  He was hit while training for a race for the cure ride that was coming up.  He's that kind of guy - always doing things for others, even if it means a lot of training hours!  Anyways, we call him Dude.  Dude is his name to our family, but he's really Scott Moore.  His wife, Ashley, is my best friend here in Arizona.  We see each other a lot, sometimes every day.  We talk a lot, and watch silly shows like Project Runway together.  She shares her crafts and sewing projects with me, and I show her my attempts at such projects as quilting, decorating, etc.  Sometimes we share secrets about our lives cause we don't have family here, so we're each others family.

So, after Dude was in his accident, we started praying for a full recovery.  Nathan and I drove Ashley to the hospital (2 hours away) after she got the phone call that there had been an accident.  Nathan was able to help give Dude a blessing.  We stayed with Ashley until after midnight when Scott's mom finally arrived from Salt Lake.  On the long drive home that night, I asked Nathan if Dude would be ok.  He said he felt the spirit very strongly, and that Dude would make a recovery, he would be himself again, he would have his same personality, and still be active in his life.  

Natalie still (a month later) remembers Dude and Ashley in her prayers without any prompting.  She says, "bless Dude to get better, and bless Ashley to be happy and be good."  Sometimes we've prayed for my brother (the dang brother that keeps getting in snowboarding accidents), sometimes we've prayed for my sister (the one with heart problems), etc.  We pray for our grandma's and grandpa's, cousins, friends, etc.  But, I think this experience is teaching Natalie that we can keep praying until we've received the help, or comfort we need.  I like that about this moment.  I learned these things while going through stuff in my own family life, but I was a teenager.  She is 4!  She is learning young, and I can only hope Maejae is too.

Ashley is finally resting, eating a little more, taking breaks from the hospital, and is able to talk about life happenings.  She's doing quite well - all things considered.  She's always been an example to me, and still is.  Dude is doing awesome!  I cannot tell you how much I feel comforted by Nathan's words from the night of the accident. I am seeing those feelings Nathan had come to pass.  And, I continue to pray for Dude's recovery.  For now, I am grateful that Dude is still here for his sweet Ashley.  I am grateful that he remembers and knows how much he loves Ashley!  I am so happy that he is progressing so quickly.  

If everyone could continue to keep Dude and Ashley in their prayers, we would appreciate it.  We love them like family, and we'll be here for them till this is over.  Nathan said that if needed, I can stay here in AZ with the kids until Dude is home.  That way I can continue to help Ashley as much as she needs me.  Because she has done it for me, and would do it again in a heartbeat.  Cause that's what friends are for!

Updates:  www.scott-recovery.blogspot.com

"Dude" gathering fire wood on our camp-out in Sedona

Goodbye 2011

I am behind on my blogging, but after having a c-section, emergency partial-hysterectomy, a hernia repair, and an abdominal muscle repair, the blog was the last thing on my mind.  Plus, who wouldn't want to spend extra time cuddling a cute little red-headed baby?  I'm pretty sure Parker is one spoiled little boy, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

To get you all caught up to speed, here's a snapshot of our  

Goodbyes to 2011:

Nathan:
- Completed his 3rd year of Medical School, and is more than 1/2 way through his last year. He will be graduating in June of 2012 and will soon be Dr. Nathan Larson, DPM.  We are so proud of him!
- Completed 4 additional website designs this past year to continually support our family while also in school.
- Got his Ipad for his birthday, finally!  Then explained to his wife why it was worth the investment (his wife is this crazy woman that doesn't like to spend money - but I don't know who that could possibly be).
- Worked as a counselor in the Elders Quorum again, serving with one of his best friends in AZ.
- Spent much of the year learning new surgeries and trying to explain to his dear wife why they are so "cool."
- Spent the rest of the year tackling his children, jumping on trampolines, camping, hiking, skiing, etc.

Jennifer:
- Finished numerous quilts, crafts, and other silly things around the house.
- Had Baby Larson #3 in August and gave every one the scare that she might not survive due to severe hemorrhaging of the uterus.  But, blood transfusions, skilled surgeons, and the Lord blessed us.
- Spent much of the year trying to teach Maejae how to potty train, but failed miserably.
- Worked as a counselor in the primary presidency again and loved every minute of it.
- Spent the entire summer of 2011 swimming to avoid massive heat exhaustion.  Cause let's face it, being 6-9 months pregnant in Arizona's summer heat of 110 degrees is kinda lame without swimming.

Natalie:
- Turned 4 and thought the whole world changed for her.  "Mommy, I can change Maejae now cause I'm 4 years old."  "Mommy, I can fold my own laundry now cause I'm 4 years old."  "Mommy, I can get my own milk now cause I'm 4 years old."
- Managed to turn into an even bigger diva!  She plays fashion model, dresses up multiple times a day, puts on her play makeup, sometimes talks mommy into wearing real makeup, and is often seen in nothing but a swimming suit.  Good thing we live in AZ!
- Can read a small assortment of words now, and is anxiously waiting to learn to read (we start reading lessons tomorrow).  She wishes mommy would send her to a "real" preschool instead of teaching her herself.
- Learned to swim the entire length of the swimming pool twice without any help!  She also learned to jump off the diving board!

Maejae:
- Managed to somehow turn 2 years old, even though mommy told her not to.
- Decided girl things are only cool when playing with sissy.  Otherwise, it's all about cars, balls, jumping, jumping, and more jumping!
- Learned her colors, alphabet, shapes, and some of the alphabet sounds.  But, let's Natalie teach her more than mommy.
- Demands that she will potty train when SHE decides to, and NOT when mommy says it's time.
- Moved into a big girl bed to make room for Parker, and sleeps perfectly!

Parker:
- Decided to make his appearance into the world on August 4th.
- Managed to make everyone fall in love with him, and grant him his every wish.
- Spent much of his time sleeping on mommy's chest, and listening to his mommy's terrible singing!
- Learned that pulling on his sissy's hair is funny because sissy screams and laughs all at the same time.
- Started rolling, sitting, laughing, babbling, etc.

Copper:
- Yet again, has managed to survive another year in the Larson house.
- Lets the kids pull on his tail, yank out his hair, tease him, run after him, etc.
- Entertains daddy by pretending to be completely absorbed in the laser light.
- Sometimes forgets to use his head, and runs straight into the wall while running full speed!
- Decided the best possible way to survive a road trip with mom is to sit down and shut-up.  Otherwise it's lots of benadryl.  And let's just be serious, a drugged up cat is more boring than a sleeping cat!

Goodbye 2011.  We enjoyed our year, learned the value of life, and look forward to 2012.  Although, it's already March, and the glimpse you've given us is less than ideal.  So please start to shape up, or we'll kindly skip ahead to 2013.  Thank you.