How to Have a Manly Tea-Party

Ditch the tea and sandwiches and serve rice krispies and banana smoothies instead.

Instead of baby dolls, invite macho army men, monkey and bear.

At the end, beat up all your guests.

p.s. I had a friend who actually thought that Luke and I play games like this all the time. That isn't really the case, but you better believe that when we do I get the camera out and take a ton of pictures so that Luke believes that we played like this all the time...

...but to tell you the truth I really should do things like this everyday because playing with Luke is the absolute best thing in the world! (uh, as long as he isn't throwing tantrums or whining:)

Graduation

Wouldn't you know, the day was so exciting that I completely forgot to bring my camera to graduation!

Luckily, good friends and family helped fill in the gaps. Here are a few pictures:

Each student was able to choose who they wanted to "hood" them. The only requirement was that the person had to be a doctor. Andrew's brother, Bill, agreed to do the honors.

These doctors may be coming to a hospital near you very soon. Arizona, North and South Carolina, Utah just to name a few places... you'll be in good hands ( I think :)).

Some of the other med wives (wow, I am really short)

It is absolutely gut-wrenching to have so many of our friends move away within a short amount of time. So sad I still can't even blog about it.

no, i'm not pregnant just in case you're wondering

I so wish we were from Hawaii and could pull off the lei.

Sadly, Luke was not there (who in the world schedules a graduation for 8pm at night?!) But Cammy represented.

p.s. Andrew starts his first real day of intern year tomorrow and I can tell that he is nervous out of his mind. I'm sure the phrase, "don't kill anyone, don't kill anyone, don't kill anyone" just keeps repeating in his head. So to lighten the mood we watched the highly recommended first-ever episode of Scrubs. So funny and terribly true.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day Dad. It is so fun to watch you with my boys and it makes me happy that you love them and have lived a life they can look up to. Thanks for coming to girls camp when I was young and performing skits at the talent show, patiently trying to teach me calculus even though it never worked, and always silently sacrificing things you want in my behalf. Love you.

Happy Father's Day Dennis. You are not only a great grandpa but I know that my husband would not be the man that he is without you. Thanks for rubbing his legs for hours when he was a kid and had muscle cramps at 3am, teaching him how to swing an ax and survive church basketball, and always being present for the most important occasions of his life. As soon as I met you (& Delt) I knew why Andrew turned out so great (despite wearing bright orange shoes as a teenager :)).

Happy Father's Day Andrew. Don't these pictures say it all? I love that you are confident enough to...

*be a dork when the occasion absolutely calls for it

*be a compassionate physician when people are confused and frustrated

*be a calm rational-minded husband when your wife is in need of a reality check

*be a vigilant defender when a person or value is being attacked

*be a humble guy and admit when you're wrong (not that that ever happens :))

*be a student when there is something to learn

and

*be a loving and devoted father when some would insist on loftier goals.

(but actually, the pictures really do say it all:))

Utah Trip Part 1

How did parents travel with children before portable DVD players?

I have been meaning to put pictures of our Utah trip up for A LONG TIME. Unfortunately I just don't have much blogging time right now but here are a few pictures to get me started. My wonderful sister, Erin, put us up at a Bed & Breakfast in Midway called the Johnson Mill for our anniversary. IT WAS AMAZING!

Canoe ride.

I told Andrew I didn't think he could get us both in the picture. I stand corrected.

4 years married!

We also met our newest nephew, Deklan, who was officially adopted by my sister Carol (& Steve) while we were there. He is such a sweet baby (on the left). I am so excited that Cam will have a close-in-age cousin on my side of the family. They will be great friends.

more coming...

My VIP Uncle's New Book

[Andrew]

My uncle is kind of an important guy. Rulon Stacey is the president and CEO of Poudre Valley Health System, centered in Fort Collins and the largest hospital system in northern Colorado. Last year his company won the extremely prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, awarded by President Obama. And, last month he was elected president of the American College of Health Care Executives. He knows a thing or two about leadership and healthcare and he recently imparted his wisdom in a new book, "Over Our Heads: An Analogy on Healthcare, Good Intentions, and Unforeseen Consequences."

If you have ever wanted to learn about what lead to the current healthcare crisis, you should read this book. For the first time you will learn from an international expert and not from a talking head in Washington. Though he is my uncle and I am a bit biased, by the accolades listed above, I don't believe there is a more qualified individual to explain to the layperson the chaos that is occurring in healthcare today. The book really opened my eyes. He uses an easy to understand metaphor and the book is a quick read, I finished in one night.

As a physician (wow, that feels weird to type!) I really wish every American would read this book, its message is very important and comes at a very important time.

Wrapping it Up

It was really nice of Andrew to give me a shout-out, but lets be honest. I didn't have to memorize 5,000 new words like endophthalmitis, or study for exams, or have to impress people at residency interviews. I just had to play cars with this fella...

and peek-a-boo with the other fella...

Who wouldn't want my job?

The very first week that med school began was probably the craziest week of our lives. I took my finals, Andrew's sister got married, we graduated from BYU, we packed up our apartment and drove our meager belongings out to Ohio in a little blue Saturn, and we bought our very first piece of furniture: a bed. Andrew tried his best to be there for the mandatory stuff but, in the end, he missed most of his first week of med school. As soon as we arrived in Columbus he had to throw himself into long study sessions just to try and catch up before his first test. It was during those first few weeks that it began to sink in just how difficult this was going to be. The curriculum in med school and the required memorization was a whole different beast compared to undergrad or even grad school. Andrew is much better at handling stress than I am.... in fact, I think he absolutely thrives on it. That's a good thing because there was plenty of stress those first few months.

It also took a little while to determine how we were going to live as students. Our first winter, we only turned on the heat 4 or 5 times. It was a poorly insulated apartment and we decided we just couldn't afford it. I would come home from work and turn on a little space heater, throw a blanket over it and get under the blanket (not sure if that was such a bright idea). When the car broke down for several weeks, we walked everywhere in the freezing cold snow (it took about an hour to walk to my work and probably 40 minutes to school). I was pregnant and sick. Thinking back now I wonder why we were so masochistic. I should have just asked someone for a ride. duh.

A few months after finding out we were pregnant with Luke, I remember having a major sob session one night because I was sure we wouldn't be able to clothe our child until he was at least 7. How in the world could we have kids during med school? That seems so silly to me now. I'm sure Andrew was wondering if his wife was going to be this wimpy and ridiculous for all eternity. I think I've probably mellowed out a little since then.

Eventually we figured out how to get by frugally but comfortably. I'm so glad we did because I don't think I could have lived quite that poor for 4 years (call me high-maintenance, I'll take it). When a baby comes along, it's easier to convince your husband to turn on the heat "for the baby" or eat something other than ramen "for the baby". A shout out to Luke for helping us embrace some modern conveniences.

I don't know why I'm blogging about all this. I guess I just want to be better at recording these little things so that my kids know what their parents went through to create a life for our family. I'm not talking about just being able to make a living. Trust me, there are easier ways to earn a buck and I would highly suggest any of those other ways if you're interested in money. I know that there are lots of careers besides medicine that require a great deal of sacrifice and patience...I'm not trying to make us sound unordinary by any means. Like a lot of people we have had moments where we just wonder how everything is going to get done. It just seems like there is more work to do than any 2 people can possibly accomplish. So we've let go of a few things and for the rest we've done a LOT of praying. It feels good to have a moment like a graduation, where you can see how far you've come and be thankful for all the tender mercies that got you there.

Now we move on the the next phase: RESIDENCY. I'm sure it will be even more challenging but hopefully med school has prepared us for what lies ahead. No matter what, I know it is worth it to do something that will put us in a position to serve others. I'm grateful to Andrew for working hard, not complaining, being compassionate but firm when I'm weak, doing his own laundry even though it's easier for me to do it, and always making time for his family no matter the professional costs. I really don't know how you do it. :)

p.s. sorry for the weird font stuff going on... blogger drives me nuts.

Lauren M Stacey, BS WM

[Andrew]

About a year ago I was on a surgery rotation with a very outspoken female surgery resident (we will call her Sara Smith). Early one morning we walked into a patient's room and were greeted by a very kind, "Good Morning Miss Smith." All of the sudden I saw the resident's neck hair stand on end and her heart rate double as she replied, "My name is DOCTOR Smith. I have worked WAY TOO hard for that title, and I expect you to use it."

Not only was I beet red with embarrassment, I was shocked at how little about life this resident actually understood. As if a man is defined by the letters at the end of his name! While earning a medical degree is a great accomplishment, let me briefly tell you about something far more difficult, far more time consuming, and FAR more important.

Four years ago Lauren followed me out to medical school and we started a family. She was a much better student than me at BYU, she is much more diligent than me, and could have had her choice of graduate degrees. For the time being, however, she decided to raise our children. So, while I have been gone 80 hours a week at the hospital/library, she has been raising two children and taking care of me 168 hours a week. She is the ultimate multi-tasker, parenting, teaching, clothing, bathing, feeding, playing, serving, and working part time on the side. Because of her we have a beautiful family, a beautiful home, and a beautiful marriage.

Today we graduate from medical school, something I assure you could not have happened without my rockstar wife. Although the letters will follow my name, all the accomplishments within this family should follow hers. Thank you, Lauren BS WM, for being the most amazing (W)ife, (M)other, and support that I could have dreamed of. I am truly lucky to have you and I hope you can realize your accomplishments as you watch me put on that ridiculous gown.

BYU Graduation, 2007