December, Christmas and New Years!

We arrived in Medford, to turn around and almost immediately go up to Sunriver, where the Miller, Rummel, and DeBacker family surprised my Dad to celebrate his 60th Birthday. It was a lot of fun and a great weekend!

Cute nieces and nephew. =)... Zoey is there, just not in this photo

You wouldn't imagine what we did to get a smile. But it made us all laugh! Tobin was actually the best to make all the funny faces to get the kids laugh. =)

We came home, unpacked, and then left Christmas Eve's Eve to see the Miller and DeBackers in Salem, and then left for Trout Lake. There we spent an entire week. Relaxing, playing games, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, playing basketball, and more snowmobiling, playing in the snow, snowmobiling, and did I mention snowmobiling?! Maryanne and AJ even came up for some fun!

That's me in a hole that Tobin found...the snow was deep!

Maryanne and AJ having some snow fun too!

We left on a BEAUTIFUL Trout Lake day, the sun was so bright it was hard to keep your eyes open for the photo!

Throughout the week, I managed to suffer a few minor injuries: Snapping goggles on my eye, getting elbowed in the nose during basketball, and slamming my forehead into the corner of a door because the power was out. Subsequently, I have a few purplish areas on my face. Darrol was feeling sorry for me, so he decided to try to be a beaver, run the snowmobile into the tree and knock out an upper front tooth. He's doing ok, suffered some definite sore and tight muscles, but we are all thankful he didn't get hurt any worse! The time was very relaxing though, we spent some good time with family friends who are back from Sri Lanka. Tobin and I both one at separate times the Settler's game. It was a pretty close match with everyone both times!



We left Trout Lake on New Year's Eve, and decided to make it another travelling adventure and drive through Bend. We had a few stops to make, had a nice dinner with my parents, and rang in the new year by unpacking our car in Medford...since we arrived at 11:55pm.

Pomona to Medford

Well I've also been meaning to post this for a while. But here it is:

Our "moving" story would not be complete, had we not included the "Fridge Poisoning" story. Yes, it's true, the few days before we moved out of our apartment in Long Beach, it was our goal to "clean out the fridge" and throw nothing away. Well, we basically accomplished this on our last night in Long Beach. We had a large meal of shrimp, noodles, and some cold stone ice cream. And well, at 3:30am, lets just say, the meal came back to haunt us. Tobin started heading for the bathroom sooner than I did, and at first I just thought it was "that time of the month for me." But to my dismay, I too had fairly severe food poisoning. The horror of this was that we HAD to be out of our apartment the following day. We eventually made it out, but not without the amazing help of our roommate, her friend, and lots of crawling around on the floor zipping up bags and closing boxed, just to flop right back on the bed out of energy! Needless to say, we've learned our lesson, GO OUT TO EAT OR GET NEW FOOD, don't be cheap and risk the old food in the fridge.

We recovered slowly over the next 2 days, while staying at our friends Jeff and Lynette's place. Then on a dark early Wednesday morning we left LA for Medford. I documented the time here:

As you can see the time was EARLY, yes that's AM, but LOOK AT HOW MANY CARS ARE ON THE ROAD!!!!

Here's some of the scenery I saw...the back of the Subaru. =) We had great 2 way radios to talk about anything and everything.

We stopped, at yes, a California tradition that we will miss.

This is leaving northern California.....look at the mountains and the trees!!!! YEAH!!!!

And now this is entering Medford, during what LA would consider Rush-hour 5:30pm. Note the time, and note how many headlights, etc you see...Hmmmmm...

Our Year End Letter

I still have yet to get out our Christmas Cards this year. Now it's going to be more like New Year or January card. But I thought I'd include the letter we wrote here. So if you eventually get one in the mail, look at the picture and know you've already read our update.

December 2007

Hello again parents, siblings, friends, aunts, uncles, far-off friends, pets, and plants (well, maybe not the last two, but you get the drift)-

Yep, “It’s” upon us again, probably the opening for many Christmas letters, but definitely rings true with all of us. So much happens each year! The theme for this year and several years to come of Christmas letters should and will be “Continual Change.” This year commenced by spending time with family for The Holidays. Since I (Christy) had just started a new job I worked Christmas; then for New Years, we flew up to Portland to visit family and a few friends for a 6-day vacation.

Spring came, and we began finding out the plans for our future. Tobin was accepted to be part of the school’s “Teaching Fellowship.” This means, an additional year of medical school as Tobin is Junior Faculty for 3 extra semesters. For our Spring Break, we got to go to Colorado Springs for an Osteopathic Convention. We stayed in a very fancy hotel, “The Broadmoor.” Tobin went to some learning sessions; I was able to get osteopathic treatments from some of the best; and we spent an entire day and night skiing in Breckenridge and Keystone. We suffered some sunburns (me the worst), but it was worth it because the Colorado Rockies are incredible!!!

In May, Tobin finished his second year of medical school and began studying practically 24/7 for Step One of the National Osteopathic Medical Board Examination. We also made a glorious exodus out of the ghetto—Pomona, though the experiences we take from there will never be forgotten, and moved to the Beach—Long Beach!!! Tobin then took his board exam and passed in June!!!! Yay!!! The day after the exam, he flew to Portland for his first medical school rotation with an osteopathic physician in Portland. He was gone a month; I then flew up to meet him; and we spent some more great time with family. One highlight from the weekend was our family playing the Wii video game together. It was fun and a good time of laughter as we played tennis, and successfully suffered “Wii injuries!” We also got to see the cute nieces (Grace and the new little one-Zoey) and nephew (Benjamin)! After visiting family, we celebrated our 1st Anniversary!! We did this by driving our two new cars (a Subaru Outback and Toyota Corolla) from Portland to Long Beach. On our way down, we camped in a state park near San Francisco. Even though we drove in separate cars, we had lots of fun with the two-way radios my brother let us borrow. It made the drive a lot more fun!

Summer ended with Tobin starting his first semester of the Fellowship. He has since been enjoying teaching, organizing meetings, directing practical exams, etc. Since he works eight hours, five days a week, that leaves our weekends free. So any weekend I’ve had off we’ve been able to enjoy together and with friends. We’ve gone rock climbing several times, near Malibu Beach and Malibu State Park. They are both beautiful areas! We’ve gone mountain biking, running on the beach, surfing, boogie boarding, kayaking and snorkeling in La Jolla, camping on the beach, and a little hiking. It’s been wonderful to actually enjoy this beautiful state that we live in—basically once you get AWAY from the freeways, So Cal is beautiful!

This fall, we survived the “Big Fires.” All we really suffered was some smoke-filled lungs, sore throat, and watery eyes. And in perspective of what other families suffered, this was nothing. Our hearts and prayers have gone out to those that have struggled and lost, that they might see the Lord and realize this material world is NOT what we are living for.

As I write this, it is actually barely November, but once I send this out, we will be moving or already relocated to Medford, Oregon. This coming move, we are completely depending on the Lord to find a place. Tobin’s parents are graciously going to drive down here with a covered snow-mobile trailer (from his uncle), and we are going to caravan up to Medford together. Once we are there we will begin looking for places to land our stuff. We know and trust the Lord will provide just what we need. Besides, it’s more exciting this way!

As we look forward to next year, 2008, we continue to trust in the Lord as He provides a new job for me (Christy) and for good and understanding teachers during all of Tobin’s medical school rotations (Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/Gyn, Family Practice, Psychiatry, etc). Our prayer and prayer for others is that though this life can be “busy, full, daunting, tiring,” we would instead live each day with Purpose to Glorify the Lord, and to continually, “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:12-14

Our New Home in Medford

Our move to Medford was also accompanied with inheriting a new rendition of things. See Tobin has a Great Aunt that was a chiropractor, and she wanted to give this special table to Tobin that osteopaths use. Anyways, in addition to this she wanted us to take whatever else she had in her three car garage size storage unit. So in it we inherited some very nice antique furniture pieces, however, they came with 30+ years of dust, mice droppings, stains, paint, etc, etc. Therefore, as we moved into our new apartment, we used a LOT of elbow grease, muscle power, and home improvement wood working to get them in ship shape to use. We did a pretty good job...if I must say so myself. So I thought I'd share what some of them look like.

This probably took the most work! But is looks great!

Our new "entertainment center." It's kind of like old meets new.

And a Beautiful new chest!

The Vanity and a beautiful comfortable rocking chair.

So as the nature of the beast goes, instead of consolidating stuff before the move, we have definitely expanded. But we think it for the better. Besides, we have to move my trailer now anyways, and Tobin's parents have blessed us with the gift of the trailer. So now we'll be using it! We do though in all of this, want to keep "material" possessions in perspective. These new items have definitely helped our apartment become a home.

Oh, and one more thing that I am very excited about is we have our OWN washer and dryer in our apartment!!!!! YEAH!!! We've finally become true adults. =)

Ode to St Jude

Even though it is much belated, here are some pictures from my last days of work on 2 Main, the ortho/neuro "catch all" floor (those who work on the floor know what I mean!). I miss all the friend I made there. Yes, there were crazy days, but there were amazing people to help you through those days!

My great Manager, Tracey!

Susan, Me, Rosa...amazing nurses I must say...especially with the big "RN" tags!
This is Leslie, the amazing, beautiful Colombian who makes wonderful coffee and threatens to steal my "handsome" husband. =)
So these are some of the main "clowns" of 2 main!

Just a normal day at the monitor bank and nurses station!

The amazing Khanh and Raj!

Just some photo-op time at the nurses station. Yes, we are taking care of the patients!

Khanh, me and my amazing preceptor and "Mom Julie."

The Oregon Trail. =)

Well, we have successfully driven "The Oregon Trail," i.e. I-5 up to Medford. We drove up on Wednesday December 5th, the approximate 12 hr drive that it was. It was a good, uneventful drive. I enjoyed the "California CD" both leaving LA area and entering Oregon, and Tobin and I had fun talking over our two-way radios (thanks Andy).

I will add photos and more storied soon, but just didn't want my "avid readers" to go wanting of the newest story! We are alive and thriving and loving the grey, cold, wet climate we have now entered. It actually feels more like the Christmas season. =) We do miss our friends from LA. Though the traffic and craziness of life can get you in So. Cal. the people down there are great. And we miss you! Ok, well more to come later once I download my fun pictures.

Top 10 of So Cal

Top 10 Things I'll miss about So Cal:

1) Never worrying to check the weather before heading out the door - because 90% of the time it's either sunny or partly cloudy
2) Being able to run in shorts and a tank top in November!
3) The convenience of being able to pick from 5 Targets, 2 Walmart, 3 Trader Joes, etc to do my shopping at-all within a few miles of each other! (but just maybe it's a little bit of an overkill don't you think?)
4) In Long Beach-being one block away from the ocean!
5) The variety of food and restaurant choices
6) Leaving our windows open...the entire year long!
7) Being able to surf, swim, and boogie board in the ocean without feeling like your toes will freeze off.
8) Using my 1st grade Spanish, that may have graduated to 2nd grade Spanish at the Medical Clinic.
9) The memories, laughs, support, and "family" that I've made with other nurses on 2Main- "the Orthopedic/Neuro/Whatever-else-the hospital-doesn't-have-room-for-Floor"
10) The runs, laughs, memories, and good times I've had with friends I've made from all of Tobin's classmates

Top 10 Things I won't miss about So Cal:

1) Driving on the Crazy Freeways!
2) Breathing in smog laden air
3) Seeing views of only skyscrapers, cement, and buildings
4) In Pomona, Fearing for my life every time I went outside.
5) The fact that I can never wear my sweaters or down jacket
6) That everything shuts down and everyone stays inside with a slight "drizzle" here
7) Only being able to see one star in the sky at night. Oh wait, that's the moon I see...so pretty much seeing no stars at night
8) The price of rent and living in general
9) The constant sounds of cars, trains, traffic, machines, etc
10) Needing to drive hours to "get out of town"

Top 10 Things I've learned in So Cal:

1) Leaving just a mere 10 minutes later could mean an extra 30 minutes in commute time, due to traffic.
2) The best time to drive on the freeways is on Saturday and Sundays between 6-8am, after that who knows!
3) To get anywhere you have to be an aggressive driver; it's the only way to survive!
4) People keep their cars VERY clean and washed around here...and I secretly think it's because they almost live in them, they feel better when the car looks good!
5) So Cal looks at Oregonians as very remote, forest loving, slow paced individuals...even those from Portland, and believe me, even compared with Portland the pace down here is fast!
6) From a good friend, "If you hear gunshots, Hit the deck!"...instead of what I did-look out the window. Thank you Boom!!
7) The definition of "cold" apparently is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
8) To survive here you don't "cook" because life is too "busy" instead you either go out all the time or cook quick dinners.
9) Driving anywhere more than 15 minutes is considered "Far!"
10) Interstates or Highways are NOT called I-5, I-10, because you'd be saying "I" way to often. Instead the lingo is: "The 10, to the 57, to the 60, to the 55, to the 71, to the 710, to the 605, to the 91, to the 215, to the 15." And you must know the difference between all these to get anywhere!