Random Cuteness

 Here are just a few pics I wanted to share with you, but didn't want to make an enitre post for each one.  I love these kids they are the best!!

 Here is a Gabe/Elisa comparison.  I think it is so funny that they looks so much alike but they are SO different in almost every other way!  

This is how Elisa sleeps.  So darling!  I love those little baby hands.

Love her and her pretty pouty face!

 Aaahhhh!! It's the two-headed monster!!

So happy to bee herself!

 Elisa is always so happy after her bath:

 

This boy has a heart of gold.  He is the sweetest little boy in the entire world!  He always has a big hug and kiss ready to give to mommy.

When Elisa gets excited (or irritated), she starts twirling her wrists and ankles.  You can't see it too well her, but that is what she was doing.

 So cute!!  My little model.

Silly Gabe and his train obsession.  I made this pillow case for him.  Walmart had Thomas the Train fabric so I let him pick out which one he wanted, and then let him choose between pajama bottoms or a pillow case.  He chose the pillow case and now drags it around with him all over the house:

Easter!

For Easter this year Erik's parents and Makayla came down for a visit.  To start the holiday off right, we went to the Easter pageant in Mesa.  It was extremely crowded and we had to sit really far back, but it was still fun, especially since there was Cafe Rio to eat.  I invited a friend and she like the performance and the food too. 
Saturday started off with a free pancake breakfast at the park and an egg hunt.  Gabe did really well this time; much better than his 2 eggs last year!  Here are some cute pics, I made it into a collage to save time (and space!):




















We left the park as soon as we could to go to the annual Midwestern University Easter party.  We've been to it for the past 3 years; it is so much fun, especially for the kids!  I invited my friend and Gabe and Kade sure had a blast playing on the bounce house and slide.  Gabe was really good at picking up all the Easter eggs and therefore got a lot of goodies! Elisa had fun too.  My only regret is not getting a picture with the Easter bunny.  Oh well.

 I just had to show you this picture of Gabe mid-fall because it is HILARIOUS!! It just cracks me up!

Look at that face!! OMG hahahaha!!! 

 P.S.  He was just fine after the "fall"

Then we went to a really yummy French restaurant (to celebrate Erik and Gabe's birthday) called "Le Chalet".  I love their salmon crepes they are so delicious!!  Then we went home for a few hours.  I made some jello-eggs to bring to an Easter party we were invited to.  And, yet again, pandered to my thrift-store addiction because the entire store was 50% off! I got Elisa a super cute dress that sells for over $40 at Nordstroms for only $1.50!! Can't beat that!  I love getting nice things for a low price.  It's like an addiction!

To top off the day, we went to an Easter "Bunny Bash" party that our friends throw every year.  We ate yummy food and Gabe went on yet another Easter egg hunt! It was nice to chat with friends. 

And now, for the actual Easter Day, Sunday.  Erik's Mom spoiled us with Candy and goodies and presents (especially Gabe and Elisa) as usual!  So nice of her.  We are VERY lucky to have her for a mom/mother-in-law/Grandma! Gabe got more presents on top of Easter presents (for his birthday).  He got the Thomas the Train Track Master that he has been wanting for awhile.  He is OBSESSED with it still, a week later--he plays with it (or at least has it in his hand) all day! Silly boy.  For church Erik sang in a quartet with me as the accompanist.  I also accompanied for the song "Gethsemane" that the Primary sang.  I'm sure the ward is sick of seeing me up there.

Notice the undecorated cake?? Yeah, unfortunately, I think I am over cake decorating.  At least for now.

Residency, Here We Come!

As many of you already know, we are moving to Galveston for Erik's Anesthesiology residency.  We found out we matched on March 12th, and on March 16th we found out where.  We were really hoping to able to stay here, but life does not always happen how you want, let alone how you plan.


For those of you unaware of how applying for Residency works, let me explain in very simple terms (Erik had to explain it to me several times before my slow brain finally processed it).  Basically, the student applies to several Residency programs he thinks are decent.  The same programs who think he is decent invite him for an interview. Student attends interviews, which most of the time includes a tour, dinner with some residents, and generally getting to know the Residency program. Then student thinks long and hard about the different aspects of the program he liked and didn't like: location, hours, pay, benefits, etc... and makes a list, beginning with the Residency program he liked best and ending with the one he liked the least.  The Residency programs do basically the same: They rank first the student they liked the best, then so on and so forth until all spots are filled (so some students that interviewed may not even be ranked, depending on how many spots available).  Then comes Match day.  I guess it's all done by computer--Erik says it is all an algorithm, whatever that means--something smart and brainy that probably goes way over my head.  The actual matching part is quite complicated and I will not even attempt to explain how it works, ask Erik if you're dying to know.

Here was our list:
1. Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ.  Close, wouldn't have to move.  Good hours and good pay.  Prestigious.  VERY competitive.  There were only 3 spots available, so I really shouldn't have gotten my hopes up for going there.  But I really thought we had a good in.  Erik is in the top 10% of his class, got fabulous board scores, and had the vote of a famous Anesthesiologist at Mayo, Dr. Murray, who basically wrote THE textbook on Anesthesia.  I guess it wasn't meant to be.
2: UT Southwestern Dallas, Texas with a one-year internship here in the Phoenix Valley.  Erik really liked the program and felt good about the interview.  He was even a finalist for the Rotating Medical Student award.  He liked the hours, pay, and location and considers it a prestigious program.  Plus we would have gotten another year here. 
3: UT Southwestern Dallas, Texas with all years complete in Dallas.
4: University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.  What attracted us to Galveston was the fact that it has awesome hours.  I'm totally fine with Erik coming home at 3:00 pm.   And playing at the beach.
5:UT San Antonio: I liked the area, but Erik didn't like the long hours and low(er) pay.
6:University of New Mexico.  I don't know why Erik even applied here.  I'm really not too interested in living in NM. 
7:University of Arizona:  Erik didn't like the residency program at all.  It got low recommendations from current residents and the hours are horrible.
8:UT Houston: I personally didn't care too much for Houston, and Erik didn't like the program.
9:Texas Tech, Lubbock.  I though this would be an okay place to live, but Erik didn't think the program had any prestige.  


So March 16th was the long-awaited day.  Now the long-gone day since I've waited so long to post this.  I was so excited/nervous the few days previous, and by 9:50 am that day I was pacing the floor waiting for Erik's call.  I was watching some friend's kids at that time.  Erik called at 10:00 on the dot and told me he was going to open his email then.  He had to refresh the page a few times before he actually got THE email, and he's all "What?? Galveston?!"  I'm sure I said the same thing.  And also inserted a "really?" and an "are you sure" in there (as if I were expecting a "no, just kidding Amy, it's actually Mayo sorry I read it wrong").  

I was sad at first because that meant we had to leave good friends, a good ward, my piano business, and a good area.  GRRRR.  But such is life.  I REALLY, really want/ed to stay in AZ but matching is a legally binding contract. I will really miss AZ.  Loved it here.  Much better than Utah and much much MUCH better than Illinios.  I am also not looking forward to packing up ALL of our stuff.  That's allotacrap (<---that should be a new word).  I'm not necessarily disappointed that we're moving to Galveston, I think it will be a nice area (hello beaches!!) but seeing as I am quite attached to AZ, it is going to be a hard move.  Now we have to rent our house and find a new one.  Fun.  In any case, I'm sure it is meant to be and hopefully we will find a nice place to live.  We won't be living in Galveston itself, probably more inland towards Houston.  

Meanwhile, here is Erik modeling his graduation cap and gown:       

He's 3!!! And He's...a Year Older

This past Saturday was Erik's and Gabe's birthday.  Since we had already celebrated Gabe's birthday, I left that day open to celebrate Erik's birthday.  So much for that.  Their birthdays are always around General Conference time, and since their birthdays landed on a Saturday this year, it also landed on General Conference.  Boo.  Not that I don't like General Conference, its just that we didn't get to go anywhere fun :(.  Instead of taking Erik out to dinner, I found myself pandering to my Thrift Store addiction while Erik went to the Priesthood Meeting.   Well, I did try to make his birthday fun regardless.  I made him a yummy orange cake (his request) and gave him some presents.  I gave Erik some shooting earmuffs, UHF movie, and a card game.  I also got both Erik and Gabe a StarWars Trouble game.  Even though Gabe already had his party, I gave Gabe yet another train, a Light Saber candy-thing, and a slip-n-slide (got it at walmart awhile ago for only $1!). Erik gave Gabe some Thomas the Train puzzles.  This Friday when Erik's parents come for a visit we will celebrate Gabe and Erik's birthday all over again!  Here are some cute pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

Gabe thought the candles were really cool...

 Until he realized Daddy was blowing out the candles, not him!

 So I lit 3 and let him blow them out.  Silly boy.

Elmo Party!!

 For Gabe's 3rd birthday party, I decided on an Elmo party because Gabe LoOOooves watching Elmo's world!! I thought about doing a Thomas the Train theme, but since his party last year was train-themed I decided to go with Elmo. 
I really wanted to throw Gabe a party, but I didn't want it to stress me out.  So I tried to make it as simple and low-keyed as possible.  So I decided to have it at the nearby park, that way the adults could chat and the kids could play and every one would be happy.  Of course, I did have to make him a cake.  And a shirt.  A friend let me borrow her cake Elmo pan (thanks Heather!!) which made it very cute and not to mention, a whole lot easier than what I was planning.  

 I was planning on a cuter shirt than this, but I think it was sufficient.  Gabe really likes it.  It says "I'm 3! Elmo Loves Me!":

 The set up:

 Some candid shots:

 I'm really glad Gabe didn't get upset when we lit the candles.  He was actually singing to himself! Erik said he prepared Gabe for it.  I guess we should prepare Gabe for more things, especially new things because he tends to get frustrated when he is in the spot light.

 Here are some more cute picture of some cute kids! Gabe sure got spoiled.  Thanks to everyone that came!!

Gabes' 3-Year and Easter Portraits

 Here they are! Since Gabe's birthday is always so close to Easter, I get his birthday and Easter portraits done in one sitting.  I go to JC Penny because I think they are a good value.  I LOVE how Gabe's 3-year portraits turned out, but the Easter portraits are just okay.  I like them, but I don't love them.  They are such cuties!!