Although I haven't posted in a month and a half, it is definitely not due to the fact that we haven't been busy! Let's start with an overview!
Since my last post, Andee and I have...
- Finished up Clinical Rotations in Illinois and officially retired from "Student" status after a lifetime of schooling
- Said our goodbyes to all our wonderful friends in Illinois
- Moved from Lisle, Illinois to Waterloo, Iowa with the help of Andee's parents
- Drove from Iowa to Canada to start our Canadian vacation
- Flew to Mexico for an All-Inclusive vacation with my Family as a graduation gift from Cassie
- Officially Completed Medical School and Graduated with High Honors
...Phew! Quite an eventful few weeks! After all of this we are now back in Canada and have a little time to relax with our families and friends before continuing the journey! But that's not all! Here is what is coming up in the next few weeks!
- Fly to New York City for Andee's Graduation and Andee's Family Trip
- Continue our Canadian Vacation and spend time at the Cottage
- Apply for a work visa for Andee's Residency
- Unpack and settle in Iowa
- Start Andee's Residency complete with an actual income and Doctor status
God is so good!! Only He could have made all of this possible! Let's start now back at the beginning!
As we were preparing for our move from Illinois to Iowa, it was, of course, very bittersweet. We are so excited for what God has planned for us in the future and for all that He has done so far in our lives, but it is always sad to leave somewhere you love and all the wonderful people and places that make it so special. It was very difficult saying our goodbyes to all of the staff at Harvest, and we were so appreciative of all the love, support and prayers that were offered by everyone at this wonderful church! I was treated to a delicious lunch with my former small group leader Lisa, a party with my current small group, and a lunch with the Admin girls at Harvest! Andee and I were also surprised with a barbeque dinner at Joe and Amy's with some of the great people that we love! We were so incredibly blessed with our nearly two years in Illinois, and we will treasure all the people and all the memories forever!
Our move to Iowa, although mildly stressful and quite physically and mentally demanding, actually went incredibly smoothly! We had no issues with the U-Haul or either apartment, and successfully moved all our stuff up 2 huge flights of stairs and into our new apartment! We really needed the help from Carol and Bill, who arrived the day before and helped us with the whole process! We didn't quite get everything unpacked before we left a day later for Canada, but we got a lot accomplished and are now ready to settle in when we return! Again, God is so good!
After almost 16 hours in a car, we finally arrived back home to Canada where our family was there to greet us! There is no place like home! But we didn't get to enjoy it for long, because 2 days later we packed up for MEXICO!! My wonderful and generous sister Cassie actually treated Andee and I to the vacation as a graduation gift for Andee! Talk about a great gift!! We had such an amazing time spending time with family, and soaking up the...shade!? Haha, we were a little too fair skinned to spend too much time in direct sunlight! The resort had amazing snorkeling, and we were fortunate enough to see tons of different kinds of fish, baby sting rays, a giant sting ray, a barracuda, and multiple sea turtles! The land wildlife was equally impressive, as we were able to see (and feed!) racoons, iguanas, monkeys, and kawatis! It was amazing! The food at the buffets were also amazing, especially the breakfasts, and the Japanese restaurant was so much fun and very tasty! The beach and pool were so beautiful and warm, and the pina coladas were delish! The service and rooms were also amazing, and apparently I could just go on and on! We loved it!! And of course, we participated in several photo shoots and ended up with the perfect picture to enlarge and mount on our wall in our apartment in Iowa! It was so much fun!! Enjoy the beautiful pictures!!
Andee's official Graduation date was June 1st, but the ceremony in New York City is coming up next week! We are so excited to travel with Andee's family to the Big Apple and reunite with some of Andee's classmates under such great circumstances! Coming to a blog near you!
Well, I suppose that is it! We are enjoying spending time with family and friends while we are home, and are very excited for everything coming up! Oh yeah, and God is still so good!!
