gToday's post will be brief. We were delayed coming home by plane issues and I have work in the morning.
I am grateful to be back home safely and grateful to be here with Spencer. I'm grateful everything is as we left it and that we had a good trip despite the delays. I'm grateful for the people I've met out here and for the chance to live in the Midwest.
And most of all right now I'm thankful to be back in my comfy bed with my own pillow.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
21 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 7
Today was a great day because I got to spend time with my sisters, which I don't get to do very often. I'm grateful that we had a chance to all be in the same state for the first time in over a year. I'm also grateful that I got a chance to spend time with my brothers and sister in law this past few days. We don't get to do that too much anymore, but we were able to spend time together this trip playing games, eating, and just hanging out. I am grateful for my family. I am grateful to be married to Spencer and for all of his hard work throughout medical school. I'm also grateful we only have 6 months of medical cool left, with 4 months left before we find out where we will be for residency. I wish we could stay longer, but we are heading back to Milwaukee tomorrow. All in all, it's been a great trip and I am thankful to have been here this thanksgiving.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
21 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 6
We had a great time today with the Russell family. Scott gave his homecoming talk and we all got to visit after. I'm grateful for the chance we had to get to know one another better. It also snowed a whole lot today and Spencer and I ventured up to the airport to get my sisters. We saw 10 accidents on the way there and back, and I'm grateful that we had a safe car to drive in and encountered no problems. I'm also grateful to see my sisters for the first time in a long time. Tomorrow we will get to spend some time together as well and I'm grateful for that.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
21 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 5
I am grateful today for the chance to be in Utah and get to know my Russell family better. Today I was able to go shopping with my mother in law. I am grateful we had a chance to visit and talk. I am also grateful that Spencer and I had a chance to play games like we used to when we were dating. I am also grateful that I got to eat frozen yogurt twice today since for the most part Milwaukee is a frozen custard only zone. But most of all, I am grateful to be away from the stressors of everyday life, even if just for a few days.
Friday, November 26, 2010
21 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 4
Today I am grateful to have time off. In a busy world of work, school, and housework it is often easy to forget to slow down and take time to reflect on what's important. Today we were blessed to spend the day with our Russell side of the family. We played games, saw a movie, ate together, and hung out around the house. I am grateful we had that time together today before life speeds back up again. I am also grateful to have in laws that love and accept me. They are always so welcoming to me and I feel truly grateful to have found such a great family to join. Though it can sometimes be a challenge because they do things so differently than my family, I am grateful they have been so willing to love and welcome me into their family.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
21 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 3
Today I am grateful to be enjoying a relaxing holiday with my in laws and their extended family. I'm grateful for all the good food, company, and games. I'm grateful that we had safe travel and clear roads and that my family all made it safely out to Portland. I am grateful that I have the next few days off to enjoy. :)
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and were able to be with the ones you love. May we all be a little more grateful each and every day.
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and were able to be with the ones you love. May we all be a little more grateful each and every day.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
21 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 2
I am thankful for the safe travels we had today. I am thankful that the airport screenings we endured were no more invasive than past flights. I am grateful that my brother in law was there to pick us up and that the rest of my inlaws are so glad to have us in Utah. I'm grateful that we have a king size bed to sleep in and that it is warm and comfortable (it was ours before we moved to Wisconsin). I am also grateful to have such a great traveling companion in Spencer and that he puts up with my complaining and last minute packing/travel panic. And most of all, I'm grateful today that the TSA didn't take my knitting and that I didn't lose my cool when I messed up the same row 5 times before I got it right.
Goodnight!
Goodnight!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
21 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 1
For a while I used to be an avid reader of this blog. I had heard him speak at a BeautiControl conference and it was extremely motivating, inspiring, and uplifting all at the same time. I've enjoyed his blog posts over the last little bit and tried to incorporate some of his suggestions into my own day to day living to increase productivity and reach my goals. After a while though, I just started skimming because there is simply too to read in this world to read absolutely everything. But then today's post stuck out to me, so I thought I'd share it.
In a nutshell, the challenge is relatively simple. You are supposed to take a situation that is hard and frustrates you, then take 3 minutes each day to write down what's good about it, why you appreciate it, and why you're grateful for it. The idea is that changing the way you think about a problem will help you change your perspective on that problem and that specifically employing gratitude as the filter will take it from a negative stumbling block to a positive stepping stone. And so, my goal for the next 21 days is to blog about the things in my life that are hard, yet make me grateful.
Like most people, there is a lot that is right in my life and lot that I wish I could change. Though I may not always admit it, it is hard to do what I do every day. It is hard to work full time, go to school part time, volunteer at the humane society, do BeautiControl on the side, take care of the home, exercise, eat right, and be a loving and supportive spouse to my husband while he goes through medical school. I don't always do everything on that list every day like I should, and when I do get around to doing them, I sometimes don't end up doing them very well. It is hard to be busy, harder still to be bored. It is lonely to be one of a few couples in a young ward full of couples with at least one kid (or one of the way). However, that being said, there is a lot I am grateful for.
I am grateful to live in Wisconsin. I am grateful that Spencer and I had the chance to move here, experience the weather of the Midwest, try out new foods and new customs, and travel the state. I am grateful that the Medical College of Wisconsin has been such a great place to work. It is within walking distance of our apartment, I can call or see Spencer frequently throughout the day because he is also here for school, and the people are generally nice. I am grateful that I have been able to get to know a variety of people here on a professional level, from the department of surgery to the bioethics center to the office of research. I'm grateful that I found a degree program that allowed me to work full time, but still get a master's degree. I'm grateful that the first two years I did the program, I was in a job that had more flexibility and more time to work during the day.
And...time's up. I encourage you all to give this a try, if not on your blogs, in your journal/notebooks/whatever. Happy Thanksgiving!
In a nutshell, the challenge is relatively simple. You are supposed to take a situation that is hard and frustrates you, then take 3 minutes each day to write down what's good about it, why you appreciate it, and why you're grateful for it. The idea is that changing the way you think about a problem will help you change your perspective on that problem and that specifically employing gratitude as the filter will take it from a negative stumbling block to a positive stepping stone. And so, my goal for the next 21 days is to blog about the things in my life that are hard, yet make me grateful.
Like most people, there is a lot that is right in my life and lot that I wish I could change. Though I may not always admit it, it is hard to do what I do every day. It is hard to work full time, go to school part time, volunteer at the humane society, do BeautiControl on the side, take care of the home, exercise, eat right, and be a loving and supportive spouse to my husband while he goes through medical school. I don't always do everything on that list every day like I should, and when I do get around to doing them, I sometimes don't end up doing them very well. It is hard to be busy, harder still to be bored. It is lonely to be one of a few couples in a young ward full of couples with at least one kid (or one of the way). However, that being said, there is a lot I am grateful for.
I am grateful to live in Wisconsin. I am grateful that Spencer and I had the chance to move here, experience the weather of the Midwest, try out new foods and new customs, and travel the state. I am grateful that the Medical College of Wisconsin has been such a great place to work. It is within walking distance of our apartment, I can call or see Spencer frequently throughout the day because he is also here for school, and the people are generally nice. I am grateful that I have been able to get to know a variety of people here on a professional level, from the department of surgery to the bioethics center to the office of research. I'm grateful that I found a degree program that allowed me to work full time, but still get a master's degree. I'm grateful that the first two years I did the program, I was in a job that had more flexibility and more time to work during the day.
And...time's up. I encourage you all to give this a try, if not on your blogs, in your journal/notebooks/whatever. Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 12, 2010
26 Things On My 26th
In honor of my 26th year on this planet (no comment on years spent on other planets), I thought I'd do another "things you may not know about me" post. And since there are 26 letters in the alphabet, what better way than to use it as my guide? My birthday gift to all of you. Enjoy!
A: Apples. I love apples in all their many glorious forms. Apple sauce, apple juice, apple pie, apple crisp, apples straight from the tree--I love apples!
B: Bangs. The things I hated having when I was a kid and the must-have for my hair cuts now. Go figure.
C: Cats. I am allergic, which is sad because I would probably love to have one based on my brief ownership of Crystal, the Siamese kitty for about a month.
D: Dogs. This is the reason I now volunteer at the humane society. I love dogs. I miss Bentley and Esther, and since I can't have a dog in my current apartment, I get my dog fix by helping people adopt them.
E: Eyeshadow. I have a ton of eyeshadow, in nearly every shade imaginable, though I typically stick to neutrals. I credit my mom for that collection.
F: Frogs. I will forever be known as the girl who conned her parents into letting her conduct a science project for school that involved hosting about 30 frogs all at once in the basement. My mom says people would come over and sit in the living room (right over the basement) and get concerned about all the croaking.
G: Graduate School. For a long time, I wanted to go to grad school in neuroscience and do something like give monkeys alcohol and see what happens (yes, there really are researchers that do this). But the whole publish-or-perish environment of academia turned me off from that path so now I find myself winding down a masters in Bioethics.
H: Hair. I am extremely particular about who puts scissors to my beautiful tresses. They are long, thick, and with the exception of a couple of pixie cuts here and there they always will be.
I: Ice Cream. My favorite flavor is cookies n' cream, though I don't think I've ever met an ice cream flavor I don't like. My dad's parents owned a few Baskin Robbins and it's become a tradition to go there for a scoop each year. Today I tried Reese's peanut butter cup.
J: Jokes. I love telling jokes, especially if I can make a play on words. For instance, what did the firefly say to Pharaoh? Let my people glow!
K: Kites. There was a period of time in my childhood that I was in love with kites. I made, flew, and thought about them often.
L: Lemons. I love to drink my water with lemon. In fact, I recently tried what I like to dub, "mormon tea" which is basically just hot water with a lemon wedge squeezed in.
M: Megan, of course. Who would I be without the letter m? Probably a Lauren. Or an Aubrey.
N: Noodles. Noodles are my go-to food when I don't want to cook anything. They're so easy and I really enjoy them. I'm definitely a carb-craving gal.
O: Older. What I am each November. Ok, ok, I couldn't think of anything really good that started with the letter "O."
P: Pets. I have had a pet (for the most part) ever since I dug up some worms, put them in a jar, and named them. That was a little too much for my mom, so after that we had a cat, a rabbit, several guinea pigs, a slew of gerbils, a couple dogs, and a bunch of hamsters. Today I just have one hamster, but really, really want a dog.
Q: Qi. This is the word I frequently use in scrabble when I can't come up with a "u" and get stuck with the "q." Bonus: it's super high scoring, especially on a triple letter or triple word tile. You can thank me for your winnings later. :P
R: Russell. I became a Russell in 2006 when I married Spencer. It's been 4.5 years today and we've gone through a ton of changes: moved to Utah full time (not just for school), graduated, moved to Wisconsin, Spencer started school, I started working, I started school, we moved apartments, Spencer started rotations, I changed jobs, and now Spencer is interview and we are both about to graduate. Yowzah.
S: Sterling. My hometown. You may be ghetto now, but back in the day you were a great place to grow up.
T: Todd. My formed self last name, which is now my middle name. I guess technically I have four first names: Megan, Elizabeth, Todd, and Russell. Half of them are boy names. Hmm.
U: Utah. This is where I went to college, met my love, and swore I'd never want to live. Now I miss it and all it's deliciousness.
V: Vampires. I don't quite get the craze. The books were a good distraction for a few hours, but the story is so stupid and not an accurate portrayal of what a good relationship should be. If I ever have daughters they won't be allowed to read it until they are older.
W: Wisconsin. Our current home. Before moving here, I couldn't spell Milwaukee and had no clue how to even pronounce Waukesha (I pronounced it Wa-kisha), Wauwatosa, Oconomowoc, or Menomonne. Now I'm a pro.
X: X-ray vision. This is something I hope I never obtain. I don't really want to see what people have going on under their clothes. (Yes, I know I was lame and picked the obvious choice here).
Y: You. I tag whoever reads this to try to come up with a better response for this letter. Cause I've got nothing...
Z: Zoos. I love going to the zoo, and we are fortunate that the Milwaukee zoo is only a few blocks away. Unfortunately, it's a bit pricey, but I have enjoyed walking around it a few times since moving here.
So there you go. 26 things you may or may not have known about me.
A: Apples. I love apples in all their many glorious forms. Apple sauce, apple juice, apple pie, apple crisp, apples straight from the tree--I love apples!
B: Bangs. The things I hated having when I was a kid and the must-have for my hair cuts now. Go figure.
C: Cats. I am allergic, which is sad because I would probably love to have one based on my brief ownership of Crystal, the Siamese kitty for about a month.
D: Dogs. This is the reason I now volunteer at the humane society. I love dogs. I miss Bentley and Esther, and since I can't have a dog in my current apartment, I get my dog fix by helping people adopt them.
E: Eyeshadow. I have a ton of eyeshadow, in nearly every shade imaginable, though I typically stick to neutrals. I credit my mom for that collection.
F: Frogs. I will forever be known as the girl who conned her parents into letting her conduct a science project for school that involved hosting about 30 frogs all at once in the basement. My mom says people would come over and sit in the living room (right over the basement) and get concerned about all the croaking.
G: Graduate School. For a long time, I wanted to go to grad school in neuroscience and do something like give monkeys alcohol and see what happens (yes, there really are researchers that do this). But the whole publish-or-perish environment of academia turned me off from that path so now I find myself winding down a masters in Bioethics.
H: Hair. I am extremely particular about who puts scissors to my beautiful tresses. They are long, thick, and with the exception of a couple of pixie cuts here and there they always will be.
I: Ice Cream. My favorite flavor is cookies n' cream, though I don't think I've ever met an ice cream flavor I don't like. My dad's parents owned a few Baskin Robbins and it's become a tradition to go there for a scoop each year. Today I tried Reese's peanut butter cup.
J: Jokes. I love telling jokes, especially if I can make a play on words. For instance, what did the firefly say to Pharaoh? Let my people glow!
K: Kites. There was a period of time in my childhood that I was in love with kites. I made, flew, and thought about them often.
L: Lemons. I love to drink my water with lemon. In fact, I recently tried what I like to dub, "mormon tea" which is basically just hot water with a lemon wedge squeezed in.
M: Megan, of course. Who would I be without the letter m? Probably a Lauren. Or an Aubrey.
N: Noodles. Noodles are my go-to food when I don't want to cook anything. They're so easy and I really enjoy them. I'm definitely a carb-craving gal.
O: Older. What I am each November. Ok, ok, I couldn't think of anything really good that started with the letter "O."
P: Pets. I have had a pet (for the most part) ever since I dug up some worms, put them in a jar, and named them. That was a little too much for my mom, so after that we had a cat, a rabbit, several guinea pigs, a slew of gerbils, a couple dogs, and a bunch of hamsters. Today I just have one hamster, but really, really want a dog.
Q: Qi. This is the word I frequently use in scrabble when I can't come up with a "u" and get stuck with the "q." Bonus: it's super high scoring, especially on a triple letter or triple word tile. You can thank me for your winnings later. :P
R: Russell. I became a Russell in 2006 when I married Spencer. It's been 4.5 years today and we've gone through a ton of changes: moved to Utah full time (not just for school), graduated, moved to Wisconsin, Spencer started school, I started working, I started school, we moved apartments, Spencer started rotations, I changed jobs, and now Spencer is interview and we are both about to graduate. Yowzah.
S: Sterling. My hometown. You may be ghetto now, but back in the day you were a great place to grow up.
T: Todd. My formed self last name, which is now my middle name. I guess technically I have four first names: Megan, Elizabeth, Todd, and Russell. Half of them are boy names. Hmm.
U: Utah. This is where I went to college, met my love, and swore I'd never want to live. Now I miss it and all it's deliciousness.
V: Vampires. I don't quite get the craze. The books were a good distraction for a few hours, but the story is so stupid and not an accurate portrayal of what a good relationship should be. If I ever have daughters they won't be allowed to read it until they are older.
W: Wisconsin. Our current home. Before moving here, I couldn't spell Milwaukee and had no clue how to even pronounce Waukesha (I pronounced it Wa-kisha), Wauwatosa, Oconomowoc, or Menomonne. Now I'm a pro.
X: X-ray vision. This is something I hope I never obtain. I don't really want to see what people have going on under their clothes. (Yes, I know I was lame and picked the obvious choice here).
Y: You. I tag whoever reads this to try to come up with a better response for this letter. Cause I've got nothing...
Z: Zoos. I love going to the zoo, and we are fortunate that the Milwaukee zoo is only a few blocks away. Unfortunately, it's a bit pricey, but I have enjoyed walking around it a few times since moving here.
So there you go. 26 things you may or may not have known about me.
Monday, November 1, 2010
November
I grew up in Northern Virginia about 45 minutes from my Grandma Todd's house. Situated just up the hill from the GW Parkway, she was a short drive from Mount Vernon, the Potomac River, and Washington D.C.. Grandpa had been a Colonel in the Air Force and after his passing and the exodus of the other cousins from the area the only ones left were my little family of 5, my Grandma, and my Aunt. With only 7 to cook for, it seemed silly for Grandma to go to all the fuss of cooking (though my mom always did every year so we could still have leftovers). Sure, she could do it but as my mom likes to say, women should enjoy holidays, too, and slaving all day over a hot stove is not enjoyable. And thus, the tradition of Thanksgiving dinner at the Officer's club at Bowling Air Force Base was born. We'd put on our Sunday best and head up to Grandmas, then caravan over to the base where Grandma's ID would let us all in.
The officer's club was beautiful. They had a real live piano player, piles of delicious rolls bakes into animal shapes, an assortment of pies, and of course, all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings. However, they also had a delicious accompaniment of other food like roast beef, shrimp cocktail, and delicious sides. Growing up in a home where the winter staple was some sort of poultry (cheap and easy)--often several turkeys per year!--I always opted to go with the non-poultry option whenever I got the chance. After feasting buffet style for what seemed like an endless amount of time, we'd retire to Grandmas, our bellies full, to laze away the afternoon before indulging in more pie before the trip home.
Since I grew up and went away to college, I haven't always made it home for Thanksgiving. Some years I spent the season in Provo with an assortment of friends, boyfriends, relatives, and in laws (not all in the same year). Other years I trekked up to Portland to see how the other half of my family celebrated Turkey Day. But a few times, I've made it back for Thanksgiving at the officer's club with Grandma, and I'm happy to say that Spencer was able to join me at least once before her passing last year.
This year, we will feast in Orem and Sandy with the Russell clan, which has it's own delicious set of traditions. Hopefully, Grandma Rosie will make orange rolls, and we will be able to see Scott for the first time in over 2 years as he will return from his mission in the Philippines just in time for the holiday. And hopefully, we will be able to add just one more tradition to the rest: shrimp cocktail.
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