Bones

I missed Bones last week. And I've had it at the top of my list, to watch, since Thursday night. It still hasn't happened. And it looks so good...



I've waited since last May, to see what's going to happen next. I guess I should stop blogging. Maybe I can catch part of an episode, while I'm trying to wake up. And before my kiddos get up. But somehow, I can't get myself out of bed. And we don't have a TV in our room. I could just watch it on my laptop....

Is there any show that you've been waiting for? And that you still haven't seen. This is the one for me. My hubs first got me interested in Bones, during the Summer 2010. It was our guilty pleasure. We'd stay up late, on the weekends, and watch. I'm pretty sure, that we watched 3 seasons, that summer. Maybe we need to make this a weekly, TV watching, date. It could be good...

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween everyone! How was everyone's day? Are you already all "Halloween'd out?" We're not. And we've been at it since Thursday! Yes, Thursday. Logan had his Preschool, Halloween Day. Since he only goes to school Tuesday-Thursday, Thursday was our day to celebrate. Logan, Daniella, and I dressed up. We packed up our Halloween cookies, that we made and decorated. And all those bags for the class. It was such a fun day. Daniella got to be in the parade too. She was loving it! Getting to hangout with all the big kids.

Friday was also a crazy day! We all headed to the hospital, right after Ethan and Madelyn were out of school. Dressed up. To hangout with some of the kiddos and their families. There were lots of crafts, cookie and cupcake decorating, and some fun movies. We had a blast! It didn't hurt that Patrick came out, dressed up like Dracula. The kids loved it!

Friday night, we all "vegged out." Ordered pizza, and watched 3 Halloween movies. Patrick worked. Secretly, I can bet, that he's been looking forward to this week. You'd be surprised by the people you will see in the hospital. Crazy!

Saturday night, Patrick and I headed to the Halloween Ball. It's a fundraiser for the hospital. That I've been slaving at for months! It turned out great. And Patrick and I had an incredible time! Lots of good food, fun friends, raising money, and dancing the night away.

By Sunday, I didn't want to get out of bed. But the 2nd of the hospital fundraisers was Sunday. A Family Event. A Halloween Carnival and Trunk-or-Treating. So much fun! All the hospital staff came, dressed up, and with their families. A lot of money was raised. The hospital is trying to add another "Playground" for the kids. And they're so expensive!

And today hasn't disappointed either! Ethan and Madelyn had their Halloween parties at school. Oh ya! More Halloween treats. The 5 of us dressed up. The entire school was so fun! It was a like a Halloween Carnival. The different booths had fun Halloween games, that were educated. So fun! Patrick came by, during his lunch break. Dressed up! So that we could all enjoy a "Goblin Lunch" together. :)

After school, we came home. The kids were so excited! We made a yummy, Halloween inspired dinner. It was a special dinner too. Patrick was able to join us. Honestly, from Monday-Friday, we rarely have dinner as a family. My hubby usually doesn't come home until the kids' bedtime. Sad. But true. Tonight, was definitely a treat!

Our regular babysitter came by. She handed out candy for us. I didn't want to miss the trick-or-treating. But I also didn't want to be the only neighbor, not handing out candy. And our family went trick-or-treating. I've never seen so much candy in my life! Tomorrow, our kids are going to pick out their favorites. Then, we're going to donate the rest. To the troops. I'd rather that they have our candy. And it not go to waste. Yes, our family had a great time! I can't wait until next year. Now I'm  going to go enjoy some chocolate...

Our Sons and Lights

Let me start off by saying this, in our family, we LOVE the holidays! All of them. We try to make every holiday so special. But the one thing, that Patrick and I have never been really good at, is putting up lights outside. I just don't know where to start. And Patrick is always working.

We never decorated outside our home, small apartment, or house, until Ethan was born. Then we bought some lights. When we lived in the SW, and had 2 small children, we paid the interns to hang our lights. And usually, we had them over for dinner too. It was great! And then, after the holidays, they'd come back, take them down, and put them all away. Bless them!

When we moved out here, we had a little more money, and a lot more home. We invested in some new lights. Previously, we'd been using Christmas lights, that had been my in-laws. We loved them! But couldn't find enough to cover our new home. Because those lights were from the 1960s. Patrick and I decided on clear lights. And we bought so many!

Nowadays, we pay a group of guys to come put them up. Yes, I still have no clue where to begin. And Patrick is still working over 100 hours a week! So our wonderful gardening buddies come help us out. Over the last few years, we've added some cute Christmas signs. And a few fun characters. Including a Santa. But nothing too crazy. No music. No blinking lights.

But recently, the "Halloween House," has been all over the news! My sons are so into it. Every time it comes on the TV, they have to watch it. The other night, Patrick looked up the video on YouTube. And my sons were in heaven! Then they noticed, there were other songs. For over 2 hours, Patrick and the boys watched these videos. This is their favorite!



Now our sons are begging Patrick, to decorate our house. To add some music. Get lots of fun lights. Oh, I think we're in trouble! I found some papers this morning, for "plans." For this Christmas. And next Halloween. I think Patrick needs to start studying holiday lights...

Dressing Up

Halloween costumes. Usually, they're an easy subject around here. We order Halloween costumes in early September. That way we get, what we want. Oh, and with my first 2 kiddos, I got to pick out their costumes, until they were 5. Yes, when they started school, they wanted to pick out their costumes.

But this year was a whole other issue! Life got busy, and before I knew it, it was mid September. OK, it was only 2 weeks off schedule. Not too bad. I sat each one of our kids down, and we searched for their perfect costumes. Logan and Daniella knew exactly what they wanted to be. Months ago!

Logan wanted to be Mr. Potato Head. It had been talked about, since the summer. My son is only 3! But he knew exactly what he wanted. And we were OK with that. Until, we couldn't find the costume anywhere! He hid under his bed for 2 hours, before finally agreeing to find something else. Too bad I'm not crafty. It doesn't look like a hard costume to make. Maybe I should really invest in a sewing machine...

We compromised on a Train Conductor. "Just like Thomas' friend." I don't know. Logan said it. I just went with it. And he was happy. When the costume came in the mail, he was over the moon! But the Mr. Potato Head, he's still asking about it. We'll get to that in another post...

Daniella was easy as pie! Since we went to Disney World, and honestly, before that, she's been all about Minnie Mouse. This costume happened to be on the front page. Although, there were cuter ones, she was hooked on this one. I also picked up some tights and cute shoes. Let's just say this, our baby knows exactly what she wants. Exactly! I'm starting to believe, our 2 youngest are going to be more opinionated, than our oldest 2. :)

Costume picking took a little more time than I thought. Especially when it came to Madelyn. She couldn't decide what she wanted to be. There were some pondering and searching going on. Lots of talking involved. Asking of friends, what are they dressing up as. Changing our minds. And finally settling on a Gypsy. I don't think Madelyn was 100% sure, when we ordered it. But now that she has it, I'm positive, that she's so happy with her choice. And all the gold jewelry that we bought too! Pretty fancy for my 1st grader...

I've said it at least a hundred times before, Ethan is so easy going! He's just like Patrick. When we visited NASA this summer, he was over the moon. My son, is totally a science and math kid. OK, he likes sports too. But you know what I mean. On the ride from NASA to our hotel, he turned and told me, "Mom, I want to be an astronaut for Halloween. Because I want to work for NASA when I grow up." Really? Easy as that. It took us all of 2 seconds, to decide on which costume he wanted.

And that left Patrick and I. We need to dress up for this "Halloween Ball" that we're going to attend. We don't usually dress up as a couple. But we thought it would be fun. And we don't have to worry about warmth. We're going to be wearing these costumes to the ball. And our costumes from last year when we take the kids trick-or-treating. Dracula and a witch. After lots of talking, dying with the prices, and negotiating, we settled on Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. Isn't that fun? I can't wait until Halloween! It's going to be fun. The makeup and jewelry are going to be so fun too!

And honestly, I can't wait to see my hubs dressed up! I'm telling you, this is going to be a fun Halloween. It's going to be so busy. But I'm positive that we're going to enjoy ourselves. And for next year, I need to remember, to get our order in earlier. It was a little stressful this year. I'm sure Logan would appreciate that. Did I mention? He's still talking about Mr. Potato Head...

Serenity

Immediately, this prayer came to mind. Patrick and I, came out to Tennessee. Our good friend, and her baby, have been through so much! It pains me so. My heart just breaks for them. Both of them. To have gone through so very much, so much hurt and pain. I don't really want to go through all of it. I think you should read the story from Hillary, herself.

Recently, a colleague of ours, contacted Patrick. If he'd be interested in this surgery. We all agreed. It was for such a good reason. I called my parents. And they agreed, to come and stay with our kids. For about a week. Because Hillary needs us. Plans were made. And here we are, in Tennessee.

The surgery was completed. A complete success. Complicated and long. But successful. Patrick and Dr. Sam were the lead surgeons. I sat with Hillary and her brother. As we were updated, I would explain to them exactly what was going on. I tried to keep my friend distracted. To keep her mind off of what was going on. I did everything that I could, to be a good friend. A comfort. A solid support.

Baby C is now doing well. Actually, better than expected. Which is such a relief. My friend and her baby girl, deserve such a good life. To be healthy. To be happy. I want that for them. For these amazing souls. I've only known for just under a year. But I swear to you, I feel like we've known each other for a lifetime!

This prayer, was just perfect. As an MD, we are trained to think,that we can do it all. We should be able to fix every problem, that comes our way. Every single time. But in reality, we know that we're just human. Not every situation is fixable. It's unfortunate. Heartbreaking.

The Serenity Prayer, was the one prayer, that I had hanging in my locker. The very first day that I worked at the hospital. At the beginning of every shift, I read it. And at the end of every shift, I read it again. It's the one thing, that gave me courage, when I was full of fear!

Yesterday's surgery, required courage, wisdom, and serenity. We all pray that Baby C will heal. Completely. That she will have the same chances in life, that my own kids have. I pray that God gives grace, wisdom, and patients to my friend. Most of all, I pray that God gives my friend strength. This is a long road that she's on. She needs all of our strength, love, and prayers. Please say an extra prayer, for this beautiful family.

Welcome Back!

I didn't realize how crazy, "Back to School" would be. Patrick works 100+ hours a week. And I respect that. He's providing for us. And this job, it's something that the 2 of us talked, at length, about. I especially love, that Patrick works so hard Monday-Friday, so that he has Saturday and Sunday off. Just so he can spend time with our kids and me.

With that, comes a lot of responsibility for me. Yes, we're lucky. I get to call on some help. From time to time, I call a friend/babysitter. Who helps with my kids. If I'm busy with work, or have a lot of things, I can call for some help. It doesn't happen much. But when I need the help, I can get it.

The last few weeks have been crazy! I've been so busy. We now have 3 kids in school. That's 3 teachers to meet. 3 Parent-Teacher Conferences. 3 groups of parents. Thankfully, only 1 PTA. Which now, I'm a big part of! I didn't see that coming. But I was elected. And I'm going to look at that, as being a blessing. Oh, and I'm the "Class Parent" for all 3 of these classes.

Count to 10. I need to breathe. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I'm feeling like a bad parent. A bad mommy. I know that I shouldn't. But it's just the way life is. I question these things, when life gets tough. We've had so much going on. I know that Patrick feels bad. He wants to be around for all these events. But he has to work.

Earlier, when I was putting Daniella down for a nap, she hugged me. So tight. And kissed me. Whispered in my ear, "Mommy, I wuv you." In that second, I knew all of this. was well worth it! I'm going to get through this. I know, once the kids start to settle into school, and we get a schedule going, it's going to be OK. Thank goodness, that we did most of our "Back to School" shopping, weeks ago. That, plus all of this, might just push me over the edge. Until then, I'm going to curl up, and watch some TV. And eat a little chocolate. Yes, life isn't that bad.

Oh So Pretty!

Again, I took to google for some inspiration. Patrick and I have been talking. We want to actually decorate our bedroom. And that means, we both have to do a little research. You know, make a plan. I don't want my hubby to feel uncomfortable in our bedroom. And I still want it to have feminine touches.

So I've googled, and googled, and googled some more! Then I found this collage. What beautiful pictures! There's something magical about them. I love the light. And these colors. There's just something magical and romantic about them.

I wanted to jump for joy, when Patrick agreed. We're thinking about the middle color, as the wall color. And white and green for the bedding. The 1st 2 colors would be great accent colors. Yes, I'm loving these colors. And I realized something yesterday. The light shines into our room, like that last picture. Great news!

This is a good jumping off point for us. We've lived here for 4 1/2 years. And haven't really done much to our bedroom. It's time. It's time that Patrick and I have a space of our own. The craziest part, is we have the perfect white chair. With that green, in the simplest print.Oh, and that light fixture, would be absolutely perfect! All we have to do now, is to really start looking for the bedding and curtains. Always a great place to start. The rest is about collecting the perfect accessories. Oh, I can't wait!

10 Years of Wedded Bliss

Dear Patrick,

I can't believe it's been 10 years! Do you remember our wedding day? I don't think it could have been a hotter day. I thought for sure, my dress was going to melt off of me. 105 degrees outside. We knew how to pick the day! I couldn't have felt smaller, in the Cathedral. So huge, and majestic. So much history. So many couples before us, had gotten married there. But I was never so sure, that we were perfect for each other. I knew we were made for one another.

It didn't matter that our wedding was small. That only our parents, grandparents, and a few other friends and family were there. We could have gotten married, just by ourselves, and it would still have been perfect! Just you and me. And God. All that we needed.

So much has happened since July 7, 2001. So many good things. A few tough times. I've always had you to lean on. To depend on. Your strong arms. Your caring heart. Do you remember it all? The crazy meltdowns. In that tiny apartment. Where I swear, we could hear our neighbors breathing. When I'd fall apart, after 48 hour shifts. And I always had you, to comfort me. To tell me it was going to work out.

You've always been here for me. Wanting me to be happy. Making sure I get the things I need. And want. It never mattered to you, where we lived, what kind of furniture we had, or where we'd go. You just wanted me to be happy. I've never felt so loved. Never!

There were days, when I felt less than perfect. Horrible even. Unattractive. Tired. Just not good enough. But you've always had a way, to make me feel amazing. Like I'm the most beautiful woman, inside and out. You just have this way. Even when I was covered in baby food, hadn't showered in days, hadn't slept in weeks. You still made me feel, like I was the sexist woman on the planet.

And these amazing babes that we have. All 4 of them! Made with so much love. The perfect balance of you and me. I love how they've changed our lives. Made us better people. I always knew that you'd be an amazing Daddy. But when Ethan was born, you completely outdid any expectation, that I ever had. So incredibly loving, gentle, kind, nurturing, and knowledgeable.

In the last 10 years, we've been through so much. But our 4 kids, are definitely the most amazing blessings! We've gone through so much. Accomplished so much. Walked hand in hand. Making a better life for ourselves. Improving the world around us. And making a beautiful and loving family.

I couldn't imagine going through life with anyone else. There is no one else in the world, that I'd want at my side. No other man that I'd want to love. Not other man that I'd want to love me. No other Daddy for my babes. No. You, Patrick, are my other half. My better half. I'm only whole with you. The only man that makes me complete. The man I wanted to marry 10 years ago. The man I want to live with, until eternity. The best father in the world. I couldn't imagine going to bed, without you. Feeling your strong arms, wrapped tightly around me, as I sleep. My morning is not complete, without waking up in your arms, looking into your eyes, and getting my morning kiss.



This song, still makes me think of you. Every time I hear it. Our first dance. So many date nights. It just reminds me of you. Of you and me! Yes, 10 years ago, I made the best decision of my life. To become your wife. I love you babe! Happy Anniversary! I can't wait, to see what the next 10 years, have in store for you and me. 

Love,
Your Brookie

Getting Real

I want to use my blog to be real. It's not going to be a "Sugar Coated" blog. But a place of "real life." Of struggles and triumphs! It's time to get a little real here.

I know what people think. When I say that my husband and I are both doctors, people think we're rich. We have it all. We've never struggled. Life was handed to us. The good life. But the reality is, we've struggled a lot. We've only begun to "enjoy life and our hard work" in the last few years.

Both Patrick and I, come from working class families. When I was younger, I was in band, and later I was on a dance team. I had to do so many fundraisers, to be in those extra curricular activities. My parents worked hard. They provided for their family. But we didn't have a lot of extra money. We didn't go on lots of vacations. Mostly, we went camping. And once, we went on a family vacation.

I wouldn't say that we were poor. Our needs were met. We had enough food. We had everything we needed for school. We got new clothes, twice a year. But there were definitely hand-me-downs. When we became teenagers, my siblings and I all got jobs. We wanted money to spend, so we worked.

When I was really young, I knew I wanted to be a doctor. I knew it would cost a lot of money. I worked the entire time I was in high school. Ya, I spent my money on things like school dances, and clothes. But I saved well over 50% of my money. For college. And when I went to college, I still worked. I used as much of my saved money, as possible. But I did have to take out student loans.

Through college and medical school, I worked. But I still had to take out loans. After medical school, Patrick and I had a combined debt of 6 figures. It scared me to be honest. I saw this debt, and thought, we're never going to have the life, that we want. How are we ever going to pay this back? When?

Lots of thoughts flooded my mind. I felt like I'd never own a home. We'd never be able to have a family. How could we get married? It was a daunting feeling. I'd go to sleep thinking about it. I'd wake up in the morning, still worrying.

When Patrick and I moved, it was tough. We moved to a southwestern state. A border town. The cost of living wasn't too bad. We were both going to be working at the same hospital. We set out. We made our plan, and went for it.

We sold my car. And packed up Patrick's car. We loaded our stuff. Which wasn't much. Let's just be honest. And we drove across the country. I remember our last 2 gas stops. Both Patrick and I were hungry. Our snack supply was dwindling. Our cash was also fading fast. That 2nd to the last stop, we literally pulled out our calculator. Tried to calculate the cost. Wondering if we were actually going to make it. From that point, to the next gas station, I cried. I wasn't sure, if all of this was going to be worth it.

It didn't matter that we had all of this knowledge. Or that Patrick and I were finally going to be "real doctors." It didn't matter. How could it matter, if we couldn't get there. If we didn't have the means to survive. It was a tough road. But Patrick was always positive. Always telling me that we'd find a way.

Patrick and I moved into this teeny, tiny apartment. It was literally 2 rooms, and a bathroom. The rooms were so small! One room was our kitchen/dining room/living room. Big enough for a couch, and little more. The other room, our bedroom. Nothing more than a full-sized bed fit in there. We had a mattress to sleep on, 2 outdoor chairs, 4 bath towels, and miscellaneous supplies. We lived in this place, until I got pregnant.

Our apartment complex was called the "RHH." The Residents' Hell Hole. That wasn't the real name. But that name, that many people gave it. It was nothing but residents and medical students living there. The rent was a few hundred dollars. We had no AC, cable, internet. Heck, we didn't even use the heat in the winter. There were 2 small washers, a dryer, and a clothes line in the renter's office.

For years, we worked. We worked hard. Payed our student loans. Didn't splurge on much. A big date night for us, was going to dinner at Bennigan's, and renting a movie. And that was rare. But our debts, honestly weren't going down. It was disheartening. I started to wonder, was all this education really worth it? I was doing a job that I loved. But I wasn't happy. My financial anchor was killing me. No matter what Patrick said.

Then Patrick took on a job. Working on the border. It was risky. But it definitely paid better. We still worked at the hospital. But Patrick also worked 30 hours a week, doing border work. Soon, we were talking. We wanted to move forward in our lives. Not be these poor residents forever. And I needed to do something. Because I was starting to get depressed.

We decided to start a family. I was about a year from finishing my residency. Patrick was a full on MD. I started to see the light. I got pregnant a few months later. We moved. Funny thing is, we moved to a place were housing was more affordable. Further, but more affordable. We rented a home, from another MD. Patrick and I commuted almost an hour both ways, 7 days a week.

Just 3 months before Ethan was born, I completed my residency. Patrick and I decided that I should take some time off. And that's what I did. He continued to work hard. Patrick was also working research, writing for various publications, anything to keep us afloat.

And here is where I have to stop and say, Thank You! To all of our friends and colleagues. They were so incredibly kind to us. The threw us a baby shower. Helped us, as much as they could. By this point, Patrick and I had finally bought a real bed, we had a cheapo kitchen table and chairs, and we'd even managed to buy some living room furniture. It was used. But it was ours!

For Ethan's nursery, we bought all the furniture from a nurse. I think it cost us $150 for a crib, dresser, changing table, and a rocking chair. Patrick and I splurged, and bought some new sheets for the crib. We bought some very basic supplies. But we were happy.

For the next 3 years, we worked hard to make our life work. Our family had gone from 2 to 4. Soon after Madelyn was born, Patrick and I had a serious conversation. It was time to take a "flying leap." We needed to do better for ourselves. But more importantly, for our kids. Patrick started to research new hospitals, new positions, new possibilities. Patrick wanted better for all of us.

During the time that we were in the southwest, Patrick had worked hard. He'd worked for the positions that he got. He did a lot. So he decided to apply for an incredible job. It was a complete leap of  faith. a "Holy Mary" of sorts.

18 months later, he got the job. And we were moving across the country. We moved to the southeast in January 2007. In about 7 years, Patrick and I had been paying down our debts. We hadn't even paid 5%. It as crazy! We paid above the minimum payment. But it wasn't making much of a difference.

We did 3 things with the incredible signing bonus that Patrick got. We bought a house. A real home. A glorious home! I cried, when we signed the papers. Second, we paid an incredible payment. Let's just say, with one payment, we paid half of our student loans. Which was A LOT! Lastly, Patrick and I finally went on a "Honeymoon." We'd never really traveled before. Our wedding had been tiny. On a "Penny Budget." Our trip to Paris, was magical! And it must have really been. Because that December, Logan was born. :)

I'm happy to say, 4 years later, we're debt free. We own a home on the lake. And our original home. Making Patrick's commute, just minutes. We both were able to purchase new cars. And like they say, we're making our house a home. Buying furniture. And completing our family. Daniella was born just over 2 years ago.

Life has not always been easy for us. There are a lot of things, that I'd like to do differently. If I could just go back in time. But lots of these things, have made us stronger. The tough times, strengthened Patrick and I's relationship. We value our family more than anything in the world!

We've had our times, when we had $5 in the bank, $20 in our pockets, and had to buy food for our kids. There were lots of sleepless nights. We slept on a mattress, on the floor, for years! And shared one car, until after Madelyn was born.

But now, life is starting to calm down. Patrick and I are able to provide for our family. Our kids are able to go to Catholic School. We have 4 college funds going. And we are able to add to them every month. Pretty much, we are a debt free family. It's not always easy. I'd love to take vacations. My dream would be to completely furnish my home, with a decorator. Better yet, to be able to hire Lola to do it.

I'd love for my husband to slow down on his work. To cut down on his hours. But I know, there is a reason for it. We want to provide for our kids. We want them to not have to work as hard as we had to. We're not going to hand our kids everything. But I don't want them to worry about paying for college. Or worrying about their next meal. That's important to me.

Patrick and I want our kids to live safely, and comfortably. To not grow up, wishing that they had been able to be in sports, or a certain activity. We want our kids to have every opportunity that we can provide. That's important.

We've had some pretty low lows. But Patrick and I, well we've worked hard. Hard to dig ourselves out. Hopefully, we'll never have those nights, of going to bed hungry again. Hopefully, I get to be a SAHM until all our kids enter school. It's important to value our family first. All the things we've been through, have definitely been well worth it. At least for Patrick and I. Because now, we have this beautiful family.

Welcome!

Hi! I'm Brooke. Welcome to my blog. It's a place, that I hope to share about my family's adventures. Yes, my family. My #1! I'm married to Patrick. The love of my life! He's an MD. I'm also an MD. Except, I don't practice as much as Patrick. Only a few times a month. Why? Because we have 4 beautiful kiddos. From oldest to youngest, Ethan, Madelyn, Logan, and Daniella. These 5 beautiful souls, are my entire life!

A few more things about me. Well, 98% of the time I'm a SAHM/W. I LOVE it! I'm originally from the West Coast. My hubby is from the SW. We lived in the SW for years, when we first got out of medical school. We still miss it. But now, we live in the SE. And we're loving it too!

I enjoy cooking, baking, and blog reading. I'd love to read your blog. Please leave me a comment with a link. Or send me an email. I'm always looking for ways to connect with moms and wives. I also enjoy reading. Please share your latest read. I collect cookbooks. Love receiving mail. Most of my days, are filled with my kiddos, my hubby, and lots of fundraising. Let's not forget God. He's the center of my life. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. And Welcome to my little place in Blogland!