DMU CPMS Class of 2010

Right of Passage

This actually happened a couple weeks ago, and I am now just posting about it. After the second year of Med School, students are pretty much done with classroom coursework. To celebrate this happy occasion and say good job to all of the students who made it through, without dropping out, they have a sort of graduation for them. It is called the right of passage. After this year, Bryce will be doing mostly clinical work and learning all the stuff he came here to learn. He is pretty excited to be done with classroom stuff. I know he feels like he has been going to school forever, and I agree with him.

This is like a Where's Waldo picture. You win a special surprise if you can find Bryce. WHO CAN FIND HIM?

These are all of Bryce's study buddies and their wives. Me and Bryce, Becca and Ben Fluhman, Phil Hassler (his wife was gone that weekend),Colby and Shauni Frost, and Jason and Meg Campbell.

Lets not stand too close Bryce! Here are all the boys in their handsome white coats. Bryce, Phil, Jason, Colby, and Ben. CONGRATS DUDES.

Our Indoor Jungle

My story time class made newspaper beanstalks last week. I used to make these little trees when I was little. I actually remember learning how to make them from Lamb Chops Playalong. I know that it is very sad that I admit that, but what can ya do. So, yesterday was a rainy day and it ruined our hopes of park time so we brought the jungle indoors. We didn't color on the walls even though it may look as if. We spread butcher paper along the whole wall and the kids enjoyed coloring on the wall. They drew volcanoes and lizards and lions and tigers and bears, oh my my. Then we added our trees. They did a very good job for first time tree makers.

Myah is really excited and Myles is a pirate I guess. This makes me laugh even looking at it right now, oh what cute kids.

This is their tiger pose. They look very menacing, I wouldn't mess with them. You know that you are in the jungle when you see creatures that can look this frightening.

Perfect Weather

I was beginning to have my doubts about the weather here in Iowa. I grew up in Wyoming and Montana so I've seen my fair share of very yucky weather. BUT, this winter topped all my memories of bad weather. I can't remember so much snow and so much cold. Spring is literally a breath of fresh air out here. We all have been cooped up indoors all winter and are just aching for the sunshine. It got to be March and I was waiting for that in like a lion out like a lamb thing, and it was in like a lion out like a rabid lion. We got snow all through march and into the beginning of April. Yet, the sun does shine in Iowa. Much to the disbelief of many of us who are living here. This week has been a little bit of heaven. The clouds gathered to pour down some warm rain, but when they parted and the sun shone down it was a perfect 69 degrees. Today was the most beautiful day I can remember. The grass is green and the trees are budding, what more could a person ask for. The kids and I have been just yearning at the window waiting for sunshine and here it is. The first chance we got, we were out the door.

Myles is starting to learn to pump his feet to swing. After a while he gets annoyed and just swings on his belly so he can do it himself.

I'm pretty sure that the green thing is a cover to some sort of sewer hole or something. I had my doubts at first about letting Myah play with it, but it was just sitting on the playground all washed from a recent rain. She had a lot of fun finding treasures to fill up the holes. It was ver heavy and she nearly dropped it in the middle of this picture. If she looks strained, she probably is.

I asked them to show me a treasure they found and give me a smile. I got a smile from Myah as you can see. A cute little missing teeth grin from her, but Myles wouldn't smile for me. No, he doesn't look like that when he smiles, but this is all I could get out of him.

Memories of My Grandma Hamblin - Part I - The Rooms

Mom recently put a small memorial to her Grandmother on her blog and I wanted to follow suit. I don't have a picture of her right now, but will try to get one to show.

I grew up living two doors down from my Grandma Hamblin. I cannot imagine my childhood any other way. Once, when my childhood troubles became too much to bare, I "ran away to Grandma's house. I came prepared with my purple silk night gown on and my pig Oinkers in tow, I was ready for a night off from my family. I got to the door with tear soaked eyes and determination on my brow. I told her I was running away that asked if I could stay there for the night. She took me in without hesitation. She set me up in the "twin room" and let my have my much needed night off. I remember hearing her talk to Mom on the phone, and I was secretly very glad because I wanted Mom to know I has successfully run away, but not really worried.

Grandma collected Dolls. I shouldn't limit to that, no. She collected. She was an avid collector. A lover of garage sales and a master at bargain shopping, she gave me my first taste of what it was to find treasures among others trash. She used to come to our house early Saturday morning and wake me and my little sister Whitney up to take us to garage sales with her. She was always armed with the latest newspaper where all the local sales were listed. There were many times when it was just Grandma and me alone, for Bubber couldn't get herself out of bed. I cherished those days. She usually gave me two or three quarters to spend as I pleased. Grandma always warned me, "make sure you will use what you buy. Don't just buy the first thing you see, there are a lot of sales today." The only treasure I can specifically remember was a purple Popple that I found for 10 cents, and it definitely got its love. Grandma always looked specifically for dolls that has extreme potential, but just needed a little tender loving care. She was especially fond of Madame Alexander and Efanbee dolls. Oh, and I can't forget her special taste for teddy bears. She never could turn down a Gund in decent shape.

Because of these frequent shopping sprees, Grandma's house was FILLED with dolls and bears. I don't know if anyone understands the meaning of the word filled in that sentence. Every open corner, shelf, floor space, and room had "restored" dolls looking out at you with grateful eyes that someone cared enough to give them life again. One particular room was overflowing with dolls. I mentioned earlier that when I had run away from home, I stayed in the "twin room." Every room in Grandmas house has a name. The "twin room" was name as such because it simply had two twin sized bed in it. The overflowing room was named the "doll room." Aren't we inventive? This room had shelf after shelf of every type of doll. The more valuable ones were placed on the higher shelves, out of reach of the grandchildren ready to love them to shambles. But, the dolls that we played with were there scattered on the bed and lower shelves easily in our reach. Oh, a little girls dream was that room.

Another room in Grandmas house, and my particular favorite room, was the "water bed room." I won't explain why it was called that, I think one might guess. This room was usually infested with teddy bears. Some teddies had clothes and umbrellas and shoes. Others, were just furry creatures with gentle eyes. While my Grandmas favorites were the ones with the pose able arms and legs. They were all out and waiting for a playmate. With all the treasures in that room, the bed was the star. My cousin Tori and I were quite fond of that swishy bed. I can account that bed for countless hours of entertainment.

I will close this chapter of my memories of Grandma Hamblin. There is so much to write and I know I will soon lose some of these precious stories. Better to remember now, than try to remember later with no luck. I love my Grandma dearly and am so privledged that she got to be such a part of my young years. She is a large part of who I am. I love you Grandma.

Blooming!

My lily is blooming. It is beautiful and very fragrant. The smell fills the whole front room. I must say the natural air freshener is a lot more refreshing than "white lilies" air freshener from a can.

There are actually three blooms on the plant now, but again, my camera battery is down. I have to recharge the batteries and it takes thirteen hours and I don't want to have to wait that long. So, here are my two blooms. They are gorgeous aren't they? I have acquired such a love for my little plants. I can see now why Mom and Grammie always had them in abundance. I'm glad that Grammie passed that love down to her daughter so Mom could pass it on to me.

Happy Eater BELATED

I tried to do marble eggs last year with very little success. I see them online and Martha Stewart does them just like magic. I couldn't seem to get it right. However, don't you think this years eggs came out just like glistening marble. I really am quite happy with the results. The little chick in the middle was given to me by Bryce's Grandma Norma Butler. She is a very accomplished ceramic artist. This little chick came with a few others and the little shiny eggs that really reflected the flash from the camera. The glass bowl is an heirloom that I recently acquired from my Mom's collection. It was my Great Grandmothers. It is very beautiful, and I am very lucky to have it.

A Girl Loves Her Flowers

I found this little gem at Target for 9$. It is an Asian Lily, but it came as a bulb and some soil. No my friends, it did not come looking this alive and glossy to begin with. I was just a mess of roots growing out of a big ball of . . . well roots. I was a little reluctant because my thumb isn't exactly green, a trait I always wanted to inherit from my Mom. I should have spent more of my summers with her in the garden. Anyway, I have given this little baby my very close attention and it has absolutely flourished. It is probably the easiest plant to keep alive ever, but I feel such a sense of accomplishment watching it grow. And, YES, there are little buds just waiting to bloom. SIX buds are on these plants and I can't wait until I have a plant full of gorgeous white lilies. I LOVE LILIES.

I can only take credit for the dying orchid in the middle. I got this orchid from Bryce for Mother's Day a year ago. It was so lovely and I regret to say that it got neglected a little when it stopped blooming. I sometimes forgot about it and it wouldn't get water for weeks. I did start to feel very sorry for the poor little fellow, so I have since been giving it too my TLC. It has almost revived to join us living. It still requires a little close attention and some extra sweet words in passing, but I hope someday that it will bloom again. The other two cute, flourishing plants my Mother gave me just because she loves me so. Actually I asked her if I could have them. As I mentioned earlier she has a VERY green thumb and she has about a million house plants. She took over some of my Grammies plants after she moved and now her kitchen and living room is nearly totally surrounded by plants. I have been wanting some foliage and I asked her if I could steal a couple. These are the ones she said were the easiest to manage. They are quite self sufficient and I love the color they give to my little apartment. Plus, I feel like I have more oxygen in this worn out, dusty, musty, rusty apartment. (that sentence was for my sisters and mom. Remember all you need is an old straw hat, a suit of overalls, and in my case, a worn out, musty, dusty, rusty, apartment. Plus some shoes I suppose :)

I don't know if I love a flower more than the tulip. The spring should be all year round so we can always have these happy little flowers to color our lives. These ones look almost like little sunshines on stems don't they. It is nice to have a little sunshine right on your end table isn't it. I got these flowers, not from my husband, bless his heart, but from Ellen Brown who I serve with in the Young Womens presidency. I adore Ellen with all my heart, probably more than I adore her little sunshines.