Bastille Day

Bastille Day is the French National Day, which is celebrated on 14 July of each year. It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution.

And to commemorate this lovely occasion, Jess and I ran the Bastille Day 8K in Lincoln Park, Chicago. It was unique in that this race was run in the evening. It was a lovely, not-too-hot summer evening. The course followed the lakeshore path; while the calm water, boats, and setting sun were inspiring, the fishy odor wafting up to my nares was nauseating, and our near-death by cyclists was frightening. However, this did not stop Jess and I from finishing our 4.97 miles in about 43 minutes.

At the finish line we were handed a French flag and a mini cupcake sprinkled red, white, and blue. The best part: the t-shirt. It's the only real reason to run road races. And this may be the best race shirt I have ever received. Soft, heathered blue, Eiffel Tower.

Thanks Mom, Dad, and John for cheering us along at the finish line. :)

PA School is DONE

Please excuse the three month blog hiatus. There was much studying to be done, but it is finished!

I have officially graduated from PA school and passed the board exam. I am now a certified Physician Assistant! It feels amazing to be done. The road has been long and not without its challenges. Evenings without study materials on my lap are strange and SO refreshing. I am on the job hunt and just enjoying a few weeks with not.much.to.do.

The day after taking my board exam, we moved to a new apartment on North Park's campus just a block down the street. Our new place is 2 bedrooms with its own laundry and a DISHWASHER [first one of our married life]...we feel like we're getting a fresh start in a lot of ways. Next on the to-do list: new furniture [not for a little while yet].

We recently returned from a camping trip with the Hoekstras at Kentucky Lake. It was a time of much relaxation...reading, hammocking, hiking, kayaking, pontuning, and EATING.

Until next time...

LJB

Oh, It's April Already?

Hmm...here's to hoping life can slow down a bit so that I blog more than once every two months! Any readers still out there?

Well, John is just 5 weeks away from finishing his first year as a Resident Director at NPU, and campus is lively! The students are starting to seep out of the cracks as the weather warms up, and the daffodils are rapidly spearing through the barren landscape.

Summer is almost in reach, and yet thoughts of June bring with them extraordinary amounts of anxiety. June 3rd is my graduation, and on the 10th I will take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam. YUCK. Although ecstatic to be almost finished with my final [yes, forever] two months of school, the road to the first day of my first job as a PA is all but smooth and flat. The all-encompassing review of every disease in the book has begun...

Just a few pics for your enjoyment:

A man was proud of his breakfast.

Jody gets cold sometimes...Aaron is always creepy.

JESSICA LEIGH!

Got fixed...had to wear the cone of shame for 10 days.

Best buddies. I got the boot.

Tulips for SPRING!

LJB

Thundersnow

And then it came.

First the flurries.

Then the white blanket.

The wind followed, gusting at 40-60mph.

And then it thundered.

Yes, they call it THUNDERSNOW.

It left its mark on Chicago...all 20 inches of it. And it made for a really fun snow day.

On top of the world.

Yes, I am standing.

Snowshoeing.

10 points if you can find the car...and dig it out.

Getting dumped on!

Walking through the streets today was refreshing. Neighbors helped each other dig out. Parents took their kids sledding. People were just out to have a good time on their day off. My guess is that tomorrow the real world will return...the kind where the streets are plowed and we're all way too busy. We all need a snow day once in a while. Shovel on, friends.

LJB

Beautiful Things

Loving this song by Gungor. You won't regret spending a few minutes to listen to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyPBtExE4W0

ljb

Long time gone.

And since I last posted, we have:

Bought Christmas presents.
Wrapped Christmas presents.
Given Christmas presents.
Received Christmas presents.

Travelled to Pittsburgh.
Seen family and college friends.
Travelled home from Pittsburgh.

Had a break from school and work.
Stressed about exams.
Taken exams.
Passed exams. [WHEW!]

Experienced loss and sadness:
Levi
Bentley
Mr. Benge
Dad B's health

Experienced joy:
The love of family
The comfort of friendships

Cheesecake
A warm home
A reliable car
Making beer
Less pooping on the carpet [go Winston!]

A RECAP: PHOTO STYLE

A little Ukelele jam.

Ecstatic about Christmas!!!!!!!

Snowshoeing in the park!

Must wear reflective gear while eating CHEEZ-ITS.

Cute Christa and her new boots!

Owen would like to exchange his crib for a crate.

Mom and Winston QT.

Our first homebrew...OATMEAL STOUT.

John and Aaron love beer...and each other.

Winston Wet Beard.

Tonight the temperature is dropping to -10*F. Tomorrow is going to be the coldest day yet. Major bummer that I have to leave the house. But, I am thankful to have a warm place to come home to, and I am keeping in my prayers those who do not.

peace.

First Snow

First Saturday of December.
First snow.
And oh, was it fun!

Doing what he does best...eating parts of trees.

Wet and very cold!

So sleeeepy.

After baking cookies and watching football on a cozy Sunday afternoon, we're charged and ready for the week to begin!

LJB