Van Hoy Winter Photoshoot

Meet McKenzie, Brian, Dale (the very well behaved pup), and cute little baby boy bump. McKenzie is a dear friend of mine who lives in what always seems to feel like a magical forest. They are expecting their first baby in February. I can't wait to meet this darling little one. Andrew joined me in capturing a little winter outing with this sweet family. With temperatures in the low 20's and a light snow dusting on the ground, it really did feel magical. 

Random post... It's been a while!

 I haven't blogged in quite a while. I haven't taken out my big camera in an even longer while; but I'm here for a quick update with iPhone pics. Thanksgiving came and went. We had a lovely time with family on both sides over our 3 day weekend. It's always a treat to feast at Andrew's Aunt Myrna & Uncle Karl's (& sweet Isaac's) house. Karl graciously made nearly all of his dishes gluten free. Very kind, and very delicious! 

This week marks my first week of dayshift. It's such a welcomed change for Andrew and I, and my general mind/body. I certainly loved night shift in so many ways. The crew (whom I already miss working with), the pace, the lack of family/visitors present, the lack of docs on the floor, the general feel of nighshift- I love. The quiet halls, the routine I came to in order to give my patients the most rest possible (though there's little of that with a newborn). I really did love it. My body and the rest of my life didn't so much. All of this to say, I'm feeling extremely thankful for this opportunity. And even more thankful to get to see Andrew every day and fall asleep next to him instead of in an empty bed. An answer to prayer indeed.

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We got to watch Isaac for 2 days and 1 night a bit ago and had a go at pretending to be parents. These are some of the things I learned/enjoyed:

-Elevators exist for a reason. Escalators are not for strollers...

-Other kids at playgrounds can be rude, mean, and bullies while their parents sit along the side and watch without a care in the world. Awkward.

-Getting out of the house was good for both of us. Exploring and observing new things (like at the Mall, or a long walk) provided easy, free entertainment. And, much to talk about along the way. 

-No one can replace a child's mother or father. Isaac kept saying, "Mommy, Daddy?... Andu (Andrew)?" His 3 favorite people, I think. For the time being "Andu" was included. Very sweet. 

-Even at 18 months old, this kid is so very bright. And, his memory is incredible. It's fascinating just to spend time with him and see his brain hard at work. 

-My favorite part was picking up Andrew from work both days and watching him play with Isaac, read him stories, and help put him to bed etc. Those two are quite precious together... It's kind of heart melting. 

-Thank you, Isaac, for teaching us some of your favorite songs. It's not a rare thing for Andrew to randomly start singing the snowflake or rainbow song...

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The following photos are from our time with little Isaac. He's so smart and talkative. Such a joy to be around. It's crazy to think of this little guy not in our family. He's such a gift to Myrna and Karl, and to the rest of us too.

A weekend together & 3rd annual self timer photoshoot

I end up taking lots of photos of friends and family, but rarely get actual photos of the two of us. So, we packed our gear and handy tripod (kitchen stool) and headed to this spot I've had in mind since last April. This inactive railroad lies adjacent to the Willamette river and glows if the sunlight hits the tree tunnel just right. Truth be told, I much prefer to be the one behind the camera than in front of the lens. Andrew too, I think. Hence, why we have seemed to make this self-photoshoot thing an annual event. Though, I do believe we'd get much sharper and better photos if we just gave in and let someone else do the work. 

There is something to be said for taking turns setting the camera and running to the said spot in 10 seconds. Lots of laughter!

We both had this past weekend off and it was oh so nice. We didn't actually do much of anything. Went out to eat, ran errands together, I sewed while he watched football, helped him cut his hair, caught up on tv shows together, accompanied each other to church etc. It was a very normal weekend. Nothing special. Just normal and so nice to just be together. 

While dropping Andrew off this morning for the start of a new rotation (parking is difficult & costly at OHSU), he told me that the past few days, he's gotten used to being together.  He explained that he already missed me for this week and it hasn't even started yet. Our opposite schedules really get old fast. But, good news folks, I'll be moving to day shift in a few weeks! Hallelujah! I cannot even begin to imagine seeing Andrew every day/night of the week. That sounds sad, doesn't it? Seeing your own husband every day? Imagine that!