Vampires Elephants Vroom Vroom Nom Nom Kaching Kaching

Thanksgiving Break - much needed and restful...... I had high hopes to catch up on homework but 3 days in CA was not enough time to see everyone and do homework, so homework lost.

Wednesday started with beautiful sleeping in until 9! Followed by Breaking Dawn with my mother (huge twilight fan!).

Pretty much sums of the movie plot here... :$

We indulged in qdoba, cookie dough bites, and Coke icees :D hehe - enough to sell me on sexy vampires and rugged werewolves, the movie wasn't all that bad either :D This was followed by some shopping, BBQing and then watching Water for Elephants - AMAZING movie - must see! This is a more appropriate role for Robert Pattenson (sp?) and who doesn't love Reese Witherspoon??

Thursday started really early with breakfast with a friend from HS and his parents whom I haven't seen in a few years... love catching up! This was followed by....

LA Auto Show!!!! (http://www.laautoshow.com/) This was my second time going on Thanksgiving Day and I think it should be a tradition! I love cars... and it's a ton of fun! Here's some highlights...

Followed by a phenomenal Thanksgiving dinner : turkey from the grill, homemade mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, rolls, jalapeno potatoes, feta asparagus, vegetables, pumpkin bars, and french puffs.... omg I am getting hungry writing about it.... Not only was there great food and fun, but there was family and friends too: So glad to see my parents, grammy, my brother, his co-worker, my aunt, uncle, and cousins, and my friend Lawrence. Nom Nom :D

That evening I was also blessed to visit a family I have known for about a decade... from before I could even drive - I babysat a munchkin of theirs.... I have got to watch her grow from a little girl into a beautiful young woman. I can't wait to see how awesome she will do in HS next year and I am so sad that I am not around more to go shopping and pick out dresses with her! Somewhere in the years when I was the nanny for the munchkin, a little taquito came along with all her sass and personality. She is growing up so fast and I feel like she was born yesterday. These awesome girls have a wonderful mother whom I have become good friends with in my adult life. I miss them all and was soooo excited to see them and get to spend a bit of time with them!

I am thankful for my family, friends, and loved ones. I am thankful that I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and my health. I am thankful I live in a free country. I am thankful for those who support me in my dreams, through blood, sweat, and tears, through my failures and through my successes. I am thankful for my faith, the Big Man up there that knows what He is doing. I put my faith in the One that knows all. I am very blessed and can never say thank you to all those who have have helped me along in my path, but know that I love and cherish you all. =) Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving ended, only to have an early start on BLACK FRIDAY :D My mom, grammy, and I have been doing black friday for over a decade and we have a lot of fun doing it. We avoid the crazies of walmart and kohls and shop our normal places but usually with personal shopper appointments and get all the xmas shopping done!

Finished the day off with a meal at Grazis with family and friends. That was the end to a perfect Thanksgiving break! Thank you to all those who love and support me on this journey!
Keep Calm and Carry On!

Delivering Bad News

Well, I really want to recap my Ahhh-MAZE-ing Thanksgiving - BUT I do not have time tonight.... I had to do some homework for my Take 2 Poems class on "delivering bad news to patients."
Here is what I will share in my small group tomorrow:

Prometheus

She comes in, slightly worried but telling herself it’s nothing.

She nervously word vomits small chat.

She sits there expecting me to tell her she’s fine.

But, I know the truth.

Incurable.

Death.

The information I have will change her life.

She will never be the same.

Seconds seem to hang in time.

I don’t think this will ever get easier.

I never know what to expect.

Anger and lashing out, or tears, sadness….. depression.

The words not yet sprung from my tongue will touch her to her core, her soul.

Cancer.

The word is a bullet. Quick. BANG! Straight to the heart. Deafening silence.

Shock first, agonizing pain. She buckles even while sitting. Sobbing.

I roll a chair next to her and sit. It’s like witnessing murder.

With Kleenex I wait. She looks up.

I touch her knee.

She feels pain, I feel defeat.

What now? She whispers

A battle of epic proportions awaits. The kind that makes men shudder.

A story where evil is strong and you’re not sure the hero can win.

But you keep this to yourself.

Ramble off possible options from memory.

Mundane, rote memorized phrases keep your voice from quivering.

She sighs, a deep breath.

Doc, what would you do?

She seeks a fairy godmother, the one who will make the unlikely hero win.

Crying inside, I have no answer.

I am supposed to say fight, even though it will probably kill her.

Surgery. Chemo. Radiation.

Poison your body. Multiple times.

Until you feel like Prometheus.

I simply say, I cannot answer that for you.

I rattle off statistics.

What she “should” do.

She is she, you are you, and I am me.

I would pray. And read. And dream.

And travel, and love, until I had no more to give.

Who has the answers?

Who is the patient savior when the doctor god becomes mortal?

The darkness will come,

And the only answer to face it:

What did you do in the end?

I whisper as my voice deceives my feelings,

Whatever it means to you,

Die living.

Writing this made me think how difficult it is when many patients think doctors have all the answers. But there are still more questions then there are answers in the practice of medicine, the art of medicine. I think this is why I want to be a orthopedic surgeon. Procedures are straightforward for the most part. They either work or they don't. You know what you have to do and you do it with your hands. You don't really tell people they are going to die. Sometime they may lose a digit, an extremity, but generally it's to SAVE their life. Like making a stained glass window, you cut the glass pieces, grind them into shape, and solder them together.  Now do it, but with bones :D

 

Wedding Recap

9 days late..... not that I have to give an excuse, but it makes me feel better. :P I did come back to a crazy weekend of studying for a concurrent exam (with my awesome tutor). Followed by a whirlwind week of events: SNOW, snow shoveling, snow tires, (+dreaming of remote start), laundry (7 loads - still not done or folded), grocery shopping for the first time in almost 2 months ($$$), other chores (I cleaned the house kinda), etc.... Friday - brought volleyball and Big Al's with Kelly Hughes (yay swing dancing) followed by a Saturday event of Women in Medicine & Dentistry. This was a networking/social event pairing women currently working with female current students. It was a blast! The women who work in this area are amazing, have families, hobbies, pets, horses, were in the military, are artists, musicians, quilters, writers, come from all faiths and lifestyles, practice everything from family med to ophthalmology to pediatric oncology. All in all it was an invigorating experience. (Talking art with a internal med doc who happens to be an artist and I got invited to go ride dressage on former grand prix horses! How could that not be awesome? duh!). This event was followed by my own game night... and I would say it was a success! 11 people battling out over apples to apples, mafia, taboo, and zombie games! Add in a drink or two and awesome snacks and it was a great event!
Now I am to Sunday... and after an inspirational morning at church and awesome homemade Indian food for lunch I should be doing homework..... but instead I am blogging... first, and then will get to the hw.

So now - the Guo-Henke Wedding!!!! YAY! SO. MUCH. FUN!!!!

(minus the part where I woke up at 3:15 to get the airport by 4am for my 5 am flight to Irvine)...

Well landed okay. Went to check in to the hotel where the wedding was/I was staying at, and they couldn't find my reservation. :$ After sorting that out, I headed up to hair and makeup.... this woman wasn't a stylist, she was a magician! The bridesmaids and mothers looked Aaaaaahhhhhh-MAZ-ing dahhhhling!

 The BEAUTIFUL bride Grace

 LOVED my hair and make up!

Lunch, fun with the photographers, and practicing the choreographed entries for the reception filled the rest of the time until 4pm, when we all lined up to get the show on the road! The wedding was beautiful and I was smiling so hard it started to hurt! Watching the mother of the groom tear up at the beauty of this event warmed my heart! Afterwards involved a happy hour of delicious wine :D - maybe too much wine. lol! And then all the sudden "Sexy and I know It" (LMFAO) was playing and Lance (best man) and I were dancing our booties on into the reception to our choreographed entrance. (My mom has proof of this... Video to come later lol!)

Reception was a blast! Here was the speech I gave:
     Hello everyone. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Amy. And for those of you who do, I'm Sorry. Well, I've known Jacob for 18 years now and not much has changed from the game loving lego geek I grew up with. He has always been a computer genius.... and a know it all.  But he's definitely more like family to me than just a childhood friend.
      So I'd say it's safe to say I know Jacob pretty well. So when he called me asking my opinion where to take this girl named Grace out to and things he should do for her, I knew something was up. This all was confirmed when I met Grace and saw how the 2 interacted. They were smitten.
      I must admit I never thought Jacob would ever get married.  And I never thought anyone in the world could put Jacob in his place, but Grace sure does! So in the year I’ve known Grace, I’ve grown to love her as well. I can’t imagine a better match for Jacob. As long as she can handle Jacob's magic card obsession and he continues to say "yes dear" or "you're right, I was wrong," I foresee no issues in this beautiful union.
      My greatest wish for the two of you is that through the years, your love for each other will deepen and grow. Congratulations you two, I think i speak for everyone when I say I love you both and wish you a lifetime of happily ever after! Cheers!


The night went on and I caught the bouquet.... as Grace broke the chandelier with her NFL winning throw. lol. Shards of glass in my arm and a bleeding bicep, BUT I caught it!!!
Here is how the night went down... :D

 Best Man with my Grammy!

 Bridesmaid Audrey and MOH- ME!!

 Me with Groom's mom

 My Momma n I

 Groom's Dad and I

 Groom Jacob (Yakob as I call him) and I

Felix and I

Dad and I

Best Man Lance and MOH

Groomsmen Matt and I

Chinese Wedding Double Happiness

Thank you so much to the Guo-Henke Families for letting me be a part of this magical special day! I love you all!

I love Weddings - CA here I come.

Tomorrow will be the beautiful union of my childhood friend Jacob Henke to Grace Guo. And not only do I get to go to CA to see this marriage first hand, I am the Maid of Honor. I am so blessed to have Jacob in my life. He is almost a brother to me.  I have been friends with him for 18 years! I have fond memories of growing up playing monopoly, legos, and basketball with him. He also took me and my girl friends toilet papering in HS lol. Smoking hooka or cigars, add in some poker, and Jacob and I always have a great time. I have been so lucky to visit him at most of his homes since moving out of the neighborhood including his current area by the Bay. Grace entered his life and I knew she was the one for him. He was absolutely smitten with her. It was the cutest thing ever, and if you know Jacob, you would never say those words in a sentence about this straightforward nerdy computer/web genius. Grace puts Jacob in his place, something I never thought possible. They always seem to be happy together and I look forward to getting to know Grace even more in the future. 

 

For those that don’t know – I am kinda a wedding junkie. Ever since my event planning days at Whitworth, I live for color schemes, linens, flower arrangements, fonts, place settings, food options, favor ideas, etc. If you are a junkie of anything (recipes, DIYs, fashion), you should join Pinterest.com. It has made my organizing of ideas for anything so much easier.

 My dream reception look + a bit more color

Still need to pack, study, write speech – u know before 4 am lol….. Crowne Plaza Irvine be prepared for wedding that no one will forget…. All I’m gonna say before I recap this Friday night is “I’m sexy and I know it…..”

Double Post - Hump Day

Second post - but the other was before bed, so in my mind that counts as Tuesday not Wednesday. Wednesday, "Hump Day", some people just want to get through Wednesday to be over the hump of the week. NOT ME! Wednesday is generally my favorite day of the week. I wake up early and get things done, class doesn't start until 10, I go out to lunch (sushi!), and the day ends with VOLLEYBALL! So if you're interested in playing: Mountainside Middle School 6:30-9pm $3. and then.... boo homework. Swing by and bring me some chai tea! Enjoy the hump! Keep Calm and Carry on!

Refugees in Spokane

At the beginning of the year I ran for a club coordinator position. I was elected to be the social/ball gala coordinator (shocked face, more to come on that someday) and to Global Health Interest Group or GHIG coordinator. As GHIG coordinator, I try to expose students to the opportunities available for global excursions, readings, activities, etc. Monthly we meet and discuss a journal article. I am also working on setting up students with refugee families through world relief organization. Students will help with resettlement, English, learning American culture, etc. I hope to tell you more about that as students (and myself) receive their families. This should start picking up in the next month or so…. I’m sure I will have more details later…..

http://worldrelief.org/page.aspx?pid=1667