The DOCTOR has arrived

Yes, it's official!! Ok, it's been official for a while now, but Brent is an actual, bona-fide, for-reals doctor now. It still feels a little strange telling people that "My husband is a doctor," but I could not possibly be more proud. As if I needed a reason to be even more proud, Brent also received an award a few weeks before we left called the "Dr. Martin and Sandra Castlebaum Award for Excellence in Internal Medicine" - I'd just like to point out that it was awarded to "THE (singular) senior student with the highest ranking performance in Internal Medicine." Yes, that would be Dr. McNaughty.

It also happened to come with a check attached to the back of the frame, which we were happy to accept!

Both of our parents, and Brent's cute little bro Garrett, were able to come out for the big weekend. My mom had been here once before, but only for a couple of days, and my dad had never been here! I know, never. Crazy. So I had fun showing them around a little bit - we went to the antique malls of course, and we also ran (literally) through this amazing estate:

The Reynolda House - photo source

Reception Hall complete with full pipe organ that you can't see, and amazing staircase that you can't really see...source

The grounds are also gorgeous, filled with gardens and beautiful trees, and the basement is full of surprises, like the fact that the entire length of the downstairs hall was floored with rubber so they could roller-skate down it, a shooting gallery, bowling alley and full bar (all of which were built by the children of the original Reynolds after they died). A visit is highly, highly recommended if you are ever in the area (or live there currently!).

Graduation included many (many) activities and festivities, such as a formal banquet, hooding ceremony, school-wide graduation outside on the campus square, a hilarious and delicious dinner at the Zawrotny's (Rob graduated too), a final "MD" graduation and our family dinner to top things off. Oh, and trying to get ready to move across the country during every spare second!

One of Brent's professors who happens to have awesome hair.

Investiture of the Hood (which is really more like a cape...)

silly hats...

Teri's dad apparently has a question...

And then we packed up...

And drove across the entire country in four days...

We stayed with our friends in St. Louis who moved there after med school at Wake, so fun to see them and their little rascal Marshal. We also stayed with my aunt in Denver, and were pleasantly surprised to see my grandma there as well!

On our way up to Salt Lake we stopped in good old Provo to see my brother Alex who is currently in his like 6th year at BYU or something. He took us out to SMASH burgers for dinner - it was yummy.

Then we drove up to SLC to stay with Kat and Chad, and took a field trip to Chad's shop where he makes all kinds of wooden items.

Chad, Matt and Brent having a shin-length contest

There isn't much between Salt Lake and Kennewick, where we stayed with Brent's aunt and uncle (and many cousins), mostly just this:

Then we made it over the Snoqualmie Pass and everything was amazingly green all the way to Seattle!

A ginormous "Thank you!!" to everyone who helped us pack and clean, and to those who so graciously hosted us and fed us along our way - we so greatly appreciate it and would love to return the favor if you are ever in Washington!

Stay tuned....more exciting updates on the way. (Or, for Chase and Alex, new updates, comin' in!)

I'm baaaack...

Yes, we did make it to Seattle! And in one piece, and with all of our stuff in more or less one piece (minus one really cute black and white-striped Crate&Barrel bowl! sad). We have been incredibly busy the past few months, hence the lack of posting, so I'll try to catch everyone up in case you don't know where we've been or what we've been doing - I can hardly keep track myself!

During the first week of May we went on a fabulous beach vacation with these folks.

If you are ever on the east coast during the summer and happen to be in the vicinity of Bald Head Island, please do yourself a favor and go! It is such a beautiful place. The inside of the island is foresty and quiet and full of little paths to bike on (no cars allowed on the island!), and the beaches are spotless and almost empty (while we were there). The water is warm and clear...what else is there?? Evidence:

Our cute place - and Teri working too hard!

complete with golf cart...

and beach cruisers!

Old Baldy

We tried walking out to the sand bar "island" we could see from shore, and it was pretty shallow most of the way, but we did end up having to swim a bit.

Eventually, Rob and Teri decided we were crazy and headed back for shore, wimps!

made it!

You'll have to click on this one to zoom in and see what they're laughing so hard at...

Please look at Brent

I'm so glad we got to have one last adventure with the Z's! It was perfect and I only wish it could have been longer and involved even more licorice* and double-stuf oreos! Does anyone else love licorice at the beach as much as I do??

Ok, these posts always get away from me, there is so much more to talk about! I'll have to do a few more to get caught up. Stay tuned for graduation and moving fun...

* Meaning RED licorice only, Brent will never again be allowed to defile a beach house with that nasty black stuff.