Congratulations Geoff and Jessie!

What a handsome dude!

So, as your big brother, I want to tell you I love you and will always be available for you! Congratulations on getting hitched! It's about time huh? I think you guys are great, and hopefully you will have lots of fun and growth during all the years you will have together.

This was a great wedding! Let me just summarize:
* Beautiful chapel at the Wynn Resort, Las Vegas, beautiful flowers

* Small, short and sweet wedding ceremoney

* Great message by the reverend, all the meat and no fluff, and realistic and right on!

* Beautiful bride and handsome groom, even better looking bestman (hee hee, wink wink)

* Huge limosine cruising down the strip! That was really cool.

* Got to meet Jessie's wonderful family! Everyone was meant to be there.

* Lots of eating, eating and more eating...

* Falling asleep to a beautiful view of the strip on my feather bed after a warm bath in the roman tub...

I hope you guys have fun on your honeymoon!

Ventura Update

Hey everyone! Man, I haven't posted a blog in such a long time. I have been having so much fun at the residency program. Living on the beach, full view of the California Channel Islands, beautiful sunsets, surfs, city night lights, happening downtown, fresh fruits and vegitables, wonderful people, small town, and my absolute favorite job in the world... what else can I ask for?!

It is now almost end of my 2nd month in resideny. First month I was on inpatient Medicine-Pediatrics. Now I am on Surgery. The unique thing about this place is that most of the residents wanted to be completely self sufficient to practice full spectrum medicine in the middle of no-where. So, the training here shows it. We, residents, run the whole hospital. We are also a regional trauma center... so, here are some of the things I've been doing this month: help run traumas, doing surgeries (either primary or first assist), primary c-sections, did the burr hole into the brain, making scalp/skull flaps with the brain surgeon, suturing up the face and reconnecting tendons with the plastic surgeon, doing orbital implants, general surgery stuff, being the only surgery resident on-call at night in the entire hospital, my hands on the brain, doing and managing chest tubes/tracheostomy/central lines, enjoying delicious hospital food, quality reading times, playing the violin and guitar, hanging out with attendings, Bible studies, OMT, acupuncture on my fellow physicians... anything else...

I am having so much fun, living in paradise, and working with such a great residency and hospital staff. I can't ask for more.

One thing I do struggle with is quality time with God. Please pray that I would make that into my schedule.

Today, I found out that there is a Wilderness Medicine Society that does all sorts of expeditions and teaches other physicians about wilderness medicine... man, I am all ear!

Thanks for reading this blog, I hope to hear from you soon too.

Oh... PS, my brother is getting married at the Wynn, Las Vegas! I will post pictures soon! I am so proud of him!

Medical School Graduation

Pictures of my medical school graduation, then celebration weekend in Las Vegas...

Getting Hooded then hand shake with the Chancellor, Dr. G!

Brothers picture... of my three good friends: Greg, Brian, Daniel

My parents and I before I received a surprised award :)

Las Vegas

Falling in love at the Le Reve show at the Wynn after a very beautiful performer threw me a red carnation :)

My brother and fiance at the Eiffle Tower... awwww...

The Bellagio water show from the top of the Eiffle Tower... very nice.

Atlanta, Georgia

Hi all, I haven't posted a note on here for quite a while! After my last rotation in medical school, I took about a 5 week vacation. Graduated on 6/5, went to Vegas, then to Georgia. I have here a few pictures of my time in Georgia. I met up with a few people that I went to Costa Rica with and got to spend lot of quality time with a few people. I must admit, I really enjoyed Atlanta. I really enjoyed hanging out with Clint, Carla and Hannah out on the porch. I really enjoyed hiking the Tallulah Gorge with Clint and Deborah. I really enjoyed eating Chef Brantley's wonderful meal. I really enjoyed floating down the Broad River in our kayaks with Clint, Hannah, and Liz :) Ahhh, good times...

Hannah and my colorful creations

Lunch with Ryan at the Ted's Montana Grill... my first Buffalo Burger

Hiking the Tallulah Gorge loop with Deborah and Clint

Yum... good Southern BBQ

What else can I say? Nothing like them boiled p-nuts...

Clint's backyard... lots of wonderful relaxing hangouts on this porch overlooking a foresty backyard. Good times rolling...

Kayaking on the Broad River with Hannah, Liz, Clint... so nice, lots of wonderful memories and pictures in my head... too bad I didn't have a dry bag to carry my camera in to show you pictures of Hannah and Liz fliping over in the kayaks :) We had a great time did we, girls?!

Chef Brantley's Creation: "Bohemian Gourmet"

Talk and Bite
Baby leek with chicken salad
Mini burger
Sushi Tuna roll


The Main Deal
Ocean delight, Orange Ruffie
Pan sheared with olive oil, lightly season, and topped with a thin crisp crab cake.

West meets East Green Beans
Fresh green beans blanched in a southern season boil and finished off in a pan with roasted sesame seeds and olive oil.

From the Earth, mixed Baby Potatoes
Roasted baby potatoes, red & yellow bell peppers, garlic, green onions, and mush rooms covered with olive oil and seasons cooked to a roasted light brown.

The Sweat Things of Life
Key Lime Mango tart
Mini Chocolate cake covered in a dark chocolate Ganache
Bohemian Split Banana, mango, and pineapple cooked down in a brown sugar, butter sauce, topped with ice-cream and a mini fried sneaker.


Expresso

(*) Reflections 2009

Year 2005
Planting of a young tree
Full of robust potential and vitality
Ground was fertile
Gardener was eager and skilled
Tree: ready to stretch, inhale, and expand roots.

Spring
Many are the events of 2005
Formation of a new ring in my wood core
Remember standing with me in the shower of blessings?
Recall the radiant happiness of my heart?

Summer
Along with that happiness was a gift to study medicine
None would contest its challenges
40 hours in class
40 hours on weekends
What have become of my Friday nights?

Fall
First 2 years flew by
Lots of nice memories and good times
And a few challenges later
By divine appointment, I was given a gift I didn’t want
Pain
Emotional, physical, spiritual
Shaken, I quaked
Sadness, frustration, anger, depression
The ice and sleet
Shaved my pride.

Winter
Lingering fog clouds my heart still
Wildfire of anger and frustration have subsided
Tinder has been consumed
Conflicted and incapacitated
I cannot see beyond self.

Spring
As the bone chilling cold of winter pass
New breeze of ocean air washed over me
New shoots of this tree reaches out from the vine
Pods open to fragrant flowers
As my mind finds refuge from the storm and clears of fog
I found Hope and a promise for Joy.

Year 2009
What happened to the last 4 years of my life?
Where was I?
How did I get here?
I don’t know.

What I do know is:
My roots are firm
My shoots are healthy
I am still taking a breath.

As I look UP
Suddenly, I realize
There was a bigger tree
Of which I was taking its shade
I was in the refuge of those who came before me.

As for the Gardener
I’ve realized…
I know His voice!
Sang to me through the winter
Strong arms protected me from the wind
Made cover over me from frost
Placed nourishment for my roots
Pouring living Water over my core
Radiant face over my new shoots
Sweat of blood to color my flowers
Roughened hands to trim my branches
Whispering to me:
You will be shade for others some day
Trust in Me.

Yesterday is passed
Today is yours to enjoy
Tomorrow will be here before you know it.

Make most of your circumstances
Yesterday will never return
You have no other choice but to choose wisely
You are never alone!

Testing out the Hennessey Hammock...

Last Friday I finished medical school. So, to celebrate, Taylor had a cook out and had some friends over. Taylor is such an awesome cook, the meal was delicious. I completely pigged out! After that, Doug and I went camping. I had previously got 2 jungle quality Hennessey Hammocks for my trip to the Costa Rican jungle... and loved it. If you've never seen these hammocks, let me tell ya, it is the coolest adventure camping equipment you will ever own! My hammock weights less than 2 lbs, fits into a tiny sack, setup/tear down in about 5 min, and its environmentally friendly! I will not camp without it. So, Doug wanted to test it out...

Jeeping and hiking in...

Check out our set up! It was so nice and compact... we camp right next to a creek... looking up to see trees and stars.

Doug hoisting all our food to get it out of bear's reach.

I was told to avoid these... 3 leaves of terror... poison oak; and the hairy ball... hum... no comment.

Ok, so, we both convinced each other to go bare bone... minimalist camping, no sleeping bag, only a jacket and a thin blanket... Ouwy... we were both up for most the night thinking of ways to get warm... we were both SOOOOOOO COLD! I was shivering and thinking about the warm Costa Rican beach water and then my thoughts would shift to dreaming about my warm foot box of my 15 degree Marmot sleeping bag... Then, I would start thinking about what if I started packing and hiking out... then I felt it was forever long and looked at my watch hoping its about 4-5am so to tough out another 1 hr to get up and warm up... AWWW its only 2:30am! So, I started getting into fetal position and trying to do everything to warm up my legs... then, I decided to put the rain tarp on my hammock... well it worked... probably raised about 10 degrees in there... as I hear the leaves rustle and creek water churn, I fell asleep into the starlight. Then, I woke up at 6:30am, Doug was already out heating a pot of green tea... what a warm encouragement for the day. What a night! I will never do that again without my sleeping bag.

I am 30!

Today is my birthday and I am now 30. Wow, time flew! My family had a nice meal at a local Chinese restaurant and then came home to a beautiful cake with the planet Saturn on my cake! It was a multi-layered yogurt cake. Very delicious!

Yummy birthday breakfast, special fresh omlet from the garden, and a yummy 'framboise jello heavenly goodness' dessert!

Special yogurt cake mom bought, and Korean BBQ in fresh romain lettus wrap that Taylor made for me... well, Elias looks like he liked it!