Why Today Rocked

Today (meaning Monday) I...

7:00 Woke up with Husband, woke up slowly with the sun slowly rising, and watched him get ready. I love watching him get ready. He was particularly handsome today with the new shirt I bought him.

7:30 Read my scriptures on the couch while Husband ate breakfast and did homework. I read in Alma about choosing. I know it's going to be a  good day.

8:30 Made the bed with Austin, it's much faster with two

9:00 It's a miracle...we started our 10 minute trek to school early. This proved to be important because we hit most red lights and were delayed by construction. No stress, we planned ahead.

9:30 I'm job hunting and my phone died recently...Austin sacrificed his phone to me today so I wouldn't stress about not answering the call if they phoned today. No calls yet.

9:37 Flipped on our Scentsy. Rose smell today. I love the smell of roses.

10:15 Finished up last nights dishes. I don't mind doing them so much today.

10: 20 Got ready to go on a bike ride in the cool mid morning air. The tire popped the night before. That's okay, my knee is still having a hard time bending from stealing first in our kick-ball game the day before.

10:30 Came inside and decided I was going to try out a new recipe! Google is the best "decider for what's for dinner" ever. Sometimes coming up with a good variety every week is a toughy.

11:00 Found "Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken" thanks to my sister, Jennifer! So excited to surprise Austin!

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken                                                    
                                                 Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
•  
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons lime juice

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and parsley. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts.
2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons garlic powder and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.

11:15 Listened to Psych while putting all the spices together. What can I say? I like to laugh. And how can you argue with a man who throws out sound logic like: "How can you tell that someone's a compulsive liar? I mean, assuming that their pants aren't on fire." 

12:00 Cookies, cookies. Don't have chocolate chips, did no-bake last time....ginger snaps! That's a good incoming fall treat. Thank you again, Google for the excellent recipe.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies                Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
•                       1/4 cup molasses
•                                                       2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

1:00 Got ready to go watch devo on campus. Sometimes it's nice to just look pretty.

2:00 Made it into our awesome and large new BYU-I center. Listened to the temple president talk about stories of new and old temples, the prophet, and the people temples impact. Very informative.

3:30 Came home and revamped the blog. Not too shabby! I like it when my creative endeavors work out.

5:30 Picked up Hubby from school

6:30 Made the awesome new chicken. I added broccoli and sliced squash to the butter saute  Laid this all beautifully on a bed of rice.. Success.

.

7:30 Had FHE with Austin. We talked about a conversation he had that day with a Presbyterian about   "How do you know when you're saved?" Gave me a lot to think about and was one of the best FHE's I've had.

8:00 Played the flour penny game...I love being married!

8:30 Austin went back to school for a study group. I picked up my latest read, Ender's Shadow.

10:00 I don't like going to bed alone. 

11: 40 Austin kissed me awake. Mmmm, love him. 

12:00 Austin has more homework to do, so I read on the couch while he does it. 

1:44am The day is finally done. What a good day :)

He passed go, he collected $100

...and he did return having conquered the MCAT! There was much rejoicings in all the land which was shown by Cold Stone Ice Cream and unlimited Mario time. While he was taking his test I was running around town trying to find that stupid butcher paper. Finally at 12:30 (half hour before he finished) I found butcher paper, made the sign for him to return to, and picked him up on time :) You can't see it very well in the pictures, but it says "Austin just conquered the MCAT!!". He was all smiles after getting out of the testing center. Now on to applications!

Now to all you people aspiring MCAT takers....

MCATs and other Violent Felines

The count down has started, Austin is taking his MCAT in T-minus two in a half days! Thursday, USU, at 8:00 am, Austin will be taking his first steps to becoming Dr. Beck. We'll be sending his applications in a day or so after and then we'll wait....and wait. Because everyone knows it takes at least a year for a computerized test to be graded and returned.

I will admit, I am more nervous for this moment than he is. Which, once again, presents another difference between husband and I. Consider the following scenario. You have six months to prepare for a test which will determine a large part of your life and will affect you, your spouse, and your children for years to come:

Austin: I love the challenge. Please wait a moment while I rip my shirt off, revealing my true Superman identity.
Heidi: I just wet my pants....again.

The MCAT Prep Saga started back in May-ish when we decided to take the Kaplan courses to aid in the preparation. This cost an arm, leg, and our first born child. But hey, we looked at it as an investment. And it has paid off. For anyone wondering if it's worth the money, I'm telling you now IT IS. Austin is a great studier, but everyone understands the black hole of not being in school and having to study for an exam months and months down the road...the temptation of hulu and netflix sucks you in. Kaplan helped motivate the studying. Despite the annoying nasally voice of his online professor, I enjoyed listening in to his online class. I learned a lot about writing a convincing argument, physics, chemistry (though I have successfully blocked that wretched information out of my mind), english, and other subjects. I was so proud of myself when I actually got to help him with his physics homework (because that is the science worth understanding).

Austin is going to be a wonderful doctor, no bias attached...no unnecessary bias...okay some bias attached. He is caring, wicked smart, has top notch people skills, and superstar nerdy. He's the kind of doctor that will make your kids laugh when they come in to his office, he'll answer your questions (silly or not) with out making you feel stupid, he's always curious about everything so he'll stay up to date with his practice, and in all honesty Austin cannot be deceptive. You'll never wonder if he's really telling you the whole story because it's truely his nature to have integrity. Yes, I am the luckiest.

But because he is such a jack of all trades, I do have this fear of him developing the all knowing God complex many doctors develop over the years of studying and...becoming all knowing.

So, as a faithful spouse I am dedicating myself to supporting him fully...and gently reminding him of his wonderfully flawed human status. Let's take a walk down memory lane...

Sometimes skiing is harder than it should be

That crazy face I see more often then not

Too much studying

Drool Happens

Evil Russian Scientist Austin

We feel ready to begin our "big kid" life of med school. It's wonderful how this confidence has grown between us and within myself over the past couple of months, because it took a little bit of time for me to get there. To be okay with the years of debt that will be accumulating. To be okay with the fact that we will be dirt poor when my friends and family will be purchasing cute houses and settling down. To understand that I will need to be strong at times when I need to handle the kids and the bills by myself. To be okay with sitting by myself in church when he is on shift. There is a lot to come to terms with when you realize you will be a medical students wife.

This confidence has come with not only experiencing life together, but by experiencing life with our Heavenly Father. Life can be scary. It rises up and threatens to swallow you up, but through Him there is hope.  And because He is our Rock, we are solid.

Oh life is wonderful. We're learning to work together, to take time for each other, to overcome our weaknesses and short comings together, and to not aim our anger at each other when life just stinks. How fulfilling it is to know that we are in this together, not against each other. Don't get me wrong...we've got a loooooong way to go. Like when I see that he left his oatmeal bowl out so that the sticky substance becomes glue to the bowl I want to lovingly smack the back of his head and look at him with that black momma "Excuuuuuuse me? Have you been with your head all day?" look on my face. Yes, we're a work in progress...

But, now more than ever I wouldn't want to go through it all with anyone else. So, in the words of John Adams to his beloved Abigail, "Come my dear Partner in all the Joys and Sorrows, Prosperity and Adversity of my Life, come take a Part with me in the Struggle" (Spirit of America)

We love you Dr. Beck