Match Day

We did it!!! We matched to UTAH and I well up with tears every time I think about it. 

This is something I prayed and prayed & hoped and hoped for... but never thought would actually happen.  I had a few experiences over the past few months that I felt were the spirit telling me that that's what was going to happen but I didn't want to get my hopes up and think it really was the spirit... because then if it hadn't happened I would have set myself up for disappointment.  Major disappointment.  So then I just told myself those thoughts and feelings I was having were just "me" and that I was making myself feel those things because I wanted it so badly. 

I was a stress case leading up to match week... I was not sleeping at night, and when I was I was grinding my teeth.  I just wanted so badly to just be excited and happy with wherever we were going to match.  I kept singing to myself, "I'll go where you want me to go, dear lord..." and I prayed every night for a year (not exaggerating) that I would just feel at peace and happy with wherever he needed to send us.  And then after a year of this it finally came down to a week before match day and I bawled to Jordan as we laid in bed... My feelings spilled out and I expressed my frustration with the lack of peace I was feeling in all the possibilities of places we could end up. I was trying everything I possibly could to make myself feel at peace about not matching in Utah... I felt my prayers had been unanswered.

The morning of match day came and I was so nervous I couldn't even eat breakfast or lunch.  Then we all gathered around the tables and listened to a small speech and before I knew it we were all counting down to open them up. Jordan's coat button got caught in Myra's hair which delayed the opening and everyone around us was cheering as they were opening and seeing theirs and I just wanted to vomit.  Jordan finally got it opened up and took forever to finally say, "UTAH"!  I SCREAMED and felt the biggest weight lifted off my shoulders... A happiness and relief I haven't felt in years. I felt as if Heavenly Father wrapped his arms around me and said, "You're going home. You did it.  You did it... and now you get to go home!"  

I am so proud of Jordan and feel so much gratitude for such a loving Heavenly Father. He did answer my prayers. 

We are coming home.

Maryland

This last week Jordan had his very last interview for residency.  I haven't had the chance to go to any of them with him so we decided since we had family in Maryland to head up with him for his last two there. The night before interviews those interviewing go out to dinner with the residents in the program.  I got to go with him to those and it was so fun for me to see him in his element, talking about medicine and being so outgoing.  

On the two days Jordan was gone interviewing I stayed at Jordan's Uncle's house and we enjoyed their backyard.  

We have been living in apartments our whole married life (6 1/2 years) and now that we have kids running around we are both dying to have a backyard with a swing set and grass we can roll around on.  Hanging out in a backyard probably seems like not such a big deal to most people, but for me, its one of my very favorite things to do. 

I am so proud of Jordan and all his hard work the past four years!  He has poured his heart into making his CV good enough while also balancing a great home life.  I don't know another man in this world who works so hard to make sure his family feels first... That isn't an easy thing to do for a man in medicine.  How he maintains good grades, outstanding reviews from his superiors and excelling in the workplace while also giving so much energy to us, is beyond me. If I could buy him the world to show him my appreciation, I would (but gifts aren't really his love language so maybe I ought to rethink how I should go about showing him my appreciation ;)).

The places we may end up are (in no particular order):

Utah, Wake Forest (North Carolina), Vanderbilt (Nashville), Denver, University of Massachusettes, Georgetown, Orlando, Alabama, Penn State, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Christiana (Delaware), Regions (St. Paul), Maryland, MUSC (South Carolina), Baystate (Massachusettes), Hopkins (Baltimore), Washington University (St Louis). 

We would be thrilled with any of them!

The days he was off we got to hang out with family and also explore DC.  When I was in High School I took a painting class and was shocked when my teacher told me I had won a contest I had no idea I was entered in (she did it for me ;)).  I ended up winning a big trip to DC with my parents for free and my painting hung in the capital for a year there.  That trip was very special for me because of that and also because all the memories I have of that year, are good ones.  I think it was one of the best years of my life.  I was so full of confidence and happiness- one of those moments in time where you feel like everything is going right.  I have felt my whole life I was an artist but never felt I was defined that way by others and this really made me feel like I was finally who I felt I was deep down inside.  

 It just made me happy to be there because it took me back to that moment in time being there with my parents. DC is just beautiful! 

Love this life we have, and am thrilled for our next chapter.