Trace and Erica

New Year's Eve

2012-01-18T23:03:00.000-08:00

Trace and I decided to spend our Saturday exploring something new on Oahu. So we traveled to the west side of the island and visited an old Hawaiian temple site, Kaneaki Heiau. This is the dry side of the island but as we drove up into the mountain we were surrounded by a forest with several streams. It was very peaceful at this site. Interesting how this black lava rock turns white with time.

After this stop we headed to the end of the road at the most northwestern tip of the island. We parked our car and hiked to the tip of the island closest to Kauai, Kaena Point. It was a 5-mile roundtrip fairly easy hike that went along the coast the entire time with breathtaking views of the ocean and mountains behind us.

Here's the tip of the island. If you expand this image below you can see the water at the north is choppy and the water on the west is calm. The north waves come from Alaska and the west from Australia. In real life, the difference was quite dramatic.

We sat for a bit and enjoyed a water break, only to find out from a conservationist that we were 4 boulders away from an endangered monk seal. Can you spot him?

The tip of the island is protected for the monk seals and albatross. The dry brush is the perfect spot for the bird's nesting ground so the land is completely fenced off to protect this nesting ground from dogs and weasels, with a clearly marked and roped off path for us hikers.

12w3d

2011-12-29T13:28:00.000-08:00

Just came back from another ultrasound appointment today. Here are some more photos from today 12w3days. Enjoy!

Surprise!

2011-12-26T23:14:00.000-08:00

Short story: I am pregnant. Due July 9, 2012, which means I am 12 weeks along. Since Trace finishes his residency June 30, he asked to be the resident who stays the month of July to help train the new residents. Keeping both an income and insurance for the month of July. So we will be having the baby here in Hawaii and staying at least until August. Where or if we go from there is still a mystery.

Long story: I have an irregular menstrual cycle. I've gone as long as a year without one. Yes to all women out there, be jealous. I absolutely love it. However, I have a family history of difficulty conceiving from not only not menstruating but also not ovulating. Good thing, no need for birth control :) No weight gain, no mood swings, no daily pills. While other members of my family took medication and successfully conceived, I was never planning that route. Let's be honest, the idea of pregnancy and mostly delivery is not a pretty story. I don't like the idea of something growing inside of you, compressing your organs leading to frequent urination, constipation, difficulty breathing, heart burn, lack of sleep, fatigue, change in senses, nausea, vomiting, the list goes on and on. The thought of something kicking and moving inside of you has never appealed to me. I think to the movie Aliens as it is feeding from you and rips open your abdomen. Then after a long period of growing and getting bigger, this little baby has to come out of you. I don't need to go into detail whether you go natural, pain meds, epidural or caesarean this isn't a breeze. Recovery is long and painful either way and your body is never the same unless you happen to be a Hollywood star with nannies and a personal trainer. No, I didn't ever really want to get pregnant and found my infertility very fortunate. I didn't have the sadness and grieving of not being able to conceive that many women experience. Trace has also been prepared for the idea of not physically having children long before we got married. We've been very happy with our independence, traveling, eating good food, staying up late and sleeping in. We were both happy with our situation and looking forward to adoption or foster parenting some time in the future.

But I was fooled. Apparently my body does occasionally ovulate.

About five weeks ago I started getting nauseous. Not all the time, no pattern at all. One day at work, I really had to force myself to eat my lunch during break chewing slowly and really focusing on swallowing. I pushed through Thanksgiving, eating everything on my plate and making no mention to the nausea or fatigue I was feeling. Then on 11/28, I was so nauseous at lunchtime I couldn't eat so I went to lie in bed and slept for 3 hours, very unlike me. I don't take the traditional Sunday afternoon nap. Trace says he's seen me nap maybe 3 times in the last 7 years. I made fajitas for dinner that night (a family favorite of ours). When I took a bite I was sickened by the flavor. I say to Trace, "I think I'm a hypochondriac, it's like I'm pregnant. I should just take a pregnancy test so I can stop making up all these symptoms." I stand up, search through the cabinet for a tester and take myself to the bathroom. I don't know what Trace was thinking but he didn't actually think I was serious when I stood up to leave or know I had a pregnancy tester in the house.

A few minutes later two solid lines appear and I call, "Hey Trace, come in here." He walks in thinking he's been called to kill a spider as I'm pointing to counter. "It's positive, I'm pregnant." Then it hits and I start to cry. Not cries of joy but of sadness from knowing I will experience all of the symptoms above. My tears didn't last long and I don't need lectures that this is a good thing, we truly are happy and will accept this baby with open arms. I'm just not thrilled about the way it will be entering our family. I bought another pregnancy tester that night to confirm and checked again the next morning to be sure.

Calculating my last menstrual period I could be 12 weeks pregnant, almost done with the first trimester. As I'm calling doctors offices the next morning trying to get an appointment with an obstetrician the secretaries ask, "What's the reason for this appointment?" "I just found out I'm pregnant." "When was the date of your last menstrual period?" When I tell them, they all sounded a bit shocked from my date and that I just found out. But I did find an appointment with an OBGYN just 11 days away.

Trace went to the appointment with me. They gave me a cup and sent me to the restroom. I was still a bit reluctant accepting that I was pregnant. When the doctor comes in, she tells me she's going to do an ultrasound. "So the test came back positive?" A bit of a confused look, "Yes, you are pregnant." The ultrasound put me at 9w3d, making my due date July 9. I had another ultrasound 2 weeks later. The baby doubled in size and was swinging arms and legs. So I've conceded, I'm pregnant.

Looking back, I'm really grateful for that bit of nausea or I may not have known until the baby bump or feeling a kick. I also might have tried to diet after seeing my body change shape.

We told our families for Christmas and are happy to share the news with you. Happy holidays and we hope you have a Happy New Year!

Christmas in Honolulu

2011-12-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

80 degree weather, no chance of snow, yet the people here really know how to decorate and celebrate for the holidays. The first Saturday of December is the tree lighting ceremony with a parade. Then frequently throughout the month there are cookie and milk nights, hot chocolate nights, more parades, holiday movie nights, and free pictures with Santa. They devote an entire government building to housing decorated trees and wreaths. The mall has dancing Christmas trees to holiday music and foam snowflakes throughout the day. It's no white Christmas but they put up a good act.

No snow in my forecast


Honolulu Hale devoted to Christmas trees and wreaths

One of dozens of decorated trees

Trace with giant Santa and Mrs. Claus

He may be still be St. Nick but he does things island style over here, notice the shaka and open shirt

This year's city tree

One of the many giant displays surrounding the government buildings

It's snowing bubbles at the mall!

Once in a lifetime

2011-12-22T15:41:00.000-08:00

When Trace and I have a morning off together we frequently lie in bed looking out the window before starting our day. We have a way of betting and rooting on which elevators will make it to the top. Well last Saturday a once in a lifetime happened...

All three elevators made it to the top! :) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-09T16:22:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving morning we went over to the west side of the island and went snorkeling for a few hours. The weather was warm and it was a beyond beautiful day. We ate Thanksgiving dinner later that day with 3 other couples in our ward, which meant I didn't have to cook the turkey or rolls! Woohoo! I tried my first and probably last black Friday shopping experience at midnight with Trace and some friends. Walmart line was wrapped around the building (we weren't willing to wait in that line). So we stopped at the mall.

The tunnel to enter the Diamond Head Crater.

The next day Trace and I hiked Diamond head. It's a crater at the end of Waikiki, you start at the center of the crater and hike to the top for some excellent views. Later that evening we settled down in some chairs to watch the Honolulu Thanksgiving Parade. Weird, yet pleasant, to watch marching bands and listen to Christmas music in 80 degree weather.

Honolulu Aquarium

2011-12-09T16:02:00.001-08:00

We spent one Saturday marveling at the coral and fish in the Honolulu Aquarium. Some of the pictures are interesting so I thought I'd share a few.

There is a giant several hundred pound clam in this picture. Can you see it?

I thought these fish were pretty crazy looking.

Most aquariums don't have this animal- the chambered Nautilus.

While at a cove a few months ago a monk seal swam up to the beach. They are protected and you are not supposed to get within several hundred feet of them. Life guards had everyone clear the water. It was nice to be able to see it up close.

The best part about this aquarium were the different types of coral and clams they cultivate here

Trace holding a sea urchin and hermit crab

Fruit of the Loom

2011-11-30T15:41:00.003-08:00

This year for Halloween we decided to be the Fruit of the Loom with our neighbors, Dalein and Bryant Hoer. Dalein and I made the giant underwear Friday afternoon and made the hats, apple, and leaf late Friday night. Unfortunately we got all dressed up in our apartment and hadn't factored in the elevator or the car. It was a bit tight. Trace's leaf costume also lost us some grapes when we all got in the underwear together. Saturday night we went to the ward Halloween party and then to Chinatown where the street was PACKED. The bishop's wife runs up to us and says, "Hanes! I love it!" After that, Trace insisted on calling out Fruit of the Loom wherever we went as to not be misidentified. Monday we walked down Waikiki in the underwear the entire time. Waikiki was pretty busy with both costume wearers and photo-taking bystanders. I'm not a big fan of getting my picture taken but there was no stopping the thousands of people who were taking our photo that night.

Funny thing. Dalein went to work the next day and saw a coworker showing a fellow coworker a picture of the best costume from the night before. It was us, the Fruit of the Loom!

New Dental Residents Benefit & Learn at Queen’s

2011-10-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

This article was in the hospital paper today and on their local intranet. I highlighted the part about our Trace. Hope you all enjoy!

The Queen’s Dental Clinic’s reputation is stellar, as all three of this year’s dental residents will attest. Every year, a few select applicants from all over the world are chosen to participate in a year long Dental General Practice Residency Program at Queen’s. The residents are fully licensed recent dental school graduates who desire more knowledge before starting their own practices. The current residents are Kim Whippy, DMD, Christopher Vitagliano, DMD, and Trace Baxter, DMD.

Mark Greer, DMD, MPH, is the Director of Resident Education at the Queen’s Dental Clinic, which began in 1960. Serving patients, employees, and the general community, the Dental Clinic provides critically needed services to those with physical or mental disabilities and emergency work on trauma patients and Queen’s inpatients. Employees should inquire about the discount on their insurance copay for top quality dental care in a convenient location.

The residency program begins anew each July and the Print Connection recently had a chance to see how the trio of residents is faring. “The program is everything I hoped it would be and more,” said Christopher Vitagliano, DMD (Dentariae Medicinae Doctor). Christopher graduated from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was interested in learning more about patient management and medically compromised patients. He says he appreciates the opportunity at Queen’s to see patients that typical dental practices might never come across. “At first, there was a fairly steep learning curve,” Christopher admitted, “But now I feel very comfortable in so many different situations.” He discovered that he really likes working in a hospital setting and is currently submitting applications for an oral surgery residency. Christopher says his new found passion is “a flame ignited by working here.” Originally from Arizona, Christopher describes himself as “outdoorsy.” An avid and long time soccer player, Christopher says he is “glad to be back in the sun after those brutal winters in Philadelphia.”

Kim Whippy, DMD, also escaped from the cold winters of Boston, Massachusetts, after graduating from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Kim had heard about the Queen’s program from other grads, including one of last year’s residents, Kirsi Hakkienen, DMD. “We get to do everything here,” Kim said appreciatively. “The exposure to the field is amazing, and the program director, Dr. Greer, is just awesome. He is very supportive.” Kim grew up in San Francisco, California, and is interested in pediatric dentistry. “We didn’t get much exposure to working with kids in school, so it’s great that I am getting a chance to do that here.” “It’s fun to be living in Hawai‘i for a while too,” Kim admits. She’s enjoying the chance to drive a convertible and hikes Koko Head a couple of times a week. She says she gave surfing a try, but thinks maybe hiking, biking, and swimming are more her style.

Trace Baxter, DMD, has happily embraced the outdoor lifestyle that comes with the territory too. He and his wife enjoy snorkeling, hiking, and camping. Trace also first heard about the Queen’s residency program from past participants. He knew its reputation, but had to check it out for himself. At a site visit last year, Trace says he “fell in love immediately.” He graduated from the Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland, and knew that the Queen’s program would offer great exposure to all areas of dentistry, including complex medical cases. “Everyday I feel like I am learning so much,” Trace said enthusiastically. “It’s fun to be able to put into practice everything I learned in school. It’s great to have a chance to be in the OR while at the same time performing a valuable service to the community.” Trace thinks he’s found his niche in hospital dentistry and hopes to continue in this area at a “to-be-determined location” after his year at Queen’s is over.

In addition to serving patients with special needs, the Queen’s Dental Clinic serves all typical dental needs, including cleaning, whitening, cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, cavity repair, oral surgery, root canals, dentures, and more. Call 691-4292 Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm to make an appointment or for more information.

It's Official

2011-09-09T10:48:00.001-07:00

I had a 10-year-old as a patient the other day to fix a chipped tooth. Understandably he was nervous to visit the dentist, but even more painful to him was his chipped front tooth. Sheepishly he told me the kids at school tease him and tell him he looks like a character off of the movie "Dumb and Dumber" I had to hold back my laughter because it was true he looked very similar to Jim Carey.

He told me he didn't care for dentists and he really didn't like shots. I told him not to worry and I would take good care of him. Contrary to popular belief, one of my number one goals when treating patients is to make sure they are not in pain. I gave him the shot following which he said, "You already gave it? I'm never going back to my other dentist he hurts me a ton." I laughed, reassuring him the procedure would go well. I fixed his tooth and gave him the mirror to look at his tooth, his jaw dropped and all he said was "You ARE a professional!" There you have it folks, finally after 21 years of school and the approval of a 10-year-old I have earned the status of Professional!

Before

After

Punaluu Beach

2011-09-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

We spent the day in Punaluu on the Punaluu Beach- a sandy beach with beautiful weather. We napped, sunbathed, picnicked, played frisbee, ... The local Hawaiians often camp on the beach for the weekend- and they do it right. The set up a big cover, create a make-shift kitchen, and bring lots of food. They sleep here overnight and bring in mattresses, bench seats from cars, and cots. Then everyone is invited. You'll end up with great-grandparents, grandparents, adult kids, teenagers, kids, babies, best friends, neighbors, and more. You'll see 15+ kids playing together in the water and they frequently don't know each other's names.

This is a "locals" beach so we ended up making friends with one of the camp sites near where we put our towels. Hawaiians are very giving. They brought us watermelon and offered us chips, soda, boiled peanuts (a favorite snack here that you can buy in the grocery store- tastes just like softened peanuts). We built sand castles with the kids and threw them around in the ocean. At the end they fed us dinner- bbq chicken, teriyaki beef hamburger patties, and rice.

Picture from our drive back home from Punaluu Beach

Here's a little about what we've learned about Hawaiian culture:

"Auntie" and "Uncle"
In Kuaii we met some kids on the beach that took to us. One girl was pulling on my arm, chanting "Auntie, Auntie." It wasn't until Trace says, "Erica she's talking to you," that I figured out my name among Hawaiian children is "Auntie." Here all adult friends get this name. For them it is disrespectful for children to call adults by their first name. One of our new friends said, "It's nice because if I don't know their name I just call them 'Auntie'."

Ohana
The Hawaiian word Ohana literal translation is family, however, the concept is much broader and doesn't usually fit a the traditional father-mother-child concept. Here it is common for grandparents, parents, adult children, and their children to all live in the same house. Everyone seems to help raise the children. They are surprised that Trace and I are married. To quote- "We don't get married here to have babies." That being said, there are babies and children everywhere.

Kama'aina
This word means local or resident of Hawaii. You can get great discounts by being Kama'aina. But another use is taking someone else's children when times get tough for them and raising them as your own.

Shaka
This is the hang loose sign. Here it is cool, smooth, all right, hi, goodbye, chill, etc. In general it is the calm free loving aloha spirit.

Local Food

2011-09-03T00:34:00.000-07:00

Poi- mashed taro root. I had NO idea what this was prior to our visit. In Kauai a very poor family on the beach asked us to join them. They compared the purple, runny concoction to mashed potatoes (no, it doesn't taste like mashed potatoes). Trace and I both took a sample from this bowl of purple mush. They eat it by scooping it with 2 or 3 fingers depending on the consistency. Since we "liked" it they poured us our own bowl. I wish I could have recorded Trace's reaction to this generosity. They eat it plain, with sardines, or next to kalua pork. You can find it at the grocery store in a big plastic bag on the counter.

Sardines- Applause please- I picked out one of these slimy, smelly, skin covered, eyes included sections dipped it into the bowl of purple mush and ate it. Then to prove to the locals that it was good (it wasn't good at all but you've got to be nice when you've got so many smiling faces examining your response), I did it again. A delicacy to the poor, frowned upon by the wealthy, secretly enjoyed by all Hawaiians.

Spam- They LOVE spam. I've always considered this a bad word. Not sure if I'm gonna pick up on this one no matter how expensive food is over here.

Boiled Peanuts- I've been wondering about this item every time I pass the meat section in the grocery store. It wasn't until I saw some locals eating them on the beach this weekend that my questions were answered. They are peanuts boiled in their shells (the myth is answered). To eat them you just open the shell with your teeth and pick out the softened peanuts. Per Locals: then you bury the shells in the sand.

Rice, Rice, and more Rice- Every Hawaiian dish is served either under or next to two scoops of rice, including breakfast.

Macaroni Salad- Very common to have a scoop of macaroni salad right next to your rice.

Lau Lau- steamed fish, pork, and or chicken wrapped in taro leaves and ti leaf

Malasada- Portuguese deep fried donut coated with sugar.

Poke- Raw fish seasoned with green onions, chili peppers, and soy sauce. Pretty good :) Trace has yet to try this one.

Octopus- I really thought this would be more rare, kind of like a delicacy, but I see it everywhere. People are cutting up octopus in every makeshift kitchen and frying it up. I tried it, not bad, chewy but not bad.

When you come to visit, make sure to bring your appetites!

GM (Genetically Modified)

2011-09-02T01:14:00.000-07:00

"Whatever gains you make in efficiency you lose in diversity." This is a very interesting clip that encourages me to be more wise about both political activism and food choices. It's FREE on Hulu. Enjoy!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food

Handpicked Produce

2011-08-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

On one of our last north shore excursions I found both of these fruits growing wild so I brought them home with me. The yellow ball is lilikoi (passionfruit). The center is scooped out and eaten raw or used to make desserts or syrups while the outside is discarded. The star shaped slices are star fruit. Before I sliced it I figured it would be hollow based on how light it is. The whole fruit is edible, outside is waxy and the inside is crisp and juicy. Tastes like a cross between a watered down apple, pear, and grape.

North Shore

2011-08-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday we drove up to North shore for the day. We went snorkeling, swimming, and sunbathing at Shark's Cove and the Three Tables. We saw quite a few big fish and colorful coral. It was a beautiful day! Unfortunately Shark's Cove and Trace didn't get along very well. It's a little awkward getting into the water at this spot. Trace broke his toenail getting in and cut his knee getting out. He had blood running down his leg as we walked to the car that shocked all the passerbys. Three tables has a great beach with shade and easy entrance for swimming and boarding. A definite spot to revisit.

To give the knee a break, we drove to a sacred Hawaiian temple- Pu'u o Mahuka Heiau. So many vowels. This was a temple of sacrifice. Not a bad view to end your life. The beach we were looking down on is one of our favorites- Waimea Beach Park.

We finished North Shore with a trip to the most famous shaved ice shop in Hawaii- Matsumoto shaved ice. The line wraps around the store, while the shaved ice shop next door is empty. Trace was adventurous and got Azuki beans on the bottom of his cone- that's right it's a red bean from the far east that is boiled and sweetened. He wasn't a fan of the beans but the ice and flavors were fantastic- watermelon, sour apple, raspberry. I got the traditional vanilla ice cream on the bottom with pineapple, coconut, and lilikoi (passionfruit). Mmm... so good.

Trace is on call again this week. The other residents rarely get a page on their weeks while Trace gets called in 5-6 times a day. Lucky us! He got home last night at 10:30PM from doing a surgery on an ER patient and a few other ER visits. Then he got called in again at 4AM. Fortunately Trace is always willing, able, and happy.

At the end of dental school Trace was offered a spot to come back to OHSU to complete a Periodontal Residency (specialist in gum surgery) after his year in Hawaii. The program is 3 additional years with 3 more years of tuition. We have been going back and forth about what to do. This Hawaii residency has helped Trace decide to join a general dental practice next summer. So keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities for us.

Park, Beach, and Party

2011-08-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

Saturday Trace and I went to a botanical garden on the east side of the island- Ho'omaluhia Park. It means peace and tranquility. One of the prettiest gardens I have been to with Koolau mountain range as the backdrop.

This flower has flowers inside the flower!

Later that day we went to Kualoa Beach Park with this island- Chinaman's Hat- just off the coast.

That evening we went to a Bon Dance. This Japanese festival honors the spirits of family members that have passed away. It was packed and the Japanese dancing was fun to watch.

Manoa Falls

2011-07-31T18:34:00.000-07:00

One afternoon we took a 10 minute drive toward the mountains and hiked to Manoa Falls. The hike was beautiful! We were thinking about taking Gram when she comes to visit until the trail got covered in roots.

West Coast

2011-07-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

We spent a Saturday giving a tour to a dental school classmate and his wife. Thanks for visiting us Steve and Liz!

Trace's feet at the Ko'olina. We love this beach!

Came across this guy climbing a palm tree.

We found the real Black Pearl in a boat storage right behind this beautiful beach.

This cage is where we keep our guests.

This reef shark washed ashore. Eek! We snorkeled not too far from here. They don't bite, right?

We finished the visit with a 10-mile drive above Honolulu for sunset- Tantalus Road.

Honey Ginger Salmon

2011-07-30T23:38:00.000-07:00

Really enjoyed this recipe this week, got it from the Thanksgiving Costco cookbook. Very tasty. Let me know what you think! I used apple cider vinegar instead of the white wine :)

Free TIme

2011-07-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

I took these photos for Dawn with my phone in May after church. Trace is on trauma call again this week so I had lots of time on my hands. I used that faces application to take the good face from the dozen photos and make one complete picture. Still have lots to learn on the program. Hope you enjoy!

I love food

2011-07-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

I do really, really love food. When I talked about my plans for Hawaii with my friends in Tillamook, I told them to imagine me frolicking through the pineapple fields picking my own fresh fruit. We stayed in a house east of Honolulu for a few days when we got to the island as we waited for our apartment to open. The owner has tons of plants around her house and encouraged us to help ourselves. So I REALLY was frolicking in fruit fields picking my own and eating them right off the trees :)

Here is what I've learned about produce in Hawaii.

I was told these are mountain cherries. Very tart, not all that tasty.

Papaya- this is a pretty common tree here they grow off the trunk of the tree right below the branches. At first they taste like dirty feet but I promised that I was going to give up my mainland ways so we continue to eat them. Now they are not bad, not my favorite fruit but not stinky feet anymore. We eat them for breakfast by cutting them in half, scooping out the black slimy seeds, and then just eating the flesh out with a spoon. We've eaten ripe ones taken right off the tree and then others that ripen on the counter. Tastes the same to me either way.

One night I decided I really wanted to try coconut fresh from the tree. Trace is so good to me, he goes along with my silly whims and ideas. We got a long pole and spent 20 minutes or so knocking one loose. Then we had to get the husk off which is not an easy task. Trace told me that Todd and he took a coconut home from Hawaii years ago and spent 6 days getting it open. I went into the tool shed and pulled out a pick axe. Once we got to the nut it was more like croquet with a pick axe. It took some time but voila... Trace is holding the final product. I have discovered that I do not like fresh coconut. :) The coconut water is ick and the meat really wasn't very good either, though I do love cooking with canned coconut. A Hawaiian told me the best coconut have a more yellow husk so now we have to try again.

Pineapple-WAY better here. They are juicy, sweet, full of flavor, and the best I have ever eaten. The entire plant is yellow and smells delicious. I was chastised by Trace for paying $4 for a pineapple in Kauai the day before we were leaving, but after he tasted it he forgave me. We ate half of the pineapple that night and the other half for breakfast. Though I was disappointed when I found they still cost $4-5 a pineapple or $2.79/green pineapple at Costco. I didn't fly all the way here to pay the same price for something grown a few miles from our apartment. There have to be some financial perks to moving to Hawaii. And then... I found out that a local grocery store sells the super ripe ones on discount- I got the pineapple above for $1.13 -woohooo!

Standby to Hawaii

2011-07-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Trace received standby tickets from a friend (Thank you LaNelle!). We have never flown standby before and were unsure if we would make the flights. Our plans kept changing from flying to Oahu or flying to Kauai and spending a week there before going to Oahu. We were even considering flying to Alaska and then down to Hawaii. We honestly did not know what we were going to do until the night before when the flight status changed on AlaskaAir and showed a bunch of openings from San Jose to Kauai.
But we made it to Kauai without a hitch. We even got to sit next to each other on the plane! We went to farmer's market, drove to the Grand Canyon of Kauai, snorkeled, relaxed on the beach, explored the resorts, and met some locals who welcomed us into their campsite for the day. Everything was so green and every backdrop from the beach had the most stunning mountain or rock cliff.

Kauai is definitely more rainy and cloudy than Oahu- more like Portland. There really are a lot of chickens on the island and those tropical flowers are everywhere. Now that we explored most of the island reachable by car, when we go back we plan on spending the whole time exploring the Na Pali coastline that you can only see by foot, boat, or helicopter. The pictures below are not mine but they do the scenery more justice than my camera phone can.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2011-07-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

Trace graduated on Friday the 17th and we left Portland on Monday the 20th. We flew to San Jose for a long layover with my brother Ken and his wife Tina. We got to see their beautiful new home and giant garden. Kaden, he's 2 years-old, has so much energy! Thanks for the airport shuttle runs Tina, you were great hosts!

Graduation

2011-07-26T00:52:00.000-07:00

After 4 years of undergrad and 4 years of Dental school he is finally finished! He got three awards: periodontal award, orthodontia award, and Peglow award. Here Trace is during an award ceremony with just students and teachers.

The Peglow award is given out at the end of the graduation ceremony to "the senior dental student who possesses those qualities most desirable in a dentist including integrity, humility, compassion, skill, sensitivity to patient nee, and dedication to service; nominated by the senior class, then selected by the class and faculty." Trace did not know he was the recipient and you can see his surprise as he accepts the plaque from the Dean.

Trace's parents came and celebrated with us. Sorry you couldn't all be there but the seating was limited to 5 guests per student. Keeping in line with my motto- friends don't make friends go to graduation.

If you want to watch it, make sure you have flash player installed and follow the link: Graduation Ceremony 2011

To cut to the good stuff you can watch Trace get hooded at minute 1:12:30 and get his Peglow award at 1:39:50

WREB

2011-07-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

Trace took the WREB (Western Regional Exam Board) over memorial day weekend. This is the required test to get a dental license in 36 states. It consists of two written tests and a 3-day practical test requiring two root canals, two fillings, and perio cleaning. Very expensive test and even more expensive if you don't pass because you have to transport patients to the testing location which is only in Portland once a year. It was a stressful week, here is a photo on the last day.

Everyone in his class was so worried the next week, recounting their horror stories of the weekend as they awaited the results. I got this text message from Trace while I was at work. He passed! In fact 98.75% of the class passed, the highest rate in OHSU history. Woohooo! Good job Trace- you can officially pay the state of Oregon and take another test to get a license to practice dentistry :)

Hawaii

2011-07-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

ALOHA!

We have arrived safely, the weather is beautiful and all is well.

However, we don't have internet setup because I didn't think about that before moving and the first they said that could happen in 7/19. So I won't be emailing or updating the blog til then.

We love you all. Come visit!

Silver Falls

2011-03-14T13:23:00.001-07:00

We are trying to go on a hike or trip every weekend. A few weeks ago we made it to Silver Falls which is an hour or so south of Portland. We hiked 6 miles and saw 8 of the 10 waterfalls. BEAUTIFUL!!

It is still crazy to me that this is what it looks like in February.

Baker City

2010-10-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

Erica and I went home to Baker City in August for Todd's wedding reception. It was a short trip but we had a lot of fun seeing our family. Caleb knows how to give a big smile!

Chiara came downstairs wanting to sleep with us for the night. Instead we took a bunch of silly pictures. I think I'm going to have these kids model their smiles at my future dental office. We love you Chiara!

Before leaving I was able to spend a morning with my grandparents. They are adorable and we love you so much.

Special Olympics

2010-10-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I volunteered at the Nike Special Olympics, giving oral screenings and teaching kids how to brush their teeth. It was a blast working with my classmates and friends. I loved seeing the excitement in the faces of the children as we handed out toothbrushes, gum, and floss.

After working with the kids I took a tour around the campus and found their basketball court. I had to take a few pictures!

Maybe Nike will make a shoe after me?!

New Phone Numbers!

2010-08-04T15:40:00.000-07:00

Yep we switched from Verizon to AT&T just so we could get the new iphone. Trace is pretty much in love with his new phone. I'm not going to lie, they've changed our lives. Anyway, we decided to get Portland phone numbers for Trace's patients at the dental school.

Trace: 971-409-8232
Erica: 971-409-8218

Hope you are having a great summer!

The Lion King

2010-07-22T10:41:00.001-07:00

I got off work early from Tillamook one evening and we went to the Lion King Production in downtown Portland. It was awesome! We really enjoyed the music and costumes. If you ever have a chance to see it, we highly recommend it.

Rose Festival

2010-06-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Portland puts on a Rose Festival every June with a carnival, parades, and activities for several weeks. We went to the carnival one night for the BBQ competition. This is what we saw that night.

Chainsaw Artist

Trace and a giant turtle

A baby Lion

There was a wild animal exhibit with all sorts of snakes, lizards, alligators, spiders, rodents, wild cats including a Bengal Tiger, Lion, and lion cubs. It was an awesome display of animals and creepy creatures. Go Rose Festival!

Award Ceremonies

2010-04-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

Trace got to accept his scholarship at the annual dental conference luncheon in downtown Portland. Then he got to accept it again at OHSU with the owner of Willamette Dental Group and the founder of the scholarship.

Trace and the other recipient from the class of 2010 at the Dental Conference

At OHSU with the founder of the scholarship

Brittany for Easter!

2010-04-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry this took so long Bert. My best friend from childhood came to Portland for a friend's baptism and stayed with us in April (before I started working the second job). We took her downtown, to VooDoos, and over to Multnomah Falls. She was a good sport and hiked to the top of the falls with us. Thanks for the visit!

Bert is showcasing the waterfall

Now we're up on the bridge

I miss that stache!

At the top of the hike

How to grow a mustache

2010-04-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

First off you plant the hair (2008).

Then add a touch of sunshine (2009).

Paint on some Just for Men and Voila (2010)!
Can it get any better than this?

Blogging Hiatus

2010-04-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hello out there! Sadly our computer died two weeks ago so we are not connected to the blogging world. Fortunately I got a 3-year service warranty when I purchased it (only 70 days left) so we are sending it in to get fixed. Right now we are checking email and blogs when we can at the library or school.

I got a job in February at a long-term care/skilled nursing facility. Half of the building is for people just out of the hospital who still have a medical need but who no longer qualify for hospital stay. On many of these patients I am doing normal hospital care like trach suctioning, tube feedings, wound changes, health assessments, medication and disease education. They are all working with physical therapy to increase strength and mobility so they can go home safely in 2 weeks to 3 months. The other half of the building are long-term residents, ranging in age and needs. I work at this facility 2-4 days a week (8-10 hour days depending on what happens that day). It is a very busy job and I am running the entire time. For 60+ residents there are 2 nurses (one for each side). The CNA (nursing aids) are responsible for assisting the residents get in and out of bed, get dressed, toileting, and what not. The nurse (me) is responsible for any treatments.

In Portland and most places, hospitals are not in need of nurses. The economic crash has kept many nurses from retiring and hospitals are not expanding their employee pool to pay the training required for newly graduated nurses. But I wanted some hospital work experience to expand my qualifications. Many of my friends from my graduating class have either moved out of Portland or are still looking for a job. Rather than get denied at the hospitals in Portland I looked outside the city area. I got another job at Tillamook hospital. Tillamook is home to the Tillamook cheese factory and is coastal town. It is a 1 hour 20 minute drive from our apartment to the hospital. They are training me for 3 months (I get a full patient load with another experienced nurse so I can ask questions and get help whenever I need it). I am working 3 12-hour shifts a week while I train then I will switch to part-time. I emailed the Relief Society president and found a basement of a member's house where I sleep if I work several days in a row. So I wake up at 4 AM, drive to Tillamook, work from 6:45 AM-7:15 PM, go to the basement and sleep, wake up at 6 AM, work from 6:45-7:15, then drive home to Portland, go to sleep, wake up at 6 AM and go to my other job. One month down, two months to go.

Needless to say, I am super busy. I figured it would be easier to explain my absence on the blog than via phone.

Wish you all the best!

Erica

Who wants to be a tenthousandaire?

2010-03-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

We received this email in Trace's school inbox today:

"You were selected as this year’s first Willamette Dental Foundation Scholarship junior student recipient. A more formal letter will follow. $10,000 will be awarded to your account in the spring thereby reducing the amount you are receiving in the form of loans."

So we haven't heard about the $500 scholarship but we'll accept $10,000. Woohooo!

Great job Trace!

House shopping

2010-02-21T21:07:00.000-08:00

Erica and I have been house shopping and debating about where we should end up. We took a hike this weekend and I think we finally found our dream home. I don't really enjoy big cities, but with a house and a view like this can I really say no?

Here you will find me welcoming our guests at the entrance of our home.
The back of the house.
The view out the back window.

Around the back side of the house was a 2.5 mile hike that led down the hill into a park in Northwest Portland. The hike was stunning. I tried to capture the beauty of the trail, but the pictures don't give it justice.

This stone structure was built as a WPA project in the 1930's. It served as a restroom until the late 60's when due to lack of funding was put out of order. Too bad they don't make restrooms like this anymore.
A beautiful little waterfall along the trail.

So what do you think, should we buy the place?

Cathedral Park at St. John's Bridge

2010-02-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

Portland is well known for its many beautiful bridges. A little over a month ago Erica and I decided to take a stroll down by the Willamette River and visit the beautiful St. John bridge. When we were leaving a photographer came up to us and asked us if he could use our picture in the Portland Monthly magazine? We agreed, on the condition he would give us a copy.

We liked the picture!

Samson at OMSI

2010-02-15T19:16:00.000-08:00

We went to OMSI today and visited the new dinosaur exhibit. They have a T-rex on display. It is the third most complete T-rex in the United States. He was found in Buffalo, South Dakota in 1987.
This is from the OMSI webpage.

"SAMSON includes 170 original bones of the 300 in a full Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. 56.7% complete by bone count, Samson is believed to be the third most complete T. rex skeleton ever discovered. SAMSON has arguably the best preserved T. rex skull. Too heavy to mount on the skeleton, Samson's real fossil skull is displayed in a case along with 22 teeth found scattered around the skull.

In life, SAMSON measured approximately 40 feet in length and could have looked into a second story window. Its massive skull and powerful serrated teeth could bite through the leg bone of any other dinosaur of its time. The circumference of the femur tells us that SAMSON weighed about 6 tons, compared to the 7 ton Sue, the largest Tyrannosaurus rex discovered to date. Most likely a very skilled hunter with binocular color vision and an extremely sensitive sense of smell, this colossus, like other adults of its species, lived as an apex predator of the Late Cretaceous Period."
Did we mention that Trace was on the weather channel.

Angel's Rest

2010-02-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

We woke up on President's Day to sunny blue skies. We decided to hike Angel's Rest on the Columbia Gorge. The hike was 4.6 miles with a rise in elevation of 1,600 feet. For those of you who don't know the area the hike was near Multnomah Falls off of I-84. Here area few pictures from our hike.

One of the waterfalls on the hike.

Ferns were everywhere and grew like crazy.

We made it to the top where we had a beautiful view of the Columbia River.

Can you guess which direction the wind was blowing at the top of the hike?

Myocardial Infarction

2010-02-09T22:10:00.000-08:00

Myocardial Infarction (mī'ō-kär'dē əl ĭn-färk'shən)
abbreviation: MI
Defn.: The medical terminology for heart attack. Occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart is interrupted due to the sudden deprivation of circulating blood. The pain can be severe or mild. It can feel like a tight band around the chest, something heavy sitting on your chest, squeezing or heavy pressure.

Sentence:
1. Erica had a myocardial infarction when her name did not appear on the state board of nursing website after seeing the names of other members from her class who took the test the same day as her.

Explanation:
A classmate who took the test the same day as me states RN on her facebook page. I hurry to the website to check for my name-nothing!!! I check my other classmates names who took the test with me- all of their names appear. My heart pounds, my glands sweat, and my face flushes. Could I have failed the test in 75 questions? I call the state board to find out if there is a hold on my RN license. Relief. I was told that I did pass the test but have the choice to get my license now and renew it in May or wait until March 17 and not renew again until May of 2012. Whew. So I'm not an RN because technically I am not registered but I did pass the test! Here's proof.

Free Grand Slam at Denny's Tomorrow!

2010-02-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

We woke up early to get to Denny's at 6:45 before Trace's first class but when we got there the line was wrapped around the building. I didn't know our blog was that popular! Kind of shot myself in the foot by advertising. The line consisted primarily of homeless individuals. After about 30 seconds in line the smell of those both in front and behind us moved us back to our apartment where we enjoyed our own grand slam (-bacon, +plum syrup). Yum! And we finished with time to spare for Trace's first class.

Just letting you know that Denny's will have Free Original Grand Slams, Tuesday, February 9, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. for all customers. http://www.dennys.com/

Trace and I are going to try and make it before he has class. We're all about free stuff.

Congratulations on your nomination!

2010-02-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

This is from Trace's OHSU email. Good work Trace! I'm really hoping you win. Who could possibly help you spend that money?

Each year, the Class of 1981 awards $500 to a 3^rd year Dental Student in memory of their classmate, Ted Green. You have been nominated for this year’s award as for being recognized for their potential in Operative Dentistry. Congratulations! Please write a paragraph or two on what you enjoy most about dentistry. Members of the Class of 1981 select the winner and the award is presented at the Alumni Association Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon.

The test (da, duh, dun)

2010-02-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

The NCLEX (National Council Licensure EXamination) is the test that all nursing graduates must take to become registered. Once we got back from Baker and Seattle from Christmas break I started studying. The exam is a computerized adaptive test meaning that the test questions get progressively more difficult when you answer correctly and easier if you answer incorrectly. The test shuts off when it has determined if you are competent (or not) in all of the different areas and that can be anywhere from 75-265 questions with a 6-hour time limit. And you can't go back to read previous questions or change your answers.

On Tuesday morning I went to the testing center. I had to prove my identity by bringing the form I received from registering and my drivers license. They took computerized fingerprints, palm prints from both hands, a photo, and emptied all of my pockets. I wasn't even allowed to have a hair band on my wrist!! They give you a dry erase marker and white board that won't erase.You can't stand up or move away from the testing cubicle without raising your hand to have a testing employee escort you out and take your palm print. Just a tad bit strict.

I have really pathetic testing stamina- by question 20 I was ready to be done. You can take a break at any time but I was holding out until I had answered 75. After submitting question 75 a blue screen appeared and I was done!!! No results. You leave the test and wait to find out the results from the state nursing board website several days later.

Graduation

2010-02-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

On December 20, 2009 I graduated! I'm not going to lie, I won't miss writing 20+ page papers, working at hospitals for free, or Linfield College at all. I went back and forth about going to the graduation ceremony. I mean friends don't make friends go to graduation. So we went to just the nursing convocation. Yay, I'm done!!

Edward Cullen

2010-01-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

LIANNA I found Edward Cullen in Southern Washington. He must have been hunting for cougars in the mountains. It was a cloudy a day so his diamond skin wasn't sparkling quite like it would in the sun. I was lucky to get this picture because he moves so fast. Breathtaking Lianna. Now I understand your crush. :)

Ape Caves- January 23, 2010

2010-01-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

This was our view as we drove an hour up into Washington near Mount Saint Helens to the 3rd longest lava tube in North America- Ape Caves, 13, 042 feet! A Lava tube is when the lava surface cools and fuses creating insulation for the molten lava to flow underneath it - like an underground river. This one is over 2000 years old and was discovered in the 1950s. May 18 of this year will be the 30 year anniversary of the eruption. So we are planning another trip up there for the celebration.

Here is Trace going underground.

This is one of the only skylights. The rest was blackness.

This is called Meatball rock. It is a lava rock suspended 12 feet in the air by the cave walls.

Here is a photo off the internet of what it looks like with some light.

The cave got narrower and narrower. Poor Trace.

Light and fresh air was rewarding after the hike!

Halloween as Captain America

2009-10-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

Halloween is the best holiday of the year. I put up decorations in September this year.

Monday: Wore part of the costume to school
Wednesday: Wore full costume to OMSI and won tickets to haunted house
Friday: Dressed up and went to Trunk or Treat at the church, then Frightmare Haunted House.
Saturday: Dressed up again and attended a Halloween party at a friend's house.

At the Trunk or Treat church party we put the back seats down so Trace could hide in the car. We used a big black sheet to cover the inside of the truck and set up a graveyard scene with a bowl of candy. Trace's hand was wrapped in blood stained bandage to fit the scene. I would give Trace the clue ("Grab a Butterfingers") and he would grab the hand in the candy bowl. The kids thought it was pretty scary and then pretty funny after the initial shock.

Trace was Captain America and I was Wonder Woman. In our attempt to find the haunted house we stopped at Wendy's to ask for directions. A 3-year-old girl looks up at Trace wide-eyed and says, "A super hero." I walked in a few minutes later, "Another super hero." She walked up to us awestruck rattling off her life story. For a brief moment in time we really felt like super heroes.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night

2009-08-22T23:27:00.000-07:00

We had to get this last picture before we left. Good work Trace! Are you tempted to make a return trip with us? We're willing and able.

Will it ever end...?

2009-08-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. Sick of glorious, beautiful pictures of scenery. That's how we felt by the end of the trip. Every view was so breathtaking that we became desensitized. We drove to the east side of the park. Visited Running Eagle Falls, Two Medicine Lake, and Many Glacier. Right now the water is coming through a hole in the rock, while in the spring this waterfall is overflowing over the top rock as well. It is named after an American Indian Female Warrior! Can you find Trace?

Below is Many Glacier- a definite must see at the park. This lodge is an amazing architectural feat with astounding views. We had been listening to Harry Potter in the car while we traveled and Trace was wishing he had some Floo powder for this fire place.

That's it for Glacier National Park. Neither of us had any idea that the park existed before we decided to plan this trip. Trace was looking on google maps for green sections (which is the color code for a national park) and found it. We were so impressed we thought everyone should get to see some of its beauty. We were thinking this might be a fun spot for a family reunion in a few years! Let us know what you think.

Hitchhikers!

2009-08-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

One day Dean, Dawn, and Todd were driving through the park to make their way up North to Canada. They ate breakfast with us that morning, drove us through the park, and dropped us off at a trailhead on the east side. Thank you! We hiked St. Mary's Falls, Virginia Falls, St. Mary's Lake/Sun Point, and Hidden Lake trail that day. Then we used the shuttle to take us back to the west side of the park where we camped. I'm almost done with the trip. Here are more pictures.

The hills are alive, with the sound of music. Aahh...

2009-08-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

We woke up early-ish (I like to sleep) so we could get a parking spot at the summit. After 10 AM there is no parking available. I asked Trace to fill up both our water packs for the hike that day. He didn't feel we needed that much water and filled them both halfway. This is Highline trail, a 12-mile hike along the mountain ridge. It is a gradual incline with fantastic views for the first 8 miles.

I like to set up the camera using the timer to take pictures. I had 10 seconds to meet Trace- I almost made it!

Snow! At the very top of the summit after four steep switch backs. This picture was taken right before I got hit with that snowball.

Big horn sheep!

It was a hot day on the top of the mountain and we were grateful to reach the chalet at the 8-mile mark. It is a VERY rustic cabin with a few supplies. We sat inside for lunch when Trace ran out of water...Da, da, da. Water at the chalet is $5 a bottle and we weren't carrying money with us. Fortunately his wife had rationed her own water and was willing to share for the hottest 4-mile hike down to the road through a burnt section of forest. There was absolutely no tree cover for the entire 4-mile 2,000 foot elevation drop. We were also told a grizzly had been spotted about 2 hours before on this part of the trail.

No Grizzly but he left his mark.

Again, one of the best parts of this park is the public transportation. The end of the trail meets the road where we jumped on a shuttle back up to the summit to find our parked car. Here is the wildlife we saw after getting off the shuttle. It was a long hike for novices who didn't put on enough sunblock, bring enough water, or stretch. Trace was having a difficult time walking after getting off the shuttle. Ah, the KOA, how grateful we were for the hot tub that night.

Avalanche Creek Trail

2009-08-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

8/19/09: One of the best aspects of Glacier National Park is the public transportation. There are several parking lots where you can leave your car and jump on a shuttle. For our first day in the park, that's exactly what we did. Since neither of us were driving we both got to enjoy the beautiful view. We jumped off the shuttle to hike to Avalanche Lake. The first 1/4 mile is a beautiful nature trail called The Trails of Cedars, it's has a raised wooden wheelchair accessible platform. If you are ever driving through the park and want an easy 15 minute walk, this trail loops over a river and gives you great views of a variety of trees (1/2 mile).
The next 3 miles was normal hiking with tree cover and river the entire way.

The trail ended with these views. There are four waterfalls coming over that mountain from Sperry Glacier and Hidden Lake. Several people were fishing and catching cutthroat trout. The lake was clear enough to see the fish bite. We ate lunch and hiked off trail around lake. Beautiful!

On our hike back we ran a deer walking down the trail. When people would come he'd step off the path, wait for them to pass and get back on the trail. The epitomy of hiking etiquette. Waiting for the shuttle back to our car we found this hitchhiker on Trace's shoe!

Sugar City, Idaho

2009-08-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

We don't have many photos but we spent Saturday evening, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday morning at Tara and Josh's house. They are a busy family. They wake up so early! I got up at 7AM to find that Tara had canned beans, made two cakes, and was 45 minutes away picking corn with Ashley and Kalli to sell later that day. All of us went to bed past midnight, when do they sleep?

Monday we went huckleberry picking. Everyone except Tara dropped their berries on the ground. Oops! That was my first huckleberry experience. For non-huckleberry pickers, they look a lot like blueberries but are much smaller and do not grow in groups like blueberries. It takes a while to pick them, no wonder they cost $40 per gallon.

8/18/09 - Headed north to West Glacier, Montana. The drive was bee central. When we got out at this pit stop our grill was covered in black and yellow bugs. :(

One goal of this trip was to practice camping. Neither of us have camped that much. We used our wedding gift cards to acquire a tent and camping gear (Thanks again for all the wedding gifts). Rather than going full out, we are easing our way in to the camping experience. We know it was wussy but we opted to stay at KOA where we could sleep in our tent but still have water and showers. There it is on the map.

Summer Vacation 2009: SLC

2009-08-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

We're going to try and blog again. We'll see how it goes. We're going to journal about our summer vacation. We'll start at the beginning. We left for our 3-week excursion with little to no definite plans. All we knew was that we wanted to go to a wedding, camp at Glacier National Park, and visit friends and family.

8/11/09: We left at 5PM to Mom and Dads with the car packed up pretty tight with clothing, food, and camping gear- no room for reclining the seats on this trip.

8/12/09: On our way to SLC we met up with Tricia, Chiara, Caleb, Tia, Samuel, Jacque, Calista, Ellen, Mom, and Dad for lunch. Whew, that was a lot of names. Who knew Costco's food court could be so much fun. It was a busy and nosy change from our little home Portland, though we thoroughly enjoyed it!

We visited Erica's Aunt Judy and Uncle Duane that evening. We made it to Provo around 10PM to stay at Kourtney and Brett's house. Kourtney's dad was a professional and BYU football player. We slept in the room dedicated to the football memorabilia!

8/13/09: Wedding at SLC temple. Wedding lunch at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Visited Erica's Aunt Pam and Uncle Dennis. Off to the reception for karaoke and fun!

8/14/09: Visited with more friends. Amazing dinner at Aunt Maxine and Uncle Jay's house. Thanks for that! Brooklyn was spending the night and Gram and Pops were down in Lehi! Jay took us to see his two boys new homes. Dave and Toni were out for the evening but their backyard was flourishing with produce. Mike was home with his youngest kid mowing the lawn. He gave us a tour of their new home- beautiful landscaping and spacious interior!

8/15/09: Packed up and headed north to Tara and Josh's house!

Mona Lisa

2009-05-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

It was raining and cold on Saturday so Trace and I went to OMSI, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, to visit the Da Vinci exhibit. Neither of us knew much about his life but we learned a lot! He invented an armored tank and underwater scuba gear. Leonardo's painting of "The Last Supper" was actually not a fresco but an experiment on dry wall that didn't hold up so well. An infrared scan of the Mona lisa showed what the orginal coloring would have looked like and discovered that she did originally have eyebrows. It is a traveling exhibit that both of us really enjoyed. The museum sits right next to the Willamette River, which gave us great views of a huge wind/rain storm that knocked out power through part of the city. We were glad to be inside.

"One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of one's self."-Da Vinci

3-month anniversary

2009-04-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

For our 3-month anniversary Trace and I went to Portland City Grill, which is on the 30th floor of the US Bank Tower. We sat at the bar so we could eat off the happy hour menu. The restaurant was slammed so we offered part of our bench to a couple searching for a place to sit. When we got the check to leave the couple had picked up our tab! How generous and kind! Trace was really impressed and plans to reciprocate this generosity when we actually have an income.

Afterward we went to the play Wicked. We had both already seen the play on Broadway but loved it so much we were excited to see it again. The music is catchy and the story line is ingenious. It was a fun evening. Of course, we had to end the evening with another trip to Voodoo doughnuts. Yes, I got the maple bar with strips of bacon and I liked it. I added some additional pictures of the restaurant so you can get a better idea of the ambiance.

Mustache March

2009-03-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is a picture from last year's dental student celebration of MUSTACHE MARCH. Trace was a happy participant. This year, Trace spearheaded the celebration by starting his mustache almost a week early. His stache grew in so much fuller this year! Here is the comparison (the photo on the left was 2008 and the photo on the right is 2009)! He's got a thing for that facial expression.

I'm hoping he'll keep growing it until it turns into something like this...

2 month Anniversary

2009-02-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our two month anniversary. I surprised Trace and took him to see "Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (I've loved you so long)" a French film at the Living Room Theaters. The movie was amazing, real character development and an actual ending unlike many French films. It's a fun theatre where you can order dinner and they will serve you during the movie. The movies are not usually main stream and each theatre only sits about thirty people. If there is a theatre near you like this I highly recommend it. http://www.livingroomtheaters.com/index.html

Afterwards we walked down Burnside to VooDoo Doughnuts- a Portland landmark. It's a hole in the wall that serves crazy doughnut concoctions. Trace got an oreo peanut butter and I got a cookies n' cream doughnut- both delectable. They serve a cream filled maple bar with cooked bacon on top. I've heard it's delicious, it's the next doughnut I'm going to get at VooDoo. I found out yesterday they do legal wedding ceremonies for $300- if I had only known 2 months earlier. If you ever come to Portland hit this place up, it's open 24 hours a day! http://voodoodoughnut.com/menu.php

Weather and the wedding

2009-02-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

We were the only people at the temple for the endowment session on Friday due to the icy road conditions. Saturday morning, our wedding day, it started snowing early that morning and didn't stop the entire day. The valley had more than 16 inches later that evening. We got married at 3 p.m. and the temple closed as soon as we walked out the door. I guess they just couldn't top such an amazing wedding.

All roads north, east, and west closed for the evening. When we woke up the cars were completely covered with an inch of ice and the airport canceled all flights out of Portland for the following 3 days. Since their flights were canceled, the Hill family took their rental cars and drove south the next morning to either Reno or San Jose. The Baxter family was trapped. I-84 was closed so they couldn't get back to Baker City or Boise.

Trace and I spent an hour or more cleaning off the cars at the hotel and slowly drove back to the apartment in two separate cars. We made it 7 miles to the apartment complex only to get both cars stuck in the parking lot. One car was blocking the entrance/exit to the complex! So we put on warmer clothes, borrowed shovels from a neighbor (all shovels were sold out in the entire Portland metropolis), and dug our cars out enough to get them out of the way.

We just came inside from the day of digging snow when Trace's parents, Tricia and Erin, Tiffanie and Rachel, Todd, and Hary showed up to make us dinner and play some games. It sounds crazy to spend the day after you get married with your in-laws. True. Yet it was really fun. The food was awesome and we had the best group for my favorite game called "Curses." Three minutes after they left for the evening the power went out... Yup. It's a true story and I cut out a lot of it.

Old Maid

2009-02-11T13:45:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted much about the wedding. But, we are done! We just finished our last wedding activity on Saturday at my Aunt and Uncle's house in Reno. The open house was very jovial and intimate. I was happy to see so many close friends. My second grade teacher and music teacher from Lenz showed up!! One of my roommates from BYU, Genny, came to town with her boyfriend and stayed at my parent's place. Genny he definitely has my approval. He left a note under Lianna's pillow thanking her for letting him use her bed with $5. Another roommate from BYU, Ryan, who is married and lives in South Carolina came with her baby! I lived with her and her family in Provo. She flew to Utah and drove WITH HER FAMILY over 8 hours on Saturday just for the open house to surprise me. It was a shocker to open the door to Ryan, her baby, three of her sisters, and her father. Thank you to everyone for coming to our wedding shindigs and for the lovely gifts. I wasn't too keen on the wedding activities but they all turned out very lovely. With that goes a huge thanks to our parents and friends who made the delicious food, decorated, and cleaned everything up.

3 Days and counting...

2008-12-17T12:34:00.000-08:00

It snowed in Portland Sunday evening, shutting down both Linfield college and OHSU's dental school on Monday. Yeah for a snow day! ... if you're twelve. If you're not twelve, but a grown man attending dental school at OHSU, you'll have to make up those finals that were scheduled for Monday. In order to attend my endowment session on Friday, Trace is taking his Friday finals earlier in the week, which wouldn't have been so bad if he wasn't also making up finals for Monday's snow day! Eeek! Trace is essentially taking 8 finals in 3 days! What a man. And now it's snowing again...

Our First Date

2008-11-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

Erica's Perspective: We were both attending school at BYU in Provo, Utah. I ran into him on-campus talking with Quinn and Chris, some friends of mine (who happened to be his roommates). It was only a minute but I decided then that he was going to ask me on a date. Kourtney, my roommate and I, had arranged to play Nintendo on Saturday morning with some friends at Liberty Square, a large apartment complex near the house we lived in. When we arrived that morning Trace was getting a haircut in the front room from his roommate, Quinn. We started talking and discovered we both spoke french (I use that term loosely for me). He told me he was meeting with some french speaking friends that evening and I was welcome to join him if I wanted some practice.
He had to run off to the airport that morning but got my number before he left. The french activity he had invited me to was actually his mission reunion in Salt Lake City.
For fun we decided to pretend we were engaged for the evening. It was pretty fun and ONLY three years later we actually are engaged! Thanks for your patience everyone.

We're Engaged!

2008-11-25T15:01:00.001-08:00

Trace's birthday is October 27th. For his birthday this year, I decided to try making one of his favorite dishes rather than going out. I gathered all the ingredients to make two Indian dishes, Chicken Korma and Chicken Masala, to serve with naan bread. When he got back to his apartment that evening, I was waiting for him. We ate dinner together and decided to set a date to be married. We are getting married in the Portland LDS temple on Saturday, December 20, 2008! It's a short official engagement but we've been dating for a while.

Seattle Museum of Flight

2008-10-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

So we went to Seattle for the weekend and stayed with the Williams again (so very nice of them). The drive only took 3 hours this time rather than close to 6 like last time. Saturday was museum day! Go to smithsonian.com and you can print a pass to go to any museum for **FREE** on the this day. Seattle's Museum of flight was exciting. The kids made parachutes and tested them, we went on a virtual space ride, and we saw lots of really cool planes. Afterward, we drove to Renton for Kourtney's reception. The kids loved the pink sherbet punch and brownie bites. As we were preparing to leave Spencer shook Kourtney's hand saying, "Have a good life." He then walked to the door to leave! Such fun kids.

Cannon Beach

2008-09-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

Each year the incoming first year dental students at OHSU are invited to Cannon Beach, OR for a retreat at the ocean. I was invited as a second year representative to attend. I'm still not sure why I was invited, or what I really did that was beneficial, though I can assure you I had a blast. The hotel was top of the line and they even baked home made chocolate chip cookies served with chocolate milk as an evening snack. I think I can get used to being a dentist.

During the first day of the conference the students are broken into groups and discuss aspects of an ideal dentist. The second day everyone is split into six teams and they have a sand sculpture competition. Sponge Bob was pretty amazing, but the nose hairs in the giant head won me over.

Food...

2008-08-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

This pizza is a new recipe I concocted, it has fresh basil, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, zucchini, pizza sauce, pepper and a little Parmesan cheese. It was delicious. I highly recommend it. Trace and I have been picking blackberries about every other day just outside his apartment. We have been freezing the berries whole and making shakes but are out of space in his freezer. Not wanting to let the berries go to waster, Saturday we made three batches of blackberry jam. Below are fruits of our labor. Since it was our first time, neither of us knew what we were doing but I think we have a method now. All of the lids sealed and the jam seems to have jelled. Hurray!

Weekend Trip to Baker

2008-08-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

So I am new to blogging but we will see how it goes. Trace and I went to Baker this last weekend to trade berries with his parents and attend a friend's wedding reception. Unfortunately, the birds beat us to most of the berries so we only picked Saturday morning. However, after berry picking we noticed one on the cows limping. Trace's dad, Dean, chased that cow around the pasture and into the trailer to take it to the vet or the butcher. Fortunately for the cow it was just a hurt foot which got cleaned and bandaged. The trip was busy and fun. We made it back to Portland with raspberries, zucchini, and zucchini bread!