Fifth Semester, Michigan and a New Addition

Family and Friends:

You all know me by now and know that what started out as a great attempt to blog all the time has almost become non existant, and for that I apologize.......Many of you don't talk to me on a regular basis nor do you have even a general understanding of the craziness that is our life in medical school because I haven't updated this little blog =(

So here is my attempt to update you all on what has happened the past few months in our lives:

TIME IN DOMINICA.......has come to an end.  On Aug 22, 2011 Kelsey and I were scheduled to leave the island of Dominica and make it home in one day with very tight connections (if you flew here all the time you would know that is almost an impossible feat!)  So we got all packed, sold everything that we couldn't fit into three bags (we left a suitcase behind) and hoped we would be under the 50lb per bag limit so that all our bags would make it to St. Marteen (we flew Liat to St. Marteen via Antigua) and then we would board a different plane and airline to make it to Newark!!!!  Sounds simple enough except a little chic named Irene almost messed it all up!  That's right Ms. Irene swept through the night before and closed St. Marteen's airport, which we didn't find out until we were at the airport Monday morning.  What were we to do????? The airline told us they would call around 10 am (our flight was to leave at 9:15am) and for those that no me "that was just not acceptable" I wanted no NEEDED to get off that island THAT DAY!  So we started praying, sent out a text to Kelsey's mom to get everyone she new praying and literally within 30 minutes tops we found out that the airport was open (from a different counter) told Liat, who called, checked us in and our two extra bags (best $120 I have spent on the island) and we boarded our plane by 9:15am!!!  We made all of our connections, including a two hour layover in St. Marteen that was shrunk to just an hour! But thanks to the baggage guys downstairs who called our airline and let them know we were in baggage and not to sell our seats, we got on our flight, had time for lunch (best Quizzno Salad ever!!!), made it through security with 1 minutes left to board and we got home 20 minutes early!  If that wasn't God I don't know what else it could be.........PRAYER works people!

U.S. and OUR MOVE TO MICHIGAN.........What a blessing it was to be home for two weeks in NJ.  We got to see friends, family and Kelsey got some much needed R&R as well as some of the best food we have had in a LONG time...can anyone say steak?????  OOOOH  and we got to celebrate Aunt Sue and her 50th b-day which entailed lots of family and friends, a phillies game, and more steak!!!  After a brief two weeks home filled with swapping our spring/summer wardrobe for fall/bitter cold winter  wardrobe, we packed our car with all that would fit and headed out on a long 12 hour drive to Saginaw MI.  "Where???" some of you may ask....it's about 1 1/2 north of Detriot, but it's America and we are having a great time here. 

Kelsey had to take a HUGE test which is a mock of the first board exam he will take early next year and had to pass in order to even move on to the next two years of school!  You have three tries to take this exam, and PRAISE GOD - Kelsey passed the first time with a great score (although all you need is a 66 to pass) =)  So he is off to a good start here in Saginaw and already did his first (and only for now) pelvic exam on an "actual patient".  I think he has ruled out OB/GYN as a field he is interested in, but he is getting to work with patients on a regular basis which is a nice change of pace from sitting in a classroom five days a week.  Oh and did I mention (although he'll hate me for posting this) he has still maintained his 4.0!!! PROUD doesn't even begin to describe my feelings but it's only been by God's grace that he has gotten this far and been this successful, and to GOD be all the GLORY for his grades and success!

NEW ADDITION............now some of you may have heard through the grape vine.......

Just kidding!!!! But seriously.....

Kelsey and I will be expecting our first Baby Budd on February 29th (yep it's a leap year) of next year.  We are still a little shocked by the whole thing and at least 10 times a week still say "We're going to be parents!?!??!"  or "We're going to have a baby!!!!!!!!"  So crazy how a little over a year ago we were beginning the craziest thing either of us had ever done (well at least for Kelsey) by moving to a small 3rd world island in the Caribbean and now we are embarking on the craziest, most wonderful, scary, and exhilarating, life-changing experience we could ever have in becoming parents! 

We appreciate all of you who have been praying and continue to pray for Baby Budd and the growth and health of this beautiful miracle!

Until the next time (hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.....) remember to love those around you with more than just words....