The Cawyer Chronicles

Blessings

2011-10-09T10:03:00.011-05:00

Whew, Its been the craziest time ever in the Cawyer household!

From school to jobs to babies to traveling... we've been go, go, go.... but blessed, blessed, blessed!

Here's kind of the rundown of the past few months:

Chase FINALLY came home after 8 weeks of doing "away rotations." No one ever informs you of this when you sign up to be a med school wife, by the way. He was going to do the normal 12 weeks away, but since he had a pregnant wife back home, he just decided to do 8. He spent 4 weeks in Dallas at UT Southwestern doing OB and 4 weeks in Nashville at Vanderbilt doing REI (Reproductive, Endocrinology, Infertility). You would think since he is in Dallas, I could go see him every weekend, but when he only gets 4 days off the entire time and they are during the week, it makes it pretty pointless to drive all that way. I did finally get to see him in Nashville over Labor Day weekend! We made it a little "Babymoon." It was so nice to get to spend some time with him in the best city ever! We love Nashville. So beautiful, cute and quaint! Sign me up:) We ate a lot, walked around the town, vegged on the couch and spent some time with our dear friends Cherry and Elliot who live there. Other than the motion sickness incident I had on the plane (yes, I was THAT girl), it was a great trip!

Here's a pic of Chase and I before date night in Nashville.

Ever since Chase told me 3 years ago he would have to do these "away rotations" I have been dreading it! I mean, I'm a very independent person, but when you are used to always having someone to talk to at home, help out around the house and protect you from scary people.... it terrified me to have him gone. But after many months of prayer for God to give me the strength and peace, I survived and am actually kind of thankful for the experience. I'm a worry wort and this time alone gave me the peace I had been lacking in my life. I was constantly praying for peace every night before bed... and every night I was peaceful! I learned that there really is no point in worrying about anything because there is nothing I can do about it. I constantly told myself, "Don't worry, Pray!" Thank you Jesus for the lesson:)

I guess he was preparing me for the next adventure in our lives...PARENTS! AH, I can't believe its almost here. Only 6 more weeks until we meet baby Camdyn Grace. We are pumped and so ready to meet her. Its surreal to know that soon we will meet our child that will be the perfect blend of both of us. Who will she look like? Who's personality will she have? Will she have red hair?! Eeesshh, so excited.

Ever since Chase came home last week, we have been flying around like crazy trying to get ready for her. I waited to do everything until he came home and now its crazy! From birthing classes to Dr. apts, to maternity pics, to countless trips to Babies R Us.... we are doing what "they" call "nesting" I believe:) whatever that means!

Thankfully, the "nesting" hasn't been too bad since we have such wonderful/generous people surrounding us! While Chase was gone, I had a baby shower in FW given by my sister-in-law and step-mom. It was at my home church and was wonderful. So many people came that I never thought would come! Family from out of town, old friends and old church families- I was so thankful for everyone that came! Thank you, Thank you!
As soon as Chase came back, we had another shower here in Lubbock. My "side by side" Bible study girls threw a couples shower for me and Chase and our dear friends Tiffany and Casey. They are having a boy a week before us! The theme was "two pumpkins!" It was decorated with pumpkins and bales of hay everywhere- too cute!
Last weekend, we drove down to Austin for another shower for Shaylee and I. She is having a girl any day now! It was so nice to get together with all our dear college friends and just have a good time catching up! I love the rare time we get to spend together:)

We have been so tremendously blessed by friends and family through this time and we don't know what we would do without ya'll! We look forward to having Camdyn meet all of you:)

I don't really have many pics from the Fort Worth shower, but here are some from the other showers. Some courtesy of Mrs. Cherry Wood:)

Lubbock Couples Shower. Tiffany and I both due in Nov! Look at all the cute pumpkins:)

Our "little pumpkins"

Three round bellies: Me (due in Nov.), Shaylee (due any day now) and Elena (due in Dec)

All the girls at the Austin shower...plus MAX!

Pink?!?!?!

2011-07-06T16:25:00.007-05:00

Well, its official, baby Cawyer is going to be a girl!!!

We are about the most shocked parents ever. I mean I don't even own a pink shirt!
I just had this motherly instinct that it was a boy...already strike one. Chase thought boy too and only about 2 people thought it was going to be a girl out of everyone we know. (FYI: the old wives tales are NOT true!) After the shock wore off, we started getting super excited... scared to death.... but excited. I would say Chase is definitely more terrified. This weekend he said,
"On a scale from one to ten of freaking out, I was a 10, then it dropped to 8 and now I'm sitting comfortably at a 7.5!"

So maybe by the time she gets here, he'll be a solid 5! We had the 3D ultrasound today and she is precious. We can't wait to meet her in a few months!

Don't worry, just because I don't wear pink, does not mean she won't be decked out in pink with HUGE bows on her sweet little head:) EEESH so excited!

Anyway, Here's me at 20 weeks! Halfway there!

Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes!

2011-06-07T10:26:00.004-05:00

Its been a long time coming, but I guess its time to blog about our life lately!

Lets see, I haven't been on here since January... JANUARY! Way too long.

Anyway, there has been quite a lot of things going on in the Cawyer household. We are still here in Lubbock with the worst spring ever. Literally zero rain and 50 mph wind everyday. I can NOT keep up with the dust in this house. Other than that, it's still not that hot here yet so I can't complain too much.

Chase is almost done with his third year of med school... I can't believe it. It has gone by so fast and I am so thankful. He's going to be Dr. Chase Cawyer in less than a year! Woohoo! So proud of him and all his hard work. He has finally decided to do an OB/GYN residency... and eventually go on to REI fellowship (REI is reproductive, endocrine, infertility). So he gets to help people have babies!!!! He loves the OB part of delivering babies and gets such a high from that so it was cool to see him love what he loves! However, he especially loved helping people conceive and start their own families. He just loved getting to call people and tell them they were pregnant after years of trying. Plus, with REI, he still gets to do surgeries and procedures- which I like because I know Mr. ADD won't get bored:)

Speaking of babies.... Chase and I are totally excited to welcome our little one this Thanksgiving! We are overwhelmed with what to expect and how to prepare, but we know God will guide us through this process. We are just praying for a smooth pregnancy (which, thankfully, it has been so far) and a happy, healthy baby! Chase has been wonderfully supportive and is just now getting to the point where he is NOT totally freaked out! We've been to the Dr a few times already and seen the little bug moving around, but we won't know if its a boy a girl for a couple of weeks. So, happy turkey day to us:)

Thank you to everyone who has been so excited for us and wished us well. We greatly appreciate it! We are thankful for you all!

It's been a pretty eventful last few months and its on;y going to start getting crazier. Chase has to start applying for residency programs this fall- which is scary because we have no idea where God will lead us to for the next 4-7 years. We are excited and ready for whatever is thrown our way!

For those of you that care, here is a belly pic of me at 16 weeks!

Snap, Crackle, Pop... Its 2011!

2011-01-09T11:56:00.010-06:00

I can't believe it is a new year. Where has the time gone??? Seriously?
2011 means one thing to me: One more year of med school for the hubs! Woohoo!!!

He is in the midst of his third year and currently on his OB/GYN rotation. So, we are back to great story time at dinner:)
He has two more rotations this school year: Internal Medicine and Psych. He will get a small break this summer and then start his fourth year... that's right, his LAST year of med school. I never thought we would make it this far. Not really, but the time has gone by with lightning speed and we are looking forward to a year full of growth, changes and new beginnings.
Since Chase and I are what some might call, "the ultimate planners," we have been discussing where we feel the Lord leading us next. So, far the frontrunners for residency include: Tyler, Temple, Waco, Lubbock and recently, the CrAzY idea of Alaska!!!
I would be ok with any of these places... but wouldn't Alaska be awesome!!! It sure would be cold for a few years, but who wouldn't want to come visit us:) We may have to get a house with an extra bedroom for all our guests:) Time will tell where we should go, but in the meantime, please be praying for clarity as we decide where to go next or if we should stay here.

I am still LOVING my job and look forward to what my crazy 6th graders are going to do/say each day... its an unpredictable world out there:)

Chase and I are also tackling a new goal... we are hoping to run a half marathon in March. I have some friends that did this a couple of months ago and they inspired me to do the same... thanks Dabs and Dani!!!! Since Lubbock has one half marathon a year, we are going to run the "Bloodgushers" half in Midland, TX at the end of March. Yes, Midland.... the land of flat terrain- my kind of run!!! We have made a training schedule and been following it very diligently. We bought some new kicks with some Christmas money and have been enjoying the beautiful west Texas sunsets on our evening runs. I have not reached that "runner's high" yet, nor do I think I will, but I have enjoyed being active and pushing myself to be healthier. Its also very rewarding to work out with your spouse- its a way for us to stay on top of our health.

Anyway, the holidays were crazy, but so nice to catch up with family. Wish we could of had more time home to catch up with friends, but hopefully I will get back to the metroplex soon.
I've attached some pics from the holiday season below.

Up next on our agenda is the LAST bathroom remodel. I am dreading this more than you know. This bathroom is in such bad shape, I just want to shut the door and light a bomb in there and start from scratch. I've almost contacted HGTV to see if they could come fix it. On a positive note, once we finish the project we will be done withe all remodeling. Hallelujah. Hey, then we get to enjoy the house for a bit before we move.
Here is what I have learned about buying a house that needs a little so-called "TLC":
1. Don't do it! I told Chase that wherever we go next, the ONLY thing I am doing is painting. Period.
2. All jobs seems smaller than they really are.
3. You will NEVER, repeat NEVER get rid of the dust remodeling causes.
4. Your vacuum will never work the same.
5. You finally start to enjoy actually living in your house... then its time to sell.

I'll keep you updated on the progress... but don't expect it to be quick:)

Hope this year brings brings much happiness to all and that God blesses your journeys!!!

Until next time,
Live. Love. Laugh. Pray.

Chisholm's on Christmas Eve.

Cawyer's at the Dallas Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day

ALL the Cawyer's that ran...please note precious granddaddy

Chase and I on Christmas Eve... Dad testing his photography skills:)

New Year's Eve in Amarilo with the Rampy's and Mason's!!!

Worst Blogger Ever

2010-10-31T11:23:00.008-05:00

Date of last post: July 25, 2010
Today's Date: October 31, 2010

Unacceptable.

The thing is... not much has been going on lately. Here's a quick run-down on all that has not happened:
Chase started his 3RD year of med school- praise Jesus! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel:) I started a different job teaching. I'm at different school in a different district. I love it! I actually look forward to going to work. The days of Sunday evening depression are OVER!!!
Chase's first rotation this year was surgery. He thought it was awesome... not something he could everyday, but loved the excitement of it all. He just finished his second rotation of pediatrics. He loved that as well. He couldn't see himself being a pediatrician, but he enjoyed how much everyone loved their job and how happy everyone seemed- great quality of life! He just started his third rotation- family medicine. So far he loves this too. He gets to see a little bit of everything. So far... he knows what he doesn't want to do more than he knows what he wants to do- that's better than nothing I guess!
We haven't really been anywhere the last few months. We went to ACU for homecoming a few weeks ago. It was a pretty lame weekend. Seeing friends and family was great... but Chase starting feeling really sick Saturday afternoon and we had to come back to Lubbock early- strept throat. LAME.

Here our annual pic with some of our sweet friends. Man, I sure do miss these guys.

He's all better now and we are looking forward to traveling to Austin in a few weeks for Shaylee's wedding!!! Woohoo! So excited!
The holidays are fast approaching and I'm so excited for a little family time... its been a while. Speaking of holidays, many of the Cawyers this year are running in the Turkey Trot in Dallas Thanksgiving morning! So, Chase and I have been running every other day to be in tip-top shape. I'm kind of getting into this running thing. (Wow, never thought I would say that!)

Our sweet friends Marcus and Emily, just had a baby Thursday. They had the first "Lifehouse" baby and we couldn't be more excited for them.

For some reason this is the only picture I have of the shower- how cute preg is she? Love her:)

Anyway, we are loving Lubbock more and more, but also excited to see where God leads is next. Maybe we will stay in Lubbock.... maybe we will go somewhere CrAzY for a few years.... time will tell. Please keep our next step in your prayers.

Oh, by the way... Go Rangers!!! We have been glued to the TV the last few weeks watching the events unfold. When they won the ALCS, I cried. Seriously. Between the joy of winning, the Texas pride and Josh Hamilton's MVP speech- the tears were just flowin'!

Until next time,
Live. Love. Laugh. Pray.
T

Summer of Changes

2010-07-25T23:04:00.015-05:00

Its been quite the summer for Chase and I. I'm starting to get a little sad August is just around the corner- I pretty much hate the month of August (Sorry if I offend anyone with this comment). Here's why August is my least favorite month:
1. It is SO stinkin' HOT!
2. Its the time of year when the grass starts to lose its pretty green color and turn beautifully brown
3. Summer break is over
4.I get depressed at how much I did NOT get accomplished over the summer break

Now, the only redeeming quality August has going for it is the start of football season! Woohoo!

This summer has been full of traveling, visiting friends and family, house projects and big changes.
After our Disney vacation, Chase had to start back to school. This year is completely different than last 2 years. He started his rotations. His first rotation is the toughest, Surgery. He leaves every morning about 5 and gets home about 6 that evening. Every few days or so he "on call" and has to stay at the hospital all night. Thank goodness he's almost done. Its pretty intense, but he's LOVING it! I'm so proud of my little doctor-to-be! He looks so cute in his blue scrubs and pager on his hip- so official!

Speaking of official. Chase just received his Step 1 scores (biggest test in his life) and he did AWESOME!!!! So proud of him and all his hard work.

While Chase is becoming Dr. Chase, I've been getting things done around the house. Chase's mom and brother came up to Lubbock and helped me re-do the landscaping. What a daunting task. Thank you Corbin for your brawn; thank you Kelly for your never-ceasing hard work and thank you Chase for going to school so someday I can pay to have someone do our landscaping!

Here are some before and after pics:

Before:

After:
We painted the trim, ripped out the ground cover, planted new bushes and installed shutters.

Before in the backyard:

After:
We ripped up all the concrete pathways, waiting for grass to grow and planted new bushes- lets hope Tess doesn't eat them.

In other news- I got a new job!
I'm still teaching, but I moved schools and will now be teaching 6th grade science. I'm so excited and really looking forward to a new adventure!

We've had some friends visit recently. Elizabeth came down from Lubbock and I finally got to meet sweet little Reese. Is she not the cutest little thing. I definitely have been bitten by the baby bug:)

Well, summer is coming to a close and I start back to work pretty soon, but we are loving life and thankful for all the wonderful friends we've made in Lubbock and are proud to call it home!

Disney and Beyond!!!

2010-07-02T16:57:00.010-05:00

Well, its been a wonderful day today! Rain, rain and more rain. Chase and have literally stayed at home all day. After being gone for 3 weeks, there was a lot "to do" in the house. We took a little afternoon break and popped popcorn and watched "Princess and the Frog." Eh- not my favorite Disney movie... actually, the worst Disney movie ever (am I aloud to say that?)
We are loving the rain- and so is our grass! We're gonna order a pizza and watch another movie... gotta love rainy days. The best part is that Chase is home and has ZERO studying to do!!! I should count my blessings while I can- he starts rotations next Wednesday:(

With that being said, we have been livin' it up these past few weeks! Chase's parents took us to Disney World and then we took a little weekend trip to San Antonio so see some friends. I'll say it again... It is worth the blood, sweat and tears of teaching 8th grade to get to have a summer break! Thank you Jesus!

Here's a little re-cap of the most amazing Disney trip:
Day 1: Flying, Layover, Flying, Sleeping

Day 2: Animal Kingdom- Since this was day one in the park, I felt a little nervous. We were there at "rope drop" and Chase's job was to QUICKLY walk to the front of the line. Since I didn't know any better, I followed him and ended up getting lost for about 10 seconds. I know you're thinking that sounds like no big deal, but when your new to the family and don't want them to think you can't hack it as a Disney fanatic... you start to get a little concerned! I survived and found the rest of the family... whew! Animal Kingdom was awesome- full of rides, shows and safari animals (my favorite!)

Day 3: Magic Kingdom- Road Dumbo first thing- not on the agenda, but there was no line so... Go Big or Go Home! Right?
Magic Kingdom is my favorite- its just so magical... even as an adult. After dinner, we went back to Magic Kingdom for the parade and more rides where we met up with my cousin Amy.

Day 4: Free Day- Went to brunch at Kona Cafe. AMAZING! Had Kona coffee with this banana stuffed french toast with powdered sugar and strawberry on top. MMMMM. Spent the rest of the day on a sugar high and went boating in little mini-racer boats. Then... the monsoon hit! Crazy, crazy storms- glad we were not at a park. Went to Hollywood studios for Fantasmic- best night show.

Day 5: Magic Kingdom- Road all the major rides for the 3rd/4th time, met Mickey and Minnie. Chill day at the park. Best part of the day??? After late night mini-golf, we all shared this HUGE ice cream sundae called "The Kitchen Sink." It was literally in a kitchen sink- 6 scoops of ice cream, 1 can of whipped cream, all the toppings they have, peanut butter and hot fudge! AMAZING!

Day 6: Epcot- We slept in and "ate around the world" in World Showcase (11 different countries). We all split a food item from each country- except Canada and U.S- because they have lame food. Again, another thunderstorm, so we waited it out and stayed for the night fireworks show.

Day 7: Hollywood Studios- this is where our lives changed.... Chase tried out for the American Idol Experience and made it on the show! I thought he was totally kidding when he said he wanted to try out- but then again, I should have known better. He was in the 12 o'clock show. I was nauseous, I was so nervous. He sang "I like it, I love it" by Tim McGraw. He did great- full of energy (of course). He didn't win, which was probably a good thing because the girl he went against came to Disney just to try out for the show- she was hard core!

Day 8: Epcot- no eating this time- just riding the rides and seeing the shows in future world. Rode Mission Space- which literally has barf bags inside and me being the motion sickness queen- again thought Go Big or Go Home. I felt like I was in labor. I didn't even enjoy the ride I was so focused on my breathing. I survived...without losing my lunch!

Day 9: Animal Kingdom- since it was our second time here, we just took it easy and saw all the shows. We left early and went to Downtown Disney for some shopping and chill time.

Day 10: Hollywood Studios- again, second time here, so we rode Toy Story for the 4th time and just took it easy until it was time to head to the airport.... which reminds me-worst part of the trip!
I would like to declare Orlando airport the most poorly designed and organized airport. I mean they should take a few lessons from Mr. Walt Disney down the road on how to run something efficiently. Our longest line of the entire Disney vacation was at the stinkin' airport security!

Whew.... that was the trip in a whirlwind. It was awesome and I'm already wanting to go back. Maybe Chase can do his residency in Orlando and I can work at Disney- if only one could dream:)

Here are some pics for your enjoyment:

Contemporary Resort living room

Intense Family Planning before departure

Living Room at Animal Kingdom Villas

Happy Anniversary!!!

2010-04-26T17:39:00.003-05:00

Today is our 2 year anniversary- weird!
We celebrated over the weekend with mini-weekend getaway. When I say "mini" I mean we went to the new nice hotel in town about 2 miles from our house. It was really nice and so nice to just have a change of scenery for a change. When we got there, Chase had bought me a new dress... super impressed with his shopping skills. It was so cute! Good job dear:)
We went to Outback for dinner- Chase LOVES that dang bloomin' onion. It sure was good... but not so much for our cholesterol.
We had such a great weekend... even though I had to accept the fact that the NFL draft will always be around the time of our anniversary- thanks NFL- I love you, but in the fall ONLY please:)

Chase and I are currently reading the "Love Dare" together. I would highly recommend it to all couples. Even though we have only been married a short time, we still need a reminder not to take each other for granted.
I'm so blessed to be married to man that challenges me spiritually, has the ultimate patience with me and can instantly make me feel better!!! Love him.

Here's a pic to commemorate the joyous union that was our wedding.

2010-04-18T15:14:00.010-05:00

We are entering my favorite time of year- rain and lots of sunshine.... I love both.
The last few days have been pretty blah- rain, rain and more rain, but our grass/weeds are super green now!

So, not a lot has been going on- we've been super busy. Chase is in hard core study mode- his BIG test is June 11, so we are praying it goes well. He's going to Houston for 3 weeks in May to take a crash course before the test. I on the other hand will be traveling to DC and NYC with his mom and dad.... yay for me! Im actually going as a sponsor for the FWC 8th grade trip. So, even though I get to miss a week of work, I still am spending it with wonderful 8th graders!

We've had quite a bit of progress on the house this spring. With the wonderful help of many friends, we have remodeled the guest bathroom and painted the exterior trim. It looks so much better now. I'm hoping to finish the landscaping projects this summer. We would like to add some shutters to give the front a little more color and plant some more trees. The guest bathroom looks awesome and it has officially become "my bathroom!" Here are some pics:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Summer is just around the corner- only 21 more days for me to teach and two more weeks for Chase! Its so close I can taste it! Other than a few trips back to DFW, we're not doing much.... except going to DISNEY WORLD!!!!!

I couldn't be more excited. I've been counting down for 4 months now and only 57 days to go!

The dogs are good, but if anyone is interested in becoming the home for Toby, we are willing to let you have him. We love him dearly, but two dogs is a lot for us to handle, so if you or know someone that would want a loyal and lovable dog... then let us know!

Hope everyone has a good week and enjoys the spring flowers!!!!

Live. Love. Laugh. Pray.
T

Life, Love and Lubbock

2010-02-14T18:43:00.002-06:00

I would just like to share a few thoughts I had today... Valentines Day.

First: Life.
We are loving life right now. Chase is in the gauntlet of med school- studying like crazy. He graduates with his MBA in May and I couldn't be more proud of him. He has worked so hard trying to get his MBA and MD. Crazy kid. I sure wouldn't have the determination to do it, but that is why I love him. He is so dedicated and goal- driven. I have recently had a sneeking suspicion that he just wants to stay in school for the rest of his life- he just loves learning cool stuff.
He starts his rotations this June, which he is super pumped about, but nervous about too. I'm praying he falls in love with a certain part of medicine that he is excited to do for the rest of his life... because right now he changes his mind about every other day.

I still am not that happy with my job, but I'm truckin' through until May. Thank you Jesus for summer breaks. I'n trying to stay positive, but its tough. I was laying in bed this morning thinking, "Wow, my little job payed for this house!" Hard work really does pay off- especially in Lubbock- where the dollar bill can get you a lot farther than everywhere else in the U.S.

Second: Love
On this wonderful holiday... Valentines day... Chase and have done nothing to celebrate. He did just stop unloading the dishes today to tell me he loved me. That was sweet, but we really aren't into the whole valentine thing. We love each other and thats enough for me. I'm personally not into the whole gift thing either. However, I did tell Chase today I am little upset he has NEVER, repeat NEVER, given me flowers- not even a single flower. I know they die and you can't use them, but its the thought that counts right?
So, if any of you see Chase, you should check up on how his flower hunt is going?:)
Love you!

Third: Lubbock
This has become a new realization to me as of today. I love Lubbock. I never thought I would say those words, but its true. Chase wants to stay here the rest of his life... I'm not really to that point of love, but it wouldn't be terrible I guess.
Lubbock really is a great town that I have learned to love. Here's why:
1. Great people all around the town- genuinely nice
2. Love our small group
3. Have a great group of fun friends
4. Not too crowded
5. Always run into someone you know
6. Made a life for us here
7. Close to the mountains
8. Family oriented
9. Great economy
10. Young, fun college town

Here's why I couldn't live here the rest of my life:
1. No family
2. Too dusty

Thats it. Those are the only reasons I don't want to set up shop here the rest of our lives. So, this is my solution... We need all family members to move up here:) As far as the dust goes, I guess I should invest in the jumbo pack of Swiffer Sweepers!!

Side note: To all of those that are thinking in their heads... "Why in the world would anyone like Lubbock?"
Well, I had those thoughts too- but give it a chance and I bet you'll love it too!

Snow Day....

2010-01-29T18:07:00.008-06:00

Its about time for my quarterly blog post.

Lets' see... There's been rumor of a snow storm all week here in Lubbock, but who really believes those weathermen right? They were right. Thursday morning I went to school. It started snowing. Then the power went out. Generators didn't come on. A school can't run without power- just imagine 600 hormone crazed teens in a pitch black classroom- yeah freaks you out huh? So we move all the kids to the gym. This = CHAOS! How I love days like this... Apparently, the news came on at noon and said parents could come get their kids- but no one told us. So all of sudden all these parents start taking their kids- who knows if they are actually their kids or not. After we go through 3 lunches with each grade, there are only about 50 kids left in the whole school- like going back to class is even an option. Oh yeah, power just came back on. So, we toss them in the auditorium to watch a movie- and the teachers get to leave at 2!!! yay!

Chase and I took the dogs to the park and let them run around in the snow- its was so fun to see them run!

Here's our pretty snowy tree in the back yard.

Chase had a test scheduled for this morning, so we woke up early to get him off to school... but wait, no its cancelled today too. So Chase and I have been able to spend the whole day together- its been pretty weird. He even went to the store with me- I remember why I don't take him. Such an impulse buyer:)

The only thing going on right now is our guest bathroom re-model.
Check out the progress...

Above: Please note the wonderful wall-paper job I found behind the mirror. Quality!

We're just truckin' along up here in Lubbock. Livin' the dream!

Oh by the way, we are counting down the days until LOST starts back up. Anybody else?

Here's a little pic of the kids saying HI!!!!

How could someone do such a thing!!!

2009-11-22T14:47:00.011-06:00

Ok- get ready for a story that will make you want to drive up to Lubbock and regulate yourself!

So Friday was my birthday- thank you to all who wished me well (I will be returning phone calls soon) and on my way home from work, I called Chase to see what time we were going to dinner. When he answers the phone, he sounds ultra depressed...
Chase said something was wrong with Toby and he wasn't moving.
Being the over-protective "mom" that I am, I rush home to find Toby laying on the floor, looking miserable. He looked about 5 lbs lighter and didn't even jump up to greet me like he usually does... he actually couldn't even get up.

Chase and I though he must have ate something earlier in the day and he was felling a little icky, so we let him sleep on the couch while we went out.

When we got home later that night, there was still no change- except he was starting to throw up now (sorry for the visual... but more sorry for my carpet).

We cleaned up the carpet (looks like new now) and put Toby to bed, praying he would be better by morning.

No such luck. When I went to get Toby in the laundry room, he had been sick all night and was still throwing up. Blah!

I decided to take him to the vet, while Chase studied for his test tomorrow. At this point, Toby hadn't had anything to eat in more than 24 hours and was starting to get weak and shake- my heart was just breaking for the little guy.

When we finally get to the vet, he decides to take an x-ray of Toby and later tells me Toby has been shot in the side.

And I lose it- I'm mad, confused, sad, frustrated and ready to go hurt whoever decided my sweet Toby needed to be shot. We had noticed a cut on Toby's side the day before, but the hair was matted down and you couldn't see below it. The vet shaved his hair off and showed me the perfect hole- he thinks it was a pellet gun.

By this point, I can barely breathe and stay focused enough on what he is saying. The vet tells me it might have perforated his intestines and he doesn't think he will be able to find the bullet even in surgery. We decide to put him on some antibiotics for pain because we think he's really just in too much pain to function.

We leave the vet, a few pretty pennies later, and I try to drive home amongst all the tears to tell Chase the news. At this point, I've decided either Toby is going to have to live with the bullet in him pain free, or we are going to have to put him down-- but I really did not want that to be an option.

Chase was way more mad than upset and immediately called the cops to report what happened and hopefully we can find who wants to kill our dog- I mean yeah he barks, but only when he feels threatened and only during the day. I mean, if you are going to stay home all day and don't like to hear dogs bark, then move out to the country. Geez! Every person on our street has a dog that barks occasionally, but I don't see anyone going around shooting them...

To make a long story short, today is new day and I think Toby is going to make it. We prayed a whole lot yesterday and he woke up this morning and decided to eat a little and play with his toys! He won't leave my side and his tail is wagging much more today!

Toby's wound and Tess trying to protect him.

So, please keep him in your prayers- he's like a child to me and I would be devastated if I had to put him down.

Oh... anyone have some good ideas on what we should do in retaliation?

Other good news.... THE KITCHEN REMODEL IS FINISHED!!!!!!
Here are some before and after pics!

BEFORE:

AFTER

My favorite time of year

2009-11-16T19:51:00.006-06:00

So here is what we have been up to lately..
A few weekends ago, Chase and I traveled to Dallas, with the dogs in tow, so Chase could speak at a COBA (ACU business dept) fundraiser appreciation dinner.
We got to stay at the Crescent in Dallas- one of the nicest hotels I've ever been through. Thank goodness Chase convinced me to change out of my workout T-shirt and shorts before we checked in... I would have been completely embarrassed. Seriously, it was that nice. Once we made it to the dinner fundraiser, we chatted it up with some big time COBA donors and then ate some delish food. By the way, I felt completely out of my league at this event- I didn't really even know what were eating or what silverware to use.

View from our hotel room... so Dallas

Chase spoke after dinner about his COBA experience and how his experience has helped him through med school and MBA. I was way nervous for him about his speech, considering the day before I asked if it was ready and he said, "I'm just gonna wing it."

Oh, ok I thought- yeah that sounds like a good idea to speak about how good of an education you received at COBA and stumble along your speech. But being who Chase is, he did awesome!! So proud of him!

All dressed up for the fundraiser!

On Sunday, Chase played in a golf tournament with some family and we didn't get to leave FW until about 7pm. Thats right. We didn't get back til about 1am and then I had to be at work at 7 the next day. Let's just say it was a rough Monday.

On house news... the kitchen should be 100% done by this weekend. The countertops are in and backsplash is almost done. I don't mean to brag, but our kitchen looks awesome!!! I'll post pics when its all done.

Tess and Toby are still just the most precious dogs. I just love them like my little babies:) Well, more like toddlers- it seems like they are in the "terrible twos" stage right now.

Little babies sleeping...

In other news, I am so excited for the weekend to come. Friday is my birthday (Yikes 25!) and we're gonna go out with some friends I think. I'm trying to convince Chase to take me to the new Twilight movie coming out this weekend... but this is his response "Like I really want to be with every other middle school girl in town at the movies."
He does have a good point... but its my birthday wish:) I think he'll come around with enough persuasion.
Chase also said I could decorate early this year for Christmas, even though that totally goes against his rules for Christmas decorating. Since, we are going to be out of town for Thanksgiving, he says its ok. "Out of sight, out of mind."

Chase is still trying to be a doctor by the way. We probably have a weekly discussion on what type he will be and where we will move next- we are such OCD planners! Currently we are wanting to move to an city that has an SEC football team... Nashville, I think so!!!!

Anyway, thats about all that is going on here in Lubbock. Its cold. Its windy. Its the best time of the year!!!!

And that makes 4

2009-10-04T14:16:00.011-05:00

I know I've been the world's worst blogger... and I really don't even have a good excuse, except for the usual "Its been busy."

Matter of fact, I've only blogged 2x since MAY!!!! How embarrassing.
But, to make myself feel better, Chase hasn't blogged that much either.

Here's an update on the last few months in Lubbock:

House remodel is at a standstill- we ordered new kitchen counter tops in early July and they STILL aren't here, so we are using an old closet door as our current bar. It's pretty resourceful if I say so myself, but its kinda weird to eat dinner next to a door handle!
FYI: Counters should be here at the end of OCTOBER- that's right, it takes Lowe's 4 months to satisfy their customers... or should I say DISSATISFIED!

Chase's school is pretty intense this semester, but overall not bad. My job has improved tremendously and I actually don't hate it anymore. I would like to take this opportunity to say I have not cried once this school year- major improvement from last year. Thank you Jesus. Seriously couldn't have done it without Him!

Little puppy Tess is growing like crazy and continues to be a little spaz.

Our big news lately is that we adopted another dog.
Now, I know what you're thinking..."really guys, another dog- isn't Tess crazy enough for everyone?"
Well, yeah she is, that's why we got another one!
We would like to welcome Toby to the Cawyer household. Toby is a rescue I adopted from the Humane Society. Chase gave me strict guidelines for getting another dog (secretly hoping I wouldn't find a dog). I had to find a male that was fixed, 1 year old and already had all his shots. Mission accomplished. Toby is 1 year old exactly and meets all the requirements.
Toby is not quite as cute as Tess, but he is the sweetest dog I've ever known. No one is a stranger to him and he will just sit right by me and put his head in my life. He just wants to be loved. He's also so smart- he already opens doors by himself, which is quite nice when he wants to go outside, because I don't have to go open the door for him.
Tess now has a friend to play with during the day and he has really calmed her down- thank goodness!!!!

Here is what Chase and I have concluded: Tess is the cutest, but Toby is by far the sweetest. (Not that Tess isn't sweet, she's just a little spastic and very puppy still.)

In case you're thinking I've become the "dog lady", I assure you I haven't!!!

Anyway, I am super pumped that fall is here- the house his in full fall mode with my new fall wreath I made, scarecrows, pumpkins and fall trail mixes!!!! Yay for new seasons!!!!

Until next time,
Live. Laugh. Love. Pray.
T

Wait, I already have a day off? YES!!!

2009-09-07T12:29:00.004-05:00

So.... I'm sitting here on my day off watching CMT music videos and thinking...."I love labor day!"

I know I've only been back to work like a month now, but man I sure did need this day off.

Maybe I should give a little update on my 2nd year of teaching so far... well, so far, so good. Last year was in a word, ROUGH! Poor Chase said the hardest part of med school last year was my job- how sad is that?!? I would cry every morning before going to work and usually do the same when I got home. Ridiculous, but this year has been so much better already for many reasons.
1. I'm teaching 8th grade this year- some of the same kids from last year (this is good and bad).
2. I'm teaching 8th grade- major maturity over the summer- its like their new people. Its weird to see how much they can change in just a few months, but so far they are impressing me. Thank goodness I don't have 6th grade. I just can't handle those little wiggle worms:)
3. I sort of know what I am doing now. Last week, one of my students said, "MISS, You're so organized this year." I almost gave her an A for the rest of the year. Last year, I was just trying to get through the day without drowning, but now I've had a few swim lessons to improve and doing much better.
4. I'm more confident in my teaching and in myself. If they don't like me.... whateve! This is pretty hard for me to do because if you know me at all, I am such a people pleaser (thanks DAD for this)
5. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Last year, I thought the school year would never end, but now I know that time zips by and I get a summer break- praise God above for that! I told Chase, "No matter how many tears I cry throughout the school year, its worth it to get 2 months off.

So, all in all, good start so far.

On another note, Chase, Tess and I will be trekking to the F-dub this coming weekend for Will's wedding. YAY! I love weddings. We will be dropping off Tess at Chase's parents for the weekend. Bless them for that. She's currently in the "terrible two" stage and thinks everything is "edible." Love her though. Pics to come soon.

Until next time,
Live. Love. Laugh. Pray

Our little family is growing

2009-07-24T13:19:00.011-05:00

No, not with a child

Well, I figured since its been about 3 months since I blogged, I have some updating to do.

DISCLAIMER: This will be a pretty lengthy post, since I am recapping the last few months... don't say you weren't warned:)

April:
We bought our first house at the end of April and I have tirelessly been working on it non-stop. It was built in 1959 and needed major updating. Yay! Project for me:) I love being busy and I have spent every waking moment on this house all summer... until today. I am pretty much done with the big stuff, except for the bathrooms. They are a looming project that will just have to wait. Right now, I am painting one door at a time. Its a slow process trying to paint those dang doors. You have to prime and prime then paint and paint. It takes about a day. So, maybe by October I'll have them all finished. We've completely re-done the kitchen, living room, dining room and both bedrooms. Exhausting but exciting

May:
School's out for me!!! I told Chase, "no matter how many tears I cry during the school year, its worth it to be off 3 months in the summer." I've been super busy traveling and visiting friends and family. Loving life. Chase has been working a lot and wasn't able to come with me... and its true, absence does make the heart grow fonder. I've missed that kid.
I took Emily to see George Strait at the new Cowboy Stadium.. Absolutely Amazing! (sorry, no pictures. My hard drive crashed and I lost them... just imagine ok). Also had a roommate reunion in FW. It was so good to see everyone and catch up on life. I dont know what I would do without those girls.

June:
Went to Abilene for Kim and John's wedding. So, so, so fun. It was like a college reunion with everybody there. Then the Edwards, Eyers and us made the ridiculously long drive to Hilton Head, South Carolina to spend a week at Jesse's parents house. Maybe one of the top 5 weeks of my life. No worries, no cares. Just fun, sun, dolphins, laughter, good food, good wine and great company. By the way, I'm ready to move to SC any day now. Surely everyone will want to come visit us there right?!?!

(Back story to me next update) We decided this summer was a good time to get a dog. We have a yard and Chase is starting to get really busy with school, so I needed a "best friend" close by. Some friends of ours had some boxer puppies, so we went and picked one out to actually not bring home until mid-July. Well the next day, the mom ate two of the puppies and the rest of them died the following day. Yikes!!! We think they all had some sort of infection. Yes I did say she ATE them. Crazy. So, we had to come up with a new plan. While we were home visiting the rents, I thought I would go around to the shelters and pick one out. So while Chase went golfing one day, I went dog hunting. Well within an hour I found the perfect puppy. I called Chase and told him I didn't have any luck, but I lied. When he came home to his parents house I was standing there holding little Tess.

Tess is a mutt. We think blue-healer/Rottweiler mix, but she is precious. We love her so much already. She was 5 weeks when we got her, so she's already about 9 weeks. Man, they sure do grow up fast:) As of two days ago, she had mastered "sit" and she knows to go to the back door when she has to potty. Her only downfall right now it the gnawing on your appendages. She is obsessed with Chase's feet and pants. Its almost funny how much she attacks him.

July:
Did the yearly 4th of July extravaganza at Heath's lake house. Always a blast!!
I had a teacher conference at NASA for week. I am now obsessed with NASA. Not in a nerdy kind of way, but everything they do there is almost unfathomable to me. Some of the most brilliant minds in the world and also some of the most faithful people I've ever met. Almost every astronaut and NASA employee mentioned their faith and that God helped them land these amazing jobs. I was not expecting that; it was refreshing.
On the way home from NASA, made a pit stop in SA for Elena and Cherry's baby shower. Can't wait to see those little babies.

Whew, so that is the recap of the summer. Here's a few pics to capture the moments:)

Here's the view from Jesse's parents back porch. Breathtaking.

This is me with Dom... an astronaut that just retired. Nicest man ever.

This is an astronaut in training. He is getting all geared up to practice weightlessness in the training pool. They have to learn/practice doing mechanics in the water to simulate doing them in space. Way cool!

Here is a picture of the whole training pool. It has a mack space station built under the water.

At the baby shower for Cherry and Elena, we played a game to see who could drink the bottle the fastest. Please take note at Shaylee's playing stance:)

Meet Tess!!!

This was the first day we had her. Isn't she too cute!!!

Sweet puppy.

The crew in South Carolina.

Girl pic on the boat in South Carolina

Boys being boys. They all 3 decided it would be more fun to ride the tube together than by themselves. It really was some of the best entertainment of the week.

Beautiful mommies-to-be!

Beautiful bride-to-be!

Roommate reunion weekend. This was at Joe T's on Friday night. Erin met us there to catch up on life too.

Live. Love. Pray. Give Thanks.
T

Pictures of the house remodel coming soon...

What's in a sandwich?

2009-07-22T15:38:00.002-05:00

So since we moved we now live about 5 minutes from campus which is awesome. And what's even more awesome is that this summer I've been working on campus so I spend like 20 minutes max in the car each day (yeah that's right big city folks, there is ONE advantage to living in Lubbock). But because of this close location I have been able to go home each day at lunch. Well last week Taryn was gone and so I had to go home and let Tess out and while I was there I made myself a sandwich. You know the typical turkey and cheese with mustard on wheat bread nothing out of the ordinary. However, as with most foods 4 straight days of the same sandwich with the same cracked pepper potato chips, baby carrot sticks and cherries you get a little sick and so you mix it up with a PB&J.

Well this week I haven't been feeling either of these two staple sandwiches and wanted to try something different. So since Taryn and I have just a stock-pile of flour tortillas we have been creating our own version of wrap sandwiches. And let me tell you when you throw them in a microwave and heat them up they are DELICIOUS. So since Monday we have had wrap sandwich made different ways. First day was basic turkey and cheese, the next we added lettuce (little did I know the lettuce was a month old and needless to say had a odd taste to it), and then today replaced the lettuce with some pepperoni. Each of these sandwiches was delicious in their own way, even the one with the nasty lettuce and I'm really excited to try some different salad dressings, different veggies, and different types of meat. But what is most surprising is that I just now realized how good a sandwich in a flour tortilla is. So for all you readers who have way too many extra tortillas and lunch meat make yourself a wrap and throw whatever you want into it.

Until next time

I Don't Mind Waiting on a Woman, but 2.5 months is enough

2009-07-21T10:55:00.002-05:00

So this is the first blog I have written since early May and the reason is simple Taryn wanted to blog about the house, the summer and our new puppy Tess. Well she hasn't because she's busy with the house, the summer travels and our new puppy Tess. So instead of stealing her thunder I would just like to take this time writing about something very near and dear to me. Relative Value Units or (RVUs)

Now for those of you who don't know what RVUs are let me explain. They are these ridiculously complicated value that dozens of Harvard minds have come up with that basically decide how much Physicians should be paid for each procedure or practice that they preform. For instance a 30 minute first patient visit has an RVU of 2.2 and a lumbar injection has one of 8.5. Interesting enough these values get multiplied by what is called a Conversion Factor that establishes how much each RVU pays. For instance this year the conversion factor is 36.06 so your patient visit you get reimbursed just around $80. While your lumbar injection gets paid about $300 or so. Now I need to add this is what the government pays you not a private insurance agent. That's too complicated and has nothing to do with my point so I will stop. Funny how you don't learn anything about these things until your LAST YEAR OF RESIDENCY, even though they are the most important factor in figuring out how much you get paid. Anyway I write my post to say this. We all hear that Medicare/Medicaid spending is out of control and is costing tax payers millions of dollars so it needs to be fixed.

A little known secret is that congress doesn't control these reimbursement rates they just pass legislation to create standards and decide what kind of people are eligible. But anyway our beautiful government in the form of the CMS or Center for Medicare Services has decided the best way to reduce our Medicare services is to decrease reimbursement rates by reducing the conversion factor 21%. That's right 21% and that's doesn't just effect physician's it effects nurses, the staff and even patients. For instance that lumbar puncture instead of receiving $300 they will receive $just under $250. Well new flash that procedure cost $250 so do you think physicians will be providing that procedure to those that can just pay the minimum rate? I think if they want their office manager to fire them they will. So what does this mean to people who the government is trying to help get care? In essence they are going to be denied care b/c a practice or hospital cannot afford to perform the procedure.

It's not just about physician's salaries decreasing or hospital guruys making 600 grand instead of a million, it's about people's healthcare treatment getting worse. Now I'm against Obama's plan of hiking up taxes to help pay for the spending as much as the next conservative, but people that plan does not have a direct effect of cutting the reimbursement rates.

I leave you with this illustration. This summer I'm working at a Pain Center (where people go to get treated for chronic pain, neat stuff Drs. make anywhere from $300 grand to $800 grand). They are the only pain center within a 300 mile radius that accepts Medicare patients and so they have a lot of low reimbursement rates and because of this they are not doing so well. With the continual cuts in reimbursement they are looking at a loss that triples their current one in 3 years. AKA they will go out of business and therefore patients that need chronic pain treatment won't be seen. So in effect these cuts that the government is making to help its citizens are actually going to be denying them treatment.

Sounds like were headed in the right direction.

Until next time

House Remodel Lessons Learned

2009-05-04T14:58:00.004-05:00

So we had our first weekend of redoing the house and all is going well. That is to say Taryn is so obsessed that she probably won't be blogging for another couple weeks because all she wants to do is paint and make the house look good (OK BY ME). Anyway a few lessons learned for those of you who are planning on buying an older house and wanting to do a little remodel:

1) Make sure the bathroom has outlets. Our's has one and it is at the light at the top of the mirror, thank goodness my brother does electrical work).
2) Make sure you have a power drill. I have already unscrewed at least 500 screws on the wall or anywhere else.
3) Make sure you have good jams. The only thing I like about painting is being with Taryn and listening to music.
4) Be prepared for your arms and fingers to be stuck in certain positions.
5) Make sure your budget has a spot that says crap expenses and make sure it is half of your total budget. You think I'm kidding.
6) Be prepared to get in arguments about missing painting spots or breaking something of little concern and then laughing two minutes later b/c you stepped in paint in your good shoes.
7) Move close to a Rosas
8) Have fun because it will be worth it.

Overall Taryn and I have already had so much fun seeing the little transformation in our new home and whenever she writes about it hopefully it will be much better than mine.

Until next time

The Reverge of the Nacho Burger and we bought a house

2009-04-30T09:44:00.000-05:00

So yesterday we signed our life away and bought a house. More to come on that whenever Taryn gets around to blogging, (I don't want to steal her thunder). On a just important note I have rediscovered the Nacho Burger.

In one of my first blogs I talked about how much I love Chili's (scroll down to the post titled Chili's http://cawyer.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-08-17T14:30:00-07:00&max-results=7 and my experience with their Menu. The link is only provided for you who really care to reread post that I wrote almost a year ago. Well anyway Taryn and I went there to eat dinner and I was just craving the Nacho Burger so I asked our waiter, who both Taryn and I think is an old DT, if she could see if they still make it. She came back and said yeah its on the old menu and its only $7.59. $7.59???? There is only one other burger cheaper than that and thats the Oldtimer, which is basically a burger you can make out on the grill for 1/8th the cost and just as delicious of a taste. Well of course I said sign me up and so I got it, I ate it and it was delicious so everyone be jealous. Ummm well I'm in class right now learning about Pseudomonas (you know things that cause pneumonia) and so I should probably play attention. I just wanted to share the excitement that is the Nacho Burger. Look forward to Taryn's post on the new house.

Until next time

Who would have thought???

2009-04-19T11:12:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought it was this hard to pick out paint?

Here's my new dilemma. Its not really a "dilemma," but to a type A person like myself, it is.

I just don't know what to paint the trim on our new house!

I know this sounds like a stupid thing to fret about, but it really is a taxing decision.

Currently, the house has cornflower blue trim. That's right blue- YUCK!! It will be one of the first things removed when we move in (two weeks by the way!!) I really can't stand the current curb-appeal... well, I wouldn't say it really even has curb appeal right now. Oh but it will in due time!!!!

So, I've been getting paint sample after paint sample and holding them up to every part of the house trying to narrow it down to something... but I just can't decide. You are probably thinking "its just paint, its not that big of decision." Wrong. Its so important for two reasons:

1. We are new to the neighborhood and I don't want people to look at our newly painted house and think "who are these new people that moved in and made our street look ridiculous?" I know it won't look as bad as the current cornflower blue, but still... I'm a people pleaser:)

2. We are sort of "flipping" this house to sell in a few years and I don't want someone not to buy it based on the trim color- that would be terrible. I've watched enough HGTV to know that people have a hard time looking past the current color of a house so I don't want someone to not give our house the credit it deserves based on the trim.

Side note: as I'm sitting here writing this, I'm thinking "just pick a color and go with it Taryn!" Geez.

Ok, this post was more therapeutic for me, than entertaining for you. Sorry.
I believe I'm going to go with a grayish/brown color.

Stayed tuned to see if I actually pick that color.

Until next time,
Live. Love. Pray. Give Thanks.
T

My First Easter as THE CHEF!

2009-04-12T15:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!!!

So far it has been a wonderful day!
Chase and I woke up early and went to the early 8:30 service. Our church just started this early, early service today, so we though we'd try it out.

We love our church. Today, I was especially moved by the sermon. Our preacher started a new series called, "Confessions of a Preacher." Its about how even preachers struggle with sin and NOBODY is perfect. At the end of the sermon the preacher wrote on an index card what sins he struggles with and has decided to surrender them to God. He then nailed the index card to a wooden cross on the stage to say "I surrender." He then invited us all to do the same. There were wooden crosses all around the room and Chase and I wrote what sins we struggle with and nailed it to the cross. I loved this. Not only did it actually make me think about what I struggle with, but that I have the freedom to surrender it to Christ and let him help me overcome these sins. What a great service!!!

After church, Chase and I came home and I made my first Easter meal. Since we had such a short break for Easter and we live so far from home, we didn't go home this weekend to be with family- its been a little sad this weekend, but Chase and I have enjoyed our little holiday to ourselves.

Anyway, back to the cooking. I mean I cook and all, but not really from scratch very often. Earlier in the week I asked Chase what he wanted for Easter lunch, and you can only imagine what he said. "Umm... have to have a ham and at least four sides and rolls."
My response... "Chase, its just the two of us." But, I agreed because lets face it, the guy loves leftovers and from my point of view, I sure don't mind cooking one HUGE meal on Sunday for him to feast on the rest of the week.

So, no more cooking for Taryn the rest of the week!!!!!

I would like to announce that my first Easter feast was a complete success!!! We dined on baked ham, broccoli rice casserole, HOMEMADE mashed potatoes, corn, rolls and my favorite green bean casserole!!! Delish!

Oh and of course cake for desert. I've attached a few pictures for those family members who may need actual evidence to prove my stellar cooking abilities.

And to round out the afternoon, Chase and I are watching some fantastic Master's action. Go Tiger!!!

Live. Love. Pray. Give Thanks.
T

Fireproof.

2009-04-05T21:17:00.000-05:00

We finally did it and broke down to watch Fireproof. I've wanted to see it because I love those types of movies but Chase was a little less enthused. He definitely wasn't about to pay $9 at the theater, but due to the wonder that is the "Red Box," he was more willing.

So Friday night, I was feeling pretty nauseous (no I'm not pregnant... I don't think) and just wanted to stay home and veg. So, with a little convincing and begging Chase said we could watch it.

We made a little pallet on the floor and started the experience of "Fireproof."
I don't know if you know the premise, but its about a husband and wife of 7 years that is on the brink of divorce and neither of them have Christ in their lives.

Now, let me clear one thing up, the acting leaves much to be desired, but the story is great!

Halfway through the movie, Chase said, "I'm glad you made me watch this."
Aaaahhh, the joy of being right:)

If you get a chance to see the movie, you should. It is such a good reminder why God puts up with our antics everyday and why marriage is so sacred. It reminds people not to take the other for granted and to treat them with REAL LOVE daily. Such a great movie.

After it was over and I had cried for a while, we talked about how happy we were married and how thankful we were for each other.

PSA for the day: Go see the movie.

Live. Love. Pray. Give Thanks

When is it time to say goodbye?

2009-03-31T18:54:00.000-05:00

So once again I am sitting in my ethics class and bored. Which is really weird considering this class is one of my favorites I've had. Anyway I'm bored so I have a question. When is it time to say goodbye to your favorite jeans? Or for that matter any other article of clothing.

Last weekend I bought (or I should say my wonderful mother in law bought) a new pair of blue jeans. I had not purchased a new pair of jeans or received a new pair since Christmas of my freshman year so needless to say I needed some new ones. What prompted this decision you might ask? Well beside the fact that my mother in law is awesome she saw me wearing my favorite pair of jeans that I got my sophomore year of high school and the holes all over them (including the most important part my back left pocket wear my wallet is stored). On a side note is it not just so awkward to change which cheek your wallet is stored on?

Anyway so my question is when do you move an article of clothing out of the rotation of everyday wear into the area of work and junk wear? I have been struggling with this question for a week and I couldn't come up with an answer. More so I think this question is so stupid because it really has no bearing on life in the fact that it is just a pair of jeans, but regardless in the last hour I have decided when it is time to retire a article of clothing. When your wife says so. Taryn told me to not wear the jeans anymore and of course I ignored her b/c their my clothes and if my wallet falls out its my fault not hers. But in class just now I just heard "Ain't no one's happy if momma ain't happy" (it was great b/c a 30 year old black women said it.) Therefore, I am going to retire them into the 'I don't care what I look like category.' For those of you that have a pair of jeans or a shirt that you loved and it was always the one that you picked when you went out in, those are these jeans to me and so I ask that when you go home to put your favorite article of clothing away treasure that time b/c it flies by and have a moment of silence for me.

Until next time,
Chase

New Homeowners

2009-03-16T09:38:00.000-05:00

It is true.
As of Friday the 13th (now considered my lucky day), Chase and I bought a house!!!

It's been the craziest week. We just started looking last Saturday. We met the cutest husband and wife relators. (He was even an ACU alum, so Chase was just about giddy they were working with us.) They showed us three houses around Lubbock in our price range and we happened to LOVE one of them. So, a few days passed and we looked at a few more houses, but we just couldn't stop thinking about the house we saw the first day... so we decided to make an offer, not really expecting them to take it. But after a few changes, they took it!!!! So in less than 7 days, we looked, offered and bought a house. Wow. So fast. We are so excited!!!!

Here's the deal though. We loved this house because it has so much POTENTIAL. One of my favorite things to do it fix things up. After many hours of watching HGTV, I have found a new passion in decorating homes. So this house will be my new summer project. The house was built in the 60's and it still has the original dark wood paneling, salmon-colored range, orange and brown carpet in the kitchen and no dishwasher... but we see great things. Nothing a little paint can't fix. I've already been to Lowe's 3 times to pick out paint.... I'm ready to get into the house and get busy:)

I'll be keeping you updated on the household changes that are soon to come!!

On another note, I think my camera broke so I can't post pictures of our fun-filled weekend, but I'll give you a little taste of what I experienced.

I attended my first Doctor function. Chase's med school class had a fundraiser event Saturday night. I got to dress up, which I haven't done since we got married, and Chase looked so James Bond in his suit, sunglasses and shaved head.

At the fundraiser, there was a silent auction, live auction, good food, dancing and ...lots of wealthy people.

This was quite a new cultural experience for me. I felt like a fish out of water. I was surrounded by affluent doctors and their trophy wives. Now, let me be clear on one thing, not all doctor's wives are trophy wives, but there are a good handful... and let me tell you... its pretty obvious who they are.

To quote my sweet husband, "Taryn, you're beautiful, but you will never be a 'trophy wife'." In response, Chase's friend said, "yeah, you have intelligence."

I took this as quite a complement, because I NEVER want to be viewed as that.

Then there were also the cute couples that were a little socially awkward, like they have never been to a large social event, but just loved life.

If you don't already know, I love people watching, so really I had one of the best nights ever, especially when the 60 year old doctor and his wife were droppin it to "Get Low." Wonderful entertainment!!!!

That's all for now, until next time,
Live. Love. Pray. Give thanks.
Taryn

Ethical Debates and March Madness

2009-03-10T18:28:00.000-05:00

So I'm sitting in my Leadership & Ethics class and we are having a panel that is pretending to have a philosophical discussion about Kantian, Utilitarian or Egotism ethics. An ethical class is important in that it really does help you think about how you react to different situations, but overall it is just a class to make people think they are getting smarter while paying thousands of dollars for an MBA. Whatever read the BIBLE it tells you what to do in every situation, that is my ethical belief.

March madness has begun and I already have the DVR set for Selection Sunday on CBS. More than that this is the first time in 3 years I actually get to enjoy two of my favorite days of the year by sitting in front of my TV and watching the NCAA tournament in HD, o life is good. That's right I will be skipping class, I will be ordering pizza, or other junk food and yes my wife will be right beside me (at least for the night games) to try and will her Sooners to a National Title. BTW it ain't happening. So if anyone wants to do nothing on March 19 & 20 but enjoy the greatness that is March Madness I will be at my Apartment so just come on over.

As a side note 8 predictions before the tournament bracket is set.
1) A 16 seed will come within 10 points of beating a number 1 (my guess is that number 1 is Memphis)
2) This will be the tournament with the least amount of big upsets in a long time.
3) At least three of the four brackets will have a 1-2 game regional final which would make for one of the most exciting weekends in basketball history
4) It's been awhile since a Cinderella hit a buzzer beater, that will change this year.
5) Twice
6) There is a better than 50% chance their could be 3 teams from the same conference in the Final Four
7) I'm going to be upset that Stefan Curry won't be in this year's tournament
8) I will be wearing my Wii pajama pants for the early Thursday games.

Until next time

St. Baldricks and other exciting stuff!

2009-03-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

Well, its official, I am married to man who looks likes he is about to join the Marines.

Yep. Chase shaved his head- for kids with cancer of course.
Chase's med school class raised money for kids with cancer and if they raised a certain amount, some people volunteered to shave their heads- and Chase was one of them.

I was a little uneasy about this. I mean Chase does have pretty sharp facial features and crazy dark eyebrows. I was afraid he was going to look like an assassin. But, I think he turned out ok. I'm just ready for it to be a little bit longer- like a buzz cut that's a little softer. It kinda freaks me out to touch his head right now.

There's a few pictures below to document this wonderful occassion.

Also yesterday, we started looking at houses to buy! This is so crazy for us. Its amazing what money can buy you in this west Texas, conservative town. We found this way old and outdated house, but it has so much potential. Its in a wonderful neighborhood with a great yard for a dog. Its perfect for us, but we'll see how it goes!

Anyway, T-minus 5 days until Spring Break!! WOOHOO. I've never been more excited for a break.

Until next time,

Live. Love. Pray. Give Thanks.

And now my 25.

2009-02-28T13:26:00.000-06:00

I decided to my favorite 25 things too. Here it goes:

1. My dad once took the door off of my room in high school because I was so mad I slammed it shut. I never slammed my door again.
2. Even though I got married, my initials stayed the same.
3. I've had every color of labrador retriever and am in the market for another.
4. My favorite movie of all time is Father of the Bride.
5. My favorite time I ever watched Father of the Bride was with my dad the night before I got married. I will always remember that moment.
6. I knew I wanted to marry Chase the first time I heard him pray.
7. I have read almost every Karen Kingsbury book and I get so involved in the books I even find myself praying for the characters.
8. I teach middle school science. I sure hope I wasn't that immature when I was younger. I'm sure I was.
9. As I get older, I look less like my dad and more like my mom. Its crazy what getting older does to you.
10. I used to go to the NCAA Gymnastics National Gymnastics championships with my dad every year.
11. I had jaw surgery and was wired shut for 3 weeks. Talk about instant weight loss.
12. In preparation for #11, I also had braces put back on my junior year of college. So cute.
13. I have a slight obsession with Celine Dion. If only I had her voice...
14. My dream is to go on an African Safari someday.
15. I genuinely enjoy working out. Well, I like how I feel afterward, but I actually hate putting on my running shoes and walking out the door.
16. To add to Chase's comment on wanting kids that all start with the letter C, We actually have all their names already picked out. Sad right.
17. I'm Sooner born, Sooner bread and when I die I'll be Sooner dead.
18. I truly think I am going to have twins. They say it skips a generation and my mom is a twin, so I think I'm due.
19. I dream of someday having a cabin in Colorado. I love the snow, the mountains, the skiing and the warm nights with friends by the fire. Hopefully Chase's profession will let this dream come true.
20. I miss all my friends from college. A lot.
21. I pray my daughter and I have the same great relationship my mom and I have.
22. I feel like my week is incomplete if we don't eat Dion's pizza and watch the Office every Thursday with Mark and Elizabeth.
23. I would marry Chase all over again. Everyday is a wonderful adventure.
24. I love organizing. It really brings me great happiness.
25. Live. Love. Pray. Give Thanks

25 Random Facts Blog Style

2009-02-19T13:43:00.000-06:00

So at first I thought the 25 random facts on facebook was stupid. Then I loved reading people's and thought they were way cool. I don't really want to post them on facebook mainly because I don't know how and I don't know 25 people to tag so I just figured I'd post it on the Blog. I had so much fun doing them that I might do them again sometime anyway hope you enjoy.

1) In 7th grade I made a make believe genetic child and she had strawberry blonde hair and I thought that color hair was the nastiest color. My wife’s hair is strawberry blonde and I think its beautiful
2) I get obsessed with things. Example. I played 3 games of Settlers of Catan one afternoon. By myself. The games take 2 hours a piece
3) I have seen every Sing Song from 1983-2008 on VHS/DVD
4) One of my goals in life is to be a Sing Song judge
5) I am taking 30 hours this semester. 24 Medical and 6 MBA.
6) In my last 3 undergrad semesters combined I did not take 30 hours.
7) When in Oxford Shaylee Busch and Brooke James told me I should date Taryn. I said she was cute and I’d think about it.
8) I scored one of the 5 lowest grades on my first Physiology test and one of the 5 highest grades on my next Physiology test
9) I have seen every Best Picture Winner from 1927-1984.
10) At one point I considered myself a Libertarian. Then I realized I was a fiscally conservative Republican.
11) I believe the reason I never won a high school state championship of any kind was because I did not hate to lose. i.e. the same reason Tony Romo will never win a Super Bowl.
12) I’ve never dated a girl who was taller than 5’7.
13) I believe my last name is the greatest name ever. Even though no one knows how to pronounce it and people give me weird looks when I spell it.
14) I change what kind of physician I want to be every week. I have wanted to be anything from a Dermatologist, Cardiologist, Ob/Gyn, Ophthalmologist and Pulmonologist. I have 3 more years to decide.
15) My mom and my college roommate’s mom were roommates in college. I will be very disappointed if my child does not carry on the tradition.
16) My great grandmother got kicked out of ACU for being caught dancing.
17) I want 4 kids (some days 5) and want all their names to start with the letter C.
18) The main reason I want to be a Dr. is so that I can go on Medical mission trips the rest of my life and never really retire.
19) My favorite food is any kind of dip.
20) I am one of those who believe Disney World truly is the happiest place on earth.
21) I believe that buying things on credit is the single stupidest financial move any individual can make.
22) Despite that belief because of the society we live in and the way things work I’m sure I will buy something on credit at some point in my lifetime.
23) One of the greatest moments of my life was when I made a 50 foot par putt on hole 17 and birdied the 18th hole to shoot a 79.
24) My wife and I met at a wedding, Got engaged at a wedding and got married at one.
25) This took me less than 15 minutes to type b/c I wrote the first thing that came to my mind. I am a random person.

Free Food

2009-02-16T12:24:00.000-06:00

Those of you who know me know that I love anything free. I am a Cawyer after all and we are all about finding a good deal. Let me tell you how great Medical School is as far as free food goes. We had a lunch meeting today and they ordered about 20 extra Dominoes pizza. What do I do? Grab two extra because if I don't then they would just throw them away. And WALA lunch/dinner for probably 3 meals. O and it gets better. At least once a week (more often then not 2 sometimes 3 times)one of the medical organizations has a meeting and orders WAYYY more food then they should. Like I'm talking about a meeting for 30 people they will order food that could feed 50 athletes. So what happens to all this extra food? A) it gets thrown away or B) I take it home and tell Taryn that I'm cooking dinner i.e. I'm reheating it. Some of you might think "Pizza everyday, that sucks" well it would except for that fact that we get Rudy's BBQ, Chick-fil-a, Thai Pepper (great oriental food), Market Street and the list goes on and on. I love Medical School if for no other reason then I get to take free food home all the time.

Until next time

I love Sundays

2009-02-15T12:54:00.001-06:00

Well, its February and its pretty dull around here in Lubbock. I realize I haven't blogged in a while- but really there hasn't been that much to talk about.

I think we are going to continue our "get to the point" writng style that Chase displayed earlier this week- I think it best suites us- If you received our Christmas card, hopefully you'll agree...

Chase no longer thinks going to class in beneficial. He just received the second highest grade on his last exam. I guess his theory proves well. I however, still go to work. Everyday. Some days tolerable. Some days dreadful. Still faithfully following LOST, 24 and Idol. Can't get enough. Unfortunately, I'm into the Bachelor this year. I hate that for myself. 68 school days until I get my summer vacation. Thats right, I'm counting down. Sing Song next weekend. Can't wait. We miss our families. A lot. We love our friends here. A lot. Chase is now an occasional substitute teacher- ha. Maybe my kids will have Mr. Cawyer instead of Mrs. Cawyer. That'll throw them off. I'm still wanting a puppy. Labradoodle would be wonderful, but only if we won the lotto. So I'll settle for a lab instead. I applied for a week long teacher conference at NASA this summer- nerd alert right. We are currently in the market to buy our first house. CRAZY! Only in the dirt cheap Lubbock housing market would this be possible. Anywhere else, impossible. I still hate ironing. I wish I had kids to pay them to do it. Thanks dad for the brillant idea. Its still very cold and very windy here. I'm ready for the spring. Chase is obsessed with this board game called Settlers of Catan. I'm just intrigued. It really is so fun. Everyone should give it a whirl. I'm in the middle of the fourth Harry Potter book. Love it. Movies, however, I don't love. We are going on our Valentine date tonight instead of last night. Mainly to avoid the crowds. Are we old people or what? Contrary to Chase's blog below, I did not almost dye my hair... but maybe I should. I'm still waiting to see Celine. I love her. If you can help me out in this, I would be much appreciated.

Until next time,
Live. Love. Pray. Give Thanks

ITS ABOUT TIME

2009-02-11T16:41:00.001-06:00

Yeah it has been a good two months since our last blog entry. I decided its about time to finally add something. Because I'm just getting back into the habit this is going to be short and sweet.

I'm taking Physiology right now. It's crazy. Between 2 test I had a 30 point swing in grades. That's insane. Taryn loves/hates her job. Yesterday she came in and talked about how much she loved her day. The day before she talked for 20 minutes about a kid from hell. Love my wife. She thought about dyeing her hair. Not really she would never do that. Parents just got back from Vegas. They saw Elton John. Loved it. We listening to him that night in their honor. It was fun. Found a new obsession. The game is called Settlers of Catan. It's German. I love Germany. Especially Dirk's house. You need to buy the game. Sing Song is next weekend. It's going to be awesome. Except that I have a test two days later and will studying in a hotel room all of Saturday afternoon. I love lamp. Not really but that's a funny movie. My computer was kind of broken. I called Dell. It took an hour for them to tell me to reboot my computer. Idiots. I'm going camping. Don't know when or where, but it will be awesome. Taryn has mastered the chocolate chip cookie. Good for friends. Bad for my waist line. More to come at a later date. I really want everyone to learn how to play Settlers of Catan.

Until next time,
Chase Cawyer

Its the most wonderful time of the year!!

2008-12-07T18:54:00.000-06:00

I LOVE this time of year. I'm just full of all kind of joy!!! I mean, who wouldn't be? The closer to Christmas, the happier I get:)

This time of year is big deal for Chase and I. I the past 3 weeks we've celebrated my birthday, Thanksgiving and Chase's birthday, all on top of shopping, decorating, studying, writing lesson plans, going to Bible studies and spending our last few days with a couple of friends that are moving. Its just been one thing after another, but its what life is all about- living everyday to the fullest.

Yesterday was Chase's birthday- the big 23!!!! Happy Birthday babe! Thats right 23, not 24 like his better half:) So young....
Being the loving wife I am, I woke up and made him homemade blueberry pancakes- his were perfect, mine a disaster. Stupid burner got too hot! Then I made snickerdoodles- his favorite. Might I just add, that he said they were good, if not better than his moms!!! I was so excited because Kelly seriously makes the best cookies ever. I guess it was just beginner's luck!! We spent the day watching Transformers, which might be one of the most entertaining/enjoyable movies. We then went out to dinner with some friends and visited this way cute neighborhood in Lubbock that decorates their houses for Christmas. It was like walking down a street in South Carolina- colonial, southern homes with wrap-around porches and everything! Beautiful. They had fake snow that I included in some pictures below- not near as cool as real snow, but hopefully we have the real thing this coming Tuesday (I'm crossing my fingers for no school:)) After we left colonial town, we went back to our friend's house and watched my beloved sooners conquer another team. Boomer Sooner!!!!
Such a fun day!!!

Speaking of a fun day, when we were home for Thanksgiving, we went to the ICE! exhibit at the Gaylord. So fun, so cold, so overpriced. I put a few pictures below to show you how awesome it was... and how cold (notice the HUGE blue coats).
Thanksgiving was such a nice break. Bittersweet though- now that we are married, we have to split our time between our families and it really starts to take a toll on us. There's just not a lot of days to celebrate Thanksgiving- just one. At least with Christmas, we can spread it out over a week or so. Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays, I just wish we could have one HUGE gathering with like 75 people- but its definately not a perfect world:)

Speaking of the holidays, we have our first Christmas tree!!!! All I wanted for my birthday was a christmas tree, so being the wonderful woman she is, mom bought me one. Thanks mom!!! And, being the wonderful sister-in-law she is, Christina gave me some ornaments she doesn't use- red a gold, just what I needed!! Thanks Tina! So, I love our tree- its a collaboration of family gifts- so symbolic. Now, if you'll notice below, there are no gifts under the tree... and there probably wont be. We had to leave all the gifts the we bought on Black Friday at our parents house since we couldn't take them on the plane. Maybe I'll just wrap empty boxes to put under our tree...

Speaking of gifts, I thought I would impress Chase with my gift (Ha!) of cooking and make Chicken and dumplings from scratch- thats right, dumplings from scratch!! Well, I was ultra impressed with how the meal looked- perfect consistency! However, I accidentally, put 1 tablespoon of salt instead of 1 teaspoon.

BIG MISTAKE!!!! Poor Chase couldn't even eat it. It really was a very depressing moment. I mean I spent like an hour and a half trying to make those stupid dumplings and they turn out perfectly, I just didn't notice the lowercase "t" for teaspoon. Who would have thought that little amount of salt would have made such a difference?? It made a disgusting difference. So to Taco Bueno we headed...

Well, thats all that's really been going on lately, we're going to Abilene this coming weekend for Mason and Casey's wedding- yay for college friends!!!! I'm so excited.

Until next time,
watch your salt content:)

Taryn's Birthday

2008-11-20T02:35:00.000-06:00

So today is Taryn's birthday and what do I get to do in honor of it? Nothing. That's right on the one day that I would be willing to miss class to surprise her or maybe do something special I can't. Why you ask? We'll I had 3 hours of lecture this morning that I really couldn't miss, a boring meeting that I am in right now and not even paying attention to, but attendance is mandatory, I have to go to the clinic and play doctor this afternoon, and I have my stupid MBA class. Wow Happy Birthday Taryn glad I could be apart of your special day.
Obviously I feel bad about this and so I decided to try and make up for it. So I woke up early and ate a little breakfast with my lovely bride, I'm getting her a cake (and that in itself is pretty much the most important part of a birthday to her) and we get to eat Mexican food tonight with friends.
Although not the ideal birthday we're making the best of it and that's what counts. It's going to be great, Taryn is almost half way to 30 YIKES!!!!!! and for the next 16 days she is 2 years older than me. So Happy Birthday Taryn this one is for you. O and if you read this before midnight tonight drop her line and tell her how pretty her red hair his.

Until next month,
Chase

P.S. I'm really nervous about a certain present Taryn might get so if it happens you will be getting plenty of blogs about that.

NOV.4 is Tomorrow!!

2008-11-03T17:33:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer: I'm on my political soapbox... so if you choose not to read, I understand:)

I've never really been into the whole political thing, but this year I really am. Last time I voted in 2004, I didn't really feel like it mattered that much, nor did I care. But, now that I'm in the "real world", so many things are important to me. Not only the economy, public education or moral issues, but as a wife of a future doctor, the medical agenda as well.
From the healthcare concious, Cawyer household, if Obama's healthcare plan passes, we're all in for a rough time because the QUALITY of healthcare will dramatically go down. Some doctor's won't want to practice if they are making the same amount of money the accountant next door after being in med school for the last 10 years. Plus, the doctors that practice for the love of the field are going to be booked for months and months because everyone can now receive healthcare. Just not a good plan.

So, with all that being said, I am so Pro-McCain. I mean I know the guy is old, but so are our grandparents and I'm pretty sure they are the wisest people I know. With age comes wisdom and experience.
Experience means more to me than anything else Obama has to say. For example, I am a first year teacher and if my students had the choice, I would tell them to go across the hall to the teacher that has been teaching for 30 years because they will for sure receive a better education than I could ever give them because she has EXPERIENCE!!! It doesn't matter that we were educated the same, what matters is how long you've been on the job and dealt with the everyday challenges that come with the job.
I guess I'm a little heated about this because this is what what said in one of my classes today between two students:
Student 1: "I'm going for McCain because he's knows what he's doing."
Student 2: "He's to old to know what he's doing"

I mean really, what ignorance. I know they are only 13 years old, but whatever the child says, the parent has said at one point. It's not like the man is on his death bed, he's just got a little more life under his belt.

Oh and one more thing, does serving for America not mean anything in this election? On one hand, you have Obama that comes across to me as just a charismatic man that wants to have a powerful role in America. On the other hand, you have a less charismatic man that almost died serving our country and is more of a patriot than many of us ever will be.

Whether Obama or McCain wins, I think I will always have more respect for the patriot that served our country than the man that claims to be a patriot.

Whew... that is all.

Long time coming...

2008-11-02T13:44:00.000-06:00

It really has been quite a while since I've tackled the blog. Everytime I sit down to write it, I realize I have papers to grade or lessons to perfect... the wonderful job of teaching.

It has been crazy these last few weeks in the Cawyer household. October is one of my favorite months. I mean football, leaves changing, cooler weather, pumpkins, ACU Homecoming and of course its a month closer to Christmas!!!

Well, let me give you a re-cap of this month:

Shelbi, Preston, Chase and I traveled outside Lubbock and went to the pumpkin festival at the apple orchard one Sunday afternoon. It was such a cute little place, full of warm character and charm. The weather was a little misty, but still fun. We walked around the orchard and Chase and Preston decided to pick a few apples and have a juggling contest- it was quite the entertainment. They mastered 3 apples and tried to go for 4, not as successful:) Before we left, we were sure to get the famous apple cake... and it was delish!

Lets see.... what else

This year my dear dad turned the big 55. I mean thats really not that old, but really it kinda is. I guess because when I really think about my dad being 55, I think, wow I'm getting old too- weird.
I went home to surprise my dad at his surprise party. Ruthie told Dad they were just meeting friends for dinner at a mexican restaurant, but when they showed up, there was about 30 people waiting for him- he was shocked!! The best part was he thought I was back here Lubbock, so when we finaly got to see each other, it was such a nice moment.
I miss him.
So this is for dad- Happy 55th!!

Chase didn't get to come- dang med school gave him a final on a Monday, so he had to stay and study the weekend away:(
But he was missed- I guess we'll have to photoshop him in for family pic we took at the party. I think there was mention that it was going to be our Christmas card photo...

The next weekend we both skipped school on Friday and trekked down to Abilene for homecoming!! WOOOHOO! We met our families there since it is halfway for each of us. It was really good to catch up with the fam. Homecoming is always hard because we want to see our families, but we also want to see our friends that we rarely get to see. Since we live all over the place now, its hard to see everyone at the same time. Thats why I love homecoming!!!! It was a fun-filled, exhausting weekend. Chase and I took a walk around campus to see all the changes that are happening- that about wore me out. Chase, along with Jeffrey and Ryan, had to speak to prospective students to ACU about the pre-med program... which was pure entertainment:) The rest of the weekend as spent at the musical (so fun!), catching up with friends, enjoying the parade, game and dinner with the fam. Oh by the way, right when we were about to leave after dinner at Perini Ranch on Saturday, the Hardin-Simmons band came running through the restaurant- it was awesome!! It was so loud and so much fun to be a part of!!! Love the band!
So, all in all, Go Wildcats!!

As far as this weekend goes, its been so nice. We had a halloween party earlier this week and we went as a Tech sorority girl and an STD. The STD rate is out of control here- one in four people have an STD, so we thought we'd make fun of that. I'd like to credit Jenny Eyer for the idea- thanks Jenny!

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST- the Tech vs. Texas game!!! We didn't get to go, but you better believed we watched every minute of it. Being an OU fan, I obviously always root AGAINST Texas. I mean I like Tech and all, but I really just didn't want Texas to win. So, Go TECH!!!!!!

Here's a few pics of our life lately.

The most disturbing lab ever

2008-10-03T16:09:00.000-05:00

OK quick disclaimer: If you are sensitive to the subject of the reproductive system in a completely scientific way, I recommend you stop reading, check out the you tube video of a hermaphrodite singing A Whole New World and drink a nice cold glass of Milk. For those of who don't care I hope you don't hurt after you read this.

So Anatomy lab is divided up into 3 blocks and at the end of each block we switch the body we are dissecting. This block I happen to have a male which is cool because they are usually larger and it is easier to see things. In addition this block is over the areas of the abdomen, pelvis area, and the lower limb. Now the reason you have cadavers is to learn about what the anatomy is supposed to look like, therefore you have to dissect them. Not as weird as you might think...until you get to the pelvis area.

So yesterday in lab was the day were we learn about this region. Cool I thought, I haven't been disturbed or grossed out in any lab and its something you never really will get to (or will ever really want to) see close up again. Well we walk into lab and read our instructions and I start to freak out. As I said earlier, I have a male and with this lab they want to make sure you cut right down the middle of the pelvic area to get see everything you need to see on the inside. So how do they make sure you cut right down the middle? They make you stick a probe (an 8 inch long metal pen type object) down the urethra to make sure you cut through the middle. Now I know what your thinking, the guys dead, he can't feel anything, and you know what God rest his soul he didn't, but you know who did feel it? Every other guy that had to witness this travesty. Guy's actually imagine seeing what I saw, a girl, with no inhibition, shoving a metal pin into that orifice. If you actually imagined it I guarantee you your guys just shivered a bit.

Listen I'm all for science and learning about the human body, heck I'm in Medical School, I kind of have to like learning about it all, but to see the amount of force and aggression she used in putting that probe in, it was like she had no idea how squeamish guys get about that stuff. So I write this entry for one reason and one reason and one reason only, guys take care of your kidneys and girls don't go sticking metal probes into dead guys urethra's while other men are watching.

Where has the time gone?

2008-10-02T17:39:00.001-05:00

So it has been over a month since I last have entered my thoughts into this thing we call a blog. Speaking of blog where did that name come from? I'm sure Jesse or Mason knows the answer so if you want to know hit them up. Anyway so I enjoy reading the Edwards blog whenever they write in it. Considering both could have been English majors, the style and enjoyability are great so that's just a plug for their blog. I bring them up because I am taking a page off of one of Lauren's earliest blogs about type A personalities in Dental School/Medical School. Here's a few facts you need to know about my class

1) We have meetings that could take 5 minutes and ends up taking 1 hour
2) We ask questions about the human body that are reserved for God and God alone, they go something like this, "Why does the illioinguinal nerve pass through the superficial inguinal ring and not the deep inguinal ring, while the genital branch of the genitiofemoral ring pass through both the deep inguinal ring and the superficial one?"
a) why we need to ask questions about a fact befuddles me and b) we don't have to know everything about everything, that's not to say Dr's don't need to know important things I just think the answer to that question could go into the 1% of things that we don't need to know
3) We go identify arteries and nerves in lab 6 times to make sure we know them, I think you learned them the first 3 times we went over it.
4) Whenever we vote on which Charity to give to people complain because they don't have enough information to know which charity would be the best. I might be wrong, but wouldn't they all be for good causes?
5) We had our class elections and have 7 positions, I think like 15 people ran and 9 of those ran for President
6) Fun fact but out of the 10 people in my small group 7 are the oldest child.
7) People attend meetings based on the topic of discussion as opposed to the food selection.
8) Those that are there for the food selection get there 30 minutes before it starts to make sure they get food (and the people that are putting on the talk plan for about 3 times as many people actually show up).
And finally I feel like I'm one of the passive personalities in my class.

Flood Season.... What?

2008-09-12T09:28:00.000-05:00

Now the average person wouldn't think that Lubbock would get a lot of rain, but if you were here right now you would think you are almost in Galveston battling Ike!!

Let me explain: it usually takes me about 8 minutes to get to work on an average day. However, last night on the way home from work, it took me almost 35 minutes!!! I felt like I was back home in Ft. Worth. The reason it took so long was because it was raining like crazy and Lubbck has no drainage system- NONE!! I didn't see one gutter the entire way home and I was looking hard.
I was over by Texas Tech and I kept driving down different streets trying to get home, but I would go about 50ft and then kick it into reverse because there was too much water to safely drive through. I just couldn't find a way out- it was actually a little embarassing:) I'm what you call a NON risk-taker, so you couldn't get me to drive down a street if I wasn't sure if I would float away. I finally got to the point that I started following this one car around to see where they drove and if they survived- then I would follow!

Anyway, I finally made it home, exhausted from the traffic and dodging all the mini-lakes on the road.

Chase said it best last night: "Thank goodness we live on the second floor, because I'd be a little nervous tonight." It really is crazy here!

To really paint an accurate picture of how much it has flooded here..... I am off work today because it rained so much. Thats right, they canceled school today because Lubbock has been declared a state of emergency... from rain!!!

I jumped up and down last night when I got the call school was cancelled- I really needed a day off!

So here I sit, watching Regis and blogging. Life is great.
Poor Chase is at school though- I think he is the only school that is actually in session today. Since his school is pretty much like a job, they really can't cancel today. Too bad, I wish he was here:(

So life in Lubbock is weird right now, but still loving it!

Skype

2008-08-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

So this coming up Sunday I have my annual fantasy football draft. Now in the past couple of years I've gotten together on a glorious Sunday August afternoon at the Reservation and picked the players we think would have the best season for over 3 hours. Now some of y'all would think this is crazy and stupid, but that day had to be one of my favorite days of the year. It's like you're the GM of your own football team drafting rookie prospects, picking up the right veteran to help your squad its just awesome. Much more on fantasy football to come, but I just had to say that to set up what I wanted to type about.
So anyway all of the guys in my league now live in different states and the logistics of getting together to draft just ain't happening, so we decided that we are going to do an online draft. Now it is not the ideal situation in the fact that half the fun of the draft is yelling at people for taking the guy you wanted or making fun of someone for making what seems like the stupidest pick ever (this is especially fun to do at Hutton, even though for every 2 crappy picks he has the steal of the draft, Randy Moss last year). We'll anyway since we aren't around each other Jesse brought up the idea to do some video chat. He wanted to do iChat because he has a mac, but I had to get a Dell for school so I can't use iChat. But what I can use is Skype.
I love Skype. Taryn and I talked to Jesse and Jenny for a good hour and half to two hours about life and even got a tour of their apartment. Now I know some of you haters will say why don't you just talk on the phone. And all I have to say is that it is not even close to the same thing. So much is lost over the phone and when you can see them so much is added to the conversation. So I urge everyone and anyone who has bought a laptop in the past year or two or if you just happen to half a webcam get skype and add me as your friend. It is so fun to talk to people and I would love to talk to anyone. So go get Skype.
O and yes I'm ecstatic about our draft on Sunday being able to talk and see people, I just hope Hutton has a cam so we can make fun of him again (O and if you know how to conference chat on skype and maintain video let me now because I need to know.

Medical School + Olympics = Conflict of Interest

2008-08-17T16:30:00.000-05:00

Why did the Olympics have to be on during my first few weeks of Medical School? I mean really the timing could not be more horrible. I literally go to school from 8 to 12, study 1 to 6 and watch the Olympics from 7 to 11. Normal I would think this was a great schedule, because of the balance between school and fun and the fact Taryn and I watch the Olympics together to make sure we don't skimp out on our time, but during these first couple of weeks of class I feel so overwhelmed and that I just am not studying enough. Of course I think most people feel the same because before you have ever seen a test you automatically assume the hardest concepts and questions will be on the test (and it Med School this seems highly likely). Anyway it is just freaking me out because the Olympics end like two days before my first test and you know I'm going to watch the Closing Ceremonies and so I'm just scared that I'm not studying enough. Anyway for Casey Cope's benefit I'm going to step off my diva soap box and talk about interesting things.

So Taryn's brother Christopher and my cousins Jeff and Madison moved into good ole Mabee Dorm yesterday afternoon. Wow how crazy it was that 4 years ago today I was moving into Mabee 1st North room 102. O great times with Thursday Night Parties, Survivor watching (go Ian), workout time, Christmas tree showers and Stevie. Speaking of Stevie has anyone seen Steven the Korean lately? Just wondering.

Speaking of Korea I noticed that there were none of them in the Men's 100m race yesterday. All there was were Caribbean runners. All eight were from either a Caribbean island or south Florida and boy could they fly. It's no wonder Florida Univ. spreads the field like crazy. Anyway I want to talk about the man they call Lighting. Usain Bolt is the fastest individual to ever live and call me crazy, but I don't know if anyone will ever be as fast as he is right now. He ran the race in 9.69 seconds. He beat the world record by .03 that is like breaking the marathon record by a minute and half I heard one analyst say. But here is the craziest part. He STOPPED sprinting at about 75m and coasted into the finish line. If he wanted to he could have ran it in 9.5 there is no doubt. So I got to thinking why doesn't Jerry Jone gives this guy a nice little contract to come play football for the Cowboys. Just put him on the opposite side of T.O. and tell him to go deep ever play. If nothing else he could make some room for Witten and T.O. over the middle, any takers on this idea?

On a completely random note a United commercial just came on and it sucked. No wonder they are about to go down the tube. You know who doesn't have crappy commercials? Budweiser. Now it is not secret Beer company's spend a bazillion dollars on advertisement, but that one where they sing, "This is Budweiser, this is beer." and all the Americana scenes flash across the scene o its just awesome especially during the Olympics. The only thing that bothers me is that they just got sold to InBev which is not American so I kind of feel like the Patriotism is forced, but hey I love it and Taryn cries every time so they must be doing something right.

Anyway Michael Phelps is awesome and I'm seriously considering ordering Olympic Legend: Michael Phelps. Maybe you should to.

"The Real World" Lubbock

2008-08-16T20:24:00.000-05:00

Life has begun here in our sweet, little town. I officially feel "grown up"..... and its pretty crappy! I mean, I've always loved the weekends, but now that Chase and I are non-stop 8-5ers, we LOVE the weekends. We woke up yesterday and said, "thank goodness its Friday." So we now live for Fridays.. and I dont like it one bit. Its cool to grow up and all, but not really that cool:) It felt like flight of the bumble bee today to try and get the laundry done, clean the house, grocery shop and run errands... but on the flip side it is so nice to finally sit down and watch the olympics AND Cowboys all in the same night! Go Romo!!!! I recently declared to Chase that I am a "Romo groupie" and you better believe I'll be in front of the TV every Sunday or Monday night cheering my boys on!!!! Oh, and if anyone would like to get me some tickets for the new stadium next season... I'll gladly accept! Just kidding, like anyone in their right mind could afford those things!

On another note- The Olympics. Is it just me (or maybe just Lubbock because there's not much to do here) or does it seem like everyone in the world is watching the games. I feel like its a bigger thing than it has been in a while since Atlanta, but it could just be that I'm more into it this time. How could you not be? I've lost more sleep this last week than I have since my fun days of college. Between Michael Phelps and the women's gymnastics, I'm obsessed!!!!!

Phelps: Amazing!!! Really, maybe one of the greatest athletes ever!!! I mean, I LOVE Tiger and definitely believe he has an awesome gift, but Phelps is unbelieveable- there's no stopping this guy. Last night when he won by one hundreths of a second, I was yelling so loud and freaking out because I thought for a brief second he might lose... but then I thought, No WAY!! He's Michael Phelps! After the race, I told Chase, I really feel like the nation would be depressed if he lost. Everyone would be a little more somber. He's like a breath of fresh air for America!!! Go USA!!!

Gymnastics: If you dont already know, I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT GYMNASTICS!!!!
I used to be in it and enjoyed every minute of it. It makes me giddy just to get to watch others perform. So, this has been one of the best olympics ever in my life. Dont' get me wrong, 1996 was picture perfect when the girls won the team gold. I recorded it on VHS 8 years ago and we still have it- I wouldn't let Chase get rid of it when we were moving- its just that special to me. But, this year has been so fun to watch. When Nastia won the gold, I just cried for about 5 minutes. Don't ask why, I just get into these kind of things. Even when the national anthem started, I just let the tears keep falling. SO proud to be an American!

So, I just realize I haven't put any pictures up of our sweet, little apartment, so here you go. (Mom, these are really for you:))
There's a few pics of the beautiful sunsets I get to look at every evening...aahhh.

Chili's

2008-08-03T19:55:00.000-05:00

So I just got back from eating a delicious meal at Chili's where Taryn was my server. It was awesome because when my check came I just said you got cash and she took my check from me. It was great because it was like a free meal. Anyway I got the Smokehouse Bacon Burger. I'm not a huge fan of Bacon Burgers for the taste and health reasons, but I have to say it was awesome. So anyone that goes to Chili's I highly recommend that hamburgers. Well I tried the Smokehouse Bacon Burger for one and only one reason. All the other burgers I used to get are no longer on the menu. To explain, back in the day I use to get this burger called the Nacho Burger. For anyone that thinks that sounds disgusting don't hate. It's a burger with queso, sour cream, guacamole, tortilla strips, pico de gallo and jalapenos. Absolutely awesome. Well like 8 years ago they took this burger off the menu. Why? I have no idea, but I was not happy. Lucky for me though they said if I ordered it the cooks in the back could still make it. Great I thought, so all throughout high school I ordered this burger got a weird look from the server, told them they knew how to make it in the back, and went on my way. Well I got made fun of for being too high maintenance and so I decided it was time to move on from the Nacho Burger. On a side note I ordered it from Chili's the other day when Preston was our server. He gave me the look, I told him the same thing I always tell him and what was on it, and got it served to me. O it was delicious. Plus later that week Preston told me somebody else ordered it. Sounds like a good man to me.
Anyway since I can't get a Nacho Burger hardly ever anymore my next adventure was the Ground Peppercorn burger. A normal burger with fried onion strips, ground peppercorn and blue cheese dressing. Not as good as the Nacho, but still darn good. Well now when you go to Chili's that is not on the menu anymore and this time they no longer carry the ingredients so I'm just out of luck. I think it is a curse that whatever burger I fall in love with comes off the menu. So my only warning is for those of you that fall in love with the Smokehouse Bacon Burger get ready for it to go off the menu.

The Infamous White Coat

2008-08-02T15:15:00.000-05:00

The time has come for Chase to start his long, strenuous journey to become Dr. Chase Cawyer. Last night we had the "White Coat Ceremony", which is a tradition started at Columbia University in 1993 and ever since then, medical schools all over have taken part in this traditional ceremony. Each medical student is given a white coat that comes to about their waist (the more education you have, the longer your white coat is- so if you see a doctor with one to his ankles... pretty good chance he's a good doc!) Every student walked across the stage and the Deans of the med school presented them with their coat- it was such a neat way to start off this new journey!!!
As I was sitting there watching Chase walk across and put on his coat, I started to tear up. Why you ask??? Well, It brings me such joy to see how much Chase has accomplished to get to med school- its no walk in the park and I couldn't be a more proud wife!!!! I know its going to be a rough road ahead, but I couldn't be happier to take this adventure with him. As the cermony continued on, I started envisioning him walking across the stage 4 years from now and the Dean saying, "Doctor Chase Robert Cawyer"- if the sound of that doesn't give you chills, I dont know what will!
And might I just add... sitting among all the professors, doctors, parents and medical students, I was completely surrounded by knowledge and it was such a surreal experience. I felt part of a different realm of society that was WAY out of my league!!! Way cool!!!
Here's a few pictures of the exciting event:

2008-07-29T11:32:00.000-05:00

So because this is the Cawyer's blog spot I decided that I (Chase) would write occasional on this little blog. Now here is the deal, I am only writing on certain days and being the OCD person that I am the days I write will have a pattern. To clear this up a little I will not be writing on all of the days that are in the pattern, but every day I do write will be a part of the pattern. Comprende? Didn't think so. Anyway so what to write about. I've been emailing the Choctaw reservation about getting a blog together and each of us write in it about once a week, that way we don't get burned out, and I heard great feedback, but as is typical with most males, and that fact that fantasy football is around the corner, that idea fizzled pretty quickly. And the fact that Taryn doesn't like to talk about herself a lot she asked me to write in the blog every once in awhile so you know it is the next best thing.

So what's going on with the Cawyer's? Well first off I am still ticked that I was not able to go to Jenny and Jesse's wedding. I did see pictures, I did get a replay of the music in order from my wife in the car on her ipod and I did get to talk to friends about it so I understand what went on, but it's still not the same. This has been the second wedding I had to miss because of stupid weekend classes. Check out this amazing coincidence. To set a background I am getting my MBA in the summers while I am in Med School and so it's pretty time consuming, but in order to keep you from killing yourself during the week they allow you (or in my case mandate you) to take weekend classes. Not a bad deal considering you get 3 hours grad school credit to sit in class for 4 days, no test, no real homework, just readings and reflections papers. Sounds like a great deal right? It is unless you're like me and you have 2 weddings and your grandmother-in-law's funeral to go to 3 of the 4 weekends. So what do you have to do? You have to skip them, except for the funeral which I had to write a dreadful paper to make up for my absence. But think about that out of the 4 weekends I have something going on during 3 of them. And what did I have to do the other 6 weekends I did not have class. NOTHING. Yeah just my luck that all of those major events fall on those days. So all in all if your thinking about taking weekend classes I warn you they are great unless they conflict with the things in life your not supposed to miss.

So yeah MBA school is a breeze if you had an undergraduate degree from COBA. (Shout out to all my profs), b/c everything you learn in your basic MBA classes you had at the undergraduate level. So go Wildcats. It kind of sucks though because this summer has been so relaxed and chill and then boom tomorrow I get thrown into MS orientation and classes start on Tuesday. Goodbye life as I know it. O well, from what I hear school still beats working, you know except for the whole little deal of a salary, so I'll take it with a grain of salt. Speaking of catchphrases my all-time favorite is still "boom goes the dynamite"
See here

So if you didn't know Taryn and I watch a lot of TV, and I've decided its for the following reasons. 1) It's cheap (well cheap in the fact that it's a sunk cost, got to love business terminology, and we don't pay anymore to watch it) 2) If you find the right show its like a movie that never ends and 3) Taryn can eat ice cream while she watches it, I think that's the main reason for her. Anyway despite why we like to watch TV we still watch it and being the critical person I am I'll give you a little insight into a few shows on our DVR.
Flipping Out - Casey Cope was asking Taryn to explain this and so I'll take the honor. Imagine the most OCD person in the world flipping and remodelling multi-multi-million dollar houses all the while creating a 48 point to do list for his FOUR employees that just take care of his personal house and animals. O and did I mention he's a flaming homosexual, just makes the show that much more to laugh at. On TLC Tuesday nights at 9. A new fav thanks to the Rampys 4 out of 5.
Jon & Kate plus 8 - I was a little skeptical of this at first, but after watching one interview with Jon the dad this show is hilarious. It's about that family from Pen. that had sextuplets (that's six kids) after having twins and how they function. Like Full House except reality based, updated, and actually funny. If you like sarcastic males you'll love Jon and this show. On TLC not sure of the time b/c Taryn records all the episodess 3 out of 5.
Hidden Potential - Really worth watching in HD. These designers take 3 crappy houses and make them into awesome abodes. I love it in the fact they completely change floor plans in almost every house, and if you're like me and love walking into construction houses I feel you'll love this show. My only complaint is they do these huge remodels and say it cost like $40,000 when it actually has to cost like double that. On HGTV 3 out of 5 when the guy Barry is the designer 2 out of 5 when its the girl Paige.
High School Musical Get In the Picture - Now I'm sure your wondering why I watched this show and I'll give you the simple answer, advertising. I could not watch a single program on ABC without seeing a preview for this so I had to record it. Let's just say it's American Idol for kids. No Simon Cowell telling them how bad they are and too much encouragement for me. The only thing I enjoyed in the first 4 episodes was the duets in the final 20 minutes of 2 shows. Other then that count me out. I'm sure I'll still record these and watch them, but it will be in mega fast forward just to watch my boy Ether, yeah that's his real name. You might want to check it out just to see this band geek rock out. On ABC on Sunday and Monday nights 7, 2 out of 5 stars.
So those were just a few recommendations for some TV watching this summer. Hope you enjoy and look forward to talking again soon.

For Casey Cope

2008-07-27T15:56:00.000-05:00

Its official.. I finally gave in and decided to start a blog. I've been debating whether to do one the past few months since we moved to Lubbock but I just dont think our life is interesting enough to write about- I guess you can be the judge!

So this past weekend I went home to see family and see Jenny and Jesse get married- it was such a bittersweet weekend. And lets just say that if anyone is planning on coming to Lubbock anytime soon, I highly recommend flying- a grand total of 45 minutes from DFW!!!
I spent some time with my family and Chase's- even though he had to stay in Lubbock for a mandatory weekend class!! I just love getting to spend time with family, but its never quite long enough- just long enough for you to wish you didn't live 5 hours away.
On a lighter note, The Eyer's wedding was perfect. It was so sweet and couldn't have come at a better time. Its been hard here in Lubbock only knowing Shelbi and Preston, so it was so nice to have quality girl time with a few of my faves:) I started tearing up when we had to leave... so emotional, I know.

So I would like to make a formal request for everyone to relocate to Lubbock as soon as they can- I dont know why everyone thinks DFW is the place to be- I mean I know it has everything you could ever want in a city, but Lubbock has Baskin Robbins...and the most amazing sunsets you've ever seen (very romantic!)

Please consider:)