Thanksgiving (un)traditions

For thanksgiving this year we played it pretty low-key. My mom came to Des Moines and we made the traditional Wilson thanksgiving meal-steak and potatoes. My mother doesn't like to eat turkey, so growing up I don't think she ever cooked the "traditional" thanksgiving meal. If we didn't visit our extended family for the holiday feast, my mother would usually cook steak (t-bone in particular). Here's a picture of our little feast for three.

My poor twice-baked potatoes didn't turn out too good, I blame it on the turkey bacon (Jamie doesn't eat pork). Note-NEVER use turkey bacon as a substitute for the real thing in recipes....it pretty much turns into a chewy jerky. Anyways, we enjoyed our quick break and the short visit we had with my mom.

So most people who read this blog already know, but we're having a little girl. I'm 26 weeks along now and I'm starting to feel large. I swear that one day my stomach just "popped". I can't even imagine what the last trimester of my pregnancy is going to be like. I feel like I've already reached my growing potential...I know Jamie's already tired of listening to me talk about how I can't breath or get up from a sitting/lying position. At least I know at the end of all of this I'll have a precious little baby girl. Oh the adventures! Here's a little picture of us on Thanksgiving day.

Name that Lump

Oh the adventures of cooking. Here's a preview of tonight's meal. Can you tell what it is?
Exhibit A)

Yep, these are meatballs. Look at the lovely shape and form they have! I forgot to add the egg to the recipe, so as I was fryin' up these badboys they began to fall apart into a large heap that ended up looking like dog food. The sad thing is, I DESPISE touching raw hamburger; however, I wanted to cook my sweetums a decent meal, so to think that I actually touched raw cow to form those little balls of love just to watch them fall apart in front of my eyes was too much. If I weren't an emotional stonewall, I could have possibly shed a tear. It seems like this scene is all too familiar in my kitchen. Want proof?
Take a guess at what this little number is supposed to be..............
Exhibit B)

If you guessed a piece of cheese that had been sitting in the fridge growing mold for two months you'd be close. But actually, this is a piece of cake I baked for Jamie when we were newlyweds. It fell apart the moment I placed it on his plate. It was like watching ice cream hit a hot pan, it just kinda "melted". I think this early glimpse of my cooking scared my dear husband a little bit, but he stuck with me:) He still talks of this as being one of his most memorable birthday cakes. I really don't know what goes wrong with my cooking. I try to follow recipes exactly as they're written and I tend to shy away from recipes that are too complex. However, I always seem to somehow put my own "special touch" on my kitchen creations.
Finally, we have exhibit C)

This is my attempt at homemade bread. I even cheated and used my bread machine to make this. However, it still came out looking lumpy, bumpy, and just plain wrong. Oh dear. I'm just glad I have a patient husband who eats my food no matter what it looks (or tastes) like. Oh well, I still have many years of cooking ahead of me, and many more recipes to destroy! Maybe one day I'll figure things out.....

Catch up

If there's one thing I'm good at, it's procrastinating. So since I haven't posted in a while, I'll give a quick update on the life with the Olsens. Our lives kinda seem like a scene from Groundshog Day at times. Not too much changes. Jamie is neck-deep into his studies again. Last week was crazy as he had multiple tests, simulation labs (he learned how to deliver a baby...cool), and he squeezed in a visit with his little brother who came home from his mission in Brazil. I've been busy with school as well, but it's my last semester, so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  So in the midst of the busyness of last week, we had a few curveballs thrown our way. I have a night class every Tuesday, so at 7pm I hopped into our truck to drive to class but it didn't start, which was just perfect. Since Jamie's parents were in Brazil and left their car parked at our place (with the keys) I decided I'd take their car to class, but no, it somehow got a flat tire. So I ended up skipping my once-a-week class to make repairs to vehicles. Funny how when it rains it pours. One other bit of interesting news is that Jamie got his flu shot today and the nurse hit bone. Jamie said the needle came out bent. EWWW. I remember the time when I hit bone once on one of my patients....grossest feeling ever. I felt awful, but the patient didn't even flinch or notice. Anyways, random story, but that's the excitement of our life lately.

What we're really excited for is next week. We find out the gender of our baby! I'll have to write a quick update then with the details. Until next time....

Man Caves and Boy Scouts

For mother's day weekend I had no school or work, so I took the opportunity to spend a few days with my momma. We decided to head to Kansas City to visit my aunt and uncle and a few of my cousins. It was a jolly ol' time as we shopped, ate, visited and just lazied around-one of my favorite things to do;) I was so glad to be able spend a few days with one of my favorite people!
Of course while in Kansas City, we had to eat some bbq, yum!

Unfortunately, I forgot to pack batteries, so these are pretty much the only pictures I got. My mother has been wearing these bad boys way before over-sized sunglasses were even in style!I know someday this will be me....:)
Although I enjoyed spending time with my mother, I began to miss my sweetums and couldn't wait to see him after almost a week apart. Jamie had been letting his beard grow for a little while before I left and I was hoping I would come home to a baby-faced hubby. However, my hopes were dashed. I opened the door to my apartment and found that what used to be my warm, bright, vanillaberry scentsy-pot smelling home had transformed into a cold, dark, moist cavern that smelled heavily of man. A man cave indeed. Jamie stepped out and I shrieked when I discovered that his face had been overtaken by copious amounts of hair. If he had been wearing a flannel shirt and coveralls instead of a polo (paired with sweat-shorts mind you) I would of thought he just came from off the side of a mountain. This is what happens when you leave your husband home alone, unattended for a week.....
Jamie grew so attached to his mammoth beard that it took him another week before he finally shaved it off.
In other news, we able to head to Estherville last weekend to attend Jamie's little brother's Eagle Court of Honor. Way to go Brad! Here's a picture of my handsome, baby-faced husband with his pops and bro. Don't they all look so cute in their little boyscout uniforms?

And finally, the countdown is on, Monday is Jamie's last day of school! Wahoo!

Well, I decided it was time for a new post since the last two have been about toenails (hey, that's about as exciting as our life is right now.) Anyways, we've been busy as usual, Jamie's winding down and only has 3 weeks of schools left, although, "winding down" is definitely not the correct term to use. School has been VERY busy lately and basically consumes his life. I now know what the term "medical school widow" means. Last semester he usually came home at 6 and we'd just hang the rest of the night, but this semester has been different. Monday nights I work, he studies, so we don't see each other until 10:30 at night, tues-thur we have a dinner/watch a rerun of The Office date, followed up with study dates at the library (calling them dates makes it seem so much more glamorous/exciting), Fri night we try to do something fun, but school still occasionally gets in the way of that, Sat I clean/catch up on life, he studies, and Sunday.....ahhh, we love our Sundays, no studying, no work, naps, church, what could be better? So that's basically been our lives for the last 4 months (are you still awake!?)

Today also marks a somewhat monumental day. After 5 years, I finally got new glasses. First thing Jamie said when I showed them to him was "those are kinda thick," thanks darling. You know, it was his fault I had to get new glasses in the first place. Jamie "buffaloed" ( definition: trampled/cracked/squished/broke) my old glasses about two weeks ago. We were kneeling on the floor praying and I had set my glasses on the bed. When we finished Jamie leapt from the floor and did a spin move that you only see in the WWF onto the bed landing directly on my glasses. So, for the past two weeks, I've been wearing my cracked glasses, hoping no one would notice, but enough was enough. Every time I bent over or moved my head too quickly I looked like I was doing party tricks as my lens would pop out and then I'd crawl around on the floor like Hellen Keller (no offense Hellen) searching for it. I finally made an eye appointment.
Apparently my eyes have changed quite a bit over the years; my prescription has almost doubled in strength. Remember in 6th grade when the police came to school and gave you those "beer goggles" to wear to show you how drunk drivers see? Well, I feel like I'm wearing those goggles right now. I'm fine as long as I focus on a solitary object, but the moment I look away, I don't recognize the hands in front of me to be my own. It's kinda trippy. I think it'll take me a while to adjust to the new 'specs, but its amazing what I can see now. I was squinting so much with my last glasses that I was beginning to get crows feet, now my eyes just don't know quite what to do.

Update....

Well, sad news, "Black Bart" is no longer with us and our threesome is now a twosome once again. Jamie caught his toenail on a towel last night, ripping it almost completely off, so he "maned up" and finished the job the towel didn't complete. Let me just say, I was COMPLETELY disgusted. I've seen a lot of gross things working in health-care; I can handle gaping flesh wounds, various body fluids, (or solids....you all know what I'm talking about), but man, watching Jamie rip his dilapidated toenail off made me weak in the knees. Of course being the faithful, supportive wife I am, I put on a stoic face, swallowed the lump in my throat, and coached him through "the final blow."

Have you ever wandered what a naked toe looks like? Take a gander if you dare....

**WARNING**
The following image is rather graphic in nature and only intended for mature audiences.















Also, on another note, I (Amber) can officially deliver round-house kicks to the face. I practiced for at least 5 mins on the punching bag at the gym tonight and I'm pretty much a pro now. So just a shout-out to any future attackers: you may just get a "Chuck Norris" to the face, consider yourself warned.

New Addition

Oh yes, I forgot to mention the new addition to our family. No, its not a baby have a look for yourself..........















We affectionately call him "Black Bart". He's been with us
since early January, and will stay indefinately. I keep
trying to talk Jamie into having one of his podiatry student
friends take a look at it (he injured his toe in bball,) but I
think he's rather fond of his black toenail.

Reflections

Well, the past two weeks have been quite a whirlwind for Jamie and myself. As some of you may already know, my father unexpectedly passed away, so we packed our bags, skipped our classes, and headed to Nebraska for a week to be with my family. It was nice to be able to see so many family and friends, I only wish it had been under different circumstances. So since I've been better at blogging than journaling lately (which is incredibly sad because I've only written a few posts...) I'm going to write a bit of a personal reflection of my father.

My father was unyielding in just about every aspect of life, and I would dare say even stubborn at times. Despite having NUMEROUS heart problems, he could always be found at Burger King or Runza chowing down a greasy burger, and after attending cardiac rehab for the first time, he was convinced that his doctor was trying to invoke a another heart attack by making him walk on the treadmill and therefore vowed never to return again. He could definitely be described as "one of a kind". He always had a joke to tell (although not always the most appropriate...), and could strike up a conversation with any stranger. He freely shared his opinions with others, and had an opinion on pretty much everything.... except when Jamie asked him for permission to marry me; according to Jamie, the phone conversation was 1 min, 7 seconds long and my father's response was "Well, she's old enough to make up her own mind." He loved eating buttery (of course) popcorn, finding a comfortable spot on the couch, and watching tv. In fact, sometimes he got too comfortable. This was rather unfortunate as on one occasion one of my high school friends walked into my house to find him sitting comfortably in his whitey tighties watching Law and Order while chowing down some 'corn. Despite being a little "rough around the edges" he had a good heart and helped many people in need. He was a mechanic and often fixed the vehicles of those with limited resources by giving them a reduced rate or accepting whatever they had to pay-sometimes it was labor, sometimes a meal, once a purebred dog...haha. His charitable qualities are something I try to emulate in my own life.

Although losing my father has been very hard, I find comfort in the fact that he is now freed from the cares of the world and no longer physically suffering. Jamie and I are so grateful for the wonderful, supportive family and friends we have. A hard time was made more bearable because of them. I know that one day I will get to see my father again:)

Here's a few pics I took while home

Little Alice
















Lucie Can't take her eyes off the cartoons.....

















Stacy and Ben
















"Fat kid love cake"
There's never a shortage of sweets at mama's house.
Jamie captured this lovely photo after I proceeded
to 'sneak' a huge bite of his cake.

Saturday night with the Olsens

Its 11:40 pm on a Saturday night and Jamie and I are spending a romantic evening nestled in a corner room in the DMU library discussing diarrhea, hepatitis, and 40 foot helminths. Pretty much a typical Saturday night; isn't medical school glamorous? There are only about 8 cars in the parking lot...2 of which are ours, so we no longer feel the need to put our shoes back on when we leave our room to get a drink or use the restroom-jk about the restroom part...maybe;) I've only been in the library for 4 hours now-Jamie's been here since 10 am-and the gallon of Diet Pepsi I drank earlier is no longer having any therapeutic effects as I can feel the weight of my eyelids increasing. I feel as though young 20-somethings like ourselves should be out having fun, socializing,and relishing in our general lack of responsibilities, but alas, there are diseases to review and microorganisms to memorize. Although, I suppose I have done some socializing tonight, facebook stalking counts as social interaction doesn't it? I shouldn't complain though, I have the easy job. All I have to do is occasionally quiz Jamie on his notecards and keep reminding him that this is all going to be worth it one day.
Just another day in the life...