This is when you know you're far gone...

It was just a typical evening around the dinner table. There we were. At the table. With food. Typical. Our dining room window sat to the side of both of us as we devoured garden and chicken burgers (VERY typical). Nothing was unusual..that is, until I saw the streak across the glass pane next to me. It was obvious what it was. No, it wasn't marshmallow fluff, nor was it white out. It couldn't be vanilla ice-cream or shaving cream, or even soggy toilet paper. No, it was clear. It was bird poop. BIRD POOP. Now, there isn't anything atypical about bird poop. Heck, I once had a bird poop on my head. It happens! But what followed next was glaring evidence of how far gone this medical school journey has taken us.

-"EW! There is BIRD POOP all over our window," I said to Tyler, in disgust as I chomped just a little less vivaciously on my garden burger patty.
-"Hmmmmm..." Tyler responded, examining the bird poop with a much too curious look on his face.
-"What?" I asked him, wondering why in the world he was so interested in feces, but at the same, knowing what must be coming.
-"The bird that pooped on our window had [INSERT LONG, LATIN-SOUNDING, DISEASE-ESQUE DIAGNOSIS]. Do you see the blood in it?"

I looked a little closer at the white streak (don't ask me why) and sure enough, there were traces of blood in the bird poop. I sat back down and looked at my garden burger. I saw the ketchup on it. Suddenly I wasn't hungry anymore. Tyler, however, continued to chow down on his dinner as though nothing was out of the normal! But for me, this just went to show how far we had fallen in life -- spending our romantic dinners together diagnosing sick birds who thoughtlessly defecated on our otherwise beautifully pristine windows.

Regardless of how I feel about dinner, however, it's at least comforting to me to know that if Tyler doesn't make it as a doctor, at least he can help all the sick birds in the world. You're welcome little birdies.

Lately...

Life continues to tick by in the vast cow pastures of our small little town of Lebanon. Actually, at this time of the year, the sheep are out in full force, and as I drive to work, I can't help but almost veer into the ditch trying to look at all the adorable baby sheep (aka lambs)! I almost forget I'm in Lebanon and start dancing around in my Scottish kilt. But then I remember the guy in his overalls drinking on his tractor and I am firmly and forever in the present. Sigh. But have I mentioned how CUTE the lambs are!?

Tyler continues to study his little heart out. He's currently in neuroscience right now, which is supposedly one of the toughest courses of the year. He's also taking his DO specific manipulation course, which he'll continue to take through his second year. Let's just say that he'll be the first to admit how bad he is at it. The other night I was his patient for TWO hours as  he diagnosed me with all of these structural abnormalities and whatnot. And then once he had spent almost all of his time diagnosing me and making me convinced that I was born a mutant, he decided that he would keep working on memorizing the treatments before practicing them. I was like, "Um, you can't leave me disfigured like this." So he tried to do some of his techniques on me and then we decided that yes, he's really bad at it. I have been building up my positive self-body image ever since. Mr. Smarty Pants gets inducted into the honor society on Wednesday, and I hear we get a free dinner out of it, so of course I'll be there to support him! :)

We're planning some travels in the near future. Both Tyler and I are going up next weekend to hang out in Portland for a few days with my old roommate and her husband. They're coming down from Seattle and it will most likely involve spandex. But Tyler is really hoping that it won't. Maybe marriage has calmed my roommate down. Unfortunately for Tyler, I think her husband is just like her. After a whirlwind weekend, Tyler and I both fly out Monday morning -- I'm headed to Boston to accompany my dad and 12 8th graders on a weeklong field trip, and Tyler will head to Salt Lake City to hang out with his family. We decided that it was not good for man to be alone. In April I'll be headed to Sacramento for a friend's wedding, and then the first weekend in May I'll fly out to Boston with my mom for the craziest weddings of them all. I'm still working on how much can possibly be packed into three days. My mom MUST see everything humanly possible while we're out there. Sleep? Who needs sleep? This summer Tyler and I are still throwing around a bunch of travel ideas. We would like to get a stamp on the old passport, but we're torn between a relaxation trip, and one that will give him international health experience. I just don't know if you can beat a Pina Colada on the Caribbean beaches of the Riviera Maya! To be continued...

In other more serious news, my stepmom is battling breast cancer, but doing so like the champ that she is! On Monday she had a double mastectomy. Tyler and I went down to Eugene on Sunday night to visit her before the operation, and she's now home. I'll be going down this weekend. She texted me yesterday and asked me to wash her hair when I go down. She promised not to bite or scratch like a cat, and I'm going to hold her to that. But her lymph nodes came back clear of cancer, meaning it hasn't spread, so she'll just need 12 months of chemo and NO RADIATION. So that is all super good news. Well, chemo is never good news, but it's better than it could be! Jen is a rockstar.

Well, this is a quick update in the life of Tyler and Jessica, should the very few who read this blog be wondering if we still have have fingers to type. Yes, we do. His are just always typing big, scientific words, and mine are typing evil letters to insurance companies. Till next time...

And some pictures to soothe the soul...

I've been on a gluten-free diet for the last two weeks now to rule out food allergies. This is evidence that I was still able to eat real food! Even if it is for rabbits. Silly kids.

Tyler and I had to go chaperon a church youth dance. The middle school awkwardness we witnessed was almost too much to handle. This was us in our prom shot before the big event. My eyes are still facing forward -- not in the back of my head like they would eventually end up.

Sir Tyler and his flowers he got me for Valentine's Day. He looks like he's taking oath of office? Oh wait -- the oath of LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Tyler and I are members of my mom's Cookie of the Month Club. This was her February delivery. I LOVE Cookie of the Month!! And you can bet your wheat filled belly that I won't be on the gluten diet when March's batch arrives at our mailbox.

I babysit these boys every Thursday in the afternoon. Sometimes we run out of places to play hide and seek!I love them.