it's never too late for a curfew

where are we headed?

2012-01-29T22:05:00.003-05:00

in 14 hours, we will know where baby curfew will be born. the match results will be posted at noon tomorrow and we will be told where b will begin his interview on july 1, 2012. crazy! super exciting though. we know wherever we are supposed to go is where we'll end up. looks like it's between denver, loma linda, and ucla. time will tell!

..and baby makes three

2012-01-17T20:12:00.005-05:00

we are over the moon with excitement! let's admit, it's scary too! we found out the day before thanksgiving, and i've never seen brandon more genuinely shocked than when i showed him the positive test. it was so great. when we were in california for brandon's residency interviews in the beginning of december, i started to feel pretty sick. it made traveling pretty rough. lots of car rides, trains, and planes don't go well with extreme nausea. the interviews went very well though, and we're excited to hear where our baby is going to be born! baby curfew is due 07/29/12... can't wait!

baby's first photo. taken at 8 weeks (12/15/11) can't wait to see it again.

we heard the heartbeat this week. i had an ultrasound when brandon was out of town taking care of his final interview in december. it was brandon's first time hearing it this week and he lit right up as soon as the doctor found it. it was the best feeling ever to connect with each other over such a neat moment.

december 23: pike place

2011-12-24T18:10:00.005-05:00

we headed down to pike place yesterday for our new tradition. a couple years ago, the same group headed down on christmas eve and we were excited to do it again this year.

a couple other pictures i have from the past couple days. a shot from the flight into town and a view of the seattle skyline.

goodbye to a legend

2011-10-05T20:29:00.004-04:00

"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve." -Apple

the curfews are mourning the loss of a brilliant innovator and who knows if the world will be the same without him. i know it sounds dramatic, but we're seriously sad. a little something is missing now...
we'll miss you, steve!

a trip to the zoo

2011-10-03T22:12:00.021-04:00

last week, b and i had the day off and we randomly decided to use our free passes that b won in a dental convention raffle. sweet! we walked there (it's reallllly close to where we live) and checked out everything. it was really empty because of the day and time. perfect! we walked around, saw all the animals, and made ourselves sick with cotton candy, nachos, and giant pretzels. perfect day.

with the crazy bird. it made us nervous because it was large and right at eye level. yikes.

just letting out the superhero within

albino alligator!

rescued polar bear. so sweet and playful!

gorilla friend.

he stayed on the rhino for 8 seconds. i was impressed...

we stopped and watched the giraffes in their feeding station for a while. these animals are incredible. did you know they only sleep for 20 minutes at night and their hearts weigh like 20 lbs? with the long neck, you need a strong pump getting the blood up to the brain. oh, and they only have as many vertebrae as humans? i did not know these facts and was mesmerized when the docent was teaching me all these amazing facts. b was probably embarrassed.

sweet elephants loving each other. i love that we have so many different creatures on our planet.

Back to blogging

2011-09-28T11:44:00.003-04:00

I think we are getting time to breathe a little more nowadays. We just got B's residency applications out last week. It was a long process, so we're glad it's done. And now we wait...
Brandon really loves general dentistry and the variety it gives him. BUT, he says the more he learns in dental school, the more he realizes he still wants to learn and master. We went through the lists of programs all over the country and he got them narrowed down based on what they offered (surgery, sedation, simple implant placement, etc) and where they were located. Most are out west. One is here. Who knows where we'll be in July 2012! We ask each other this every day.
I'm planning to work my way back into blogging. It's crazy to think of what's happened between now and the last time I posted. Yikes.

view from the beach club

2011-07-27T12:14:00.003-04:00

I have a lot of pictures to add to the blog, but until then, I threw in this one that reminds me of a view that I love.

Baby Shower & 4th of July

2011-07-16T12:59:00.010-04:00

B has been gone since the 1st. He headed out to the Pacific Northwest early to go to a Rush concert with his brother before he started his internship with the Indian Health Service on the 5th. I'll head over there on the 21st, so until then, I'm trying to keep myself busy.
The day after I dropped my main squeeze off at the airport, I helped do a little shower for one of my favorite people, Shanah. She is having her second boy so we did a diaper shower and decorated onesies. They turned out awesome!! The food the girls brought was fantastic and the company was superb.
I didn't take any pictures this day, so I stole these from the girls.
My friends are so talented. I'm always experiencing new delicious foods.

Aren't they cute??

Obsessed with the onesies. Some look like they came from a boutique!

The party planner/hostess, Sasha. She's the cat's pajamas.

The 4th was a great day. I enjoyed a BBQ at the park that's seriously just outside our front door. Afterwards, a group of us headed downtown to enjoy the fireworks on the waterfront. Great little 4th.

Brit B with her cute boy Ben enjoying the fireworks.

new york state of mind ::: last day

2011-06-18T12:05:00.016-04:00

we had an afternoon flight back home, so we had a little time to spend with the maclaurins our last day. we thought it would be fun to take the ferry over to staten island and back. it's free and you get some great views! i'm so glad we did it. we jumped on the subway and headed to the south ferry stop.

we literally boarded the ferry, got off on staten island, walked through the terminal, and got back on the ferry when it was ready a half hour later. we grabbed wraps for lunch while we waited too. it was the perfect way to see the skyline and to cruise right by lady liberty... for free!

enjoying the wraps

whitney & ryan!

after the ferry trip, we headed back uptown and got all packed up and ready while ryan fetched the car. they were on their way out of town on the same day, so they were taking their yorkie, karma, to spend time with family. they were so kind to drop us off at laguardia on their way to long island. thanks again guys!!
we enjoyed our time at the airport and while many flights were cancelled or delayed around us, our trip home was cake.
we enjoyed the california plane from baltimore to the ville. perfect ending!

new york state of mind ::: day three

2011-06-16T20:55:00.022-04:00

yay for getting my life back!! i have so many things i want to update, and i'm going all the way back to last august. wow, where does the time go?? it's hard to recall the specifics of our new york trip which is sad, but maybe the details will all come back as i go.
on day three of our nyc extravaganza, we had 2 major things on the agenda: 1) go to the david letterman taping and 2) visit one of my favorite people, ashley.

we headed downtown and ate at the carnegie deli before heading to the ed sullivan theater to wait in line for the show. you have to wait in line with identification and the name of what list you're on to get a ticket to attend the taping. kind of a process. we got there early, and got #s 6 & 7.

delish cheesecake at carnegie. it was huge!

we had time to kill before heading back for the actual taping so we wandered around times square and found ourselves in toys r us. spiderman's got nothing on my superhero.

we are on her polaroid haha

we got into line according to our numbers, and we were happy to be right at the front with a giant line behind us. we felt like we may get pretty good seats! when we were waiting in line the first time, i kept feeling like people were watching us a lot. i brushed it off and just thought i was paranoid. when we got back in line, we felt like it was happening again. weird. right as i'm taking a picture of our tickets, a young intern walked up. (you can actually see his foot/leg in the picture). he approached us and started asking us questions, like where we were from, were we excited to be there, were we REALLY excited to be there, etc? we went along with it, because we were really excited to be there! he walked over to this girl wearing a letterman's jacket, said something, and then she approached us. we were officially a little weirded out/curious. she asked us if we were excited to be there... we answered that question a lot. then said, ok, come with me, i have a surprise for you. we left our spots in line and quickly questioned why we just did that. anyway, we were walked back in to the theater (which is really cold inside, so it was nice to not have to wait outside in the blistering heat anymore). we were taken to a room with some other people and as i looked around, i saw that all these people had different tickets, and they all said VIP on them. sweet! we were in the right place. we were in a group of like 12 people who weren't vip but we were in charge of laughing really hard at jokes, cheering the loudest, and looking like we were having the time of our lives. so we cheesed it up during the practice/warm up time in the holding room. then the doors opened, and there was the stage. they ran us down, and we were seated in front! there were two chairs in front of us, but other than that, we were front and center! we had a fabulous time.

dave & julia

can you spot us?

LOVE

b ironically hanging out by the woman we just saw

after the taping, we headed to my good friend ashley's place. she and i go way back. she's the founder and editor in chief of KNSTRCT She's such a talented person.
we met ash in the lobby and headed up to the roof for dinner. talk about a nyc life. look at that view!

her roommate is a PR gal who was working with pop chips at the time, so we ate plenty of those, haha.
delicious spread!

b workin' the grill

she's the cutest! thanks again ash!

after a long day, we headed back to the maclaurin's, completely exhausted

fabulous day!!

Almost RDH

2011-05-23T16:38:00.003-04:00

Good news! I just found out I passed my clinical boards! I am officially finished with being a student and taking exams. Phew. Now I just need to get the whole licensure application completed, notarized, and sent. I need to have criminal background checks completed in 3 states, but I guess that's what happens when you live in 3 states in 5 years!
Almost there!

Lots of New Stuff!

2011-05-14T23:55:00.015-04:00

I'm delighted to say that I graduated Saturday. Yay! I will be able to spend more time now keeping up on our blog and doing other fun things like that.
The day was great. My dad flew in Friday night and was able to attend the ceremony.
B and I spent the past week in Florida and it was one of the best trips ever. More on that later. Also, more on things that have gone on in the past 8 months (yes, I am that far behind on updating the blog).
I take my Clinical Boards on Friday (yikes) and then wait for my license to be granted by the Board of Dentistry. After that, I'll be a real working Hygienist. Yeehaw!

Getting ready to graduate

Getting pinned (DH thing) by 2 of my teachers

Photo with Dean Sauk

Excited to have my gigantic diploma

My 2 teachers who pinned me. They were great.

Me with my dad

Me and B

My great friend Brittany

Samantha & Brittany

Jackie Singleton, the DH Program Director

The DH pin I was pinned with is actually on the lavender ribbon. The lavender color is the field of dentistry's color. The red & yellow cords are the honor cords for Summa Cum Laude, and the white thing is for Sigma Phi Alpha DH Honor Society. I don't know much about that. They just gave me the white thing and told me to wear it, haha!

For Mom:
The diploma!

Random things I got. I wasn't at the awards ceremony (I had to choose between attending the awards ceremony or lay on the beach for 4 days....I think I made the right decision)

Class composite. Can you spot the Curfew?

I can't tell you how excited I am to graduate and how excited I am for Brandon to do it next year. That will truly be a huge accomplishment! Less than a year away now!

it's been raining...

2011-04-27T21:54:00.003-04:00

...a lot
we've received around 3 inches today and 8 so far this week. that's insane. also, incredible thunder/lightning, and tornado warnings have kept things exciting.
we are keeping busy with b's school and my externship. i received my boards scores in the mail this week. yay! all went according to plan there. i can breathe a sigh of relief now and focus on graduation and my clinical boards in may.

the river is a little flooded

last day of school & a trip to the dentist

2011-04-07T22:32:00.004-04:00

Today was surreal. I went to school for the last time. Weird. I haven't even processed it. I don't graduate until May 14, but on Monday I start an externship at a dental office that goes until the first week of May. School has been great. It's been stressful, fun, annoying, challenging, etc. but when I think back on it, it's mainly been a blur. It's flown by. So much has happened. And now it's ending. This morning, I screened a patient who I'm going to use for my SRTA board exam on May 20 (yay)! Then B and I enjoyed a cookout in the quad coupled with perfect, and I mean perfect, weather.

Last morning walk to school

After lunch, I had an appointment with Student Dr Curfew. I had a small cavity on a molar and we also wanted to make sure I didn't have any anywhere else. I have one more that popped up on the xray :( Boo. I have only had 2 cavities in my life and they were small and were 10 years ago! Blah. On the plus side, this new cavity is the perfect one that B can use for a competency at the end of the month. It turned out to be something really wonderful for him, so I'm happy I could help :) I'm a great patient with no anxiety and a big mouth. Great, I have a big mouth. Plenty of room to work in there. I'll take it as a compliment. But really, this is a great thing. In the past I said, "Man, I wish I had what you needed for your competency..." Careful what you wish for. Things turned out awesome and we had a great time today. Perfect way to end my experience at ULSD. Student Dr Curfew, I'll see you on the 22nd. I'll try not to bail on you...

Pretending I'm on the beach somewhere. Living the dream...

This is what true love looks like. He's a superstar! Didn't feel a thing. (Or maybe I've been stabbed so many times in school that I don't feel it anymore?) No really, I was extremely impressed!

Working away. While I hang out and take a picture of us.

phew...

2011-04-04T19:50:00.004-04:00

so glad that's over! the weather was crazy with a tornado watch, but luckily things didn't get crazy until just after i got home. i was crossing my fingers that the building wouldn't lose power in the middle of my test!
thanks to everyone who thought of and prayed for me. i definitely felt it.
hopefully when i get my results in the mail, it will be a good day!!
now back to learning how to live a normal life...

Prayers for Japan

2011-03-21T12:27:00.006-04:00

I have always loved Japan. On my two trips there as an exchange student, I was treated better than I could have ever expected. My first trip was up north in the city of Marumori, Miyagi prefecture. The second was to Kushimoto, in the southernmost part of the main island.
It's heart breaking to look at pictures and remember places that I know are now destroyed. I spent time at Matsushima Bay and on the Nightly News, saw a segment on Matsushima. It's devastated. It's tough to remember so clearly the beauty of it, and to think that it is gone now. I had pictures of beautiful temples, of boats in the bay, and the peaceful scenery. It's a different story now.
I've been thinking about the people constantly. They are such wonderful people. Their spirit of helping one another in these extremely difficult circumstances should be an example to all of us.

Dinnertime at the Yabuki's

Some school friends

On our way to school

Hanging out one lazy night

Getting traditional before we played with fireworks

Noriko and Akina when they visited Hemet. I'm watching for them on google people finder.

The red squiggle in the ocean is the epicenter of the quake. The purple diamond is the nuclear power plant. The red cirlcle is the area evacuated. The salmon colored marker is Marumori, where I was and where my friends are. Many prayers go out for them.

...

2011-03-08T15:22:00.002-05:00

Study study and more study. I'm memorizing 950 pages of my boards book to the best of my ability. I'm on 373 right now. Other people in my class started studying over Christmas break and are on their second time through the material. Me? Not so much. My National Boards are on April 4. Fingers crossed it goes well. But before then, we have some fun things coming up!
-March 12-13: Indianapolis Supercross! We've only had the tickets for 8 months...
-March 14-18: Colorado! Skiing, shopping, eating? Sign me up!
Irresponsible and wreckless to take off for a week while everyone else studies their brains out? Probably. Do I have second thoughts about going? No way! Sometimes you need a little something to keep you going in life. And I'd say we both need this right about now...

another day, another dollar

2011-02-15T17:18:00.003-05:00

clean teeth in clinic, lunch, class, and assist brandon with 2 extractions. living the dream :)

I love this guy...

2011-02-14T20:30:00.002-05:00

...a whole lot.
Happy Valentine's Day!

2011

2011-01-23T21:57:00.003-05:00

A lot has gone on that I haven't had time to blog about. Boo. We've been busy busy busy. We've had a lot of good times. I can't believe January is coming to an end soon! This is a picture (courtesy- Shanah Tafoya) from ringing in the new year with our buddies. Food and games- it was a perfect night!
2011 is going to be a fantastic year. I can feel it.
Some things that are planned for the first half of the year:

FEBRUARY
Watch the Superbowl (I love me some football). Packers vs Steelers.
Go Packers!

MARCH
Spring Break! - possibly visit my fam in CO
Supercross- Indianapolis!
National Boards- me

APRIL
4 week externship- me

MAY
5 year anniversary- woah! We need to go somewhere cool.
Graduation!- me (sorry B, yours is next)
Clinical Boards- me

JUNE
5 week externship- B

In between all of this, there will be studying and good times! (Oh, and updating the blog...)

christmas is the time for sweaters

2010-12-18T13:18:00.002-05:00

ice storm

2010-12-18T13:11:00.004-05:00

we had another ice storm. these are so weird. they come through and leave everything coated in ice. this one wasn't as bad as storms in the past, but it still made our driveway an ice skating rink. (ask brandon, he'll tell you. haha... i saw the whole thing!)

solid ice

Moab

2010-12-15T17:24:00.017-05:00

We had the amazing opportunity to get away from school and meet Brandon's dad for a jeeping good time in Moab. Thanks again Clyde for the fun times!

Our little plane. Eek!

Full view of the cockpit during the flight.

Getting the party started.

Hot tub

Father & son

Crunch

Twinners

Don't look down...

Three Gossips

Delicate Arch

Potato Salad Hill: Conquered

a birthday, an art fair, and some football

2010-12-15T16:19:00.009-05:00

My bday was wonderful. We spent it with good friends. They even made me stuffing and mashed potatoes. I was in heaven. Check out those cupcakes. Thanks honey- you're always amazing to me on my birthday (and every other day too).

B played football again this year. He's a stud.

We went to the St. James Art Fair with the Bergesons. It was really fun to wander and see the works of artists from all over the country. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy some corn and Mountain Dew. Yikes, we are becoming Kentucky through and through.

How cute are they?

and then came fall

2010-12-15T15:56:00.013-05:00

Woah. It's winter. My toes are cold and I'm wearing a jacket that I'm pretty sure is manufactured to meet all your sub-zero temperature needs while I sit at the computer. While I write this, B and his friends are paint balling. Paint balling?!? It is 25 degrees fahrenheit right now. No joke. Crazy boys. But, us girls got them certificates to go for Father's Day. Mine was for my future baby daddy. (No, that's not an announcement of any kind). They expire. Like, today. So 25 degree paint balling it is. No blog pics about that. There's no way I could hack it out there to get pics.
I'm listening to Ingrid Michaelson and I'm officially done with school for now. Phew. I had a presentation that I had to go back to school for today, so that's been looming over my head. Now we're in the clear for a bit. Here is a conglomeration of fall happenings.

The leaves changed...
Beautiful. That's B riding his cruiser by this tree that he insisted we check out on a bike ride/study break. No... the image is not photoshopped. That is its true color.

Next was the annual Huber Farms field trip. Always a good time. Shanah and I raided the tomatoes. Delish.

B & Lance getting their horse shoe on. Both gave exceptional performances.

The Curfews and a tractor.

Future pumpkin patch model? I think so.

Camo hats. So hot right now. Seriously.

new york state of mind ::: day two

2010-11-27T20:08:00.027-05:00

We set out with our local, Whitney, to see the sites. (Ryan had to work... boo). First, we headed to see the World Trade Center area. We saw where the towers once stood and visited St. Paul's Chapel. This was such a surreal and somber experience. I felt choked up the entire time and there's a such palpable spirit there.

We saw more of the Financial District and headed to Wall Street.

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge was at the top of my to do list for this trip. I don't know why, but I was obsessed with doing it. I also wanted to eat at Grimaldi's over in Brooklyn. My dreams came true! I loved every second.

Whit and me holding Lady Liberty :)

Enjoying the stroll

Waiting in line to eat. This pizza was well worth that wait. There was a cute picture of Whitney and me, but that guy behind us was creeping bigtime in it. Yikes.

Did I say this pizza was worth the wait?

After lunch, we jumped on the subway to head back over to Manhattan. Whit headed home to get stuff done and see Karma (their Yorkie that I almost stuffed in my carry-on when we came home...). B and I headed for Soho, Chinatown, etc. We wandered and enjoyed seeing so much diversity in such a small area.

We got back to the MacLaurin's and Ryan was home from work. We planned on heading to the Shake Shack that night for dinner. It did not disappoint! Delish.

I really wanted to see the Flatiron building. I think it's so cool. So we ate at the Shack right by it.

Perfect day!

thirty flirty & fun

2010-11-16T20:25:00.007-05:00

today is b's bday! yay! i was bummed to find out i'd be in cincinnati all day at the procter & gamble headquarters, but we both had a good school day and i made it home in time to enjoy the rest of the day with b before heading to dinner. chili's was his pick.
we came home and got to opening presents. he was showered with nice/gross/hilarious cards and he looks forward to that every year :) i've been working on a book for him from his family and me. it all turned out wonderfully and he's enjoying every nice word and fun picture in it right now. he deserves to hear how incredible he truly is, especially on his big day!

Halloweeeeen!

2010-11-02T19:55:00.002-04:00

Due to popular demand, I'm back! Well, I've had like 3 people actually tell me I need to blog. I guess that's not THAT popular.
Long time no post. Sheesh, things have been busy. I still need to finish the NYC posts. I just know they're going to be long, so I haven't had the motivation to begin yet.
A couple weeks ago we headed out for the annual pumpkin picking extravaganza. As always, it was good times with good friends. (Pictures to be added at a later date). We went to a couple Halloween parties and both of them were awesome. Halloween itself was really laid back. We both studied (surprise, surprise) and enjoyed the day.

***Also, a quick shout out to EmDawg. Happy bday!!

Digging in

Two peas in a pod and their punkins

The Browns, Curfews, and Tafoyas. We don't have a little one yet, so we borrowed the Browns' extra one. Thanks guys.

new york state of mind ::: day one

2010-09-02T18:06:00.022-04:00

Holy moly, this was such a great trip. I wasn't ready to leave when we did. We loved it so much that we'd definitely live there for a few years if we could!
We threw our backpacks on and caught a VERY early flight (6:30am early.... thanks Trevor for taking us to the airport in the dark!) After a short layover in Baltimore, we arrived in the NYC. The airport was dirty, the bathrooms had lines out the door, and languages of every kind were being spoken... we were definitely in NY!
We caught the M60 bus from LaGuardia and headed to Manhattan (after getting on the bus, realizing we needed change, jumping off, digging through my bag for spare change, finding enough change, and jumping back on, that is).

B waiting for the M60

The bus took us through Harlem and other interesting 'hoods. It was cool seeing everything. It was also fun seeing all the different kinds of people. As we rode, I set plans for that night with the talented/funny/witty Kate McNeil and her husband, Cameron. We found our stop (well, close enough) and walked the rest of the way to the MacLaurin home. Thanks guys for being such amazing hosts! After dropping off our backpacks, we set out on foot to see where the sidewalks would lead us.

After we grabbed a couple hot dogs from a cart, we found the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir

Enjoying a Central Park bench...

...with this view

We kept walking in the direction of the Met...

...and found it

Plaza Hotel. Home Alone 2. Booya.

We sat on the other side of 5th Ave and people watched for a bit. We then headed into FAO Schwartz and the Apple Store (in the background)

See the line of people filing down the stairs? Crazy. We waited in line to LEAVE the store too. Wowzers.

Next... Rockefeller Center. Saw the Today Show set, site of the skating rink, etc. Then I thought I'd treat B's sweet tooth at Dean & Deluca. It was decent. Older/dirtier than I thought it'd be. For $5 a cupcake, you think they could afford to clean the restrooms a little more thoroughly. But whatev!

Times Square. Saw it a few times. Saw the New Year's Eve Ball which was fun. Now we can know we've seen it, and I never want to be there to see if drop. Seems like a little too much craziness/coldness/drunkeness for my liking.

This is the site of a cool/crazy/unexpected story. As we were sitting on the red stairs pictured below, we were looking at a map on my phone. The phone starts ringing. It's a (212) number... NYC. Who could that be? Weird. B tells me to answer it since it could be any of our friends in town trying to reach us. I answer.
Me: Hello?
Guy: Hello. Is this Mrs. Brittany Curfew?
Me: Yes? (Who the heck is this?? I'm flipping through my mental rolodex like a mad woman. Coming up blank.)
Guy: (Chuckles at the apparent confusion in my voice) Hi Brittany, this is Jack with the David Letterman Show. I'm calling about the tickets you applied for. (Wow! I applied for those tickets like 3 months ago and KNEW we wouldn't be picked! Brandon's eyeballs were huge at this point)
Me: Oh yeah!
Jack: (Laughs at me again) Are you in town? Will you be here and available on Wednesday?
Me: (Trying to think of what plans we have on Wednesday and instantly deciding they can be rescheduled if we do have any)
So then Jack asks me to read my driver's license info to him and verify everything. I also have to verify that Brandon will be with me and other random stuff.
Jack: Ok great, well, you know that to receive these tickets, you'll need to answer a trivia question about Dave.
Me: (Shoot, I was hoping this was a rumor. I don't know anything! Dave is usually on way after my bedtime! I like him, but I don't know his trivia. Ugh. I'm about to flush this opportunity down, down, down...)
Jack: Ok, and also, I know Brandon is sitting there with you. You can't receive any form of help from him. If you do, you will have to forfeit your tickets.
Me: OK. (I forgot to let Brandon in on this crucial piece of info)
Jack: Ok, here it goes. When Dave is sitting at his desk, what does he like to throw behind him?
Me: ... (Of course, deep in thought, I repeat the question out loud)
Brandon: Oh! His pen!!!
Jack: Eh eh! He can't help you!
Me: Shhhhhh!!!! Waving at B to stop... he's confused now.
Me: I think it's his notecards?
Jack: You're right! You can come pick up your tickets at the Ed Sullivan Theatre at 2:00 on Wednesday.

Wow! It was a real miracle. More on that later...

We then walked (oh, the walking) up to Columbus Circle and met up with the McNeils for dinner. We enjoyed a delicious meal and fantastic company at eatery, a trendy little place. I think you have to be cool to eat there or something. It was great though!

After dinner we walked up as saw The Juilliard School, Manhattan Temple, etc. We then grabbed cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery (delish). We caught the subway back to the MacLaurin's and got to spend time with Ryan, Whitney and Karma- the cutest little Yorkie. Thanks McNeils for an awesome night- we had a blast!

This is the result of saying "let's go there... it's only like 5 blocks..." like 25 times in one day. You see that? 8.37 miles walked on day 1. It's exhausting just thinking about it!

Mamacita y Papá come to town

2010-08-29T19:16:00.008-04:00

Just a few short days after my mom left town, Clyde & Leslie arrived! It was great to have family in town this summer. It was SO HOT the entire time they were here, and that limited what we could do. A trip was made to the Brown Hotel for a Hot Brown, of course. We also visited Lynn's Paradise Cafe, saw Salt and Inception, and went for a great little bike ride. It ended up being kind of a workout, but we rewarded ourselves with Joe's Crab Shack afterwards. It was a short visit, but we sure enjoyed the company.

feelin' hot, hot, hot

2010-08-24T19:50:00.002-04:00

Just saw this on Yahoo! News. For the past week, it's been beautiful. But before then... wowzers, it was miserable!

This Summer's Hottest Cities

mama & me in chi town

2010-08-12T08:55:00.012-04:00

while my mom was visiting, we flew up to chicago for an overnight extravaganza in chicago. it was sooo hot, but we knocked out everything we wanted to see/do in this whirlwind of a trip.

we took advantage of chicago's public transportation system to get us to and from the airport
how cute is my mom? i can't keep up...
navy pier for fireworks!
sears (willis) tower. i love the boat tours.
wrigley building. i love the story of how this company got its start.
dinosaur. made in china.
walking all over town.
got to see the news being delivered.
plenty of fascinating architecture to go around...

mom visits the ville

2010-08-11T11:15:00.003-04:00

we had such a great time when my mom visited town. we were busy seeing the sights since she hadn't been out here before. the week went by super fast!

twin spires: churchill downs

ready for the races!

louisville slugger factory/museum. it's really cool to go through when they're making the bats. the wood smells really good. it's crazy to think all sluggers come from here. it's also fun seeing cubbies with names such as ken griffey jr, a-rod, jeter, and tulowitzki on them. there are a bunch of pros who use sluggers and the bats are made to exact size/weight specifications for them.

waterfront park

paying tribute

a chicago wedding affair

2010-08-08T19:42:00.013-04:00

we ran up to chicago to attend a close high school friend's wedding. kerry and pj tied the knot on july ninth in an intimate and gorgeous ceremony. the reception was one to remember as well.

high school gal pals... ashley, keely, angela, melissa, moi

jump, jump!!

we hadn't had peruvian food in a long time, so we made a point to stop on the way out of town. mmm mm mmmm!

remote area medical: pikeville, ky

2010-08-08T18:17:00.006-04:00

we had the wonderful opportunity of traveling to pikeville, ky and working with remote area medical. it's a truly amazing organization and we were blessed to be able to be a part of it for the weekend. b was able to extract a ton of teeth and place some fillings. i was busy cleaning teeth like a mad woman and explaining to people the difference between tartar and their teeth. the people were so grateful for our help and some had slept in their cars overnight in hopes that they'd receive help. all in all, remote area medical saw over 700 people that weekend... (and that was just dental- not medical, ophthalmology, etc). it was such an inspirational experience and we were so grateful that we did it.

Excuse the tired looks in these photos... we were up at 4:30am... working on patients at 6:00am... and the pictures were taken around 5:30pm.

this is our bff/next door neighbor/window washing buddy trevor. he's cool.

DH girls

You can see B in part of the video on this page...

Hello Brooklyn

2010-08-03T13:53:00.002-04:00

Central Park

2010-08-02T13:24:00.002-04:00

Giving our feet a break in the park. Loving every second.

mammoth cave

2010-08-01T16:18:00.009-04:00

we had a short break from school a while back, so we decided to skip town and explore a bit. we headed south to mammoth caves to check things out. we camped over night and went on a cave tour. i was stupid and didn't bring a jacket, so i was borderline hypothermic the entire tour. but, it was super cool going deep into the cave.

we went on a little hike down to the river to check it out. it was about 40 feet higher than normal. on the way down, i was carrying my banana. somehow, it slipped from my hand, and at the exact moment it landed under b's foot and he stepped right on it. boo. crazy how fast it happened!

ingrid in cincy

2010-07-21T08:21:00.017-04:00

we had such a great time at ingrid michaelson's concert in cincinnati. it was in cincy on a school night, but SO worth it. matt morris opened and he was amazing! he is truly talented. ingrid puts on one heck of a show. the concert was held in a cool old (haunted) building called southgate house. a bigtime storm hit in the middle of ingrid's set and the building lost power! it was pretty spooky and crazy. if you ever get the chance to see ingrid live, do it. she has a hilarious personality and she and the band have some super sweet dance moves that do not disappoint.

the view driving into town

southgate house.... boo!

b passed!

2010-07-20T21:22:00.005-04:00

congrats b on passing your national boards! you blew them right out of the water! i'm so proud of you. you have such a strong work ethic and your diligence always impresses me. i'm so grateful it all paid off so well for you. you truly deserve anything great that comes your way. WAY TO GO BEANIE!

thunder

2010-07-20T21:17:00.004-04:00

i just had to post a couple of my favorite pictures from this year's thunder. enjoy.

pretty day in the city

no, you do not need to adjust your monitor... that really is the best toddler mullet you've ever seen

the amazing fireworks that thunder has to offer. we watched this year from the 11th floor of the med school and it was perfect

survival mode

2010-07-05T10:52:00.005-04:00

this summer has been great so far. except for one giant elephant in every room... national boards. b has been studying for a while now and he is taking them wednesday. while he studies and is in the clinic, i've been trying to stay busy as a nanny, working in the lab, and getting the house ready for visitors. we have a short trip to chicago planned to attend my friend kerry's wedding this weekend. then my mom visits for a week. then the curfews come out for a few days. then we head to nyc for a bit. we're so excited! until then, i'm working on keeping b alive & sane. poor guy.

this guy is not usually a napper. but one day i walked in and found him face down.... out cold. that's what boards will do, folks.

bnl + ingrid

2010-06-15T20:22:00.010-04:00

the barenaked ladies came to town recently. b and i easily agreed on making this a date since he loves bnl and i love ingrid michaelson (the opener). we ventured out on a 10 minute drive downtown to pay a visit to the palace theatre.

the inside of the Palace was so amazing.

the stage is set for Ingrid to open.

we were SO impressed by ingrid. she was absolutely hilarious and has the most incredible live voice. b was obsessed with her in 2 minutes flat. what can i say? the man has good taste. we even took a trip a month later to see her headline in cincinnati.
oh yeah, bnl was good too ;)
a+ kind of night.

anniversary extravaganza

2010-06-02T15:41:00.006-04:00

we had a laid back anniversary this year. it was great to just hang out and enjoy being with one another. we enjoyed dinner, dessert and a movie. we saw date night and laughed really hard.

these little creatures were trash talking us as we passed by. we took care of business. they had nothing more to say once we were finished with them...

the ville in april

2010-06-01T13:08:00.004-04:00

we were washing windows one day in southern indiana and when we were headed back across the bridge, we got to see downtown with all the peeps enjoying thunder over louisville.

i took this at one of the houses we washed windows for- it's really beautiful here in the spring.

we had the chance to plant flowers at our house one spring morning. we love having a yard to get out and get our hands dirty in!

4 years...

2010-05-13T10:23:00.006-04:00

beanie-
it's been 4 years! can you believe all that's happened since we tied the knot? crazy. we sure have conquered a lot together... we're quite the team. i admire you so much. never forget that.
i love you a whole punch!
buttercup

school schmool

2010-05-02T20:37:00.004-04:00

we just finished our finals week and boy does it feel good! we are going to make sure we enjoy our week off before classes/ studying for boards begins. here's a quick peek at what we've been up to this semester...
we can't believe b is halfway through dental school. can we get a what what??

brandon with his denture patient. they formed a great relationship and b did such a great job. look how good the patient looks!
fun with nitrous
lots of fun with pathology
gotta learn somehow!
always good to get a thumbs up from a patient :)

man at work

2010-03-31T17:40:00.002-04:00

here's the man... hard at work, and "workin it"

7 Things Your Shoe Salesman Won't Tell You

2010-03-20T20:20:00.004-04:00

I just read this article and, having been in shoe sales before in my life, found myself laughing at how true it is. I could add a few more to the list, but this will do for now. Enjoy!

1. I may be kneeling at your feet, but I’m not your servant. Lose the ’tude, dude.
2. Don’t ask for a size 7 if you’re a 9. No one cares how big your feet are (though we all appreciate a little foot powder, if it’s not too much trouble).
3. Shoes should be as wide as your feet and longer than your feet. It’s not just the distance from the heel to the end of the big toe that matters. It’s also the distance from the heel to the ball of the foot.
4. Don’t try on sample shoes if they’re not your size. “People smash their feet into shoes that are three sizes too small, and then I have sample shoes that have been stretched,” says a New York salesman.
5. Please don’t keep me waiting ten minutes while you talk on your cell phone. What if I did that to you?
6. If we don’t have exactly what you want, it may not exist. And I can’t cobble it together in the back room while you wait either.
7. Losing weight will make your knees, ankles, and feet feel better. Shoes—not so much.

what's wrong in this picture?

2010-03-11T09:47:00.002-05:00

missing magic mouse

2010-03-08T19:48:00.003-05:00

this past week i was able to use the "big computer"... aka the one in the office. during school, i rock the laptop and b uses the iMac desktop in the office. i'm going through magic mouse withdrawals. when b really wanted magic mouse for christmas, i didn't quite understand how cool it was. he got it. i tried it. i love it. but now b is back to ruling the batcave, and i miss magic mouse a little bit.

the batcave

2010-03-06T22:12:00.004-05:00

this is the room where b spends hours and hours every day during school. it is lovingly known as "the batcave". it has been light and airy and stress-free for the past week. i wish we could keep it that way. spring break is coming to an end. the office sure looks good clean. the floors are free of books, papers, and all the lame stuff that comes with school.

supercross craziness

2010-03-02T15:33:00.006-05:00

it was so great to get out of town last weekend. we headed up to Indy for our now annual supercross trip. it was tough going out of town the weekend before my massive pathology exam, but it was SO worth it. it was a weekend we both needed bigtime. zero stress. tons of running around town and having a blast. since we got these tickets in october, we had amazing seats. front row joe anyone? couldn't believe it. by the end of the night, we had dirt in our teeth and all over our clothes. it was so awesome!

ryan villopoto's entrance.

during the qualifying heat, davi millsaps was in front of villopoto and dumped over. ryan fell too. his bike broke. end of race. on to the last chance qualifier. ugh.

villopoto was a superstar and passed everyone to win the lcq.

yeah, he's into it.

on to the final. he won! great race to watch.

thanks ryan for the victory drive-by. we were your loudest fans.

need a crown?

2010-02-26T13:07:00.004-05:00

Shout out to my superstar, Student Doctor Beanie Curfew. He's really good at what he does. End of story.

Downtown Seatown

2010-02-26T11:58:00.017-05:00

Indy- Supercross 2010

2010-02-16T19:38:00.005-05:00

This weekend we're headed to Indy for a much-needed break. We've had tickets since October for the Supercross and are so excited to go again this year. With the craziness that school is causing, it'll be so nice to get away and have a great time running around the city.

Supercross will be here again- it's such a cool stadium!

The new kid who we love watching...

We hope this guy can get another win...

We just need to survive until the weekend. Can't wait!

Happy snow day

2010-02-15T17:39:00.001-05:00

Today we had a snow day. We both wish it could be more exciting, but we've both been studying all day.
Me- Patholgy
B-Pharmacology
At least we got out for a bit to enjoy the fresh pow pow ;)

Toast to 2010

2010-01-29T19:41:00.004-05:00

For NYE, we headed over to the Brown's hizzy. It was great times. Pizza, heated games of Ticket to Ride, and Ryan Seacrest... great way to ring in the new year.

The One on Christmas

2010-01-12T11:26:00.013-05:00

Christmas 2009 was a hit. Everyone was able to be in town for it. The sun was shining. It was warmer in Seattle than Louisville. Only a couple days of being up before the sun due to time differences.
Highlights:
Family.
Christmas tree scents filling the room.
M&Ms by the front door.
My new slippers.
Mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, roast beast. And rolls. Perfect rolls.
New sweats.
A Christmas Carol.
Dick's burgers. Finger lickin' good.
No school.
Reflections on Lake Washington.
Bellevue Square.
Movies at the theater.

RACHAEL & GRANDKIDS

JENNY. INCA COLA MODEL EXTRAORDINAIRE.

FAMILY PHOTO.

TRUE COLORS.

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

The One in Cle Elum

2010-01-03T21:21:00.027-05:00

Oh, how we love the ranch. While in Seattle, we were able to sneak away for a few days and enjoy the simple life the country has to offer. It's so nice waking up and not having anywhere to be or anything to do.
What to do? We roll out from under the quilts piled high and go straight for the sweat pants. Wander downstairs where the world's most delectable waffles are about to be created. Bacon and sausage come from Owen's Meats. Fresh as fresh can get. Hashbrowns. Maple syrup. Root beer? That's right. Anything goes at the ranch.
We play with toys around the ranch. Only here do "grown-ups" find such entertainment on a frozen pond with a rudder, a metal pole, and a stick.
We watched movies. Ate out. Rented a movie at the local Safeway. Felt like locals. Saw and said hello to Jimmy both times we went to Safeway... he must be quite the regular customer.

ON THE POND

THE BOYS

HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE

TEARIN' IT UP

THE GROUP

FATHER/SON

THE FELLAS

THE LADIES

Thanksgiving 2009

2010-01-03T15:04:00.006-05:00

We ended up staying in Louisville for this Thanksgiving, and it was really enjoyable. We started the day out by getting food prepared and going for a walk to return our Redbox (which we regretted halfway into the walk...it was chilly). We hosted the dinner at our house and the Sonicos and Tafoyas (dental friends) graced us with their presence. The Tafoyas made a fantastic turkey, and we had all the delicious fixins to go with it. Brandon was a stud in the kitchen! I'm always impressed with that guy. We finished the day by watching Christmas Vacation. That movie is an all-time favorite of ours and the best way to get you in the holiday mood!

Whirlwind of talent in the kitchen making his mama's rolls.

We then proceeded to a spin-off in the kitchen since the table was moved to the other room. Beanie won.

The table set and ready to go

Group shot! Tafoyas in background, Sonicos off to your right

29 and lookin' fine

2010-01-03T14:57:00.007-05:00

BTC turned 29! Woo woo! It wasn't the best timing with exams, etc, but we had a great time. The weekend of his birthday we went to Chili's with the Browns and Tafoyas. We then headed out for some sweet bowling action. On B's actual birthday, we had some friends over for desserts.

I'm so proud you're my man, B. I hope this year is the best yet.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-31T14:23:00.004-05:00

I'm working on recovering from Pacific Time to Eastern Time, but in the meantime, enjoy this fantastic shot.

Chillin in Detroit

2009-12-28T19:34:00.002-05:00

We've been here for a while and now our crew isn't here. Soon enough, we will be back in the Ville.

Sent using my iPhone

Stayin' Alive

2009-12-06T18:59:00.004-05:00

Finals week. UGH. I have 2 tests tomorrow (Head & Neck Anatomy and Hygiene Theory), and then 1 test every day through Friday. Brandon has the uber-dreaded PATHOLOGY exam tomorrow. (That class is a totally ridiculous nightmare). Our eyes are crossed, our brains hurt, and I believe that at some point during the week, one of our heads just might actually pop off.

Feel free to send candy, homemade dinners, or maybe just a Valium or two. (Just kidding... about the candy and dinners...)

Back to the grind.

Here goes nothing.

Huber Fun

2009-11-14T09:49:00.010-05:00

A few weeks ago, we headed up to Huber Farm to pick some apples and punkins. It was really nice being able to spend time with the man and wander around. We played horse shoes, shopped in the little country store, picked/ate apples, and rode the tractor trailer out to the punkin patch.

Throwing a ringer...

Racing the rooster

It was really funny when he couldn't get off of it

Yee haw

Yeah, I couldn't get off of it either...

Y'all ready for some football?!?

2009-11-14T09:22:00.011-05:00

B played on the intramural team again this year. It's always really fun to go and watch. They did really well and ended up killing everyone on their way to the championship game. As the result of terrible call after terrible call.... really, we said they should just pick the winner and end the game- the class of 2012 walked away empty-handed. (Super Bowl XL, anyone?)

B sprained his left ring finger really bad and then sprained his right ring finger a few games later... pulling those flags can be dangerous! It was so great to go out and support my superstar.

Go Beanie Go!

The pitch...

Jukin' 'em!

Touchdown!

About to catch another TD pass...

Bday

2009-10-31T11:07:00.011-04:00

It's almost Brandon's birthday, so I really need to get the blog caught up and post my bday. It was one of the best yet. It landed on Labor Day weekend...bonus. We have a home where we can have people over to celebrate...bonus. I have an amazing husband who wants to make my birthday special and memorable...big bonus. The whole weekend was wonderful. On Sunday, we had a BBQ and celebrated the big 25. Delicious burgers and hot dogs were served, and everyone brought a side to go with it. There was also football, hillbilly golf, and of course, Brandon's superb home-baked cake and cupcakes. Thanks B... it was a birthday to remember.

Getting our jump on with JD (and QB)

The Browns. They're the bomb.com

J-Dogg flexed his muscles for me on my bday.

Hillbilly golfing

Check out that cake. He's a pro.

Summer 2009: Colorado

2009-08-30T16:35:00.010-04:00

While B was on the trail, I was enjoying major girl time. I got to hang out with my sister and my mom for the week! As soon as they picked me up from the airport, we headed to the Omni Hotel in Broomfield. While there, we did the usual: massages, room service, laying by the pool, and shopping. Heaven. We also went to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. It is the most paranormal hotel in the country (you Ghost Hunters fans may already know this.) This is the hotel where Stephen King got the idea for a little book called The Shining. Creepy place. Also, if you watch Dumb & Dumber anytime soon, pay attention to the hotel they check in to when they take out a few IOUs. Jim Carrey didn't even make it through the night in this place while filming.

We also got to really check out Downtown Denver for a couple days. We enjoyed the 16th Street Mall, people-watching, the Capitol buildings, and a Rockies game.

I have way more pictures, but it seems they're all on my phone. I'll have to work on that one.

The Stanley Hotel

View from Main Street, Estes Park

Capitol

Good seats, Mom!

It was a beautiful night for hot dogs and a game

Rockies won!

The view from our downtown hotel

Summer 2009: Rubicon Trail

2009-08-30T16:28:00.016-04:00

After our trip to Seattle, we split up and B got to enjoy some quality time with his boys. He had the opportunity to do the Rubicon Trail with his dad and brother. I'm so glad he got to get out and get dirty before heading back to the sterile life of a dental student.

Heading out

You know you're in the middle of nowhere when...

Which way?

Showing the trail who's boss

>>>Tight squeeze<<<

I really like this picture- good job, B!

B admiring the big breffes

A cherished picture of the boys

They made it through...

Gorgeous view on the way back to Seattle

Emily and I didn't hear from our boys for a while (zero reception out there), but when we did, it was pure happiness. I'm pretty sure Brandon's feet were dirty for a good couple weeks after this trip ;) But, I was so happy to have him back!

Summer 2009: Washington

2009-08-30T16:10:00.021-04:00

We sure made the most of our summer break. First, we headed to Seattle to attend Brandon's 10 Year reunion and made a week out of it.

In no particular order...enjoy.

Rocking other passengers in the in-flight trivia (we seriously played it the whole 5 hours. I don't know if I can fly without it ever again...)

B is "EYNSTYN"... yeah, #1 as usual...

Enjoying a Mariners game. Luckily it wasn't too bad with it being 100 degrees the whole week!

Griffey Jr. bringing it home

MIHS boys. Welcome to the ROCK, haha

Of course, the Curfews got the bowling started at the reunion. We had a great time with the Smiths

Late that night... and I had a flight to catch the next morning. Blah.

Leavenworth. We rode the motorcycles there again and enjoyed brats, cookies, and The Sound of Music in the great outdoors.

At the ranch

Shootin' some guns

Yeah...

Throwin' some clays... ( I shot the 410 like 3 times. I'll try more next time)

We're Bad-A

It was also SeaFair weekend. We missed the main events but got to watch the Blue Angels practice a few times

They came really close over the house...

I mean, really close...

Look Out Dental Profession

2009-08-27T20:19:00.008-04:00

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to my wife who has officially joined the crew at the University of Louisville Dental Hygiene program. She has put a lot aside for many years to get me where I am, and now it's her turn to do something I know she'll really enjoy. (who WANTS to go back to school? not me) I'm really proud of her and am excited to see her excel in all her classes. Because she was such a super applicant, she was awarded the only scholarship given to Hygiene students. Quite an accomplishment already and she just got started.

First day of school

White Coat Ceremony

Twinners!

chi town

2009-08-09T22:07:00.031-04:00

we're back from our vacations. mixed feelings here. brandon is in the kitchen packing his lunch for school tomorrow. that's lame. shortly before we left on our trips, we headed to chicago. we had been working ourselves to the bone during our recent move. i kid you not, my hand was in perma-claw from holding a paint roller. when we finished the moving, painting (for the most part), etc we decided that the way to celebrate was to get out of the house. kind of weird.
i have always wanted to visit the windy city. brandon didn't really care to go. but, we're happy to report that we're both obsessed with the city. the only regret i have is not booking the trip for a day later. we could have used some serious resting time between painting and walking 20 miles a day.

hotel

testing out the shower

b chillin at the new trump tower

the wrigley building and our boat tour are in the background

this is our tour guide, brad. he did a good job.

it was windy. but, did you know that's not why chicago is called "the windy city"? yeah, we learned stuff.

outside the hancock center building.

chicago's parks are incredible.

b & b and the bean!

one night, we enjoyed the orchestra here.

navy pier: bikes for rent

talk about an orange dreamsicle come true

b had a random growth spurt while we were there

b catching air and a piece of mt. rainier

we had to drive right through gary, indiana. this is where mj was from. so, we stopped and got lucky enough to see the memorial boards.

Life is good

2009-07-27T21:29:00.001-04:00

On the road again

2009-07-26T15:34:00.001-04:00

Sent using my iPhone

We made it!

2009-07-24T12:47:00.002-04:00

We made it to Seattle. Booya! Here it is, 6:30 am, and we're wide awake. I should be up this early more often because I got mobile blogging set up. You're in for a real treat. Here's B in the ATL getting our bag from our tiny plane.

We then headed to our gate 5 miles away (ATL is a large airport). There's this girl sitting at our gate. She was looking down. I slow down and say, "that girl really looks like lexi..." what the heck?? It was!!! We had two incredible hours with the browns (seriously, it was so cool seeing you guys. We hope you make it to Boise soon, boo). After 5 HOURS STRAIGHT of in-flight trivia (we dominated the other passengers), we arrived at SEA! A fabulous stop at 13 Coins for dinner and So You Think You Can Dance... Life is good. Sent using my iPhone

fourth of july 2009

2009-07-19T23:23:00.010-04:00

the fourth was a really great day. it was relaxing and entertaining. in the morning, we headed out with our friends, the mortensons, tafoyas, and sonicos to a fun little festival. we went with the mortensons last year and had a great time. we ate delicious funnel cake (we got ripped off last year with a tiny one, so luckily this year's was bigger), watched really cool cars pull in for the car show, and enjoyed some amazing people watching (which is becoming a staple in our kentucky experience). we then headed home for some wallpaper removal before hitting up a bday party.

that night, we headed down to the waterfront with the tafoyas to watch the fireworks. we heard some good tunes, watched some interesting peeps, and right before the fireworks went off, there was a DOWNPOUR. so, we enjoyed them crammed in under the freeway with a google other people. but hey, happy bday america!

getting settled in

2009-07-19T22:29:00.003-04:00

wow, that was a long month. b finished classes in the end of june. and right smack in the middle of his finals, we moved (monday: final. monday night: picking up and loading u-haul. tuesday: moving day. wednesday: final. thursday: final). it was one of the craziest weeks we've experienced in a long time. luckily, we have been house-sitting a friend's house, so b was able to take the computer over there and study away while i cleaned, packed, and handled all the other moving stuff. we made it out alive. barely. we've been in our new place for a few weeks now, and it's beginning to come together. it's such a great feeling knowing we'll be here for 3 years. we've been working our booties off making it our own home. we ran ourselves into the ground with the gazillion projects we (i) set out to accomplish. as soon as we achieved most of the projects, we ran away to chicago for a few days. it was glorious. pictures to come.

Saturdays

2009-06-25T11:43:00.004-04:00

Sometimes you've just got to have a gelato with the one you love...

(PS- It was amazing!)

99 Things

2009-06-17T21:21:00.001-04:00

Here are the rules: Bold the things you’ve done and post on your blog!
(This is Brittany's. Maybe Brandon will do one someday...)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold girl scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

"You're Juicy"

2009-06-16T14:39:00.003-04:00

Apparently, I'm "juicy". I ran to the outpatient care center today after B and I shared our usual weekly 5 dollar footlong, chips, drink, AND a free cookie (seriously, that was awesome). I needed to get a Tdap, TB test, and two titers to prove my immunity from Hep B and Chicken Pox for my upcoming school adventure. The nurse was really excited about my great veins. She went for the blood draw first. Tried the rubber band SO tight on my arm. Everything was going great. But right after she poked me, I saw blood beginning to spill out from where the needle was. At first there was some awkward laughter. But, it kept coming! She couldn't stop filing the vial, so it became this awkward panic of me in a half seated/half standing position to avoid it spilling on my pants. She's trying to draw blood and stop bleeding at the same time. Then she's done and it really starts running. It's all over my arm! She's applying pressure (hard pressure, ouch). Then I'm applying pressure while she's doing my TB. Then she tells me to bend my arm while applying pressure while she does my Tdap. That gets blood all over my bicep. Now there's blood on my hands, my arm, on the armrest, on 3 pieces of gauze and like 12 alcohol swabs. Once we get more alcohol swabs to wipe me off, the nurse turns to me, laughs, and says, "Girl, you're juicy."
Thanks, I try.

I need these pants.

Viva La Vida

2009-06-11T16:06:00.006-04:00

Last weekend we went to a Coldplay concert in Cincy. I have to say that it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. B and I were both very impressed with the quality of their live music. The Howling Bells and Pete Yorn opened the show. B loves Pete so that was fun for him. I've really liked his music since my freshman year of college. The Howling Bells were the first on. I had never heard of them, but really loved their music.
Right in the middle of the show, Coldplay ended up in the lawn and we were so close to them! They played about 5 songs out there. Afterwards, we were standing along a railing, and B says, "I think they're coming over here..." Sure, enough, they walked right by, about 5 feet from us. Too bad there was no time for a photo!

VIVA LA VIDA!!

We got our bowl own. We got it on good.

2009-06-02T21:06:00.010-04:00

Brandon's class had a little get-together at a bowling alley in town and it did not disappoint. We had a great time. Even bowled a couple turkeys.

Right after a sweet SPARE. Booya!

I don't know what got into me, but somehow I rocked game 3...bigtime!

Sweet group shot with our peeps.

Match made in heaven?

2009-05-20T22:42:00.007-04:00

This cracks me up.

exciting

2009-05-20T17:53:00.001-04:00

I just got a massive email full of information about the DH program and what to know, what to expect, etc... and I'm super excited about it.

A trip to Tennessee

2009-05-20T14:54:00.013-04:00

Brandon is done with his Freshman year of Dental School. Holy cow. The week following, we had some time off. We headed down to TN to meet up with some of our peeps. This part of the country sure is beautiful. Have I said that before? Probably. We stayed in a timeshare and it turned out to be a great getaway. While there, we enjoyed the indoor swimming pool, ping pong, delicious steaks, pouring (and I mean poooouring) rain, and a really awesome hike to the base of a waterfall. We really only got pictures of the waterfall. Please enjoy.

3 whole years

2009-05-13T14:59:00.007-04:00

Well well well. Time is officially flying. We celebrated our 3rd anniversary, and that was already a week ago. Yikes. Since it fell on a Wednesday, we didn't get to party too hard (who am I kidding?).

Here are some things that have changed/ not changed since the day we were married.

Since 5/13/2006....

...We have moved 3 times (to a new place in Orem, then to Vegas, then on to Louisville)
...We have been to 15 states (UT, CA, WA, CO, AZ, NV, WY, KS, MO, IN, OH, KY, TN, GA, FL) and 1 other country (Bahamas).
...No new additions to the family... yeah yeah.
...I have 4 less teeth (thanks again Clyde)
...Brandon has run a marathon
...We've run a 5k together (need to work on more races)
...We've aged.
...I now cut Brandon's hair on a regular basis
...We have one different car (thanks Mom & Tim)
...We have had to get Jack (the 4Runner) running again twice...please hang in there, buddy. We need ya.
...I've read a stack of books for fun. (Love it) Brandon is currently working on getting 1 under his belt.
...My heart has beat for him, and only him, approximately 110,376,000 times.

That was then...

This is now...

This is us on our actual anniversary eating at the Melting Pot, which has become somewhat of a tradition for us.

First formal date

First kiss

First confession of love

First ride

First race

First photo shoot

Opening Day at the Downs

2009-04-29T14:58:00.016-04:00

Opening Day. Churchill Downs. Great day. B and I decided to go check out Churchill Downs for Opening Day on Saturday. It was such a fun experience. Cheap to get in, too! We parked in the ghetto (those neighborhoods are a little questionable) and walked to the Downs. It was perfectly sunny, HOT, and super windy! But it was all good. I was happy with the sun.We placed a bet on “Mycrispycreme”…. and, 2nd to last place??? C’mon!!! It sure was a fun day nonetheless. It was such a wonderful thing to have my man for the weekend, just the two of us...

The famous "twin spires"

Scratched for wearing the "wrong shoes"...bummer.

This Mint Julep picture is in honor of JenBug- we know she loves these!

Thunder Over Louisville

2009-04-26T19:24:00.028-04:00

Thunder was the bomb! We got to hang out all day with the Browns… doesn’t get much better than that folks. Since we live downtown, we were able to just walk to all the festivities, which was awesome because we didn’t have to deal with any crazy traffic. We spent the 1st part of the day watching planes in the air show, which turned out to be an all-day event (who knew?). We also wandered around the Waterfront and you know, enjoyed some Apache helicopters, pull-ups with Marines, and Grade-A people watching. Then, I had a hook-up and we had some passes to go hang out where the cool kids hang. We walked over to the 2nd Street bridge (connects Kentucky & Indiana) and enjoyed some SPACE, some free food, and a pretty cool view.

This is when we realized we were in for a real treat...

Us, Jayden, Lexi

This gem decided it was hot. So, he sat next to Jayden's stroller, pulled out a giant pocketknife, and proceeded to cut his sleeves off. You can't make this stuff up...

Nascar for life.

No, you're not confused. This helicopter is, in fact, upside-down. This thing was insane.

The boys.

That Marriott is where B stayed the night before his dental school interview. Pretty crazy to think back on that.

This thing started as a plane, switched to a helicopter, hovered, then switched back to a plane. I didn't know that kind of stuff was real.

Meet Quinn & Jayden. They're the crazies behind us...

Futbol

2009-04-26T19:24:00.011-04:00

It was so great to be back on a soccer team! I ended up playing with some girls from Brandon’s class. I got to dig my high school soccer cleats out from the closet. It was so much fun! Well, pulling my quad was no bueno, at all. I never felt so helpless. It’s still healing, and it’s been like 5 weeks, blah. We were short-handed the whole season, but we were pretty good! It was tough playing 2 people down, with no subs- I started to feel a lot older than when I last played soccer. We made it to the Championship game, and…… lost. Boo! If we only had a couple extra people those sweet t-shirts would have been ours! I do have to give a shout-out to B. He was the best Soccer Dad I’ve ever seen. People on the team started calling him dad. I felt loved seeing him on the sideline of every game, screaming his little heart out.

Are you kidding?

2009-04-26T19:23:00.002-04:00

Dental school can be weird. For example, look at this grading scale. Hi, so you want people to fail basically? I don't get it. Since when is a 92.9% a B?

I'm in!

2009-04-23T14:05:00.008-04:00

I found out yesterday via letter that I've been accepted into the UofL's Dental Hygiene program. I'm pretty excited to know what I'll be up to for the next couple years. I've put some things on hold while we were moving all over the place the past few years to get B in to school, but it looks like my turn is up!
Hygiene is something I've always had in the back of my mind. I've always known I wanted to do something in the medical field, and now this really seems to make sense.
I start August 20 and will be finished in May 2011, still a year before Brandon- haha, sucker! ;) Anyway, there's the good news. Enjoy!

Cherokee Park

2009-04-13T21:04:00.004-04:00

B suggested that we head out to Cherokee Park for some fresh air. He jumped on his bike and I walked the park and caught up with my dad on the phone. It was a mild and pleasant day.

I love Spring

2009-04-13T21:01:00.002-04:00

The last night

2009-04-03T16:08:00.016-04:00

This is what Brandon got. Yeah, both. You got a problem with that?

This was amazing. We didn't order it, but they brought it out for us to try. It was delish. We also tried escargot (surprisingly great) and a really good risotto.

I scream, you scream...

Zakariah!! You the bomb.

Our table. I loved the old couple. They're from NYC, but retired in Florida. They were on the Love and Marriage gameshow one night and it was HILARIOUS.

The sun sets on our vacation...

I wonder what he's thinking...

This trip sealed with a kiss.

Nassau

2009-04-03T15:59:00.022-04:00

This day it rained. Boo. But that’s ok- we had bathing suits on anyway. We walked off the ship and headed out for an adventure. Well, B then got something in his eye. Poor guy, but it’s funny thinking back on it now. We’re standing between 2 HUGE ships, wind blowing, rain coming down. B is hunched over, I’m trying to see what’s in his eye, his eye is watering like crazy. He kept thinking it might go away, but it wasn’t going anywhere. He ended up running back to the ship, and I hung out on the docks.
All 4 eyes are happy, we’re good to go.

Can you spot our elephant?

We decided to just start walking. We walked through a Harley Davidson store and through the Straw Market. When we were in Hawaii on our honeymoon, we got a photo album made of palm frans. We got one of those here too. I feel a tradition coming on…
We walked all over the island. We checked out a beach, saw the US Embassy, the National Art Gallery, and some really cute buildings that were definitely Bahama-esque in my mind’s eye.

Downtown Nassau

I really like this picture.

All the buildings were painted really fun colors

I don't think this boat was living up to its expectations.

We decided to walk over to Atlantis. It was a long walk, but completely worth it. We got to walk over a huge bridge which gave us some good views. When we got there, we spent a lot of time just looking at the yachts that were there. These things were incredible. Enormous plasma screens on the deck, boys cleaning the boat at all hours of the day, maids cleaning, and servers bringing you whatever you want. Pretty crazy that this is some people's reality. We enjoyed sharing a venti hot chocolate from Starbucks and sitting outside. The casino was hoppin'. We watched some people put out more money than I make in a year. Fun to watch, but sometimes I feel sick for them when they lose. We went big in Atlantis. B put a dollar into the blackjack machine. We got up to a whole 1.50, and then we lost it. Phew, good times though. It was really funny because Atlantis is really for people who are paying a LOT to stay there. Somehow, the Curfews owned that place that day. We checked out the casino, the shops, the lagoon, the aquarium... everything, and we were never stopped once. We must really look like we know what we're doing (right...). It was such a neat experience to see Atlantis though. It was a place I'd always wanted to see, but never thought I would. So, check that one off the list! It was late afternoon by now, so we thought we should start our 3 mile walk back (I know, we were too cheap to pay the 10 bucks to take the ferry right to our ship). When we got back it was time to get ready for dinner.

Walking the bridge with Atlantis in view

Insane yachts

Couldn't resist

It's funny how we're making the same face. You can't help it when you're sticking your face through a hole and know you look ridiculous.

Our ship was docked there until 11:59pm (well, 3 hours later than that due to some "issues" with the local authorities), but really, we didn't want to stay in Nassau after dark.
We enjoyed another killer dinner and another night of random entertainment. It was such a dream going out on deck at night and talking while watching the ocean. Definitely a highlight for me.

Desserts

B & the monkey

Our dinner table buddy in the Love & Marriage gameshow. HILARIOUS.

3am on deck. Yeah, we party hard.

Haha, these people passed out with their door open. Classy!

Formal Dinner

2009-04-03T15:03:00.013-04:00

Couldn't get enough of the sunsets out there.

Goodness, I love being on the water.

Our new buddy.

We went to a show that was actually really funny and entertaining. It was this guy from Uruguay. And the guy he's bringing up on stage is actually from Louisville! Small world.

The sweet moves...

2009-04-03T14:59:00.007-04:00

...of Student Doctor Brandon Curfew.
(Sorry honey, but people need to see what you're capable of. You tore it up boy)

This was on the drive down to Florida. We had some good times, really.

Cococay

2009-04-02T14:01:00.015-04:00

Our first stop on the cruise was to Cococay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas. The weather was perfect! We were tendered to the island after a nice breakfast and spent the day doing almost nothing (besides walking the beach, laying out, eating, and swimming). Brandon was walking through the water when we first got there, and encountered a gigantic sting ray. It was so cool! It was half buried in the sand so I grabbed the underwater camera and we got a picture. Hopefully it turned out.

Pretty much a dream. See our ship over yonder?

Feet shot. Gotta have it.

The seagulls loved this pier.

We loved this palm tree.

We walked out hundreds of feet from the shore and were still not even waist-deep. It was incredible.

Every good day must be ended with a trip to the buffet. And then a formal dinner an hour later... yikes.

Spring Break: Shuttle Discovery, Florida

2009-03-28T22:24:00.021-04:00

We left Atlanta and headed for Cape Canaveral, Florida where our ship left from. It was my dream to see a space shuttle launch, and somehow, I got extremely lucky to see one. Discovery was actually supposed to leave back in February, but had some setbacks. Then, it was supposed to leave a few days before we got there, and they had a leak in one of their tanks, so things were pushed back again. By some miracle, it was scheduled to launch the night we were to be in Florida! We didn't make it all the way down there, but as we were driving down the freeway, everyone pulled over and we all watched. It was amazing! We were about 80 miles away still, but the view was incredible. It made me realize how massive these shuttles are.
Going, going...

...gone!

When we finally got to Cape Canaveral (where the Kennedy Space Center is located), we were in shock by how many people were there. It took us a good 2 hours to get 5 miles once we got there. Worth it? Yes.

Boarding the ship, etc went very smoothly. Room 3596 fo life.

Good times. Safety first. I was surprised by how seriously the employees took this drill. They made us put these awesome, fashion-forward contraptions on while running up countless stairs. As you can see, Brandon's life vest made him feel cool...and tough. I think it's hot.

Buoyant Curfews. Muster Station 12 all the way.

Our room. Or cell. No, they call it a "stateroom". It was great though.

Port Canaveral, FL.

Goodbye, worries. Goodbye, reality. Hello, blissful, vacation-induced stupor. Lead me to the nearest buffet.