The Big "D"

Yep. Dallas. Thats where I am for an entire month. Ughhh! And now, without John, Mark, laundry, dishes, meetings, etc I finally have time to update the blog but I have no pictures with me!! John has text messaged me some since I've been gone but I don't know how to get those to my computer. So this is just gonna have to do for an update!

I am down here for a toxicology rotation at Parkland. Its super interesting and has great work hours...8-12 or 2. But its four hours from home. BTW, you should hear Mark say "toxicology". It's really cute.

So an update on the Wingerter's without pictures. We are doing just fine. My residency graduation ceremony is this month. I would finish actual residency on June 30th but I have to make up for maternity leave so I will still be working at OSU in July. Then I start my "real job" in August with St. John Health Systems at the Owasso, Broken Arrow, and Sapulpa ER's. Should be fun. I'll be working all nights, but only about 13 shifts/month!!! Yippeee!!!

We are taking a fun end of residency celebratory trip in July to Maui. Super excited for that. Mark Thomas and my parents are coming. We invited all the rest of our family too but it just wasn't good timing for everyone else. Bummer. But none the less I'm ready for a beach vacation. John and I always seem to head to the mountains which is great don't get me wrong, but I need some sun!!!

John is as usual doing great at work. He is so blessed to have a job that fits his personality and lifestyle so well. He is really into the whole cycling thing and in typical John fashion is doing great. (As he does in every single sport he ever tries - not that I'm biased or anything). He's on a cycling team and really enjoys that .....I equate it to a fraternity for guys too old for college!! =)

Mark Thomas is two. I don't know how else to describe him! He is the absolute cutest most adorable thing that says the funniest things. He is always surprising us with things he knows how to say or concepts he understands. He too is into cycling. If you haven't seen him on his strider bike it's a site to see. He's the talk of the neighborhood whizzing around on that thing. But (sigh) he's a typical toddler too. VERY independant. "No! Me! Me! Me!" is what we hear when he wants to do something all by himself and doesn't have time to spit it out. But a lot of times I hear, "Mommy, I do it all by myself." He also says things like, "in just a minute mommy" like when I ask him to come eat dinner, or put away a toy, or get in the car, etc.

Lastly, here's a cute little Mark Thomas story. The other day before I left town I was rocking him before nap time. He was laying accross my lap with his head on my left and legs on my right. I had to sneeze and turned my head to the right and sneezed. (My arms were trapped under him) After a minute or so he said, "Mommy, did you splash my knees?" I died laughing. Which made him decide he was a comedian and just might get out of nap time so then he repeated it about a hundred times trying to keep me laughing. He's gonna be a comedian like his dad!

Recent Videos

This first video I took a week ago on my phone so please excuse the quality. There really isn't much to hear either, the TV was turned down pretty low. But John and I watch this regularly because we think its hysterical. I will say, Mark got all of his dance moves from his father!

The next video, also taken on my phone, was taken on a Sunday evening before bath time. I like to call it, "Sunday school works" because we have sang these particular songs, but it had been awhile. They must have sang them at Sunday School that morning. You need to turn the volume up really high to hear him(and he doesn't say anything for like the first 10 seconds). But to translate for those of you that need help with two-year-old jargon, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Mumble, mumble, mumble (which is supposed to be "Praise him, praise him, all ye little children") God is wuv, God is wuv."

Enjoy!

Sad News

I feel like I have been "Debbie Downer" recently but there are a lot of people I know facing some big challenges. I'm mainly posting this so that those of you who pray will remember this family when you pray. One of my fellow ER residents found out last week that his three year old daughter Gracie has cancer. They just received bad news this morning that it is stage 3 neuroblastoma (not good). Brandon and his wife Lisa have three other children too. Gracie starts her chemotherapy tomorrow. Please pray for their family. You can follow them at www.graciecare.blogspot.com

Sledding!

Since Tulsa is a winter wonderland again we took advantage of it and went sledding. There is a mini-hill in our neighborhood just perfect for toddler sledding. We think Mark liked it but he never really smiled or laughed, he would just say, "I unna doit again." Poor Rocky Star is still recovering from his surgery for his torn ACL so he didn't make it in our family pic.
Can you tell form this pic that Mark is excited but also a little scared? See his little clenched fists?
See our fancy-dancy sled? Its a blue circular piece of plastic.....seriously, how much do plastics salesmen get paid for this kinda stuff? =)
Grammy and Papa went too. Everybody got to take a turn. Papa crashed. Grammy and Mark hold the record for the sledding the furthest!
Mark also got suited up in his "snow coat" (because he wouldn't wear it all winter until I told him it was his snow coat) and snow boots to help daddy shovel the sidewalk and driveway. Here are the studs:

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Well my little buddy is two years old today! I think he knows mommy is feeling a little sentimental because he has been especially snuggly today. He had a great little birthday party on Saturday here at the house. When he woke up from his nap later that afternoon after I had put the house back to together he said, "Where's my party?" When he found some leftover cupcakes he said, "My party!" I'm still not sure he understands birthdays and birthday parties because he keeps saying, "My birthday is coming up!" (We've been talking about it for ahile I guess!) Anyway, here he is with his balloon man.

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And here he is taking his first bite of "party" better known as cupcake.
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And as a comparison, here he is at his party last year. Crazy how much they grow!


Here is some of the crazy present-opening. It was a little chaotic to say the least. And to top it off he LOVED the first present he opened and wasn't all that interested in opening the rest!

And the aftermath..... here we are trying to get the packaging off his new toys. I mean why such secure packaging? You'd think it was like super-secret confidential CIA documents or something the way they package everything these days!

Soccer Practice

So I am WAY behind on updating the blog, but I have to throw this in really quick before I go back to Christmas pictures. Mark had his very first soccer "practice" tonight and he LOVED it. They just get used to be on the field, kicking balls, etc. They even played "Red Light - Green Light" which Mark has never played before. Here is a video of his first time.....and if you listen really close you can hear him yelling "stop" as he continues to race to the boards.

Yikes! Its been awhile!

It has been quite awhile since my last post and its not because I wanted you all to watch that video over and over! (Even though I think I could!) I just got busy I guess. In November we celebrated my birthday with a trip down to Great Wolf Lodge in Texas. We had tons of fun as you can see. I will say it would be better to go when Mark is at least 42 inches tall (can ride big slides with mom or dad).

Lets see.... we had a great Thanksgiving, but I forgot to take the camera. And we had a Life Group christmas party....also forgot to take pictures of that! We decorated the house for christmas. Here is Mark helping...




John and I went to Austin for a wedding this last weekend (yeah, no pictures from that either) and I was describing Mark to a friend. I think I used the words, "handfull", "onery", and "defiant". Okay - so that sounds bad!! I say those things lovingly as only a mother can! I think he is just the most perfect angel in the world, but he is a boy that's a toddler and I think that is what I was describing. So for all of you that have heard me describe Mark that way I would like to retract that statement and replace it with, "He is busy, determined, and creative!" Doesn't that sound better?

But as an example of Mark being pure boy I will tell you a little story. The other day I saw Mark leaning over his little table with his head just inches from the table top. I said, "Mark, what are you doing?" He said, "I spit." What? And yes indeed as I got closer there was a large puddle of saliva collecting on the table! Seriously? Girls just don't do that! So I said, "No!! We don't spit! Go get a kleenex (he can reach them) and clean it up!" Which he did, and then continued to make spit puddles so he could then clean them up! Lord help me for what is in store the next 18 years!

Here are a couple pics of Mark being a quiet peaceful child...I actually have proof!