I'm a convert

So I haven't posted in a while...I'll try and be better. So an update for me personally, things are well. I just got back from University of Toledo College of Medicine. I interviewed there for a spot in the entering class of fall 2009. For those of you who are thinking "where the heck is Toledo?" it is not in Kansas. It is in northern Ohio right on the coast of lake Erie and near the Michigan border.

I'm lucky enough to have family back east so I was able to stay with my cousins who I have not seen in a decade. They live in Ypsilanti Michigan which is right next to Ann Arbor. My cousin Dave and his wife Shana are a bit older than me and have 6 kids so they feel more like a young aunt and uncle. Their kids range from 18 to 7. I had such a blast with them. In the pic below it goes (L to R) Boone (14), Kiri (16) Taylor (18), Kyla (12) Sawyer (9), Dave, Shana, and Briella (7). Oh and their dog Pedro. Missing from the pic are Bubba and Sasha the two cats. The title says I'm a convert because I am not a cat person at all. I'm all about dogs. However, when I saw bubba for the first time he was sleeping in a basket on the kitchen counter. He is not hugely fat, but decent sized. He is just a big lazy cat. He instantly warmed up to me and would come downstairs at night to sleep with me. His charm won me over and now I think I am starting to like cats. Anyway, my cousin and his fam totally rock. I was a little nervous to be staying with them because they were all so little (or yet to be born) the last time I saw them. Things just seemed to pick up right where they left off. Dave and Shana have raised some awesome kids and they all made me feel right at home. They really gave me something to shoot for as far as successful parenting goes. Well I guess something more to shoot for, because my parents did the best job on me, I turned out stunningly hansome and perfect in everyway.

So the interview was pretty rychus. It was crazy cold in mich and ohio, but the entire campus in toledo is connected by heated glass breezeways so I didn't have to brave the -15 degree weather. The interviewers seemed to be impressed with my resume and honesty so I hope they think I will be a good fit for the school. The student body is very collaborative and according to the students we spoke to, very familial. Thats important to me. Two of the students that gave a tour to us were from the Y, so they had all my LDS questions answered, which was nice. I was really impressed with the facilities and the general laid back feel of the students. I could see myself going to school there and raising a baby girl there. The best part is we'd be close to the Sylvesters and I'd get to hang out with them all the time. Ypsilanti is only 45 mins away. So on my back to Ypsi from the university I got stuck in a snow drift due to some icy roads and my sudden inability to correctly judge a u-turn in a small truck. I felt like a total idiot because it happened in front of a High school right when it was letting out.

I sat there for a while watching heavy commuter traffic speed by wishing I was in Utah because I knew 15 people would've pulled over by now. When I started feeling super sorry for myself a group of kids tried pushing me out and then a big truck and jeep cherokee stopped. Needless to say, I had a super humbling experience and am ever grateful for the kindness of complete strangers. They pulled me out and I was on my way. The trip went by way too fast, and I have been thinking a lot about how awesome my family really is...both immediate and extended. Thanks to Dave and Shana and the kids for being so hospitable to me and treating me like one of their own without expecting anything in return. I expect to return the favor someday. Anyway, enjoy the novel of a post. Rock steady.