pride in my HEART.

Can you see us smiling over here?

BIG smiles all around at our house today!

We are a happy, singing, dancing bunch.... celebrating the start of a 2 month "work hiatus" for daddy-o!

We sent him off this morning ... the last time for a little while.

Adios blue scrubs!

With the exception of some moonlighting shifts (of course!).... we've got daddy in the palm of our hands for the better part of SUMMER!

My mom asked me this morning if I thought this day would EVER come???

My oh my..... did I have days where I was weary THIS day would actually arrive.

But my three lady bugs never let me forget for a minute we had our own work to do along the way.

They kept me grounded and BUSY...... so there was little time to fret over how much time daddy was away working.

We've done the math many times...... undergraduate school, medical school, residency and two fellowships = 15 years of training for our very dedicated (never losing sight of the end goal) hubs/daddy.

Here he is with his very supportive parents on graduation day from Medical School.

We had big smiles on that day too!

Oh.... we were such young people at that time..... without any clue where the next 10 years would take us!

Don't we look carefree (and relaxed??)...{and YOUNG???}.

The ride over the last many years - like most.... had parts that were smooth sailing (welcoming our HEALTHY baby girls).... and other times when we hit speed bumps, uneven dirt roads and had big hills to climb (Seattle ... literally!)....

But... here we are today.  Pretty much putting the red light on "work life" for the next couple months.

The hubs sat in the kitchen this morning surrounded by his four ladies.

"WE ARE BLESSED", he said..... as we munched on pancakes and scrambled eggs.

I could not agree more...... and along with that.... WE (his ladies) are blessed.

Throughout this grueling training schedule ... somehow he never stopped being a husband and a daddy.

NEVER.

Somehow his stamina remained even when he came home with no sleep, post-call.

He kept things running around here.... and would often start and finish projects well beyond what he had time for... it helped him feel normal in the midst of a pretty hectic time.

He's always been a team player in helping me with the girls.... specifically with the bedtime routine.

He cherished it, actually.

He would linger longer in their rooms at night..... just for one more snuggle-- which has now turned into one more ... "I love you dad".

Melt.

He wouldn't of missed that time for anything.

He had to put most hobbies and some friendships on hold.

And... as one year led to another and another...... and another..... we are now embarking on the hubs starting a "REAL" job.

Sounds ironic given how long he's been working, but his real job actually starts on August 1st.

Until then, we have quite a bit of FUN planned.

Special things on the agenda with the girls, our extended families and with each other.

This has been a period of time we've been talking about for what seems forever.

To think it's actually here is pretty amazing.

Throughout his training we always struggled because as much as we wanted to speed through it, we knew it would mean our babies growing up too fast and so we genuinely tried to cherish even the most difficult moments.

Along with the many happy times..... it's the struggles, the stumbles and falls that have made up our story over the past 10 years.

It's all of it combined ... we look back on, now, with huge gratitude to everyone who was there along with us.

Both to celebrate the glory moments and to lift us up when this road seemed absolutely never ending.

So .... as daddy was about to head out for his last day of "training".... it was really just like any other day.

I wanted a picture..... baby A clearly had other plans and the twins clung to daddy's legs as they do MOST mornings.

Just keeping it real....!

"Why you gotta work, Dad?" ... says Ms. K every single day as he leaves.

"Dad's gotta help people" we say.

It seems like the girls are really starting to understand now.

Daddy loves being at home with us, but he also loves his work and helping people.

I get tingly inside thinking of the lessons that lie ahead for our family as daddy travels through his career.

To say I have pride in my heart seems like an understatement.

But it's how I feel.

 As a family we are ready to walk with him in this new part of his career.

Working with trauma and burn patients -- there will be highs and most certainly lows....

But when he walks through that door..... we'll be here.

We'll be his normal.

And he'll be our's.

Blessed... now that seems like the understatement.

And, to dream about the next 10 years is just too much right now.

We've got 2 months of sunshine and summertime on the brain.

Hope we get to see many of you along the way!

With love,
Cuz I'm the mama!