The Very Sad, Sad, Story . . . September 30, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Kansas, Medical School, My Handsome Husband, New York, Trips, Utah , 9commentsWe’re moving.
Again.
We planned to stay in Kansas for all of David’s rotations, and then move when residency starts.
That is no longer the case.
Last week, as we were driving from New York back to Kansas, we got a phone call from a good friend (and fellow student) telling us that the Veterans hospital (where David did all of his rotations and had all of his elective rotations set up) will no longer rotate Saba medical students. Some mumbo, jumbo about not being LCME certified. Don’t ask me what that stands for, but it’s important.
The other hospitals in the area either don’t take foreign medical students, or they are booked until March or later of next year. That does not help us in making the 2010 residency match. David has to do rotations solid from November through May to graduate in time for residency.
We sorted through our options and have a plan. In a nutshell, I have to pack.
UGH, I have to pack! Do you know how much I hate packing for major moves? You would think I love it with all the moves we make, but NO! It’s right up there with giving birth to a 17 pound baby. Yep, right up there.
Our plan is to stay in KC through most of October, find someone to lease our place (we have a contract, so we aren’t exactly going anywhere until someone leases this place), and head back to Utah. David will be setting up his own rotations in Utah (we can only do a couple of months because there are specific rules about foreign medical students rotating longer than 8 weeks per year there) and then move on to the next adventure.
Oh yeah, did I mention David is studying for Step 2 right now? Yep. Add that to the list of things stressing us out.
I’m tired just thinking about all this. I think I’ll take the day off and just take a nap.
Yeah, I think I should do that.
While We Were Gone September 29, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Kansas, Little Man Dallin, New York , 2commentsWe are back in Kansas and very happy to be home; even if it is only for a short while.
Many changes are happening in our household, and I’d love to share all the details but I don’t know them yet. As soon we have some solid plans, I’ll spill them. I promise.
What I can share is that we are leaving Kansas City in just a couple of weeks. Crazy, sad, and true all at the same time. Last week at this time, we were just minding our own business, enjoying our last few days in New York and . . .
BAM!
We got run over by a diesel. (Theoretically, not literally)
Speaking of our stay in New York . . .
During our seven week sabbatical to New York from our other life in Kansas City, this little boy decided to walk, and sprout five new teeth two of which were molars.
He also decided to talk. His vocabulary has jumped from zero words to five: boy, no, dad, ah oh, and hi. Of which, “Hi!” is his favorite. He works that word into every conversation multiple times.
And to think that David almost missed out on all of this when we thought the kids and I would stay behind and let him go to New York on his own . . .
What were we thinking?
Want to Peak Inside this Building? September 28, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Church, New York, Photography , 2commentsWhile following my nose last weekend at Canaltown Days in Palmyra, I found myself at a small art exhibit in the gym of this church. After looking at the art, and inquiring how my work could be displayed and sold at that art show next year, I got a crazy idea.
I’ve wanted to see the inside of this church that I photographed a few weeks ago, but the only time the chapel is open is during the time I’m at my church.
However . . .
Everyone comes out for Canaltown Days.
EVERYONE. EVEN PREACHERS.
With my camera gear on my back and tripod in one hand, I asked someone, who asked someone, who got me in touch with someone who opened the chapel doors JUST FOR ME.
I got a private tour of this church building while the street out front was filled with thousands of people enjoying the festivities.
This is the what is looks like behind the front doors:
It is the oldest church in Palmyra but also the newest building since it was somewhat reconstructed in the 1800′s.
The workmanship was beautiful. Apparently it was built in one year. A record during that time period and I would say a record by today’s standards!
I think this is the Methodist Church. I’m not sure. I could probably go outside and find out for sure, but it’s kind of cold, and I’m all warm inside my house. 
I’m learning that a camera, tripod, and nice demeanor can get you into places you might otherwise not be able to see.
Beautiful Graveyard September 27, 2009
Posted by Emily in : New York, Photography, Thoughts , 1 comment so farThis is the graveyard in Palmyra.
I have never in my life seen such a large graveyard.
Seriously, there must have been THOUSANDS of graves.
My lens could not capture more than a tiny corner at a time. I’m not even sure a wide angle lens could capture the enormity of this graveyard.
It just seemed ironic that a town of 3,000 people could have so many deceased.
This was an odd head stone . . . I really liked it. It was one of a kind. I’m just going to say this, graveyards are creepy to me.
Yeah, I just said that.
But this one was BEAUTIFUL. (You know that’s the only reason I photographed it, not because I have an affinity for graveyards!)
Can you image just having a letter on your headstone? That’s almost as sad as having a number.
This is the grave of Alvin Smith. He was Joseph’s Smith’s older brother who died when he was just 25.
This town has so much heritage. I’m pretty sure when I head out West again, I’m not going to stumble upon graves with deceased dates in 1700′s. Actually, I’m pretty sure the next time I enter a graveyard it will be because I’m at a funeral. I don’t want to make a habit out of frequenting these places.
Lock 29 on the Erie Canal September 26, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Little Man Dallin, New York, Princess Hannah , 2commentsLook at Dallin’s face.
Did you take a good look? Because this is what your face is going to look like as you read this post.
I’m 90% positive about that.
However, what I’m about to explain and show in pictures really was interesting . . . in person.
Hannah seems intrigued about what’s about to happen, see?
I’ve mentioned the Erie Canal right behind our building a time or two, or three, or more times. I’m going to put myself right out there and share a secret with you . . . I didn’t know what a “lock” was until I saw what I’m about to show you.
I’m so un-ed-u-ma-cated, I know . . .
This lock thing is basically an elevator for boats. It takes you from lower water to higher water and vice versa. You enter the lock and the big steel doors close behind you. Then you wait for the water to drain, thus lowering your boat to the lower level of water on the canal.
Then, once the water is drained in the lock, the other set of steel doors open . . .
And you make your way out to lower ground!
I’m not sure how many feet the water dropped, (it’s 20 or something) but the process was pretty cool to see.
There you have it folks.
Did this post intrigue you like it did Hannah or were you bored out of your brains like Dallin?
Lake-Stone Houses September 25, 2009
Posted by Emily in : New York, Thoughts , 3commentsOh. My. Gosh.
Have you ever seen a “Lake-Stone House?”
Let me tell you, they are AMAZING and VERY RARE.
This is a Lake-Stone House:
The first Lake-Stone houses/buildings appeared around 1820, and the last one about 1858. They were built by English Artisans who came to this area to work on the locks at the Erie Canal. Many of the stones were hauled in from Lake Ontario, which took several days because of the weight of the load. The stones were meticulously placed in the mortar with the smoothest stones placed in the front and the rougher stones placed in the back.
Mason’s never passed their skill on to the next generation, and would stop work if someone came to watch them. The art of the masonry could only be learned and passed along through membership in the masonry guild.
I want one.
There a couple hundred Lake -Stone homes in Wayne County, and surely one of them will be for sale one day.
Right?
Don’t you want one too?
My Stipulations Before Becoming a Permanent Resident September 24, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, New York, Princess Hannah , 3commentsHannah has visited/lived in a lot of places. I’m not even sure how this next sentence is possible (since we are actually medical students not to be confused with trust fund kids), but she has been to five countries and 19 states in the three short years she’s been alive.
I know. The math doesn’t add up on that one.
Of all the places she’s been, she’s decided New York is her favorite. It could be that the candy store is two doors down from us. It could also be the bookstore, pizza place, park, and marina which are all basically two doors down from us. It might also be the weekly trips to the laundromat which she thoroughly enjoys. Whatever the reason, Hannah has decided that she LOVES living in New York and wants to stay here “forever and ever and ever.”
Her words exactly.
I would like to stay in New York forever and ever and ever too, just as soon as they figure out how to moderate the winters, control the humidity in the summer, and exterminate the bugs flying around the wetlands along the trail to the Aqueduct.
I like walking this trail with the kids and I’m going to miss it. In fact, I’m going to miss a lot of things about this place, including the candy store two door down from us.
Canaltown Days in My “Yard” September 23, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Family, Parenthood, Photography, Princess Hannah , 3commentsPalmyra hosts “Cananltown Days” for all the surrounding towns.
The celebration was this last weekend.
The celebration was on Main Street.
We live on Main Street.
My children woke up and there was a party going on practically IN our house.
Dallin enjoyed his bird’s eye view of the festivities first thing in the morning.
The fife players and drummers were a highlight for Hannah.
This is basically what David does all weekend. He holds the kids as they don’t dare to let him out of their site for fear that they might not see him for a days on end.
Which, is basically the way it is.
I’d now like to interrupt this blog post by showing you this random building. I like it, but until last weekend, I’d only seen this building from the front. Why am I showing you this building? Because instead of taking pictures of really boring booths of vendors selling crafts, I turned around and shot this.
See? It kind of belongs in this post!
OK, back to the pictures that make more sense.
This next picture MELTED my heart. Do you ever wonder if your kids are listening, looking, or comprehending their experiences?
I shot this at the Canaltown Days Grand Parade. Please take a moment to notice what Hannah is doing:
That’s right friends. SHE IS TAKING A PICTURE with her imaginary camera! Check out her pose! Can you tell that I never shoot from my eye level? I’m usually lying down on the ground!
Wanna know what she was photographing?
This dude. Just like I was.
Like mother like daughter. I better watch out, she’s probably going to ask for an SLR for her fifth birthday.
Ideal Job September 22, 2009
Posted by Emily in : My Handsome Husband, New York, Photography, Thoughts , 4commentsWe woke up last Saturday to a parking lot of antique/classic cars filling every square foot of Main Street.
Hannah thought her birthday had come early, you know, because all those people with nice cars must be there for her.
Dallin was just happy to scream at the top of his lungs to the people below shining up their cars.
He likes to be heard.
There were over 230 cars to see. I don’t know the first thing about cars, so please, don’t ask me what makes and models each of these cars are.
David asked me to photograph this car for his dad. Apparently, his dad owned one of these back in the day.
I don’t know much about these cars (except that they are probably worth a lot) but I did find it fun to shoot them. It took a serious amount of creative energy to figure out how to compose “car” shots. I was up, down, and all around the vehicles analyzing the light, just trying to figure out how to frame each car.
I was tired after this shoot I can tell you that.
I can also say that I enjoyed shooting cars and I learned a ton.
Oh my, there are endless things to photograph. What am I going to be when I grow up? A child photographer? A commercial photographer? Am I going to pursue fine art? I really love shooting places too . . .
Maybe someone will just hire me to travel the world and let me shoot whatever the heck I want.
Yeah, that sounds like a good job.
Night Photography, What Do You Think? September 21, 2009
Posted by Emily in : New York, Photography, Thoughts , 7commentsHave I mentioned how much I’m going to miss living on Main Street? I actually really like living in the center of everything. Thankfully, this is a small little town so there’s not too much action.
I have also really enjoyed night photography, so a few nights ago I set out to shoot some pictures.
This is an almost full moon over Main Street.
This is the Historic Book of Mormon publication site. I shot this before, but at a different angle.
I also shot this image, but this time I shot it minus our car parked out front.
This could be a new direction for me . . . night photography. I love how the camera captures things we simply cannot see with our naked eyes, (like and extended shutter speed can capture the trail of a moonrise) and it’s opening a whole new world of possibilities.
Night photography. What do you think? Love it or hate it?
