6 Years Later…

Six years ago, our family of 4 embarked on an adventure that took a lot of faith and a little bit of courage.  When my husband got accepted to medical school, we were living a comfortable life. But looking back, we would do it again (but I’m glad we don’t have to! )

So many things fell in place on this journey, it truly has made us realize that this was part of the plan.

In 2010, we moved to Quispamsis, into the perfect home (after several coats of paint and lots of scrubbing – thank you Mom, Dad, Beth, and Mark) We bought the house for one main reason, when I walked into the backyard I saw girls playing next door. That’s what sold the house, I could care less about the inside of the home. But I cared a whole lot about providing a happy place for our girls. This house was meant to be our home, and boy oh boy did our girls enjoy their time there! It still brings me tears of joy when I think about the 4 of them playing countless hours together. Instant and forever friends.

Our daughters were so brave to start a new school and persevere through their fears. It wasn’t easy for them. Our oldest had fainted days before she started school and had quite a concussion. So that added to her stress. Thankfully she made some great friends at school who made her feel very welcome.

I remember going to a Halloween concert for our middle daughter. She had gone as Raggedy Ann with this adorable red yarn wig, but kids in her class had laughed at her; she cried and so did I. She didn’t want to go on stage after that, but through the work of her amazing teacher, she got through it and wore the wig ;-) It’s funny the memories that stick in your mind.

As we wind down this chapter of our lives, I can’t help but be in awe of my husband. He has worked relentlessly for 6+ years to achieve this designation. He has had to work harder than many that were half his age. While working 12-24hr days, he’s also a Dad to 3 girls who demand and need his attention, and a caring and supportive husband. He has had a ton on his plate and he handles it in a calm cool manner.  Some may have thought these years could tear a family apart, but in our case it made us closer, stronger, tougher, and more appreciative of each other.

We are ready for the next chapter to begin though! We know it will not be easy but compared to the last 6 years, I think we can manage. We are looking forward to having a little control of our schedule, we literally go day to day, hour to hour, sometimes not knowing where or when he will be home.  Residency has been a crazy ride. He has learned so much but the demand of time and effort has been tough. I complain but he just pushes through without complaint but with complete focus. My superhero.

Thank you to all of our amazing family who have been there for us through all of these years. Moving us, taking care of our girls and dog, helping with anything we need, and being there when we just needed you.

Thank you to our new and old friends who have welcomed us and supported us. Another bonus of this adventure has been the new friends we have made along the way!

Thank you to my running buddies for keeping me sane (for the most part) and good laughs! 

We are blessed to have so many special people in our lives!

Bye bye exam time…I liked you the least!

Summer Adventure

It's been well over a year since I've blogged. But I'm hoping to capture the memories of our newest adventure.

The Wood's are on beautiful Grand Manan Island for the summer!  Since I was a little girl I remember traveling over to the island with my parents and loving it! During my school years I traveled on not so calm waters to come play basketball.  It was a lot of fun, we'd sleep at the school, the islanders always made us feel welcomed!  Many years later my brother met a wonderful girl from the island and she's been my sister-in-law for over 20 years! So I have many reasons to be thankful for this gem of an island.

My husband is now in his 2nd and final (Yay!!) year of family medicine residency. In his final year, he is required to complete a 3 month rural medicine block.  We discussed the idea of going to Grand Manan for it. We thought it would be a great learning experience for him and for us. Once the request was approved we sat down with our daughters to discuss yet another change in their life but also a fun adventure. We received mixed emotions but for the most part they were on board.  They truly have been so supportive of their Dad through this journey. It is their summer and we understood it was asking a lot to take them away from their friends and activities but we felt this move would be well worth it for our entire family.

We put forward the search of a home to house our family of 5 and dog! So blessed to have my sister-in-law's family here to help with the search and advise us. The pieces began to come together when a lovely lady on the island, who we are so grateful for, offered her home to us!

We moved here last Monday July 7th. It took 3 vehicles(Thanks Mom and Dad) to get all of our stuff here but we made it. The first few days were a little stressful to be honest. Not because of anything specific just the fact that reality had hit us and thoughts of "did we make the right decision?" loomed. But as each day passed it became more evident that this was the right decision - Sheldon loved his new work, the kids and I were finding lots of great things to do and we are all much more relaxed and happy.  Just what we needed. So very thankful for my sister-in-law's family as they have been very welcoming and helpful. So nice to see familiar caring faces when you are feeling a bit lost <3

This island is beautiful and I will be sure to write more entries about the beauty of the island. But for now I'll leave you with this beautiful sunrise taken from our porch!

Grand Manan Sunrise July, 2015

New Chapter

Our medical school chapter has come to an end and we couldn't be more proud of my husband's success!  We are very much looking forward to what the future has to bring for the Wood family!  The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of celebrations and we concluded it with the most meaningful one for our family by celebrating with some close family and friends that helped us along our journey.

Many say how tough this road must have been for me but I loved seeing my husband succeed in something he was put on this earth to do. He will be an amazing physician and will help so many and I am so glad to have been able to help him reach his goals.

The only way I was able to get through these last few years was the relentless support from my truly wonderful Mom and Dad, it brings tears to my eyes thinking of the hours and days  of time they have dedicated to me and our family! You truly have taught me the true meaning of family and love! I hope you know just how much we appreciate the constant support you have given us and more specifically me. The daily phone calls of me going on and on..., the distances you have travelled to be there when we needed you most. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts we are forever thankful!!

I have been blessed with some wonderful inlaws that have been there for us through thick and thin. Always checking in and helping with whatever they could. I know I'm not the easiest person to help, I'm a bit of an independent soul (thank my parents for that :-)) You love and care for all of us so much and I know how proud you are of that smart son of yours! You've done an awesome job raising a respectful, solid, smart, caring, and of course handsome son! Thank you for all the love and support!

Our girls have done so well through all these years of change and challenges. It hasn't been easy and we've certainly had some hard times to get through but you have grown so strong and make us so very proud to see each of you grow into lovely little ladies! Keep moving forward and remember to be kind, thankful, and love yourself because you certainly are loved by all of us!

I just wanted to end with this poem the girls and I put together for their Dad. They read it at the celebration and did such a great job! We love you girls so much!

Our Journey
Four years ago, when we started this journey
I was nine, and Hannah was six
Ava, wasn't yet in the mix

We left our home on Milky Way
Even though we wanted to stay

Our sad times were short
Once we got to twelve Azalea court

Two new friends right next door
We couldn't have asked for more

Even though we didn't know it yet,
More friends were soon to come
And the future held lots of fun

Meanwhile, Daddy was starting medical school
He was the oldest in the pool

He jumped in with both feet
Ready to treat

The next fall, SURPRISE!
A new baby arrived
Ava made us, a family of five

Life didn't go by very slow
We were always on the go

Daddy studied day and night
To get it right

Spring came and the decision was reached
To head back to Freddy Beach

We moved back to the hood
We knew it would be good

We missed our friends so much
But we definitely stayed in touch

New schools for us
We hopped onto the bus

Daddy had to really work
As he was a first year clerk

The finish line was now in sight
We gave it all of our might

Fredericton was his match
They must have thought he was a great catch

On convocation day as our dad stood in the crowd
He couldn't have had a family more proud

Daddy we are so proud of you
You've showed us that dreams can really come true






Remember that "Dreams really can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney

Update...(not a very creative title but it's been a long time!)

Well it's been over a year since I've blogged! Time has flown by so quickly it feels like I just posted my last entry a week ago! Phew! It's been a year of treading water so to speak and I'm wiped from the process to be brutally honest.

I understand everyone is busy these days, in fact it almost seems like it's a competition in society to see who can be the busiest. But not for this gal, I truly enjoy some downtime and am very thankful for those rare mornings I can get up and enjoy a quiet coffee. I've learned that my daughters love their downtime as well, so we have been taking some much needed rest time here and there this summer. Even if it's just letting the kids stay in their pjs until noon and hang out, it's quite alright because we know soon enough they'll be racing around come September.

Since my last blog entry we have moved back to Fredericton because my husband was entering his 3^rd year of medicine. In 3^rd year he became a clerk which essentially means he works in the hospital setting in various locations from now on. We felt that moving back was the best decision for our family and if it was meant to be things would work out. On July 31^st at 11 pm we accepted the offer on the sale of our home (We had previously decided if we didn't sell the house by August 1^st we would take the house of the market and not move!), that quickly sent us on a house hunt in the capital city. Within 1 week we found our new home and moved within 3 weeks. I was able to find childcare and a job within a week of moving back, things all just fell into place. The girls transitioned very well although it was tough saying goodbye to such an awesome bunch of friends. They have managed to keep in touch which warms my heart! We have been truly blessed along this journey in so many ways!

Third year has been the toughest year of medical school so far on all of us (in my opinion). My husband works long hours at the hospital plus has to study during any free time as expected. I've adjusted to the fact that we can't rely on him for any day to day responsibilities and it's tough on all of us. He is such a hands on Dad, so losing his help has been tough on the girls and I but it's also been very hard on him to miss out. He helps where or when he can but these days it's pretty minimal. He's doing extremely well in school and we are counting down the months until graduation (9 months now). Speaking of 9 months, he's been working labour and delivery and really enjoying his time there!

Our oldest daughter completed her first year of middle school and survived! She did so well and I am so proud of her, she also played competitive basketball for the first time and has become quite a good little point guard! She's not so excited to start grade 7 but I am sure she'll be happy to get back into a routine! Our middle daughter completed grade 4 and eased back into her old school and hooked up with her super bunch of friends! She's a social butterfly and brings us so many laughs! She is looking forward to her last year of elementary school and hopes to play some volleyball and basketball this fall. Our youngest will be turning 2 years old in September, she's a ball full of energy and seems to be pretty determined. She has had an amazing year of growing, and had a rough winter that gave her parents a few scares but she is healthy now and growing like a bad weed! We absolutely adore our girls and I am so very thankful for the joy they bring us!

So here's to blogging a bit more in the near future, I have some organizing projects planned so maybe I'll share them here or who knows it might be another year before I post a thing....we'll see. Thanks for checking in!

Living in Limbo

We are currently living in limbo and it's becoming more and more difficult as the weeks pass by. We have yet to sell the house, therefore everything is on hold. We knew this could happen but living it and thinking about going through it are two totally different worlds and it's not fun. Trying to manage through plan A, B, C and D are tough so I'm going with the “one day at a time” outlook. There really isn't much we can do at this point, just wait and see what is meant to be. (I'm just really hoping that “what is meant to be” and “what I want to happen” align this time) For now I'm probably going to be a bit cranky and stressed out until things get settled so bear with me everyone.

My husband is officially halfway through medical school! He has been getting adjusted to being on vacation, by reading lots of non-medical books, helping around the house, and getting things fixed that have been a bit neglected. I've also managed to get him out running with me a few times! It's nice to have him around again, the first week we had an adjustment period....it was a bit annoying as he was kind of in the way but we're doing better now.

The kids have 2 weeks left of school and they are ready to be done. Hoping the weather will improve soon as it's been wet and chilly lately. The baby is growing and changing daily, she's started trying to crawl and pull herself up on everything! The last couple of nights she's been in bed by 6pm and sleeps until 7am! Such a good little girl!

On Mother's day I was honoured to run a 10km race with my Dad! He did so well and I was so proud to run with him and accomplish the run with him. It will be a memory I'll cherish forever and to have my mom, 3 girls, and husband to be cheering us on at the finish line was icing on the cake! Thank you so much!

We celebrated our 13^th wedding anniversary this week! It's amazing to look at what has happened in those 13 years - 3 children, 1 dog, several fish, 3 houses, a couple new careers, etc. I consider myself the luckiest girl ever to have such a solid, caring, loving, funny and handsome husband. I remember my dear friends' mom wrote in a wedding card to us that our love will grow stronger as the years go by, and back then I couldn't imagine loving him more than I did at the time, but I now know what she meant and it's so true! Every year and every hurdle we get over our love just becomes stronger and deeper. Thank you for being my best friend and going through life by my side, I look forward to the rest of our lifetime together!

The Light at the End of the Tunnel...

We are anxiously waiting for May 18^th, as this is the day my husband completes his last exam to finalize his 2^nd year of medical school!  Yay and it so happens to be my brother’s birthday as well J Not that we are just sitting idly around wishing time to fly by, oh we have lots going on, as most people do lately. That is how life goes now and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

I must say that I am glad to have the month of April over with!  It was filled with flu bugs, a  lice infestation,  a fainting episode,   preparing our home for the market , having a man take out his road rage at me….agh the list goes on. You know how you just have one of those days? I had one of those months.  

I took my oldest daughter out for a shopping spree and dinner for her 11^th birthday celebration last week. We had so much fun! It’s so nice to get time one on one with her, we try to do this with our daughters as it gives you a chance to really enjoy each other.  We made our way to the mall and got some great outfits for her and then headed to the Wok Box for a late supper. We opened our fortune cookies and my daughter’s was “You will be successful in whatever you do.” I love that and this is so true, I am so proud of her and her accomplishments already but lookout world she has so much more to offer.  My fortune was a little unsettling “Be prepared to modify your plan.” Eek! 

We just listed our home and made the final decision to move back to Fredericton. I am really hoping this works out for us.  It’s been a great 2 years living here and we’ve met some wonderful friends and I’d highly recommend this lovely town to anyone but home is where the heart is and I miss it so much. I miss my family, my neighbourhood and friends, the familiarity of everything etc.  We spent many years making Fredericton our home and I hope we can ease back into it again.  I know that we will stay in touch with the close friends we’ve made here and I’m positive our girls will keep in touch with their sweet friends as well.  It will be OK. Who knows what is really in store for us? Some things are not 100% in our control and it is tough managing through that sometimes.

I am running a 10KM race on Mother’s Day with my Dad (and some of my running buddies will be there as well). Last week my hip gave out and I’ve been in pain ever since. For now I’m just going to keep at it and hope for the best. 

Hoping for a happy month of May filled with fun times!!  

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful Moms out there!!!

Happy Spring!!

I have never been more poked and prodded than I have in the last few months! Geesh, I can be sitting minding my own business when along comes my husband with his little Doctor hammer and asking me to relax! Ha…have you seen the new hammers? It is this long knitting needle stick with a small “tire like” thing on the end of it. Seriously how am I supposed to relax when I know he’s going to whack my funny bones with that thing! Luckily I have passed all the neuro assessments with flying colours, I am becoming more and more used to being a patient. He’s doing great by the way, working his butt off day and night but it’s absolutely paying off in his marks and his knowledge, this boy will be a wonderful, intelligent, and caring Doctor (not to mention handsome too ;-) )

We’ve begun the process of preparing to move back home. We’ve met with the realtor to list our home and have a few details to finish up on our home before we list it. Luckily my Mom and Dad are able to help get these things finished up as my husband is very busy studying for another exam coming this week. He also has his Objective Structured Clinical Examination(OSCE) coming up in mid May which is another pile of work to prep for(plus more poking and prodding of me and the kids). He really doesn’t like to miss out on doing our house projects but time is of the essence.

I’ve started coaching two of girls basketball spring league teams, it’s fun to get out with them. I haven’t had to drag our littlest with us yet but I’m sure there will be a couple of games that she’ll have to join us. She’s so easy I’m sure she’d love to come along with us. I’m also training for an upcoming 10KM run on Mother’s Day and I hope to run it with my Dad! I have a few weeks left to get my training in so hopefully I can do it. Not much else going on in our life , we had a wonderful trip to Florida in March to visit my parents. What a great time we had and it was so relaxing!

Our girls are all doing well and they are so much fun. They give us our fair share of difficult moments but it’s expected at their ages…so people tell me. But I cherish our happy moments much more than ever. I know we have good kids but wow they can be challenging to say the least. Our realtor who met with us last week commented on how calm and quiet our home was at the time and I informed her that this was not the norm and she replied “oh so you have a normal family too! “ oh do we ever!!