YEAR ONE & DONE (RESIDENCY)

[taken last August during this visit from his family]

Since last year I wrote a quick residency update, I thought it appropriate to celebrate the one year mark of this journey. In June, Derek became a 2nd year resident and graduated from the intern program through Scripps. Rather then participating in all fields of medicine (radiology, ER, OB/GYN, general surgery, pediatrics) and podiatry, this year, he is only working on feet. He is absolutely loving it! He is doing more and more surgical cases on his own, seeing his own patients, and becoming more independent within the healthcare systems for both Scripps and Kaiser. Yes, the hours are still killer. I don't expect him home earlier then 9:00 most nights, and it's a rare occasion when no add-on cases are scheduled and we can spend an evening together. Luckily, with the addition of four new interns, his weekend and holiday call schedules for the year haven't been too demanding. We enjoy two weekends a month to play, and explore our beloved San Diego. We have been able to enjoy our summer trips to the beach and taking some time off before he becomes a slave to Scripps Mercy for the Fall. In the end, we will look back on our residency years and miss it, just like I sometimes miss our years being in medical school. I have loved every stage of life we have been in together these last four years. From our cheap little date nights in medical school, too the cold winters in Michigan being snowed in, to today, where the hours may be long, but there is always time for a beach trip every few weeks. There is always time, you just need to find it!

EVERY DAY, I LOVE YOU S'MORE

I probably mention this every holiday, but Derek is the hardest human to shop for in the history of shopping. It's a rare occasion when I can land the perfect gift for him, (like Imagine Dragons tickets last Christmas) so when our anniversary came around last week, I decided to gift his tummy with one of his favorite treats, s'more bars. We also have a tradition of making cards for each other, and I couldn't pass up the somewhat corny phrasing of my card. This year, Derek's card was a little bit racey (it's okay, we're married) and not totally blog worthy. Oh men. Insert eye roll here. They are all the same. On that note, enjoy these s'more bars. I guarantee you will love them s'more & s'more, every time you make them. 

WHEN THREE SMITHS COME TO VISIT

As a prequel to my post last summer, Derek's family came to visit us in San Diego this past weekend. I guess our plea of great food, beach days, and a trip to the famous zoo was more then enough to convince Trina, Kevin, and Whitney to spend a couple days with us in the city. We were all treated to one of the best zoo days in our book with all the animals being out and active in the cooler weather. The pandas gave us all quite the show while chomping on bamboo, while the elephants cooled themselves in the water and dust. We dined at only our favorite locations, and even took a trip down memory lane for Kevin when we found a local Italian restaurant in Old Town he had eaten at 18 years prior. He was happy to report that the pasta was just as good as he had remembered, (and had been dreaming about for years!) and the charming patio was perfect for a cool night under the stars. We woke up to some great waves on Saturday and spent the entire day boogie boarding. We all came out a little pink and sore, but it was totally worth it! On Sunday, my brother Dallin spoke in church before leaving on his two year mission for our church. It was a wonderful meeting filled with family, and friends (18 school friends came to support him!) and just a great day all around, ending with a super moon sighting. This weekend will be hard to beat, but I think another trip to the city we love so much is in the books for next Spring. Hopefully we got the Idaho good ju-ju and will be blessed with countless more great zoo days and waves for days.

BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA

Years ago, my Dad (an amazing BBQ master) perfected the art of making pizza on the grill. He has taught a slew of church ladies, youth, and countless others the secrets of the best BBQ pizza. When Derek and I were newly married, and enduring hot summers in Arizona, this was one of our weekend favorites in the summer. It involves little prep, a lot of fresh produce, and only a couple quick minutes near a hot BBQ (rather then baking it in the oven!). Recently, this pizza and a big salad has become a Friday night favorite as we wind down from a busy week to enjoy dinner and a long list of favorite recorded cable TV shows. Whether entertaining a crowd with mini versions, or simply having a family pizza night, this recipe is sure to knock your socks off and keep your house cool, while enjoying a delicious homemade pizza.