Quick update

I'm sorry we have not been better bloggers lately. We have been so busy with work, school, trying to sell the house and moving that we haven't had much time for anything else. Here's a quick update of where we are now and what's planned for the next few weeks:

Brent took his final set of National boards in November. We find out on December 27th if he's officially a Doctor. I have no worries; he is the most amazing man in the world, except my dad of course, but a close second anyway.

Our house still has not sold. The market has been slow here, so at this point we are trying to find renters to fill it for the next year. We'll try to sell it again once that year is up. Everything happens for a reason, maybe we need a year to accumulate a little more value. We'll see. We are moving everything into storage this week and plan to be out of our house by the 22nd.

Brent GRADUATES on December 20th. He has all of his requirements done so we're just waiting for the big day now. It's going to be so weird. He's been in school since we started dating, but I'm sure I'll get over it once the additional paychecks start coming in.

We are spending Christmas in Seattle with family and literally driving to Naples, Florida December 26th for OUR internship. We'll be there for 4 months learning the ins and outs of successfully owning our Chiropractic office. While we are in Naples our office in Austin will be built out, so hopefully we will be up and running by June.

I'll try to be better about posting, but I'm not making any promises. We are going to be so busy and focused on work over the next few months. Besides no one to hear about all the "boring" work stuff anyway.

We hope you are all doing well. We love and miss you all.
Merry Christmas.

Brent and Katie

It's official!!

We've finally made the decision to make Austin, Texas our new home. We loved it there during our visit in July and Practice wise, it just makes sense. It's really bitter sweet. We are so sad that we are going to be so far away from all our great friends and family, but luckily everyone is only a phone call, or short 4 hour flight away. We hope to be able to visit as often as possible and hope that some of you decide to take advantage of the year round weather and free place to stay.

Our little genius... sort of.

OK I admit it; I'm one of those people that refers to their animals as children. I'm sure some of you out there understand where I'm coming from. When you don't have your own kids, "pets" are the closest thing to it. Anyway, here are some adorable photos of our little genius Ash. He's only 3 and a 1/2 years old... he gets his brains from my side of the family :).

One step closer

Just a quick update...
It's official, well almost... Brent will never have to sit in a classroom again. At least not as a student. His last class was September 12th 2008. Now he just has 3 months of interning, graduation and then we're off to Florida!! We are really looking forward to spending 4 months there learning from one of the nations leading Chiropractors. We really feel blessed to have such an amazing opportunity.
Brent also took his part 3 boards this weekend. Only 8 weeks until we find out how he did. Considering he's one of the smartest men I know, I'm not too worried about it. I am however, looking forward to getting through this week. It's finals week (yes, boards on the weekend followed by finals week. Brutal huh?) and it gets boring around here on the weeknights when the hubby's stuck studying all week. "It's only 5 more days... It's only 5 more days...".
Nothing really new with me. Same old work, work, and more work. Oh, we are putting the house up for sale this month. We met with our Realtor this past week and are eager to get it up on the market. It's bitter sweet. I'm excited to get things rolling, but it's sad to leave your first real home. We have put some much time and love into it, and to think that some else is going to come and make it theirs is so sad. I'm such a baby about this stuff... new topic.
I hope this note finds you all well. We love and miss you all!!

Austin? Home?

For those of you who don't know, Brent and I have been seriously considering Austin, Texas as our new home. Everything we had heard and read about it sounded great, so we decided we needed to visit and see if it was still appealing. I know this trip was a couple weeks ago, but I thought I'd share since we had so much fun.
First things first. We decided to visit at the end of July since that's one of the hottest times of the year, and we wanted to see the weather at it's worst. Well, we did. We flew into Austin, on a small 4 seat across- 18 seat back plane, just as Hurricane Dolly hit the Gulf Coast and traveled inland. That was the scariest landing I've ever experienced. By the time the category 2 hurricane made it's way to Austin it was considered a "Tropical Storm", but I have NEVER seen rain like that!! It was muggy, but not as bad as I thought it would be. By day two, the storm had past through and the muggy air was gone.
Brent rented a Chevy Aveo... need I say more. I was embarrassed at first (sorry if I offend anyone), but after all the driving around we did, I was sure happy to save on gas. Lesson learned; sometimes men do know what their doing (love you Brent). We drove as much of that city as possible in a 3 day period. "But you were there four days.", you say? Yeah, well the last day was spent basking in the sunshine, but we'll get to that later. So business first... we visited 3 chiropractic offices. All 3 were MAXIMIZED LIVING HEALTH CENTERS. One of which was getting ready to have its grand opening. It was great to talk to Dr. Ben Spitzenberger (the one that was getting ready to open) about the process of getting all his equipment, and his 4 month internship in Florida since it was still fresh in his mind. I love the idea of having affiliated doctors so close that you can share information with. That's not common within the chiropractic community... it's generally eveyone for themselves, which is tragic. Moving on, we researched a suburb of Austin called Pflugerville. Those of you that are fans of "Friday Night Lights" might recognize it. They film at the high school there. It's a pretty small town, but it's growing like a weed, so we wanted to check it out and stake claim if needed (Pflugerville High School, pictured to the right).
After a few exhausting days of driving, scoping out good places to open a practice, and the demographics, we decided to let loose and enjoy the city. If you weren't already aware, Austin is the live music capitol of the world so we had to spend time on the famous 6th Street. It has an amazing night life. We got together with the 3 Health Center Doctors and ate at some really good restaurants, including their staple- Chuey's. We loved the heat as well. Most people think Austin is humid; they have obviously never been. It is surprisingly green as well. Side note: they were in the middle of a drought before they got the hurricane rain, so it's normally even more green than pictured. In fact, they have some of the most beautiful trees, rivers, and terrain I've ever seen. Not bad at all when you're expecting to see cactus everywhere (Just ONE of the many parks in Pflugerville, pictured to the left, above).

The Southwestern area of Austin was gorgeous. It was almost like driving through the tropical parts of Maui. I'm not kidding; you'd drive through a mass of lush trees and suddenly these amazing homes would appear through them. It was surreal.
Our favorite part of the trip had to be Lake Travis. It's a damned off portion of the Colorado River (pictured right). The water was so crystal clear, and felt like bath water. Brent and I spent our entire last day floating on it; yes it was amazing enough that we went and bought ourselves a floaty so we could swim and float all day long. It was the perfect way to end our research/vacation. If we don't end up moving there, it will definitely be one of our vacation spots. There is no question as to why it's consistently one of the top US cities to live in.

I'm learning...

I've never been the typical "housewife". Brent and I pretty much share all the house duties since I work full time, and he's a full time student (not for much longer, yes!!). I'm making an effort to be a little more "domestic", so this week I decided to learn how to bake. I honestly think that this was the first time in our marriage that I actually baked something, outside of HAVING to bake for events or holidays. My husband is so deprived. Anyway, I was very proud of the Blackberry Cobbler I made. So proud in fact, I decided to take a photo. It was so yummy. However, quick note to self; baking soda is NOT the same as baking powder. Oh, and it's not a good idea to use olive oil as a substitute for vegetable oil in an effort to be more healthy while baking. I'm pathetic, I know.In addition to baking I've had a lot of fun with some decorative projects throughout the house. My favorite projects were the... well, I'm not sure what you'd call these...










...and the mirrors.









I had been looking all over for mirrors that were about 16x16, in a oak finish, and preferably under $200 each. Well, they don't exist. So I made my own. They actually turned out pretty good. Just don't flip them over and look at the back; they're definitely homemade.

Bad Kitty!!!

Our sweet little Ash, whom I usually call the good child, decided to take a little adventure Tuesday night. Although Ash and Moose are indoor kitties, on nice days we let them lay in the back yard since the fences are high and they can't really get out. Well, somehow Ash did. After about 20 minutes of looking for him we discovered him in a neighboring yard, following another cat and wanting to play (he freakishly loves other cats). So once we found him he decided he wanted to play with mom and dad too, dodging us, while running back and forth through a group of small pine trees. We were literally diving on the ground trying to catch him. Then he decided he was done playing, stopped and let us pick him up to take him home. Needless to say he had to be punished. I think he'll think twice next time...


















I think Moose certainly learned from Ash's mistake...

"The Business of Being Born"

We have some great friends that are expecting soon, so I wanted to take a moment to share this amazing documentary with everyone. I really urge everyone to see this film, although, let me warn you- it's graphic. Whether this form of childbirth is "right" for you or not, at least you know your options. Lets face it, your doctor's NOT going to give them to you.

I'm amazed how advanced our society thinks it is in childbirth (or health care in general) when in all actuality... most of us are completely uneducated, if not ignorant.

Fact: The US has the 2nd highest infant mortality rate among industrialized nations.
Fact: The US has the HIGHEST maternal mortality rate among industrialized nations.
Fact: 1 in every 3 American women will deliver via Cesarean Section, whether planned or not.
Fact: 70% of women in Europe and other industrialized countries, like Japan use midwives to deliver thier children. The US? Less than 8%!

Bet you didn't know those statistics, did you?

I know several of you are thinking "You don't know what you're talking about! You don't even have kids". I have two words for you... RESEARCH and FAITH. I may not have children yet, but I will someday and I want to be aware of every option, every fact, and every false assumption. I want to know the facts and be prepared so when the time comes, I'm ready. I want to be at peace with what I will be putting my child as well as myself through. It's like they teach us while we are in young mens and womens... know your values and beliefs now so when they are tested there's no stress, panic, pressure or confusion on what you know is true and right. The choice will be easy.

I know it sounds strange, but this film gave me a sudden rush of gratitude. I was grateful for the First Ammendment. That the producer of this film was able to speak out and share this information with those that are seeking knowledge and desire to make an educated (and hopefully prayerful) decision about how to bring their child into this world. That they didn't back down, even though they knew their message would not be widely accepted by their audience. I'm also grateful for the education this film gives women on the childbirth process. It is a topic that is rarely spoken of. The process of childbirth is a mystery to women like myself, who have not experienced it; and that is a shame. It is such a miraculous and life changing event, however it has the potential to become traumatic when unwanted intervention of drugs, vacuums, forceps, and even surgery are brought into play. Women; let me clarify; women in the US who decide NOT to take the "hospital" and "drug" route for childbirth are greatly in the minority. In fact less than 1% of US women deliver their children at home. I'm not saying this is the right option, but the facts are. The percentage of US women using mid wives and giving birth outside of hospitals (home, birthing center, etc), verses women from other industrialized nations is dramatically low. Yet, our mortality rates are higher... Coincidence? Do your homework.

I'm so thankful that Brent and I are exposed to and teamed up with other passionate doctors who care and want to make a difference. We are surrounded by people that are fighting to save the lives of all those suffering from dis-ease in our communities, our country, and eventually the world. People that aren't afraid to be "different" and take a stand for what is right and true, no matter what opposes them. I feel blessed that I AM aware of our countries health crisis and get to participate in reshaping it. I am so eager to share this information with all of our patients and hopefully spread a fire about what health REALLY is and what we ALL can do to achieve it.

I have been tagged...

A ~ Each person has to list 6 facts/habits about them.
B ~ After part A, go to 6 people's blogs and leave a comment letting them know to read your blog, and that they have been tagged.
C ~ List at the end of your posting who you have tagged.

Fact: I hate mornings, but I drag myself out of bed at 4:45am Monday-Friday and run for an hour because "It's not about me".

Fact: My favorite thing to do is DANCE. Even if it's just around the house with the dog.

Fact: Almost any movie makes me cry. Most recently... 27 dresses. Pathetic, I know.

Fact: My favorite holiday is the 4th of July. I'm bummed I have to wait a whole 361 more days until it comes around again.

Habit: I keep clothes forever!! I have the HARDEST time getting rid of them...

Habit: I almost always forget to replace the toilet paper... It's the one thing that threatens our marriage. :)

I tag:
Jill, Karie, Tiffany, Amanda, Sara, Emily, Lauriel and Cheris. Oops, that's eight!!

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT!!

(LDS) Church Seeks to Address Public Confusion Over Texas Polymany Group

SALT LAKE CITY 26 June 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took steps today to better inform the public about differences between the Salt Lake City-based church and the polygamous group in Texas that calls itself the FLDS.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - whose members are often called "Mormons" - placed a series of video interviews on its web site to illustrate the differences between its own members in Texas and members of the isolated polygamous group.

The Texas Mormons featured on the video interviews include a director of community theater, an orthopedic surgeon, a vice president of a medical manufacturer, a former Houston Oilers quarterback, a news anchor and a young woman with aspirations for medical school.

(click below for the full article and to see the videos)
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/church-seeks-to-address-public-confusion-over-texas-polygamy-group

Happy Anniversary Mike and Amanda!!

Congratulations on 4 years.








We love you and your handsome little Austin too!!

The Manitou Incline

I want to show you all how amazing my husband is...
He went to a Maximized Living seminar in Colorado this past weekend, and one of the activities they did as a group was hike the Manitou Incline. What is this you ask? Just take a look at the photos below...

See the trail going UP the mountain side?? That's 2000 feet straight up. Not to mention that it was in Colorado so they STARTED at an elevation of 6574 feet.

The Incline is the roadbed to what used to be the Mount Manitou Scenic Incline Railway. It was a cable car that took people up the eastern face of Rocky Mountain to about 8,600 feet before shutting down in 1990. The steepest section is a grade of 68% with the average grade just over 40%.

Here's an up close picture of the trail now. They tore out the iron rails, but left the wooden sleepers behind.

Many of the locals warned them not to try it since they were not use to the elevation. In fact, they recently had a group of about 30 people attempted it, leaving 12 of them hospitalized. Nevertheless, 218 Maximized Living doctors and students made the climb. None of which became sick or injured. I'm telling you... the people in this program never cease to amaze me.

Even more impressive was their journey down. After an hour and fifteen minute climb straight up they still had to travel back. Since going down the incline is too dangerous, they were required to take the Barr Trail down, a four mile switch back trail. Brent and 3 other students decided they would run the entire 4 mile trail down, even after their exhausting journey up. They were the first ones to the bottom and were able to greet and celebrate with everyone else as they arrived. I can't wait to do this with them next spring...

I'm so proud that I'm able to call Brent my husband. He can absolutely do ANYTHING he puts his mind to. That is one quality that really separates him from the pack!!

PS: They took photos at the top of the mountain, but Brent forgot his camera, so I'll post those once I get copies from some of our friends.

Where do we go from here?

So Brent and I have the challenge of deciding where we want to settle and open our practice after school. Here are our top picks...

Puyallup, Washington

Nashville, Tennessee

Austin, Texas

Flagstaff, Arizona

Charleston, South Carolina

Boston, Massachusetts


What say you...?

Visit From Charlie, Greg, and Issac

Brent and I were lucky enough to have some awesome guests visit our home over the weekend. Brent knows them through the Chiropractic program he is involved in, MAXIMIZED LIVING. They are Chiropractic students as well, attending LIFE University in Georgia. They came up for the weekend to work with Brent at a local health fair and to see what the Pacific Northwest was really like. We took them around to some of our favorite places in Portland, like Multnomah Falls and Petite Provence (an amazing French Bistro!). I tried to talk them into sushi, but I was turned down for Greek Cuisine. They were so busy working that we didn't get to show them everything, but they made time for shopping. I've never seen guys that like to shop so much!! We had a little sunshine, but unfortunately we had the stereotypical rain, and not so typical snow/hail the rest of the time.

The following week Brent was on break so he and our 3 guests traveled up to Seattle, and Brent showed them some of the things we like best about the city. Issac, Greg, and Charlie are all interested in practicing in the Seattle "area", and took this opportunity to see if they would really like it. They went to see the Mariners play, visited Pike Place, and even had a romantic dinner at the Space Needle together. I hope that they liked it enough to make it their home someday, so the four of them can take the Northwest by storm!!! Or at least enough to come visit us again. They were so much fun to have around!

This picture of Issac says it all. These guys are so excited about life! Really, they are amazing people to be around.


P.S. Charlie:
Ash and Moose miss you... and who holds up a peace sign in pictures anymore????

Four Years & Going Strong

Here are some of my favorite memories throughout our marriage. It will be 4 years on the 19th. Crazy how time flies when you're having fun (and in love!!).
I'm so thankful to have such an amazing husband, and I look forward to all the fun memories we get to create and share together in the years to come!!!

My First Blog

So I really am clueless about how this all works, but here goes...

Welcome to our new blog!! It's our attempt to keep everyone up to date on what's going on in our busy lives. I will do my best to keep it up to date, but be patient with me; I'm learning.