Sarah's graduation (a little late)

As I was glancing over my blog postings from the last few months, I realized that I hadn't posted about Sarah's graduation from medical school!  Tragic!!! 

Sarah ended her four year pursuit of a Jefferson Medical College medical degree on May 28, 2009.  The graduation took place in the Kimmel Center, arguably the most beautiful venue for the arts in Philadelphia.  Sarah was joined by 100+ fellow graduates who probably spent at least two of the last four years studying or learning in the hospital.  Sarah's parents, sister Elizabeth, and I were the privileged ones to receive Sarah's four tickets for the ceremony. 

It was quite something to experience all these students recite the Hippocratic Oath together and for them to officially become known as "doctors."  There was much rejoicing!!! 

We were all so proud of Sarah.  She worked so hard to get this degree in order to help people with their medical issues.  One of the reasons I am proud of her is her pursuit of primary care--specially family practice medicine.  While not as well respected on the East Coast in terms of prestige and paycheck, she wants to be a family doctor to develop relationships with her patients and their families to foster better care for their health.  The emphasis on preventative medicine and health education makes family practice the closest an MD will ever be to a teacher!  Or maybe I'm just biased.

Sabbatical no longer

My wedding sabbatical has ended: I am returning to my weekly blogging. While things haven't quite settled down in the De Boer household yet, they're close enough. Actually, Sarah asked me the other day if I felt settled. I responded that I did, and she said that she wasn't quite yet. Maybe it's the stack of five crates in our hallway? We've made progress though, and that's what counts.

I am approaching the four week mark of school. At times, it seems really far away. Other times, it seems really close! I know it'll be over before we know it. This week, my students have been pretty good. We've had a great understanding and expectation for how things are supposed to run in our classroom. The warmer weather and excitement for special events has made things more talkative in the classroom, but there are fewer conflicts.

My allergies have been awful the past week. Sarah and I made the financial decision to leave the windows down yesterday after my fauc--I mean nose kept running all night for a few straight days. Today's rain helped though; I feel leaps and bounds better than any other day this week. I even had a student bring in a note from her mom saying that she needed to stay inside during recess to avoid the pollen.

With my new move, I'm carpooling to school now! Laura (the 4th grade teacher) and I drive from Fairmount together. It's been great having company in the car and saving on gas!

Sarah and I are still developing new routines in our new life as a married couple. One of my favorites so far has been our bi-weekly trip to New Jersey, where we go to Wegman's for groceries and get the cheapest gas in the country (only $3.40 last week). We've also stopped at Bed, Bath, and Beyond to spend our gift certificates and fill out our home. Who'd of thunk shopping would be fun? Certainly not me!

I'm pretty excited about the Cubs this year. Even though they've been in a funk recently, their offense has played well. Half their starters are reliable, and the other half should only be used as middle relievers.

This afternoon, I got an e-mail from Walden (where I'm getting my masters in reading). They approved my request to take two classes at a time this summer. Consequently, my final portfolio is due on September 15. After I turn that puppy in, I'll be done!!! Can't wait.

Too bad this doesn't happen more often

I tell ya what, if you want to bring a smile to someone's face, just tell them you got engaged this past weekend! I've really enjoyed watching others' reactions to the news of my engagement with Sarah. Responses have ranged from loud shrieks to quiet tears to logical questions to thankful praises. It almost makes me want to do it more often! Well, maybe not. =)

I'm working on a website for our wedding plans. More info on that to come when school stuff slows down.

Report cards go home with students today. I'm not terribly excited about them--I find myself analyzing each number much more deeply than needed. After getting engaged this weekend, I was in no mood to do them! However, I did finally hunker down and finish them yesterday evening. There was much rejoicing! (well, from me at least...we'll have to see if my students are rejoicing after their parents see them tonight)

Our engagement--the pictures

Interested in seeing the pictures? Click here!

Our engagement--the video

We're engaged!!!

Yep, we sure are. This morning, I asked Sarah Elizabeth Gardner to marry me, and she said yes! (the exact quote, through a clenched hug, was “of course I will marry you!”) More details, pictures, videos, websites and plans to come. But for now, we’re reveling in the excitement. After all, we now know the who, what, and why...how much harder can the when, where, and how be?

Missing a hubcap, but we've got marathon pictures!

Tonight, Sarah and I went to the local grocery store. When we returned to the car, I was dismayed to find out that my right front hubcap had disappeared! We drove around the parking lot looking for it, but were unsuccessful. Why just one? And why even take one? Kind of rediculous...and annoying. Any ideas where I can pick up an extra hubcap for a Chevy Prizm?

In more positive news, we started our classroom ballroom dancing lessons today. Despite the mixed response at first, kids mostly enjoyed the time. The big issue was holding hands and dancing with a partner, but thankfully, the instructors are easing them into it. So far, no partners.

Jim and Teresa Sorge are coming to Philadelphia! Sarah and I know both of them very well--I lived in the same building as Jim for all four years in college, while Sarah danced almost every day with Teresa. Teresa will be starting her masters in dance at Temple in either January or September, and Jim is job hunting. If anyone knows of an open position for a biology, chemistry, french major who is brilliant, let me know!

The official marathon pictures are now online. Sarah and I will be ordering one of us crossing the finish line, even though it is the most expensive 5x7 I will probably ever buy in my life. If you want to see them, visit this website. Our bib numbers are 7648 and 7649.

Hell's Hollow

There's a hiking trail near Sarah's house in New Castle, PA (near Pittsburgh) that is called Hell's Hollow. I'm quite unclear about the etymological roots of the name, since the trails are in beautiful Western Pennsylvania hills with water, rock formations, and trees aplenty. Sarah has wanted to take me there for years, and yesterday, she finally did. We had a wonderful time walking through the woods before we stopped and talked in view of a waterfall. So beautiful!

Marathon finishers

Today, Sarah and I ran and finished the Philadelphia Marathon. Yes, that's right: we FINISHED a MARATHON! I still don't quite believe it, to be honest. The weather had threatened to rain the whole day, which would have probably been quite miserable. However, God held it off until we were done, and we only had to deal with a little bit of "spitting" once or twice. The temperature was as perfect as it could have been--a little cold before the race started, but when we were running, I wouldn't wanted it to have been any warmer or colder.

Our two goals were to (1) finish and (2) possibly get done before noon. We accomplished both! Our final chip time (the time when we crossed the start to the finish) was about 4 hours and 30 minutes. We averaged just over 10 minute miles for the entire race!

One of the best parts about the race was all the people who came to cheer us on. Dan and Krista Carter (who we got to cheer on last year) ran the last 11 miles with us. Sarah's roommate Michelle ran the last 1.5 miles. Melanie and Christian ran a mile at the halfway point. Plus, a bunch of friends from Liberti came to cheer at the start and finish!

The best part of the day for me was the last .2 miles. I had started to cramp up in my left calf, but the last part of the race ended in a tunnel-like opening with people on both sides. Sarah and finished without anyone else around us, which was really, really cool. I don't think I've ever felt anything like it!

Afterwards, my body started screaming at me, and the first 20-30 minutes after our finish were pretty painful. By the time we made it back to Sarah's apartment and I took a shower, I felt much better. Some delicious tomato soup with grilled cheese, Advil, pretzels, bananas, chicken broth, water, an apple, and a 90-minute nap later, I was feeling pretty good. Right now, I'm a bit sore in the legs, but much better than I had anticipated.

Ron Paul rally!

While touring downtown Philly yesterday, we stumbled over a Ron Paul rally! His moniker is the "defender of the Constitution," so he fittingly had a rally directly in front of the Constitution Center. We weren't planning on the event, but none of us had been to a campaign event recently. Despite the fact that we were against some of his views, we managed to join in the hostile crowd environment and cheer on the man who says he would abolish income tax and the IRS if he were elected president.

Here are a few photos from the event:

Russ and Lori's visit

This weekend, Russ and Lori came to visit. They are Sarah's old youth group leaders from high school, and we've had the opportunity to hang out with them on several different occasions. They're a spunky couple with a passion for people and laughter. Needless to say, we had a great time. First, along with Ryan and Elissa--two friends who just moved to Philly from Sarah's old church--we enjoyed a delicious dinner at the new Urban Saloon. Saturday morning we toured Eastern State Penitentiary, Independence Mall, and the Liberty Bell. They wanted to hear all about our lives here in Philly and our relationship...and we love to talk about ourselves! We enjoyed our time with them.


Here are a few pictures from our stay at Eastern State:

This is Sarah and Lori trying to escape:

And here are two latest incarcerated bums.

House concert

Liberti's worship leader Dave Braud hosted a house show with his wife Sarah. They had three artists that Dave knew from his time in Nashville, TN. All three were high quality! Sarah and I had heard two of them perform last fall here in Philadelphia and we bought their CDs. We bought another one at the house show last night, too. The artists are wonderful. They are on a three-week tour throughout the northeast. Some of their work has played on Grey's Anatomy as well as other prime-time TV shows! Check out Katie Herzig, Matthew Perryman Jones, and Peter Bradley Adams. Katie's song "Sweeter Than This" is simply beautiful--Sarah and I decided that it's our #2 song together. =)

Sarah and I sat two feet (TWO FEET!) from the artists as they played. After they were done with a set, we talked with them for a while. Then when the show was over, we talked with two of them for almost an hour about their touring, inspiration, etc. The whole atmosphere was very personal, laid-back, and intimate...I liked it a lot.

The procedes of the event went to a documentary a friend from Liberti is making called Women in War Zones. It's an ambitious project that two Liberti guys decided to undertake last year when they went to Africa to film treatment of women in conflict situations. More to come when that's completed and released!

Philadelphia's finest?

So, last night Sarah and I were coming home from the house concert when we heard a firetruck's siren behind us. As required by law, I pulled over to the side to allow the truck to pass. The rather aggressive driver behind me decided to use this opportunity to pass me, but halfway past me decided to allow me back in my rightful place on the road. In all this commotion, however, I neglected to notice that the "no left turn" signs as I turned left from Ridge Ave. onto Girard Ave. (why I can't turn left there...I don't know!) No sooner did I do that did a police car turn on its lights and search light and pull me over. The Michigan driver's license and perfect driving record did nothing to deter this persistent police officer: after a half hour in the petrol car, he handed me a $119 ticket worth 3 points on my license! Yikes!!! Sarah suggested that we get a warning with all the commotion, our ignorance and such, but our officer had made up his mind. Fortunately, he did recommend that we contest the ticket in court and that the judge would probably throw it out. If he believes this, then, why did he still give us the ticket? With all the crime in Philly, I felt like we wasted over a half hour of two officers' time! Alas, alack...

Sarah's birthday, part 2

I had to share this picture taken by our friend Kelly Thayer. It captures the most memorable part of Sarah's birthday, as eight of us attempted to spell S-A-R-A-H with our bodies (unfortunately, I drew the short straw and attempted to form an S with less than moderate success). Sarah wooed the crowd by slipping into the splits at the last second. She can do it all!

Sarah's birthday party

Yesterday we celebrated Sarah's 24th birthday party in style--on her deck! It was her first true birthday party in her life. A bunch of people came out, and we enjoyed delicious food with a beautiful view of the evening Philadelphia skyline. Here's a picture of some of the gang who made it last night. If you haven't wished Sarah a happy birthday, it's never too late!

Updates

Yeah, it's been a while. I'd like to provide a full update on what's transpired since my last posting, but unfortunately, I don't have the time for such luxuries. Know that I want to, however!

My marathon training with Sarah continues. The cooler weather has made for the initial mile to be unpleasant, but my sweat pores are much less active when the temperature is below 80 degrees! This morning we ran for almost 17 miles before church (our time was about 2:50). I'd say it was our best yet. We have a 20 mile run scheduled for October 28--the day before Sarah's 24th birthday! That will be our longest before the marathon. Most of our friends who have done a marathon before tell us that these long runs are the hardest, since you aren't in a race or anything yet. Today felt really good as we did it, however. We brought our iPods, but didn't allow ourselves to use them until the final 4 miles, which worked well as a distraction when our bodies were starting to feel it. In hindsight, perhaps the Sunday morning run wasn't the wisest decision, since we struggled to stand up for singing, communion, and greeting... Still, there are few feelings that compare with the satisfaction of knowing that you gave it all you've got. I expect to sleep very well tonight.

Sarah and I made a trip down to Washington DC to visit Walter and Lydia Nelson in their DC home. They were married in April, and we hadn't made it down there to visit them. Lydia's birthday made for a good excuse, and we enjoyed our visit immensely. It no longer seems weird to visit married friends. Even though it was our first time seeing their new home, it seemed right that they were married. I like that.

School has been going pretty well. What's keeping it from going really well is the amount of time I spend there. I'm generally the first one there and the last one to leave. Recently, it's been kind of a 7AM-7PM day. I try to do most of my work at school because I found myself having trouble sleeping when I worked on homework or planning at home. I'm working on separating school from life, and unfortunately, the emotional element has been tough to overcome.

We have parent/teacher conferences this week, which makes me feel excited and nervous. I have only observed my student teaching conferences, and since nobody came to the computer room last year, that's my only experience with them. Parent communication is a big component for me (our class website has every day's homework and news on it as well as private online grades so parents know what their students are getting). I'd like to get better at calling parents with good news, so this week after students presented their state project, I called home to let the parents know how well their child did with the assignment. Let's hope it pays off!

This weekend, Sarah and I hung out with her roommate Michelle and her boyfriend Will. We had a great time in the country surrounding Philadelphia--visiting her family, picking apples, touring Victory brewery, and going on a haunted hayride. The apple picking felt a little cheap: the place was crawling with people, the apple pickins were slim, and it made me feel even more strongly about how much I like Cranes Orchard.

Time for me to put some finishing touches on the week's lessons. I'll post more soon!

Half marathon

This weekend, Sarah and I ran in the Philadelphia Distance Run, which is a beautiful 13.1 mile half marathon. Sarah held up better than I did at the end, but we both had a great time running in it. Here are some pictures of us.

The last few weeks have felt like a marathon with all the events and planning that's been filling the schedule. I'll write more when I get a chance.

New heights

Phew! It's been quite the week. I've been at Sandy Cove, MD (right on Chesapeake Bay), working in my classroom, preparing for school next week, relationship talks with Sarah, and running this week. I'm about ready for Labor Day weekend. Good thing it's here!

Sarah and I just got back from a 13 mile run. Yes, you read that right: we ran 13 miles this morning. The previous longest had been Broad Street when we did 10 miles, but that was with a student who went at a pretty slow pace. Sarah and I managed to stay below 10 minute miles this time, which was in itself a miracle. We both felt pretty strong, and the cool weather, beautiful scenery, and seeing student along the path kept us going. It felt good, but it also feels really good to sit down. I felt like it was a great release of stress from this past week. Pretty cool how God uses healthy living to keep us strong. When we are weak, He sure is strong.

Sarah's new phone and shoes

Within 24 hours, Sarah got a new phone and new running sneakers for free. The phone because it had been more than two years since she had purchased one, and the sneakers because she does Students Run Philly Style! I also received running shoes, but I forgot to take a picture of mine.


Tomorrow evening, Sarah, other folks from Liberti, and I are heading up to the Kinaard farm to camp overnight. We'll be joined by floods of other church friends and have a day of playing outdoors. Can't wait!

Bikin' in Center City

I didn't even touch my car today. What a beautiful thing!

Sarah and I went for a bike ride into Center City yesterday evening and did something pretty extraordinary: picked out a new cell phone. Sarah's had "Big Red"--a bulky, durable, candy bar phone--since her senior year of high school. After much coaxing from friends and her boyfriend, she went out and got a new free phone. Surprisingly, their options of free phones weren't too impressive. I had hoped the Kantana would be available for $20-30 (I got mine for $20), but they were going to charge her $100 for one! I'm glad I snagged mine when I did. Anyway, after some feeling out some of the phones, she decided on one that wasn't too bad. Apparently it warmed up on her, and she remarked later in the night, "I really like my new phone!" Hopefully I'll remember to take a picture and post it soon.