Ly + Alan

Snow!!

2012-02-19T21:03:00.004-05:00

It has finally snowed in Richmond!!

Ly is over the moon because she has been waiting for a snowstorm for almost 2 years.

But this morning it started snowing and it hasn't stopped since. By this evening there was enough snow for Ly to convince Alan to take a break from studying long enough to go play in the snow. And boy is Alan glad he did. They had a great time. Alan especially enjoyed throwing Ly into the snow while Ly enjoyed "helping" Alan build a snowman. This was only Ly's second time building a snowman (the first being with her Dad at the Jefferson Memorial in DC) and she loves the stick arms.

Here's hoping the snow continues to fall and they cancel Alan's classes tomorrow. Then he'd have an entire day at home! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all our family & friends near & far.

We love you!

XOXO

Ly+Alan

**if you want to make that awesome mini quilt that Ly designed above then follow this link for a tutorial**

Molly Mac

2012-02-02T15:54:00.002-05:00

Well a few weeks ago Ly's trusty laptop, Sam, decided that he no longer enjoyed doing mundane tasks such as editing photos, designing layouts, running boring programs such as adobe creative suite, microsoft office, and of course surfing the world wide web.

Apparently Sam would rather sleep indefinitely.

And it didn't matter that Ly needed Sam badly. She had multiple design related deadlines coming up within a week or two when that happened. And poof all her programs and files were gone.

After taking Sam to the doctor, she was told that it was time to let Sam go and get a new computer.

Meanwhile, Samantha (Ly's external hard drive) was so heartbroken about this news of Sam's demise that she went into a state of shock and refused to start functioning.

Thus ended the lives of both Sam and Samantha. May they RIP.

Lest you think Ly is completely without a computer have no fear she has been rescued by a beautiful new MacBook Pro.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Molly Mac:

She arrived at our doorstep this past Monday morning all shiny and new in a gorgeous new box.

Her first few hours were spent loading her up with all the latest software. Molly sure does loves Adobe CS5.5 -- and especially loves the tablet Ly uses when designing and editing photos/ads.

The past few days Ly and Molly have been practically inseperable and lets just say it was love at first sight. Perhaps Apple said it best:

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Looking Back at 2011

2012-01-04T12:05:00.001-05:00

2011 was an...unexpected year for the Lee family. We certainly had some good times and some not-so-good times. Here's a quick list of the highlights of the year:

* Alan successfully finished his first year of medical school and started his second.

* Alan did a lot of research at the Craniofacial clinic

* Ly started her quilting blog (PurplePandaQuilts) and made a lot of new quilting friends

* Ly started tutoring various kids in all sorts of subjects...including math....and loves it

* Ly spent a week of the summer in Salt Lake City playing with family and friends

* Summer road trip to Acadia National Park (with stops in Boston and NY on the way)

* Spring break in the Everglades (snorkeling, camping, canoeing, bird watching)

* No Cal for Lily's college graduation (Santa Cruz boardwalk, dinner in SF, Muir Woods)

* Camping in the Great Smokey Mountains (lots and lots of rain!)

* Camping in Shenandoah National Park (fall leaves...photo workshops...animals)

* Week of no power due to Hurricane Irene

* Christmas in Idaho (new niece born!)

* Stockings for Kids drive (over 250 stockings came in from all over the world!!)

Looking back at it, we certainly did travel a lot (we went to almost 20 states!) and managed to have lots of fun despite the hardships. And all in all, 2011 was pretty great because there were no surgeries. Lets hope we can keep the streak alive in 2012.

New Haircut

2011-12-18T01:43:00.001-05:00

The other day Ly finally bit the bullet and went and chopped off 7 inches of her hair. Well she didn't literally do it, she paid someone else to do it. And that lady was awesome. If you need a hair person in the central virginia area...Ly has just the gal for you.

Anyway she's enjoying her shorter hair and how quickly it takes her to get ready in the morning. Yay for fast blow drying/showering/etc.

A snapshot of Christmas!

2011-12-09T00:43:00.001-05:00

Ly + Alan put up their tree a little early this year...and Ly's loving having the holiday decorations up so early. Although there is still something to be said for getting a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and Ly won't be giving up on that tradition so easily.

New Phones.

2011-11-03T11:23:00.000-04:00

About a week or so ago, Lyanna's phone mysteriously stopped working. As in it decided to no longer take its role as a telephone seriously and started to just vibrate all.the.time. Luckily for her, it was time for an upgrade and so she got herself a brand new iphone. Alan was sad and wouldn't you know it a week later his phone "suddenly" stopped working as well:

So now Ly+Alan are both proud owners of new iphones. Any guesses on whose phone is the purple one? =)

Sunrise over the Shenandoah Valley

2011-10-24T22:32:00.000-04:00

There is something peaceful about getting up early and watching the sunrise. It is the ideal time for thinking, relaxing and yes, picture taking.

A Wordless Post: Fall Leaves in the Shenandoah Valley

2011-10-18T14:35:00.000-04:00

This past week

2011-10-14T15:27:00.001-04:00

Well today Alan has his final renal exam. He's been busy studying for his test all week and Ly has been super busy with the stocking drive, other quilting projects, tutoring and of course studying for the GRE. This hasn't left much time for them to hang out but they fully intend on spending some quality time together this weekend.

Ly and Alan's busyness has left the Pandas, Honk, Piou and the Cold to watch movies unattended in bed all week.

Their brains are going to turn to mush.

Truth

2011-10-07T11:07:00.005-04:00

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life...don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." -- Steve Jobs

Rest in peace Steve Jobs, you truly were an inspiration to many.

Stockings for Kids!

2011-10-03T14:39:00.001-04:00

As some of you may or may not know, Ly has been awfully busy these last few weeks/months working on her quilting business (surprise!) Please go support her at Purple Panda Quilts.

She is currently running a stocking drive, Stockings for Kids, to benefit the foster children she works with. So go check it out, sign up to make stocking and help spread the word so that together we can bring smiles to some kids this holiday season. And for those of you who don't know how to sew or think that it is too hard/takes up too much time - no excuses, there will be weekly tutorials to walk you through the simple process of making your own holiday stocking.

Grab a button and show your support!

<div align="center"><a href="http://purplepandaquilts.blogspot.com/p/stockings-for-kids.html" title="Stockings for Kids"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J9z4-vOZSoc/Ton5wPAuk3I/AAAAAAAAAIY/CIV_u72ILj8/s1600/stocking-blog-button.jpg" alt="Stockings for Kids" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Make a stocking for a foster child and give them something they can call their own this holiday season.

Birthday Fun

2011-09-26T12:29:00.001-04:00

Despite the fact Alan had 2 major exams the week of Ly's birthday (including a national shelf exam) he still managed to make Ly's birthday fun. The morning started off with such a nice surprise - breakfast, Starbucks, and of course gerber daisies (Ly's favorite). Such a nice small gesture really made Ly feel special, especially considering the fact that Alan didn't have much time to spend on her actual birthday (due to the service).

Later in the week, Ly + Alan went on a day trip to Shenandoah, apple picking, quilt store shopping, and even had a mini birthday party complete with homemade chocolate cake AND apple pie. Gotta love Alan's interest in baking. Ly also got showered with gifts. Yay for cookbooks, fabric (lots of fabric!), sewing supplies, books and of course fashion accessories...but the best gift of course were all the birthday phone calls, cards, messages and emails from friends and family. So here's to an awesome birthday week and a new year of adventures!

It's that time of year again...

2011-09-13T13:21:00.002-04:00

Well today is Lily's 22nd birthday. Usually Ly writes a long list of the reasons why Lily is the best sister in the entire world, but she has decided to change it up with a poem from their childhood:

My name is Lily

I am silly

I am Lily not Billy!

But in all seriousness, Ly has been lucky enough to get to see Lily on two different occasions this year despite the 3,000 mile distance between them.

1. She got to see Lily when Lil flew out to Richmond for thanksgiving and they made tamales instead of turkey...a tradition in the making. Lily also successfully helped Ly parallel park her car, an event that to this day is legendary.

Proof we actually made tamales!

2. She got to see Lily when she graduated college and they introduced her dad to the wonders of veggie burgers and rode all the carnival rides they could at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk (an event 26 years in the making).

LK + LL after graduation

Twirling really really fast...so fun and worth the 27 year wait!

Unfortunately, the two sisters don't get to spend their birthdays together but hopefully Lil will celebrate enough for the both of them!

So here's to the next year of adventures both abroad and at home! =)

The week of natural disasters

2011-08-30T19:33:00.004-04:00

Well last week was the week of natural disasters around here. First there was an earthquake and then a few days a hurricane. Having never been in a hurricane before Ly thought that was much more exciting if you will. So exciting in fact that the power went out early Saturday and has yet to be turned back on.

Luckily (depending on your point of view) VCU didn't run out of power so not only was school and exams not cancelled, but Ly was able to go "borrow" the internet/watch movies/charge her phone and computer on campus while Alan studied.

Here are some photos of our neighborhood after the storm

Study. Study. Study.

2011-08-11T23:24:00.003-04:00

Alan has a test in the morning and he's been studying for what seems like days. At least he is enjoying his comfy new chair.

Fifty Cent Book Sale

2011-08-10T15:28:00.004-04:00

Ly is addicted to books.

She is also addicted to buying books.

During the time the Ly+Alan lived across the street from the bookstore there was a significant increase in money spent on books in the monthly budget. Alan has since banned Ly from purchasing numerous books at once (citing the fact that they are expensive and Ly finishes them in an hour) and so Ly has become friends with her local library. Yesterday afternoon on her way home from the library, Ly noticed that they were selling books for fifty cents. That's half a dollar for all you non-money-thinking people. There were hundreds of books she wanted but managed to weed some out and came home with three new books. 3 books under 2 bucks? Awesome.

Morning Surprise

2011-08-08T23:17:00.006-04:00

This morning as Ly went to make herself some scrambled eggs for breakfast this is what she saw:

Love notes via eggs. What a nice/creative/different surprise from Alan who has been rather busy this week with a pharmacology exam coming up on Friday.

It's the little things that get Ly+Alan through test weeks.

Pottermore

2011-08-05T21:34:00.001-04:00

As most everyone knows, Ly is obsessed with Harry Potter. She read almost all of the books with her family out loud and enjoyed every second of it. And when the last Harry Potter book came out the day she got married, Ly convinced her sister and mom to get her a copy of the book at midnight and bring it to her reception the next day so she could read it on her honeymoon. (It did rain a few days, giving Ly plenty of time to read...and luckily Alan knew what he was getting into when he said I do.)

Anyway Ly saw the lasted Harry Potter movie (Deathly Hallows Part 2) in Chicago with Alan when their plane got canceled. She liked it but was a little let down when she realized that the Harry Potter story was over....no more books and no more movies. Sadness. Luckily JK Rowling foresaw this feeling (or perhaps her PR people/publisher did) and announced the release of Pottermore.com, an online harry potter type world that supposedly gives each user an individualized experience with the wizarding world. As one can imagine this news excited millions of people across the globe. Ly got especially excited when she found out that the site would allow a few hundred thousand people early access and immediately set her sights on becoming one of those lucky people. And, as luck/an immense knowledge of all things Harry Potter/the best sister in the entire world, Ly got an account on Pottermore!!

Have you got your Pottermore account yet? Or are you over the whole Harry Potter craze?

Four Years

2011-07-25T21:07:00.008-04:00

Earlier this week Ly + Alan celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary. It seems like it was only the other day when Ly said yes to marriage on the banks of Walden Pond, and just yesterday that she said yes in the Salt Lake City Temple for time and all eternity. So even though at times marriage has been a struggle (hello, have you met either Ly or Alan, aka the most stubborn people on the planet?) it has been full of laughter, love, and lots of adventures. Ly certainly wouldn't trade any of it for all the tea in china (although for a chance to actually hold pandas in china....)

So here's to a happy four years and a hundred more!

The Salt Lake City Temple where Ly+Alan were married for time and all eternity.

Back into the swing of things.

2011-07-25T20:33:00.007-04:00

As Ly + Alan get settled into a new routine for school, their travels sadly have to come to end...for the time being. Medical school doesn't believe in giving students much time off you see. So instead of relying on us to come see you, you should come see us!

Sayanara Summer!

2011-07-20T15:13:00.006-04:00

Ly has been lucky enough to have an excellent summer. Not only did she get to see 14 states in less than 3 weeks, but she also got to fly across the united states to see family twice...and everyone knows how much Ly loves flying. The highlight of the summer, obviously, was the insane amount of time Ly got to spend with Alan without a medical textbook in sight. It was excellent! Camping in the woods, impromptu road trips, weekend getaways, and of course quality beach time. Sadly, every summer must come to an end as Alan starts his second year of med school this week.

Here's hoping this next year in med school goes smoothly -- especially as Alan preps for the Boards.

Photo of the Day

2011-07-10T08:15:00.000-04:00

Oconaluftee River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

2011-07-08T23:06:00.003-04:00

Alan + Ly spent the past week playing in the Smokies. It was beautiful, relaxing, and so very hot. It rained most of the time, which one would think would alleviate the heat but alas it only served to increase the humidity. Ick. Ly was glad to finally be in Tennessee and for the opportunity to appreciate the vastness and beauty of some of the oldest mountains in America.

Acadia Tide Pools: Up Close + Personal

2011-07-03T23:40:00.000-04:00

Acadia National Park: Hunter Beach

2011-07-03T23:12:00.005-04:00

One of Alan's favorite spots in Acadia was a little rock beach off the side of the Park Loop Road. It was peaceful, secluded and offered spectacular views. Alan enjoyed skipping rocks into the Atlantic while Ly loved the novelty of a beach with smooth rocks in place of sand...not exactly a place to lay out in the sunshine, but beautiful nevertheless.

A glimpse into Acadia National Park

2011-07-03T22:43:00.003-04:00

A Trip to Maine

2011-07-03T21:50:00.003-04:00

After their California adventures, Alan still had more time off from school and work at the hospital, so Ly+Alan decided last minute to drive up to Acadia National Park in Maine and go camping for a week with a stop in Boston. They had a great time despite some less than favorable (read: rainy) weather for a few days - which was appreciated because it decreased the number of bugs and crowds in the park. Ly learned how to BBQ and cooked dinner all by herself one night, and it was actually quite good. Alan focused on making roaring fires perfect for making s'mores and keeping warm.

They spent the days exploring Acadia - the tidal pools, the cliffs, the waterfalls, carriage roads and of course the infamous Park Loop Drive. Ly loved taking photos but was a bit sad at the lack of animal but she did see a beaver, a bald eagle, lots of seagulls, a ginormous black slug, some deer and a some nesting Peregrine Falcons.

After their Acadia adventures, Ly+Alan drove down to Boston for a few days. It was their first time back to Beantown since they got married. It was fun to see the Longfellow Chapel and their old stomping grounds as well as to explore downtown Boston. The best part, by far, was getting to catch up with some super close friends. If only Boston and Richmond were closer!

Picking strawberries by the ocean

2011-06-30T00:01:00.006-04:00

Off highway 1 just outside of Santa Cruz, there is an adorable organic pick your own strawberry farm. Take it from Ly, the berries are delicious and provide an excellent snack for a drive down the coast.

Santa Cruz Boardwalk

2011-06-29T23:31:00.005-04:00

Santa Cruz boasts one of the only remaining boardwalks on the west coast. It was built a long time ago and has all sorts of things - rides, boardwalk food, sand, surf, arcades and little shops. Ly and Lily were especially excited when everyone decided to spend an entire day at the boardwalk -- complete with an unlimited rides bracelet. It was the first time in their entire lives that they ever got to ride fair rides and boy was it an experience to remember.

Ly loved all the spinning rides and was so proud of herself for getting out of her comfort zone to ride rides that might seem scary. Alan enjoyed the old fashioned carousel that had a ring you grab and throw into a bin...he was the only one in the group that managed to get one in. Later in the afternoon, everyone played laser tag and pirates mini golf. The day topped off with some games in the arcade (Ly's dad smashed Ly at air hockey) and some yummy ice cream on the boardwalk.

All in all, Ly didn't have much time to take photos because she was too busy having a blast but it was certainly a day to remember and she recommends that everyone spend some time at the boardwalk when in Santa Cruz.

Natural Bridges Beach

2011-06-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

After Lily's graduation, everyone went to Natural Bridges so Ly could get her beach fix and Alan could attempt to throw Ly and Lily into the freezing cold water (don't worry, he didn't succeed). It was a small, quaint spot where Ly enjoyed taking photos, feeling the sand between her toes, the wind in her hair, hearing the crashing of the waves, and smelling the salty air. Ly loves the beach and misses California beaches so much. Here's hoping Alan gets into a residency program near the ocean.

Lily: UCSC Class of 2011 Graduate

2011-06-22T22:53:00.007-04:00

The main reason Ly+Alan went to California was to see Lily graduate from UC Santa Cruz. They got up super early and saved seats for the rest of the family and sat in the sun for hours during many very interesting commencement speeches in not one, not two, but three different languages. Good thing Ly loves Lily lots. The best part, obviously, was cheering loudly for Lily as she walked across the stage to receive her "diploma". Nevertheless, Ly+Alan were glad to partake in Lily's special day and celebrate her academic achievements.

Ly can't believe her little sister is all grown up and a college graduate! What happened to the days of playing school at home complete with a timed schedule, homework assignments and scheduled lunch time? Time flies! Congrats Lil - you deserve it...can't wait to see what adventures life takes you on next!

*It was a fake diploma. Lily graduated early and her diploma was sent to her in the mail many months prior.

Muir Woods...a photo only post

2011-06-22T17:21:00.003-04:00

California Highway 1

2011-06-22T17:14:00.006-04:00

Recently Ly+Alan took a trip to Northern California to hang out with Ly's family and explore what Northern California has to offer. Of course they were not there for months at a time so they didn't have time to do everything. But one of the things they did do was drive on Highway 1 by the ocean. Alan had never driven on it before so it was a new experience for him. Ly had, of course, been up and down highway 1 multiple times and still got car sick from the curvy roads. This time Ly+Alan drove to Point Reyes National Seashore and stopped at Muir Beach for some fresh air and photo taking. The drive was beautiful -- California is such a gorgeous state that has it all - the ocean, mountains, trees, deserts...and sunshine. =)

waterfall love.

2011-06-07T12:29:00.003-04:00

Shenandoah National Park. Memorial Day. 2011.

On the Road...

2011-06-05T17:38:00.006-04:00

Shenandoah Valley. Memorial Day 2011.

Family Fun.

2011-06-04T17:56:00.006-04:00

Memorial Day weekend, Ly+Alan were lucky enough to have some family visit from the West Coast. Tons of fun was had by all - they hiked Shenandoah, explored Maymont Park, played games, had movie parties, and of course colored with the bath crayons. Ly especially enjoyed the fact that her nieces woke up with the sun, depriving her of her usual 9 am weekend wake up time...a fact that was only okay because they are very cute (see for yourself below). Alan, on the other hand was especially excited to have someone to toss in the air and carry around on his shoulders. They both had such a blast and can't wait to see them again in July.

Brick Quilt

2011-06-04T16:34:00.010-04:00

Lily's friend recently had a baby so Lily asked Ly to make a baby quilt for her. Lily asked for some blue fabrics and Ly came up with this red white and aqua design. It was a lot of fun to make - the large blocks really let the fabrics shine (and made with some yummy just wing it by momo fabrics, the large blocks were a must). The backing is solid, for the most part, which really allows the quilting to shine. In fact, the back is one of Ly's favorite parts of the entire quilt.

Front

Back

Close up of the front after washed - so crinkly and cuddly! How fun are the aqua flowers in the bottom corner?

close up of the quilting

binding close up...folded and all ready to ship to California.

**This is loosely based off of Rachel's pattern on her stitched in color blog...she has an excellent blog and I suggest you check it out if you have time**

New Camera!

2011-06-04T15:12:00.005-04:00

One of the reasons why posting has been so sparingly recently is because for awhile Ly+Alan didn't have a camera (trusty canon died in the Everglades). However that is no longer an excuse because Ly recently got a new camera. After much thought and deliberation, she decided to make the switch to Nikon.

And let's just say it was hands down the best decision ever. Ly is a proud owner of a Nikon D3100 and she LOVES it. Shockingly enough it is still nameless, but suggestions are welcome.

And because a post about a new camera should have pictures, here are a few taken while experimenting with manual focus:

Fred

2011-06-04T15:06:00.004-04:00

The other night as Ly left the house for her run she stepped on a little green frog. Luckily this frog, Fred as he is now known, was a smart frog who curled up really small and didn't even get hurt. He hopped a little bit away and hung out in the bushes. When Ly came back from her run he had resumed his place on the porch. Ly really wanted to keep him but after some convincing by Alan realized that they didn't have a proper home for him so Fred now lives in the bushes by the front door.

Jump for Joy!

2011-06-04T14:21:00.005-04:00

Alan has officially finished his first year of medical school. One year down...only ten more to go.

Highlights of M1 year included:

+ making some great new friends

+ observing a lot of "awesome" (and long) surgeries

+ doing research with a plastic surgeon

+ learning a LOT about the human body

+ getting accepted into VCU's Masters of Health Administration program, thereby delaying graduation by a year

+ alan's first ever spring break

Bring on the next year!

Be a Match + Help Save a Life

2011-04-03T14:47:00.004-04:00

Hi Friends!

Did you know that millions of people every day are waiting for that one person to save their life? It could be you! All you need to do is to join the National Bone Marrow Registry. It's super easy, free, and even online.

Here's what you do:

1. Go to www.marrow.org and fill out all the information to join the registry.

2. Wait for your cotton swabs to arrive in the mail

3. Swab your mouth with the cotton swabs, send it back, and voila - you might just end up being the ONE person able to give someone a second chance at life.

The best part of this is that you don't even need to get a needle prick to join.

Please PLEASE PLEASE consider signing up today if you can. The mother of my very good friend is super sick and in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. Please consider doing this for everyone out there who is need of a transplant.

Thanks for your help!

I love you all and may you be blessed with good health,

Lyanna

The Everglades: A Small Snapshot

2011-03-26T17:18:00.007-04:00

Here are a few photographs before/while the canon broke. Most are taken in the Everglades.

Sunset at nine mile pond.

Nine mile pond canoe trip. Heading towards mangrove forests.

Nine mile pond canoe trip. Seagrass marshes.

Nine mile pond canoe trip. Red mangroves.

Nine mile pond canoe trip. American Crocodile.

Mrazek pond, Everglades. Alligator resting in the morning sun.

West Lake, Everglades.

Crocodile at the Flamingo Marina, Everglades

Manatee and baby coming up for air. Flamingo Marina, Everglades.

Campsite in Flamingo, Everglades.

Shore birds on the beach by our campsite. Flamingo, Everglades.

Flamingo, Everglades.

Canon the Camera

2011-03-26T17:11:00.005-04:00

While Ly+Alan's trip to the Everglades was awesome the only bad thing that happened was that Ly's trusty canon camera died on the third day of their trip. It just decided to stop working....right when Ly and Alan reached the end of their 3 mile hike to see the nesting area of some rare birds. So not only does Ly not have a picture of that but a lot of the pictures that were taken weren't very good because the camera was having some problems focusing. Sadness.

Ly learned a very valuable lesson that day -- always bring a back up camera with you while on vacation.

And now she gets to get a new camera. Perhaps a Nikon is in her future...

RIP beautiful Canon. You were great while you lasted!

Canon's very last picture...on the 3 mile hike to the bird nest

Alan's First Spring Break

2011-03-26T16:35:00.004-04:00

This year for Spring Break, Ly+Alan loaded up the corolla and drove down to the Everglades for five days of camping fun followed by a weekend of luxury on Hilton Head Island. It was exactly what the Doctor-to-be ordered. So much fun and relaxation!

Highlights of the trip included:

- Snorkeling in Key Largo...yes, Ly managed to overcome her fear of the ocean and loved every second of her snorkeling adventure where she swam with tons of fish including a reef shark.

- An early morning ranger guided canoe trip in the Everglades...Ly only got nervous once when they were feet away from an alligator eating his breakfast. But they also saw a ton of rare birds including a bald eagle and a giant (13 ft) American crocodile.

- An afternoon canoe trip in Biscayne National Park...where Ly + Alan spent some quality time with a very inquisitive manatee who hung out so close to the canoe that Ly could touch him.

- Watching the 'gators hunt on a moonlit walk...it was a bit creepy/super cool to see their eyes reflect the light of the flashlights.

- Bird watching in the Everglades...Alan loves the Anhinga birds who dive under the water for their food and live with the alligators.

- A visit to Cape Canaveral National Seashore - one of the most gorgeous beaches ever

- Relaxing on the beach of Hilton Head and then playing in the Atlantic Ocean as the tide came back in

- Riding bikes on the beach...Ly did mange to go a whopping 30 feet in the hour without Alan holding her bike. It was a fun adventure and she vows to learn to ride a bike before their next trip to Hilton Head.

- Really yummy fresh caught seafood.

Anyway the trip was a success and easily one of the best vacations Ly+Alan have been on in a long time.

The Month of Love

2011-02-22T10:45:00.003-05:00

Yikes! Ly+Alan deserve the worse blogger of the year award for not updating for almost an entire month. In our defense, not that much has been going on though - just the normal routine of medical school, studying, church callings, and trying not to go stir crazy from the lack of sunshine. The highlights of the month included some fantastic dates, adventurous eating, and spending time with friends. How has the month of love been for you?

Practically Perfect Pizza

2011-02-01T10:59:00.005-05:00

Last night for dinner Ly + Alan had the best pizza ever. White pizza on homemade pizza crust. Seriously so good. You should make this for dinner tonight. It was easy, fast, tasty and healthy. In fact, 1/4 of the pizza (2 lrg slices) has about 220 calories.

So without further ado, here's the recipe*:

2 1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of powder milk (optional)
**you can also substitute some wheat flour for the all purpose - about 1 cup wheat, 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour**

1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons of the oil through the feed tube.

2. Process for about 30 seconds. If it is sticky add a bit of all-purpose flour. Add more water a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is sticky to the touch. Never add more than 1/4 cup of water.

3. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball. Put the remaining olive oil in a bowl, turn the dough ball in it, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in the fridge overnight. This allows the flavor to develop.

4. Preheat the oven to 500F. Roll or lightly press the dough into a flat round lightly flouring the work surface and the dough as necessary. Let it sit for a few minutes to rest. Put olive oil on a pizza pan and shape the dough on the pan.

5. Top the pizza with your choice of toppings. Suggested: sprinkle with 1 T olive oil, 2 T chopped garlic, chopped fresh rosemary, fresh basil, fresh reduced fat mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes, and 2 T fresh Parmesan cheese.

6. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

*adapted a bit from Mark Bittman's awesome cookbook, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Meatless Monday: Curry Spiced Noodles

2011-01-31T11:18:00.006-05:00

Ly's adventures with Meatless Mondays have so far been successful...in fact she has even inspired some friends in the Richmond area to go veg! Earlier this week they came over and made Chili non Carne (aka vegetarian chili). Everyone seemed to enjoy it and Ly even tried a few bites. She still despises beans, but at least she willingly put some in her mouth. It's a step in the right direction.

curry spiced noodles

And as further evidence of her expanding horizons, for dinner the other day they had curry spiced noodles. The dish included mushrooms, red peppers, green peppers, and lots of other veggies that aren't particularly high on Ly's vegetables she'll eat list. And yup, Ly ate all of it. It wasn't bad. In fact if you want the recipe let us know. So for all of you wondering, yes progress has been made in the Ly eating vegetable department. Although tofu has yet to make an appearance on the menu.

Date Night

2011-01-31T11:00:00.005-05:00

Last week for Date Night, Ly + Alan went to Dave and Busters. They had coupons for a bunch of free games so it was a nice inexpensive date night. It was an evening full of healthy competition (Alan kicked Ly's butt on air hockey like a dozen times...it was a fluke though and Ly being the nice person she is let him live it up), whack-a-mole, ticket earning, and lots of laughs.

Alan takes competition very seriously

Our winnings!

Throwback Thursday: Daddy Daughter Bonding @ Disneyland

2011-01-27T15:34:00.007-05:00

Time: Spring Break 2003.

Who: Ly+Dad

Where: Disneyland

Why: Bonding Trip

For her first spring break from college, Ly decided to go home to San Diego - enjoy the beach, some much needed sunshine and hang out with some friends. While she did do those things, the best part of her break was the surprise her Dad (Rory) cooked up for. He took some time off from his hectic schedule and whisked her away to her favorite place - Disneyland - for a few days. At first one might think what a drag it would be for a 19 year old girl to go to Disneyland for more than one day with just her Dad...but it turned out to be a trip full of memories and laughter.

Some highlights included:

+ Riding the Mickey Mouse roller coaster at California Adventure (the one that goes upside down) like 8 times in a row before Rory's age caught up with him and he required a break...and riding the water raft ride and getting soaked a million times.

+ Eating at the Ariel's Princess dining place in California Adventure. Dining with Ariel and her friends was delicious - yummy (albeit slightly overpriced) and quite an adventure with the Princesses stopping to say hi...and at the end they served cotton candy with the check. Even though it was Rory's idea to eat there he insists that it was only because he was starving. Although the record should state that since this trip he has insisted that family eat there whenever they are at California Adventure.

+ Taking lots of character photos and walking on to most rides.

+ Buying and wearing light up Mickey Mouse ears to wear at the parades.

+ Getting a reserved dining seat during the Main Street Electrical Parade...it was perfect - no need to stake out seats for hours in advance for the parade and yummy food too.

Despite having to deal with Rory's desire/need to eat every 5 minutes, Ly and her dad had an amazing time. A daddy-daughter trip is a must for every daughter and her dad - no matter what age.

Weekend Wrap-up

2011-01-24T18:44:00.006-05:00

Throwback Thursday: Rose Bowl Parade

2011-01-20T01:17:00.004-05:00

Back in the day (aka 2005), Ly's Dad got the inside track on helping decorate/construct an official Rose Bowl Parade float. Not only was it awesome to decorate a float, but it even had pandas on it!! Can we say Heaven for Lyanna?!

Anyway, Ly's entire family went to decorate the float (minus Alan because well this was the pre-Alan days) along with some of our extended family. It took three days to decorate, working around the clock because you can't place flowers weeks in advance or they will die. Fun fact, did you know most flowers (and all the roses) have their own individual water source? Anyway. A majority of the float building took place in these massive outdoor tents - which wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't raining the entire time and butt cold. It was VERY wet (as in people were walking around with wet sneakers) and super cold - good thing Ly's experiences in Boston had already taught her the value of layered clothing. Upon arrival, everyone got assigned various jobs. Ly crossed her fingers that she'd get to work on the pandas and luckily she and Lily got assigned to put white carnations on one of the pandas. This particular task involved Ly being forced to climb miles into the air to reach a particular panda's head. Needless to say, the idea of getting to actually work on a panda proved to be the proper incentive and Ly conquered her fear of heights and scampered up the scaffolding. Luckily, Lily soon joined her and not wanting to be left out so did their Dad. Their mother, however, choose to keep both feet on the ground and went to work on the float sign instead. Everything on the float had to be made out of some sort of plant so she made letters out of beans. They turned out pretty cool. The worse part of the whole float building experience (besides the weather) was that Lily and Ly got sick and had to spend an entire day in bed at the hotel instead of scampering up scaffolding. They did get to watch some TV though, so that it made it better.

Ly pausing from her work of putting flowers on the pandas head.

The girls taking a quick break before they go back to putting more flowers on the float...and in case you were wondering, yes we were forced to wear those bright blue t-shirts.

Sisterly love.

Mom's awesome 'R' out of beans

Lily and Dad putting some last minute touches on the pandas butt.

New Years Eve. After being relieved of their float building duties, Ly and her family did what any normal person in their situation would do - they went to Disneyland. Yes they went to to the Happiest Place on Earth on the busiest day of the year with a certain nameless individual *cough Lynda cough* who may or may not get grumpy when in large crowds. The glorious weather continued and it rained as soon as they pulled into the Disney parking lot. So they went to the movies in Downtown Disney. After the movie ended the rain had let up a bit so the family made their way to Disneyland and rode a ton of rides. Art, a family friend, met up with them that evening and spent a majority of time trying to convince Ly to ride the Tower of Terror with no success. Everyone had a great time despite the crowd level and the weather. In fact, after collecting a number of stylish hats to wear while ringing in the New Year, they went back to the hotel a little after midnight and crashed - Lily and Ly were, after all, still sick.

Due to the lack of Disneyland photos, here is a picture of the Disney float for your enjoyment.

New Years Day. A morning loving male member of the family forced everyone awake at the crack of dawn to prepare to watch the parade. This made certain individuals a little bit grumpy seeing as how they already had reserved bleacher seats which was supposed to allow them to sleep in. Nevertheless, they traipsed out to their seats and sat in the freezing misty rain to wait for the parade to start. Fortuitously, the rain stopped as soon as the parade began and the sun even made a brief appearance. Ly loved seeing the float she had worked so hard on come down the street -- and especially enjoyed the moving pandas and the waterfalls on the float. All that hard work must have paid off because the panda float won the sweepstakes prize for best overall design and most beautiful float. Awesome! Although with pandas on the float, it was a sure winner =)

The family in front of the float after the parade. Please note the stylish Disney hat Lily is wearing in this photo.

Since the last post

2011-01-19T10:38:00.005-05:00

Since the last post...Alan started school again studying embryology, physiology, and histology and has 4 tests on Friday. Yikes. Good thing he has been studying super hard and will be well prepared for it.

Since the last post...Ly+Alan had a fondue extravaganza with some friends. Homemade bread, veggies, fruits, donuts, dipped in chocolate and cheese...yum! The chocolate fountain even made a special appearance.

Since the last post...Ly has been working on some unfinished quilting projects in an effort to cross some things off her list of projects to complete.

Since the last post...Ly+Alan have had 2 date nights, so fun! On one they checked out the local two dollar movie theater which came complete with yummy popcorn and a live organ concert. On the other they tried dinner at a local bakery where they dined on salad and sandwiches.

Since the last post...Ly has been editing photos like crazy from their Disney Holiday Trip 2010.

Photo of the Moment

2011-01-11T17:36:00.002-05:00

Taken on Epcot's Behind the Seeds Tour, Dec 2010

Family Goals

2011-01-11T11:43:00.005-05:00

Happy 01.11.11!!!

In honor of a day full of ones here are a few of the Lee's Family goals for 2011.

1. To read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover as a family
2. Have weekly Family Home Evening
3. Continue Meatless Mondays (or at least one day a week)
4. Go to the gym 3-4 times a week
5. Try something new once a month
6. Have weekly date nights

What are your goals for 2011?

Sherbert Quilt

2011-01-09T11:17:00.002-05:00

This quilt was completed for Alan's mentor who recently gave birth to her first child - a baby girl.

front of the quilt

close up of the quilting

close up of backing and binding.

This stacked coins style quilt was relatively easy to put together and randomly quilted in a stippling style. Ly loved working with the fabrics and had a blast making it. In fact, she has been contemplating making one for herself.

2010 wrap up

2011-01-01T10:26:00.005-05:00

2010 is finally over and done with...and while it wasn't the best year on record (surgeries, near death experiences, moves, job hunts, etc.) it ended on a high note.

Alan had a long winter break from school so Ly + Alan got in the car and drove 12 hours south to Florida. Then they spent a glorious week at the Happiest Place on Earth aka Disney WORLD! It. Was. So. Much. Fun. The crowds were low, the magic was high and it was certainly worth every penny spent. They stayed on the park grounds, got free dining (and thereby ate at some fantastic restaurants) and partied quite hard - stayed in the parks from before rope drop (7 in the morning) 'til sometimes 3 in the morning. Highlights included: Being stuck on Big Thunder at 2 am on the top during the Lunar Eclipse, Riding Big Thunder 6 times in a row, Alan surprising Ly with light up mickey mouse ears, watching awesome fireworks shows, Riding Mission: Space multiple times in a row, Extra Magic Hours at Magic Kingdom 'til 3 am, Behind the Seeds Tour at Epcot, Toy Story Mania, and of course just enjoying some much needed time together.

the castle at night, covered in ice. So beautiful!

Standing in front of Toy Story Mania...an awesome ride and the best themed part of Hollywood Studios.

Just after Alan surprised Ly with light up mickey ears.

A mickey mouse tomato from the behind the seeds tour

On the teacups...Alan spun them so fast Ly couldn't walk straight

At the entrance of Magic Kingdom!!

After returning from their magical getaway, Ly+Alan still had a week of blissful time together before Alan had to return to school. The annual Christmas Eve Tree Hunt occurred, quite successfully with an end at, of all places, Home Depot. Next a bi-coastal tree decorating party occurred via skype...which was tons of fun. This year's new addition to the tree included a Wall-E ornament and a mickey mouse head purchased at Disney World. Christmas Day included opening presents via skype, a 3 course meal, and lots of relaxation. Thanks to skype, Ly+Alan were able to enjoy their first Christmas just the two of them AND got to spend time with their extended family.

The new Mickey Mouse Christmas Ornament

Wall-E! Only the best ornament ever =)

2010 Christmas Tree

On New Years Eve Ly + Alan bid a welcome farewell to 2010 from the comfort of their own home. A movie marathon, some yummy food, and work on a few projects allowed for a relaxing transition from 2010 to 2011...a million times better than last years hospital extravaganza.

saddest video ever

2010-12-08T23:07:00.004-05:00

at least they are okay in the end

Ly's Parking Adventure

2010-12-06T22:33:00.004-05:00

So as many people know, Ly is not the world's best parallel parker. In fact rumor has it that during her drivers test, the guy offered to still pass her if she just stopped trying to correctly parallel park because she got everything else correct.

Anyway, during Lily and Ly's adventure into downtown Richmond, Lily insisted that Ly park on the street. After 20 attempts, Ly finally managed to parallel park her car...with expert directions from her much wiser sister. This was such a momentous occasion it needed to be documented for proof:

Yay! And now Ly can parallel park...sort of

Lily + Ly's Adventures in Tamale Making

2010-12-06T22:24:00.006-05:00

Figuring out how to fill the Tamales

Lily taking her job of spreading the masa quite seriously

all stuffed and ready to put in the pot!

Finished product! They were so good =)

Thanksgiving Week(end): Recovery

2010-11-28T17:21:00.006-05:00

For Ly + Alan's first thanksgiving in Richmond, Lily decided to fly out to join the fun. Ly had been looking forward to her visit for weeks...and it was everything she thought it would be plus more. Since Alan had two tests to take and study for (such goes the life of a med student), Lil and Ly got to spend a lot of quality time together. They went shopping, went to lunch, talked lots, played games, painted their nails zebra print (or rather cow print as the case may be), baked lots of pies, rolls, made tamales and all sorts of other yummy goodness. On the actual Thanksgiving, Ly, Lily and Alan went over to a friends for a yummy dinner where there was a plethora of food - southern style. There were enough leftovers for days, so good thing it was all tasty.

Making tamales was so much and having Lily over was the definite highlight of the holiday weekend. Hopefully it is the beginning of a new tradition.

Alan's Birthday Week

2010-11-11T09:57:00.005-05:00

Recently Ly+Alan celebrated Alan's birthday week. Strangely, Alan requested a homemade cake, and he doesn't even like cake. Needless to say the cake was a bit of a disaster...one layer breaking in half and then it almost falling over a few times. It still tasted fantastic though.

The Lee's family other birthday adventures included bowling, a dinner party with some med school friends, desserts, a movie, a road trip to Williamsburg and of course 2 anatomy tests.

Happy 27th Birthday Alan! Hopefully there will be a million more! =)

Catch up.

2010-10-25T18:06:00.005-04:00

Or otherwise entitled "recent happenings of the Lee household"

Ly's 26th Birthday. Since Alan has been rather busy these days with his new hobby called Med School he extended Ly's birthday to a birthWEEK. Each day they did a small bit of celebrating - whether it was going to lunch, shopping, trying dinner at a new place (DeLuxe where Ly had lobster mac 'n cheese), catching a movie, bowling, or even grabbing dessert. Alan bought Ly a new tripod which was exactly what she asked for, a subscription to a cooking magazine, swim lessons (which have yet to be scheduled), some new clothes and Ly got her hair done (red highlights, so fun!) Ly's family and friends called to remind her how old she was (as if she needed the reminding) and show their love. All in all, it was an awesome birthday.

Anatomy. Alan aced his first two med school classes and is now onto anatomy. He spends lots of time in the lab and has learned lots of muscles, veins, ligaments, bones and such. Ly is getting used to him being busy all the time but it'll all be worth it in the end. She is not, however, used to the human bones currently sitting in a box in her living room. Apparently Alan uses them to study.

Mentoring. As many of you know Alan is very interested in surgery...plastic surgery to be exact. This is not to be confused with cosmetic surgery (aka boob jobs) because apparently there are two types of plastics surgeons. Plastic surgeons fix people who have their skulls crushed in, their fingers grown together, holes in various parts of their bodies, etc. It's all rather disgusting. And by disgusting, of course we mean awesome. Anyway Alan has recently teamed up with a doctor who specializes in facial reconstructions and she's become his mentor. He gets to watch her operate whenever he wants and is also working on a clinical research project with her. So if you ever find yourself thinking "gee I really need to hear an operating room tale" feel free to call Alan because he loves to tell (in detail) all about his OR experiences.

Fall Getaway. A few weekends ago Ly+Alan and a few of their friends from VCU drove out to the mountains for a relaxing weekend getaway. It was perfect fall weather - they went hiking, saw some animals, played games, went apple picking, and enjoyed some home cooked meals. It was a much needed break from the hectic med school life.

Sickness. It's that time of the year again - the time when the weather gets a little colder, the days get shorter and Ly inevitably gets sick. Luckily, after lots of rest, homemade chicken noodle soup and lots of water Ly beat her sickness...and passed it onto Alan.

What have you been up to recently?

Meatless Mondays

2010-10-05T19:35:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago, Ly + Alan decided to try an experiment - meatless Mondays. Basically every Monday they go vegetarian. Now most anyone who knows Ly might immediately worry for her health because she hardly likes anything. Take out chicken and fish, where would the girl get her protein? Tofu? Heck no, she hates tofu. So in an effort to expand her horizons - and eat more veggies - the Lee family has adopted Meatless Mondays. The past 2 Mondays have been a success - homemade pea soup, homemade mac n' cheese, spinach pear salad...and no tofu. But there are lots of Mondays left so in all probability tofu will eventually make the menu.

If you have any excellent vegetarian recipes please share! =)

Butterflies

2010-09-16T14:38:00.007-04:00

While in Shenandoah a few weeks ago, Ly+Alan came across a massive field of butterflies. There were hundreds of them in a few square feet. It was awesome.

Photo of the Day

2010-09-14T20:53:00.000-04:00

21

2010-09-13T09:16:00.003-04:00

21 years ago Lily decided to give up the comfort of the womb and brave the big bad world.

So lets all raise a glass and toast to Lil on her 21st birthday - Happy Birthday and hope that this next year will be better than the last! =)

Clouds

2010-09-12T16:40:00.004-04:00

The Ice Cream Man

2010-08-31T19:06:00.004-04:00

There is an ice cream man who drives his truck around our new neighborhood. For weeks Ly has heard the tantalizing sound of his catchy pop goes the weasel music and rushed to the door, money in hand to try and buy an ice cream only to find out the truck had already passed her house and was down some other block. In her minds eye she pictured herself running barefooted or maybe in her sandals up to the ice cream man's truck with a handful of quarters and eagerly picking out an ice cold treat, one customer among a throng of children on bicycles. Maybe the ice cream man would have 50-50 bars or big sticks.

This afternoon Ly heard the telltale song, grabbed Alan and ran outside...imagine her joy when the ice cream man was parked right outside her house. Ly eagerly looked on his menu for 50-50 bars or big sticks but they were not there. After she shelled out 5 bucks (Alan wanted an ice cream too) for an ice cream cone, Ly's fascination with the ice cream man ended. Some things are better left in your imagination.

a foggy afternoon in Shenandoah

2010-08-23T22:01:00.004-04:00

1 week down, only 207 to go

2010-08-23T21:19:00.007-04:00

Well after paying what seems to be millions of dollars and committing himself to years of schooling, Alan finally finished his first week of medical school on Friday. Apparently when the guy at orientation warned the class that attending medical school would be like drinking out of a fire hose, he wasn't exaggerating. Thankfully, Alan seems to have a good study schedule worked out - class 8-2:30 (sometimes only noon, but it depends on the day), study 'til 6 and then dinner, gym, and then more studying 'til 10:30 and then it's off to bed so he can get up and do it all over again the next day. Ly loves the weekends because instead of class Alan spends a few hours with her during the morning before he returns to his studying ways. Such is the life of a med student. Alan's first test is Friday in both his biochem and pop med classes...so wish him luck, not that he'll need it cuz Ly knows her husband is going to be an awesome doctor - eventually.

Alan's first day of Med School.

Baby Birds

2010-08-20T09:56:00.005-04:00

Well, Ly+Alan have officially moved into their new place in Richmond. They are loving it - not only do they absolutely adore their cute new townhouse, but living near friends is a major bonus. People in Richmond are quite friendly and Alan seems to be loving school. But more on that later.

This post is instead about Alan's new-found friends the baby robins that live in the tree outside our house. Within the first week of living here, Alan noticed a nest in a tree, complete with a few eggs. Over the next few days, the baby birds emerged and we watched as the mother robin carefully and attentively cared for her babies. As the days turned into weeks, the baby robins began to hop around the trees and flap their wings in anticipation of flying. Finally, a few days ago the babies mastered the skill of flying and we haven't seen them since.

Three years ago...

2010-07-20T10:29:00.006-04:00

Three years ago today Ly + Alan were married for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake City Temple. It was the best day ever and full of great memories. The past three years have been full of adventures, laughs, and lots and lots of love.

inspiration for the day

2010-07-08T10:54:00.001-04:00

Heat Wave

2010-07-06T14:57:00.002-04:00

So I know I don't live in the deserts of Arizona or anything and I probably shouldn't complain but holy cow it's hot outside. It's at least 100 degrees outside plus humidity. Which means it's probably a good day to go to the beach...or jump into a pool. Too bad neither one of those are an option right now.

What are your suggestions for beating the heat?

Philly

2010-07-05T10:24:00.006-04:00

This past weekend, Ly+Alan finally went to Philly with some of their friends. They braved the crazy July 4th crowds and got to see everything on her list (well except the Betsy Ross house cuz Ly discovered that it was fake and apparently Ms. Ross didn't even make the first American flag). The best part was hanging out with friends. Here are a few pictures from their adventures in the city of love.

good point

2010-06-25T12:48:00.005-04:00

With this in mind...what do you fear?

**illustration via http://stuffnoonetoldme.blogspot.com/**

Happy Summer!

2010-06-23T15:40:00.003-04:00

It's one of the best times of the year -- summer!

All the cold weather clothes are boxed and the summer clothes are out and ready to be worn. It's the season for sunshine, the beach, eating outside, roadtrips, camping, and fireworks. Luckily Ly recently got her cast off so she should soon be able to enjoy all of those things to their full potential...well as soon as she gets the okay from the doctors to walk without crutches that is.

A few of Ly's summer goals:

+ Ace the GRE
+ Ace her classes
+ Be able to start running again
+ Find a rock awesome job
+ Go swimming on a tri-weekly basis
+ Make the new place feel like home
+ Visit the beach
+ Visit Philly
+ Go camping at least once (shocking, I know)

This summer is bound to be eventful for the Lee family - lots of exciting changes are on the horizon. What are your summer plans?

* image courtesy of cubikmusik.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/11/sunshine.jpg

National Zoo

2010-05-30T22:06:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Ly+Alan's good friends invited them to go to the National Zoo. Never one to miss a chance to see pandas, Ly dropped her plans and immediately agreed...besides she has to take advantage of her husband pushing her around in the wheelchair while she can. While they did see the pandas, the highlight was the lion exhibit - the lions were quite active, even attacking some ice meat the keepers threw out there for them. Here's a photo for your enjoyment, taken, shockingly enough, by Alan. He's quite proud, as he should be.

Alive & Kickin' (well sorta)

2010-05-23T22:21:00.004-04:00

No worries, both Ly + Alan are alive and at least one of them is kicking. They haven't updated in quite sometime because there has been one adventure after another in the Ly+Alan household. First off, Ly's mom is in town to help with her recovery from surgery and they've been to busy having fun to post. So don't worry there will be tales to follow (once Ly downloads her photos) involving geese, purple casts, trips, movies, quilting and wheelchair escapades.

Pain.

2010-05-11T03:37:00.002-04:00

This last time in the hospital, Ly got to experience working with Palliative care. For those, like her, who did not know what that means, it's basically a group of doctors who work with people who have illnesses that don't go away and often get worse with time...Alan compared it to Hospice. Anyway. The people are really nice and their method of pain control really seemed to help.

Working with them really got Ly interested in pain management and the whole notion of pain. It is difficult to treat pain when it is so subjective (honestly how effective is that 1-10 scale, really?). Luckily there are so many options and the medications the doctors were finally able to prescribe for Ly's pain have really been helping. They do have some odd side effects though. One of which is having crazy dreams.

Case in Point:

Last night Ly dreamed that she gave birth to a few babies. She didn't dream about the actual birthing process, just a bunch of newborn babies ended up in a hospital bassinet all swaddled up. Anyway more kept appearing and so Ly sat up in bed and literally screamed:

"Where are all these babies coming from!?"

Silence.

"Holy cow. Now they are turning into bunnies!"

Yup, she'll be around all week for your entertainment needs.

Anyway it is now 3:25 in the morning and this talk of pain is reminding Ly that her ankle hurts. A lot. And it doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon. In fact, maybe it's time to take a pain pill.

*image courtesy http://farm1.static.flickr.com/68/191905347_9a88e63b02.jpg

In honor of mother's day

2010-05-09T19:41:00.003-04:00

Some parenting tips via the Canadian Goose (in no particular order)

1. Great parents provide excellent nests. They always are sure to provide a place where their young can be safe - with a stream or pond, some nice grass, a few hills and lots of shade. Basically they are sure that their nest is where all the other geese want to have their friends hang out.

2. Excellent parents educate their children about dangers of the world (cars, foxes, etc) - and try to protect them, yet are there to help them out when they get hurt.

3. Awesome parents give helpful dating tips - what places to avoid and where the ladies like to be shown a night on the town.

4. Good parents teach the importance of staying physically fit - just to keep swimming and that they will always be a hop, skip, or a jump away.

5. Day care is a plus. Even a goose understands that sometimes a parent just needs a break.

*It should be noted that this blog hasn't turned into a goose blog. Also should also be noted that the author of this blog doesn't actually have any offspring.

And we're back.

2010-05-06T21:46:00.004-04:00

After a mere three days in the hospital, lots of specialists, and uncomfortable beds, we're proud to announce that the surgery was an apparent success and we are now resting up at home.

Thank you for all of your well wishes, prayers and thoughts on our behalf.

Here we go again...

2010-05-03T08:00:00.002-04:00

Well, we're off to our favorite place aka Virginia Hospital Center for Ly's final (hopefully) ankle surgery. We are cautiously optimistic that the hospital stay won't be nearly as long as it was last time and things will run much smoother....we're not a fan of ambulances, pneumonia, or days of hospital food.

Anyway we'll keep you updated as time permits!

*image courtesy of pipereport.com

Hop's Family on a Sunday Afternoon

2010-05-02T15:39:00.004-04:00

For your enjoyment...

Hop's New Siblings

2010-05-01T21:46:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was a day just like any other - doctors appointments, grocery shopping, visiting the DMV, basically nothing too exciting that is until Ly spotted some baby geese while at the mall. Excited, she ran home to get her camera (even though you would think she would've learned by now to carry it with her at all times) and immediately went to visit Hop's family. As expected, there were 5 baby geese! Hop must be so excited to have so many new siblings. His family obviously remembered her because they allowed her to get within 10 feet of the goslings without so much as raising their head.

Ly also saw another goose family with 3 little goslings and they were a bit more weary and did not allow her to get close at all. But that's okay, they'll get to know her eventually, just like Hop's family did.

San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park

2010-04-29T16:49:00.007-04:00

As any intelligent human being knows, a trip to San Diego is not complete without a visit to the San Diego Zoo to see the giant pandas. Since Ly has been watching the panda cam 24/7 she knows the schedule of the baby panda by heart. Thus, Ly was there when the baby panda was taking her nap and also when she was climbing the trees and playing with bamboo. In addition to seeing the pandas, Ly and her family also saw tigers, bears, birds, and all sorts of other animals.

E's Quilt

2010-04-29T14:23:00.004-04:00

Awhile back, Ly's cousin announced she was pregnant. Excited, Ly decided to make the new baby a quilt. Fast forward to over a year later and Ly was finally able to give it to Emerson this past weekend. So here's a photo - it was fun to make and Ly especially enjoyed her experiment with stippling (all over random quilting).

Flower Fields

2010-04-29T12:46:00.006-04:00

While in San Diego last week Ly went to see the flower fields in Carlsbad. Surprisingly, in the 20 something years that she lived in San Diego, Ly never ventured out to the flower fields. Luckily she remedied that and spent an afternoon amongst the flowers and the sunshine with some of her favorite people. She highly recommends seeing the flower fields if you're in the area.

1,000 days

2010-04-16T12:27:00.004-04:00

As of yesterday afternoon, Ly+Alan had been married for 1,000 days! In honor of such a momentous occasion, they went on a fabulous date night. They went out to dinner, enjoyed some frozen yogurt and even went and hung out with Hop.

Last night was an excellent impromptu celebration of love. Here's to the next thousand days!

Cherry Blossoms

2010-04-12T16:57:00.005-04:00

It is cherry blossom festival time in DC...which means 2 things.

1. There are a ton of tourists everywhere.
2. Ly + Alan can no longer breathe due to the immense levels of pollen.

Nevertheless, Ly + Alan braved the crowds early last week for the opportunity to take some photos and enjoy the festival.

Easter weekend campout

2010-04-08T14:41:00.008-04:00

This Easter, Ly+Alan spent the weekend camping in their favorite spot - Shenandoah National Park. Despite the fact that Ly still has to wear her surgical boot, she still managed to have fun. She went "hiking" (if you consider being pushed in her wheelchair by Alan for 1.5 miles on a trail hiking), made s'mores, napped, took lots of photographs, read, and soaked up the 80 degree sunshine. It was a perfect weekend.

The Geese are Back!

2010-03-30T15:04:00.004-04:00

Spring is finally here as indicted by the arrival of the geese...including Hop who is growing up so quickly!

Winter

2010-02-28T20:15:00.004-05:00

Holy cow, it's almost March! Time flies when you're having fun (or even when you're not having fun as the case may be). The winter this past year has been rather snowy and a bit intense for the DC Area. The city shut down for weeks at a time - forcing Ly + Alan to spend lots of time inside (crutches and ice do not mix). They watched lots of movies, played lots of games and even watched every episode of LOST. Ly enjoyed spending the extra time with Alan, but nevertheless is going stir crazy waiting for spring and some warmer weather.

VCU Rams!

2010-02-01T22:06:00.005-05:00

Well folks, the waiting is finally over. This evening Alan got an email announcing his acceptance into the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine's Class of 2014. School starts in the fall and Alan couldn't be more excited....he'll finally get to be a doctor, help people and do all sorts of doctor-y things. Lyanna is excited because Alan can now relax about getting into medical school and now he will be rich and famous and take her to China to see the pandas.

She is still waiting for that puppy.

A Trip to the Zoo

2010-01-25T16:49:00.006-05:00

Last weekend Ly wanted to go to the zoo to see the pandas. Alan agreed - and even said he had no problem pushing her around in the wheelchair, as long as she agreed to see the other animals too. Ly laughed and brushed it off, thinking that there really wasn't much else to see besides pandas. 5 hours and 3 stops off at the pandas later, Ly realized she was wrong. She saw elephants fight over hay, a tiger fall into some water, and birds strutting their stuff for the ladies.

Needless to say, both Ly and Alan enjoyed their little outing - Ly got to see the pandas do what pandas do - play, eat, sleep, take a bath, eat some more, and play in the dirt less than 1 foot away from where she was sitting. Alan, on the other hand, got to actually enjoy the other animals the zoo has to offer - without his wife sprinting from the car to the pandas and back to the car again.

Medical School Interviews

2010-01-14T10:34:00.004-05:00

As everyone knows Alan is currently in the process of applying to medical school -- it is certainly an arduous process. But today Alan has his first medical school interview, which he is sure to rock. It is very exciting to say the least -- and the first of many more to come!

So yay for being one step closer to medical school =)

Goodbyes

2010-01-10T14:18:00.006-05:00

Sadly today Ly's dad flew back home to SD. Apparently 24 days with his daughter in the DC area are more than enough and no matter how much Ly attempted to bribe him (shoefly pie, scrapple, movies, game nights, etc.) he could not be persuaded to postpone his flight (again...once was enough)...something about missing his wife and wanting to sleep in his own bed. Anyway the Lees were very sad to see Rory go and are very grateful that he was here to help out with Ly's surgery.

Pennsylvania Dutch Country

2010-01-10T01:48:00.005-05:00

Today Ly+Alan took Ly's dad to go visit Pennsylvania. Our first stop was Hershey where Rory was enamoured with the Hershey kiss lights and the chocolate factory tour. Everyone enjoyed the tour - especially Alan who ended up with nine pieces of candy at the conclusion of the tour. After the stop in Hershey, Alan drove everyone up to Lancaster County for what had to be the highlight of the day. Ly's dad grew up in Northern PA and since he arrived in DC would not stop talking about the following things he wanted to experience while on the east coast: Snow storms, scrapple, goods potato chips, and shoofly pie. While we had the snow thing covered, we were a bit lacking on the food parts - hence the trip to Lancaster County. While there Ly + Alan watched in amazement while Ly's dad discovered all his favorite childhood treats in an Amish market. After Ly's dad mini feast in the market, we drove back to Hershey for dinner at a yummy restaurant and then back home for an evening of games.

Somehow Ly's dad managed to convince a nice Amish lady to give him a "sample" (aka piece) of shoofly pie for free which he promptly ate while roaming the marketplace.

Ly's dad with his scrapple, which he bought and stored in a cooler and then cooked at home. He even made Ly try a bite of it. Which she did because she is an excellent daughter (she hated it)

Holiday Recap 2009

2010-01-07T13:15:00.007-05:00

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, Ly + Alan never got around to posting some of their favorite holiday photographs and memories. So here they are -- better late than never, right?

We went to see the holiday lights at the Washington DC Temple and it was awesome. Not only were the lights beautiful, but we enjoyed spending time together reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas.

Our stockings Alan made for everyone on Christmas eve.

All the presents waiting to be opened under our tree.

Look, Santa still comes even when you're married and there are no children in the house! He even ate all the cookies we left out for him.

Apparently Santa also has a sense of humor because he left Ly's stocking on her wheelchair for her to find Christmas morning.

Ly, Alan and Ly's dad with their stockings Christmas morning

Ly's Christmas Quilt Alan's mom made for her...what a great gift! So thoughtful and it certainly provided much needed warmth and comfort during their hospital extravaganza.

While we wish we had some photographs of New Years Eve, photo taking was not high on our priority list while living in the hospital. We did, however, manage to watch the ball drop on the TV in Ly's room. Nevertheless 2010 promises to bring with it all sorts of good thing for the Lee family...moving, med/grad school, weddings, trips, and maybe just maybe Ly will get that puppy she always wanted.