Extended Weekend

We celebrated Dustin's birthday with friends at school. We all enjoyed a bar-b-que and had cake and ice cream for dessert. (Check out the cake I got him! It is the WVSOM seal.) He sends his sincere thanks for the birthday cards.

For the extended weekend our plans are minimal as Dustin's need for studying increases and I have an interview Monday. However, we are going to go hiking at the Greenbrier River Trail to get some outdoor recreation in.

Dustin has been studying most moments that he is at home, which is a good thing!! He has done well on all tests and quizzes. He is learning the osteopathic manipulation and comes home to try it on me. That is my favorite part, it's like a massage every time!! He has even tried it on Belle a couple of times, but we can't tell if she is in pain or enjoying it.

Dustin has his white coat ceremony a week from today, and we will post pictures from that event as well.

We will talk again soon (sooner than last time). I do appologize for it being two weeks since the last post....things got crazy there for a bit. Talk soon, and it's great to hear from you all!!

Speaking of Kindergarten

OK, so yesterday I included a picture of Dustin on his first day of Medical School, so today I thought I would include an actual Kindergarten picture. It was too cute not to!!

Let's all hope that Dustin makes it through the day today without passing out or losing his lunch. Today is his first day of Anatomy and he makes his first incision on a cadaver. YIKES!!! If that doesn't make sense to you, feel free to call and check up on him tonight. I am sure he would be delighted to explain and discuss with you.

Talk again soon!!

Aa Bb Cc.....1 2 3

Like a Kindergartener on his first day of school, I couldn't resist the temptation to get a "First Day of Medical School" picture of Dustin. Last week was orientation to get him familiar with the campus, classmates, professors, etc. He truly enjoyed it and becomes more and more pleased each day with his decision to attend WVSOM (West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine). I attended the spouse orientation, and they basically told me to kiss him goodbye for the next two years.....not really. They did mention that he would be BUSY, but they also gave me permission to not let him slack on his end of the house duties. They confirmed that his chore of taking out the trash would still be good for him. I was glad they were able to confirm that important detail.

In case you aren't familiar with how the next four years of our life will pan out, I will give you a brief idea. Honestly, I didn't know exactly how it would look until orientation.

Year 1 and 2 we will be here in Lewisburg. He will be attending classes like he has been used to for the past 17 years of his life.

Year 3 we will be somewhere in the state of West Virginia and he will be doing rotations in a clinic/hospital....almost a doctor

Year 4 we will be somewhere in the U.S. or U.S territories doing rotations for another year.....even closer to being a doctor

After that he will be a resident and finally begin making a little money. The time he is a resident depends on the specific field he chooses. So, that length of time is not yet determined.

I hope that helps in understanding what the next few years entail.

September 8 is Dustin's White Coat Ceremony where he will receive his white coat. It is quite the event and certainly a monumental moment for him. I will for sure post pictures and details of this event.

Also coming up is Dustin's 24th birthday---August 25th. It's almost his golden birthday...25 yrs on the 25th.

We will post again soon! Thanks so much for your comments! We love reading them.

A Cool JULY day

I'm sure all of you in Missouri and Arkansas are enduring some high temperatures and intense humidity. Well, here in West Virginia we are enjoying a cool 59 degree day. As you can see in our picture, we are wearing our jackets because of the cool air. We just thought we might share that with those of you enduring the HEAT today.....of course never to rub it in.

This is a picture of Herns Mill Covered Bridge, one of the few still passable covered bridges remaining. This is about a quarter of a mile from our house, so we drove down to get a picture. We were fortunate enough, at the bridge, to meet a family vacationing for the summer in WV. Oddly enough, they are spending the summer here from FLORIDA!! Maybe they are trying to escape the beautiful beach paradise for a serene mountain view. Isn't it funny how we always want what we don't have!! I would trade the mountains for a beachy Florida day anytime! For now, we will be content here and make the most of the beautiful mountains.

Just a quick side note: I realized that I have not put my Mary Kay website up yet. I am having a YARD SALE, and it is quite the deal. I will line your products end to end, the longest way possible, and for every inch you buy (up to one YARD, 36 in.) you get that percentage off of your total purchase. Example, if you buy 20 inches of products, you get 20% off. It really doesn't take much to get several inches. You can order and pay online, and it will be at your door in about 3 days. So, check out the website and happy shopping!
www.marykay.com/rgtompkins

The countdown begins.....there are now only 12 more days until Dustin officially begins his Medical School journey!! What a short, action packed summer it has already been. We are both excited for school to begin. He will have something to do, and I will not have to go grocery shopping quite as much. When he is home most of the day, he eats us out of house and home!! Well, better late than never I say..... I am putting that extra time he has to work!! Today we are headed back home to PAINT and he is going to do some yard work!! YIPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Too bad I didn't have a to do list for him all along. He might think twice the next time he reaches his hand into the snack jar...

1st Anniversary........West Virginia style!!

Anniversary dinner at The Greenbrier

Our first anniversary proved to be an interesting one from the moment we awoke. The previous three days prior to July 15 (our anniversary) we did not have hardly any water pressure, therefore, we were unable to shower due to this lack of pressure. So, on the morning of the 15th, I quickly discovered that again we did not have water pressure. At this point it was three days without water pressure, so we obviously needed to shower for church and our anniversary dinner that evening.....

In my desperation of a hike the evening before resulting in much perspiration, I proceeded to take an old fashioned shower.......with a bucket!! We had a few droplets of water, and after about 15 minutes, I had a small container of water. I was able to wet my hair in that container...... At this point I was desperate and woke Dustin up to help me with my hair. I had it lathered and ready for a rinse, but with no clean running water, it was going to be impossible to rinse the shampoo out. So......with my head in the sink and shampoo in my mouth, ears, nose, and eyes, Dustin remarks, "I have a great idea, just don't move". Little did I know that this idea was not a well thought out idea. We have a pitcher purifier in the refrigerator, so we had COLD drinking water stored. He returned seconds later, and without any warning was pouring this VERY COLD water on my head!!! After several shrilling screams, we finally got the shampoo out, for the most part, and our day continued.

By the time we returned from church we had water pressure and were able to carry on like normal. We had a fantastic three course dinner at The Greenbrier restaurant to celebrate our aniiversary.

We exchanged gifts and enjoyed the top of our wedding cake from one year ago. Even Belle got a tiny piece and loved it, even though the cake was older than she was. Surprisingly, it was still tasty!!

Thank you all for your anniversary cards!! That was so thoughtful of you to think of us on our anniversary.

Belle's New Favorite Outdoor Activity

Belle's Version of Hiking

Greetings from WV!! Today we went hiking on the Greenbrier River Trail, and what a beautiful hike it was. Of course we took Belle with us (there aren't many places we don't take her), and we think hiking is her new favorite outdoor activity. She loves being outside and loves going on walks, but after the first couple of miles, she began getting fatigued. So, she found a comfy place to ride while Dustin and I continued the hike. Some may say she is spoiled, but we just like to think she is treated well. Check out the photo.

Belle making friends

Belle is finding our home and surroundings in Lewisburg nothing short of adventurous. She is not sure what to think of the cows surrounding our house. To the large cows, she probably seems like a rodent; and to her the cows must seem like giants. Regardless, she takes it upon herself to diligently stand on the fence post and bark in their direction. (Check out the photo)

We are enjoying the slow paced life out here. Our daily rituals have now been including washing dishes after every meal as a result of having no dishwasher, hanging the clothes out on the line to dry (saving electricity), and going for a walk around our place. Swinging in the hammock as the sun is setting behind the mountains has also been an enjoyable regular for us lately.

For all of you MISSOURIANS out there, we recently learned that a HOT day in WV is in the mid 80s. We have no air conditioner, and truly we do not need one. Our windows are open and in the evenings and mornings, we are chilly!! I just thought I would boast of the beautiful weather out here while I can. Come winter, I will be begging for Missouri weather. Winters are bitter cold!!

The job search is now in full force! I will keep you posted about this area of our adventure.

Talk to you soon!! Thanks for your comments and checking in with us.