Last Day Without Jake!

Today was my last day as a single/married woman.  What does that mean exactly?

For the past two years I have been away from my amazing hubby while attending Physician Assistant school at Stanford.  He worked incredibly hard at his job and has been my constant support throughout the entire PA program.  I don't know what I would have done without his support... even if it was from over 3000 miles away!  We got married during my program, so we have yet to live together as a married couple!  We saw each other approximately every 3-4 months for the past 2 years and today that is coming to an END.  Today he flies to San Francisco to attend my graduation and we'll be flying back to Alaska together in two weeks.  We will never have to do this again!  I couldn't be happier.  :)

Love this guy.

So what did I do on my last day as a single/married woman?

Lunch date with friends...

Pool party with Janae....

And lots of packing of course!  As much fun as it is to be with my girls, there is nothing quite as wonderful as a husband.  Don't you agree?

The Reunion!

My alarm went off this morning at the hour of 2:45, a mere 3.5 hours after I went to sleep.  Luckily I was so excited that today was finally "Jake Reunion Day" that I barely even noticed the lack of sleep!  It was a fun plane ride as myself and a billion other runners made the cross-country flight to Boston!  The unspoken bond between marathoners was evident everywhere as I walked through the Boston Airport.  There's that smile from other runners and the oh, you're one of my kind glances that make you feel right at home.

As do the Welcome posters!

Even Dunkin Donuts is supporting the runners!

Apparently America Runs on Dunkin Donuts....  :)

I noticed a 35 degree temperature drop when I walked off the plane... From 80 degrees and sunny in San Francisco, to 36 degrees with rain and slush!  At least the weather is supposed to improve slightly for Monday. And after the 90+ degree temperatures for the marathon last year, I am grateful to see 50 degree temperatures in the forecast!

Now for the main event.  The best part of my entire day/week/year/lifetime was at 6:34PM when this guy walked into the hotel.  I cried the best tears of joy you can imagine.  It still makes me smile thinking about it!  

Can't contain my excitement!

Jake is the best for many reasons, but mainly for his hugs.  And that he makes me laugh pretty much every minute of every day.  

Finally with my hubby!!

Also... because he is so thoughtful and brought me a bunch of goodies!  

A Runner's Dream Come True.

My Runner Passport for the weekend....

And my brand new Compex Muscle Stimulator!!! 

It was the greatest day and I can't wait for the next week of fun with Jake and my relatives!  Are any of you running the Boston this year?!  If so, what is your goal??  Mine is just to do as many miles of it as I can without pain.  We'll see if I can do the full 26.2!  (See injury recap here for more!)

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

#28 - That Alaskan Guy Who Gave Me His Last Name.

Did you actually think I would go through my entire month of gratitude without mentioning this guy??

November 28th: I am grateful, beyond words, to have Jake as my hubby. (Warning: You are about to read some sappiness and bragging... Forgive me. I can't help it.)

A few of the many reasons why I love being married to Jake:

1.) Every night is like having a sleepover with your best friend.  Especially if your best friend snores and pulls the covers onto their side of the bed.  :)  I can't imagine a better way to fall asleep than laughing at Jake's hilariousness nor can I imagine a better face to wake up to.

Way back when. :) 

2.) Sweatpants.  If I could wear one thing for the rest of my life, that would be it.  Not that sweatpants weren't a part of our non-married lives together, but I feel a lot less guilty wearing my super-attractive-high-waisted sweatpants with my husband, than I did my boyfriend.

At a Sweatpants Party.  We have pretty awesome friends to think of such a genius idea.

3.) A built-in running partner for life. We push each other to be better athletes and runners, even if sometimes it is early in the morning because a certain wife decides running is far more important than sleep! (He returns the favor when pushing me to go on a run when it's -20 degrees outside!)

Yeah, we're hardcore. (And also slightly creepy, I know).

4.) It's like living with a comedian.  Jake is probably the funniest person on the planet.  Whether it's his awesome take on a rap song, his sweet dance moves when there's no music playing at all, or his ridiculously funny faces - he always can put a big smile on my face.

No words. 

Almost didn't break that stick. Ha.

5.)  A cheerleading squad of one.  See post here. He comes out to support my "nth" running race, and does it with a big smile on his face.  He says things like "you are my hero" and "you are such a rockstar."  Which... even though I am probably the exact opposite of a rockstar, it does make me feel a little Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger deep down inside.

My biggest supporter!

Why you marry your best friend.

6.) Never having to fold clothes again.  Okay, that's an exaggeration. Truth be told, I absolutely love doing laundry because that means I have clean running clothes.  I just hate folding and putting them away!  Jake is a pro at putting clothes away.  Don't worry, I balance out the laundry duties by carrying around my "Shout" pen when we go out to eat and avoiding potentially catastrophic wine/taco sauce/you-name-it stains on Jake's shirts.

7.) I married Mr. Fix It. Can he build/fix/make it? Yes, he can!  There isn't a project I can think of that Jake wouldn't be able to conquer.  He has done so many amazing things with our house in Anchorage, and he's not even done yet!  As his wife, I get to brag about his handyman skills.  The extent of my handyman skills are probably handing Jake the tools while he slaves away.

New siding, new roof, new ceilings, new walls, & best part... a new walk-in-closet! 

8.) I get an excuse to cook anything and everything!  Jake, aka the Hoover Vacuum, will eat just about anything. I can't wait to spend hours looking at cookbooks instead of hours with my face in a medical textbook. Thanks to his visit to San Diego, we have officially adopted Taco Tuesdays at our house. You are welcome to come and eat Tacos with us in 6 months from now when I am back home.  Jake also would like to propose Taco Thursdays, so I may have my work cut out for me.

Did someone say Tacos?

9.) His Faith. Jake proposed 1 week before I left for Stanford- knowing it would be 2 years before I would be with him. A risk? Maybe. But love takes risks. One year ago, he told me he didn't want to wait any longer to get married, so we got married last December, knowing it would be a year and a half before living with his wife. If that doesn't show you faith in us, I don't know what does.

Happiest day of my life.

Sure, it's been rough for me during the past 18 months: Grad school, getting my masters, clinic rotations, moving to a new place, and being away from the people I love the most. But it's probably 1738x harder for Jake. Not only are we miles apart, but he has to listen to me and reassure me that it will all be okay. (Usually 5-7x per day. Haha.) Jake has shown me how to be a better person, and I feel so lucky that he chose me as his wife. (Even if we have spent only 3 weeks of our first year of marriage together!)

I love you, Jake.  More than you will ever know! 

#7- "Engagement" Photos

30 days of Thanksgiving continues...  

November 7: Today, I am SO grateful for the talent of Aliki Joannides.  

While I was home two weeks ago, our close friend Aliki spent an afternoon taking pictures of Jake and I for our "engagement" (better late than never!). She started photography as a hobby just a few months ago, and has quickly developed into one of the most talented professional photographers I know.  I will never trust another photographer after our experience with her!

If you are from Alaska and want to capture memories of your wedding, birthday, pregnancy, engagement, newborn or just a Saturday afternoon with your loved one - you HAVE to call her.  Here is a link to her website: Aliki Joannides Photography and Facebook page. (I am not a paid advertiser either; the pictures speak for themselves!).

Here are a few of my favorites:

I love the man in these pictures. He makes my world go round.  I can't wait to graduate from PA school, move back to Alaska, and finally live in the same house as my husband! :)  I am so grateful to have these special moments captured on film - and looking at them will help us survive the next 7 months apart!  Thank you, Aliki!

Great Minds Think Alike.

Sometimes you just need a little HOME.

6 weeks ago I decided I was homesick.  Scratch that.  16 months ago I decided I was homesick.  But... 6 weeks ago is when I decided I needed to go home, even if it was only for a weekend.  I thought it would be a wonderful idea to surprise Jake, since he does so much for me!  One thing you must know about Jake is that he is a workaholic and hunting-aholic.  When he's not working his normal shifts, you will find him either picking up extra shifts or out in the Alaskan wilderness hunting.  Both of which make it very difficult to try to surprise him.

Jake with his Kodiak Bear.
Sorry Yogi Bear. But better you than that hot hunter standing behind your massive claws!  

So... I came up with the perfect plan: I would recruit one of his friends to invite him on a "hunting trip" during the time I will be there.  Jake said yes, and my plan was going to succeed!  It would be perfect.

Well, the impossible happened.  Jake decided he had enough hunting for one year.  What?  How is that possible, Mr. I-can't-buy-enough-guns-or-own-enough-hunting-books-in-my-lifetime? Really?  Okay, plan B: he says he's tired and needs time to recover from all of his hunting trips.  Plus he said he really wants to work on the house.  Phew. Okay, maybe this will work.

Jake with Mr. Billy Goat. 

Then... last week, I get a phone call from Jake:

Jake- "What are you doing the 25-29th?"
Me- "I'm working... why, what's up?" ("working" aka secret code language for "coming to visit you")
Jake- "I miss you.  I found a cheap ticket, so I want to come to see you!"
Me- "Oh I'd love to see you!  Let me talk to Dr. Watson and see if I can take a day off."  (Crap!  What to do, what to do?!)
Jake- "Okay, well hurry because if it doesn't work out, I have two extra shifts I'm going to pick up during that time."
Me- "Okay, I'll let you know ASAP!" (NOOOOOOO.... dang it.  Why must we think alike and why must you be a workaholic who doesn't know how to take a day off!)

I tried to come up with a believable plan C... unfortunately, I realized that I would inevitably have to tell him the surprise 10 days early.  Luckily, he was through the roof excited and the first thing that came out of his mouth was:

"Wait... what?! Really?! No.... that means I have to clean the house!" haha

If that doesn't show you love, I don't know what does.  :)  It also shows that it was a blessing in disguise that I told him, or the house may have looked like a war zone/bachelor pad upon my surprise arrival.

We are BEYOND excited and I can't wait to be home in just 36 hours!  It has been over 6 months since I've been in Alaska... which is FAR too long.  To my Alaskan friends... I can't WAIT to see you!

(And we're having a party at our house on Friday... all are welcome!)

Anchorage!

7 days.

7 days of fabulousness.  That's the best way to describe the last 7 days with Jake.  I highly recommend planning spur-of-the-moment trips to visit your wife who is at grad school, because they are better than any other trip you could plan.  

Here are some of the highlights:

 Thanks to an awesome friend of mine, Jake and I scored pre-season Charger-Cowboy tickets to the game last Saturday.  It was my first pro-football game so it was nice to share it with someone who knows something about football!  Although, I wouldn't say we're the most football-educated crowd.  :) As you can see below, we were die-hard San Diego fans and sported our team jerseys... ha!  Fans at the games are hard core!  When I went to the bathroom, I was asked by multiple women, "What team are you representing today?!"  Apparently not wearing team apparel is as big of a mistake as wearing apparel from the other team!  Regardless, Jake and I had a blast :)

Die Hard Football Fans

Woo!

You've heard all about my sweaty run on Sunday - which I think I have finally recovered from.  I'm still trying to drink back in my body weight in fluids that I lost in the race.  We had an awesome breakfast with Dan-the-man and some friends, followed by a day of attempting to stay cool.  I took two cold showers, and laid in front of the fan all afternoon.  A perfect day.  Ha!

Tuesday (in addition to double Taco Tuesday), we went to Coronado!

Beautiful Coronado!

We laid on the hot beach, played in the seaweed-infested water, and read all about the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.  Isn't that what you do at the beach?  

Since we had temporarily satisfied Jake's Taco craving that morning, it was my turn to satisfy my candy craving. See the picture below to witness my enthusiasm!

Happy Brittany.

Too bad I'm allergic to apples.  And in case you were wondering, I did consider eating only the coating.

To come down from the sugar high, Jake and I walked around the beautiful Hotel Del and had a happy hour Sangria to try to cool off.  

Friday, Jake spoiled me rotten and took me to the Las Americas outlet mall.  I don't know how I got so lucky to have a husband like Jake.  He earned himself a lifetime of Taco Tuesdays.

My equivalent to a Coach outlet store.  Nike shoe HEAVEN.

Okay, can these be any cuter?  I almost bought them for our future runner children but Jake wouldn't let me.

It was ridiculously hard to say goodbye yesterday.  Tears were everywhere.  You'd think by now I'd be a pro at saying goodbye, but instead it feels harder than the first time.  Jake and I always say, "we're lucky to have each other to miss so much."  So true.  I love you, Jake.