Home Improvements

Britton has been in Tampa for the past 2 weeks working away at the house, mostly painting and cleaning. Meanwhile, I've been up in Columbia working until the end of May, and staying with my friend, Mary Carol. Our guest room is now a light green and we just bought a brand new queen sized bed (ready for visitors!, hint, hint). Our master bedroom is now a slightly darker beige with that blue color on the entire accent wall.

Last weekend, I drove down to Tampa to surprise Britton for memorial day weekend. It was great to see the progress that he had made and of course it was wonderful to see him! I will have to post more pictures when I return for good this Friday, I can't wait!

Tampa - Bound

On Sunday, May 10th, we packed all our things into a U-haul and our cars with the help (thank goodness!) of Britton's med school study buddies: Peter and Scott. We stayed with our friends, Kelley and Greg, as I worked that week and Britton hung out. Britton went down to Tampa on Wednesday driving the U-haul towing his car and I followed after work on Thursday with our sweet Samantha meowing and hiding in the fully packed Explorer. We stayed with my aunt Helen about an hour outside of Tampa as we waited for Friday the 15th.

Friday was the big closing day and after many many signatures, the house was finally ours and we actually got money back. What?, we paid too much?...that's a great way to end a closing!

Friday afternoon, we unpacked with the help of a new friend: Britton's fellow first year ob/gyn resident, Patrick. You know they say a good friend helps you move (and a great friend helps you move a body).

Friday evening, we had champagne as we celebrated being together for the first time as homeowners! We couldn't find the champagne glasses but somehow it all worked out...it always does.

Dr. Britton Rodwell Crigler

On May 8th, which just happens to be our 14 month anniversary, Britton graduated from medical school! Britton has worked so hard, putting in many long hours with such care and attention to his studies. He never complained about the late night study sessions with Peter and Scott where new information would be presented, broadening the scope of what they had to study and requiring each to nail down the details. Britton went into every rotation with a good attitude and an open mind, knowing that with the experience gained, he might be able to help a future patient even if the subject matter was far outside the scope of his chosen profession: ob/gyn. All the while, Britton was also able to be an attentive and loving boyfriend, fiancé, and husband, spend time with his family and friends, mentor a young boy with a tough life, help organize two major annual fundraisers at the med school and convince me to adopt our cat who requires constant doting (who says men can't multitask!). Watching him walk across the stage, knowing he will be a thorough, analytical, compassionate and kind doctor, I was so happy for him and knew I was blessed to get to be a part of his journey.

My parents came up to SC for the big day and Britton's family was there to celebrate too. Festivities started with brunch before graduation and went on later into the night. We also found out that day that my brother and Shu-Fen are pregnant!!!

That weekend, we finally went on a tour of historic homes with my parents and strolled along the river, soaking in the atmosphere in our final days in SC's state capital. We went to places tried and true: our favorite sushi place and an outdoor music hangout; and we explored New Orlean's, a riverside restaurant, that was new to us though an old tradition in Columbia. Soon, we will have a new city to explore and hopefully a new favorite sushi place, etc.