Time for a well-deserved update!

Sorry everyone- I haven't updated my blog in over 2 months! Geesh! How bad am I! I have heard from folks that are wanting an update... so I will attempt to summarize some of the adventures Aaron and I have had over the last 2 months!

In late December I finished up my crazy medicine rotation at the hospital and started our Transcultural Medicine Rotation, which is a 8-5 day without call all learning about alternative medicines and cultural aspects of Alaska. It was great- I even crocheted my first blanket for Aaron! Alas, a week into TCM Aaron and I headed to Wisconsin and Michigan for Christmas- we had 10 days in the midwest but really 8 days available to drive up to Wisconsin, across the UP to Grand Rapids and then back roundtrip to Chicago to fly back- whirlwind to be sure and a TON of driving in bad weather but we saw our families for the holidays and it was nice to be home!

Our Wedding Quilt- from Grandma Latz who died back in 2005. She was forward-thinking enough to make one in advance for all of her grandkids!

Aaron at Lego-Land in the Mall of America- we went there twice because of our LONG layovers in Minneapolis!

My first crocheted blanket! How nice!

I survived two more weeks of TCM and the rotation ended in the Winter Survival Weekend where our intern and senior classes and most of our faculty all stayed at a cabin on Nancy Lake State Park, a couple of hours north from Anchorage. Believe it or not it was the COLDEST time I have EVER spent outside- it was -35 (yes, negative) at night and we had to build and sleep in a snow cave that night! I didn't make it... but the daylight was a balmy 17 to 20 below but we learned about winter survival, fires, snow caves, signaling, avalanch survival, first aid and so much more... I am trying to toughen up for these Alaskan winters!

Barb's Eyelashes

Classmates- Pat, Rae and Dave

Ice Fishing at 20 below!

Signaling

Avalanche Pole Line



Moose walking across the lake

After the cold winter weekend I began by Obstetrics rotation- 8 weeks of babies, babies, babies! I have been delivering the heck out of our L & D at our hospital, and this last week got to do a delivery all by myself (because the doctor didn't make it) and also did a c-section with me as the primary surgeon- cutting, delivering that baby and sewing back to gether! I don't know what my baby count is up to.... but I have a month left and I am trying to get as much sleep as I can in between every fourth-day on call!

A couple of weekends ago Aaron and I packed the car and drove up to Fairbanks- the drive takes a day almost (in bad weather) but it goes right through Denali park and it was deserted most of the way other than snow-machiner's along the road. We stayed with one of my fellow intern's mothers in Fairbanks and then spent a day out at Chena Hot Springs, a natural hot springs in the middle of Alaska, and they have a neat year-round ice carving museum that I had an ice-glass martini! We saw the Trans-Alaskan pipeline in Fairbanks, ate at the Northern-most Denny's in the World with my cousin Brian Roberts and then made the looonnggg drive back... all in 3 days! A whirlwind trip but it was really great to get OUT of Anchorage while we still can!

Outside hot springs pool- brrr!!!
Appletini out of an ice glass!

Ice animal chess set

Chena Hot Springs Ice Museum

The drive back to Anchorage- mountains, snow and roadside surpises!

Aaron and the pipeline... this shot WAS planned...

So there's the update... we occasionally participate in Curling with some folks from Aaron's work, go to the Boat Show this last week to oogle at boats and dream of exploring Alaska via rivers, go to UAA Sea Wolves Hockey games and can't wait for Fur Rendevouz and the Ididarod start in a month! Enjoy the pics!