No, I don't want no scrubs...

I think T-Boz, Left Eye, and Chili said it best, because I don't want no scrubs either. But, I'm talking about a different kind of scrub here. I'm talking about the sweat pants of the medical workplace. I'm talking about your everyday navy, teal, light blue, maroon, or if it's wacky Friday maybe a snoopy print scrub. I don't want anything to do with them and let me tell you why.

Scrubs are the culprit for obesity in the medical field. Have you ever gone to the doctor and wondered how he could in fact be a physician and still be so ridiculously overweight? 1 word. Scrubs.
They make people chubby. Okay, I should give some credit...there are some fit doctors and nurses but I work in one of the largest hospitals in the city, and I would say 90% of them receive obesity counseling at the yearly employee health testing.

Think about it. If you wore pants every single day that had a drawstring, you would never know how much you were growing. You would just keep on tying that string until, yep, you've run out. And then it's too late! Then you have to go up on a size in the scrubs and at first you're completely beside yourself, but then you realize that so and so is ordering a size bigger than you, and all of the sudden you're not bothered by it anymore, thus begins the next phase of the scrub cycle ending in you growing out of that size and all of the sudden you are being recruited for TLC's 3rd season of BIG Medicine (this may or may not be shot at the hospital I work at) and you never knew what hit you because you came in lookin' like Dr. McGoodlookin' (whatever his name is- I don't watch TV really at all) and now you're lookin' more like Fat Albert Goes to Nursing School. But, then, your Patient Liaison comes by and says, "It must have been the scrubs". And then you know. Scrubs 1, You 0.

Who has 2 thumbs and turns 18 on Sunday?

This guy!
Happy Birthday!!

MetroLIVE

Devin and I have been going to MetroLIVE on Thursday nights. We like it because the music is so kickin' that it makes Devin lean over to me and whisper, "I want to be a rock star" every single time, the speaker, Curtis Jones, relates to us really well, and they are very involved in missions (particularly Charasia, Star of Hope, and Lifehouse). If you're in the Houston area and you're in your 20s or 30s, come check it out.

Last night, the President and Founder of Charasia, Ralph Borde, came to talk about how the ministry was started and what they do. Charasia is an organization in India that, in short, brings children of prostitutes out of the red light district and into a life of education. Ralph told some stories that just make you want to crumble: the one about a little girl who was raped by her father and wants to go to med school after she graduates, or the one about the toddler sleeping under the cot that her mother was servicing her clients on. Heart breakers. Devin and I bought a dress and some shoes to send with Ralph to give one of the little girls something new to wear. You can make monetary donations, donate your time or skills, or sponsor one of the children.


Americans have the same stories, guys. Human trafficking, prostitution, children being sold into prostitution, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse. It happens all the time. It happens in the city, it happens in your small town, it happens in the suburbs, and it may be happening to your next door neighbor. We are naive to think it doesn't. Violence UnSilenced is a blog where those abused (men, women, children) can write their story that happened yesterday or 20 years ago in hopes of healing, venting, or just knowing they aren't alone. If you can stomach the stories, I encourage you to take a look at what's going on behind closed doors. Get curious. Be informed.

And 2 1/2 months later...

The final thank you note is written. I actually had them all done within a month, but we got some late gifts, so Devin got to do the honors.
Can you tell how much he enjoyed me forcing him to do this?
I want 8 just like him.

What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. Matthew 10:29 (NLT)

Lately, it seems like the lives of people around us have been hit with deaths and sadness, with depression and struggles, with loneliness and fear. It is draining to stand by and watch it happen on a daily basis to strangers, much less experience it with people we know. I find myself asking God to help me know what to say to them, but I usually mess that up, I think. But, I sincerely hurt for them. It's the way He made me which is a curse and a blessing. Recently, I have found some things encouraging, and I hope all of it encourages you, too.

Matthew 10:29. He is watching you and everything that happens to you. He does not let even a sparrow fall without knowing that it fell. You are worth far more than a sparrow, friend. God is not caught off guard when things go wrong. It does not surprise Him when tragedy hits or when his child is hurting. I think of Rob often, or the broken friends I spend hours with on the phone, or my neighbor who passed this weekend, or the patients I have met who have passed minutes later. The pain is real regardless of the situation, but God did not create those people with a purpose to last 26 years or 65 years or 38 years; or with a purpose of being lonely and depressed. He created them and you for eternity with Him. When I think of this world, I would rather the people we have lost be there with Him than here. If you're lonely, if you're hurting, if you're down, He wants you to come to Him with your pain. He provides a hope like no other.

He also wears the coolest, ultimate, fanciest, waterproof (?) watch ever. His timing is perfect to the nanosecond. Some real life examples of His perfect timing, from great to small, that I have experience in the past week:

Exhibit A: My best friend from high school was pregnant with a baby boy. I threw her a shower at my house the last weekend of May, and everyone experienced in the bearing of children (which I am not and won't be for a very long time unless of course the scooter does not happen) told her HOW BIG and HOW SWOLLEN she was. As much as I wanted to be supportive, I could tell something was not right. I really encouraged her to stop working so much (she is an accountant- you are all crazy to work as much as you do). The next day, she left for Dallas for a work training conference (as predicted- she's a stubborn one). While in Dallas, she had a headache and called her doctor. The doctor said if the headache did not go away with 2 Tylenol, she would need to go to the hospital. She ended up going, with her roommate, in the middle of the night. They chose Baylor simply because they recognized the name. When she got there, she had a seizure and they took the baby via emergency c-section. Good timing. Ty Richard Clark is a precious little ball of skinny baby. His mom and dad hope to fatten him up rather quickly. Turns out, Baylor specializes in premature births. It also turns out that her doctor in Houston knew she was at risk and failed to tell her to go to the hospital; instead he uttered the cliche, "Take 2 and call me in the morning". If she had waited, she would have seized in the hotel and probably would have lost the baby. We are thankful that that doctor didn't deliver Ty.
*Sidenote of advice from the author: please be smart patients. Know your doctor. Know where he/she came from. Know their background. If something does not feel right, find another one. I will help you. You know your body better than any doctor, and it is not worth it to get shady health care especially when you pay so much for it, capiece??*

This is Ty.

Exhibit B: Yesterday, I spent the day with my mom. Around 4:30, my brother, Zach, called and while I ran into the grocery store, my mom sat in the car to chat with him. About an hour later, he called again. A Metro train had collided with another in Washington, D.C., and he should have been on that train. If he had not stopped to talk to my mom, and if he had not left work 10 minutes late, he would have caught his normal train.


Exhibit C: I came home drained last night. I had a breakdown about all things life- work, health, missing my brothers, my friends dealing with things they shouldn't have to deal with, my interview tomorrow and the way Satan tells me I'm not capable of the job. Maybe it's not the best example of perfect timing, but after I had cried and blabbed like a crazy girl and worried for what seemed like forever (I made Devin miss going to the gym), I don't think Devin knew what to say or do, so he just asked if I needed a hug, and I realized it was all I wanted. So, to me, it was perfect timing.

So it's not a picture of a hug, but I love it.

We are more than a sparrow, and maybe it feels like he's not watching you now, but when we take our focus off of what He is seemingly "doing to us" and focus more on what he is protecting us from with his exceptional timing and flawless plan, it's a sweet, sweet feeling.

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

- His Eye is on the Sparrow, Lyrics by Civilla Martin

We need Godspeed and fitted feet

Newsflash: Devin races bikes. It is what he does, it is one of 93,483,291 things he excels at, it is what he loves.

To catch everyone up...

Devin was riding when he was just a tyke. I think he rode out on a bike in the delivery room. Please look at how cute that is. Unintentional ape-hanger handlebars?? Look at the flip-flops! I thought we couldn't ride in flip-flops? He probably didn't even need those training wheels, and knowing him, he probably took them off right after this picture. The bike riding started at a very young age, and he soon became Evil Kinievel.

Go, speed racer, go!! From what I hear, he was quite the BMX rider. I definitely don't doubt it. I would hope 6 concussions would mean he got a lot of practice. I want 8 kids just like him (see previous post- the scooter isn't going so well, so I am using my alternate methods). The funny thing is, he has a bathing suit now that looks just like those pants! Biking of all kinds...my husband can do it all.

Look at his Devon Sawa haircut. He is straight out of Tiger Beat Magazine. So 90s, but oh so cool. He was probably looking for his girlfriend, Nancy.

Fast forward a few years, and Devin is racing mountain and road for Texas A&M...I can't resist...
AAAAAAAAAA A-A-A-A-A WHOOP!!!
Please disregard the fact that he is beating a Texas State rider. I am sure he had a rock in his shoe or something else legit like that. I'm kidding, I'm sure Devin smoked him.

You will notice Devin in the back holding up his conference champion belt. I plan to wear it this Halloween to achieve this look:

DANG IT! I totally thought he had a belt! Someone please tell me what is wrong with my memory. First, the Amelia Earhart vision and now this. Guess I'll have to go for this look:

STONE COLD!!! Enough about my Halloween plans, since I have about 7 costumes in the works and it is only June and more than likely I will be watching Kstan run the NY Marathon that weekend, so I wont even do anything Halloween related. Oh my gosh, enough! Back on topic...

This would be my unbelievable husband winning the conference championship crit. You can watch him sprint for the win here.

So, on Mother's day in 2008, Devin went with Chad to Road Nationals in Colorado. If Chad is going, it must be bad news. I kid, Julius.


I bought him those arm warmers. Do NOT be jealous of the Carrolls' hardcoreness.

I had just exchanged phone numbers with Devin's mom in church when she called to tell me (actually Zach) that Devin had crashed. We found out he had broken his collarbone. Womp, womp. Luckily, he knew some amazing person that worked at Methodist Hospital who got him right in to one of the best orthopedic surgeons. He went through 2 surgeries in a summer which really put a damper on my tan. Jokes. We were so thankful that it was just his collarbone, but it really was a frustrating experience for Devin. But, naturally, he had his second surgery in August of 2008 and won the first mountain bike race he rode in after the surgery. His road frame from the crash was dunzo, and he had to get a new one from Specialized. Ever since, things haven't been the same. We can't seem to get his fit on his feet quite right and it keeps him from pedaling hard with his sequoia legs. We have tried a very pricey Bike Barn fit which really just messed him up even more. Don't do it. I can say that because this is my blog. My blog my rules. Another example of my hardcoreness.

So, we decided to give racing a shot last week at the Memorial Park Criterium. They hold these every Wednesday night during the summer- it's really fun. My friend, Scott Corron, who took this picture back in November

was there shooting the race and helped me get our camera set up. I also got photography lessons! How to set the camera to track the rider you want, etc. I got a couple of Dev, but I didnt get very good ones. I'm new at it. He ended up DNF-ing because his fit was so wrong and he thought he might hurt himself.

Scott took this of Devin and his furious coach. I am so mad. Look how mad I am! But seriously- it was hot out there and I was sad he didn't feel right on his bike. We have been fighting this fit issue for so so long and I want him to love what he loves.

Friday night he decided to try track racing (on his track bike) with Chad.


And I quote the man himself..."the racing was great [he got 3rd!], the fit was tolerable".
All of these pictures and links and all of the rambling is for one purpose. I want my cute as a speckled pup husband to come home from a bike ride and say it was excellent. So, if you think about me or him or us, please pray that his bike fit situation would be fixed somehow.

Uh, if Kate can do it, I think I can do it

Before I start with my ranting, I want to say how excited I am to find out that more than 2 people (ahem my mom and Devin's mom) are reading our blog!! Thanks for reading, guys.

Ok, so let's get right down to this. I want a scooter. Not this. Or this. I want one of these. Oh my gosh!!! Can you not already picture me on that thing with a matching helmet and some goggles a la Amelia Earhart?! You sit there and try to tell me that wouldn't be cool. Quick sidenote, when I googled Miss Amelia here, I totally expected to get something more like the weird school lady played by Fiona Shaw in 3 Men and a Little Lady (shout out- Dan for the picture! PS he likes the Vespa. Ooops!)



Anyway, I'd rather look like Amelia. Moving on...

My most amazing, heroic, hot breakfast husband does not care for the idea of me operating anything motorized that only sits on just 2 wheels. In fact, I think the idea of me operating anything motorized makes him nervous period, which is probably why he leaves for work before me so that he doesn't have to watch me try to back out of that blasted parking spot every morning. I have been working on easing him into the idea of me commuting to work on a scooter, but he just doesn't like it. Give a girl some credit. Sure, I may cut my finger on bread knives causing us to spend 4 hours in the ER. Sure, I may forget where my keys are about 30 times a day, but I can ride a bicycle, so I think I can ride a scooter. Pure logic. Devin no likey.

HOWEVER!!! Last night, on his favorite TV Show, Jon and Kate plus 8 (sorry, baby, I may have just outed you), Kate got a dadgum custom painted scooter from the guys on Orange County Chopper or American Chopper or something about Choppers.

I thought for sure this would help him realize that if this frig of a woman (thank you Grandma Grandma) can drive a scooter in a skirt and wedges without a helmet on, then I can definitely commute 20 minutes to work on one in rush hour in the 4th largest city in the world. Right? RIGHT?! I have other points to make ( I feel like DJ Tanner when she made the presentation to Joey, Danny, and Uncle Jesse about why she deserves her own room).

Reasons Steph Driving a Scooter is a Good Idea:

Number one: It saves money. More money means more bike parts and bibs and shoes since we can't seem to get those quite right!
Number two: It will make me even more attractive because I will look like a mysterious European woman (shout out- Kstan)
Number three: It is cool and so am I...
Number four: I can park closer to the hospital which means I don't have to ride a scary train with a bunch of criminals who just got out of 23 hour jail observation.
Number five: I am willing to get a different car like this one if I am driving a scooter to work everyday.

Number six: Devin could ride with me and we could look like Lloyd and Harry in Dumb and Dumber, when Lloyd trades the Shaggin' Wagon for the mini scooter (shout out- Tacie).
Number seven: I could ride behind the love of my life when he bikes with supplies or at least zip between rest spots (shout out- Kstan). I would be his dadgum supply car! Tubes, water, Gu, frames, saddles- Whatever you need, I have it wrapped around me on my scooter. It doesn't get more pro than that.
Number eight: I'm older. Kidding. If you've met Devin, you know that he is MUCH smarter than me despite being 2 years older/wiser/full of experience.

I would just love a cute retro green (but I'm not picky) one. Oh, what do you know?! There's one on Craigslist right now! Let's keep in mind that I am not requesting 8 kids, but I may have to resort to that. 8 kids or a scooter- I think we know what would win. I'm not even asking for a PINK scooter- bleh! And if we can't live in Italy, where every woman drives one, then maybe my sweetest, most handsome husband will bring some Italy to me. Quit laughing.

I need some comments on here to back me up. If you don't like the idea, no need to comment. We don't need any fuel for Devin on this one!! COME ON!!!

*disclaimer- Devin is very good to me and I am not whining or intending disrespect here- but seriously, I'd look cute on a scooter.

Mudbugs and beer

Zach came over Tuesday night. Seriously, is that not enough for this post? Look at him on Alex's new bike, looking so jolly. You should have seen him coming down the parking garage ramp. That bike has some bounce, I'll tell you what!

Zach left for DC Thursday to start his internship. He came down to hang out with us for the last time this summer (didn't summer just start?) and to pick up Alex's bike. Al, you are gonna love it. You have to send pictures of you dressed for work on it a la this.

Zach, Devin and I rode bikes to Rajun Cajun to have some mud bugs and beer. When we got there, I guess Zach was pretty hungry as he grabbed about 64 packs of saltine crackers to take to the table. The bets were on. Zach and Devin raced to see who could eat 6 crackers in one minute. I, of course, kept time (growing up with boys means that I am not stupid when it comes to these things. I know they had me keep time so I couldn't play with them)...

The Showdown...look how intimidating they are

Mid Race...

I didn't get a shot of the finish as it was pretty boring, but, it was messy. Also, to get back at them for not letting me play, I took big swigs of each of their beer while they went to get the food. TAKE THAT!!!

We'll miss you, Z. Make us proud!!!

The Gnats; an update.

The gnats have declared war as I poured THREE of them out of the coffee pot last night. They've officially hit me where it hurts.
1. That is not cool
2. That is not right
3. There will be justice.
4. It better gnat happen again.

It's gnat a big problem, but it bugs me...

We have gnats. We have swarms of them that live primarily in our kitchen. As soon as we walk in and turn the sink on, they fly everywhere and Devin transforms into Mowgli and jumps around trying to catch or kill them. For one, the bugs are annoying, and for two, it scares me when my husband resembles an ape boy. Wait, was he an ape? I only saw the movie once when I was dating Devin. I guess he was just a boy who acted like an ape.

Anyway, we don't want to have the maintenance guys spray the inside of our apartment because you and I both know that they would spray anything and everything as they rush through it and I don't really want to be eating or sleeping on pesticide. So, I did some research yesterday and found this message board where people were discussing different methods of getting rid of these pesky little critters. Several of them had tried mixing dish soap with cider vinegar. I thought it would end up scoring me MAJOR wife points because the vinegar/soap method really seemed to work for everyone. But, after about 15 hours (so far...don't think I left those gnats in my apartment without bait today), this is my result.

3. Are you kidding me?! 3?! Oh yeah I had one more in another other bowl. So, I caught 4 of the 31 million that Devin tries to fight off during breakfast.

In the end, I got zero wife points, a kitchen that smells like vinegar, some bites of revenge from the gnats while I slept last night, and a hillbilly husband eating with a flyswatter in his hand. Anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of these guys??

...and Then There Were Four

I wonder what made me think that sponsoring one child from India would fulfill my desire to serve the children of poverty. Devin and I discussed our financial situation on Sunday and decided we just weren't giving enough. So, we opted to sponsor 3 more children from India via Compassion International. We are elated to be a part of their lives and cannot wait to hear from them.

Nepal Munda Kishun is a healthy 7 year old boy who has patiently waited for a sponsor since December 2007, if not longer (I'm basing it on when their info was last updated). He lives with his mother and father, who are both farmers when there is work, in Ranchi. His chores include collecting firewood as his community's greatest need is electricity.

Budra Khillo is a healthy boy who just hit the 6 year old milestone on May 17th. He lives with his mother and father and loves to play marbles and other games. His family lives in Bhubaneshwar, which is pretty close to where Lisa and her family live. Budra has been waiting since November of 2007 for a sponsor.

Navina Kothli is our 10 year old girl. She has been waiting since December of 2007 for a sponsor. You should see her draped in such beautiful colors (I promise to get pictures scanned in of all 4 of our cheerun, as the women I work with would say). She loves to play house, naturally, as any 10 year old girl does. I can just imagine her enacting the motherly duties she is already observing in her community. These children take on great responsibility at very young ages. She lives with her mother and father in the same community as Budra! Actually, because they are now sponsored, they will actually hear about Jesus at the same Bible School! I hope they become friends and show our pictures to each other. I really hope that connection is made.

Do You Mooch?

Devin has a lot of bikes, but I also have a lot of books (a great gift for me would be a book shelf...hint hint?). I usually have this really odd attachment to books after I have read them, like if I get rid of them, I will all of the sudden want to recall what the woman said on page 97. I usually say I am trying to start my personal library, but who am I kidding? I don't even own a book shelf (2nd hint)! Anyway, I also have a tendency to buy books I want to read at a much faster rate than I read them, which can be fairly expensive. You may be thinking, "I want the 30 seconds of my life that I've wasted reading this post back", but, hear me out. I found a site to solve all of my book hoarding problems. Book Mooch. You can get rid of books and gain more just as quickly, all you pay is postage to send them, and if you do need to go back and look at page 97, you can always mooch the book back. Done and Done. Now go sign up so I can mooch some of your books and put them on my invisible book shelf (hint 3).

Question: What is your favorite book? Who is your favorite author? I need new books.

*I posted the Very Hungry Caterpillar not because it is my favorite book (I've never read it), but because if I had to guess, I would bet he was a book worm. Kstan, could you confirm my theory?