Lost

It’s been a long time! Where have I been? Mostly at work I suppose, but also I’ve been pretty uninspired lately. I guess there are topics I could write about but sometimes it feels silly to re-live my life through blog posts. Or I just don’t have the motivation. Here is a little update.

I was able to take a trip for the holidays to Utah to see my family. We were there for 7 days starting on Christmas Eve. It was great to see everyone and so wonderful to have a vacation for the first time since May. We left on the 30th so I could take call on the 31st but this was traded with another resident and miraculously I ended up with a 10 day vacation. This was a big deal as I am only allowed to ask for 7 days off. It was so great to have some extra time to recharge and we spent a day in Chicago on our way home for some fun on New Years Eve.

 

We were pretty crafty and made family stockings

And quiet books.

Abe liked his Christmas Eve PJ pants, which just happened to match his shirt. Notice in the background how patriotic we are on Christmas! (no idea what that is)

Catching up on the latest trends while family bowling.

Abe got to meet my grandpa Sterling who loved reminding us that “Sheffield’s are good athletes.” We learned all about the Sheffield’s from Wayne county who could beat up anybody and also Abe’s relatives who were basketball players for the University of Utah in the 1940s. My grandpa has a good and strange knack for remembering details. He can recite every member of his kindergarten class alphabetically and he does it every day (along with some other mind exercises) to help keep his mind sharp. I think this is amazing and a little strange. I can’t remember anyone in my kindergarten class. Except for maybe a girl named April who always wore dresses and a boy named Alberto who I thought was weird that his name was like Alberto V05 (that cheap shampoo brand) and his mom died in childbirth. Oh, and my sister Amber. I guess my memory is weird, too. Must be a Jackson thing.

I hadn’t seen my grandparents in years! With my sister Caitlyn who is growing up so fast! We went down to Gunnison, Utah, where they now live to visit.

I think this is a good picture for the new year!

I forgot to mention we spent a short time with Abe’s family in Chicago before Christmas as well.

Cheesy New Years Eve kissing picture. Still in love going in to another year.

Back home with more presents to open on New Years. You can consider this your digital Christmas card.

And just had to post this picture, Abby, because it made me laugh. What were we talking about? We both have a look of disgust or severe disapproval!

Work has been very busy lately. Reportedly we are 15% busier this year than last. I can feel it. I have been seeing many more patients each day and staying later and later finishing up paper work or other tasks. We are also seeing extra patients in the OR which takes residents away from the clinic and from seeing the extra patients there. Despite my crazy days, I am enjoying it. I can tell my skills are improving as a surgeon and over all am getting along well with the team. And I guess people must think I have a cool job because those wisdom teeth surgeries that go viral on youtube are my life every day…

Abraham has finished his board exams, his applications are in for residency, and we are much less stressed now. It is so strange that after 8 years he is finally going to be done with both of his degrees this May and we will move in to the triple doctor stage of our lives (Erin 1, Abe 2). It will be fun to work with him a bit in the hospital for the next few years.

And, we finally can get a break from the Iowa political action. Over the Christmas break I was receiving phone calls from Michelle Bachman, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Newt and Rick (both Rick’s) 5-10 times per day. We voted in my 2nd Iowa Caucus. This one was certainly more energized than last time. Four years ago I was there with about 12 other people from my precinct. This time we had a few combined precincts with probably 200 people there. Abe loves politics and we stay pretty involved. Here is when Abe met Newt’s back at the medical school. We also attended a Ron Paul rally, met Mitt Romney multiple times, and Abe went to a Herman Cain rally before he dropped out.