Howse-McArthur Wedding

Howse-McArthur Wedding from Becky T on Vimeo.

The video is a bit long (nearly 32 minutes), but I think it came together quite nicely. Enjoy!

The union of Jenn Howse and Robert McArthur. Highlights include: weddings showers, the bachelorette party, the rehearsal, pre-ceremony prepping, the wedding, and the reception!

*God Bless the Broken Road
0:00 - Past Pictures
0:52 - San Francisco Shower/Communion
3:20 - Houston Shower
*Party in the USA
3:50 - Bastrop Bachelorette Party
*Wedding Song (There is Love)
7:15 - The Rehearsal
8:05 - The Rehearsal Dinner
*Isn't She Lovely
9:40 - Getting Ready
*Going to the Chapel
12:42 - Going to Ashton Gardens
* Prince of Denmark's March
15:20 - The Ceremony
* Celebration
16:50 - The Reception
20:05 - Best Man Speech
22:52 - Maid of Honor Speech
* Forever
28:25 - Dancing & Departure

And so it goes...

Today was an interesting day. While driving home I had a tire mishap. On the positive side, I found out that I could change a tire by myself (woo hoo!). On the negative side, I spent most of the evening at Firestone for repairs. In a way it was good because the incident forced me to take care of a few car maintenance things that had been on my list: new tires, a realignment, and an oil change. All said and done, I proved that I could put on a spare, my car is up and running, and I am $416 poorer. At least this minor road bump (oh, the irony) happened at a time that was not inconvenient.

A Merry, Marry Time

I headed to Bastrop, Texas, on Wednesday evening to connect with bride-to-be Jenn and several of her other bridesmaids. We partied it up on Sixth Street in Austin. The theme song for the outing was "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus. Cheap drinks and lots of dancing made for a good time all around.I battled snow flurries on my way from Bastrop to Plano. I made it to my cousin Sarah's place before the snow stuck and promptly met her dog Woody and her cat Gus. Her place was expertly decorated with holiday cheer. Her neighbors and their 2.5 year old son (above) came over for a home-cooked dinner of standing rib roast, cheesy potatoes, asparagus, rolls, and holiday drinks. It snowed through the night, and we had a white Christmas.I drove back to Houston on Saturday and finished my book on CD "The Mermaid Chair." I checked in with Wentworth and freshened up before heading to the rehearsal for Jenn and Robert's wedding, which would be at Ashton Gardens the following day.After the rehearsal we all headed to the rehearsal dinner at the Doubletree by Bush airport. Robert's family is Mexican, so there was a mariachi band! A large portion of the attendees came in from out of town (or from across the border), so it was quite a festive affair. We went back to the rental house afterward and pondered what we would put in our engraved flasks (wedding party gifts).Sunday was the big day. I went to church in the morning before primping at the rental house. The bridesmaids dresses were very glam: floor-length garnet-colored numbers with a plunging neckline and deep v in the back as well. Jenn's dress was very romantic with a long train and off-white lace. She also had a very impressive veil. She topped off the outfit with red cowboy boots in true Texas fashion. Though the picture below isn't the best, I thought it gives a good idea of the day's threads.The wedding was officiated by Jenn's relative Jimmy, the same Catholic priest who married her parents. Mexican tradition was also integrated into the service with Lazos (a double rosary looped around the couple). After the ceremony, we danced the night away at the reception. They had yummy food, lots of drinks, a big conga line, cake cutting, a bouquet toss (I was not victorious), a garter toss, and more! I'm looking forward to decorating with my party favor ornaments next Christmas. Jenn and Robert bid us farewell and headed off to Banff for the honeymoon.

Happy Holidays!

Season's Greetings!
Love,
Becky and Wentworth


PS- please enjoy Rice's Christmas card as well!

That's All, Folks!

Since my last post, I finished all of my exams. Woo hoo! On Friday afternoon I made a trip to the post office and waited in line for over an hour. At least I got a couple things in the mail to various parts of the world. Then classmate Tiffany and I carpooled to Ang's birthday party at Brasserie Max & Julie on Montrose. Ang and I were co-advisers for a group at orientation this past fall. We've hosted breakfast every Monday morning for our Peer Resource Network group over the past semester.Afterward we went to the End of Basic Sciences Ball at the Magnolia Ballroom downtown. Though I was too full to enjoy the food, the decorations were nice and the music was playing. I danced the night away with my classmates and literally squealed when classmate Robert walked in with his lovely fiance Jenn (one of my very best friends from Rice). Other than that, I have been sleeping, going to church, and taking care of Teresa and Dane's cats (below). Wentworth, of course, is loving all the time I am spending at home.

Hibernation

Unfortunately, this week's post is going to be quite boring. While Mom and Dad are exploring the exciting and exotic terrain of New Zealand, I am firmly planted in the fourth floor study lounge at Baylor College of Medicine.

In the spirit of Hanukkah, I am burning the midnight oil (not so much out of religious ritual but more out of academic necessity). Interestingly, the dates of the Festival of Lights coincide closely with my own period of dedication. Hanukkah started at sundown on Friday, December 11- the same time I dug deep into the genetics textbook, lectures, and powerpoints. Friday was a big day because (hopefully) it was my last day of class as a full-time student. Ever. Though I'll still technically be a student in January when clinical rotations begin, I will have a bit more responsibility and interpersonal interactions. I will still have classes sprinkled throughout the next few years along with lots of studying, but I imagine my ratio of face time with patients vs. books will improve dramatically. I'm very happy with my clinical rotation schedule: pediatrics, medicine, psychiatry, neurology, surgery, Step 1. Before I get ahead of myself, I should first get past the next set of exams. Hanukkah ends at sundown on December 19, but if all goes well, I will be celebrating at sundown on Friday, December 18.

Counting Down

Advent isn't the only reason to count down these days. I have 12 days to the end of Basic Sciences Ball, five days of classes, four exams, two random study days, one weekend of studying, and a partridge in a pear tree... or something like that.On Wednesday I went to the CultureMap launch party to support my friend Sarah who writes for the online mapazine. I rubbed elbows with Houston's hottest socialites, chatted with a soloist from the Houston Ballet, tasted drinks and appetizers from various Houston restaurants, and showed off my new Calvin Klein dress ($49 at ruelala.com).Friday was a big day for me. I took the bus to school because the cold, rainy morning wasn't helping me get over my cold (almost gone, thankfully). Then, it started SNOWING in HOUSTON. Though snow isn't unheard of, it's definitely not the norm. Because I was stuck in a windowless lecture hall for most of the snowy show, I've used a picture the Houston Symphony sent out over Twitter. Seems Christmasy, no? That afternoon I took my practical exam on the patient encounter and physical exam. It's always nice to check something off the list!

Friday was also the day the second year class stormed the first year class with thunderous clapping and heightened anticipation. Normally done on the last day of class we said a collective goodbye and good luck- after all, we were in those seats just a year ago. A group from the class parodied the viral youtube wedding video by dancing down the center aisle (also parodied on The Office). Lots of fun and ample cause for celebration!Friday night was the annual 12 Days event. Typically timed 12 days before the end of pre-clinical curriculum, this soiree involved a mini awards ceremony, an elaborate video mocking professors and med school life, and an after party at Bambou in the Rice Village. Despite my cold (and the cold), I dance the night away and celebrated the fact that clinical rotations are less than a month away. Wentworth did not attend but was equally exhausted.
Speaking of Wentworth he was endlessly entertaining while making my bed yesterday. It was a day of house cleaning because when I should be studying, I usually tidy up instead. I did loads of laundry, lots of hand washing, and even made a trip to the West U recycling center. Saving the environment? It's all in a days work. You are welcome, Al Gore. After publishing this post it will be back to the grindstone. 3...2...1...

Let it snow?

Here's the predicted weather for tomorrow. Looks like I probably shouldn't bike to school! Yes, that's SNOW you see in the forecast. Brrr...In other news, I really like this song "Call if off" by Tegan and Sara. Click HERE to be redirected to the youtube video if you want to watch (embedding was disabled). I'll save the rest of the weekly update for my post on Sunday night/Monday afternoon.