BYU wins 26-23 in OT

The Cougars came away with it this year. BYU was up 20-6 going into the fourth quarter, then Utah came back with 14 points to tie it up. The defense held Utah to a field goal in overtime, then QB Max Hall found tight end Andrew George for this 25 yard touchdown pass to seal the game:



It was an ugly game at times, with lots of penalties and faltering offenses, but the W is what counts in the end.

What To Do...

Finals are over. My eyes are burning from not getting enough sleep. I don't feel like sleeping, though, because I get to do what I want for the first time in 3 weeks. So instead I've been watching Drive Thru New Zealand on Hulu, dreaming that I could be doing the same. Enjoy.

Provo It Is

Although Wichita was our first choice, we are excited to announce that we drew Provo, UT, for our clinical rotation match. Get ready for the Holmes in Summer 2010.

Brendon's Update

This is an exciting time in our lives, with news of our little boy and the anticipation of what the future holds. We are keeping pretty busy. My ankle is getting better. I'm going to try it out tomorrow night on the volleyball court. A four week break has done wonders, but I'm too anxious to wait any longer.

This Friday, we'll find out where we will be living for the next two years of our life. Our school holds a lottery match where each student ranks their top 6 choices of the available locations. The current and practically permanent top 6 are:

1. Wichita, KS
2. Provo, UT
3. Salt Lake City, UT
4. Phoenix, AZ
5. Denver, CO
6. Logan, UT

As you can tell, we want to go west from here. The current plan after those two years is to get into a Pediatrics residency program in Southern California. I say "current" because I never know what other opportunities might come my way. Three years of residency should be enough time to know if California is the place for our family. I have been doing some research on the programs and here is the tentative ranking:

1. Loma Linda Children's Hospital
2. Children's Hospital of Orange County
3. UCI Medical Center
4. UCLA-Harbor Hospital
5. Kaiser Hospital - Los Angeles
6. Los Angeles Children's Hospital

As for my thoughts, I wish I had more time to think. My time is filled to the brim with classes, tests, and assignments. I try to glean what's important from the news and usually have no trouble keeping up on sports for sanity's sake (did you hear that College Game Day is coming to Provo on Oct. 24?). But what has naturally struck me as a future health professional is... you guessed it... the nation's state of "health care reform."

Everything I see seems to have some kind of underlying bias. Each lobbyist is not there because they want what's best for the United States, but because they want what's best for the hands that fill their pockets. The Health Insurance lobby just switched from being a major player in the plans to opposing the legislation. Every major media program has people at the top with strong opinions of what should and should not be put on air. Fox News has been exchanging blows with the White House, while other news channels are slow to criticize the Obama administration. In short, I take everything I hear with a grain of salt. But here's my own opinion:

People that know me and my religious beliefs will understand why I really ache for everyone in this country to have access to health care, without fear of how it will cripple their finances. Jesus Christ is the personification of idealism. He would have us take care of the poor, the sick, and the needy out of our own desire, and not for gain.

With this idealism in mind, we live in an economy that is driven by capitalism. It would be fantastic if everyone would work hard at what they are good at and allow all things to be equal, so there would be no poor among us. However, at this time, this is not realistic.

I firmly believe that in our economy there should be financial rewards for the sacrifice it takes to gain a higher education. There should also be rewards for innovators and entrepreneurs. We are taught from a young age that hard work pays off. Do I think some doctors are paid too much? I sure do. What about some lawyers? Yes. Some CEO's? Yes. But curtailing salaries is not how citizens of this country become motivated to work hard. The return on investment of time and resources has to be significant enough to motivate our citizens.

At the same time, I see Americans wasting resources on things they don't need. How many people have a three-year payment plan on a $20,000 car that would cringe to pay $5,000 a year for their personal health.

It has been shown that business becomes more successful when they give (sorry, no citation, but I know I've heard it before). One business based their whole model and marketing scheme on giving. Stories like theirs are inspiring, and continue to prove to everyone that America is full of ideas that continue to help others while helping our economy. So where are the ideas that can combine Health Care coverage with philanthropic ventures? I think they are germinating beneath the surface. We will see them sprout and grow soon enough.

I am personally reluctant to let the government decide how to spend funds. The thought of how much is wasted on petty arguments makes me quiver. From experience in a rural clinic, I am led to believe that many who use government health care abuse government health care. I am nearly convinced that when more handouts are made available, more people will do what they need to in order to qualify for said handouts. This causes budget shortages - an all-too common result.

I believe that the public can rise to the occasion if it is a big enough issue for them. Health Care Reform gives me the impression of a partisan concern, a sort of trophy for the leftists. Democrats, simply stated, believe that government should play a role in alleviating poverty and use a system of progressive taxation. Republicans essentially believe that the free market should govern such concerns, keeping taxation to a minimum.

In short, I believe reform needs to be made, but I think Americans can figure out the details. I believe the public coverage option is on the legislative table because it will be considered a great accomplishment, not because it is what we need at this point in time.

There's No Mistake

I always thought an ultrasound was to find out the sex of the baby.
I never knew I would worry so much about an unborn child.
I often think about life after the birth of a baby.
Sometimes I wonder how life could get any better than this.

Today was the big ultrasound. We found out it's a BOY! "There's no mistake about it," our radiologist told us. We are so excited!

Introducing Baby Holmes

It was really neat to watch Brendon's face (while I couldn't see the screen). Early on in the ultrasound he looked at me, raised his eyebrows twice, & mouthed, "It's a boy!" The radiologist confirmed shortly after.

I enjoyed hearing the heartbeat (it's always a reassuring sound), but I loved watching Baby Holmes move. He did a 180 for us & I got to see everything: face, spine, arms, legs, eyes, & nose. Just looking through the pictures again makes me happy! After seeing the baby move & feeling it simultaneously, I now know when I am feeling the baby move. Next week is the half-way mark to bringing Baby Holmes into this world...and we have a LOT of work ahead of us. This really is so much fun!

To Blog or To Clean? I think I'll blog...

It's my day off of work today, so what they hey...I'll put off cleaning for another hour & blog!

Did I ever mention Brendon & I took a trip to Wichita, Kansas? We did a few weeks ago & had so much fun! Wichita is the place we would like to go for the next two years of our lives, but all we can do is write that down & leave the rest to fate. Kansas, Utah, or Arizona...where will we go for our next adventure?!? It (the rotations match) consumes every thought & conversation these days with friends & classmates. We're all talked out about it, yet we all seem to talk more about it with everyone. The anticipation is killing us...all of us. In just over a month, we'll know where we're going & we can go back to regular topics of conversation.

So...Wichita. When we first drove into the city/town, I didn't like it. I didn't think I would be able to pretend I liked it, either. After driving around the next couple days & seeing everything from restaurants (a plenty!) & shopping (galore!) to talking with people at the hospital & church, we both thought Wichita would be a great place for us. One of my favorite things we did was stumble upon the farmers market. It was incredible: live music entertainment, homemade canned goods, kettle popcorn, produce, crafts, & more! There was one stand with flavored homemade pasta. We got some Lemon Chive pasta & made it last week. It was AMAZING! We both loved it! They only sell at farmers markets, art shows, & online (no brick-&-mortar stores). Pappardelle's is the only pasta I would get if I had a lot of disposable income. It sells for $7/pound (I can get regular pasta for $0.65/pound). But sometimes you get what you pay for!

On another note, we've also had an injury. By "we" I mean Brendon. He played in a basketball tournament & his team lost. Brendon stuck around & someone needed another team member, so Brendon jumped on the court, only to get jumbled in a mess under the net. He jumped up (& he jumps HIGH ;)) landed on the side of his foot (impact was hard from his high, high jump) & Brendon came home on crutches. I had been sick with a viral infection & had been sleeping from 6-9 PM. I just happened to be awake eating my bowl of cereal to feed my baby (I wasn't hungry), when Brendon walks in with crutches & tells me we'll find out the following day if it is broken or sprained. Fortunately, it's not broken & Brendon can now get along fine. He's just frustrated now that it's interfering with his volleyball life. To be honest, I feel bad for the guy!

Day 1

Day 3

One of his classmates asked what happened & when he realized it happened while playing basketball, not volleyball, he told Brendon, "You gotta stick to what ya know!" Brendon says he's done with basketball (...at least for a little bit).

Well, I guess I better get to the inevitable...

Just the Two of Us

Next Tuesday, September 22nd, marks our second anniversary. (Happy Anniversary, Love!)

I often look back at the times I was single, tears flowing from my eyes (usually talking on the phone with my dad), wondering if I would ever get married. I was convinced my expectations of a spouse were all wrong. Little did I know, Brendon & I would find each other. We joke now that the key to a happy marriage is low expectations.

The past couple years have had its ups & downs, but I absolutely love this stage of life. Being married has been the best stage yet. I love being able to spend time each day with my best friend to enjoy time together, share frustrations, review goals, vent, cry, & listen to each other laugh. Some of my favorite activities are sleeping in & snuggling, playing games, & going on road-trips together, to name a few. We have definitely enjoyed this stage of life to the fullest.

And now, we move on to the next phase of life. I swear, life just gets more & more exciting! "Just the two of us" is now becoming three. We are going to be parents! A mom & a dad! We are looking forward to bringing a little boy/girl into this world next March to love & to teach. We couldn't be more thrilled!

(Head at the left. I say, "her head." Brendon says, "his head.")