Happy Birthday Sutton

Sutton, the baby of the group, has finally joined the rest of us in our "mid-almost-late 20s" when she turned 26 years old this past weekend. Happy birthday, friend! However, even though her age qualifies her as an adult, she will always have the heart of a child---and that's why we love her. She is obsessed with the "Ice Age" movies, labels her group emails as "Demon Treats," and has become her very own version of "Legally Blonde" by graduating from law school while maintaining her love for pink accessories and blonde hair. Aside from all her silliness, she is also a bad ass: she graduated magna cum laude and just landed a job at an awesome law firm in Nashville, Tennessee. We are so proud of you, Meg! And whether she is indulging her goofy side or her serious side, she is and always has been an outstanding best friend. Thank you and happy birthday, Ms. Sutton. I do not know what I would do without you! (Below are photos of Meg and all the gals as well, since this is the last day of my designated friendship month!)

Sutton's First Communion picture that hangs in her dining room... It was everyone's favorite because it scared us a little...

High school...

Panama City Beach after HS graduation...

College days... just another visit to U of I by the girls...

Post-college visit to B-town... Linds just got her new puppy, Bridget...

Nick and Taylor's wedding 2008...

Bourbonnais Friendship Festival 2009...

Visit to Tennessee 2010...

Gully's Bday 2011... Well, this was the day after. I was so exhausted, I fell asleep mid-convo...

Seneca Bikeathon 2011 was this past weekend...

Bikeathon is somewhat misleading... because we just biked a few miles, stopping at 5 bars along the way ha!

Thanks, Matt, for organizing such an awesome event and housing all of us B-towners. It was a blast!

Memorial Day 2011... It was Leo's first time in a pool! And he's laughing here, not crying...

Two weeks ago I took a road trip to Nashville... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUTTON!

Happy Birthday Gamble

As the title states, 26 years ago today, Kaylee Gamble blessed this fine earth with her presence. Being the first born of her siblings, she has always looked out for us girls like we were her younger sisters too. She is very much the "mother hen" of the group and we love her for that. However, do not let that comment mislead you because she is the life of every party and throws down like nobody's business. I do not know how she embodies both things, but she does it without a blink of an eye! So, Miss Gamble, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. None of us, especially me--after being gymnastics buddies as kids, teammates during high school, roomies for all of college, and best friends throughout it all--would be who we are today without you! I cannot wait to celebrate 26 years of awesomeness this weekend!

(Sidenote: Below is Gamble, but there are also photos of all the gals because it is still the month of May, my designated friendship month!)

Aww...

Freshman year of high school...

Senior year of high school... About to attend our last BBCHS football game...

Summer after high school graduation... We were on our way to Panama City Beach when our van broke down in boofoo, Alabama... on a Sunday. We also locked the keys inside here, so I had to be lifted through a tiny side window to get outta that mess. Obviously, we were totally ready to be traveling by ourselves...

Freshman year of college... Jerry! Jerry!

Chicago Marathon 2008... Kyle ran it for Grace. He did great and everyone was there to cheer him on.

Halloween 2010... Daria, Heisman Trophy, Peggy from Mad Men, Chilean Miner, Strawberry Shortcake.

Winter 2010... Visiting B-town.

Bears game 2010... This picture looks familiar...

Illini vs. NW @ Wrigley Field... Go ILLINI!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GAMBLE!

Friendships

It was a sunny day in the summer of 1990 when I saw a new family moving into the house across the street. Being the clever five-year-old that I was, I decided to ride my bike (still with training wheels--I am sure I got them taken off shortly after this!) around the cul-de-sac until the new kids came outside. Well, I got tired of that quickly and just kept riding in a small circle between our two homes. It worked like a charm because they came out to play in no time! And so went the day that I met Gully and the rest of the Gullickson clan. Approximately three years later, in elementary school, three nights per week involved carpooling with Gamble and others to gymnastics. And about four years after that, during junior high school, my friendships with the remaining three--Casey, Linds, and Sutton--fell into place as well. Since then, these five women have been like sisters to me. Let me just add that I have two (real ha) older siblings that have rocked my socks off since birth. However, in addition to them, I have five pseudo-sisters that have turned my immediate family of five, into a party of ten.

Two years ago, Casey shared a brilliant plan with us all. She had read an article stating that around our age, mid 20s, is the most common time to lose touch with friends. It is the time when people are moving for jobs (Linds, Sutton), or beginning married life with their new spouse (Casey), or starting a whole new family of their own (Gully.) To make sure that this fate did not befall upon our group, Casey suggested we take turns each month to grab the reins of our friendship. This includes sending group emails with updates about big (or small) happenings in our lives; shipping mini care packages just so we each feel special about getting mail; or simply sending out reminder texts when someone has got an interview or test coming up, so that that person will get five "good luck" messages before the big day. Well, May is my month. So, this post is for you gals!

I wish I had photos from the very early days, but alas, I have no idea where I stored them. Still, below are a few gems, starting from high school ha!

Freshman year of high school...

Senior year of high school... Beckner brought the Elle Girl Fashion Show to BBCHS via her awesome writing skills.

High school graduation...

Freshman year of college... This was the first visit the girls made to U of I. This photo was actually taken the next morning and Linds had been cracking us up all day: "Just leave me here, please!"

Post-college... This was Casey's bachelorette party where we were (obviously) dancing machines.

Shortly after was Casey's wedding...We were dancing machines here too, I just don't have any action shots.

My 26th birthday... Gamble and Linds came to Chi-town.

Weekend Friendship 2010... We spent it tailgating at a University of Tennessee football game, Sutton's law school alma mater.

Gully's 26th birthday... We celebrated in B-town just last weekend!

Little Lion Man

Tremble for yourself, my man
You know that you have seen this all before
Tremble Little Lion Man
You'll never settle any of your scores
Your grace is wasted in your face
Your boldness stands alone among the wreck
Learn from your mother or else spend your days biting your own neck

"Little Lion Man" by Mumford & Sons, great song! Once again, it has nothing to do with this post, but it popped into my head when I made the post's title. Anyway, last night I drove down to my hometown to visit some of the best friends a girl could ask for; we went out to dinner and drinks and had an all-around blast. However, I realized that what I now love most about coming home is not the drunken messes we all become at night--which is still awesome, don't get me wrong--it is the next morning at Gully's house, with her little Leonardo. The above title, Little Lion Man, is actually referring to my best friend's firstborn, Leo. This post is an ode to the little guy!

Regarding us girls and the time we spend together, things are as they have always been: lounging around, talking (may be gossiping too), eating puppy chow, and having some delicious coffee (or glasses of wine--depending on the time of day.) And yet, at the same time, it is also very different because of one small change: we take turns holding and canoodling this little tyke. It is such a great feeling. You just look at him and wonder what he will be like in six months, a year, 18 years, or even (gasp) 26 years like us! I get so excited about the infinite possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead of him, and I am only a pseudo-aunt; I cannot imagine what goes through Gully's and Tommy's minds when they wander into Leo's future!

So, my little lion man, you are one of the cutest and most laid back babies I have ever met. You also have some pretty sweet parents--as well as grandparents, aunts/uncles, pseudo-aunts/uncles, and cousins--that love you like crazy. I have no doubt that you will be a little rascal as a toddler, a good kid as a teenager, and--inevitably--a great man as an adult. I wish you all the success, love, and happiness in the years to come!

 On October 9, 2010, at Gully's baby shower, Leo is still just a bun in the oven.

On November 21, 2010, Kaylee and I officially met the 2-day-old (and jaundiced ha) little Leo. He was born November 19th, a measly three days after my guess in the baby pool, so Kaylee won. I was robbed!

And finally, the little guy now, at four-months-old. He really looks like half Gully and half Tommy. And all smiles!

The End

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end

"The End" by The Doors, great song! Depressing, but great. It really has nothing to do with this post, but it popped into my head when I made the post's title. Anyway, the end of medical school has finally arrived. I am officially done! The past four years have been spent pulling all-nighters before exams, drinking pots of coffee before 6am rounds, and using every (rare) free moment to sneak off for a nap. As lovely as that all sounds, it has also been the best four years of my life. I had the pleasure of meeting incredible people from all walks of life, learning from intelligent physicians from various fields of medicine, and experiencing the presentation/diagnosis/progression/treatment of some of the most interesting medical cases. (That last part sounds nerdy, but trust me, it was exciting.)

I have also made some of the best friends during the past four years. Let me tell ya, getting through hell and back is always a little easier with friends by your side! And through the roller coaster ride of school, rotations, and life, they made the teetering highs a little sweeter and the devastating lows a little easier to bear. So, to you all: THANK YOU. You have been nothing but wonderful classmates and great friends... and soon-to-be outstanding colleagues! I cannot thank you enough.

Finally, to wrap this up, I want to comment that this is not really the end. Being in the field of surgery, there will always be more protocols to study and more exams to take. In general, in the medical profession--like in most things--the end of one chapter only brings you to the beginning of the next. I guess that is why graduation is so aptly named commencement! So, here's to the end of school and the beginning of everything else!

My official "half page" in the yearbook is a collage representing my family and friends.

This photo of my fellow gen surg classmates and me looks very Grey's Anatomy-esque ha!