playing catch-up

Ever since we made the big move north from San Francisco, I've been meaning to enter a few late posts into the mix and document some of life's happenings before and right after the move. It was such a busy time, I didn't stop too long for blogging. Well, can you believe it - we've almost been in our new home now a year! It's been 9 months, to be exact. Time sure does fly by. I promised myself recently that I'd catch up before the year mark hit us.... so here you go...

Let's hop back in time to June 2009. Todd's graduation is coming up, and we are lucky enough to have a night out away from the kids at a fancy banquet in honor of the graduating class - a class of 75+ students. It was held at the Marines' Memorial downtown San Francisco, courtesy of the UCSF School of Dentistry and the Dental Alumni Association.

We had a lovely night visiting with close friends (several of which we just saw last weekend at a classmate's wedding!), eating yummy food and embarrassing Todd. To boast of my husband just a little bit, it was the joke of the night every time Todd's name was called up to receive an award - they called it so many times! I was and am so very proud of my hard working, brilliant husband! 

This pic was taken after the faculty member emceeing the event said something along the lines of.... "Well, this next award goes to none other than..... take a guess, here.... Todd Fairbanks!" Todd didn't think the comment was very funny. :)

And he wasn't very excited about all of my picture taking, either.

Well, here's a lineup of our dear friends from the 2009 UCSF dental class...

Here's Dave, Todd's very closest and best friend from dental school (besides me, of course). Oh, Dave, we miss you. We're so glad we got to catch up a bit last weekend! Come visit us soon!!

Nate and Yoni with Todd.

Nate studied tirelessly with Todd during our first summer of dental school, preparing for boards part one while we had our first new baby - little Ryder. I can still remember roaming out of our bedroom in my "uniform" (as Todd came to call it - the same sweats and sweatshirt for weeks), handing Ryder to Todd and then going back to the bed to sleep. Nate would then sneak Ryder from Todd and "dance" around the room with him. Nate was so sweet with baby Ryder!

And Yoni - he is the most likable, kind guy you'll ever meet. It was his and Malory's wedding that we just returned from. Oh, how we love them! Yoni helped us move - not once, but twice, while in school. They're the kind of people that just make you want to be better and happier. You two better get up here for a visit soon!

Another shot of the guys - Todd, Nate, Aneel, Dave and Yoni.

Chela and Maria with me. These two sisters were hilarious and so much fun to be around. They, along with Dave, gave us a lot of laughs! They just adored Ryder!! These ladies enjoyed many a baseball game, dinners and birthday parties with us. We love you!

Todd and Charlie's Angels - otherwise known as the "white girls" in class. Audrey, Alice and Eliza with Todd.

Nate and Kala. Oh, how I miss Kala! She is an amazing, incredibly talented school teacher to underprivileged kids in hardcore neighborhoods. She taught in Oakland's Richmond district. She now teaches in a similar area in West Virginia as Nate complete ortho residency. Go Kala!!! So sad you couldn't make it out to SoCal last weekend!

The soon-to-be oral and maxillofacial surgery residency students from UCSF - John, Andre, faculty member Dr. Houssaini, Todd and Kirsten.

Todd with his dental group - the people you practically "live" with as you move along from rotation to rotation in school. Paven, Todd, Jean, Crystal, Eliza and Audrey.

As yummy as the dinner was, we (I) still needed something more.... so we stopped off at....

for a good ol' fashioned milkshake.

It was a lovely night!