Food Tour of Greenwich Village and LOTS of NYC Pics

While in NYC, we did tons of things.... we started at the Brooklyn Bridge with JT's parents. We walked around in the ninety degree heat, ate at Carmine's as a post graduation celebration, shopped for Tedi at FAO Schwartz, went on walking food tour in Greenwich Village (my fav) and more..... Here are tons of pics to celebrate....

View of Lower Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge

Looking up at the bridge
JT with his parents
JT on the bridge

at Bubby's in Tribeca....one of our favorites

Standing inside the Love "thing" wearing my "simply love"adoption tshirt

The adorable doll we got for Tedi at FAO next to Ethiopia on the globe (the globe was a puzzle)

The doll next to his new home in America

The view of 6th Ave and Central Park from our hotel, The Hotel Warwick

My mom and JT at Carmine's


Me with my Aunt Pam

JT and me at Carmines

My family at Carmine's (Bob, my stepdad, mom, JT, me, Aunt Pam, Uncle Joe)

Us in Times Square

Being silly with the camera

The soccer ball in Niketown

Columbus Circle

Beginning location of the food tour

The first stop....

The Pizza and our tour guide, Sephra
The "fried ball of goodness" (not the real name) of rice, mozzerella, parmeasan, prosceutto, rolled in bread crumbs and fried.... no joke from FAICCO's

The third stop.... we met the chef, 77 year old Cuban immigrant Lydia. The food was great here as well

Stop 4: Palma.... rustic mediterranean cuisine with an all star famous line up of patrons

the dish of cauliflower, currants, pinenuts a moreStop 5: Centro Vinoteca.... I accidentally deleted the pictures. This was my FAVORITE!!!!! We had a two variety sweet corn risotto.... and they had a great wine menu

Stop 6: Milk and Cookies.... We each got large Chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies!

The most narrow house in NYC.....it is 9ft wide on the exterior and sold for $2.5 million

The oldest wood house in NYC valued at $11million

We had a great trip, despite the severe heat! Thanks Mom and Bob for making it possible.

Last Day of Work

My last days at my job in Somerset were bittersweet. I was so happy to be moving to our new home, to be living with JT again, to be starting my residency.....but I was living with my dad and spending time with him, I was hear to my grandmother who health is waxing and waning, and I had made great friends at my job at Lake Cumberland Neurosurgical Clinic. Despite the drama of lots of women and patients with back pain, I fell in love with the people and made lifelong friends. I was so blessed that Drs. El-Naggar and El-Kalliny gave me a job in a down economy. God truly blessed me with this job and these people....

my desk decorated when I arrived (this was tough for Alisha and Angel since they are both diehard University of Kentucky fans)

Many, but not all, of the girls in my office (back l to r: Chelsea, Valerie, Amanda, Fahreta, Kim, me, Alisha; front: Angel, Kathy and Sherri)

Same girls, minus Chelsea and plus Joy and Kamil on the right (Joy underwent neck surgery three days prior but insisted on coming to tell me bye)

me with Dr. El-Naggar, one of the two neurosurgeons

Me with the red velvet cake Angel lovingly made for me.

Some of the fabulous food from the day

Amanda, me and Fahreta

me with Dr. El-Kalliny, the other surgeon

New Pics of Little Man.....

Thank you to Jeremy and Danette McClain for the pictures and video. They just returned about 12 days ago with their little ones, Daygen and Maysen. They made a special trip to visit Tedi. While Tedi loved the stickers (seen on his forehead and the green apple blow pop in his right hand), he remained shy and leary in the video and pictures. It is great to see him looking healthy. Again, thank you to Danette and Jeremy. We should have confirmation on JT's travel date to get little man soon. We are looking forward to getting him home!

Fab 5: Pre-NYC trip edition

First, sorry I have not posted. We have been in the process of moving over the last several days and have not had internet. I am only updating now because I am at a hotel. Second, if you don't already know, we are flying out tomorrow to NYC for my med school graduation. From October 2007 to Oct 2008, we lived in NYC. I have so many "fab 5" NYC editions but I just wanted to start with a few things...I will add a "post graduation" edition!...


1. Belevedere Castle in Central Park

2. The Brooklyn Bridge.... we walked across this several times while living in the city and are taking JT's parents tomorrow.


3. Pinkberry..... is a non fat frozen yogurt joint in the city that add fresh fruit to the yogurt as well as granola and dark chocolate chips.... I just found a similar place in Louisville. I love this place.

4. Metrocard..... this little paper card gets you onto the subway/bus system. We paid $81/mth each for this when we lived in the city. I can't wait to ride the subway again.... and I can't believe I just said that.

5. Union Square.... I loved hanging out in this area of town..I loved their summer farmers market and Christmas shopping boothes. I love the restaurants (Yama, Republic, Union Square Cafe, Rosa Mexicana, and more)

Good News and Bad News
Today we got a tentative embassy date…… July 1! The good news: we have a tentative embassy date. The bad news: I will likely NOT get to travel with JT to pick up Tedi. I start my pediatric residency on July 1, of course. Plus, I have orientation the week and a half before I start. It is very very difficult to ask off during this time in a residency. I told the chief resident my “tentative” travel dates (June 26-July 4) today but have yet to hear anything. Again I do not expect to travel but I am praying to get some time off in the end of July/beginning of August.

The irony in this situation…. when we did our Target registry on Sunday, it asked for a “DELIVERY DATE” for the child. Guess what date I chose…. JULY 4th. Guess what date JT will probably bring Tedi home….. JULY 4th. God has a very sense of humor. I wish I could say I was taking this like a seasoned champ, but it really has hit me harder than I anticipated. Throughout the day today, tears were looming behind my eyes. Thankfully, I have understanding co-workers and there were not many patients. As the day has progressed, I have had several uplifting conversations that have put me at ease….as well as trying to re-focus in prayer.

What peace have I reached? God has called me to be both a Doctor, a doctor for children nonetheless, and an adoptive mother…..He would not bring me this far in both journeys to not have a plan for me in this detail of my life. I am clinging to this and praying for continued peace so that I can experience all the joy with getting Tedi home. I have been reading “The Mom I Want to Be” by T. Suzanne Eller, and in the book, there was a Bible verse in a translation I had never read. Because of my nature to worry about the details in my life, it really hit home. (I know it is not a traditional translation but sometimes we need a break from the routine to really get to us….)

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces the worry at the center of your life” Philippians 4:6-7


AND NOW TO OUR CRAZY, BUSY WEEKEND….

Tomorrow is my last day of work in Somerset. This is very bittersweet as I ecstatic to move but will truly miss the people I work with. Despite the drama that occurs in an office of mainly women, I have come to love each person I work with…. But after a day of goodbyes, we have so much to do….

Friday: I leave work and head to Louisville to drop off my car.

Saturday: 7am drive back to Somerset and pick up the moving truck
10:30/11am load the moving truck
3:30p meet another adoptive family at my dad's boat dock

6p Egyptian wedding reception for my boss’s son

Sunday: 8am leave for Louisville with the moving truck
1-2p lunch at Sake Blue with Jacqueline
Sometime in the after: load the items at JT’s parents and buy Tedi a mattress
6:30p Walk through at our new place
7:30-8:00 Start Moving in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am tired just typing it but so excited for it to happen. I will take lots of pictures to post on here!
But that little guy below makes this all worth it....

Working on Tedi's Bedroom

This past Friday one of my best friends from high school, Sarah Luttrell, took off work to re-finish a chest and nightstand for Tedi's room. The furnitured belonged to my in-laws Jim and Sharon, to be known as Tedi's Pop and Grandmother. They bought the furniture 35 years ago as their second bedroom suit. The wood was blondish-ish brown mix....not to sound as if I am describing hair. We sanded the furniture, primed it, sanded lightly per JT, and then put two to three coats of paint on each piece. We went to Hobby Lobby and found the knobs... soccer balls, basketballs, footballs, and baseballs. I am so pleased with final product. I can not wait to get them into Tedi's room this coming weekend when we move!!!!

Wrigley Field wall art for Tedi's room