Happy Halloween

I'm sitting at home on Halloween night, watching Hocus Pocus (the all-time best Halloween movie ever in case you were curious) and not one trick-or-treater has come by.  Not ONE!  Sad.  Guess I'll be forced to eat all the candy I bought on my own. Darn.

Josh is busy studying for his oral exam for his Internal Medicine rotation.  Did I mention he's done with IM next week?  Crazy right?  On to 12 weeks of surgery soon. 

So back to Halloween.

We carved pumpkins last night. 

Wait, let me rephrase that statement.  Ahem.  I carved pumpkins last night. 

Josh has never been a fan of pumpkin picking or pumpking carving.  So I guess the fact that I got him to the pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin was a success in itself.  And the fact that I got him to scoop out his pumpkin was just a bonus.  Getting him to actually carve it would have been a freakin' miracle.

I mean I just don't get it.  He looks so thrilled while he's doing it.  I can't imagine why he doesn't look forward to this every year.

Maybe you have to be an October born baby to love all things pumpkin? 

At least half of our household was enjoying it!

I think my pumpkins turned out pretty cute.  Too bad no one has come up to my door to enjoy them other than me.  Oh well.  Either way, Happy Halloween from the Scurlock's!

 

Branding Iron

On Saturday night, we celebrated my 27th birthday.  My best friend Liz and Josh planned a night out on the San Bernadino town with some of my besties.  We went over to Super Sushi, the sushi joint across the street from my apartment complex that has 1/2 off sushi all day every day.  It's weird I know, but it's actually really good. And for those of you that didn't know, I have recently converted to sushi eating.  It's actually pretty delicious!  I also had my first and probably last sake bomb.  Warm hard alcohol and beer, not my fav.  But I guess you only live once. :)

Then we headed to the Branding Iron which is a country bar complete with line dancing and a mechanical bull.  It was costume night, but we ditched the costumes and opted for boots.  It was tons of fun and my college roommate Dena was even able to join us!

I'm not exactly sure what the guy behind me's costume was supposed to be.

We ended the night back at our apartment where we indulged in a little late night cake that my good angel friends Sarah and Stefani surprised me with on my actual birthday. 

Notice Doyle in the bottom left-hand corner.

It was so fun to celebrate the start of my 27th year with my friends and my husband, especially since we've been out of the country for the last two years.  I'm so lucky to have so many people that made an effort to celebrate me! 

20-7 and Thankful

Today is my 27th birthday.  Twenty-seven, that's awfully close to the big 3-0 isn't it?  But October 25th also happens to be Grenadian Thanksgiving.  And in light of the fact that I think I've been kind of a downer lately on my blog (and in my life) I think that I am going to choose 27 things to be thankful for today.  Because isn't life all about being thankful for what we have? 

Yes there are struggles and hard times, feelings of lonliness and sadness, but I think that in the past 27 years, I have mostly been the type of person to see the glass as half full and lately, I've chosen to see it half empty.  And honestly, I'm tired of it.

So today I'm choosing to be thankful.  I'm choosing to love myself and my life.  Because every single day you have to wake up and make the choice to love.  To love God, to love your spouse, your friends, your family, your enemies, the lady behind the checkout counter, the random person on the street, the other drivers on the road.  My childhood friend Grant Desme' said, love is not just an emotion, it is a choice.  And I think that's so very true.

So here I go.

1. My husband.  I'm so thankful for my husband Joshua.  He is my bestest friend in the whole world and as much as I have missed Grenada and the Limes kids in the past few months, there's no where in the world that I would rather be than with him.  He works harder than most anyone I know and he doesn't ask for much in return.

2. My parents.  I have to have just about the most supportive Mom and Dad a girl could ask for.  They are always there for a lengthy phone call or a dollar or two :) and they never cease to tell me how proud they are of me.

3. My siblings.  Bert, Rachel, and Anna, you guys are not just my sisters and brother, but my friends.  How lucky am I to have siblings that I actually get along with really really well!?! We have so many good memories as kids, but we have just as many as adults and I think that's pretty awesome.

4.  My in-laws, grandparents-in-law, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephews.  I couldn't have married into a better or more excepting family.  I have loved them from the beginning and they have loved me back in return.  They are always there to lend a helping hand and are just as supportive of my goals and aspirations as they are of Josh's.

5. My best friend Liz. We just get each other.  There's just not much more that needs to be said.

6. Julie.  My friend that I had to go all the way to England to meet, but I would do again in a heartbeat.  She's my go to girl when it comes to life as a medical student spouse.  I don't have to explain things to her, she just understands it.

7. My faith.  Sometimes I don't know how people get through life without a relationship with Jesus Christ.  I'm so thankful that I have one.

8.  My experience with the children in Grenada.  As much as I miss Grenada, I am so thankful for my experiences.  It opened my eyes to things I couldn't have imagined and changed my heart.  I can't look at the world the same way that I used to and I only wish everyone could experience the happiness that comes with doing something for others who aren't as priviliged as you.

9. My doggie Doyle.  He may stress me out sometimes with his separation anxiety and his internal issues, but he is my companion on most days and he brings me a lot of joy.

10. My health.  I am so lucky that I am healthy.  I know this is something that many people take for granted until they don't have it anymore, but after having good friends struggle with health issues and having a husband who sees severly unhealthy people daily, I definitely don't.

11. My bank account.  I know this seems funny.  Josh and I may not have much money, but we have ENOUGH and for that I am thankful because there are a lot of people in this world who don't.

12. My apartment.  I really do love it.  Which is good, because I'm in it a lot!

13. My travel experiences.  I've been to England, Spain, Scotland, Sweden, Ireland, France, Grenada, Cozumel, and many places around the United States.  There aren't many 27 year olds that can say they've gotten to do so much traveling in their lifetime. 

14. The Significant Others Organization of SGU.  Another funny one, but I would never have gotten through our two years abroad without it.  I feel lucky that Josh ended up at a school that had a support group for spouses like me when I know there are many schools that don't.

15. My job.  I know I work from home and maybe it's not ideal, but I'm thankful that I have a job.  There are many people here in the US and in the world, who don't.

16. My blog!  I started this blog almost two years ago not knowing if I would really keep up with it, if people would even read it, or what the future would hold for it.  But, I have to say it has become a part of my life.  I've posted over 200 times and I have readers all over the world.  It has been an outlet for my creativity and my internal thoughts and it has been used by many SO's as a source of information for medical school.

17. Diet Coke.  Enough said.

18. Mail.  I REALLY enjoy checking the mail.  It's one of my favorite things to do daily and I look forward to 4pm when I know the mailman has come.  I just like seeing what's in it. It's a little surprise everyday!  I even enjoy getting bills because I get to open them, mail a check, and feel accomplished when they are paid.  Is that weird or normal?

19. Books.  I'm very thankful for books.  And bookstores.  And Kindles.  And Amazon.  Whoever invented the written word...seriously, genius.  I could read a book a week.  I love getting lost in a novel.  What would my life be like with books?  It's too sad to even consider.

20. Sunshine.  God planned for me to grow up in Southern California.  I am convinced he knew I crave/need sunshine daily. He only sent me to England so I could reinforce my love for the sun.

21. Wine.  Sometimes you just need a glass.  Or three.

22. Iphones. Okay, sure, they are expensive and people are glued to them waaaaaay to much.  But google maps and Siri sure make life easier.

23. My dishwasher.  In Grenada, the dishwasher's name was Stephanie.  In Redlands, it's Nautilus.  And Stephanie is much happier because of it.

24. SGU.  They have their flaws, but they gave Josh an opportunity to become a doctor when some medical schools wouldn't.  He is able to chase his dream because of that chance.

25. Coffee. God's gift to us "not morning people."

26. Hot Showers.  Is there anything better?

And Lastly,

27. Random Acts of Kindness.  A few weeks ago, a friend gifted me with the chance to go back to Grenada.  It's these kinds of things that restore my faith in this world.  When people do something so surprising not because they benefit from it, but to help make your day better.  We should all make an effort to do this for others, even strangers.  Because of her generosity, I get to go back to Grenada in November. And I couldn't be more thankful.

Operation Grenada Child

As many of my readers know, I was heavily involved in the Limes After School Program during my year in Grenada.  And I think it has become completely obvious to people that I miss the children I worked with terribly.  But in the past week or so, I have had some friends inspire me to continue to try and make a difference in this world as well as remain active in these children's lives, even from a distance. 

I may no longer be in Grenada, but I still have tools in the form of public media and lots of friends and family that have been touched by my journey that I can use to help the Limes kids.  With the help of last terms Significant Other's Organization President Sarah and the current Limes coordinators in Grenada Julie and Laura we came up with the idea of Operation Grenada Child.  Our goal is to get 60 shoeboxes filled with Christmas goodies for these precious children who quite honestly might not receive anything on Christmas day.  In fact, last year I specifically remember asking one child if they were excited for Christmas and Santa and he responded despondently, "Miss, Santa doesn't visit Grenada."

If you've ever read my blog and wondered what you could do to help the Limes program, or if you've wanted to find some type of program that you could help make a difference in, here is your chance.  Please go to THIS  link and sign up to send a child a shoebox full of presents for Christmas.  It's only $20.00, but that $20.00 will go a long way.  All the way to the island of Grenada in fact!

If you don't have time for shopping, or it just isn't your thing, monetary donations will be accepted to help with shipping via a pay pal account on the website.  Or, you can send me a check and I will put a box together for you.  And lastly, if money is tight and you just can't afford to make a box, please pass the word along to your friends and family.  Help us spread the news!  You will be helping to make a significant difference in these children's lives.  And it really can't happen without YOU!

Sun Worshiper

My little guy is a sun worshiper. 

Just like his Mama.

He tends to follow me from room to room.  But no matter what room I'm in, he finds that little bit of sunshine to lay in. 

A dog after my own heart.

I think there's a chance we both suffer from seasonal affective disorder.

** And on another doggie note, obedience classes start tonight.  Wish us luck!

Pumpkin Patch

I really look forward to October every year.  For some reason sweatshirt weather, pumpkin spice lattes, the leaves changing color, pumpkin carving, Halloween costumes, my birthday, and Hocus Pocus just warm my heart.  For the last two years, we've kinda had to make due without the fall festivities and I've been okay with that because, well, we've been living in foreign countries.  And that's pretty fun too.  But it is sure nice to be able to celebrate fall with all my regular traditions this year. 

We finally had some cooler weather this past week and so Josh and I kicked off fall with a trip to the local pumpkin patch today.  The pumpkin patch, conveniently named, The Pumpkin Patch at Live Oak Canyon is by far the most decked out patch I've ever been too.  It was complete with a tractor, corn maze, gift shop, bounce house, petting zoo, band, food, and every kind of pumpkin available.  You could literally spend all day there.  Our friends Nick and Amy joined us as well as our doggie child Doyle.  We had a really fun time!  It was a much needed day date for Josh and I.

They had some beautiful sunflower fields!

Running away with his "pumpkins."

Amy, Nick, and the Scurlock family

Look closely, Doyle's in the middle.

My handsome little pup.

Josh even suggested we get a bale of hay to properly display our pumpkins!  A man after my own heart. :)

We plan to carve them once it gets a little closer to Halloween.  As for now, they are displayed proudly on our front porch for all our apartment complex to see.

Are you planning to carve pumpkins this year?

Feeling a bit nostalgic...

...what else is new?

Today, my good SO friend Sarah (whom I've now lived near in 3 different countries) and I went to a restaurant in Redlands called Dhat Island, Caribbean-Creole Cuisine.  Yup, "daht."  We were both aching for a touch of island in our lives and any place with the word "daht" in the name is most definitely islandish. 

The food was great, a lot yummier than some of my island food experiences.  Who knew that seeing plaintains on a menu would make me both happy and sad at the same time? 

It's always nice to have someone around that understands the life you've lived for the past two years as the spouse of a medical student and who's living a similar one now.  Someone who's trying to deal with transitions just like you are.

I don't want to live in the past, I want to seize hold of the here and now.

But of course, I couldn't help coming home from lunch and looking through old pictures of the Limes kids and watching videos of sweet Kyla, sassy Shanika, and silly Miguel.  It's impossible not to miss children that made perhaps the biggest impact on my life thus far.

I'm saving my pennies to go back to Grenada for a visit.  Anybody want to pitch in? :)

Come on in...

...to our home.

We've been living in Redlands for almost two months, but I'm just getting to this post because decorating takes time and well, money.  While I have loads of the first, the latter is typically lacking. 

However, Josh and I were blessed with so many wonderful wedding gifts that had been un-used and in storage for 2 years and family who gave us "IOU" gifts in the form of money once we got back to the states that I have been able to (for the most part) completely furnish our apartment.

I really enjoy home decorating and I could spend hours in stores like Target, Home Goods, World Market, Pier 1, Marshalls, Pottery Barn, and Crate and Barrel.  Most if not all of our home furnishings came from these stores. So without further ado, here is our Home Sweet Home.

When you walk in, you have the dining area/kitchen to the right and the living room to the left.  The washer and dryer (an absolute must for me) are straight ahead down the hallway with the bathroom to the right of the hallway and the bedroom to the left.

 I'm STILL trying to organize this etagere but I keep playing with different things in different spots.  Any ideas for what I could put on the top shelf are welcome!



Mom made me these curtains to match my chairs.  Find out about bottle flower vases HERE

An Anthropologie splurge

Here's the living room.

My Grenada wall; not there in person but always in my heart.

Our patio that you can enter by either the living room or bedroom.

DIY twine "S" post HERE



My plants that are coming back to life!

Next up is our bedroom.

This adorable table was a Home Goods purchase on a whim.

Walmart dresser put together by Mom and yours truly.



I'm not kidding, the closet is bursting at the seams.  Our My biggest worry about getting a one bedroom apartment was closet space, but thankfully, it DID all fit.



One year anniversary (paper) gift; all the places we've been cut out of maps.  Learn how HERE

Pottery Barn Hurricane with Grenada fillings.

 And, here's what Doyle was doing while I was taking pictures and writing this post.


We are crate training to help with separation anxiety and so far it is going well.
 

So, that's our apartment.  I will post more about it as I continue to fill up wall space and stuff, specifically in our bedroom.  But for now, I am very pleased with how it has all come together.  We don't have a second bedroom, but we do have a couch and floor space and we always love visitors.  :)  I hope you enjoyed our home tour!