Two Weeks in Houston

A huge part of the medical school journey we have been on includes traveling. We were actually able to spend over 5 months on the road with Jon during his fourth year of medical school. Every fourth year medical student is required to go on "audition rotations" around the country to essentially interview for a residency position. As a family, we decided we needed to stay together and God made it possible.  We covered 6 states in 5 months! I had more stretching moments in those 5 months than in almost all of my years of motherhood... Traveling with a toddler and a baby is NO JOKE! But we made fantastic memories and I wouldn't trade that time for anything.

So here are some of those memories: beginning with Houston July !

I got to travel on the airplane with both kids... by myself. I had done it before, so a 4 hour flight wasn't too bad! The kids were already pros on the plane!

So happy to be back with daddy after 3 weeks apart! Hope loved to go swimming with Daddy especially.

We were able to go to Joel Osteen's church in Houston. What a treat! Thousands of believers gather here every week. It was so neat to see!

 More swimming! We didn't get any pictures of Jonathan, but I remember he grew A LOT in the area of swimming on this trip. He went from clinging to an adult in the water to jumping in and swimming on his own (with swimmies of course)!

Jon worked the majority of these trips, so the kids and I had to keep busy! This was the COOLEST Children's Museum. It was included in our membership, so the kids and I went back a couple times and we still didn't get to see the entire thing! It was HUGE! And Jonathan loved to play with anything that included balls.

 In every location we visited, we dressed Jonathan up in his doctor's coat and visited Jon at the clinic he was rotating in. I made cookies and Jonathan charmed them with his cute coat and smile. I'm pretty sure this is one of the reasons we matched into a residency this year! Who wouldn't want to see that face more?!

 The splash pads in the South were epic! This one was in downtown Houston and it was awesome!

 We also visited the beach on Galveston Island. The boys went surfing and I chased Hope around the beach. She has no fear of water, so keeping her from drowning was a huge accomplishment! We had a blast!

Philly Lesson

When we visited Philadelphia as a family, Jon spent much of the time working/studying for his medical rotation. It was his second Ophthalmology rotation, and he was busy! So the kids and I needed to find something to fill our time that wouldn't cost much, because you know... medical school finances. I found this AMAZING free park called Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse. The park has this old wooden slide, and I new we would be spending most of our day there because Jonathan LOVES slides. Or so I thought.

When we arrived at the slide, my little Jonathan was so afraid! The slide is pretty big, especially for a 2 year old, and required a little mat to slide down. So in the beginning, I spent much of my time climbing to the top with him, grabbing his hand and dragging him down. I knew he would love it, as soon as he got used to it. After a while I began to get tired! I am not ashamed to admit my very busy 2 year old had much more energy than me (and I was also carrying little Hope in an Ergo). When I suggested he go by himself, he adamantly said, "NO!" and clung to my leg. It took some time, and some tears were shed. It wasn't until he realized that I would not be going down again that he eventually went down the slide on his own. And before I knew it, he was cruising the slide and shouting, "AGAIN!" at the bottom.

Here is Jonathan on the wooden slide. He was seriously so cute!

As we were driving away, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "Isn't that how it is with you?!" And it was true. So much of my journey with the Lord is surrounded by trust issues and hesitancy until He grabs my hand and drags me down the slide of the next adventure. When it comes time for me to explore and try something new, I resist and cry. But how much more fun would I have if I trusted that the Lord knew what was best for me?! And how much joy I would get out of an adventure if I would just leap?! He knows the path I will take. He knows what I need. If I could just trust Him and move with confidence and understanding of His will, won't that save me from so much grief?! Not to say that the path is always easy or fun. But wouldn't the difficult path be made less difficult if I didn't fight Him the whole way? So much food for thought...

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

Luke 12: 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one fo them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Jon, My Prince

Since this blog is essentially a journal, I want to take a moment to record my feelings about my wonderful husband. You guys... the Lord has truly blessed me! Quite often I am amazed at how the Lord has partnered me with such an awesome man. He is and always will be, my better half. He pushes me toward the Lord every chance he gets, and he leads by example.

Not only is he a wonderful husband, he is a fantastic father. He loves his children beyond compare and will sacrifice just about anything for them. He spends every spare minute he has with these kiddos and works to make sure they understand that they are so loved. Not only loved by him, but by their Heavenly Father. The kids don't understand it yet, but they won the jackpot of Dads.  He is so much more involved in their daily life than I ever dreamed he would be... And I am so happy to share them with him! 

For those of you who don't know, Jon is finishing up his 4th year of medical school. This has been an extremely busy and trying time for him, as he has been rotating in hospitals and interviewing around the country for residency for the majority of the year. We recently calculated that he has been home for only about 8 weeks this year. I haven't counted how many planes he has been on this year, but I know it is upwards of 40.  And by the grace of God, all that hard work is paying off.  I will brag about him, because I know he never would! Jon is one of 8 DO medical students in the nation to match into an MD surgical eye residency. He has such a specific and difficult calling on his life, but he has handled the stress and hard work with grace. He has buckled down when he needed to and worked harder than I have seen anyone work. With tears in my eyes, I get to say: You get to be an ophthalmologist, Jon! What an awe-inspiring calling and blessing.

Most importantly, Jon loves Jesus and serves Him in his daily life. A verse he lives by is Isaiah 30:21 and it says, "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" He is right in the center of the Lord's will, and while its certainly not an easy path, it is the most fulfilling. I am so proud of you, Jon! I am so honored and blessed to be on this journey with you. Thank you for choosing me. I love you!

The Shaders Visit Philly

Philadelphia April 2017

One of the things I want to remember most about this medical school journey is the amount of traveling we were able to do as a family! The kids and I went with Jon on his medical rotations as much as we possibly could in order to keep the family together. One of his first away rotations was to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in his third year of medical school. The kids and I were able to join him on this trip for about 10 days. This was by far one of the most STRETCHING experiences for me, not only as a wife to a busy medical student, but as a mother to two busy kiddos!

Y'all.... I flew a RED EYE flight with BOTH kids BY MYSELF (you can't see this now, but I'm flexing my mom muscles)! Hope was 8 months old and Jonathan was 2.5. It was not without tears from all three of us, and one super tired mama, but we made it! And Jon was able to rescue to me on the other side. 

 Those of you who know me, also know that my children don't sleep. They don't typically sleep through the night... ever. I was so worried about this flight, but Jonathan was content to watch his shows for most of the ride and Hope slept pretty good in my arms.

Needless to say, we were all a bit tired when we arrived.

 Philly was gorgeous! The weather was warming up, so we were able to spend quite a bit of time outside in the backyard provided and walk to the park about half a mile down the road. Hope loved the swing and Jonathan liked to watch the baseball players at the park.

We visited the beach as a family. We also visited a small zoo and ate authentic Philly Cheesesteak for the first time.

I learned so much about traveling with kiddos on this trip... But I also grew so much as a mother and follower of Christ. That's for another post... Coming soon!

Why Sonshine and Shade?

When deciding on a name for a blog, I honestly didn't know where to begin. There is so much that I want this blog to be! I want it to be a place I can come to put my thoughts... A place I can come to release my ideas, musings, and beliefs. I want this blog to be a place I can come to record our lives: the good and the difficult. I want it to be a place where I can look back someday and remember the amazing way the Lord has guided my family through this breathtaking adventure we are weaving. Let me tell you, it is an ADVENTURE! 

I chose the name Sonshine and Shade because it is a perfect reflection of our lives. Jesus, the Son of God, is the light of my life. He is my reason for greeting the sun (or lack of it, lets face it, I live in Oregon) in the morning. He is all I need. He is the center of our family, much like the sun is the center of our solar system.  And while he is what brings warmth and purpose to my life, he is also the one who provides the relief of shade when this journey just gets too hot. He covers me with his love and helps me to take a full breath when life seems to smother me. My family could not have made one step in this journey without Him. He is our help, our relief, our strength, and our protector.

....Also, it happens to be a great word play on our last name!

Psalm 121    

 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Give Me Jesus by Jeremy Camp