Workin' Girl

Well, my job search is finally over. I've been working in the cytology lab at the University of Kansas Hospital for a couple weeks. It was such a struggle to find a job. It's obviously a terrible time to be looking for a job and it was really frustrating. I was basically sitting at home for two months spending all my time searching online, applying online, and waiting to hear from places that never called. I hate online applications. I hate sending my resume into the internet abyss. I hate not knowing if the application that I just spent two hours filling will ever be read. But, I digress, I don't even want to recount the experience because it makes me frustrated all over again. I'm just happy to have a job. There are some perks to my job - I only have to work Monday-Friday, which is really nice. It has been a while since I have had a set schedule and it is nice to not wonder whether or not I will be working the upcoming weekend. Another bonus is that KU med school and the hospital share a campus so Scooter and I will be driving to school/work together everyday. It is sad when your life gets so crazy and busy that driving ten minutes together twice a day is something to look forward to, but that's what med school has reduced us to. The other great benefit is that the health insurance is awesome. Overall, I'm really happy to be a workin' girl again!

Josie's Visit

Scooter's darling sister, Josie, came to visit a couple weeks ago. It was so fun to have her! We did a lot of things, but one thing we did was go to the Kansas City Farmer's Market. You can imagine, with this being Kansas and all, that the farmer's market here is pretty amazing. They have all the regular stuff like tomatoes and corn but they also have tons of weird stuff like bitter melon and whatever these huge things are...

We heard a rumor that they are some weird type of bean, but I have never seen a bean that looks like that!




I loved these albino eggplant.

Have you ever seen zucchini that size in your life?! I have seen it in numerous backyard gardens here. The soil is so rich and the weather so perfect for growing, that people don't even water their gardens. Amazing.

I wanted these so much. Wouldn't they be gorgeous in a salad?



This guy is my favorite because he sells really cheap spices. Talk about a money-saving tip. Every huge scoop of his spices is just $1! I was out of cloves so I got some from him and I don't think I will ever run out of cloves again. I didn't even have a container that was big enough to hold my lifetime supply, so they are just in a baggie in the pantry now. 1/20 as much would have been a few dollars at the grocery store - what a bargain!

Ginger root. Mmmmmm... A sweet man in my ward here knows that I would love to have a garden but I don't have a yard. He is deeply distressed about it, and after weeks of pondering has finally figured out that ginger root is something I could just grow in a pot in my apartment.


No idea what these are. Some type of squash? If there is ever a doubt as to what a funky looking vegetable is, some type of weird squash is always a safe bet.


The tiny things on the left are actually Asian eggplant. No idea what the things on the right are.

Orange watermelon?

When Josie was here we also found a great outdoor theater. I kinda reminded me of Tuacahn without the stunning cliffs surrounding it. We went to Mamma Mia which was really fun.


Thanks for coming Josie!

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today we dragged 5 suitcases, 2 carryons, 2 backpacks, and one camera out of Heathrow airport and got on a bus bound for Oxford. We were apprehensive, but mostly excited.

So many things were uncertain. We weren't sure that our bank cards would work. We didn't have a bank account. We didn't even know how to get to our flat. We weren't sure how demanding Scooter's schedule would be. We didn't know if I'd be able to find a job. We weren't entirely sure that we wouldn't run out of money. We also could not have known, when we arrived that day, how wonderful our year was going to be. We had no idea how much we would love riding the buses and walking the streets. We didn't know then that all of the things we were nervous about would be fine. We didn't know how many amazing places we would have the chance to see. We didn't know that we would be able to make so many great friends. We had no idea how attached we were going to become to the place - no idea how deeply we would miss it when we left.

Before we left we even questioned our decision some days. Going to Oxford meant a delay in starting medical school. It meant throwing off our life plan by a year. It meant a bit more financial uncertainty. It meant a lot of hassle - moving internationally is never easy. It meant hours of complicated paperwork and lots of international phone calls. It was knowing that we would be missing every family get-together, birthday, vacation, holiday, and not seeing or speaking to our friends very often. It was scary, but we have never regretted doing it. It was the best year of our lives.

We are so grateful that the opportunity was given to us. We hope no one ever thinks that we took it for granted. Every single day we couldn't believe that we were there. Sometimes we would just look at each other a laugh because it was so amazing. We are extremely grateful for whatever committee decided that Scooter should receive a scholarship. We are so grateful for the support of our family and friends. We are so grateful for the people we met and the conversations we had. We are grateful for the great education Scooter was able to get. We are most of all grateful for the experiences we shared and the time we were able to spend together.

Today, on the anniversary of the beginning of our adventure, I decided to just put up some pictures of the place that, to me, still feels more like home than Kansas. Some of them aren't good pictures and are even blurry but they represent a part of the city that I love.

California Girls Trip

I love these fabulous ladies! We had the chance to go to California together for a few days. Our generous dad had already taken a ton of time off of work this summer to come visit me in England so he decided to not come and let it be a "girls only" trip.
We spent lots of time on Newport Beach. Every day that we went to the beach this van/camper was parked in the same spot. The owners must be so addicted to the beach that they just live there.

I just LOVE this darling cowgirl!

Look at my poor mom's nose. It was all bandaged and bruised. Good thing that sunglasses are good at covering Steristrips.

This one just makes me laugh. Andi poses for the camera every chance she gets.

This was our favorite spot.

We brought some boards that we bought at 7-11 so we could body surf. They were ghetto and one was broken in half, but they still served their purpose and we had lots of fun.

Run, Rachelle, Run!

Andi kept me laughing by screaming dramatically every time she caught a wave.

Every trip I've ever taken to a beach I'm initially turned off by the salt water, but after you just let it get all over your face (as Andrea is demonstrating below) it gets a lot more fun.

Rachelle just looks like she belongs in the ocean. The salt doesn't bother her at all which makes me feel pretty wussy.



She catches the wave...

and gets closer...

and closer...

and closer!

I can only pray that I look like this when I've raised four rambunctious, dramatic, crazy kids.

The round one body surfers.

Big sunglasses are a blessing at the beach for blonds. It hides the no mascara or runny mascara eyes. Right, Andi?

Lauren? Do you agree?

OK, looks like it is not just Andrea that likes posing for the camera. Who knew waiting for the elevator could be so sexy?

Andrea, mom, and I spent lots of time on the phone with our distant husbands.

Newport Beach. Day two.

Even my mom loves playing with the boogie boards.

I love this girl! She is so stylish. Hoop earrings to the beach? It wouldn't have even occurred to me.

Why are you all laughing at me?! Did a seagull poo on me?!

Run! Catch those waves!


Rachelle is in a little over her head...

Oh, never mind. She's fine.

Wow. I guess she's better than fine.

Notice that we haven't seen a picture of me so far. This is not a coincidence. I'd rather post pictures of Andrea.

Or Rachelle.

The sand had this little metallic flecks in it. It made me think of the California Gold Rush. I'm a nerd like that.

If I'm going to post pictures of myself I'll just stick with those taken from far away.

Or of me hiding under the water.


It would be unfair it everyone had a swimsuit picture except for me. Notice how I've cropped most of myself out? Very intentional. I love being the self-designated photographer.

My mom is beyond paranoid about getting sun damage on her face. It has been that way for years but on this trip her obsession hit epic proportions. We called her "Mulan" because she would put SPF 70 on and then not rub it all the way in, making her look like her face was painted white. Smile, Mulan!





Let's not forget about Lauren. For some reason I have less photos of her. I think because I was usually in the water with her so I didn't have my camera. Sorry Lauren! I still love you even if the wind is blowing your bangs and they look crazy.



My mom had to have some pictures of her girls.

Who knows when the next time we'll all be together is?

I hate not living close to each other. We do a good job of calling each other though.

You can imagine with five girls showering and primping there was lots of waiting for each other. Lots. This is when my dad is happy he wasn't there.

We went to the Orange County Performing Arts Center to see Fiddler on the Roof.

It was Topol's last tour. Topol was the original Tevye in the 1971 film adaptation. He was fantastic! I was so surprised at his energy. He is 74 years old, but he played the role so well. He did all the dancing while singing and seemed to be in perfect shape.

The next day at Laguna Beach we, unfortunately, sat down wind if the toilets. The worst part was that every part of the beach was down wind that day. We left early. We couldn't help it. We were gagging. Before we left we were harassed by this flock of seagulls. They could tell we had Whaet Thins with us.

Everyone likes a good Wheat Thin.

At least the drive wasn't smelly at all.


On the way back to Utah I snapped a picture of may favorite exit.

We also stopped at our favorite Greek food place.

Mom and Rachelle couldn't help pretending they were Greek statues.


Thanks for a great trip! Let's do it again next year!

Good Times In Utah

About a month ago I left my husband for two weeks and went to Utah to play with my family. No offense, babe, but being crazy and loud with my fam is kinda more fun than trying to be quiet while you study (this, of course, doesn't mean that I like them more than you but after a year without them it seemed like the best thing to do). I felt like a little bit of a cruel wife. It actually ended out working out really well though in the long run. It gave Scooter some uninterrupted time to get into a routine and figure out his study schedule and methods. Lest you think I like neglecting my husband, let me defend myself by informing you that I cooked up a storm before I left and had the fridge and freezer full of delicious things to heat and eat.

It was so nice to be home. There were tons of changes since I had last been there. Besides the new TV/audio/entertainment center setup in my parents bedroom I also discovered that my parents have become avid cyclists (I believe that term is more correct/better than "bikers"). When did this happen?! They have all the gear and look kinda professional. Look at this stud!

As mentioned in a previous post, my mom and I drove up to Salt Lake City to see my little sister perform at Lagoon. As is customary (rarely intentional, though) at Doxey family events, there was a little bit of drama. Let me set the scene. My mom and I arrived at Lagoon a little early for Lauren's show so we decided that we had time to ride one ride before we got our seats. I suggested we go on something with a short line so we went to the "Jet Star." It is a small rollercoaster but still pretty fun. I have fond memories riding it a child. It is the kind of ride where two people sit in one car and the smaller person - in this case, my mom - rides seated in between the larger person's legs. We get buckled in and as we begin to climb I whip out my camera for a quick picture (I realize it is not super safe so I made sure to put it away once we started going fast. I love my camera too much to damage it.). I take this picture.

And this one.
I'm screaming and having fun. As the ride slows my mom is kinda moaning. She says, "I think I hurt my nose..." I was really confused because I had no idea how she could have hurt her nose on the semi-tame rollercoaster. I have her try to turn around enough so I can see her but I can't get a good view so I'm not sure what is wrong. I do know, however, that there is blood. A fair amount of it running down her nose. The ride stops, we get off, and I can finally see the damage. She was wearing her sunglasses and the ride stopped suddenly at some point (which I don't even remember) and she kinda whipped forward and hit her face on the padded lap bar in front of her. It caused her sunglasses to hit hard enough to cut her nose. There was kinda a flap of skin. The Lagoon employees made a big fuss but we didn't want to be late for Lauren's show, so we just grabbed some paper towel and a cup of ice from a nearby concessions stand and made it to her show in time. What a good mom. Not even a cut on her face will stop her from seeing her baby! Here's what it looked like after we cleaned it up a bit. Sorry if you're extra queasy, but it really isn't that bad...

After watching Lauren we decided that after the mishap on the wild ride we decided that the carousel was a better option. I love the carousel at Lagoon because it is so old and has so many animals on it. After an agonizing decision I chose my steed - a zebra.

My mom favors roosters.

This guy was my second choice. Look at those plaid shorts. Who wouldn't want to ride on him?

Just in case I haven't shown her off enough yet, Lauren was on a sign in front of the theater that was enticing people to come in. Darling as usual.




We left Lagoon to meet some friends for dinner. We took the scenic route. I forgot how beautiful Salt Lake is.





There was a ton of construction going on. They are redoing large portions of downtown. I guess they have probably been doing this for a while, but it was news to me.

We went to dinner with some dear friends Hayley and Adam. If you have been reading our blog for a while you'll remember them from this post and this post. They aren't technically Doxey's but they may as well be. We love them!

Can't you see the family resemblance?

I hate that I live so far away from them. I wish we could hang out more than a couple times a year. I miss the good ol' days when we used to huddle together in my apartment and watch the TV show "24" each week. I miss you friends!

My Favorite Performer

This is my little sister Lauren.


Isn't she DARLING! I think so.


This summer Lauren was a performer at Lagoon. It was really competitive to be chosen and we were really proud of her. I went to Utah about a month ago to spend some time with my family - the one day I spent at home in between Oxford and Kansas City was not enough for me. I missed them. So, my mom and I surprised Lauren at her show one day.


Could I have passed up an opportunity to see this beauty? Not likely.


The show was a combo of a bunch of Broadway songs.


I try to be as impartial as possible when I say that she was the best one of the group. Maybe I'm biased? Sorry. What can I say? She just was.


The show was really fun and high energy.


The girls wore the same dress for the entire show but they changed accessories all the time. It was amazing how just those changes made a huge difference.


She has a great voice. She always has, but I hadn't heard her sing for a while. Even though she was already awesome she had gotten even better.


I was so proud I cried.


Big surprise.


My favorite song of the entire show was the song Lauren sang with this guy. They sang "The Song That Goes Like This" from Spamalot. It is really funny. I was so happy that they had chosen Lauren to sing this one because she is a great little comedian.


At the end of the song she hits a note so high that in Spamalot they pretend to have it break a chandelier. She hit the note perfectly. In all three shows I watched. She amazes me.

It was so hard to take pictures of her because as soon as I thought I had it in focus she would dance away. Here are some other picture highlights.



I think you can all see why Lauren is my favorite performer.


Thanks for being so fun to watch missy!

You make me proud.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my little sister's 24th birthday. I kinda like her. Okay, I like her a lot. Okay, I am a little bit obsessed with her. I frequently call her two and three times a day. I always want to know her opinion, so, bless her heart, she has to put up with my frequent phone calls - "Andi, I just made a new resume and I'm not sure I like it. Will you look at it?" or "Andi, I am so bored that I'm on the verge of going crazy - what do you think I should do right now?" or "Andi, I'm at the store and I have major indecisive issues so I'm sending you a picture so you can tell me what you think." You get the picture. She is one of the kindest and most beautiful people I know.

Over the years we have done LOTS of fun stuff together. I would have to say the highlights that stand out in my mind today (it would probably be different if you asked me tomorrow) are being surprised by her in Heathrow airport in February, our study abroad together, and playing "chubby" (don't even ask because we aren't telling). Here are some photos that make me smile. I hope they make you smile too, Andi. Happy birthday!

I'm not going to take the time to explain all these photos it would take forever! Sorry to everyone for some of these pictures. They are pretty bad. My camera theory back then was the smaller the camera the better (even if that means it could barely focus...)