Erik's Residency Graduation

Erik had to spend three weeks of June with the Army.  They let him come home for 24 hours to graduate from residency.  He actually surprised me and came home 12 hours earlier than planned!  I was surprised to wake up with him next to me!!!!

Erik was the only resident without family in attendance, but we couldn't find a babysitter, so my parents came up and stayed with them so we could go get Erik graduated off!

Of course he wore his Superman socks!

Erik is a goofball and naturally, the mentor that gave the farewell speech for Erik made it all very goofy.  That was completely appropriate, but as I thought back to what all Erik had accomplished over the past eight years, it seemed that there was a lot of other things that needed to be said.  So, I wrote graduation speech number two, blasted it all over facebook, and will include it here now, too....

Even though we've been married for longer, I feel like our life really began nine years ago. While Erik was at his medical school interview, I found out that I was pregnant with Maida and from that day forward, Erik and I both completed our dreams simultaneously, as we created our life together: Erik became a doctor and I became a mother.

Last Monday evening, Erik completed his Emergency Medicine residency and as I reflected back on the last nine years, I realized just how much of a life we've lived! As I also reflected on the residency farewell, Erik will be remembered by his coworkers as a crazy goofball of a guy, always taking risks and fearlessly living through any obstacle presented to him. To me, though, he will also be remembered as much more than that. During these last nine years.... Erik got into the only medical school he applied to (and got in the first time he applied), he became a father shortly before medical school started, and went to his first day of class on our third wedding anniversary. Erik joined the army national guard so that we could afford to have me stay home with Maida during medical school and he fulfilled his one weekend a month commitment, along with other week-long and month-long commitments to the army all through medical school and residency (a lot of the time, sacrificing his vacation time/time off away from our family, serving our country) and is now, proudly, a Captain in the army. Erik was the president of the medical student council every year of medical school until he was then the Executive Vice President and Executive President (giving him the honor of giving a great graduation speech!). Erik played on every intramural team and sport there was for medical students and also created his own downhill ski racing team, too. Erik became a father three other times (once each year of medical school!) and as a family, we traveled all over the country together for residency interviews. Erik also traveled to Mongolia, China, Nicaragua, and Africa for mission and service work during medical school and residency, fulfilling his passion for medicine and his love for people. Throughout the last nine years, Erik has also served on many other committees and in other organizations (too many for me to list!), while also continuing to strive to be a leader and a servant in our church families. Erik suffered a career-threatening and heartbreaking injury in the first year of residency. With a paralyzed shoulder, though, Erik continued to seek God's guidance for his life. He never gave up hope and in the hands of world famous surgeons, nothing short of a miracle was done on Erik's shoulder. After taking a year off of residency, Erik returned confident and ready, even though he still suffered the effects of a bum arm and had to re-learn how to intubate a different way to accommodate for the weakness. Erik proudly returned to ski racing and all other intramural sports, he taught all four of his kids to ski, and has been cheering on the sidelines (no matter how much sleep he hadn't had) of soccer games, t-ball, dance, gymnastics, and many other of his children's activities.

When I look back over last nine years, I see that goofball of a guy that everyone else sees (who I dearly love), but I also see an amazing leader who commits 110% to anything he does, a loving father who treasures his children, a committed, intelligent physician who has the knowledge and people skills to appropriately treat anyone lucky enough to have him as their doctor, a God-fearing man who holds true to his morals and longs to complete the great commission by serving wherever God calls us. I see a great friend who always accepts anyone, loves unconditionally, and supports all of his friends (new or old) through anything. People are attracted to his genuine spirit and the guarantee of a great time (with lots of laughs) whenever he's around! I see a loving and committed husband, my bestest friend in the entire world, and the incredible man I get to write the next chapter of my life with. Congratulations, Erik! You have accomplished and completed much more than many others have even wished. I love you and have enjoyed being your biggest fan through it all and appreciated your support of my dreams, too.

Erik will start his first REAL job this summer and over the next two years, we plan to save and prepare for overseas mission work! We're very excited about this next chapter and can't wait to see where God will lead us.