December 22nd

I (Becky) came home from the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission 4 years ago on December 22nd. I can't believe that I have been home for 4 years now. While serving as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I learned so much about myself and the gospel. Wow, how time flies, I can hardly believe that it's been 4 years. What a great experience, I will never forget all the wonderful people that I associated with in good ol' Minnesota.

Christmas Letter 2008

This is Stewart and my Christmas letter for the year, I thought I would post it for those who did not get it in the mail. If you would like to be on our Christmas card mailing list please send us an email with your address and we will be sure to get one out to you starting next year. I promise our neglect for not sending you a Christmas card is nothing personal, just a lack of address. Our email addy is stewartandbeckynorth@yahoo.com.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dear Family and Friends,

Wow, has it really been a year? Really where did 2008 go? It seems like it was just yesterday that we welcomed in the New Year. Well besides being in shock that it’s time to write this letter once again, Stewart and I are doing fantastic! Life is wonderful and we have been richly blessed.

Last year around this time I (Becky) was on the lookout for a new job. I am happy to report that I found that job shortly thereafter. I still work at ISU’s Holt Arena when they need extra help selling tickets for different events. My new job however is working as a receptionist in the Academic Advising Center for Idaho State University. It is a great job, Stewart and I get good health insurance and because I work for the university Stewart gets to go to school for $5.00 a credit, which is a huge financial lifesaver. We lucked out when I got this job as it has helped us meet our needs.

Stewart is still going to school here at ISU. He will graduate May 9, 2009. Just one more semester to go! He has been extra busy this past year preparing to pursue his dream of becoming a D.O. Doctor (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). In May he took the MCAT, his score was a 28, which is competitive for D.O. schools. He then met with the Pre- Health committee for an interview, the reason being he needed a letter of recommendation from them to apply to med schools. That interview was not as helpful as we had hoped; many of the committee member’s slammed Stewart with questions that targeted his personal beliefs associated with ethics. It surprised Stewart that the very group whose job is suppose to help him succeed would try to drag him down for his standards/beliefs. Anyway, with the interviews behind him Stewart focused his spare time on shadowing a D.O. Doctor here in Pocatello, as well as volunteering his time at the Hospital in the E.R.

We ended up applying to four different Medical schools: 1) A.T. Stills, Kirksville Missouri, 2) West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg West Virginia, 3) School of Osteopathic Medicine (A.T. Stills), Mesa Arizona and 4) Midwestern University College of Medicine, Glendale Arizona. All schools invited us to do secondary applications but we decided to only reply to our two top schools (A.T. Stills, Missouri and West Virginia). Stewart was asked to fly out and interview with both of those schools, lucky for us… and our pocket book, both interviews were in the same week. So on September 26th Stewart took off and was gone for a whole week, it was the first week since we have been married to spend apart… needless to say, it was a long week. Both interviews went well, and we were accepted at the school in West Virginia and put on the alternate list for the school in Missouri. Because of time restraints, we have decided to forgo waiting on Missouri and accept in West Virginia. We will move to West Virginia come July or August of 2009.

Over the past year Stewart and I have had the privilege of serving in a singles ward. If you recall shortly after we were married Stewart was called to serve as the second counselor in his old singles ward bishopric. We loved being able to learn from the great men and women that made up that ward. Sadly, the bishopric was recently reorganized, resulting in us going back to our home ward. We now are serving as ward missionaries in our university married student ward. Even though we both miss the singles ward we are enjoying our new calling and the opportunity to serve together. It has been a great learning experience thus far.

This past summer we had fun going to two family reunions. It was fun to see many of our family members there and to learn what they have been up to. On a sad note my Grandmother, Lucille Willard passed away October 17, 2008. She was a great example to all who knew her and has been greatly missed. On another note, Stewart and I decided it was time to sell one of our cars since we needed the extra funds to pay to hold Stewart’s seat in med school. We sold our Toyota Corolla, making us officially a one car family. The car actually sold recently, so currently we are not sure how having one car is going to work with our schedules, but we will be just fine. This may sound corny to some, but I am really going to miss “Miles”, he was an excellent car and gave us no grief; I hope the new owner will appreciate him as much as we did.

Well, In conclusion, Stewart and I are doing well. We have been richly blessed and have felt the influence of our Father in Heaven guide us along. We are grateful to Him for his loving arms that have been extended to us. We know that without this gospel in our lives we would not be the people we are today. Life together gets better and better day by day! God bless you and your family this coming year.

Loves, Stewart and Becky North

PRT Tour of Lights

Last night, Stewart volunteered to drive the city bus for the holiday light tour. PRT sells tickets for anyone who wants to ride the bus around Pocatello to look at all the Christmas lights. When Stew and I were first dating he took me on a date to see the lights and we have been doing this since… I guess we could say it is an unplanned family tradition (this was our last year, since next year we will be in West Virginia). Anyhow, last night I took Wendy and her friend Diamond along for the fun. Wendy is a girl that I go and hang out with once a week; I have been doing this for three years now it has been both challenging and fun. Ok back to the “Tour of Lights”… Stewart was privileged to drive the “Red Trolly”, which made Wendy ecstatic! I did not take any pictures of the lights… I know I should have, but I didn’t. I did however get some fun pictures of my man on the job, and some with Wendy and Diamond. Hope your holiday season has been fantastic thus far. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Stewart

Stew and Beck

Diamond and Wendy

Wendy Stewart and Diamond

FHE

Last Monday we had a new family in our ward, the Noordas, come over for Family Home Evening (FHE). After a short lesson, we decorated Ginger Bread Houses! We actually made them out of Graham Crackers, but none the less it was a fun activity. I like to say it was a spouse team building exercise; we definately had to give and take with each other’s ideas. Anyway here are our finished products,

I think they turned out great! TA DAH!
Stewart and I posing with our house


Close up view of our creation

Both of our creations

MaKall, Marcus, Stewart, and Becky

Oh Christmas Tree

Have I ever told you how AMAZING my older sister Katie is? Well she is AMAZING, and I am super lucky to have such a neat” Big Sis”! For Christmas this year Katie had our name (we draw a names in my family and get only that person a gift… it cuts back on expense, and still lets us share the Christmas spirit) she decided to get Stewart and I a beautiful Christmas tree. The best part about it was…. WE GOT TO OPEN IT EARLY!!! So for the first Monday in December we set up our new tree and decorated it. You could definately tell that Katie put a lot of thought into this gift, as she had my mom go thru all her Christmas tree ornaments and find all the ones with my name on them, so she could give them to me (as a family tradition growing up my mother would give each of my siblings a new tree ornament). It was fun for me to reminisce Christmas’s past and tell Stewart about the Significance of the ornaments. Thanks to Katie for a wonderful Christmas gift, it was a thoughtful and a fun gift! Enjoy the pictures :)

This was our tree last year, cute and easy clean up

This is our new tree in all its glory with the lights off

And this is the tree with the lights on, BEAUTIFUL!!!

Love

Yesterday I was having a semi-hard day, not because work was a horrible experience like it sometimes is and not because anything in particular was wrong, I just felt blah… that is the best way to express myself. Anyway Stewart made note of this, when I came home from work he wrapped me in his arms and held me close for awhile while. It was a very sweet and sensitive thing for him to do, exactly what I needed. So on that note I want the whole world to know that I LOVE MY HUSBAND! Stewart is the best thing that could ever have happened to me, I am truly blessed to have him in my life. Love it's a beautiful thing.

The End

Last Weeks Events

Well I can’t remember the last time I posted something on this blog; I guess I could look at the date to find out. We do have some great news; we sold our car last night! We did not get what we wanted out of it, but we felt good about the ending price. Heavenly Father is watching out for us, he is definately making sure that all our needs are being met. We will use the money we received from selling our car to put a hold on Stewart’s seat for Medical School in West Virginia. We have much to be grateful for this season.

Last weekend we went to Juan and Camille’s in Idaho Falls and helped them move to a different home about one block away. They are house sitting for an older couple in their ward for a year and a half while they serve a mission. It is a nice cozy home, with a great back yard. I think Juan and Camille will learn to love it once they get settled in. For now it is trying to get moved in and comfortable once again. I don’t know if I have mentioned this before or not but Stew and I are going to become an Uncle and an Aunt! Juan and Camille are expecting, they are due in April… I think. Stew and I are excited for them, but sad that we will be moving so soon after the baby is born. This will be both Stew's and my first nephew or niece.

After we helped Juan and Camille, Stew and I went to Rexburg to watch Carl in a HS Play “Bye Bye Birdie”. Carl did a great job, and some of my favorite scenes were the ones Carl was in. Stewart and I rented the move the weekend before so that we could know the whole story line; I wish we didn't, since the play was completely different then the movie. The play had several more scenes added to it, and the main character was portrayed so differently than in the movie. Oh well, it was still a great performance! We do owe a BIG THANK YOU to Danny and Leslie for buying our tickets, I can’t remember if we told them that or not. So if we forgot… THANK YOU!!!

Stewart and I were privileged to speak in church this past Sunday. We were asked to talk on missionary work. We were asked to speak on Wednesday evening around 8:00ish, I was in shock that they would ask us so short in advance. I started stressing the moment they asked because I had the rest of the week jam packed with things that I needed to get done. Needless to say, we both did great. This was however the first talk I have ever prepared that I did not have any notes for. I am so glad it is over and we are clear from speaking for a while now.

Well I think I have gone on long enough, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! Here are some pictures of the from moving day at Juan and Camille’s, I did not get any from the play, oh well enjoy!

Stewart, Leslie, Danny, and Camille

Tasia, Danny, and Camille

Tasia

Just a Few Words

It’s been a week or so since I last posted anything of note. I guess life has been fairly calm here in Pocatello. Stewart had a few tests this past week; one was in Gross Anatomy (that is his cadaver class). He got an A on both the written and the identification portions. I am super proud of him; he puts a lot of effort into learning the material.

Since Stewarts always studying, I have been doing a few projects around the house. Mostly craft projects and things. I have been aching to do a lot of sewing projects lately, but since I don’t own a sewing machine that is sort of hard to accomplish. My friend Shayla did let me borrow hers for a while and I went sewing crazy for a whole week (THANKS SHAY!). I still want a sewing machine of my own, but for now I will be okay. I also have spent some time reading and digesting the conference talks from this last October. I really have enjoyed reading Elder Uchtdorf’s talks; he gave two powerful talks in my opinion, one during the Relief Society Broadcast and the other during the normal conference… I think it was on Sunday… not sure to be honest. He may have given more talks this conference, but I have not read them as of yet. There have been several others that I have really enjoyed as well. I just love the words of the General Authorities of our Church, they speak the words of God, and bring Hope and Peace to ones soul during a time of uncertainty in the world.

Anyway, I know this post did not have any exciting news, but I feel that that is okay. All is well in the North Household; we hope that you are all doing the same. Ciao

For Sale... SOLD!

1999 Toyota Corolla: 50,000 miles, very good condition and well maintained.

Yep that’s right, Stewart and I have decided it is time to sale my car. It was a hard decision to come to but we all have to make sacrifices in order to get to med school. All we hope is that “Miles” the car goes to a good home, with people who will care for him as we did. If any of you are interested please give us a call and we can talk about it. We are asking about $6,000 or best offer.

Happy Halloween.... Arrrr

For Halloween this year I convinced my co-workers that we needed to be pirates. So we decorated the office to look like a pirate ship, with cobwebs and life supports. We made a pirate treasure map and a treasure chest to sit out in the student waiting area. I think it turned out great. Here are some pictures of myself and my boss, Monica (she was a great sport and went along with the idea... I think I may have pulled her out of her comfort zone). I hope you like them, have a happy Halloween… Arrrr, Me Hearty!

Becky and Monica

Becky and Seth (Lisa's Boy)

P.S. On a sad note, Lisa’s last day at work was yesterday. She is going to stay home with her son… which is a happy note, but she will be missed greatly in the office.

Nice Weekend

Stewart and I had a lovely weekend. Saturday morning we went to the temple, it was nice and peaceful I very much enjoyed it. There is something about going to the temple with your better half that brings you peace and the determination to make this relationship work, always and forever no matter what.

On Sunday, we went to the married ward again. I think we will fit in once again, hopefully soon. It was nice to sit next to Stewart more than one hour. Stewart and some of the guys from the singles ward had been practicing a song (Oh My Father), since Stewart and I have been released from our callings in the singles ward the guys decided that they would sing the song yesterday. So Stewart and I went back to the singles ward so that he could perform his song. All four of them did an excellent job, the song itself was beautiful. I think they should take it on the road.

After Church on Sunday Stewart and I went to Cherry Springs just south of Pocatello for a walk. We had a fun time being outdoors in the warm fall weather. I took the camera along and enjoyed taking pictures. Stewart, I believe thought we should have left the camera in the car. In fact after several pictures he took the camera away from me, but I got some good pics before that happened ~wink~.

That evening we had some of our good friends, Ted and Shayla Hymas, over for dinner. They have a cute son named Kaden; he sure does keep us entertained. Anyway we had a good visit with them. Ted gets to be a giant Turkey for Halloween at his work; I am absolutely jealous of him... okay really I am not. Anyway, we had a beautiful weekend to bad it had to end.

A few good Pictures of us at Cherry Springs

I am holding a Caterpillar (Stew took this pic... great pic huh?)

Some Weeks Are Just Hard

Wow, where to begin. Let’s just say that a lot has happened since I last posted something on this blog. I believe the saying “when it rains it pours” is very true. But I also know that life does not dish out more than a person can handle.

Last Sunday, Stewart was released from his calling as 2nd counselor in the bishopric of the 10th ward. That would be the singles word that we have been serving in for a little over a year now. I was not too sure about this calling when we were first asked to serve. It took me (Becky) a while before I actually warmed up to the idea that being a newly married couple serving in a singles ward is not all that bad. Yesterday, when the bishopric was reorganized, I felt like I was being asked to leave my home again. I will sincerely miss serving and being around all the wonderful people who helped me in many wonderful ways. They taught me a lot and I will miss them dearly… that’s the honest truth.

We also learned this week that Stewart did not get into the medical school in Kirksville, Mo like he and I were hoping. Mind you we still have not received a letter telling us this news, so we called out there and they told him over the phone. All hope is not lost (although it very well probably is); I should mention that he is an alternant, so we could be accepted come late May or early June. Of course by that time we would want to have housing accommodations in the works and a plan as to where and when we will be moving. I was still holding out hopes that we would go to Kirksville, until last night when Stewart and I were talking about it. He mentioned that if he commits to the school in West Virginia, that he does not feel right to change his mind and go to Kirksville if they were to accept him after the fact that we told one school yes. So, since West Virginia needs us to tell them “yes” or “no” by December 15th, and Kirksville won’t tell us if they want us until late May… do the math, we are going to West Virginia unless a miracle happens. Honestly I should not be so sad about this; we got into medical school with only having to interview at two schools. That’s very good, I have heard of some people who interview at several schools and don’t get in until the very end… we got in to the very first school we interviewed at. I do know that all will work out as it is suppose to, we will go where we are most needed. Heavenly Father has a plan for us, and we want to do and go where he has asked us to go.

Ok the finial news for this week, is that my “Friend” and my “Buddy”, who is also my Grandma Lucille Willard, passed away this past Friday (October 17th). She had been suffering from the affects of cancer for a few months now. It is sad to see her leave us, but I am so happy that she does not have to suffer with all the pain and stress of being ill. She is in a better place free from the burdens of this life. Her funeral is tomorrow, I am sure it will be a hard day for myself and my family but at the same time it will be a day filled to the maximum of sweet memories of my Grandmas life. I feel that I am so fortunate to have lived so close to all my grandparents while growing up. Grandma Willard lived just an hour away from my family, so we went to see her often. When I moved to Pocatello, Grandma's house was our midway point, I most always scheduled in time to stop and visit. I was privileged to live with my Grandma for one summer. It was the summer after my Grandpa passed away. I was having a terrible time trying to find my footing in life; most was dealing with self esteem issues. My Grandma invited me to live with her for the summer while I worked at the Wendell Cemetery. I truly believe she saved me, by helping me turn my life around. I think we both needed a friend, and it was a perfect fit. I will miss my Grandma, but I am completely grateful for her love and influence in my life. She will always be remembered for her fun personality, her amazing in-depth understanding of the gospel, and her sincere love for all around. Thank you Grandma for your influence in my life, for your love, and for teaching me that I am someone important. I love you!

Ummm... What Cha Think???

This is a project I have been meaning to do since Stewart and I got married last year. I think it turned out beautiful, if I don’t mind saying so myself… and I don’t, it’s gorgeous! The best part about this whole project is that it cost me less than $20.00 to do. I had the mat cut at the Craft Shop on ISU’s campus, and then the frame was bought on a super duper sale here at one of the local craft stores for next to nothing. Talk about some good deals and a lot of luck.

In His Own Words

Stewart got home on Friday, I was super happy to see him when he got off the bus at 9:00pm. He seemed to have a great time and enjoyed his trip. We should know where we're going by the end of the month, give or take. Stewart knows that he has to blog about his trip because I can’t do it justice. My one problem is getting Stewart to find the time to blog...(4 days later)

IN STEWART'S OWN WORDS:

Okay people I'm here and ready to write. Becky told me that I need to update you all on my trip. I had a great time. I'm not much of a traveler so it was all new to me, but I think I've got the hang of it now. I rode a shuttle bus to Salt Lake and spent the night there. I got up at 4am to be to the airport in time to make my flight. I flew to Charleston West Virginia. I rented a car there and drove to Lewisburg. My GPS unit wasn't working when I first got in the car, so I had to look at the map. I saw the highway that took me directly to Lewisburg and assumed it would be faster than the freeway which took a less direct route. WRONG! The highway was very twisty. It took me into all the little towns in between. The speed limit changed frequently. I was busy trying to make sure I was on the right road, and not missing a turn and I neglected to slow down at one point. The next thing I knew there were flashing lights in my rear view mirror. The officer didn't have any simpathy for me, so now I owe the town of Smithers WV some money, frustrating.

Lewisburg WV is a beautiful little town. I think it rains so often there that people don't need to water their lawns/gardens. How would that be? The people are very friendly. The town was a site of a Civil War battle. I drove around town a little on Sunday evening and stood in the place where the Union army set up their camp and where they began their march on the Confederate soldiers. It was neat. I went to church in Lewisburg. It is wonderful how the Church teaches the same gospel, and the same principles anywhere you go. Most of the elder's quorum are students at WVSOM, they had some good things to say about the school.

My interview went well. They didn't ask me any curveball question, just the ones you would expect to answer: "why do you want to be a doctor? Why did you choose this school?" etc. I was impressed with the campus. It's a beautiful area. The buildings are spread out, with plenty of green space in between. All their buildings were pretty new and up to date. The anatomy lab was quiet and not stinky (ISU's anatomy lab is a cave in comparison). I like the program they have.

This is going long so I'm going to have to speed it up. I flew to Kansas City MO and rented another car. I drove 3 1/2 hours North to Kirksville. Kirksville reminds me of the small town I grew up in. The school is older and not as nice, but some of the programs are more established, and, quite honestly, superior. Kirksville is the birthplace of Osteopathy, and is kind of the leader (Mitch and Cassie might disagree with me on that). My interview there went well. Again, they just asked the basic questions that you would expect. They didn't try and trip me up. I had a good experience there.

I wanted to go see some church sites while I was in MO, but I ran out of time. I flew home the day after the interview. Becky and I hadn't seen each other for a week and I was anxious to be back with her.

Mitch you asked me a few months ago why I didn't apply to DMU and I never answered. I should answer you now. I looked at DMU. It seemed to me like they take pride in preparing their students for surgery (along with everything else). I'm not interested in doing surgery and so I crossed DMU off the list. Two of the D.O's here in town that I've talked to went there and they loved it and they are fantastic doctors. I know I would have done well there, but I just wanted a school that focused more on primary care.

Lewisburg, West Virginia

Old home built in early 1800's in Lewisburg

Thousand Hills State Park just outside of Kirksville, Missouri

Statue of A.T. Stills, the founder of the first D.O. School on the courthouse grounds.

Funny Pictures

Leslie (Stewart's Mom) sent these pictures to us as a funny joke. It made me laugh so I am posting them. Stewart had a very successful week and is on his way home at this very moment. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to have him home. I miss his GUTS!!! I will make him record his experiences for everyone, and since I sent the camera with him I will see if I can find a few pictures to post as well.

Stewarts Interviews and Going Private... Last Call

As most of you may know Stewart is in West Virginia right now interviewing for medical schools. He had his first interview of the week in West Virginia today; from what I have heard he did well and feels confident with how it went. I am just proud of him and all that he is doing for our future. So far from what I hear he likes the town and thinks it a good fit for us. The school was nice and a little more relaxed then some others that he has heard about. I really don’t know all the details about his interviews so when he gets back from his adventures I will have him write a post so you can all know more about his adventures. From here he heads to Missouri for his final interview of the week, which happens on Thursday.

As for me I am doing okay here by myself, I have found that it can get soooo quite here at times. I have gotten a few things done though and that is good. Over the weekend I could hardly wait for Monday to arrive, I knew if I could make it to Monday work would begin and I would have 9 hours of my day taken care of. It’s all downhill from now on… just four more days and Stewart will be home. YIPPY!

Also I wanted to take a moment to remind you that we are turning this blog into a PRIVATE BLOG, so if you are a regular viewer of this here blog please post a comment with your email so you have access to keep checking it. I will be doing this by the end of the week. Have a great day!!!

Good Luck Stewart

I know I have not blogged in a while; I honestly have been trying to help my AMAZING HUBBY keep his head on straight with all the stuff he has to do before he leaves. He has got to be stressed but you would not know that from visiting with him, he does a great job at hiding it. Last night he was talking with me about all the projects he has to get done before he goes… WOW! He has to start and finish writing a paper for his Organic Evolution class, get packed, and several other things. I wonder how he does it, he is so busy all the time, and yet he finds the time to give me a hug and a kiss, to wash the dishes, or sometimes cook dinner. I can honestly say that my love for Stewart grows more and more each day, I never knew that I could love anyone this deep. I am proud of Stewart; it is great to see that we have made it this far in the application process for med schools. He will make an amazing doctor one day; he sincerely loves the people he serves. I know Stewart will succeed with his dreams, he has this way of making hard tasks melt at his fingertips, and he can do anything if he puts his mind to it. Stewart leaves on Friday after I get off work; please join with me in wishing him the best of luck on his big trip!!! I LOVE YOU STEWART…. GOOD LUCK!!!

Weekend Higlights

It was a busy weekend for us here in good ol’ Pocatello. Stewart and I had a very nice relaxing (for the most part) weekend. Saturday, morning for a Stake service project we met at the church and then divided up and did a total of four service projects, Stew and I went to the Food Bank and bagged about 2300 bags of food for kids to take home over the weekend. It was a rewarding experience and we worked hard. Afterwards we came home and cleaned our apartment. I love a clean home; there is nothing more calming then a home in order.

Beautiful Jars of Spaghette Sauce

After we cleaned our place Stewart hit the books while I rolled up my sleeves in the kitchen. What did I make you ask… SPAGHETTE SAUCE! Our wonderful little garden is producing lots and lots of tomatoes along with Potatoes, onions, carrots, and cucumbers. This has been my best garden ever planted here in Pocatello, it’s exciting. Anyway back to the spaghetti sauce, I got the recipe from Carrol (Stew’s Grandma) along with several other needed supplies. It was very nice of her to let me borrow her steamer, and a lot of her excess spices and jars. THANKS CARROL!!! So the Spaghetti sauce turned out great. When I started I thought that I would only be canning 6 pint jars but when I ended this task I had 13 pints! That will probably last us a long time. The rest of Saturday was spent together, we went to dinner and then we watched the Indiana Jones move… not sure if I would see it again.

Sunday was a beautiful day, church was great. Stewart had to speak so, that made it even better… mostly because it was not me up there. He did however do an excellent job and I am proud of him. We spent the Sunday afternoon doing our own little things. And then we went for a lovely walk, I love this weather I just wish it would last a while longer… I am not a big SNOW person. We ended up playing golf-shoes (another name for it golf ladder) at Carrol and Raymond's home, I did not have my game on so I lost twice, once to Stewart and once to Raymond. Oh well I will get them both next time we play. Well that is honestly all the news I have to share with you at this time, have a lovely day… Ciao!

Jumbled Thoughts

Have you ever noticed how fast time fly’s… here it just 11 days into September and before you know it will be October. I am just amazed at how busy life gets and how time just fly’s by. A lot has happened since my last post, mostly with Stewart’s Medical Interviews. We have finally secured his flights, car rentals, shuttles, and some of his hotels. To be honest I wish I were going with him, I think it was Stewarts Grandma Hudson that once told me that “Someone in the Family has to WORK” (she said that sometime this past summer when Stewart went and played all day with Nancy and Grandma and the Kids), I can’t wait for that day to come when I can look at Stewart as he goes out the door to work knowing I have a full day of just playing to do ahead of me. Yep, I know that won’t happen for a long time, yet. In fact by then the meaning of fun will be sitting in a rocking chair on the front lawn. Anyway, I am excited for Stewart and anxious to know how things will turn out. I do have say it might be one long week for me.

On Sunday Stew and I ate our first complete meal from our garden. We dug up our carrots, red potatoes, and some onions. I put them in the crock pot after church with some cube stake (grown on the farm) and by 5 it was tasty. I am loving having a garden, it has been so nice to go outside our door and pick our own produce. LOVE IT!!! We also have a big bowl of TOMATOES on our kitchen table. .. guess we will have to make some spaghetti sauce out of them.

All last week I spent my normal days at my job on campus form 8 to 5 and then at 5:20pm I left for the fair (in Blackfoot) and worked at the “Fresh Lime” booth with some of my old pals from the single days. It was fun to see them and talk with them again even if it meant working until 12 midnight most of the time. It has been a while since I have really done that. Anyway, I worked a lot and by Saturday I was sooooo tired. I was glad when the clock struck 1am and I could go home. Honestly, it did bring in some needed extra cash to help with Stews adventures so in that respect it was a good week for us.

Well I know this is a boring post, but it just goes to show you that not everything in Stewart’s and my life are exciting all the time. We do have a fun time though, and we are loving life. Oh one more thing, Stewart is taking this class called Gross Anatomy, where he gets to works on a cadaver twice a week. Well all I have to say is that he comes home so stinky on those days, it is gross gross gross! I hope I can make it through the semester without gagging on that smell. Wish me luck!

Labor Day Weekend

Stewart and I went to my home town; it was a much needed get away from Pocatello. I think we had a great time, or at least I did. Honestly we did not do anything super fun like super fun stuff, but we did have a great time visiting my family. We played Skip-bo, assembled puzzles, went on walks, moved my Grandma Hegerhorst’s water bed out of her room and then constructed a new one in that room (actually that was Stewart and My Dad…. I just watched). Anyway we just had a great time being away from the busy life of Pocatello. We also took time to go outside and look up at the stars, I have never seen the Milky Way so clear before, we even saw 4 shooting stars… they were beautiful! All in all we had a great time just being with family.

Another great thing that has happened with us is that Stewart has got TWO Medical School INTERVIEWS both at the end of this month!!! We could not be any more excited than we are now. One is in Lewisburg, West Virginia and the other is in Kirksville, Missouri. It is a super duper blessing to us that he has two interviews close together, because we have learned that it is very expensive to fly, rent a car, and find room and board. We are just so excited that we are at this point in the medical school application process. Who knows we might just know where we are going to be moving to next year in about 3 months. YIPPY!!!!


Well that is all the news I have at this point, wish Stewart luck with his big adventures! Also for those of you who have not heard or have forgotten, I am planning on going PRIVATE with this blog by September 30th (that’s less than 30 days) please be sure to send us an email us (stewartandbeckynorth@yahoo.com) with the Google account/email address you want us to invite you with or if you feel comfortable feel free to leave that info with us as a comment. Have a great day, CIAO!

Happy Birthday Rupert… the Dog?

My older sister Katie has a cute dog named Rupert, he is a Basset Hound Beagle Mix… cute little guy. Since he just so happens to be my sister’s Favorite thing in the world, she threw him a Birthday party! I know crazy, who has a party for a dog? Or better yet who goes a long with that crazy idea and buys presents for the dog? Well you guessed it we (my family) all did; we sang him the happy birthday song, bought him gifts, wrote in cards, and gave him a small helping of ice cream. It lasted about 5 minutes and honestly it made a great memory for all involved. My mom did inform us that this will not happen again in a year. So Rupert ol’ boy I hope you enjoyed your 1st and last birthday party. Thanks for taking care of my wonderful sister Katie! Happy Birthday!!! Enjoy the Pictures :)

If You Have a Blog... Update It!

The Hardest part about keeping a blog is the fact that you have to update it, and you should be doing that often. I am not sure what has happened in our life that you would want to know about, but none the less I will try to entertain you for a while.

Stewart is down to the last few days of freedom before his final year at ISU starts. I am excited for him to start, even though homework will take up most of his time. I remember starting my last year at ISU and how weird it felt knowing that I was almost done with my degree, this is an exciting time for Stew. Once he graduates from ISU, then it will be off to MED School… Scary/Exciting! I honestly am getting anxious to leave Pocatello, I am ready to move somewhere new…. one thing for sure though, I probably won’t be feeling this way come 259 days from now.

Last weekend Stewart and I went to his North Family reunion, it was here at a park in Pocatello. We had a nice time visiting with all his family on the North side… I enjoy getting to know Stewarts extend family, they are all great people. After the reunion Stewart and I went to Pocatello’s “Parade of Homes” (thanks to Baby Jay letting me hang with him) their theme was “A dream behind every door” indeed that was what it is for Stew and I… just a dream. The houses were big but all the craftsmanship was gorgeous! I fell in love with one home, mainly because I loved the kitchen and the very large pantry. Plus their kitchen counter did not roll around like mine does now (it’s a portable dishwasher), oh well it was fun just to window shop. Well I think that is all I have to say right now… I told you it was nothing to interesting. Wish Stewart the best of luck with his up-coming year of school, Bye!

Going Private

Hello Everyone,

Well we have decided to follow the trend and take this blog into the world of Private. So if you would like to be on our approved viewers list please email us at stewartandbeckynorth@yahoo.com or leave us a comment with the email addy you want us to invite you with, and we will make sure you have access to view what we have been up to.

Thanks a Bunch!!!
:: Stew & Beck ::

MED SCHOOL APPLICATION UPDATE

Well Folks I am happy to say that Stewart and I are officially onto PHASE TWO of the MED SCHOOL APPLICATION PROCESS. Stewart, has heard back from three of the four schools he has applied to, each of them have given him permission to fill out theIr secondary application. Lucky for us, these applications are not as time consuming as was the first set, he has to write some very hard essays for them and of course we will have to shell out more money for them to accept them, but we count our blessings daily that we have made it this far. Things are going right on schedule; we are grateful for all the good people who have helped Stewart prepare himself for this whole med school application process. Things are going well, after he submits his second applications we will then sit and wait for the schools to make contact with us…again. Please keep us in your thoughts as we yet again begin the WAITING GAME. Ciao!!!

P.S. For those of you who don’t know and are curious to know, here are schools Stewart has applied to (In no particular order):

1. A.T. Stills, Kirksville Missouri
2. West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, West Virginia

3. School of Osteopathic Medicine (A.T. Stills), Mesa, Arizona
4. Midwestern University College of Medicine, Glendale Arizona

Twin Falls Temple Open House

Yesterday Stewart and I went to the Twin Falls Open House. We went with the singles ward which was fun. Stewart told me weeks ago that the Ward had chartered a bus to take us all there. I thought wow the ward must have a lot of $$$, but when we got to the church I saw a SCHOOL BUS and not a nice commercial bus…. It all made since after that. So GUESS WHAT, we got to ride a school bus to two hours there and two hours back. It was kind of fun, although I don’t remember my knees hitting the seat in front of me… either I have grown or the bus has shrunk.

The Twin Falls Temple is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! It was neat to go and see this amazing structure before it is dedicated. The details in the temple were incredible. I loved the windows with the state flower in them and the big painting of Shoshone Falls. I made the comment to Stewart as we left, that you could feel the spirit there as they guided us through and testified to us about the things that go on in the temple, but it was not the same as going into a dedicated holy temple where the spirit is there 100 times stronger. None the less I was and am grateful that I was able to go. It is exciting to be sandwiched between two new Temples, and having the opportunity to witness our Saviors love for his children on earth. This is an exciting time for the church and for church members in Idaho themselves. _________________________________________

***If you would like to know about the purpose of TEMPLES, here is a great resource for you to check out, CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

What a GREAT Weekend

This past weekend Stewart and I did not have any plans…. I LOVED IT! It seems that for this whole summer we have been gone every weekend doing something with someone. It was a nice change of pace to finally just stay home and do whatever. So what did we do this past weekend you ask? Well Friday night Stewart and I went out to dinner at Chili's, the service was great and we the wait time was surprisingly short… even for our food.

Saturday, I woke up feeling ambitious and full of energy so Stewart and I went Wogging (that’s a cross between walking and jogging), and then I did what I have been meaning to do now since April….. I made 8 loafs of homemade Honey Wheat Bread. I am proud to say that they turned out scrumptious. While making bread Stewart and I learned a very valuable lesson… what’s that, you want to know ok let me tell you. Stewart and I needed some wheat flour to make our bread so we got out our wheat grinder and did so, after that we decided that since our grinder was out we wanted to grind our Flax Seed, no big deal right? WRONG!!! After just a few minutes of grinding the flax Seed, our grinder stopped. Of course, I got out the user guide to read how to fix my grinder, that’s when I saw the note (on the back mind you) stating this phrase: THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER GRIND! Yep, you guessed it flax Seed was on that list. Oh well, lesson learned the hard way. We did get our grinder up and working again after we cleaned it out. Fun times! The rest of the day was spent cleaning our home and for me SCRAPBOOKING!!! Stewart had to work so he drove around town in a bus all day.

Sunday, Stewart and I spent the morning relaxing and enjoying our time together. I will be sad when school starts because homework and other things will occupy his time more than his me. Oh well enjoy the good times when they are here and remember them when the pressures of school are on. Anyway, at 10:30am Stewart headed off to his church meetings and then I followed at 12:00pm. After church we just chilled at our house doing whatever we wanted… I of course scrapbooked more! It was a great weekend and I was honestly so sad to see it slip by so fast. Oh well, here’s hoping I make it to the next one. Bye!

Happy Birthday B.F.F.A.G.B.

HaPPy BIrtHdAY KiNdRA!!!Tomorrow is my Bestest friend Kindra’s B-day, she will turn the BIG 26, it is not that big of a number, I know because for the last 4 months I have had that number tagged to my profile to represent my age. Anyway, I just want to do a shout out to Kindra to tell her how amazing she is! I have never had a better friend then Kindra (besides Stewart… and a few others who are equal in rank to Kindra). Kindra has always been there for me and has become like a sister to me, she truly is an amazing person and has taught me so much about life and staying positive. We have been through a lot together and together we have overcome great challenges. Who would have thought that when we ended up being roommates our very first semester at collage that we would still be best friends today (we were roommates up until the time I got married last year). When we first met I was so homesick, that Kindra did not like me all that much, but once I got over my homesickness we became best buds. So in honor of Kindra’s Birthday and our many years of friendship, I thought it would be fun to post some old pictures of us back in the day and of course some current pictures as well. Kindra, thanks for being such a great friend, for always being there for me, and of course for not disowning me for getting married on you. Have a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY, you deserve it!

These are some old pics of Kindra and I back in the college days

WARNING: The Following Pictures are of Kindra’s Vicious/Mischievous side! Enjoy:)

Yep thats me (Becky) in the sleeping bag... I think she left me there like that for at least 3 hours! Just Kidding, it was only 2 hours.



P.S-For you who are just curious: B.F.F.A.G.B.- Best Friend Forever And Gym Buddy

Grow Garden Grow!!!

Stew and I planted a nice little garden earlier this year right outside our front door. I am happy to say it is growing up nicely and we have some small green beans growing, we also can see some green tomatoes on the vines. I am so happy about our garden that I talk to it every day when I leave the house and when I come home from wherever. Here are some pictures of the garden so you can see how it is doing. I love little garden, keep on growing!!!

Look at the Tomatoes... SO BIG!