As I am sure most of you heard, on Wednesday I returned home from a tutoring gig at UCR to this life-changing (or perhaps life-affirming?) email:

"Dear Ms. Cunningham: (Now I can finally get to changing that name of mine...)

It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted as a student in the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program at Western University of Health Sciences, College of Allied Health Professions."

.....

I was on the phone with Joseph at the time, who was driving to school, and I literally gasped once I realized the news was good. "What?!" he anxiously asked, thinking for a moment that something terrible had happened. "I got in!" I squealed, which he heard instead as "He got in". After clarifying that I was accepted to Western and NOT being attacked by an intruder, we immediately began phoning family- all those wonderful people who have given us their love and support. We feel so very blessed, and I still cannot believe in two short years I will be practicing medicine. (And I see this as further evidence that March is the best month of them all.)

{One of the new buildings}

WesternU is in the heart of Pomona, and is actually a converted 'open air mall' with a few additional buildings. Due to its location in the middle of a poor neighborhood, the college devotes much of its time reaching out to the community by providing healthcare to the under-served. We will probably be moving to Upland/Claremont/Ontario, which will put us closer to much of Joseph's side of the family (and closer to both of our schools). My white coat ceremony will be on August 10th, and we will begin courses the following week. Both of us are very excited to see begin this new part of our lives and move one step closer to 'real life'. 

Creamsicle

We would like to introduce those of you who can't visit our home to our baby girl, Creamsicle the comet goldfish. We brought her home a year and a half ago from a friend's booth at a UCR fair.

 

Back then she was about 1/4 her current size, but as a comet she can get up to 22 inches and live up to 30 years! Needless to say she outgrew her 10 gallon home this year, and we bought her and her danio buddies a 29 gallon tank.

{Old, cramped tank}

{New tank}

She is the prettiest goldfish we have ever known, and gets compliments whenever she's seen. She's a little fatty, who gets ecstatic when anyone approaches her tank in the hopes they'll feed her. She can be finger fed, and is currently having fun gobbling up the tank's new (expensive) plants.  Still, we love our big girl, and hope to put her in a pond someday when we have a home. Look at that face- how can you not love her?