Happy Birthday George...and welcome to your surprise party!!!

Last Saturday, Diane and Sarah (Sean's mom & sister) threw George (Sean's dad) a surprise birthday party at Gerlinger Hall on the University of Oregon campus. They spent months planning the event, trying to find a venue and getting a hold of as many people as they could for the big day. Everyone from family, friends, dental patients, neighbors, ski patrol buddies, and even old friends from high school were in on the surprise. In the end, about 100 people showed up for the party, but there were probably close to another 100 who really wanted to come but couldn't due to schedule conflicts or were out of town (such as those loved ones who happen to live in Ireland!)

Below is the video from the party, when George finally realized what was going on!



Sarah also put together two books for George - one with pictures from when he was born to recent events from this year, of things that he's done, people he's met, and the ones he shares his life with. She spent months emailing people for pictures and stories so she could make the book as complete as possible. The second book was a comments book, by which all of us left him messages of love and thanks. Supposedly there is a third book in the making based on the party. Sarah is a VERY creative and talented artist, with a focus in photography. She's made several other books, mainly from trips, family events (such as the annual McCully Firepit BBQ...which is July 19th this year, so save the date!), when she was pregnant with Finn, and memories book for her grandmother. She creates her books through a great company called Photoworks. I'm hoping that she will make our wedding book as well!

Playtime for Finn and Maya

Sarah and Mick posted this video on their website, and we just love it!

Vactioning in ....Croatia?

My best girlfriend from Oregon, Amanda, and I, are heading to Croatia in September for a 4-day vacation. I cannot wait!!! We decided to weave it into her first European trip, by which we will head to Ireland for a week, and then onto Croatia. I never really thought about Croatia as a holiday destination until my mother-in-law, Diane mentioned it. Its recently become a popular vacation spot, particulary for its location, scenery, fabulous beaches, and its affordability since its not on the Euro (well for now...I think it will be by next year).

So, where exactly is Croatia? It is on the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea, east of Italy and northwest of Greece. Below is a map:



These are a few pictures of Dubrovnik, the city we will be visiting:

Spring Updates and Summer Plans

Whooops, didn't realize it had been so long since our last update!

My biggest news is that I am officially done with data collection!!! I received the offical approval from my advisor last week, and to be honest I never thought this day would come! My current plan is to finish a draft of my thesis by the end of May, revise in June, and submit in July. Unlike the US system, there is a 3-month grace period between the submission date and the oral defense (or the 'viva'), which means I get to chill out for almost three months! Although I have a lot of work to do between now and July, I feel like have this odd sense of freedom. My time is finally my own and I don't need to adhere to a daily time schedule. I'm also stoked that I have time each day to go workout, which alternates between swimming, running, and rock climbing. Without it, I think I would crack up!

Sean, on the other hand, is dealing with a very busy and strict schedule. He is currently studying for his fourth year exams. He had his 15 station OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam) last Thursday, and a General Practice exam this Friday. Following that, he has three exams the next week, followed by another three exams the week after, and I think they've thrown in a few oral exams as well.

As for this summer, we are both heading back to Oregon on June 7th. I am flying into Seattle to visit with Rowan and Ciara, our friends from Cork who moved to Seattle last fall. Rowan was my officemate at UCC and is now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington. After that, I'll be finishing up my thesis and Sean will be studying for the USMLE Step 2CK, which he will sit on June 27. We're not sure if we'll be in Portland or Eugene during that time, but we promise to keep everyone posted!

Our plans for July and August are still up in the air...Sean will hopefully be at OHSU for an elective in July, and possibly to the Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic in August. Sean then sits his hopefully final USMLE Step 2CS exam, August 26th, in Los Angeles before departing back to Ireland to begin his final medical year.

After I submit my thesis, my plan is just to hang out and visit before we head back to Cork at the end of August.

That's the update for now! Hope everyone is well, in good spirits, and enjoying some nice spring weather!

Oregon Reunion in San Diego

Here are few pics from my San Diego trip (courtesy of Nicole and Grant - thanks guys!) Although there is the lack of photographic evidence, we attended a conference as well.

A pic from the city. Except for the cloud and wind when Mollie, Eric and I went for a swim, it was beautiful and sunny, just like this!


Group pic from our Mexi night


We all stayed at the Embassy Suites, which was awesome. Not only are the rooms posh and super spacious, but they give you free stuff!


Classic G$ / B-wong moment


Group pic at ES happy hour (clockwise from top: Nicole, Tom, Jenni, Brett, Grant)


After happy hour, we (Lacy, Brad, Nicole, and me) thought it would be a fantastic idea to head to the hotel bar to continue the fun.