4th of July Festivities

So this past weekend began Joel's official experience as a 2nd year resident, and the beginning of our experience of what it's like to be "on call". I must say, it was rather bittersweet. He worked on Friday, and was on call until Saturday morning. We ended up being able to go downtown though and listen to a local band play (as we reminisced of Supertones and Five Iron Frenzy, since their music was kind of a ska-punk style), while watching Liam dance and play with another little boy in the square. Joel had received a few floor calls, but nothing major until we were about to go to bed, and then voila- an ER case came in! All in all though, he was gone for a few hours, but slept in on Saturday with no further calls, and was still able to get a decent night's sleep. I thought I could get used to this...

Saturday, Tom and Cindy were gracious enough to ask us to hang out with the rest of their family at their lake house in Lake Columbia. We had a wonderful day of kayaking, jet-skiing, wakeboarding and just having fellowship with the Hitz family and the Plattners. People shot off fireworks, but it doesn't get dark til way late, so most of them that we saw were as we were driving home that night (it would have been too late to stay for the fireworks over the lake).

Sunday, reality set in in terms of "call". I didn't see my husband all day, and we were invited to Scott and Jamie's for dinner along with some other families for the 4th. Joel was able to get off, and meet us there at 6:30pm... he had been working over 12 hours straight, with not even enough time to grab a bite to eat! I am so thankful he was at least able to spend almost two hours there with us though, before he was called back in for another 3 hours. When he got home, he was so wiped, but right when he was about to go to bed... guess what?! Yup, another ER call, and off he was again! At least after this last three hour stint, he didn't get any more calls! I am so impressed with him though... I admire him so much for all that he does for us, and he never complained once!