Match Day!

This started out as a very stressful day, but I'm happy and thankful to say that it has turned out to be a truly wonderful day.

A quick summary of the journey to date: We'd only been married a short time when Lane started questioning if he was where God wanted him in terms of his career. He wrestled with the idea of going back to school for a couple of years, but it just seemed like such a huge step. At the time, it honestly seemed crazy to me. Rhett's birth was, of course, wonderfully life-changing as we moved from being a couple to being parents, but it was also the event that confirmed in Lane's mind what he'd known for a long time: he wanted to be a doctor. As L experienced first-hand the caring service that my doctor provided during Rhett's delivery, he knew that he wanted to be able to do that for others in some area of medicine. So I think it's fitting that we celebrated Lane's milestone on Rhett's 7th birthday today! Even after that delivery room realization, there was a lot more searching and praying to be done. Then in November '04 we both had a moment of clarity that we feel was from the Lord. We were on our way home from church one Sunday morning after hearing a sermon on Jonah called "Life in the Gut". I don't remember many details of the sermon--I'd love to hear it again now--but it was generally about Jonah's attempt to run away from God's calling on his life, his discontent with where he was at and his act of turning his future over to Him. As we were driving home, I looked at Lane and said something like, "I think you need to go back to school", and he said he was feeling the exact same thing and knew it was time to take action. From that point forward it was no longer a question of what to do, but just how to do it. The following January Lane started taking the classes he needed to be able to apply for medical school. God showed us that he was in control time and time again throughout the process. He was accepted to medical school at UAMS and started in August of 2007. Fast-forward four years and that brings us to today...Match Day!

This is the day when all the fourth year students gather to open their letters which reveal where they will go for their residency programs after graduation in May. We've hoped that we would actually not GO anywhere, but rather we'd be able to stay here for the next step (3 year Emergency Medicine program). I've lived here for almost 11 years, and Lane moved here a few years before that. We have dear friends here, we love our church, we love R's school (and so does he) and most importantly both our families are within easy driving distance so the kids get to see their grandparents on a regular basis! At this stage of life we had no desire to uproot and move to a new city. That being said, we were willing to go wherever we needed to go, and knew that it was a realistic possibility. But it sure would have been really hard to accept! Lane interviewed with numerous programs between last Thanksgiving and mid-January, many of them outstanding programs in great cities (Houston, Orlando and Charlotte were numbers 2-4 on L's list). But we hoped to see our #1 choice of University of Arkansas printed on his letter!

Lane says he has been anxious for months, but it honestly didn't hit me until two nights ago (thank goodness). It has been a miserable two days/restless two nights. All the "what-ifs" started popping into my head.

Here's a very nervous Lane before he left for a class meeting at 8:00 this morning (I think this was a fake smile--he was really about to pass out! ha!)

Alexee and Crosby wanted their picture made with him (Crosby was in the middle of taking his PJs off when he realized he was missing out on the picture so he ran over with his pants dragging behind.) :)
I really wish Rhett had not already left for school when we snapped this!!! Even Bogart made it into the photo. With all the craziness of the day, I forgot to take a picture of Lane and the kids after school--I'm disappointed about that.
L's parents were so sweet to come up and spend the day to help with the kids and visit with R on his birthday. Thank you, Bob and Rose Mary--it was a BIG help! Lane had the computer set up to show the live feed so that his parents could watch the ceremony from home with the kids. Lane came back to pick me up after his meeting and we took a few more pictures:

On the way downtown I asked L if he was more nervous today or on our wedding day. He said definitely today because there was no uncertainty for him the day we got married! I said, "Awhh, good answer!" :)

Lane & his parents--they're so proud of him too!

The Match event was held downtown at the old train station. There was so much energy and excitement in the room--it was almost too much for me! I like things calm and quiet, and I'm certainly no good with surprises, so the whole setting was about to make me sick--ha!

Lane visited with some of his close friends when we arrived. Everyone was excited to hear the news, but it's sad in a way to think that many of them will be moving out of state after graduation.

This bucket was on the podium on stage. Everyone was supposed to drop a dollar into the bucket when they came up to read their letter, then the last person to get called up was the lucky winner of the pot of cash. Lane didn't miss winning it by very far...there were maybe 10 people called after him (of about 130 in the class). All the envelopes were in a big box at the front, and two ladies randomly drew out 10 names at a time. When your name was called you'd go to front and form a line at the steps and wait for your turn on stage at the microphone. It being St. Patrick's Day seemed to make things even more festive!

Lane and Madison

Madison matched at UAMS as well

This was at straight up 11:00 a.m. when Dean Wheeler said it was time to start reading names and handed the microphone to the lady to draw the first name from the box. Ahhhhh--the nerves!

Finally, L's name was called. I think this was his, "Okay, this is it" look with hands clasped. He was making his way to the stage and I was ducking under/between people trying to find a spot to take a picture without having someone's head in it.

"Lane Garner, Emergency Medicine, UAMS!!!!!!!!"

Happy happy happy moment! Congratulations, Lane!

As soon as he was back from the stage, I started texting my family and friends to share the news, and L went outside to call his parents. They'd been able to hear it all on the internet, and they were extremely relieved! I don't know if they would have missed us, but I'm pretty sure they would have missed the grandkids a little bit if we'd had to move.

This smile wasn't fake--this was after the ceremony! This is one of his closest friends, Nathan, and his wife Amanda. Nathan matched here in Emergency Medicine as well. L is really excited to know that they'll be working together for the next three years.

After we had a chance to visit with/congratulate others, we left to go eat lunch--we were quite hungry because we'd been way too nervous to eat breakfast or any of the food provided there. We went to Cantina Laredo for Mexican food-yum! They have great cheese dip and we shared fajitas.

Our shadows in the parking lot :)

(I don't think I'm this short in real life!?)

After lunch we went to Best Buy to get Rhett a Nintendo DS game for his birthday, then we stopped at Starbucks for a little while to relax. The whole morning had been such a blur, and we were about to go home to the after school/pre-Purple Cow birthday dinner/first soccer practice whirlwind!

So thankful for the good news today...but also glad it's over with!

Now come on graduation!

I'm proud of you, L! I'm blessed to get to experience all of this with you!