Here is another post of random happenings around our place.

This is Ryan after scoring a hat trick (3 goals in one game).

Our cats are enjoying the cooler weather and I can tell they are excited for fall when we can leave our windows open more often. They are still predictable and like hanging out in our south window where they get lots of sunshine.

Hillary and Ryan had an eventful trip back to Duluth a few weekends ago. They got hit by a charging black bear while driving down the highway. This is too good not to post some pictures of. Seriously, what are the chances of having a black bear run into you as you are going 60 mph down the road. We're just glad that Hillary and Ryan didn't get hurt. The DNR is think the black bear was a 500lb fella that's been hanging out in the area of the accident. It appears that this accident didn't kill the bear so lets hope he doesn't charge another vehicle coming down the road.

Black bear hair in the tire!

They scared the you-know-what out of that poor bear and he left it on their car.

He sure crinkled the door!

Big enough impact to deploy the airbags!

 Ryan and I went back to Minnesota over Labor Day weekend for one of my med school classmate's wedding. It was held at the Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul - that place is absolutely gorgeous. I forgot my camera (and our wedding gift) back in Omaha. They had a photo booth which was fun and documents that we were there.

I'm not sure but I think Ryan is trying to be a gangster in the second photo - ha! :)

Duluth med school classmates

Kelsey and me!

Sunday night, we had a bonfire in the backyard. Sunday was so hot outside, that we couldn't sit too close to the fire, but it was a good way to relax after a pretty long week at work. My mom purchased this bonfire dome which is pretty cool. Ryan and I want one! You can build a pretty big fire underneath that dome.

On Labor Day Monday, my mom, Hillary and I went in to visit with my grandparents. My grandma was doing fantastic. She was able to open both of her eyes, talk to us and we even shared a few belly laughs :) Ryan and I hit the road back to Omaha around 10:30 that morning. Good thing we left early because we ran into a little car trouble. We were about three hours from home. I was driving. Ryan was sleeping. All of a sudden it got really humid in the car. I woke Ryan up and said 'Ry, it's really humid in here.' He told me 'Turn the air up.' I replied, 'I didn't adjust the air though,' just as I looked at the engine temp gage and the needle was rapidly climbing. Ryan quickly had me pull over to the side of the road. We called AAA and then were waiting for them to call us back with a tow company, etc (because of course nothing is open on a holiday) when a nice older gentleman pulled over to help us out. He clearly knew a thing of two about cars. Thankfully we were just past an exit for a small town which happened to have a gas station/mechanic shop just off the highway. He got us and our vehicle there and they were able to call in a mechanic for only $65. I didn't think that was too bad to have someone called in. Anyways, to make a long story short. Ryan and I waited over two and a half hours for the mechanic to take the thermostat out, then when he had everything back together, he went to fill the radiator with coolant and it drained out all over the floor. Yep, the radiator was broken. We then called Ryan's parents to see if they would bring us a vehicle since Ryan and I both had work in the morning. Yep, they were willing to bring us a vehicle (thank goodness) but we had to wait three hours for them to drive to the middle-of-nowhere-Iowa. Needless to say, our normal five hour trip home took almost 12 hours.... ugh :( Thank goodness for nice parents!

I started my REI (reproductive endocrinology and infertility) rotation this past week. It's going to be a nice rotation. But this past Friday started mine and Ryan's stay-cation. Ryan is taking his licensing exam next week so we are bumming around home this week. I'm hoping to catch up on sleep and work.

~Ashley