Week in Review: Cravings, Workouts and Adventures

  Happy Friday! 

Guys, I can't remember how we used to eat normally because all I want for dinner lately are baked potatoes + protein, rice bowls + protein, and smash tacos.  It's like pregnancy cravings but I'm too old for that.  Perimenopause cravings?  Is that a thing?

Beef Broth Bowl - slightly adapted

Baked Potato with Cottage Cheese and Pickle Seasoning (I had a few chicken tenders too)

Big Mac Smash Taco - ground beef on a low-carb wrap with lettuce, onions, pickles and thousand island dressing

Don't fret though, I am still exercising every day to try and combat these cravings!  This week was an especially fun week of workouts:

JP's Medical Mission Trip to Guatemala (Recap and Thank You!)

Hi everyone!

I recently returned from my medical mission trip to Antigua, Guatemala, with Operation Walk Pittsburgh, and I wanted to share a little bit about my experience and what we were able to accomplish throughout the week. First, thank you to everyone who supported me and helped make this opportunity possible. I’m incredibly grateful to have been able to take part in this mission as a Walk It Forward Scholar. A record number of students applied this year, and after interviewing, I was fortunate to be among the three chosen from my medical school.

A quick recap of the week:

We arrived in Antigua on Saturday and spent Sunday screening patients to determine who could safely undergo surgery. One patient had to drive 16 hours to get to the hospital!  From Monday through Thursday, our team performed hip and knee replacements for patients (80 joint replacements for 61 patients) who otherwise might not have had access to these procedures. Some of the patients had dealt with joint issues since childhood. Throughout the week, I had the opportunity to scrub into and assist with surgeries, help prepare patients for surgery, participate in community bone and joint health screenings, and learn from the incredible physicians and other healthcare professionals on our team.

Fall Road Tripping - To Ohio for the Hallow Summit

Hallow from the other side!  

We just did a whirlwind drive from MA to MD to PA to OH to MD to MA in order to attend the Hallow Summit and see our lovies out at Franciscan University this past weekend.  We left early Thursday morning with our youngest three kids in our giant 12 passenger van, so even Lucy Doodle got a seat.  She looks a little like she's been caught.

We arrived at Phil's parent's house after a pretty long trip filled with traffic, but who could complain with this warm weather in October?

The Twins (born 9 days apart)

We left Declan and Brendan and Lucy with Phil's parents, who not only kept them alive but did lots of fun activities with them, and then Xander, Phil and I headed to Phil's brother's house in PA where we spent the night.  My sister-in-law happens to be my bestie, so we love any chance to sit and catch-up, especially when it's outside by the fire pit.  We stayed up way too late (midnight!) but were on the road at 6:30 am Friday morning to get to Franciscan so Xander could join in with the official college visitors.  We made it to campus and ran up to this science and engineering presentation:

Maggie had been stalking our location and we had a romcom-style running up to each other big hug in the academic building.  Ah it was so great to see our girlie again.  Then we had lunch in the cafe with Xander, Mass with Maggie and Eamon (so beautiful that I couldn't stop crying) and a tour of campus that we skipped because we're pretty fluent in Franciscan campus.  We randomly saw our nephew:

Xander got a haircut the next day

And Maggie and her college bestie eating lunch outside:

Week in Review: Feast Days, Fundraisers, Fall Fun

Happy October!  We had another full week here in the Martin family, which included a lot of worrying over JP's whereabouts while he was serving a medical mission in Guatemala.  He arrived back to school late Saturday night, thanks be to God, and I'm hoping to have him post a little about his adventures soon.  Here's one photo from the hospital, where he was allowed to scrub in on some surgeries:

I saw a recipe that looked good on Instagram, and tried it, and it was!  Butternut Squash Soup with Boursin.  I topped with Hot Honey and some Chow Mein noodles we had leftover.

We had bought some Chicken and Cilantro wontons at Costco last time we went and I turned them into a quick soup with chicken broth, sesame oil, soy sauce, hot chili sauce, garlic and onion.  We all loved it and it took less than 15 minutes:

Week in Review: Sickies, Stormies, Studies, and Service

Happy Friday, errr Monday!  Xander and Brendan stayed home sick on Friday, so I used a sick day to play nurse and I brought them to the doctor to get tested for all the things before our big stormy Nor'easter weekend.  They were negative for everything, so just a run of the mill virus it twas.

Happy to have the throat swab and nose swab over with!

Out in Ohio, Maggie brought her friend to Urgent Care because she was feeling sick with mouth/throat pain.  Maggie volunteered because "I thought she probably had strep and I'm immune to strep since I had my tonsils out."  Girl!  That's not even true, but she hasn't had strep since, sooooo hmm.  Anyway she took her friend who ended up being diagnosed with Hand Foot and Mouth.  Ugh!  So painful and soooo contagious.  Praying Maggie doesn't get it and that she will somehow be immune to that because she has no tonsils ;)

All up in each others business

"Studying"

Intramurals

Xander 's Cross Country meets are usually at 3:30 and I get out of work at 4 so I don't get to see them, but Phil was able to catch one last week:

Sophomore Year

Martins on a Mission

Hi! Our names are Andrew and Maggie Martin, and we are siblings and students at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Andrew is a senior biology major, and Maggie is a freshman nursing major. 

 We will be going on a mission trip to Arizona in March, and we are responsible for raising the funds required for our trip ($2,000 each). Andrew completed this mission trip last year and had such a wonderful experience that he is the mission team leader this year, and Maggie is so excited to join her big brother in serving those in need. 

 This mission focuses on working in a Catholic school just inside the U.S. border with Hispanic students who cross the border each day to attend the school. We collaborate with the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles. 

 Thank you so much for your financial support and, more importantly, your prayers for a successful mission where we can help a lot of people.  Thank you all in advance :)