Match Day

Well, it finally happened on March 16th.  Longest wait ever?  Yes.  Is my life blissful now that we know where we are going?  Not quite.  It was a great day though, and Ohio State made it very memorable.

We arrived at 11:00 and found our med school buddies at the student union ballroom so we could all sit together.  Everyone was extremely giddy, and wandered up to the tables holding the envelopes so they could glimpse it, stroke it, and in some cases, talk the nice people manning the tables to let us hold it, pre-match!  We were walking on the wild side, I tell you.

 The wives were a little picture happy.  We made the guys group together lots of times.  They obliged, but only because their minds were elsewhere.

(L to R): Ben, Daniel Van Bibber, Scott Parker, Rocky Wright, Jacob Olsen

 Here is Ben and Dr. Gabbe, the CEO of the med school.

 Here are the wives just minutes before the horn sounded and the envelopes were opened!

(L to R): Melinda, Angie Parker, Hannah Van Bibber, Joni Wright

There were a few speakers who were allotted like 4 minutes each, and then they invited us up to get the envelopes and wait until exactly noon, when they sounded this big horn.

 Here is Ben going up to get his envelope.

 Isn't he so cute and giddy?

 Here are all the guys again with their envelopes.  They decided it would be fun to stand together and open them.

Opening the letter...

We matched!  At Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.  Only downside?  Provo. :)  (I was not-so-secretly hoping for an upset for our #2 choice which was McKay-Dee.  I'm happy though.)

Ben with Dr. Stone, the head of the family medicine department.  She's a super nice lady.

After we opened the envelopes and found out where everyone matched, we hung around and had hors 'douvres and chatted.  Then we headed to lunch with our friends to celebrate!  It was so nice of Ben's sisters who were out visiting to tend the kids all day for us.  We are so relieved to know where we are going, and so excited to be close to family again!

Here is where our friends matched:

Rocky and Joni Wright matched in Alabama.

Jacob Olsen and his fiancee Alisa matched in California.

Daniel and Hannah Van Bibber matched in Akron, Ohio.

Scott and Angie Parker matched in Utah.

Also, very importantly, my brother Scott (and my cute sis-in-law Ashley)  matched at the Cleveland Clinic!   It's just a bummer that we will be leaving Ohio when they will be coming.