Dave will be so embarrassed, but...

...so what??? hehe. This is kind of an ode to Doctor Dave, not Daddy Dave. So this weekend was the Senior Dinner, where all the seniors come for a nice meal and awards, then a "roast" of sorts-funny things from dental school. We had so much fun with friends at our table and talking across tables to other friends. We laughed a lot and made bets on who would get what awards and the most awards. Nobody at our table had any expectations at all of getting awards, not that every guy there wasn't deserving...just not expecting. They had a lot of awards to hand out, and some were funny in their wording, some went to people who totally deserved them, etc. Then they announce the award for clinical excellency in periodontics goes to...Dave Latham?? WHAT? hehe. We were all laughing and there were cheers and shout-outs, and Dave was a little embarrassed to get the award. I don't think that he thinks he deserves it, and I don't think he wanted any awards. He's not the type of guy that looks for acknowledgment and praise. Obviously, it's always good to praise people, and I try to do it with Dave, but he never looks for it or expects it. But he got it that night! He did tutoring/TA-ing for perio, so I think that contributed to him being considered for this award. And he really has a great ability to teach people and help people who are having difficulty understanding concepts, so it's not a surprise to me.

And as far as Dave being a dentist, he's gonna be great. He is so good at listening to his patients and taking the time to understand their concerns. A few patients have told him how much it has meant to them that he really listened to them.

For those who don't know, Dave wasn't originally going to be a dentist. He graduated in Marriage, Family, Human Development with a minor in Psychology, and he was accepted into programs for a masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, with plans to go on to a doctorate in Psychology. And anyone who knows Dave knows that he would be a really great Marriage and Family Therapist! He has a knack for listening to others and finding solutions for people-he has pretty much been our family therapist! My extended family always joked that he could do his thesis on them-haha. So that was our plan. We were all ready to move to Nebraska, I was accepted into a Culinary program, things were moving forward. But then we visited my uncle, who's a dentist. And he realized that his job probably wouldn't allow him to be with his family. People are willing to leave work in the middle of the day to visit a dentist, but most are only willing to see a therapist after work and on the weekend. After a week or so of contemplation about what he wanted for our family and time together, he decided to change career paths. So back to school for all the pre-reqs for dental school!

So, this "education" road in our marriage has been a long one, and it's finally coming to an end, 8 1/2 years and 2 kids later. I'm so proud of Dave and all he has accomplished. He has always given his best effort on his schoolwork and clinic, while making time for our family, and that's not something a lot of people are able or willing to do. We love him so much for that-anyone who is around us knows that he is obviously the favored parent at our house :)

Congratulations Dave!! Sorry if you're embarrassed that I'm tooting your horn :) I love you so much!