Sook Sun Wan Gerd Dianna!

In the Odell household we get the two biggest holidays of the year out of the way in March--St. Patrick's Day and Dianna's birthday. While normally we devote blog space to completely meaningless material (like ranting about flagrantly foul fruit) I'm taking a step back in honor of the latter of these important days. Today being Dianna's birthday this seemed like a good chance to list some of Dianna's qualities that Maisy and I have the privilege of having in our lives. Without further ado some of our favorite things about Dianna, displayed pictorially:

Just so we're clear, amongst the many God given gifts with which Dianna has been blessed, the one that initially kicked off the process of me 'wooing' her was the fact that she was smoking hot. I know that isn't politically correct, but just to get that out in the open it was the hotness people, the hotness.


Along with good looks, she is also ridiculously smart. She graduated with a 4.0 from her Masters program at the University of Illinois after receiving a full ride scholarship. She is the Albert Einstein of the Social Work world.


Regardless of what we're doing, or in what corner of the world we find ourselves Dianna always has a good time. Being around someone this upbeat is always contagious.


She's also just plain likable. It's very common for me to come home from work and hear a story about how Dianna and Maisy made some new friend at the park, or at a restaurant. People just like her.


While this has led to an embarrassing number of setbacks in our personal racquetball competitions, Dianna is really athletic. In my defense she did play on the racquetball team at our undergrad (Brigham Young University)


See the picture regarding 'hotness' above.


Dianna is also really adventurous. Even well into her pregnancy she was still scaling rocks at Acadia national park (see below), or biking, or kayaking, or braving Chicago's subzero temperatures on her way to restore order to the dialysis unit at Mt. Sinai hospital.


Seriously, even pregnancy didn't cause her to miss a beat. The night before she went into labor we walked 6 miles through a winter's night in Chicago.


One of things that I appreciate most is how good a conversationalist she is. We haven't been married an extremely long time, but 4+ years has been long enough to get through a host of important topics ranging from who she thought would win in a death match between Walt on 'Lost' and our crazy Korean neighbor here in Chiang Mai, or whether or not it would be good for Maisy to learn to ride a motorcycle. Here's to many more years of good conversation.


This post seemed like a good time to catch up on events that occurred before we started blogging. A little over a year ago, in a 30 hour labor-a-thon that left me marveling at just what an incredible wife I have, Dianna became a mother. Newborn Maisy weighed just a shade below nine pounds (which seems even heavier when you factor in Dianna's 100 lbs plus small change normal weight).


Mothering has come to her naturally and all of the sweet characteristics of our little girl I attribute to the time and effort that she puts into making sure that Maisy is well taken care of. On the other hand I am proud to report that it was me that taught Maisy just how funny it is when people burp.



Dianna has without a doubt been the MVP and the glue that has kept our little family so happily stuck together. Whether walking the beaches in Ireland or at home going on bike rides she is always looking out for the two of us.


I also can't imagine a more ideal wife. She has always been cool about taking Maisy to a late night ball game, or letting me take up some random new hobby like learning to play the banjo. As we have gone through the experience of three intensive years of medical school and a year living abroad she has not only never complained, but has always loved and supported every new experience.


Maisy and I also have the privilege of enjoying Dianna's great sense of humor on a daily basis. Wherever Dianna is, and whatever she finds herself doing doubtless hilarity is sure to ensue.


Both Maisy and I count ourselves blessed beyond measure to have Dianna to hang out with all the time. I can't imagine a more perfect companion, or a more devoted mother. Happy Birthday Dianna, we love you.