Spring is in the air

For Spring Break we decided to go to 'the valley' (Phoenix area) and visit my sister and brother-in-law.  You can tell by these first few pics, (and the last couple) it was hardly spring.  We were fine, the roads were pretty clear even though there was a lot of snow everywhere else.  Phoenix was pretty nice, a little cooler than expected.  We were able to sit in the sun and stay warm enough for the most part.  We went to the Children's Museum and the kids had a blast!  My sister was awesome enough to get us free tickets!  I take lots of pictures of the kids and like almost none of the adults... I really need to work on that.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Patrick's Day!  We didn't do much other than what you see in these pictures.  We wore green and ate lucky charms out of green bowls!  

 
So my husband has been back and forth about going back to school to finish up his Family Nurse Practitioner.  He's already a Nurse Practitioner, but right now his title is Adult Gerentology NP.  Meaning, he can't treat anyone under 12.  Which most kids go to a pediatrician anyway so it shouldn't be a problem right?  He graduated one semester early just to finish school because it was almost literally killing him!  Plus he has no desire to work with pregnant women or kids, which is all that last semester covers.  We moved here almost a year ago and he still isn't working as a NP.  So, it's been frustrating.  He decided to go back to school to better his chances of getting hired as a FNP.  He got almost everything set up with school but then started talking with one of the doctors here who influenced him into not going and instead working with him!  They told him it wouldn't be til the end of summer probably.  The big hospital is building on and once it is up and running, John will have a job!  So, he considered why go back to school and kill himself when he's just going to work the job he wants regardless!  So, he told the school, nevermind!  Which we are both greatly happy about.  School was such a beast!  Meanwhile, he got a new job recently working Hospice.  It pays better and is just better work in general.  Not so laboring.  He is the weekend admit Nurse.  Which means he drives around over the weekends and admits people to hospice.  They even have opportunity for him to do some Nurse Practitioner work and they pay extra for that!  The only down side is he is working every weekend now... but we get him during the week!  Plus because we know it is just for a few months while we wait on the dream job to unfold, it is doable.  It's actually been really nice because when there isn't work for him to do, he just comes home early!  He's still considered 'on call' for the whole day but most the time he isn't working the full day, but still getting paid to!  Like I said, it's been a really good thing for us!!  We are just getting psyched for the NP job in a few months!  Everything seems to be coming together finally!!!

Playing catch-up

Let's see, what else happened around this time?  John got a new job!  He started working hospice and it's been far better than the old folks place.  The only down side is he works just the weekends.  So, sometimes it's hard to get together with friends or whatever but he is also home most of the week which is great!  He is still trying to find a job as a Nurse Practitioner and he has some leads.. so, we'll see!

I know everyone thinks their kids are cute... but I can't believe how cute my Bruce is!  He makes the best faces and is just so silly!  Here he is wanting to help me cook.  

Friend birthday party!  They had the most delicious rainbow cake and painted rocks and sticks!  My boys were in heaven.

 Muscles!!!

 EZ learned about 2 great presidents!  Can you guess who?  Flip it over and see who's on the back!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!  John and I got a night out and we went to dinner.  It was so nice to get away for a bit and reconnect.  We never think we NEED date nights but when we get them, we realize how much we did indeed need them!  I love my man!  He is so patient and endearing.  He can be very thoughtful and so supportive.  It's amazes me how easy going he is and how much he respects my wants and needs.  We are definitely better together!

More kids being cute.  They love this big brown blanket and often cuddle with each other.  

We got hit with a major snow storm!  It was over a foot of snow.  We pretty much couldn't leave the house for nearly 3 days.  Since we live without cement/concrete, it is a challenge to dig/shovel your way out.  A friend had to come by with his bobcat and help dig us out so John could go to work.  There isn't a lot of plowing in this town either.  Roads can get very scary.  Thankfully we didn't lose power, I hear that is common around here.  It did make for a lot of snow play fun!

While we were trying to dig a path for our van to get out... John had set his cell phone on the top of the car, near the back.  I'm sure he didn't intend to leave it there but he forgot and... with all that starting and stopping, it was insane that it didn't fall off and get lost in the snow.  Look at it just balancing on the edge there.  Crazy!

Dr. Seuss week at school!  EZ had a blast... and so did I!  For crazy hair day we sprayed his hair blue and did a stencil of his name in the back.  It was awesome!!!  He did not want to wash it out.  He asked me for days to have his blue hair back.  Then he had a crazy sock day.  He didn't have any crazy socks and the craziest ones I had were these skittles socks. Still fun.  Strange that he nearly fits into my sock size!  Another day was, dress as your favorite character.  EZ loves the color yellow.  The only 'character' he found yellow on was the book, "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish."  He only wanted to be 'one fish' but we decided that wasn't enough.  Anything I found online was pretty expensive.. So, I found some old felt that we already had and cut out the fish after tracing them onto paper off the computer then tracing again onto the felt, then cutting it out, then gluing it to a shirt.  We had to buy the special glue and the shirt but it was pretty cheap and it turned out so well! We love dressing up!

Just to finish off, here is some stir fry I made one night for dinner.  Not that exciting, I know!  But I'm documenting it because as a kid, stir fry was my LEAST favorite dinner.  I really hated it.  Now look at me!  I'm making it for myself.  I wish I would have like vegetables more as a kid.  I feel like I'm paying for it as an adult.. Also, look at how cute my EZ is!  I love this sweater.  Here comes the fun!  So true.  EZ is loving Kindergarten and I can't believe he'll be done in a couple more months.  Seems like the time is going faster and faster since he started school.  Blogging definitely portrays that feeling.  But that is one reason I do it!  Here's to more!!!