pool time

We will really miss our pool when we move in a month. It has been one advantage to living in an apartment! As soon as it opens memorial day weekend we spend as much time as possible there. La-La has always loved it and has taught herself to swim. Care Bear was wary of the pool last year but the two times we have gone this year, she has shown little fear and can be shivering uncontrollably and still won't want to get out. Jaco is content to play Pokemon out of the water and has not gotten wet this year. We will use the pool as much as we can before we have to leave!

Breakfast of Champions

Care Bear was a little too quiet in the kitchen so I knew I had to go investigate. This is what I found.

She was dressed like this because after her bath she REFUSED to put on the clothes she had picked out for herself and when I put them on her she instantly took them off.

It's official!!

Justin got the job! He received the phone call this afternoon saying he was unanimously voted as the newest Dr to be employed by the group. WHOOOO-HOOOOO! So he graduates June 27 and sometime very soon after that we will head south to our new home. We don't have an exact start date because he has to get licensed and everything but hopefully we won't have to wait too long.

I'm Home! (Lot's of words and no pictures)

Some of you know I was able to take a little road trip to check out a prospective job for Justin when he finishes his residency in June. We got back today and it was a great little vacation. Justin got home from Germany on Monday night and everyone couldn't have been happier! The whole way to the airport Care Bear said, "I so sited to see Daddy! I give him big hug!" The kids were like jumping beans all day. I even got a call from the school nurse asking if Jaco got his ADHD meds but it was just his excitement for daddy coming home.
So Tuesday we packed our stuff all up and packed newspapers all night so as soon as Jaco got home from school on Wed and the route was delivered we could leave. Wonderful ward members and friends kept the kids for us and that was the best part for me! A month with no support at home was ok but not easy so I was excited to have some time with Justin and no kids! It has been 8 years since we went anywhere overnight without kids and our 10 year anniversary is coming up so it was good timing all the way around. Justin met with the doctors from this office we are hoping to join, right before he went to Germany and they invited him back and asked for me to come too. The kids were also invited but that would have been a NIGHTMARE! Too many formal meetings in small rooms! Thursday and Friday we met with different staff members and doctors of this multi-specialty group. They talked income, benefits, ect... and just got to know us better and us them. They provided all meals with dinners at amazing restaurants that made us even happier to not have kids with us to worry about. They had a local realtor take us on a community tour. She was a young 65 year old lady who drove a car that could go 0-60 in 5 seconds and let me tell you she proved it several times! It was pretty funny. This job opportunity feels so right so we are very hopeful that it will all work out. We are pretty sure it will because Justin will bring to the community a skill that doesn't really exist there right now and they specifically wanted someone with the training Justin has received. Through his residency he has focused mostly on rear foot and ankle surgeries. The town has some orthopedic Dr's who know how to repair ankle fractures and such but not to the degree Justin can and they don't really like to do them. The other podiatrist who he would work with is not able to do these procedures so the office has had to turn away a lot of business that Justin will be able to keep for them. There are so many positive features about this job. The office staff is amazing and the group of doctors have a strong positive energy that you feel immediately. The group of Doctors own a small insurance company and the building they use is accessible to the community free of charge for classes such as healthy cooking, childbirth, and anything else a community center might be used for. The group has no debt except for the mortgage on the office building and I think that says a lot for the business side of the practice. The orthopedics respect the podiatrists in the community which in a lot of areas is not the case. Justin will only have to work a 4 day work week which he thinks will mean more golf but we will see! The group really encourages a balance between work and family. His first year in the practice he would be a salary payed employee and then after 12 months he would be given the opportunity to be a partner in the group. They will give us a moving allowance, the cost of living is a lot lower than what we are used to and it is a smaller community without the traffic we have to deal with now! The schools sound great and we could camp and hike everyday and still have new places to explore ten years from now. By the end of next week we should know for sure so I will keep everyone posted. I prefer to not say where this is specifically for internet safety reasons so if you are dying to know where I am talking about let me know!
Before the trip I was worried about what I should wear and how formal everything would be. I ended up probably overdressing because everything was quite casual. I had a feeling it would be pretty lowkey since this is a community that goes fishing and camping for fun not attending an opera but I figured for a first impression it would be better to over do it! Overall it was a wonderful trip and now we are just waiting to hear from them next week. So if anyone is already on their knees in prayer, if you wouldn't mind throwing our names in we would appeciate it! On that note I have to say that from the moment Justin received an e-mail from the group letting him know of this opportunity, it has felt so right! We are just ready to move on to the next stage of this medical school journey and are very excited!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all of you wonderful mothers out there, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! We have the hardest job in the world yet each day and night we continue to do it with no pay and sometimes little thanks. But I thank all of you and pat myself on the back because even if I lose my patience or raise my voice I know I still love my job and wouldn't want to be doing anything else because I have the most important job in the world!

Misc...

Since this blog idea is kind of a way to journal, I wanted just to share a couple thoughts from this week.

KINDNESS OF A STRANGER

You know how much I "love" my paper route. I look forward to Wednesdays every week! J/K!! This week was especially stressful because we did not get our papers until late Tuesday night but still had to be done by 3 on Wed. I was very grumpy and not very patient with the kids. I was out delivering and a complete stranger stopped to ask me if I lived in the neighborhood. She was very kind and seemed so happy with life. We chatted for about five minutes and she helped me feel better about what I do. She even said she loves receiving my paper every week which really improved my mood. A lot of people HATE it. I have even been chased down after delivering to someone who didn't want it. Anyways, this lady has no idea who I am and I probably won't ever see her again but her positive attitude and kindness to me significantly improved my day. So thank you stranger!

NEW BIKE

I bought Miss Care Bear a bike this week. I was going to fix La-La's old bike but it was pretty trashed and had already been through several kids as it was a hand-me-down from friends at church. It would have cost almost as much to fix it it as it was to just buy a new one. So my little 2 year old is THRILLED with her new bike. It is all she talks about and she would ride it all day if she could. I thought La-La was brave on her bike but Care Bear is even braver. She has no fear and rides like a pro. One time after she tipped over because she took a corner too sharp, she jumped up and said "That was really fun!" La-La was done with training wheels at 4 1/2 but I have a feeling Care Bear will be even younger.

TWO BUMS

One more quick story about Care Bear. (I feel like I talk the most about her but she is at that magical age of discovery and does not go to school so I have more time with her!) Anyways, she was taking a bath today and said "I have two bums! One in front and one in back but Jaco only has one bum!" It was pretty funny.

I want my Binky!

Two days ago I decided to limit Care Bear's binky use to bedtime only. She would have her binky ALL DAY if I let her.
When she asked for her binky Thursday morning and I refused to give it to her she had a grand mal tantrum with true ear splitting screams that lasted for 30-45 minutes. I held strong and did not give in.
Yesterday morning she woke up around 6 like usual and I told her if she came out to watch Barney like usual then her binky would be put away but if she stayed in bed awhile longer she could keep her binky. She didn't reappear until 7 which meant more sleep for both of us!
Well today she attempted to start her day at 5:45 so I told her again that if she stayed in bed she would get to keep her binky but if she chose to come out it would be put away. She stayed in bed again until 7!! Whoo-Hoo!!! I am keeping her binkies in a container that twists open and she can't get it open! These pictures are of her trying everything she can to open her beloved binkies. Don't worry, I took away the knife and hid the binkies.