Life

Life is pretty normal now-a-days. Which is good. I don't really have any crazy fun plans for the summer - mostly because we are short on cash right now. Man, moving is even more expensive then I thought it would be and I was expecting it to hurt. I was thinking we might head to Cali for a week but not so much. So instead I am looking at the good in the days we have already playing out this summer. I also wanted to capture a little snap shot of our revamped lives here in Tucson and share a little of what we are learning and liking about this place.

The pool...I know we cant get over it. But we like it a lot. This is us swimming on the 4th after a big monsoon rain storm just went through.

Stewart's training. Oh, I cant even express how fun it was to have Stewart come home from his first day of Radiology and see him just beaming. I like few things as much as my husband's smile and knowing he is really happy. He loves it. First off, they gave him an Ipad, so how could he not like it? Plus all these gifts cards with credits to things like buying scrubs and all that jazz. Plus they told us he can start moonlighting as soon as he can get basic knowledge of nuro rad which is his first rotation so that is great. PLUS they will completely pay for all his licensing.  I think that is over $3000. Which is really good because we don't really have any money left over after the move. Thank heavens! Plus everyone is really nice. Lots of Mormon guys with families and the program is growing and they have hired on some really awesome new instructors that not only bring a huge new knowledge base but also lots of grants. So nice to be part of a thriving program that is family friendly and with great Doctors he can work along side with.

My running. So we live really close to miles and miles of trail running. Oh, what a tender mercy. I've been able to start running again in the mornings since Stew doesn't have to be at work until 8am this week so I get up early and get a run in and I love it. Not going really far but I'm at least going! :)

Cactus. Okay I don't love cactus but it is pretty cool. We have a a HUGE cactus in front of our house and the kids are super proud of it. When we drive around town they point out all the different types of Cactus. There are many different types.

Kids School. we walked to the school and I timed us. It took a grand total of 6 minuets. How nice will that be?!?!?!? love that.

Lizards. There are so many different types of lizards. There are these tiny ones, like two inches long, that run around so cutely. I love those ones.

The kids have been really grumpy lately and I was wondering what it was that was making them freak out so much when I got sick and realized they have all been sick too. We are all a little out of it...like super tired, have head colds, and hacking cough. its been a slow onset but I hope it will be a fast recovery. probably not but I can hope. :) 

Our ward. They are the nicest, down to earth people ever. We are always blessed to be in the best wards ever and this time is no different. We have been so impressed with how kind, helpful, on top of things, and fun they all are. It feels like coming home going to their ward. So happy!

Shopping. Living outside of town was nice but it is nice to live a little closer now. I love how we live in this neighborhood with houses spread out just enough so you feel like you have privacy and space but still close enough you don't feel like you are out in the county and we have these beautiful views of the mountains but then I can drive down the canyon for four minutes and there is everything I could ever want. Sweet.

Potential. I have a love hate relationship with potential. I am depressed if I cant see potential in the things around me BUT I have this weakness where I am very impatient in the wait time that is often required to reach full potential....I am referring to our house. I see so much decorating and design potential in our house but I have to be sensible and just tell myself, some day we will get to do something better with that room or that space  but that day is not today. Its hard for me. But I like to dream in the mean time. Almost every day I am showing Stewart a drawing of an idea I had for this porch or that porch or what have you. He is so good to try and care. :O)

"Mom School" - every week day I do mom school with the kids. It has been cute how much they love it and beg for it. We are working on everything and we have a little chart and we cover every little area each day. I have a section where I teach a little lesson on something that has to do with science or history (my favorite subjects) and yesterday was the history of Ireland and today was a lesson on bones, muscles, and our vascular system. Oh, I love teaching! We've been observing our caterpillar we found on our porch on moving day back in Reno and he has made his little cocoon....We think he'll be a moth. time will tell!

Routines. We sure love our routines around here. We have Morning chart, where they have a chart of things we need to do each morning: morning prayer, breakfast, take medicines and vitamins, clean up from breakfast, feed the pets, dressed, brush hair & teeth, make bed. They do really good at it with the proper application of nagging. ;) Then we also have a bed time chart: pick up house, jammies, brush teeth, family scriptures, stories, family prayers, tucked in bed and then personal prayers.

Watching Genevieve grow. She is in the cutest stage ever. she has such a fun little personality. She is such a busy little ray of sunshine. She keep us laughing all day long. She loves to walk on her tippy toes and rest her left hand on her hip and she looks too cute with her baby chub and her oh, so elegant walk mixed together. She is the cutest thing ever.

Swimming lessons. We found this awesome website that gives really great instructions for teaching swimming lessons by yourself, Its Uswim.com. We have been doing it with the kids and it have been really fun to see them take off. Bridger is getting really good, he swims like a little dolphin it is really cute watching him dive into the pool and touch the bottom 8 feet down and come up so proud of himself and Angeli is just a few steps behind him. Ben, I would not be surprised if he becomes a champion swimmer in high school - his cannon balls about the cutest things you have ever seen.  Plus we do water slide Olympics....I got a perfect 10 the other day for my tummy slide. ;)

Shedding. The dogs have been shedding like crazy. I have to sweep and vacuum like crazy to keep up with it. I want to give them a buzz but Stewart wont get on board with that. So I tell him he has to brush them daily. :)

Chocolate chips. They have to be kept in the refrigerator. If I keep them in my cupboard they are super soft...not totally melted but very soft. I think that is sort of interesting.

The monsoon season. It has been really fun so far. I was taking a nap yesterday when I woke up to the sound of crazy hard pouring rain. It was fun to go sit outside in our AZ room and just watch it pour down. I love that room. I cant wait till we have some furniture to put out there so we can utilize it more.

So those are the random little things about my life right now that I find interesting and fun.