March

It's been a while since I've updated so I thought I post a quick something.

Paul is still going strong in his last semester! February he spent 2 weekends in Phoenix for clinicals. This month he was able to be home every weekend. Next month, he is in Phoenix every single weekend. That is a lot of travel. I suggested they just have the whole class go up and just have the lectures up there for the whole month. It'll be: drive up there Wednesday after class, hang out Thursday, Friday and Saturday are clinicals all day, Sunday or Monday come back, Tuesday and Wednesday, lecture. Then it starts all over. Too much driving if you ask me. He is doing well with school work and tests. He decided to do his homework as it comes this semester and I can tell he is much more relaxed. He still works at Sunset Hills with Brendan. Paul was saying that his name was brought up in a meeting that Brendan went to and they had nothing but good things to say about his work ethic and performance. Paul also quit soda (with the occasional one at work). I know its been hard and he craves it, but he'd done so good so far. After a trip to the dentist a few weeks ago he said no more citric acid so he has mostly been on water.

Stephanie- I am still enjoying our calling in the nursery. Since the change of the year our group went from about 15-20 kids a week down to 10 or so. I have started going to Zumba about once a week. My friend Kaitlyn teaches one of the classes and my friend Taryn wanted to see what it was all about. We love it!! I can't help but smile the whole workout because its so fun! I'm always sore for at least 2 days afterwards. I would like to go back to school after Paul graduates. I want to learn more about photography, but also I think I may do something with accounting or something. I'm good with numbers and math comes very easy to me. Besides, you never know if something will happen and I need to get a job to support my family.

Hayden- After I babysat Brendan's kids and he saw Carsten going potty, Hayden wasn't scared of the toilet anymore and he let us set him on it. He has only gone potty in it once so far, but its a start. He is still nursing. (I'm a little embarrassed to admit it) It seems every time I'm ready to ween him and I'm determined, he gets sick. EVERY TIME! I'm in the process of painting the 3rd bedroom (that constantly had one of my siblings living in it) for Hayden, so he'll finally have his own room. He very much enjoys being outside for any reason. I'm not looking forward to summer when we can only stand the heat until about 11. I guess then we have to break out the pool ;) He still loves anything with wheels and drives them on anything flat. He's learning so much and talking really well. He loves to say prayers and sometimes makes us say 5 in a row! He can say one by himself and it goes something like this.... "Father.... Day.... Blessings.... Be safe.... Good dreams.... cars... light on... fan round round...." and then he names stuff he sees until I come in a finish the prayer. It is the cutest thing ever! At our WIC appointment the other day they got his height and weight... he's in the 13% for his height and 17% for his weight. But at least he isn't anemic anymore.

Family Life- We have been trying since about August to get pregnant. I think its the nursing that is preventing it. Paul does have a spot waiting for him as a nurse at the nursing home when he gets his RN. But he still wants to apply all over and see what happens. I planted our garden at the beginning of March. I really enjoy it. It is hard work tilling the ground by shovel and such but once the veggies arrive its so worth it. You've never had better peas or tomatoes than home grown ones. Hayden's favorite thing last summer was to pick the peas and eat them right out of the pod. I'm still trying to figure out exactly when to pick the food. Last year I picked the corn too late and the watermelon too early so we'll see I guess.

I guess that wasn't a quick something but there you go... if you even made it through that.

Soccer Night

A while back Paul, Clint and Dustin decided to go to Soccer night every Tuesday at the college. They would all meet down there and play a good game and come home sore and happy. Dustin occasionally would show up at our house before hand to change into soccer clothes. Well... winter came and soccer got cancelled for a while. That didn't mean that soccer night ended, nope not a chance. Soccer night turned into this....

And my son gets a little crazy

And this....

And my house gets rearranged...

I can't complain though. The boys work hard all the time, they deserve a night of fun once in a while.

so Tiff, is it like this when you host "soccer night"?

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Love,

Paul and Stephanie

To stay or not to stay?

Every time we meet with people and catch up, one of the questions that is always asked is "where are you guys going to move after Paul graduates?" The answer is always "we don't know, where ever we can get a job I guess." Well as of today we finally know where we are going to end up after Paul graduates. The answer: Right here in the good old GILA VALLEY! Paul has never like his job as a CNA (can you blame him?) but he knew that we needed the money, and they had a shift that worked with his school schedule (the night shift, bleh I know) and it was good experience for when he did start job hunting. But now that he's in his last semester and we are about to get our tax return and he wouldn't NEED to work until school is out, he thought about quitting his job. Since he hates it and all. (He doesn't mind the co-workers and such, just the butt wiping part). So today he went down to work and talked to his boss and asked if there would be a job there for him as a nurse once he graduated. Well the answer was definitely. She said she wouldn't promise that to just anyone so that made Paul feel appreciated and that he really is doing a good job (even though we all already knew that). I'm super excited! Now I'm not saying we'll be here forever, because eventually he wants to get his bachelors degree (EAC and ASU have teamed up so maybe we will stay forever!) But for now, we will be staying here for a while. :)

I LOVE IT!

For 3 1/2 years I have been washing dishes by hand. Let me tell you, it has been horrible! I'm the type of person who lets things pile up to the point of driving me crazy before I clean. So therefore the sink was always full of dishes. Plus I would just look at it and go.... ewe there's at least an hour and a half's worth there. Well, when Paul's school money came in we decided to get a new dishwasher! We had one that was at least 10 years old, and it was definitely used and abused. I don't think water even sprayed out of the thing. Dishes came out dirtier than they went in. It was just time. The new one arrived at 11:30 this morning and it took us 2 hours (and saved $100) to get the old one out and the new one in. I had a big pile of dishes waiting for it. It is AMAZING! It cut my dishes time in HALF! Now I'm actually excited to do the dishes. Hooray for new things that work!

White Christmas?

No... White birthday? YES! Yesterday (dec 30) was Paul's 27th birthday. It was storming all day the day before and all night. I was looking out the window and said "Paul it's going to snow for your birthday. WAIT! IT IS SNOWING FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY!" I was really excited. It wasn't enough to stick or play in but it was definitely snowing! Paul's parents and brother Kevin came down and treated us to La Paloma. When we first got there I asked Paul if he wanted them to know it was his birthday and he said NO. So I didn't tell the waitress. But I guess one of his parents did because the waitress came out and asked for everyones attention. Then the WHOLE restaurant sang happy birthday to him. His mom was walking around with Hayden and his dad paid before we were done eating. They both denied it was them. We went home to cake, but we were so full that none of us even had any. I'd say it was a good, relaxed birthday.

The end is in sight!

Paul just finished block 3 of the nursing program, which was pediatrics. It was a roller coaster! He spent his clinicals at Maricopa Medical Center. He would come home and just want to hold Hayden after seeing what some parents did to these poor children. Anyway... He saved all the time consuming homework until the last week of school and had to rush to get it finished in time. But those that turned it in on time got it back to fix it on the last week, so it was about the same anyway. He was very worried that he wouldn't pass this semester. (Even though I knew he would do great.) He got a call from his teacher on Tuesday and was talking to her for 2 hours! Turns out she lost one of his clinical packets and he had to tell her everything thing that was on it. All in all, he PASSED this semester with a B!! I'm very proud of him. We are almost there. Just one more semester and then the NCLEX test (or whatever its called) and he will be an RN!! WOOOOO!