New Years Redo

Yes, I know it's almost February, and yes I know that new year starts January 1st.  But this year my New Year Resolutions are starting February 1st!  At the end of December Jared and I actually had a date night at the Provo Library (how romantic!) where we sat down and made New Years Resolutions, both joint and individual goals, as well as making plans for how we would accomplish our goals.  However, our plans were bIased around the assumption that by the beginning of January my work schedule would be changed and I would no longer be working nights.  So when January began, the chore schedule that we made along with other things didn't work well with me still working nights.  Although I've tried to keep up with my goals, January's been difficult so I decided to start fresh in February.

What I like about our goals is that they're not all necessarily things like, "exercise at least 3 times every week".  Those are so easy to fail at.  You miss one week and achieving the goal is shot.  Instead we thought of things that we want to improve on and have goals working towards incorporating them into our lives by the end of the year.  So for example, smaller steps/goals towards a healthier life-style so that by the end of the year it's just habit to exercise at least 3 times a week on average.  We set big goals for the year, and each month we'll have a goal-setting date night where we set monthly goals (to help us achieve our yearly goals) as well as to evaluate how we did the previous month.

I'm excited for 2012 and all that we hope to accomplish!  For Christmas we got a large white erase board that is hanging on our pantry door - where we see it multiple times each day.  Here we'll record what we're working on or need to do - that month, week, or even just that day - to help us accomplish our bigger goals and keep us accountable.  This was Jared's idea, and I love it.  We also have a bi-weekly chore chart (because my work schedule will still sort of be 7on/7off) printed out by the white board so we remember who's responsible for what chores each day and hopefully our house will stay a bit more clean and organized!

So Happy (belated) New Year to everyone, and wishing you all a great 2012!

GOOD-BYE GRAVES!!!

Only four nights of graves left and I'll be DONE!

When I first started working for IHC in 2009 it was a 7on/7off graveyard shift up at IMC.  My schedule often confused people, so here's what it was:

 - Starting Wednesday night I worked 7 nights in a row, 10 hour shifts (7on)
 - The following Wednesday I had 7 nights in a row off (7off)
 - Because it was nights, my 7on started on a Wednesday night, and ended on a Wednesday morning
 - During my 7on I slept during the days, my 7off I slept at night

So every Wednesday I was adjusting my schedule - either trying to take a nap during the afternoon before going into work that night, or else trying to stay up for as long as I could after working all night to get back on a regular sleep schedule.  For someone who typically can't stand taking naps (there's so much other stuff I could be getting done), sleeping during the days took a little getting used to.  But eventually I got used to sleeping in the daytime, I enjoyed the people I worked with, I still had some time in the evenings to do things, and working nights was going well...until we had a baby!

After my maternity leave I did work afternoons 7on/7off (3pm-1am) for a while, but when I switched down to UVRMC in February I was back to graves.  Even though Gavin was 8 months old by this time, trying to sleep during the day was a bit of a challenge.  Before I would come home from work in the morning and go straight to sleep.  Now I come home from work, stay up an additional four hours before putting Gavin down for a nap at 11am, and then head off to bed.  Jared then comes home around 12:30 or 1:00 and we hope Gavin sleeps until he gets home.  When Gavin started taking his naps later in the day (around 1pm or 2pm) this whole graves thing became alot more difficult!

Sorry...reading over that really makes me sound like a big complainer...but it just makes my new schedule sound that much more amazing!!

This Wednesday to Saturday night I will work my last four graveyard shifts (finishing up training my replacement), then starting Sunday, February 5th!, I will have the next three days off before I start training on my new afternoon shift.  It'll be a great Birthday present!!!

So if you thought my old schedule was difficult to keep track of, good luck with this:

 - I will still sort of be 7on/7off
 - Wednesday & Thursday during my 7on I work 10 hour shifts (starting at 2pm)
 - Friday, Saturday, & Sunday during my 7on I only work 4 hours (2pm-6pm)
 - Monday & Tuesday during my 7on I work 10 hour shifts (starting at 2pm)
 - The next Wednesday I start my 7 days off

Because I'm now considered part time I technically only need to work 48 hours every two weeks, although I am scheduled to work 53.  This means if I want the extra hours they're mine, but if I want to give them away I can have someone else work the 5 extra hours for me.  And there are always interns or PRN employees wanting to pick up extra shifts.  Plus, I will now start getting PTO, on top of my 7 days in a row off!  And if I need any more hours I can pick up available shifts during my 7 days off.  It's the perfect schedule, and I can't wait to start it February 8th!!!

Thanksgiving & Christmas 2011

Thanksgiving and Christmas were both spend with Jared's family down in Vegas this year.  Here are some photos of our fun times! Enjoy!

Family Pictures at the Las Vegas Temple

Dinner At Olive Garden

San Miguel Ward Turkey Bowl

Thanksgiving Dinner with Family

We also had a successful Black Friday! (no pics!)

Gavin loved all the presents under our tree

Christmas Eve at Great Grandma & Grandpa's 

Christmas Morning

A Year In Review

Back in 2011 we did celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas...I've just been overloaded, with no time to post about them.  In both 2009 and 2010 Thanksgiving and Christmas both fell on my weeks off, but when I switched down to Utah Valley and changed my work weeks I knew I would be scheduled to work over both these holidays in 2011.  Luckily this awesome girl that works my opposite weeks was willing to switch around some shifts with me so I could have both Christmas and Thanksgiving off!  She's from Japan, so the holidays aren't too significant for her, and she was happy to get the holiday premiums.

We had a fun, eventful year, but after all of last years busy-ness, I am ready for a break!!  (update on that soon)
(feel free to skip all this...I just wanted to document it and remember all our great adventures of 2011)


Dec. 2010:

• I started working PRN (as needed) at Utah Valley while still working full time (afternoon shifts) at IMC to try and get my foot in the door somewhere closer to home

Jan. 2011:

• I continued working my two jobs
• My mom came for a visit mid January

Feb. 2011:

• My mom and dad came for a visit mid February, and my niece Erin was able to come up from Texas with my dad for part of the time too
• Celebrated my 25th Birthday - I didn't have to work, which was nice
• End of February I got a full time position at Utah Valley - goodbye 45 minute commute, but I was back on graves

Mar. 2011:

• No trips this month

Apr. 2011:

• Jacob and Rachel came up over General Conference - I was working so don't remember if I even saw them
• End of April we celebrated Jared's graduation and Easter - Mark, Patti, Janea, & Jayden came up

May 2011:

• Beginning of May we took a road trip to California for our friend's (Angie and Joel) sealing
• Mid May we started a six week online real estate class we had signed up for 
• End of May we went to Vegas for Janea's senior year awards ceremony and visit family

Jun. 2011:

• We celebrated Gavin's first Birthday
• Mid June my mom came for a visit
• End of June/beginning on July I worked 11 nights in a row so I'd have time off for our Canada trip

Jul. 2011:

• Celebrated Canada Day before going into work
• Went to Beaver for a few days with Jared's family over the 4th of July
• Mid July we went on a road trip to Canada
• End of July Allison came to Utah with her three kids for a visit

Aug. 2011:

• Went to Vegas for Jared's 10 year high school reunion
• Went on our annual California beach trip with Jared's family

Sept. 2011:

• No trips this month

Oct. 2011:

• Mid October my mom came for a visit

Nov. 2011:

• We flew to Canada for a visit
• Went down to Vegas for Thanksgiving
• Celebrated Jared's Birthday

Dec. 2011:

• Quick trip to Vegas for Christmas (down for the 24th & 25th then back to work)

Jan. 2012:

• Flew up to Canada for Heather and Trevor's wedding

We also enjoyed lots visits from Patti throughout the year, a trip to the Salt Lake Zoo, trips to BYU's free Bean and Dinosaur museums, weekly playgroup (when we were in town), story time at the library, and fun at the park!  When I did have some time to spare I worked on Family Videos, updated our blog, and worked on some sewing projects.  It was a great year and we are so grateful for all the opportunities we had to spend with family and for all our fun trips and visits from others!

Back in November...

We had a really great trip up to Canada!  (I had to get this post done before we leave for Canada again in another week and a half!) This time we flew, which is definitely an adventure with a 17 month old.  It was Gavin's first airplane ride, and I think by the end of it he finally started to realize that the tiny "arpas" in the sky that he's obsessed with, are the same things that we few on.

Okay...so I couldn't resist!  Gavin loved playing with this pink vanity and Nanny M and Papa's house.

When we were little my Dad would always give us "monte monte caballo" rides.  We'd sit on his feet, leaning against his shins, as he bounced us up and down as if on a horse singing, "Monte, monte caballo!  Caballo se llama Ducky. Ducky's legs go up and down little ______ he/she...flies....OFF!" as he'd flip us up over his shoulders.  Gavin was finally old enough to really enjoy "monte monte caballo" rides, and each time he was flipped off over my Dad's shoulders he'd run right back around and hop back on for another ride.

Jared and I got to meet our nephew, and although Gavin was a little unsure about sharing his toys with Isaiah at first, they soon warmed up to each other as well.

There was lots of story reading, puzzles, and kisses...

And of course we couldn't go home without a trip to the Southland Leisure Centre.  I'm sure ever one in the place found it quite comical to see eight adults hanging out in the kiddie pool.  But those two little ones were almost just as entertaining as any of the water slides or the wave pool.  But with so many adults around we were able to sneak off to some slides and the hot tub.

Gavin was obsessed with this little wooden chair at Nanny M and Papa's house.  In the mornings he'd pull it out and sit and watch the news with Papa, or just push it all around the front room until he needed to sit down for a break.

When we were up in Calgary this past summer my Aunt and Uncle were on a trip to Hawaii, so they hadn't seen Gavin since last Christmas when he was only six months old.  It was fun to see my cousins again as well as Aunt Joan and Uncle Kavin.  They brought play-do over for Gavin, which he enjoyed, but he kept trying to eat it so I think we'll hold off on the play-do until he's a little older.

Although it put Jared on everyone's bad list, he was really hoping to see some Canadian snow.  He's only been there in the summer time, and wanted a chance to experience some Canadian coldness.  Although it wasn't much he did get his wish, and Gavin had fun with the snow too.

I was starting to feel a bit sick, so I stayed and rested while Jared went with Heather, Trevor, and my parents out to Elbow Falls.  I'm always impressed by the beauty of the mountains and parks when we go back to Canada for a visit.  I never really thought much of it or appreciated how beautiful it is, until we moved away and I wasn't surrounded by it all the time.

We left just before Jared's 29th Birthday, so we celebrated with family before leaving.

Our last night there Gavin was quite the entertainer.  He put on quite the show and just soaked up all the attention as we laughed at this little cutie (which only increased his silliness to get us to laugh more).

I love Gavin's expression in this picture.  Gavin kept trying to climb up onto the chair, and my Uncle Kavin was holding it so it wouldn't fall over as he climbed up...which didn't go over well with Gavin.  If Gavin noticed Uncle Kavin touching "his" chair with even just one finger, he'd give him this look and push his finger away.  He wanted no help from nobody!

Although we had a great time while in Calgary, the trip home was another story.  Gavin got sick and had a pretty nasty diaper rash right before leaving to head home, and lets just say diaper rash + diarrhea + all day on planes/in airports = one sad baby and lots of annoyed people on an airplane!  The next few days this is what our front room looked like as we tried to let Gavin's bottom dry out enough to heal.