News from Idaho

So we have been in Idaho for almost 2 months. Time is flying by. I will give an update and also finally post pictures.

Michael is still loving his clinicals and learning a lot. He is excited to be done and so am I. We have really been blessed to have Michael be at Madison Hospital. He is getting lots of experience and has no other students to compete with for cases. The other CRNAs are so nice and have really enjoyed Michael being there. I guess I should mention that Madison Hospital is not hiring anyone at the time so we are still looking for a job. We talked to a recruiter and he said that this year there are very few jobs out there, probably because of the economy. I was very sad to hear that Michael will not be working at Madison, because I know how much he liked it, but we know that there is a job out there for us and we are supposed to be somewhere else. We will keep you posted. Michael was able to go hunting with his Dad and brother-in-law and they had fun. He really has been busy, but we seem to have lots of time for family, which is good.

Levi is getting so mature. He talks nonstop and picks up on everything he hears. He gets up in the morning with Grandpa and they have their special time together. He is loving having is grandparents around and getting so much attention. Levi loves playing outside and is so curious about everything. He is been able to go to work with my dad, help his great-grandpa outside and play with cousins. The other day his great-grandpa was out in the field and Levi had to go join him. The next time I looked outside they were both swinging and it was so cute. He loves to drink hot chocolate and follow my parents around the house. I told my dad that Levi was his shadow.

Benson is crawling all over and climbing on everything. He is not afraid of the wood floors and is a daredevil. He throws himself over the side of the couch and doesn't care. His new favorite toys are the phone and TV remote. He knows where they are at and always seems to find them. I know what he will be getting for Christmas. He loves to chew on anything he can get his hands on, but really likes his blanket. He loves to eat table food and gets upset if you don't share with him, but what kid wouldn't? He has 8 teeth and is getting more. He loves to say Mama and Dada and gets so excited when he gets his bottle. He starts to try to jump up and down and flaps his arms. He really is getting so big and I can't believe that he will be 1 year in 2 months. Time really does fly. Benson had been fussy for a month and then his cough wouldn't go away so we went to the doctor. He had two ear infections, a ruptured ear drum, and they think bronchitis. He is been on two antibiotics, and one steriod and finally he is feeling better.

Michael and I are in the nursery. I can't say that I was very happy about this calling, because Levi is in nursery and we have a baby to also think about. I had a bad attitude about it, but I have to say that I am loving this calling. I love all the kids and it is fun to watch Levi around the other children. Our niece is also in nursery and so that is also fun. We have enjoyed singing the songs and listening to the children. They really are such a blessing and I feel very lucky to be able to watch them. The Lord knows where we are supposed to be and I am grateful for is knowledge and love for me. I do miss my Young Women calling in Tennessee and also Relief Society, but this is so good for us. I am grateful that my parents, Michael's sister and brother-in-law, and his grandparents are willing to watch Benson for us during nursery.

We went camping with my family the first of October. My grandpa owns a beautiful piece of property overlooking the snake river. My family would go up there all the time. I loved running around up there and being somewhere so beautiful. It is only a 30 minute drive from my parents house and has a special place in my heart. My dad has recently started to build a cabin up there out of a grain bin.(see picture below) It is really cool. So we went up on Thursday and we always eat really well. Friday we spent working on the cabin, eating and four wheeling. Michael and I were able to go on a four wheeler ride and we had lots of fun. We had a great dinner and then went to bed. A couple of hours after going to bed Levi started fussing and then threw up. We got him all cleaned up and I laid by him. A few minutes later he threw up on me. We decided that we were going home. We drove home and got Levi a bath and put him in bed. We were so tired. Levi threw up some more, but always in the bucket. Saturday he laid around all day and that evening he started to feel better and then Michael got sick. So Sunday, Michael was sick and then my family came home and my dad was sick. Michael was so dehydrated that my mom gave him an IV and he felt much better. The next day my mom felt sick and my brother who had come up from Utah was also sick. The camping trip didn't turn out the best. We have all had the stomach bug and now we are better. I guess when you are living with lots of people the virus hangs out even longer. (I had had the bug a week earlier when we went to Boise.) Hope no one else gets sick.

I have many more posts of all the fun things we have been doing and many posts to catch up on from the summer. We are doing well and excited for Halloween.

Still Here!

I am still here, but with moving, unpacking, being sick, having sick kids, and missing Tennessee I don't feel much like blogging. I am still reading all of your blogs and loving that. I know I am way behind in the blogging department and I will get to it sometime.

A little update on us. Michael is loving his new clinical site. They have treated us so well. We have already been to a great party, and I had the opportunity to meet all the CRNAs. They are all so nice and Michael is really liking it. He has great hours so we get to see him more. We are in the process of interviewing at different places and hopefully soon we will know where we are going.

The boys and I are doing well. Levi loves his grandparents, but still asks when we are going "home". He still blesses all of his friends during the prayer and asks about them during the day. Benson is growing and I think is getting ready to crawl. He moves all over and is such a busy body. He has 7 teeth and sure can bite.

I am not enjoying the snow we had yesterday, but we are in Idaho so oh well. I miss Tennessee so much and everybody there, but I have enjoyed being back in Idaho. This is our update and hopefully soon I will be blogging again. Love you all!