The inside scoop

As our time in Arizona is coming to a close, I find myself desperately trying to soak up all of the good things here.


Yesterday in church, I had a moment.  A moment where I looked at some of the people in our ward and realized that soon I will possibly never see them again.  And my heart sank.  I had to swallow the lump in my throat and blink my eyes a few extra times.  


Oh, how I am going to miss our friends, the weather, the primary kids, my primary presidency, our house, our friends, and did I mention....our friends?


But of all the things I am going to miss, there is one thing I will NOT miss.  


Shift work.


Oh, shift work, you've put me through the ringer a time or two.  But you have taught me a thing or two (or twenty) as well.


Several months ago I remember talking to my sister on the phone about my shift work struggles.  I was complaining to her about who knows what, but I remember telling her I didn't think it was something that I could blog about at the time.  I told her there wasn't a way for me to express our schedule without sounding like I was complaining and wanted sympathy.  And that's not what I wanted at all.  I told her I was comfortable with where I was at, and for the most part our crazy schedule seemed normal.  And truly, I was happy.  Truly.  Being the amazing sister that she is, she understood me.  She told me when shift work was a thing of the past, I should blog about it.  That way I could really talk about our shift work lives, and not feel like I was complaining or making my life seem less happy than it really was.


And you know what?  That's exactly what I am going to do.  


Oh, where do I start?  


First off.  Maybe I should start by explaining Dan's schedule.  Whether I believe it or not, I have a feeling that as the years go by, I may not be able to remember the schedule that has been so much a part of our lives these last (almost) two years.


Shift work consists of alternating nights and days.  Where Dan works, the sets of day/nights are either 3 or 4 days/nights.  The shift is technically a 12 hour shift (6:00-6:00).  But we live about 50 minutes away from the mine and Dan actually works in the mine so he has to change his clothes and catch a bus that rides 20 minutes to the truck shop.  So, actually he is gone from 4:30pm to 7:45am, when he is working night shift, and 4:30am-7:45pm when he works day shift.  Still with me?


Now, for the actual monthly schedule.  It looks something like this:


work 4 nights
3 days off
work 3 days
1 day off
work 3 nights
3 days off
work 4 days
7 days off


Then repeat.


Got it? (Believe it or not, I have that schedule memorized.)  Now, looks can be deceiving.  It works out to be even days off as work days, but then you have to consider the first day off after every night shift is spent sleeping for at least half the day, so it's not quite even.


The 7 days off looks pretty sweet as well...and it can be, but you have to remember that not all of society has 7 days off so if you want to hang out with your friends, you're still gonna have to wait 'til the weekend.  It is extremely nice for traveling or vacations, but that can be expensive, so you don't want to do that every 7 off.  I will admit, we have had some nice, long trips to see family that were made possible because of that wonderful 7 off.


So there you have it.  Our shift work schedule.  Oddly enough, this schedule is our normal.  There was a time when I never thought it would feel normal, but we joke that the 8-5 schedule that we lived before was in a former life because it seems so long ago.  :)


Since I am feeling a little sad about us moving, here's a few things to look forward to once we move:


-Family dinner.  I am SO looking forward to having Dan HOME for dinner, or breakfast, or lunch for that matter.  When he works, Alayna and I eat all our meals without him.  
-Having Dan at church EVERY Sunday.  He is only able to go to church twice a month on this schedule.


-FHE on Monday nights.  We had to change Family Home Evening to whatever evening he had off that week.  Most of the time it was not on Mondays, and the days would change weekly.


-Dan's help with the kids at night.  When either working nights or days, Dan is gone for the bedtime routines.


-I am also excited for him to be home every night.  I seriously have been so blessed when it has come to night shifts.  I have never felt scared that Dan was gone, but I do miss him.  There is something about having your spouse home with you during the night.


-Alayna getting to see her Daddy every day.  Due to Dan having to wake up at 4:30 in the morning and getting home at almost 8 at night while working day shifts, he would not get to see Alayna for 3 or 4 days straight.  I don't know who that is harder on; Dan or Alayna?


-Talking to Dan during the day.  Employees where Dan works are not allowed to have cell phones with them.  Most of the time I would go up to 16 hours a day without talking to Dan.  This caused me to be extremely independent.  I had to make all the decisions while he was gone.  There was no calling to ask where he put something, or to ask his opinion on a business matter, or to tell him one of the kids was sick or to tell him my plans had changed and I had to take the kids to a last minute meeting or to just tell him I was thinking about him.  If there was an emergency, I had to call the truck shop directly through his boss' line.  Luckily, we have been completely blessed and I didn't NEED to call him for any emergencies, except for 4 days ago when I had a severe allergic reaction. (Thanks to my amazing friend Holly for taking Alayna.  You were a complete lifesaver!)


-Dan not being tired ALL the time.  Let's face it, shift work messes with your body.  It makes you completely tired.  You never feel like you can catch-up on sleep.  And just when you start feeling better, it's time for another night shift.


-Most importantly, I am excited to have Dan home MORE!  He currently works 16 hour days and soon he will be working 8 hour days.  He is cutting his hours in HALF!  I am so excited to have him around more.  




There are so many positives, that maybe I can take this move on.  12 more days and Wyoming will be our new home!

Names

Alayna is quite into names right now.  My name is constantly changing, as well as hers, depending on who she is pretending to be at the moment.  A lot of times it is based off of a character in a movie or TV show.  And recently she has liked watching Angelina Ballerina. 

Hence my name--Ballerina Mom, (We also have Ballerina Dad and Ballerina Alayna.)

I will admit it is quite fun to see what "person" I will be that day/minute/hour.  It keeps us on our toes.  And at times, it also is kind of hard to take her seriously.  But how can you not like it when your daughter so sweetly says, "Good night, Ballerina Mom.  I love you!"

Ahh.  It does this Ballerina Mom's heart good!

Little Lady

This little lady is 9 lbs. 9 oz. and 22 in long.

I was right.  She is smaller than her older sister was at 2 months (by a little over a pound).

She did great when getting her shots.  She let them know that was not her favorite thing, but calmed right down as soon as I held her. And since then, she has been pretty much an awesome baby.  No fever and no fussiness.  (Knock on wood.)  Let's hope it continues to be that way.

Here she is all ready to go to the doctor.  I could not get her to stop starring at her daddy.  (I can't blame her.)

2 months

My baby is 2 months.  (Can you believe it?)


Let me tell you a little bit about Miss Brylen.  


First, she seriously is SO stinkin' cute!  


She started smiling just a day before she turned six weeks and she just keeps those smiles coming.  She is the smiliest right after she has woken up from a nap and she will just kick like crazy and give you her excited little squeal when you come and talk to her.


Here she is right after waking up from a nap in her swing.....which by the way, is where she has been taking most of her naps lately.  

Speaking of sleep, here's a few little facts about Brylen and sleep.  She has to be swaddled--both during the day and at night.  She just can't stand her arms flying around.   She takes her naps best in the swing (with the exception of the last couple of days), and sleeps in her bassinet at night.   

My children are not the best sleepers.  Alayna was HORIBBLE in the beginning, but once she was sleep trained, she became better.  Brylen has definitely been better than her sister, but she still is figuring it out.  Some days she naps wonderfully, and other days she doesn't.  But overall I would say she has more good than bad days.  I think she is getting the hang of it.

Although sleeping during the day can be a challenge at times, Brylen does great at night.  Over the past couple of weeks, she has started going to bed earlier (between 6pm and 8:30pm) and she just gets up once a night.  She can be an earlier riser, but so is Alayna.  I have found that sleep is better for the both of us if we put her in the other room.  

Nothing cuter than a napping baby with a squished face.

Sometime she likes to burrow down in the Swaddleme.

And I have to mention that little mohawk.  It does that on it's own.  It just. doesn't. want. to. stay. down.  Good thing babies look cute with mohawks.  My favorite is when it has a little curl in it.  Brylen's hair is curly when it's wet, just like Alayna's.

Speaking of wet hair....Brylen loves her baths.  Sometimes I want to leave her in there forever just because she is so content.

She likes her baths so much, she may even like swimming.  We almost attempted it this day, but she fell asleep before we got the chance.  She looked darling in her little swimsuit though.

 Brylen is pretty easy going about everything, but sleep.  If she is crying, most of the time it is because she is tired.  In fact, she doesn't ever really cry about being hungry.  I just keep my eye on the clock and if it has been between 3-4 1/2 hrs since she last ate, then I know she is ready to eat again.  

This little baby is still quite little.  At her 6 week check up she was 8 lbs. 11 oz. (Exactly one pound bigger than when she was born.)  I am curious to see how much she weighs at her appointment in a couple of days.  I definitely can tell she has grown, but I think she is a little more petite than Alayna was at 2 months.  

 (P.S. Thank you Denise for the DARLING outfit!)

And I couldn't resist a few (ok, several) more photos of my beautiful baby!


"Seriously, mom."  (This won't be the last time she gives me this look.)

There's that smile.

Pretty girl.

Telling me a story....which she is good at.  :)

Follow-up

I must respond to the wonderful comments on my last post and add some other thoughts as well.

• First, thank you for the info and willingness to help!  We really are excited for this chance to relocate, make new friends and start another chapter in our lives.
• Dan also wanted me to clarify something.  He says Rock Springs is actually the runner up to the true "Armpit of America". (Which is a different town in Wyoming.)  Any of you Wyoming natives want to take a guess as to which town he is referring to....?
• But in all seriousness, Sarah, you are right.  If you are from Wyoming....there is no place in Wyoming that is not pretty.  You almost have to live there to get it.  Wyoming is like no other place.  The people truly are what make it such a great place....not the weather.   :)
• Dan's job is not with the same company.  He did enjoy working for them, but we knew we were here for him to gain experience.  Now he is moving on to a job that has more prospects of advancement as well as opportunities to gain knowledge in different areas than at a mine that specifies only in huge haul trucks.  It is a great move career-wise.  And since he will not be working for a large mine, shift work will be a thing of the past.  Glory, hallelujah! 
• Kathryn, I have to say you are SO right.  You CAN be happy anywhere.  We have moved enough to know that.  It most definitely doesn't have to be the prettiest place.  It's all about your attitude.  Call me crazy, I actually do enjoy moving.....as in the part where you get to kind of start over and begin a new chapter in life.  I like the challenge and sense of adventure that comes along with moving.  
• As far as some of the details of our moving process, we're not sure yet.  I will most definitely be blogging about when our house is sold and when we find our new abode. (We are open to either Green River or Rock Springs.)  As for now, I will keep cleaning (you never know when someone will want a tour) and packing.... 
• Oh, and Manda, I am glad you mentioned the fact that Rock Springs has a Cafe Rio.  Once Dan saw that, it was pretty much a done deal.  I mean, how  could we say no to Cafe Rio?

Armpit of America

Because we are such pros at packing and it's been awhile since we have had the chance to put our entire existence into boxes, we thought we would give it a whirl once again.


Yeah right! (read with sarcasm)


It's true that we are moving, though.  And this time it is another big move.  Another climate change.  And another new job opportunity for Dan.


But this time we are moving back to our home state.  Wyoming!  I think I have discussed before how lots of times there seems to be preconceived ideas about what towns are "acceptable" places to live and what towns are not when it comes to your home state.


Well, we are moving to one of those towns that we I deemed "unacceptable".   But let me back myself up by saying that the status of these towns are basically based off of beauty, not of community, jobs, people or anything else.  Just shear beauty.  In fact, I do believe in my youth (high school age) that I let the phrase "Armpit of America" slip from my mouth when referring to this town.  But again, I apologize to those that are from here.  I just find it not all that beautiful.  But I think it took living in the desert for over a year and a half to maybe help me come around to the idea that this area is no worse than some of the desert we have driven through while living here in Arizona.


Some of you may have already guessed, and others may be wondering....we are moving to Rock Springs.


While I am thrilled to be close to both our families, this move is SO bitter-sweet for me.  I have LOVED living in Safford.  I love our ward, my calling, the many friends we've made, our house, and I love the fact that I could go to the temple weekly.  What a blessing this place has been to our family.  Truly, some of the most amazing people live here.  I have learned so much about service from the people here.


But the new job is a great career move for Dan and there are some opportunities for growth.  And the absolute BEST part is the fact that he will NOT be working shift work!!!  I can't tell you how heavenly an 8 to 5, Monday through Friday job sounds.  Really, pure heaven.   I have almost forgotten what life was like with a "normal" schedule.  (I am not kidding.)  It seems so long ago that Dan has worked an 8 hour day and had all holidays and weekends off.  Going to church together EVERY Sunday will be such a treat.  I could go on and on.....and I probably will on a different day.  


Suffice it to say, we are excited for some good changes. 


Just not so excited for the actual moving part and the process of finding a person to buy our home.


Oh, and I am just a little lot worried about finding a decent place to live that won't break the bank.  The housing is outrageous there compared to here.  So, if you are an anonymous reader  (or not so anonymous reader) of this blog that lives in the Rock Springs/Green River area, and you might have some housing hints/tips, I would REALLY appreciate any information you can give!


Wyoming, here we come!

Our home

I am aware that we have lived in this lovely home for over a year now, but I wanted to give you a taste of our home.

The front.

The backyard.

View from the front door.

To the right of the front door is the coat closet, but if you turn right again at the end of a short hallway is Alayna's bedroom.  View from the end of the hallway.

View from the door.

Looking back at the door from the bed.

Looking back down the hallway.  The door straight ahead is the coat closet and the door on the right is the bathroom.

This is what it looks like.

If you walk straight from the front door, the first doorway on the right is the den.

Another view.

And another.  Man that corner shelf looks good.  Wonder who made that....

Directly across from the den is the laundry room.

View of the door that leads out to the garage.

Past the laundry room to the left is another short hallway where there are two linen closets (on the left).  Brylen's room is at the end of the hall.

View of Brylen's room from doorway.

Looking back to the door.

Past the den down the main walkway the house opens up into the kitchen and dining area.

The island.

Another view.

Looking back towards the front door.  The door on the right is the pantry.  Past that (you can't see it) is the hallway to Brylen's room.  And past that (still on the right) is the laundry room. The archway on the left is the den and past that (you can't see it) is the hallway to Alayna's room.

Here's the great room. 

Another view.

And another.

And yet, another.

Directly across from the dining area is the Master bedroom.  (So when looking from the front door, it is the very last door on the left.)

View of the bay window.

Looking back to the door.  The door on the right is the walk-in closet.

A peek inside the closet.

Looking into the master bathroom.

And that is our home sweet home.  You like?  We LOVE!  But even though we LOVE it, we look out the front window to see this:

Sadly, this house and us will be parting ways.  Luckily we are leaving for exciting reasons (more on that in the next post!), but I don't think I knew how much I loved this house and neighborhood until we put that little sign in the front yard.  Oh how I will miss this house and the memories we had here!   


Now, I know the best way to sell a house is through networking, so here is the website with all the information about our house: www.ourgoldnugget.blogspot.com


If you or someone you know might be interested, check it out!