Change

Remember this post, where I shared with you about my decision to find a new job?  A job
that would provide me with better hours, allowing me to be home every evening and
every weekend, no more 12 hour shifts?

Well, guess what?

I GOT A NEW JOB!!!!

After only a few short weeks of interviews, applications, and spreading resumes around
town, I got the most blessed phone call asking if I would like to accept a full-time position
with a local home health agency.  It took everything in me not to literally SQUEAL into
the phone!  Yes, of course I accept!  When can I start?  

So, in two weeks I will officially begin the next chapter in my career, a new journey for
our family.  In two weeks, I will officially be a home health nurse!  What does this
mean exactly?  Well, it means that I will work Monday through Friday, no nights, holidays,
or weekends.  I get to set my own hours according to when I want to see my patients,
which for me will likely be 7:30-3:30.  I will get to wake my babies up every morning,
feed them breakfast, drop them off, and then be there to pick them up in the afternoons.
I will get to cook dinner every night and be home with my family every weekend.
Currently, I work three 12 hour shifts a week.  On the days that I work, I leave our house
at 6 am and get home at 8 pm.  I work every other Saturday and Sunday and several
holidays a year.  While this has worked for us and we have made the best of it, it's
definitely time for a change.  Isabelle has begun crying when I go to work, knowing that
she won't see me until her bed time.  With Shawn juggling school and work, he has felt
the burn of not having me at home on those days as he struggles to play way too many
roles.  And the baby, she is just growing so fast and those days are so long to
not be with her.

So, I made a giant leap of faith, really put myself out there, and believed in the possibility
of something better.  And here it is.  I am so excited to give this new opportunity a chance.
In general, I do not like change.  I enjoy setting up roots, forming a close knit community,
and being loyal to a group I feel passionate about.  But for now, it's all about our family
and what is best for the tribe.  That is what we are working so hard for, all the
sacrifice, chasing our dreams.  We are doing this all for our family.  My only hope is that
one day, my little girls can look at their Daddy and I and know that with hard work
and determination, anything is possible.  

Sweet Friday

Aren't short weeks the best?  We are still recovering from the Fourth and now
another weekend is already upon us, so great!  Shawn and I got a lot done around the house
this week, including working on our seemingly never ending back patio renovation (post
on this project coming soon).  I got three inches cut off my very overgrown hair and feel
so fresh and so clean.  Brees has been crawling everywhere and Isabelle enjoyed a few
play dates with friends.  The girls and I have big plans for this lovely Friday,
including a whole lot of this...

Here's a list of some of my favorite posts this week from some
very inspiring women:

• Carly from All This is Grace and Charm posted three delicious recipes all geared toward eating in season.  We try to eat fresh, local, in season produce as much as possible and I can't wait to give these recipes a try!
• I just started following Matt and Kara Adopt, an amazing blog chronicling Matt and Kara's experience as a young married couple hoping to adopt a baby.  Their story is so heart warming and I found myself reading back through months and months of posts.  This week they got some amazing news that literally brought tears to my eyes!  
• I'm really hoping this post from Mandy at A Sorta Fairytale spreads like wild fire! Don't say you haven't had these same thoughts!
• My workout regime has been seriously lacking lately.  I just can't seem to find my groove.  I've contemplated doing P90x again, or just mixing up the hundreds of work out videos collecting dust in our media cabinet.  This post from Jess at IROCKSOWHAT really inspired me this week to get moving, one way or another.
• Maine has always been on my travel bucket list.  After seeing Hilary from Baby Moohoo's photos from her family's Fourth of July weekend, I'm ready to see this beautiful, foggy place now!
• Vanessa from Little Gray Pixel posted the most lovely vision board featuring some of my favorite colors: gold and turquoise.  SO perfect for summer!
• Katie from Katie's Pencil Box takes the most amazing photos, I seriously get all nostalgic and day dreamy when I look at them.  Her holiday photos melted my heart: what a beautiful family!
• Aura from AuraJoon's post on baby wearing touched my soul.  She so perfectly articulates how rewarding having your baby close can be.  And her photos, there are no words.
• Deanna from Delirious Rhapsody shared her birthday this week with her sweet son, Gage, by hosting a blog party!  SO many awesome guest posts and giveaways, check it out and join in on the birthday fun!  Happy birthday D and Gage!
• Megan from Mackey Madness posted about how she spent the holiday making treats for her hubby and his fellow firemen.  I loved this post because 1. Megan is hilarious and 2. It reminded me of those sweet newlywed days!  It's good to reflect back on pre-baby days and remember to make the extra effort for the one you love.
• Caitlin from To Make Love Stay posted a few reasons why she'll never be a studio singer and had me literally laughing out loud.  I have been known to improvise with some pretty interesting lyrics myself:)

Friends and Freedom

We spent the Fourth of July weekend with some of our dearest and oldest friends,
Geno and Cara, and their two beautiful children.  The four of us met while serving in the
Navy together, sailing the seven seas and navigating our way through our early
twenties.  Shawn and Geno are like brothers, their friendship began from the moment
they met and they have remained best friends from across many miles and life stages.
We introduced he and Cara when she was in town on business and the rest is history.
We have seen each other through younger days, laughter and tears, heart ache and
life changing moments.  It's weekends such as these, sitting on the back porch reminiscing
and appreciating where we have been, that make us feel so much closer.

From being young couples in love, no responsibilities, not a care in the world...

 

To witnessing one another make the biggest, most important commitments
of our lives...

And now spending weekends together making Play-doh animals and shooting
off fireworks in the backyard...

We spent the long holiday weekend catching up on old times, sharing stories and
swapping tips, and enjoying our children, all the while shaking our heads in disbelief at how
far we've all come.  We swam, created sidewalk chalk art, made it through a few melt
downs, ate snow cones, and even convinced the daddies to build us a fire so that we
could make s'mores, despite the blistering heat.  

And then, after the kids were completely exhausted and tucked safely in their beds, we
sat on the back porch and talked until 2 in the morning, then grabbed a couple of sparklers
and danced across the back yard.  

It was an absolutely amazing weekend and I can not think of a better way to have
celebrated our freedom than with the people we worked alongside with to obtain it.  One
of the most rewarding gifts we earned by serving in the military was the lifelong
friendships we formed, the comraderie.  And now, we get to enjoy the gift that is each
other with our offspring, and what could really be better than that?

Wordless Wednesday

The Girlfriend Guide: Ellen

Today's edition of the Girlfriend Guide features my dear, sweet friend: Ellen.  I met
Ellen through mutual friends when Shawn and I moved to New Orleans.  We spent
years meeting up at parties and running into each other at various friends' houses
before becoming really close friends ourselves.  I have always admired her gracious
nature and calming demeanor, she is just one of those women you meet and instantly
want to be friends with.  She tells the absolute best stories and can make me laugh until
I start snorting.  Ellen and her husband, Logan, recently moved to Switzerland after
she accepted a teaching position there.  They are currently busy taking care of their
sweet puppies and spreading the Montessori love in Europe, while we count the days
until they return home again.  I hope that you enjoy her personal account of what
friendship is all about: she's a smart lady, that Ellen...

 1.  What is your personal definition of friendship?

Friendship is built on mutual trust, caring, loyalty, and respect.  People who can truly
be themselves around each other.

2. What qualities do you look for in a girlfriend?

Until I was about nine years old, I was a big tomboy and was never interested in being
friends with girls, so I feel a little behind in my girlfriend-seeking experience. Since then
I've looked for girlfriends who are caring, honest, easy-going, loyal, unpretentious, and
love to laugh (aka giggly).

3. How do you balance spending time with friends and fostering 
relationships with work family?

It can be difficult to balance everything, but it is very important to make time for
friends. Meeting friends for coffee regularly or inviting friends over for dinner just to hang
out was what I used to in New Orleans. Now it's a little more difficult since I'm so far
away. Email, Facebook, and Skype are lifesavers, but I almost miss my friends more
because it reminds me that we're so far apart.

4. What advice would you give other women about having healthy, 
happy friendships?

Find girlfriends who can make any situation enjoyable, not just the fun things. Be flexible
and understanding and make sure that you are there when they need you.

5. How has having strong friendships enriched your life?

Forming longtime friendships has been very rewarding and I can't picture my life
without them. I feel well rounded because I see different perspectives and experience
new things with friends. Friends have inspired and motivated me to explore and
pursue different interests and goals.

6. What is your favorite girlfriend memory we have shared?

My favorite girlfriend memory is the girls spa-like weekend with Mere and Jess, (and
Isabelle of course) at Liv's house last summer. We hung out in the pool, went to a
great restaurant, bowled with fake names, etc. It was so relaxing and fun just to be
together and talk without distractions. We were all at such different points in our lives
and it was the perfect time to be together.

Girlfriends like Ellen:

Girlfriends like Ellen are genuine, gracious, and always positive.  She is 100% drama free
and brings a ray of sunshine into every room.  Ellen is always up for an adventure and I
am guaranteed an unforgettable memory every time we are together.  She is the kind
of woman who brings a house warming gift every time she comes over, sends hand
written thank you notes expressing her gratitude, thinks of every little detail before you
have a chance to worry over it.  My favorite thing about Ellen is how considerate she
has always been with our children.  Though she does not yet have children of her own,
she understands and appreciates how important our little ones are to us and always goes
the extra mile to include them and enjoy the role they play in our lives.  That's such
an amazing quality in a girlfriend.  She is one of the most considerate people I know and
I strive to be more like her everyday.  You are truly an amazing human being,
Ellen, especially when you get down on the kitchen floor and do the caterpillar with
me.   Thank you for being so wonderfully you and please, please come home soon!

The Girlfriend Guide has found a very special place in my heart and, though this week
brings the last of my girlfriends, I have no plans of seeing it go.  With that I extend
an invitation to all of you to share your girlfriends and insight about your most
treasured friendships.  If you are interested in participating, please email me and I will
send you all the details.  I already have some pretty amazing bloggers lined up with
their stories and would love to read more!

vasqueztribe@yahoo.com

Steppin' Out Saturday

The girls and I started the holiday weekend with a little girls' day out!  Shawn left early
for work and we all woke up to see him off, followed by a breakfast of cinnamon rolls
and chocolate milk.  We got dressed and headed out for some shopping and lunch at one
of our favorite sandwich shops.  It was such a lovely day, the girls were both happy and
in great moods, making any outing that much better.  We hurried home around 3
in anticipation of the arrival of some of our oldest friends as they road tripped their way
from Alabama to Louisiana to spend the long weekend with us!  Shawn, Geno, Cara, and
I all served in the U.S. Navy together many moons ago and we have remained friends ever
since.  What better way to spend the Fourth of July weekend than with your
lifelong military friends?!

Here's what we wore:

I hope that you all have an amazing weekend, enjoying your
family, friends, and freedom!  

Read With Me

I can NOT tell you how excited I was to receive my pre-ordered copy of the latest book in
the Sookie Stackhouse series last month!  Yes, I am one of those women who read
books about fictional vampires.  I have also been known to stand in line for the
movie adaptations for hours at a time just to see the midnight premiers!  It is no secret
that I have very eclectic taste when it comes to books and movies.  I will go from a
biography about Joseph Stalin to a historical fiction novel about Queen Mary Tudor
to a romance triangle between a teenage girl, a vampire, and a werewolf.  But that is
why I love to read so much: I can transport myself to whatever world I chose,
however realistic, however fantastical and dreamy.  And this month, it was all about
Sookie and her paranormal adventures!  If you haven't read these books, I
SERIOUSLY recommend them!  The Sookie Stackhouse series is the basis for the HBO
show "True Blood" (another obsession of mine) and is much more "adult" than the
Twilight series.  Sookie is a telepathic waitress living in small town Louisiana.  This
series revolves around a world where vampires and werewolves are not only real, but
coexist with regular humans.  What results is an endless supply of drama and dark
humor.  The latest book in the series, "Dead Reckoning", by Charlaine Harris,
did not disappoint!

      As the 11th installment in the series, this book picks up just as werewolves have
"come out" to the world.  Sam's bar is attacked and catches on fire and suspicion falls on
the anti-shape shifters in the community.  Sookie's fairy relatives, Claude and Dermot,
are staying with her after being separated from the fairy world.  Bill Compton confesses
that he is still deeply in love with her and her bond with Eric endures a few twists and
turns.  As with the other books in this series, there are A LOT of plot twists,
character developments, and uncovered truths in this novel.  Some of the elements
revealed in this book were questionable according to the time line of the story but
would probably go unnoticed by most readers.  I just so happen to be a super nerd.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but was disappointed by the current state of
Sookie and Eric's relationship.  I am a HUGE Eric fan.  If you haven't read this series yet,
DO!  It's the perfect summer easy reading and the best guilty pleasure.  We all need a
little vampire action in our lives, in my personal dork fest opinion.

Also, if you haven't jumped on the "True Blood" bandwagon yet, you are seriously
missing out!  Just make sure you put the kids to bed first:)

{You really haven't lived until you've spent 3 hours waiting in line for a movie,
fighting off hormonal pre-teens and middle-aged divorcees, all in the name of
the undead...}