Just Another Dream Home

I cannot believe this! I happened to see from an email link that the HGTV Dreamhome giveaway for 2012 was in PROVO, UTAH! Hello! It seems that practically all our family and friends would have signed in and entered like every day. But maybe, like me, you had no idea it happened! So then I took this quiz to see where 'you' would be happy living (you know, just based on the 7 questions it asks you!). With family being the constant, I took the quiz twice. My result...(big surprise!)...does this look like Arizona, or what?! Good grief ;)

Your Dream Home Destination is:The West

Your mantra? Life is not worth living if you aren't pushing the envelope. You love a challenge, hitting the open road, trying new things and meeting new people. You'd feel right at home in an area of the country where there are wide-open spaces and roads less traveled. Out west is best for you. Try Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming or Montana.

So I took the quiz again thinking about different things I like, and came up with this result:

Your Dream Home Destination is:Rugged Coast or Mountains

You are a deep thinker, someone who appreciates the beauty of nature and the quiet of early morning. Your Dream Home Destination should soothe your soul and inspire creativity. Consider the rugged coast of Maine or Wisconsin, or the mountains of Tennessee or Colorado.

Owen took the quiz and got the sa-weetest answer!

Your Dream Home Destination is:Tropical Coast or Urban Locale

You light up a room; you can't even remember how many times you've been complimented on your sunny smile and disposition. You prefer the company of friends and family and weekends packed with activity to quiet nights at home. The perfect Dream Destination for you? Consider a beach bungalow in sunny Florida or southern California or a hip studio in an urban center like NYC, Philly or Chicago.

A Change of Direction

Most photos by Blake Marvin for HKS Architecture

Timing. Why do things happen when they do? I started my job with Cigna Medical Group this week. A good company with nice, professional people. The office I started working in after a day of corporate orientation was just great. The nicest doctors, nurses and staff work there. My boss was extremely understanding and supportive of the dilemma that suddenly surfaced.

Day 2 of CMG employment I had an interview and instant job offer from Phoenix Children's Hospital. I was offered a part-time position in the Emergency Department. It took a couple of days to make the final decision, just to be sure and to pow wow with the family. I gave up Monday-Friday, 8a-5p, weekends and holidays off at CMG. At Phoenix Children's I get to stay in pediatric patient care, it will be part-time with some flexibility, and hospital work is familiar and enjoyable to me. Variable shifts is still something to deal with, so hopefully we're up for that.

So timing. They say it's everything. I don't know what it all means. This situation is reminiscent of my departure from Maxim to Oakland Children's last year. It was a helpful comparison for me to make as I was a little nervous going into an office job again. As it is, I feel light and happy. Work starts a week from Monday. We shall see...

Classic Towels

The red and blue towel on the left is one I used in college, maybe even in high school! It's usually Owen's swim towel, but with as many towels as Trevor uses in a week, anything's game. The other towel needed a sewing repair YEARS ago, and is still going strong! We have a nice stack of swimming towels when they are all clean. Whew. We need 'em!

Sunday dinner with the Cousins!

We had a totally fun dinner and evening with family tonight at Elizabeth and Andy's! Doug and his family and Daniel were there. What a great time, great food, lots of CUTE, funny kids. Elizabeth had to contend with multiple power outages, but still made AMAZING Navajo Tacos and Texas Sheet Cake. Delicious! No photos (it was a little dark, and we were busy eating).

Wade's Uncle Jim and Grandma Bergeson live here, and he has cousins here, too! Meagan had us all over for swimming and some delicious food. Blake, Gunner and Kent live here, too. Meagan and Blake's families have lived in Grandpa and Grandma's house for a time, too. So we are in good company.

We are settling in. Getting organized. Figuring out our routines. Big week ahead. I start my job. Owen needs an immunization update (almost fell through the cracks!). And we can't wait to hear more from Jim this week. As our lives settle down, we look forward to catching up with family and friends and hopefully will have some visitors this winter.

Owen, Jedi in training

 

The Mesa Relays!

 

 

Yesterday Trevor swam in the Annual Mesa Relays meet. This is an unusual meet with some standard relays, some really creative. The 4x 50yd backstroke relay was so cool. The swimmers dove in, then flipped over to swim backstroke.

Such fun events. The funniest was the t-shirt relay. The t-shirt was like the baton and had to be worn by the next swimmer. One school practices for it and apparently always wins it. In fact their girls team had the second fastest time to their boys team.  

Trevor swam an I.M. in the 4x100yd Individual Medley relay! His team won that one. He also swam in the 200yd freestyle and the freestyle leg of the 200yd medley relays with 2nd place by just fractions of seconds for both.

Excellent meet!

Cactus, texting and sunglasses

 

 

 

 

Roosevelt Dam and the long road home

 

 

 

 

Labor Day Field trip to the ruins

 

 

 

The cliff dwellings at Tonto National Forest

Hello, Arizona!

On our original arrival in Arizona, we enjoyed a few days here.

As good as a vacation sunset!

Driving arrival to the state of AZ with Trevor

Good-bye California...

 

 

Leaving Clayton in the early am

California hills

I accidentally deleted my photo of the moon
between the palm trees as we departed L.A.
...this one is similar.

We got to stop and see Jane, Seth, Ryan and Amelia in L.A.! Jane made a delicious dinner and even had pinkberry with fruit waiting for us. Ah, I'm still sighing. 

It was so fun to meet Amelia :). And Ryan is such a smart little person! Jane and Seth are busy young parents. Thanks for having us and making the trip easier!

Carmel by the Sea, a stop on the way

 

 

Clayton Car Show

Well, Trevor came out yesterday to drive back with me to Arizona and as we were heading into Walnut Creek on some errands, we passed through downtown Clayton and a fantastic car show. Trevor kept saying, "Why don't they make cars like these anymore?" Poor kid should have been born a half a century earlier. Anyway, it was a pleasure to walk around in 70 degree sunshine and enjoy everything from the "purple crazy" to the '62 Corvette bought on a whim. Fun!

By the way, Clayton really is the nicest town! David and Chin have let me stay with them while I finished up work here, and I have enjoyed their lovely home and this great area. Clayton has such nice fresh air, is at the base of Mount Diablo, and is just a nice family friendly town.

(FYI the Clayton city manager (Gary Napper) was the high council speaker my last Sunday in our ward (Clayton Valley 1st ward). Also, the statue in the park was done by Gary Lee Price and one of the children is wearing a CTR ring.)