Our Extended Vacation

An extended vacation is what this trip should really be called. Most days that I am not working we wake up to the sound of little boys playing, and sleepily ask each other, "What do you want to do today?" Then we drink coffee and search online or look at a map
and choose-our-own-adventure. We spend
a lot of time in the car, because everything is a bit of a drive away and
because we love the scenery. It's gorgeous here. This
weekend we had a "storm" that put the entire state in a panic. (3-4" of snow). Granted, it is icy and most people don't have the vehicles we Coloradans have! The next morning, every stem and every blade of grass was covered in a
layer of ice. It was a sparkling wonderland. So far ours are the only tire tracks that have come out of our pocket neighborhood,
but since the sun is out today, I am
thinking people will be back to work tomorrow!
As you can see from some of these pics,
we have toured a cave, found parks, found our fishing beach, visited the Gaylord Opryland Hotel botanic gardens (Mark has decided it is so amazing that he wants to work there-ha!), hiked to waterfalls, shopped, and have been trying to duplicate some of the wonders we see on the Food Network- I want to be Giada!
Since our boys have only each other,
they are quickly becoming the best of friends. They play together all day long, and crack each other up on our long drives through the country (all the while hitting and punching each other, tattling, apologizing, becoming best friends again, and starting the whole cycle over). Tommy started an AWANA club program at a little Baptist Church (no shortage of those around these here parts), so he can keep up with his club back home. Andrew is potty-training (sort of), and he got his first big boy bike- SPIDERMAN! For Andrew, nothing could be better. He has spend hours in the freezing cold on the back porch going back and forth in circles with Baba (Tommy). I love those boys!
We have tried a couple of churches, and it is so great to feel at home in God's church, worshiping Him with His people, even though we are miles from home. We miss everyone, but we are loving this time together with our little family. Much love from Tennessee!

What goes up...

3 funny stories...
Day of departure 8:00am- We drive away from my parents house for the 20-hour trip. 10 degrees outside. Drive to Target in Westminster for coffee mug for me. Drive over speed bumps in parking lot. Both of us comment, "Wow, we are so weighed down we can't even feel the speed bumps!" Mark drives faster over the speed bumps. Mark goes into Target and is done in 5 minutes. Mark exits Target and looks for our white truck, thinking, "Huh, that truck looks just like ours but without the loaded bike rack." Mark opens door of our truck, "The bike rack is gone." "WHAT?!" We drive back to the speed bumps. Rack is on the sidewalk; moderately damaged 3 bikes, one stroller, and all snowboard gear still tied to rack which is now laying on the sidewalk. Lady with missing teeth comes out of TJMaxx and tells Mark he should drive more slowly over speed bumps, and then asks me if he is mad. Mark gets back in car to breathe. 10 degrees outside.
Day of departure 10:00am- After one trip to Ace Hardware, a return trip back home for repairs and yet another emotional goodbye, we are finally on I-70.
10:15 am- Mark and I think about the whole situation and crack up

First night in our place:
Andrew's first night in a real bed, 1am: Crash- Andrew is on the floor and crying

Third night in our place:
Tommy's third night in top bunk bed, 3am: CRASH! 2 kids screaming bloody murder. Tommy fell the 6 feet from bed to floor landing first on Andrew and then the wooden rail that didn't do it's job. Mark wonders how his neck isn't broken.

Queen of The South

I have decided to "blog" my new adventures as a travel nurse. I have never blogged before, but my mother has always said I am a writer, and so even though my mom may be the only one who reads this, here goes...
I have dreamed of being a travel nurse since school, and my husband (Mark) and I decided it was time to pursue. So we sold our house and began to think of all the amazing places we wanted to see in this great country... surfing in sunny Hawaii, clam chowder in coastal New England, snowboarding in Steamboat Springs, sampling wines in Napa Valley.... ahh, the options were endless. So we loaded up our truck with our two kids, Tommy age 4 and Andrew age 2, and all the stuff that would fit into the back.... I mean ALL the stuff, including a bike rack atop (I include this detail for later laughs). We then set out for our great adventure in.... Tennessee?
I don't think I have ever thought twice about TN prior to 3 weeks ago. (That's where Nashville is, right?) And let me assure you, there are no sunny beaches and there is not a drop of Cabernet Sauvignon to be found in this dry county... But when my nurse recruiter tantalized us with pictures of a "chalet" in the woods one mile from gorgeous Center Hill Lake, we couldn't resist.
Perhaps I should fill you in on "travel nursing"... Recruiting companies find jobs for you in places that are in need of nurses quickly and for a period of about 13 weeks. If you are accepted for the job, the recruiters provide you with housing, pay your utilities and travel expenses, and a decent pay rate.... not a bad gig.
Ok, back to the chalet... it is a newer vacation rental home surrounded by woods and complete with fireplace, hot tub, and the best part (if you ask Tommy and Andrew); bunk beds. It really is gorgeous here. The boys can play Daniel Boone endlessly on the property around us, and we have a 56" TV with cable (this is a big deal to us who have never had cable! How did we live without HGTV? I know, it's sick, if we aren't fixing up a dumpy place of our own, we are watching someone else do it!) We are about an hour outside Nashville, in a small town called Smithville (complete with a Walmart, of course). Cookeville is about 45 min away, and that is where the hospital is that I will work for... but that is for another posting.
So, here we are, wintering in this gorgeous house with nothing to do but go to work 3 days a week (at which time Mark stays with the boys). What will the next 12 weeks hold?