Welcome 2011!

My first post of the year! We rang in 2011 in Sunriver with the Casebolts and the Halls. I love when all of us get together! Neither Kyle or I worked on Friday, so we took off around noon... going over the pass took FOREVER though! We didn't get there until after 5:00, so by the time we got there we were definitely tired of being on the road. Time to party! Well, kind of. Our definition of "party" has changed a lot over the last year or two :) We had several studio condos, and it was nice that everyone could have their own space, especially Payton. She went to bed around 8:00, and my mom and Sue hung out in her room so the rest of us could have a chance to be loud and play games. Hard to believe another year is here already! 2010 was a huge year for us, and this year is shaping up to be pretty eventful as well.

Going for a walk in Sunriver!

All bundled up


This is my latest art project from school! I made a reindeer with my foot

So I mentioned in my last blog that Kyle and I are moving. Even though it's been our eventual intention to move, I never imagined it would happen so quickly; it's still hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that I only have a couple more days of work at Providence. Kyle was planning on student teaching in Albany starting in February, but we just figured he would commute until graduation. After that, we thought I would start looking for jobs based on whether or not Kyle got a job in the Albany school district. Every once in a while I would peruse different websites to look at what kind of jobs were out there, and when I looked at Samaritan's website they had just posted a job in ultrasound at Albany General. It was a .8 position, which means it's 32 hours per week. I kept coming back to it for a day or two, then decided to mention it to Kyle. The thing about positions in smaller hospitals is that they don't open up very often; the turnover is much lower. I couldn't help but think this may be our chance for the small town life we were craving. Not that Albany is a tiny town, but Kyle and I were becoming more and more frustrated living in Portland with the traffic and busy pace of life. We're just not cut out for living in the city long-term. The factors keeping me here were the love of my co-workers and Wee Care, and obviously our house. We decided though that I should just apply and see where it takes us. If I didn't get it then it wasn't meant to be, but if I did then we would consider our options at that point. I got contacted for an interview, and was offered the job the week after. After consulting with our families, we decided that this would be the best option for us at this point. The biggest thing holding us back is our house; we figured we would be in Portland for a while, so a couple years ago it made sense to buy it. We can't sell it, so we've decided we're goint to rent it out. In the meantime, we're going to be staying with Kyle's parents until that happens. Not the ideal situation for anyone, but they have been so gracious in moving their lives around so we can stay, and we're really thankful they're helping us out so much.

We just feel that in the long term this is the best decision for us. We will have so much more support and help in Albany, and my parents are hoping to eventually come south too someday, which would be perfect. Payton and I won't have to spend an average of probably about 5 hours a week commuting, plus it's a little bit of a reduction in hours for me, which is just more time I get to spend with Payton. I wish I could pick up where I work and all the people in it and just plop it down south, because the last thing I want to do is leave them. They have been some of my best friends over the years, and have taught me everything I know about ultrasound. I could never thank them enough for all the great experiences and memories, and I am determined to stay in touch no matter what. They're my ultrasound family :)

Friday night a bunch of us went out so that we could celebrate my new adventure.

Mom and Dad got a night out! :)

My work peeps... I'm going to miss them sooooooooooooooooo much!

So that's pretty much the scoop. This job will be very different, but I'm excited to start this new chapter. Albany General is very small compared to what I'm used to, so I think it will be a little bit of a culture shock! I will have to learn vascular ultrasound (blood vessels), which I haven't done since college, and I will be taking call as well, so lots of learning and new experiences in my future. Plus Kyle starts student teaching on February 1st, so the next couple weeks are going to be a little crazy. But, we will also get to spend more time together, so we're looking forward to that :) My last day at Providence is this Tuesday, and then Kyle and I are going to spend the rest of the week getting organized and packing up. I start the following Monday... I will be sure to update frequently!