Fun

To Denver and Casa Bonita

Posted on July 28, 2014 by theowenscrew

The kids have been looking forward to two Colorado things the most, and they are the tunnel through the continental divide and Casa Bonita, and we hit both things today. We didn’t intentionally get up early but we had already had breakfast and packed the car and were on the road by 8:30 am.

We stopped on the scenic overlook at Pagosa Hot Springs. The kids spent a good half an hour playing on the rocks and in the hot and cold water pools which on the side of the river we were on were only ankle deep.

The mountains were beautiful, and we enjoyed taking them in as we waited for the tunnel to come up.

The Eisenhower Tunnel is the name of the tunnel for the Northbound traffic. It seemed less tunnel-ish than we expected because it is so well lit.
After the tunnel, the traffic came to a standstill and we spent the next several hours in stop and go traffic. What should have been a 5 hr driving day became an 8hr driving day.

We were glad to pull into Denver.
Casa Bonita (a Mexican restaurant with a waterfall, shows, and divers performing for the crowds) was our first stop. Chad had been there before when he had been in Denver with friends several years before we got married, and has been talking to the kids about it for a while.

the cheese enchiladas tasted like macaroni and cheese, Caleb says that is what he likes about it. The waterfall and divers were cool and the music and atmosphere felt very tropical and vacationy.

We are settled into our hotel here in Denver looking forward to a nice sleep tonight. Goodnight!

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Mileage Contest

Posted on July 26, 2014 by theowenscrew

When we left Salem on April 21st the mileage on the 4Runner was 198408.
We had several guesses and I was pretty surprised by how high the numbers were.
6,000
9,780
14,650
15,000
15,468
18,000
And one that I’m sure was a joke (Suzanne :0) )
55,000

Auto warranties generally assume 10-12,000 miles will be put on a car per year average.

Insurance companies base their quotes using the figure of 12,000 miles per year.

It is 24,901 miles around the Earth at the Equator.

So how many miles did we drive in three months? ………(drum roll)

13,015!!!!!
Congratulations Vicky Garvin all of your calculations paid off. I probably carpooled enough shifts to make up a fair amount of the difference.

That puts us at this starting point for the next guesses.

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Goodbye New Mexico, Goodbye Farmington!!!

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My First Last Day

Posted on July 26, 2014 by theowenscrew

There are firsts for everything and today, actually last night and this morning, was my very first last day on an assignment. Northern Navajo Medical Center sees so many travelers it is a wonder that they allow themselves to like or get attached to anyone coming through. With that in mind, I feel privileged to have had the chance to get to know and be encouraged by so many of the staff who work in Labor and Delivery. The shift started off on a busy note, as I had a fresh delivery and a triage pt. It was plenty to keep the minute hand on the clock moving at a pretty good clip, which I appreciated very much, as I was a tad on the tired side and find it much easier to be busy than to fight sleepiness all night. We snuck in a group photo for my “trip” memory book. I don’t think the ladies at work will mind if I share it.

A multip walked in shortly after I finished getting caught up from the first part of the shift, even though she wasn’t mine, it provided an opportunity to be helpful and do something to keep the tired eyes at bay. This night had both come too soon and not quickly enough, and it was going by too fast and dragging along. I found myself both ready for the next adventure and knowing that the new friendships that I valued here won’t be able to come with me to the next place, making me want to drag my feet and take in each moment for at least two or three. Barb surprised me with a beautiful necklace which will always remind me of my time at Shiprock, NNMC, and the Navajo people. I wore it all night.

As morning drew closer my carpooling buddy, Valerie, asked if she could take me to breakfast, which sounded like a great idea to me. The mommy delivered, we rushed around being all efficient and focused, and every once in a while the midwife that was on would note, when I set out to find the answer to a question she would ask, you probably don’t really need to know for your last three hours of working here. What a thought. This is over just as abruptly as it started. The shift drew to a close, and I gave report for the last time. Can I really be not coming back tomorrow? Next week? The manager had filled out a performance evaluation for me and noted that I was welcome to extend and that they would love to rehire me back anytime. Chad and I have talked about that possibility, but since we are travel nursing to travel with the kids as part of their education, we really feel like we need to move on at least for a few more assignments, but possibly returning in a year or so. Report was over, Valerie turned to me and asked if I was ready for breakfast. I most definitely was after having a busy night to work up an appetite. I followed her into the break room to grab my lunch bag out of the fridge and….surprise!
The unit had planned a surprise goodbye party/breakfast for the end of my last shift. Really? For me? I couldn’t believe it, Valerie that little trickster was totally in on it. I was all the sudden glad I didn’t ask her why she brought 1 1/2 dozen eggs to work.

(Kelly hiding behind the lid to the hash browns)
Thank you Shiprock (NNMC) L&D for everything!
It was fun to eat and joke in the break room for the next hour with the mostly day shift and providers who were there to party with us, and I left feeling thankful, loved, and sad all at the same time. The drive home was uneventful, besides the constant reminder that I should have heeded my bodies warning and gone to the bathroom before leaving the hospital, so when we got to Valerie’s house she offered her restroom and I totally took her up on it. When I came out of the bathroom she was burning some cedar and gave me a Navajo blessing with the smoke as well has a pot/vase as a goodbye gift.

We hugged goodbye a couple times as we talked and encouraged each other in life and in striding towards our goals. I got in my car and turned towards home and it dawned on me that I did not pray a blessing over Val. Lord bless Val and keep her, make your face to shine upon her. Thank you for bringing her into my life. The two or three blocks to my apartment were quick. I was glad to see my family and tell them about my day.
Chad was already knee deep in packing.

We talked for a few minutes, and then I headed to bed for a short nap so I also could make myself a little more useful around the house.
-Sarah

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Four More Days in New Mexico

Posted on July 22, 2014 by theowenscrew

Four more days here in New Mexico. I am still in shock at how fast the time has flown by. But it is real. Our four big tubs have been pulled out of storage, and are lying in the middle of the living room to be packed. We have one last play date at the park this afternoon, then I work tonight and the next two nights, sleep/pack on Friday, leave on Saturday.

Last night we walked as a family to the park near our house. Embarrassingly enough, it was the first time we had done that. It was a fun way to spend some quality time together and enjoy just being in New Mexico. I am going to miss the dry heat, and the oh-so-cute pueblo style that most of the houses sport. Also the beautiful cacti and amazing rock formations.

Greetings from New Mexico
-Sarah

Categories: Countdown, Family Time, Fun, new mexico | Leave a comment

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Posted on July 19, 2014 by theowenscrew

Phew…done with my fourth night, with the weekend to enjoy my family and maybe squeeze in one more sight-seeing trip. A co-workers daughter is trying to get her permit driving hours in so she can get her license so she drives her mom to work and I drive her back home. I have enjoyed getting to know her. It has been a while since I have talked to a teenager about their hopes and dreams, and also I count it a huge complement that this coworker whom I have known for such a short time trusts me with her baby. After dropping her off I headed home with a plan to propose a day trip, albeit long, to one of the National Monuments close-ish to us that Chad and I had both been hoping to see.

Chad was on board with that, as long as it didn’t require a hotel stay as we need to save up for the 7 or so hotel stays it will take us to get to our next assignment.
We had breakfast. I changed out of my work clothes, we walked Myra, and then all piled into the car. I have joked about the kids developing calloused behinds, but I am partially serious. The four and a half hours to the visitors center involved only a few requests for a bathroom stop and lunch, no complaints.

Waiting in line for the bathroom.

We passed lake Powell and if it wasn’t for a bit of a time crunch, may have had to jump in. It would be a fun place to rent a house boat some time.

The visitor center at Grand Staircase-Escalante was smaller and less taken care of than I imagined it would be in the whole spectrum we have seen so far. Funny because I didn’t realize I had an expectation until it wasn’t met.

Quoting from the visitors guide, “Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation in 1996 (for our fellow homeschool kids, who was president at that time?)…According to the Proclamation, ‘Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument’s vast and austere landscape embraces a spectacular array of scientific and historic resources. This high, rugged, and remote region, where bold plateaus and multi-hued cliffs run for distances that defy human perspective, was the last place in the continental United Sates to be mapped. Even today, this unspoiled natural area remains a frontier, a quality that greatly enhances the Monument’s value for scientific study….'” It spans nearly 1.9 million acres of Americas Public lands. Scientists from around the world come to GSENM for all kinds of areas of study.
We didn’t do their Jr. Scientist program, as it was after lunch and frankly, I didn’t have the energy for it. I kind of regret that decision now, as it was an opportunity we never know if we will have again. Oh well, it truly was beautiful and I LOVE bumpy dirt roads and exploring, so the park was a real treat.

Hannah found a cool larva exoskeleton, we don’t know what kind of bug it is.

The Paria River, a wash, actually had water in it, as it is the rainy season here.

With the park being so HUGE, there is no way to see it all in one day and too hot do do any long hikes (only 102). We really enjoyed our 30 miles one way up and back on a bumpy dirt road drive, but it is just the tip of the iceberg. Chad, Caleb, and Hannah started up the Cottonwood South trail a little over 1/4 mile.

We keep saying we are going to need to come back to this area, maybe Flagstaff, because there is so much we had wanted to do but are just not going to get to.
We were sad to say good bye to the park, and turned on an audio book, pointing the car towards home.

Thank you Lord for this opportunity to learn more about your creation.

Categories: Family Time, Fun, National Park, national parks, new mexico | 2 Comments

A Day of Rest

Posted on July 14, 2014 by theowenscrew

It was sad to say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa Sherman this morning. It has been fun to share our new life with them, even if it was just for two days. They watched the kids while Chad was in Honduras, and then brought them back, for which we are so grateful.
Church was good, Bible study was about faith as an action word, and the main service sermon was about the shield of faith, which was so appropriate as we have been learning about the armor of God. We set up a play date for the kids with the friends they have made here. They happen to be siblings and also homeschoolers. It would have been fun to meet their parents earlier, as they seem like very fun people. We have kind of started saying our goodbyes as we only have one more Sunday here which is such a weird feeling.
After Church, we opted for something that sounded fun, but completely away from our normal diet…apples, cheese, and crackers. Caleb helped me pick out two kinds of unique artisan cheeses, Hannah picked out the apples deciding on Fuji, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious, Eve picked out the crackers, we checked out and headed home. Lunch was fun as we took turns paring different kinds of cheese with different slices of apples.
It has been quite a while since we have had an afternoon nap, but what better way to spend our day of rest. The kids all slept, with Me and Eve being the last ones up at nearly 6:00pm. So late, we must have really needed our rest.
May we wish you all a good week.
-Sarah

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Diné Saturday Market and Shiprock Scenic Drive

Posted on July 13, 2014 by theowenscrew

We knew if we didn’t make a plan we would end up hanging out at the house all day. Mom and dad wanted to do something with us that we had not yet done and we knew exactly what it was that we wanted to do, go to the flea market/Saturday market in Shiprock. We all got ready to go out stopping at Dunkin Donuts for coffee on the way out of town.

Dad wanted to get some cash and being out of practice, I had forgotten to grab extra pull-ups, wipes, and change of clothes for Eve. So from DD Chad and dad headed to Walmart, and mom and I headed back to the apartment and then on to Walmart so we could travel together out to Shiprock. We found dad’s car in the parking lot and they were still inside. Mom asked if I could get something out of their car for her and handed me the key. I smiled, thinking we have keys to their car!?! It is our duty to move it then, just to make them feel loved. Mom thought it was a great idea so we got in and and started the car moving it down the same row about twenty spaces. Just far enough to make them wonder if they were just losing it or did they really park it out that far. We then parked nose to nose with their car and waited. They came wandering out soon and smiled as they recognized our car. We had got them. Dad said that next time we move their car we should put the seat back when we are done. LOL. I love to see him smile that boyish grin.
From there we headed to Shiprock and the Diné (Navajo people) flea market.

We had traditional mutton on fry bread for lunch (I had a piece of mutton no fry bread).

Also we got a new key ring that says hello and welcome in Navajo.

When we had seen the entire market thoroughly we left heading south towards Gallup a short ways. We wanted to drive up to Shiprock the geologic feature that the town was named after. We had driven around it before but were unsure of we were allowed to drive the dirt road that lead up to it. I had since asked at work and assured that we could drive up to it but not to climb on it at all for it was sacred to the Navajo people. Wanting to respect that we were careful and stayed on the dirt roads and did not climb on or touch the rock.

We continued down the road, finding ourselves on a very scenic tour of the Reservation, including beautiful red rock formations and curvy dirt roads. Keeping an eye on the clock and our gas situation we turned around and headed home just before dinner time.
On our way home we stopped at a little famous for the area tamale stand and bought tamales and Navajo fruit pies for dinner.

The tamales, bigger than most burritos, were more than filling and a great way to end the day. It has been so fun to share four corners life with my parents.

Categories: Family Time, food, Friends, Fun, new mexico | Leave a comment

First Date Night in Three Months!

Posted on July 13, 2014 by theowenscrew

After a surprise (you can’t leave the unit unstaffed and all the perm staff are going) staff meeting that kept us at work almost a whole extra hour, I was very eager to get home to my awaiting family.
I thoroughly enjoyed my large bowl of watermelon breakfast surrounded by my three little baby birds mouths wide open for bites. I had planned to push myself and stay up all day but I was pretty foggy and glazed over, so I decided to take a two hour nap. Chad had to come wake me up two or three times before I was actually awake long enough to get my feet on the ground and my brain in first gear. We spent the afternoon chillin and relaxing as a family. Mom and dad asked us if we wanted to go on a date while they were here to watch the kids. We jumped at the opportunity.
I had walked past Clancy’s several times in the last week walking to the coffee shop and I wanted to try it out. It had a large variety of foods and would have something Chad and I would both like.

Chad had a Cesar salad and I had seaweed salad and sushi.

It was so nice to have alone time. We talked about all kinds of things and made some plans. A walk at the mall brought us to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and dessert. Ending our date with a little adventuring drive around Farmington Reservoir.

The sun set as we drove back towards our apartment.

thank you God for bringing my family back to me safely and thank you mom and dad for a wonderful surprise date night.

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I Got My Babies Back!!!

Posted on July 11, 2014 by theowenscrew

This much awaited day has come. It started with a phone call from Chad saying his flight from Denver to Farmington was canceled and that he would be on standby for a later flight. I had a good night at work and was in a much better frame of mind than the previous day, so it wasn’t as upsetting of news as it might have been. Roll with the punches, go with the flow, is the name of the game here and isn’t so bad if we recognize it as an exercise in flexibility rather than an inconvenience or mini crises. It did however mean that I would not get to see Chad before work as I would have loved. Sleep was good to me despite my poor decision to drink a caffeinated beverage before bed. Jill and I had planned ahead in case of a flight delay and so we were prepared. We left a little early for work and I followed her to the airport where we dropped off the car for Chad. We then continued on to Shiprock and work. Shortly after the shift started I got a message that my parents and kids were 17 miles out from the hospital and were going to stop and say hi on the way by.

It was a quick hello, but all those little hugs felt so great and did this mamas heart good. Chad texted me that he had made it home, and a beautiful delivery soon followed. It is well with my soul. Now the count down is on until morning….I don’t plan on getting any sleep tomorrow. It will be a family day for sure.

Categories: Family Time, Friends, Fun, Travel, Travel Nursing, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A day with Jill

Posted on July 9, 2014 by theowenscrew

With only two and a half weeks left in New Mexico, I feel my time is quickly running out. Jill, another travel nurse, and I had talked about going and doing something together before I up and leave. Well, it was now or never.
So this morning bright and early for us night shifters (8:30) I picked Jill up and we headed towards Colorado. When Suzanne and Jeremy were here we had visited a little lake (reservoir) up in the mountains above Durango. It was so peaceful and so beautiful that I wanted to go back and see it at least one more time. Jill loves scenic drives and was game to trying to figure out a way to get all the way around the lake. We did it! We were wondering if we were going to need the 4 wheel drive a few times but we did it, and it was beautiful. So worth the drive up. Here are a few pictures from the back side of Lake Vallecito.

After our rough riding dirt road adventure around the lake, we headed towards Pagosa Hot Springs in Pagosa Springs. I had seen pictures and was very excited to see it for myself.
It was definitely lunch time when we pulled into Pagosa Springs. Our stomaches were insistent on that. We picked a cute little restaurant called “Hoggs Breath” named after Boss Hogg, the founder of the establishment, originally called Boss Hoggs Restaurant and Tavern. We enjoyed reading the history of this little place as well as of the town and the hot springs in their newspaper like menu.

Finally getting Frito Pie checked off on my experience list, I was pleasantly
surprised by the presentation and flavor. Not bad, not bad at all!

The hot springs was only another mile or two from the restaurant, so we got there shortly after noon. I had been hoping for overcast, maybe some rain, but no lightning. Well I got my wish for the most part.

We decided to take the scenic route home through Ignacio, which took us right past Chimney Rock National Monument. It was before 5:00pm so we went in. There were no more tours scheduled for the day but we got information on the ruins at the top and admired chimney rock from a distance. It wasn’t much, but it would do.

The clouds were awesome and we were wondering if we really were going to get dumped on, or if it would be dry rain again.

Then the rain started, and we both rolled down our windows to take deep breaths of fresh air/ fresh rain smell. Are we in Heaven? No, still Colorado!

Then it happened, the major Dumpage and Farmington/Aztec first monsoon of the season.

With wipers on full blast and windows down slightly more than a crack so we could experience the weather but in a smaller dose… It was pure bliss.
Thank you Jill for a thrilling, exploring, memory making kind of day.