Craving

I'm craving a vacation right about now.  For all those Utahn's you know the feeling.  Winter is long, and the sun is cruel and teasing right now. 

warm. cold. warm. cold. sunny but freezing.  

Ever since I was 11 and we moved from Washington to Arizona I would save up all my money all year long and go back to visit every year (except the year they came to visit me).  

Then when we moved to Utah, and I went back to Arizona as much as possible.  

I loved traveling. 

I loved the independence of getting on that airplane all by myself and having time with just my friends.  

My first year of college I was way too poor to go anywhere.  Then I found Nannying.  Traveling and getting paid for it.  I was off to New York, then California, best job ever.

The year after I graduated from USU was the best traveling time of my life.  In a years time I had gone to California (5 times), Cabo San Lucas, Cayman Islands, and New York.  Not to mention all the mini va-kays around Utah.

Needless to say, it's been a while... 

I'd love a day on the beach with this guy.

Or a night out exploring with these girls.

How much longer til we're done with school????

(Belated) Anniversary Trip

For our one year anniversary we decided to take advantage of being "close-ish" to the Caribbean and do some exploring. After MUCH researching we finally found the perfect place, for the perfect price... Puerto Rico. We left last Monday (3/8) and stayed for 5 days. It was a much needed vacation and we had a blast. Even though Puerto Rico received record rainfall that week, and it rained the majority of the time we were there, we still had so much fun exploring new places and getting to spend time with one another without the stress of all the other stuff going on back in our "real lives".

We stayed in Rio Grande, which is on the northeast side of Puerto Rico. We stayed at the Wyndham Rio Mar Resort. It was at the bottom of the El Yunque Rainforest and right on the beach. We truly had the best of both worlds.

We spent a day hiking and exploring the rain forest. It was so beautiful and fun to see all the different kinds of plants, birds, and lizards. We took a hike along the river to a big waterfall where we swam and played for a while too. The rainforest was probably one of the biggest highlights of the trip for me.

We did have one partially sunny day where we hit the beach and rented boogie boards. The water was pretty cloudy from all the storms but it was still the perfect temperature and it was so nice to be back in the ocean again, I just can never get enough!

We rented a car while we were there so we were able to do a lot of exploring in all the little towns next to us. We spent one afternoon/night in Old San Juan. I loved Old San Juan they had fun little shops and great architecture. We also hung out at the old Castillos (forts) that were built 100's of years ago when Spain owned Puerto Rico. It was all very interesting and neat to see such magnificent structures.

The rainiest day there we took a ferry over to Vieques. A small Island just off of Puerto Rico. Part of the family that I had nannied for in New York was staying over there so we got to spend the day exploring that island and catching up with them.

It was hard coming back, but I guess every vacation has to end sometime. Now I just have to restrain myself from planning the next one. Thank you for an amazing Anniversary Jason! I loved every rainy second of it! :)

Nanny Diaries

I finally got a job out here in Michigan! I began Nannying for a family the first of this month and love it! I've nannied for years now and every time it's a new challenge and new adventure. I think it is truly such a rewarding job. While some people love going to the office and working in doors for 8 hours a day, I just can't do it. I need to be able to get out and go and do new things. I applied for all sorts of jobs when Jason and I first got to MI but with the high unemployment rate out here, everyone and their dog was also applying for the same jobs. It got pretty discouraging because I wanted to be doing something I enjoyed and not just hitting buttons on the keyboard all day. I'm still just a big kid at heart and there are so many fun parks and things to go and see around this area but I had no kids to use as an excuse to go and see them. So I decided I would just "borrow" someone else's kid and Nanny again!

I have nannied for kids of all ages and loved all of them! I've been babysitting since I was 11 and just love kids. Hence my college degree in Family and Human Development. Through nannying I have gotten to live and do and see so many amazing things that I would have never had the opportunity to do otherwise. I lived in New York with the Bertolotti family, where I spent a summer nannying a 9 and 11 year old. As big as the age difference was Raquel, the 9 year old, really became my best friend while I was out there. We had so much fun together! I recently was able to go and visit them again and even though she has grown up so much she is still the same goofy little girl that I love!
I nannied in Logan while going to school too. Than in Park City and California, with the Morrison Family. They quickly became my second family and Olivia and Sophia quickly became "my girls" and Mitchell and Myles put up tough competition for Jason. :) I got so attached to these kids that it is still hard every time I have to say goodbye to them.

When I started working with this new family I could feel myself starting to put up defenses so as not to get too attached. But it has been two weeks now and I am already falling for this little boy. I mean, come one, just look at him! How could you not?!

Robbie is full of energy and so much fun! I'm exhausted by the time I get home everyday but I still love it. I hear that being a Mom is the best job ever, but I beg to differ... I think Nannying is, because you get to play with them all day and than when they are tired and whiney you get to hand them back to their parents! jk I know Motherhood will be amazing, but for now I am more than content playing with other peoples kids, and Jason is in FULL support of that too!