Snow in Sunny Vail

Check out the sled attached to the golf cart.

Last night the news forecaster predicted snow for Vail, possibly Tucson. We went to bed with our doubts. Low and behold, we woke up to snow everywhere. It was so pretty outside. The golf course and its beautiful carved out ponds were picturesque. This for sure will be the only snow we get this year, so we took advantage and had a fun time playing in it. The spa is ready to go and we are looking forward to sitting in it tonight with a good glass of wine. It will be cold, but with 100 degree water temperature, it will be perfect.

Best place to raise kids in Arizona: Vail

Bloomberg Businessweek released its best places to Raise Kids 2011 for each state in the nation, and Vail took the top spot for Arizona.

Bloomberg Businessweek states that in its fifth annual ranking of the best places in America to raise kids, “towns with a low cost of living, good schools, and a low crime rate scored high.” The magazine further explains that, “while low taxes are attractive, schools are the paramount concern for many young families.” Some of Vail’s ranking is a credit to the excelling schools in Vail, which also rank highly on greatschools.org.

So I am happy to read that our little town 22 miles away from Tucson was voted as the best place to raise kids in Arizona. As much as I complain about the drive to and from Tucson, I do appreciate this home away from home. In my opinion, it is a great place to live. Scenic mountains, good schools, no crime, beautiful sunsets, and an awesome running environment. This is all included in the package.

This week was my first week back to work. Healthsouth has been a heaven sent. As much as I dreaded going back to the clinical environment, this place is so different from your everyday typical acute care facility. It is like one big happy family. The employees all made me feel so welcomed. It was so easy to fit in and go about my day. I was mentally exhausted this week, but that was to be expected. All those old rewarding feelings of working with patients came back. I think I am going to really like this place.

The Afternoon

We are back to leisurely weather again. Rene and Larissa had a nice afternoon practicing soccer out on the golf course area. People can use the golf course for walking dogs, walking, and jogging once the golfers are done. I love running through the course. There are some interesting cactus species to look at and it is so scenic and tranquil. We BBQ some steaks, then spent the afternoon enjoying the wonderful Vail scenery. The dog in the picture is Waldo. Every afternoon our neighbor Dave walks his dog and Larissa enjoys playing with him. He is such a good dog and enjoys looking over our fence to see what we are up to. Just another day in sunny Vail Arizona. Gorgeous!

Finally Feeling Needed

Well today's interview went very well. I got hired before I even walked out the door. They were pretty impressed with my previous work experience. I said that is what happens when you are married to a military husband. Just when you have gotten comfortable, you work life changes all over again. I have to say, despite all our moves, I have been very blessed to have such great jobs. I will be working part-time at a Rehab hospital. It is only a 60 bed facility, so it really sounds manageable. The best part, is that the hours are so flexible, just what I was looking for and it pays well. So it makes me happy that I will be able to contribute to the income, keep up with my skills, meet and work with some friendly people, and still be home when the kids need me. All in all, it is a win, win situation.

Keeping the Balance

So this weekend was uneventful. Renie continues with winter ball, so our Saturday's are pretty full at the moment. We enjoy a nice morning baseball game, go to Saturday mass, then off to a nice restaurant for dinner. We take turns picking each weekend. It sure does stop the bickering on where everyone wants to eat. I have been diligent in looking for a job now that the holidays are gone. The ideal job for me would be to find a part-time position to keep up my skills, and still be able to spend time with the kids. I think my days of working full time are behind me. I am at a place now where I just want to enjoy what I am doing and be here for the kids. I have an interview tomorrow at a Rehabilitation Hospital. My talk with the dietitian this morning sounded very positive, so I will keep my fingers crossed. Jobs here in Tucson are scarce, so I will take what I can get. I am so looking forward to helping others. I will strive to keep a balance between work and home.

The Appreciation for good Work

My favorite!

Rene's favorite!

Arizona is such a beautiful state in the winter. I continue to enjoy the red sunset's. As the rest of the country is dealing with miserable winter weather, we continue to deal with never ending sunshine. Day after day, the sun comes up and then goes down. No rain or clouds, just pure sunshine. I hardly ever have to wash our cars. You can plan an outdoor birthday party here without ever having to worry about rain. Oh well, I have to admit I do miss the occasional cloudy days and the smell of a storm coming in. Most of all I appreciate the crisp, clean air.

This weekend we were busy with winter ball as Renie continues to train for baseball with his high school team. After the games ended, we headed to a Native American arts and crafts show. It was pretty neat to see the artist at work. Usually you buy products online or at a gallery and never meet the true craftsman. There was so much jewelry, pottery, and art. I love Indian art, the colors and work that goes into a beautiful canvas. So out with the old and in with the new. I added two beautiful paintings to my collection.

Happy MLK

What a wonderful weekend we had just chilling, eating out, and watching movies. Waking up late each morning, cooking a big breakfast, jump starting the Jack Lalanne power juicer is what family time is all about. It would have been fun to head out somewhere for the weekend, but Rene is still not 100%. Oh, and did I mention our family competition of the Wii Dance 2 marathon. Love weekends like this......