Changes

It has been an exciting few months at the Shattucks. Theron decided to apply for a few jobs in the fall, a promotion at EIRMC and at Madison, as well as a manager job at a hospital in Vancouver, WA. It was kind of a long shot for all three- Madison & EIRMC turned him down- but the hospital in Vancouver called and interviewed him over the phone and decided they wanted him to fly out for an interview/tour. We figured they must be genuinely interested in him if they were going to pay for all that, but it still seemed like a long shot so we didn't really tell anyone. The interview was at the beginning of December and apparently went really well because they called two days later to offer him the job. Not only that, but they wanted him to be there in four weeks.
It sounds crazy, but this is Theron's dream job (for the moment;) It is a non-for-profit hospital, a management position that is not quite management but they call it that (he doesn't have enough years of experience for a "real" management position), it is in Vancouver (he served a year of his mission here and has wanted to come back ever since), the pay is 1.5 times what he was making, it is days only, and it turns out very few weekends or holidays and hardly any overtime. Washington has a nursing union, so the staffing issues he was having at EIRMC will be non-existent.

 Anyhow, when we built our house we planned on staying there for a couple years and selling it. We knew when the opportunity came we would be moving out of Rexburg. So we packed up the house and moved out the second week of January. We were very grateful to the Elders Quorum for packing our truck, even though we were very unprepared to get everything out of the house the night they came. We made the best of it and between the moving truck and Theron's truck made it out of town with almost all of our stuff. We were able to find renters for our house and find a house to rent in Washington. Theron found it online and sent a friend to look at it. She gave her approval and we signed a lease without ever seeing it. Luckily it is an awesome house in a neighborhood full of ward members. Seriously it is a two minute walk to the RS president's home as well as at least 3 other families.The worst part is that it is next to a busy road so it is a bit noisy.

Valentines- these balloons are still floating!

Lydia getting comfy with a book

Coloring on the floor

It turned out to be perfect time to move for Lydia. The Sunday before we left Rexburg was the first time she went straight into nursery with no argument. The first week here she did the same thing and we have not had any tears since. She has finally remembered that she likes fruit and in the last two months has eaten bananas, applesauce, and pears, even trying a strawberry and grapes. She used to LOVE fruit but one day about a year ago swore off all of it, so this is exciting news:)

Logan is in a weekly co-op preschool with a few kids from our ward. It is short and unstructured but it works for now and he gets to make new friends. We have also been to a few playgroups and had multiple play dates.

The adjustment so far hasn't been too bad. It is hard not being to so close to family (we had to PAY a babysitter last weekend) but the ward has been awesome and I already have some great friends. The weather is dreary most of the time, but not freezing, and we have had a few sunny days that we got to spend outside without jackets.