Gone, be gone...

Winter blues....I truly believe this year is the first I have ever experienced them...winter is quite long in Alberta (amidst the sunny days). I think that along with the spring weather and sunshine pouring down a few other factors are helping me to overcome the blues. I just got a new job at St. Michaels Health care in Lethbridge as an RN and I work in the PARP program there. PARP stands for Post-acute Rehabilitation +Program. So we get lots of clients who have suffered strokes or amputations and need lots of OT/PT support and medications sorted out to be able to hit the road running at home. They have usually come from the hospital or other care facilities in the area. I love the job! There are new challenges in  my life and it's been really good for me. The first few shifts back, my head literally hurt from over-thinking. Did I pour the right med? What is that med again? Which patient needed the urine C&S? What time is his tube feed? Where do I find the supplies for IV? etc etc. But I just love the challenge and the more I learn the more independent I am and the more productive I feel. So it's been a learning process but a very good one! For all who are wondering, I am hired on as casual and so I hope to only work a few times a month. Probably around a shift or two a week. Shifts are 8 hours in Alberta which is another plus. So if I do an afternoon shift I can still spend lots of time with the kids and then go to work and Jasper picks up the kids, feeds and baths them and puts them to bed. It works out great! Last night I got home from work at 11:40pm, quite tired and went to bed. I was awoken at 3 am to a phone call from my dear mother who told me she was planning on coming to Alberta for my brother Peter's confession of faith. She's landing tonight! ~ This is another wonderful gift that was such a nice surprise!
Also my wonderful friend Irene came to visit me in March and we had such a great time! Even though the weather was off and on nice, we managed to have lots of laughs. We showed Irene "Frank Slide" which is a mountain close by which had in 1904 blown up and rolled over a town killing some 100 people. It was a very interesting. They expect the mountain to fall again in the future and now have some insanely accurate sensors placed at the top so they can hopefully prepare for another mountain fall. Here are some pics:

 

*rocks are everywhere - large boulders

*snowball fight - I totally won!

*we drove further to Sparwood, B.C. for supper and checked out this HUGE dumper.*

James also had his 2nd birthday party when Irene was over:

*thank you for all the gifts! He loves playing with them and also the truck he got from Megan and Roger!

Jasper has been working HARD on finishing the deck for us for this summer and he has done such a great job! I just love it! All we need is the gates up and James and go out alone and play without me having to worry that he's heading to the lake or the road.

Well I have to run and clean my house now and then drive up to Calgary to pick up MOM!!!!