Finally!!

Grant is 5 months old!  Almost 6 now but I'm finally getting around to posting. 

This is not the best picture, nor will this be the best post but I'm finally able to post!  Grant's life gets crazier and keeps changing so much every month!  This one was no different. (This is going to be a LONG 5 month/catch up post...not for the faint of heart!

On my birthday in May, we moved back to our hometown.  We've always known we wanted to come back home and the timing finally felt right.  We're living with my Grandma right now and trying to get a nest egg saved up.  It is SO good to be home!  We love it here and feel like we're right back where we belong.

This is where Grant will grow up!

This is our driveway and I LOVE driving up it after a long day/night!!

 We were still in limbo for a few weeks while Mike finished up work in Mesa.  A HUGE thanks to Nate and Jen (Mike's sister and husband) who let us stay with them through most of it!

We got to hang out with our best pals, the Boddekers!-These guys are part of the few things that make us miss Mesa!

Grant was loving Heidi!  She was cracking him up!

Grant's cousin Alex was baptized while we were there.  Congrats Alex!

We got to visit cousin Zachary as well.  They were so cute hanging out together!

Another of Grant's cousins, Shelbi was so sweet to Grant!  Anytime we were around she was helping out with him.  She 'babysat' while Mike and I talked out by the pool one night.  When we came back inside, we found them crashed together.

They are buddies!  Thanks for all your help Shelbs!

 About two weeks after we were finally moved in, we were evacuated due to the Wallow Fire and in limbo once again.

The smoke billow from our back yard.

This is what the sun looked like after the big billow fell--scary!

It was very scary and frustrating but luckily we had family and friends who welcomed us into their homes with open arms and were able to have a good time and make some memories in spite of being worried.

At Grandma Mary's house-thanks for letting us stay!!

Grant got to go swimming with Grandma Velda almost every night (she's been out of town the past few days and Grant is missing her!)

Aunt Silly came home from Misssissippi right in the middle of the evacuation.  She was exhausted and ended up having to spend her birthday as an evacuee.  Grant turned 5 months on her birthday!

Grant and Grandpa G-Man/Pappy/Pops/Grandad (we haven't really decided what Grant's gonna call him yet) at Brian and Melody's house.  They were also gracious enough to open their home!

 THANK YOU to everyone who took such good care of us!

Throughout all of this, I had been really stressed about getting a job.  I had one lined up before Mike quit and then it fell through after he had already turned in his notice.  It's a long story but I'm finally happy to say that I have a job.  It's in a neighboring community so I have a commute but nothing worse than I was making in school and it's a beautiful drive.

The 60 on which I used to commute vs. the 60 on which I now commute...which would you choose?

I'm working nights so I don't have to miss out on too much with Grant and it's been working out really well so far.  I miss him like CRAZY though!  Someone had a baby visiting the other night and I could hear her laughing and sqealing down the hall and I just about fell apart.  I REALLY have sympathy and respect for moms who have to go back to work 6 weeks after their babies are born!  But I know this is a means to a more preferable schedule and I'm really enjoying living my dream!  So far, I LOVE being a nurse!!  I'm so thankful for all the people who were so supportive of me finishing my degree, especially Mike!  I'm also lucky that I only work 3 days a week, got 5 months and that Mike's able to be with Grant when I'm gone. I have to keep reminding myself that there are so many positive things about our situation when I start missing my baby late into the night!

Grant is such a studly 5 month old!  This month he has:
*Mastered rolling over
*Eaten his first rice cereal (although he doesn't prefer it)
  *Started sitting up alone
 *Gotten his first tooth
*Been weighing in around 20 lbs!

...and he's pretty much just awesome all around around!  He still hasn't ever had a crying spell that lasted more than a few minutes and is SO fun and happy.

I've been pretty out of the loop the past week, trying to get back home and starting this new schedule.  Please don't hate us if you've been trying to get a hold of us and we've been out of touch.  We finally got the internet today and will be changing our phones tomorrow so we're really starting to feel settled in and like we're finally getting somewhere! 

I know it's awful but this is practically the only picture we have of the three of us...we need to get workin' on that!

I'm really stupid because I have an ADORABLE little baby I could be cuddling with and instead I'm making the longest blog post of all time!  Whew...if you're still here, you made it, this is the end.  Thanks for reading my long post!