When we were nearing the end of the Phoenix assignment, we got the call for another job.  We'd have to move quickly, because it started soon, and was a short committment.  We decided that since it was only two weeks, that Mike and the kids would visit Mike's family in Texas, while I went to the assignment, and then I'd join them in Texas two weeks later.  Well, at the last minute that assignment fell through.  Since we already had plans to go to Texas, we decided to go, and look for the next assignment once we got to Texas.

Welcome to the world of travel nursing.  We had previously been unaware that in my specialty, there are often seasonal lulls...  early springtime is one of them.  We sat for nearly a month in Texas before a job came available.  There were some drawbacks.  It was in Long Beach, California, I would be working 60 hours/week, and there was no place to park the RV.  Since we were nearly in a panic, having eaten through a large part of our savings, we decided to take the job.  We figured the kids were enjoying spending the time with their cousins, which previously had only happened once every couple of years, when we could afford a trip to Texas.  So, I would go, and Mike & the kids would stay behind in Texas.  After all, it was only 8 weeks...

I had kind of been looking forward to a little break.  You know, uninterrupted time in the bathroom.  Nobody pounding on the door, while I was in the shower.  Nobody crawling into my bed in the middle of the night, and waking me up.  Sounded like heaven.  And it was, for about a week.

Once I was caught up on sleep, and had a luxurious bubble bath, I was bored and lonely.  I missed my family, terribly!  At this point, I decided that uninterrupted showers were overrated.  Since I was in a contract, I had to stick it out, but it wasn't nearly the fun I thought it would be.  Mike and his mom were good about taking lots of pictures and sending them to me.  This is one of my favorites. 

Grandma loves the Texas bluebonnets (or are they blue bells?  I can never keep them straight...) and every spring she takes pictures.

Mike's parents even agreed to keep the kids, and allowed Mike to fly out and visit me for a long weekend. That was fun, almost a second honeymoon, of sorts.  We rented a Chrysler Sebring Convertible, and explored around Los Angeles, and even drove down the coast to San Diego one afternoon for dinner.  It made the time away more bearable.  I was glad when THAT eight weeks was over, and I could return to Texas, to be with my family.