Covid and Beyond: From Texas to NY, to NJ, to Idaho

 March 2020- Rylee lucked out and was able to celebrate turning 7 at an inflatable jumpy place with her friends the last weekend before everything shut down. I started my very last course of my graduate program.

Spring 2020- We juggled "home schooling" and Zoom meetings for the kids while I tried to finish up my review course for boards and worked extra on the covid unit in the ICU. I graduated in May and passed my boards! I then accepted a temporary new grad fellowship at a pop up birth center in Manhattan. 

Summer 2020- I spent the summer going back and forth between NYC and Austin. In July, we went on vacation to San Diego and spend a lot of time at different beaches, since everything is shut down again. 

   

Fall 2020- I accepted a full-time job offer at a midwife owned practice in Clifton, NJ. In September, we packed everything up and moved across the country to Harrington Park, NJ. Rylee started second grade, and we decided to try out kinder early for Callum (since the cut-off date in NJ is October instead of September). Rylee dressed up as a Kangaroo and Callum wore his inflatable dinosaur costume for Halloween. We visited lots of pumpkin patches and apple orchards.

Christmas 2020- In true 2020 fashion, our plans to see Ryan's sisters fall through because Zach got covid. Our power went out Christmas morning and we opened presents in the dark. A huge rain storm came in and melted all the snow, so we didn't have a white Christmas. But the power did come back on in time for Ryan to make us Carnitas for Christmas dinner. 

Winter 2021-  It became apparent quickly that my current practice is not a good fit for me. I started to look for a new job. It snowed TONS. The kids try out snowboarding for the first time. Cal takes to it like a natural, Rylee is not a big fan. We also visited Honey and Grandpa Kevin in VA. 

Spring 2021- We took a trip out to Buffalo for me to interview with a birth center. We also got to go to Niagara Falls which was super cool. We came home to NJ, and I interviewed with a local homebirth midwife based in Rockland County, NY. At the very last minute, I heard about a job in Boise, Idaho and interviewed with the midwives. I fell in love with their birth center and decided to make another cross-country leap. Rylee turned 8 and got to see her Grammy, Poppy, and Aunt Andrea and her family. We also spent as much time as we could exploring NYC together as a family before we moved. 

Summer 2021- We decided to buy our first house with only being able to see it on FaceTime with our realtor. We drove five days cross country, me with the kids and Blanca in the Kia, while Ryan drove the moving truck. We lived in a one bedroom apartment for a month with one non-working AC window unit in the living room during the hottest part of the summer. Fortunately, we got to move into our new house at the end of July. 

Fall 2021- Rylee started 3rd grade and Callum started Kindergarten. We made great neighborhood friends and loved the fall Idaho weather. Callum celebrated turning 6 at the bike park! Callum dressed up as Zed from Disney's "Zombies" and Rylee is "a blonde cheerleader." 

Christmas 2021- My mom, Cassie, Travis, and Granny came up to Idaho and stayed at an AirBnB where we all had Christmas together. The kids had their first white Christmas!

  

Winter 2022- We spent the winter skiing and snowboarding!

Spring 2022- Rylee turned 9! Grammy and Poppy came to see the birthday girl all the way from NJ. She had her birthday party at Wahooz and they played until they drop. 

Summer 2022- We had the best summer! Lots of pool fun, water fights, and river time. We also spent a week at the Oregon Coast. 

Fall 2022- Rylee started 4th grade and Callum started 1st grade. 

A 6 Year Interlude

 Well hi there! Welcome back to The Campbells! A hella lot has happened over the last seven years. Let’s recap, shall we? I’ll break it down from 2016-2020, and post-Covid.

Christmas 2016- We drove to Navarre, FL for my sister, Savannah's wedding.  Then we drove up to Madison, AL and spent Christmas with Grandma Cindy and PopPop and the rest of the Lanham clan.

Winter 2017- I enrolled as a non-matriculating student at Frontier Nursing University to take graduate level statistics and a physical assessment class. 

Spring 2017- I applied to Frontier's Midwifery program and was accepted! I headed to Hyden, KY in May for orientation. Rylee turned 4. Grammy and Poppy's beach house was completed and they moved to Galveston. We got together with my college besties, Whitney and Kristi and their families. It was magical!

Summer 2017- I started my first official semester as a graduate student. We also got to see Andrea and her family when they came and visited Galveston. Grandma Cindy and PopPop come visit us in Austin on their way home from a cross-country roadtrip. In August, I turned 28 yrs old and spend my birthday at a Bob Schneider concert at Gruene Hall.

Fall 2017- Callum turns three! We spent the day at the Children's museum in San Marcos. Rylee officially started Pre-K at Sunshine Learning Center with Ms. Betty. The kids play a season of Soccer Shots. 

Christmas 2017- The Trail of Lights is back on and we took the kiddos! Callum continues to be obsessed with Spiderman. I surprise Ryan with plane tickets and our first family vacation to Atlanta, GA. 

Winter 2018- We start 2018 off with our new Prius getting totaled and Callum breaking his foot. We spend an epic five days in Atlanta.

Spring 2018- We moved out of our little house in Austin and into the nicest and newest house yet! Rylee turned 5 yrs old. Spring brings warmer weather and the kids jump at the chance to swim in our neighborhood pool. We also go to Galveston with our friends Jeremy and Allina Vasquez and their three kids. Callum has surgery and gets ear tubes in and adenoids removed. Rylee graduates Pre-K!

Summer 2018- We spent many, many days in Galveston, letting the kids play in the salt water and sand. We also went on an awesome road trip to Glenwood Springs, CO, where we camped, played, and white water rafted.

Fall 2018- Rylee officially started Kindergarten at Blazier Elementary with Ms. Newton, the nicest, coolest teacher around! Callum turned 3 and had a trained themed birthday. The kids started at a new daycare/after school program at Stepping Stone. Her best friend that year is Alice.

Christmas 2018- We spend our first Christmas in our new house! We also ride the Polar Express with Grammy and Poppy. We also go to the Trail of Lights.

Winter 2019- We again start off the year with our replacement Prius getting totaled and Cal ending up in a walking boot again with a suspected tib/fib fracture. Fortunately, he did not end up with a fracture and we got to toss the boot! The kids and I spent some time at Honey and Grandpa Kevin's in Virginia.

 

Spring 2019- Highlight by far of Spring 2019 was going to Hawaii with my brother and sister!

Summer 2019- We started off the summer by celebrating Ryan getting his architecture license! I surprised him with a cruise to the Bahamas. 

I find myself back in Hyden, KY at Clinical Bound and spend a week doing a skills intensive midwife bootcamp.  I come home and start clinicals with a small home birth practice in The Woodlands. I travel back and forth between Houston and Austin several times a week. 

Fall 2019- I finish up my first clinical rotation and we surprise the kids with a trip to Disney World!  I start at Darnall Army Medical Center at Ft Hood later in October to start my second clinical rotation.

Christmas 2019- Christmas goes by in a blur, I'm immersed in clinicals, and there's a steep learning curve. 

January 2020- We got through the month without totaling another Prius or Callum breaking any bones. It's going to be a great year! I wrapped up clinicals at Ft. Hood and went on to a private practice at a hospital in Waco.

February 2020- On February 5th, I caught my last baby and completed my clinical requirements! We went to Ryan's nephew's wedding in New Jersey mid-month. Ryan's cousin, a Respiratory Therapist, and I talked late into the night about the new virus spreading across China. We decided it is only a matter of time before it hit the States and were surprised more people were not panicking.