Vegas?

We got a call on Wednesday from the orthopaedic practice in Vegas informing us that they want to hire Niel!!! We are both really excited since this was his first interview and he was offered a position.

Decisions. Decisions. I have always hated making big decisions.

So here are my thoughts on Vegas... part of me is just really excited that we have a job offer and that they want him to start ASAP. There are a lot of good things about living in Vegas:

• Great shopping, lots of restaurants, and lots to do in the city.
• I have an aunt and uncle who live there
• There are quite a few mormons there and fellow BYU fans:)
• It is close to Lake Mead (a great boating location for when we get that boat:)
• Only several hours from Disneyland, the beach, and SoCAL
• Las Vegas Temple
• Five hour drive from Utah, where we both have siblings and relatives
• We could live in a nice planned community, Summerlin, which is pretty nice from what we hear.
• Oh, and It's pretty much Niel's dream job, since he's always wanted to do Orthopedic Sports Medicine.

BUT...

It is SO far away from my parents. A 16 hour drive to be exact. That is the biggest drawback of living in Vegas. Here are a few other drawbacks:

- It gets way too HOT for a couple months in the summer...but that might be better than freezing cold in the winter.

-No beach. So sad...I seriously have loved living close to the beach in CA.

-Vegas is Vegas...in many ways not the ideal place to raise children.

Other things in the making...

1. There is an orthopedic surgeon in Phoenix interested in speaking with Niel
2. An orthopedic group in Seattle wants to schedule a phone interview

We have been applying to jobs all over in Washington, Oregon, and CA. We are also open to moving to Idaho or Utah, but we haven't seen any job opportunities. Right now we are trying to keep our options open and not commit to anything for a few more weeks.

There are pros and cons about living anywhere. Overall we are feeling pretty good about the Vegas job opportunity. Niel really liked the Doctor and he happens to be LDS. He graduated from BYU, went to Loma Linda University, and enjoys sports.

Things have fallen into place quite nicely with this job offer. During Niel's orthopedic residency in July, one of his preceptors told him he knew a doctor in Vegas looking for a PA. He told Niel that he would give him a good recommendation if he was interested. It is really hard to get a job as a PA specializing in surgery without experience or a residency.

The biggest thing keeping me from being 100% sure about Vegas is the fact that it is so far from my home in Washington. I always hoped that we would be able to settle down somewhere in Washington so that our children could grow up close to their grandparents and cousins. I would have never guessed or thought that Vegas would be the place I would end up. But ya know what? Sometimes life is unpredictable...and if it feels like the right thing, then you go with it. I will keep you posted on what we decide.