As most of you know, Scott graduated from fire academy and then EMT last year and is currently working on obtaining his Paramedic license.  He's also completed and received his Driver/Operator certification - which is not a requirement, but he figured every certification he can obtain will make him stand out more so than other candidates.  Simply put - he's certified to drive and operate the firetrucks.  Pretty cool, huh? 

What most of you don't know is where Scott is right now...he's in Arizona.  And why, you ask, is he in Arizona?  A job interview.  Yep...Scott is actively trying to get hired in the Phoenix Metro area.  Being the genius people I know you are, you realize what this would mean should he get hired.  It would mean the Redish Crew would pack up and head west.  This is actually his second try to get hired in the past few weeks - the first was with Surprise, AZ, a great little town in the east valley full of new growth yet it still maintains that "smaller" town feel that the metro area doesn't have much of any more.  He made it through several stages of the interview process...but was not asked to proceed further after his last trip out there in early March.  Of course we were very disappointed...but we keep telling ourselves that when it is meant to be, it will happen.

Up popped a job listing for Casa Grande, AZ - a town just 25 miles south west of where Laurie lives.  So he applied...and was asked to come and take their test.  His test was yesterday at 5:30 and he passed it with a high score and was asked to return this morning for an interview at 11:30 AZ time - 1:30 Texas time. 

He's applied locally here, to a few fire stations that are hiring, and would gladly take a local job, but we've decided that we want to move back closer to my family.  And honestly - it wasn't me who brought it up.  After Scott had completed his first few weeks of fire academy, I made a trip to AZ to help Laurie out with Braden while her and Zac were away with Jack for treatment.  As soon as Scott picked me up from the airport when I flew home, he started telling me all that he'd thought about while I was gone...he had thought a lot about the hurtful turn of events that happened here with his parents, thought about his desire to break away from the construction business, thought about Jack and all him and Laurie and Zac were going through.  He told me the words I'd been waiting to hear for months...maybe even years...he wanted to move back to AZ to be closer to them.

I know the stereotypes and the in-law jokes...every girl thinks that her husband just adores her family, when in reality he cringes at the site of his wicked mother in law...right??  But seriously...Scott loves my family and loves being around and loves being with my family.  And they all adore him.  Scott is very guarded and has a bored and could-care-less attitude most times - on the surface, of course - but when he's around all of them, that surface crumbles away and he smiles...really smiles.  The reasons for Scott's outer shell are too many to get in to right now, and he's worked long and hard to get his inner demons under control, but they exist all the same.  When he's around them, it's like he comes alive with what he feels from them and for them.  To him, my sisters are his sisters...not his sister in-laws.  He's fiercely protective of them, so much so you'd be a fool to do either of them wrong.  And Shawn and Zac are his brothers, his friends, and his fellow partners-in-crime.  While they don't see each other but a few times a year, they always pick right back up where they left off.  He's so relaxed with my parents, it's almost as if he's more "theirs" than I am!  Not really of course, but Mom ALWAYS takes his side and NEVER takes my side....just saying.  Simply put, it's obvious he loves them all.  And they all feel the exact same about him.  

So yes, I was shocked when he announced he wanted - actually said he needed - to be closer to them....but at the same time I wasn't really all that surprised.  It's obvious when he's around them that he feels he just belongs.  And if you know Scott, really know Scott, you know that feeling isn't something he's used to.

Will we be sad to leave??  Oh yes.  We've made friends here who are so special and so dear to us, and leaving them will be agony.  Leaving them is something we don't ever talk about, probably because we know how awful it will be.  But there are airplanes!  And AZ is a beautiful place to visit....hint, hint.

Of course he needs to get a job first and foremost...just a little technicality!