Happy Valentine's Day

What a great day! We dropped the kids off at my mom's and went out to dinner and to Barnes and Noble (predictable, since this is our all-time favorite place for a date). We drank lattes and read, uninterrupted, for nearly two hours. I know, we are complete nerds, but you have no idea how wonderful that sort of thing is to us! :) Joe's first week of work went splendidly, and this was the icing on the cake. I read a book in its entirety on that date, and laughed out loud on several occasions. This is what I read:



It's the true story of a woman who, ironically, lives here in Utah, so all of her references were amazingly relevant to me, despite the 30-year gap in our ages. She has a younger sister who is mentally retarded and all of the trials and humorous things they go through trying to give this lady a quality and dignified life. I wasn't really ever moved to the point of tears, but I laughed a lot, and it was definitely touching. It was about 175 pages, and I read it in an hour and a half, so it's an easy read.

I'm also reading



and it is also funny. At this time in my life, I guess I am really only drawn to the funny books.

I'll post soon about Brad's, Hannah's, Kaylee's and my birthdays. Joe's is next Monday, and then we have a break till October. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Prepare to be amazed....

Well, the unimaginable, illogical, only-because-of-the-grace-of-God thing happened. (This is true only because the market is so bad, not because Joe isn't 100% qualified for this job!...)

First, last Monday he met with the president and local director and they loved him. They talked immediately of hiring him to start a commercial land development team (a goal they had had for over a year...and were just now starting to entertain again). However, they needed the approval of other board members, so on Thursday he went to lunch with 4 more board members, plus the two that he met with on Monday. They grilled him for 3 hours and he came home exhausted. He of course scrutinized everything he had said and began second guessing himself. I had complete confidence that he had conducted himself well and had presented himself accurately. He's a very even-keeled and level-headed guy, so his answers are always very calm and deliberate. Besides all that, like 50 people were praying for him! :)

So later that afternoon, the director called back and told him they had a written offer for him. He talked to Joe about the offer over the phone, so we knew we would accept it. The money is just a bit more than he is making now, which is exactly what we had expected. We went down and picked up the offer (and Joe signed it) and Joe picked out his office. My head was floating above my shoulders the whole time. It felt so surreal, but once again I learned that God is faithful.

So now he finishes his time with his old job this week and he is taking Monday and Tuesday of next week to relax. I am also taking those days off, so we are looking forward to some quiet days. He'll start his new job on Wednesday.

We are so excited for this new adventure, but we find ourselves mourning some of the changes. We have both loved having him work from home because we've been able to eat lunch together everyday. However, the hours at his new job are 7:30-5:30 M-Th and 7:30-11:30 on Friday so we know for sure that Fridays we'll be able to eat together. Plus, his office is only 12 minutes away so we can always meet halfway. Anyway, those details are so minor compared to the absolutely wonderful gift of this job.

We stand all amazed! Thank you SO MUCH for your prayers!!!!!!!!!!!!

You want fries with that?

I have a hard time being vulnerable on this blog, most of the time I just reveal humorous anecdotes from our funny children or relate events like a family newscaster. However, I decided that when I look back on this in 10 years or so I don't only want to remember the goofy things that happen around here, I want to look back and see how God moved in our lives...in good and bad times.

Don't worry, I'm not going to turn my little blog into a melancholy journal of droll ramblings. I like to laugh too much.

It turns out that Joe is needing to find a new job. Without too much detail, I'll just say that the working remotely thing is not working out anymore so he will be moving on. Moving on to WHAT? you might ask. Yeah, well, we ask that too. The last time Joe was let go was 6 years ago, and we had sold our home in Mesa the day before. We were in the process of buying our home in Chandler. I'm pretty sure we gave our mortgage broker indigestion that day! Well, that was a Tuesday and on Thursday he received a call out of the blue (hadn't yet had an opportunity to even spruce up his resume) with a job offer. This friend didn't even know Joe was going to be needing a job imminently! It was amazing... one of those "you know it was a God thing" things. Well, we are in need of a similar miracle. My salary allows our kids to attend private school, but not eat. :)

Joe went out yesterday to "beat the streets" looking for a senior level design/management position with a civil engineering company. Gee, that's not too specific, is it? :) Well, we don't want to get too excited, but today he got a call from the company he liked the best and they want to have him meet the president of the company on Monday! (he'll be driving in from Boise to meet Joe!) The job is in Kaysville, which would be about a 15 minute drive from our house. Please pray- how amazing would that be for him to get a great job in this market? (about as amazing as our house selling in the tanked AZ housing market...which it did!) We do know that if God wants this to happen, it will!

Thanks in advance for your prayers!!

Sunrise, Sunset? I'm not even ready for Sunrise!

Hannah: (in a somewhat exasperated voice) "Mommy, when am I ever going to have a boyfriend?"

(let me remind you, she turns 5 this month, not 25)

Mommy: "Why do you need a boyfriend?"

Hannah: "I just want one."

Mommy: (trying not to pass out) "What would you do if you had a boyfriend?"

Hannah: "Play. Go to the park. Have ice cream together. Dippin' Dots."

Mommy: "Well, how about if we do that with the friends you have now?"

Hannah: "OK. I probably won't even have a boyfriend when I'm five."

I seriously can't stop laughing...

I just sat and read this blog for the last nearly two hours (despite the fact that I had a hundred other things that needed to be done.) I don't think I have laughed that hard for that long...you have to check it out. Now, granted, I am a grammar geek who loves to mock grocery store signs advertising "onion's" and "pepper's" and can't get enough of the book "Eats Shoots and Leaves." Perhaps it is because my grandmother was an English teacher. Enjoy!

www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com

Good-bye, 2008, Old Friend! Welcome 2009...

The 2008 roller coaster has come to a complete stop, and it's time to get off.

We had a year filled with change, and hopefully, growth. (in character, not girth...)

In January 08 we begin our journey to UT. We pack up a UHaul with various furniture, Christmas items, and a whole lot of whatnot (and half the Oldhams' whatnot) and Joe and CR drive it all up here to UT and unload it into Darren and Jill's garage. (very gracious of them to host our junk for nearly 6 months, don't you think?)

In Feb 08 we list our house and the showings begin. Ugh. I seriously NEVER want to do that again.

In March, April and May the showings continue. Meanwhile, the Oldhams sell their house and buy one up here.

In May we get an offer on our house. After some negotiations (but no love songs) we get a contract we can live with and we're all set. Packing commences.



June 5, 2008 we move into our new house. The rest of the summer is spent going back and forth from AZ to UT tying up loose ends and saying good-bye. We buy a lot of Kleenex.

July 08 we enjoy the cool climate, and adjust to our new life. No job opportunities on the rise for me, but we remain sure that God will provide something.

End of July 08, I apply at Starbucks in a last-ditch effort to make ends meet with upcoming tuition payments. Two days later I'm offered a teaching position at LCA. We rejoice in God's provision and wonder why in the heck we didn't trust Him more.

Aug 08 I begin teaching high school geometry and biology at LCA. Brad, Lindsay, Nathan, Kaylee and Hannah begin life at their new school. Homesickness is apparent, but all kids adjust over time and begin to thrive.

Sep-Dec 08 Family is in survival mode. First year teaching is difficult, but rewarding. Joe working remotely has snags and thorns, but God is faithful to bless his pursuits. We overdraw the checking account twice, and rearrange billpaying. Life stabilizes. Smiles are beginning to thwart furrowed brows with all of us.

Dec 31, 2008 Family says good-bye to 08 with Mom and the Oldhams at the O's with a yummy Mexican meal and a Wii bowling tournament. Hannah sweeps, beating all adults, friends and siblings to take home the victory. Perhaps we adults could learn from the "ballerina bowlers" just how it's done. Watch the second slideshow to see what I mean.

Jan 09 Resolutions are made, much-needed rest is taken, and preparations for the new year are made. Special time is spent with family, friends and neighbors, closets are cleaned out, and family gears up for new adventures.

Winter 08 I

New Album 1/2/09 11:04 AM

We are so thankful for each of you and the way you have loved and encouraged us along this crazy road. Happy New Year!

Santa Cookies and Premeditated Caninicide, Almost

Before...


And after!




Some friends back in AZ had a cookie exchange and posted pictures on facebook. This was one of the recipes I fell in love with (the little Santa faces are soooo cute!). So in a moment of domesticity I baked and decorated. And decorated and decorated and decorated. I seriously underestimated the time it would take to make these puppies. But it was worth it, I still love them! There are about 40 cookies, so I have to be sparing upon distribution. Last night I spent another hour or two assembling teacher gifts to be taken to school tomorrow. Today, our dog Ivy (yes, the cute snowball-laden one from the last post) got up on the table and ate three of the teacher gifts and consumed at least 3 of said Santa cookies.


The evidence speaks for itself.



"Please forgive me, won't you?"
The jury is still out on that one...