Never a dull moment

I have not posted much here about our job struggles, but I feel the need to share now.  Maybe to help someone else, maybe just as a record of this time, but I hope maybe to be able to come back and see what we went through and see Heavenly Father's blessings in all things and how we learned and how he allowed us to grow.  At least I hope that happens.

The last almost 2 1/2 years have been a struggle, with what started with a job loss for Steve and has now led him to 3 other jobs that have not lasted as long as we would have liked, two moves and several months in-between of unemployment.  To say that this has stretched us would be an understatement.

Most recently, several things have occurred together to lead us to where we are.  About 6 months ago, Steve was working for a construction company as the Safety Coordinator in a part time position that we were told would ultimately turn into full time work.  Then one day he was told that his time there was over and that his temporary assignment was finished.  This came as a shock to both of us and while we struggled with multiple emotions, Steve picked himself up and took the first job that came his way - car sales for Honda.  Now he had never sold anything in his life so this too was a culture shock for him and for us as it required long, long hours. None of us really liked this job, but he was so amazing as he worked hard to learn the business and do his best to make this job a success.  He struggled at it for over 3 months.

During this time, I kept feeling like I needed to get a part time job, but he worked so many hours that I would not be feasible for me to work outside the home - much of my income would go to pay for babysitting.  It wasn't feeling right, yet the feeling would not go away.  I was teaching piano lessons, but only had a couple of students and it wasn't helping enough.  As the months trying to sell cars continued, but the income was just not there, we had many discussion about what to do.  Many times we both asked the question - Should Steve quit and figure something else out?

In December it seemed the answer was for him to quit and me to find work, yet again, we both struggled with it and weren't sure how to make it happen.  So I decided to just start updating my resume and look to see what was out there and to let people know that I was looking.  It was overwhelming me very much - mostly because I had not been in the workforce (admin related) since before Sean was born.

I was taking a 5 Pillar's class and during one of the classes I mentioned that I was looking for work. One of my friends in the class mentioned that her husband may have work for me, but she wasn't sure if he was already interviewing someone else for the position.  At this point we had decided that I would look for full time work and Steve would quit selling cars (as he was really not selling enough) and he would continue to look for a better job.  My friend told me that the position with her husband would only be part time.  So I told her I was interested, but deep down I really wasn't and I kind of forgot it.

We got busy with Christmas preparations and celebrations and I stopped looking for work until after Christmas and Steve continue to sell cars.  After Christmas I received an email from my friend saying that her husband did want to talk to me and to give him a call.  Again, I was not sure that this plan was what we wanted to do and I honestly didn't know what I would be calling him for, but I felt the impression that I should call him anyway and just see what he had to say.

I called him a few days later and we had a good conversation, which ended up with me being offered the job - part time up to 30 hours a week, but all of them could be from home, except a couple times a month going into the office.  Steve and I talked, but funny enough we both felt like there wasn't much to talk about - there was no downside.  I could work around the kids and homeschool (he understood that very well as he and his wife homeschool their kids).  Steve could continue to work and look for better work as well.  So we took the plunge.

I should mention that after Christmas, but before I got the email from my friend, I felt like I should advertise piano again.  Nothing readily came, but ironically, even with taking this job, I have increased my piano students as well.

Then just two days after I accepted this job, Steve received a paycheck with such a low pay (and questionable issues on his check) that we decided and felt that it was not longer in his/and our families best interest to continue (one issue being that he was paying more in time and gasoline than he was being paid).  The struggle he felt whether to quit or not, was suddenly no longer hard.  He felt such relief quitting - and so did the rest of us.

So now, in a strange reversal of things - Steve is taking care of the kids and the house and job hunting, and I am working 30 hours a week as an administrative assistant from the house as well as teaching piano and loving it, and then occasionally doing energy sessions too!  It is crazy here.  There has been a struggle to adjust mostly for me and Steve.  The boys seem to do pretty well.  They love seeing their dad more.  And Sean has told me that he doesn't mind my job because he can see me during the day too.

I am learning to accept that Steve is a better housekeep than I am (I think I knew that already, but I a having to accept that now!).  Steve is learning how to balance the house, the kids and his need to job search.  It is not easy for him, but I am so grateful for all he is doing.  He also gets to rethink about his value (which has for so many years been wrapped up in his job and his earning potential) - this has not been easy for him.

I am learning how to get efficient quickly again and to fit it all in.  I admit this is hard for me.  But within the first week I was able to schedule work and school and piano and it all seemed to work.  Sadly, it has been harder to maintain in the following weeks, but we did have a welcome visitor for over a week - my mom came while she was trying to help my grandma with some health issues.  That did make all of this a bit more challenging.  And of course, there are unexpected things and appointments that have come up that we are trying to figure out as well, but it is getting easier.  I am learning how to get through the tired times.  I was also very blessed to receive a blessing from Steve.  This helped my outlook so much.  

Things are not where they need to be for us yet, and we may even need to move again, but we have seen the blessing from Heavenly Father that a job and more piano students were provide just when we needed it. It did not come in the way we expected or even hoped (as we of course wish it was for Steve), yet we know that the Lord has a plan for us and he knows what we need.  We may not yet understand what we need from this change, but we see that we are not alone and we are not forgotten.  Steve even pointed out that despite our 16 year old car's many leaks, we never get a check engine light on and it just keeps running!  We are truly blessed.

We do hope that this trial ends very soon, but we are doing our best to keep the faith, to keep close to the Lord, to have faith and to teach our children to stay close to the Lord.  It is not perfect, but we keep trying and moving forward and somehow it all works out.

Out With the Old, In With the New

I can hardly believe that another year has come and gone.  So much, and so little has happened in 2014.  As I just started updating my blog again and I didn't get around to mailing out Christmas cards, I wanted to take a moment and write down some of the happenings of 2014 and my thoughts for a new year.

While it seems like we just stumbled along this year many things did happen.

Sean
- turned 7 this year - started counting down to his 8th birthday - just a few days after he turned 7!
- started loosing teeth and growing new teeth - often he grew a new one before the old fell out!
- became a huge lego lover this year!  Especially Star Wars legos
- He is so aware of his surroundings and will try to control all of it if we let him!  Trying to keep him focused on being a kid this year.  He wants so much to be helpful.  He is quick to say sorry when he has done something wrong.
- Worked on Speech therapy this year.  Reached a couple of milestones - finally able to say k and g sounds.  Now working on S/SH/TH sounds.
- Took swimming lessons and though it was a slow start for him and he was afraid to go underwater or even swim without holding his nose.  Then suddenly one day he just went under and is now swimming like a fish!
- Made a new friend, Carter, in the ward who loves legos just as much as he does.  Continuing to make friends from homeschool park days.
- Learned many new board games and card games including family favorites - Monopoly, Phase 10, Skipbo, 10 dice.
- One highlight of his year was spending a week with his cousin Adam at a family reunion in Colorado.  He discovered Minecraft during that week and is now a big fan.  He still talks about his time with Adam over 6 months later!

Ryan
- turned 4 this year!
- He continues to want to do everything himself.  We are getting better at finding a balance between what he can do and what we still need to help with.
- He loves to make messes and is getting better at cleaning them up.
- He loves to play with his brother Sean!
- He doesn't seem to have any toys he can't live without, but his favorites seem to be Hot Wheels and any toy figure he can carry around.
- He took swim lessons.  He loves the water and while he still is a little shy about swimming by himself, he loves to jump into the water from the side of the pool!
- He is starting to love reading with Mom or Dad.  His words after a good book - "again, again!"
- He loves to sing and does so every day.  He loves to take a familiar tune (either a primary song or a Christmas song) and put in his own words.  Lately the song of choice is follow the prophet.  One funny variation was "Daddy's a goof ball" to the tune of "Follow the Prophet".
- He is growing leaps and bounds.  He is so tall that most people think is 6 yrs old.  In just the last 6 months he gained about 3-4 inches and about 10 pounds.  His feet are now bigger than Sean's.
- He loves to cuddle!  We have figured out that as long as his "hugger" is full, he is pretty happy and satisfied.  Some days we need more hugs "I need 40,000 hugs" to fill him up.
- He finally potty trained!  We had been trying a while and it just wasn't working - so I gave up and finally decided we didn't want to spend the money on pull-ups any more so we told him they were gone.  I gave him heads up and within a couple of days he was mostly potty training and in two weeks was fully potty trained.  He loves being a big boy!

Valarie
- I started teaching piano lessons.  It was strange to start again, but I am finally getting my bearings again.
- I continued to take my 5 pillar class.  I have one semester left and while it has been very challenging at times to even get there, I am glad I am associating with great women and learning so much.
- I am continuing to do energy session for family and for clients.  I love seeing the healing that takes place!
- Have a lot of stops and start with the schooling process, but slowly finding a balance.  Not easy to balance school, piano, energy work, household and all the other things I want to throw in there.
- Experimented with baking this year.  Family favorites included cheese crackers, wheat thin crackers and english muffins.
- I had a couple of callings this year - Visiting Teaching Coordinator and Ward Organist.
- I got to participate in two Christmas programs this year - one for the Stake and one for the ward.  I got to sing, play the piano and organ for both.  I also have been active in the ward choir and am one of the few accompanists in the ward so I play a lot.  I have enjoyed using my talents this year.

Steve
- Staying strong through continued job challenges this year.  Started out the year unemployed and was able to get a part time job with a construction company doing safety, which was new to him (he had received his masters in safety the year before and this was the first opportunity to use it).  That was not an easy job, but he learned daily how to apply his education to the construction world.
- When that job came to an end, he quickly took the first job that became available - Selling cars at Honda.  Not his first choice, but he has learned so much!
- He is learning that he can do many things he never thought he could through these challenges this past year.
- He is the favorite with the boys and they are always requesting daddy time and wrestle time!
- He has had a couple of callings in the ward this year also - He was Gospel Doctrine teacher for most of the year, then was called to be the Scout Committee Chair.  Unfortunately shortly after that he took the job with Honda and is unable to make it to church - so he currently doesn't have a calling.
- He has been wonderful this year supporting me in all the crazy things I have been doing!
- He is looking forward to the new year and in securing a better job - one more interesting and more directly related to his education and experience.


2015 - I am looking forward to this new year and all that we can accomplish.  My goals are to improve our home and schedule and schooling so it is not so stop and go.  Steve and I are looking forward to improved outlook for jobs and income and a hope that these financial struggles we have had over the past two years can be at an end.  We learned so much last year about enduring and also accepting service and love from others.  Also how we can continue to give despite having so little.  I also learned that we can live off of so little and we don't need "things".  My goal for the new year is to purge our household of things we no longer use or need.  Sean is looking forward to his birthday and we are already starting to prepare him for baptism.  Ryan is looking forward to days of fun and play!  Here's to a great new year!