Monday

I start the new job MONDAY!!! I'm very excited. I'm also going to be making $1.25 more than they were going to post it because of my experience, which thrills me all the more. Now all we have to do is make it for a month before my first payday. **sigh**

Oh well. Maybe Jay will find something soon.

I Got That Call

Yesterday I did get the call that 2 of my 3 references had called back and were positive responses (of course), but it's been more than 6 months since I last worked for the district, so I have to do the New Hire packet and fingerprinting all over again! I rushed out and got the packet yesterday and I'm heading over at 10 a.m. - the earliest they do it - to get the fingerprinting today. I don't know when I'll start now, though, because they may need to do the whole background check first. We'll see. But if I don't start this week after all, at least I DO know I have a job. And we have some volunteer work we have to do for the government help we're getting. We're assigned to work at Goodwill. Hopefully we can do that together to save gas money. Plus, and I know this is really awful of me, but I know people who have been in prison work there, too, and I'm a little uncomfortable with it. I tried to get them to let me count my volunteering at the school and just add some time in there, but that can only happen if I get some papers signed by the principal. I'm not sure what I'll do. I won't be exempt, though, because I'll be working less than 30 hours a week, so I'll have to do something as long as we're getting help from them. Which sucks all on its own. It's embarrassing and just plain difficult to not be able to totally support ourselves. This is the first time we've had to have help outside of some food supply from our church despite this being the 3rd time Jay has lost a job in 4 years. I'd say under the circumstances, we've hung in there pretty well. I'm just praying my book will be finished soon and sold and will cover all our debt that's been built up trying to survive the last 4 years and Jay's student loans.

Waiting

I check the school district's website a couple of times a week - mostly because those hours would work best for me with getting Rachel to and from school without making her ride the bus which makes her uncomfortable because of LOTS of swearing. I also put in lots of other part time job apps.

Last week, I got a call about a job that wasn't listed on the website. I interviewed on Thursday. Late Friday night, while I was at swim team practice with Rachel, they called. Jay answered. I got the job - "tentatively" to start on Tuesday. That's tomorrow. The tentative part came in because her supervisor needed to call my 3 references, all working at my daughter's elementary school, before they give it the full go. They told Jay they really liked me and were excited to have me working with them!! But I just can't feel it's all okay until they call me today.....

Since it wasn't listed on the website, it means they saw my resume and liked what they saw. They interviewed me and one other. It's a small office of just 3 women until I start on Tues. Then there will be four - of course! It's working with the district healthcare providers and Medicaid, only 2-3 days a week for 6 hours a day. I'm very excited about it. I think I'll really enjoy it. I'm also sort of scared. I guess I'll feel better when the call comes today that tomorrow is a go and then at the end of the day tomorrow when I've worked the whole day.

The other thing having the call and getting the interview when the job's not on the website and I didn't specifically apply means the Lord answered my prayers. It's very exciting. I'm very grateful. It gives me time to continue to write my book, which is coming along really well. It gives me a little bit of a break from grumpy.

Oh, Rachel told a good friend that we are fighting all the time. I find that odd because although grumpy is very testy and difficult, especially this week, mostly we are just talking things out with a little bit of voice raising here and there. It's me trying to calm him down, asking him to work with me and work on his control of his behavior (not so easy for someone with depression and under the strain we've been under for so long - 3 months of unemployment). So when you read this **you know who you are**we're not fighting all the time. In fact, it's been amazingly calm. I think she's just being affected by all the stress, too, and she's been acting up like a 12-13 year old who is also affected by all the stress and getting into a bit of trouble. Just so you know, K. And thanks for being there for her and offering to take her if she needs a break from things. I will always appreciate that more than you know.

Want Ads

Seen in today's want ads at My Space Between My Ears:

Wanted: Someone to babysit grumpy today so I can have the day off.

Hmmmm, any takers?

Out of The Mouths of Babes

If you read this blog, you know we've been going through a rough time with unemployment. At 12, my daughter is affected in some way because she is old enough to be aware. This makes it all the harder that we are enduring what we are. I am constantly grateful for our church - not only because of the generosity and thoughtfulness of the members, who are like family to us, but also for all that my daughter learns from the dedicated leaders of the children's and teen's programs. In the course of this difficult time, Jay's depression has taken a few hits. I try to remind him, and Rachel, that we are blessed beyond measure. We still have a roof over our heads, thanks to our church. We still have a vehicle which, as long as we have gas money, we have at our disposal. We have each other, the scriptures, our prayers and the love of our Heavenly Father. These last things cannot be taken away. We, therefore, have more than we do not have. After one of these discussions, my precious child bore her testimony at church. You can see a description of that at this link, a blog a good friend participates in: http://lightrefreshmentsserved.com/2008/12/19/i-think-im-doing-it-wrong/#comments Then Rachel sent an e-mail out to everyone in her address book on the computer. Everyone is really not a lot of people, but Jay and I are on it. This is what I got: 

There's a miracle that happens all the time, unnoticed and undiscovered except by the people involved in it. People don't really notice it except for the first week or so. But it should be remembered forever. We've had a lot of money trouble this year; I thought we'd have six presents under our tree if that. But yesterday, when we were coming home, there were four HUGE bags on our doorstep. There were a lot of 25 dollar gift cards and two hundred dollars outside of that. We had at least a dozen presents from one bag alone; all of them probably added up to about twenty. Before that, we had a bunch of other presents. Two of them came from people who rushed over and wished us well. Yesterday, we all were in tears. These people were amazing; they gave us something special. They were Santas for us. They were friends. And I thought, 'how blessed we are.' I just couldn't stop praying for them, thanking them. All throughout November, for Thanksgiving, we had food brought for us. That was the best Thanksgiving dinner I ever had. This year, I've also learned we have more than we don't have. All we need is family, and then we have more than enough. We're as rich as could be. We're blessed and we're special. People care about us. I really wish I could have learned this important lesson sooner. If I did, I could have focused more on thanking rather than asking or wanting. There's not a present I won't appreciate, now. I'm blessed because there are these wonderful people surrounding me, and if I didn't have all my friends and family, what would I be? The true meaning of Christmas comes more clear to me now. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but we'd never have Him if it weren't for the gift from Heavenly Father. If we can give than we can understand things all that more clearly. And if we can thank, then what else do you need but love from friends and family? 

I, too, am blessed to have such an amazing daughter. But I know she wouldn't be all that she is had it not been for the influence of the church and the leaders in it who have taught her the things I haven't or couldn't. It really does take a village.

Sooooo.....

Okay, I'm lame and couldn't come up with a title today. I'm tired - sleepy - as we adjust to my favorite time for church, mornings. It really is my favorite because I love to take a little nap after (which I have yet to do) and to have the rest of the day to relax and enjoy the Sabbath.

Since I haven't posted since the day after Christmas, I thought I ought to catch up. Not that life has been all that exciting. But changes have happened, hopes have been raised and my baby has had some sadness.

Starting with Rachel, her boyfriend broke up with her. She seemed to take it just fine, really not upset and just wanting to stay friends with him since, at this young age, that's basically all they were (there wasn't even any hand-holding). But as the week wore on, she started to be a little sad about it and ended up having a good cry. We invited her best friend to come over on Saturday. She'd asked the boyfriend because he said he still wanted to be friends but had something going on and her other friend started selling Girl Scout cookies yesterday. But what she really wanted was her best friend. She's moved far enough away that it's not always easy for them to get together, but her mom helped me work it out and Rachel went to her house instead. Under the circumstances, with no jobs around here yet and stress continuing to be a bit high, I think it was a nice break for her from what can't help but be an underlying stress for her, too. She had also had some catty things said to her at school by a couple of girls. Ah, middle school is so.....lovely. Everyone at their very best, eh? *rolling my eyes* But Saturday was like a balm to her wounds and she came home much happier.

We then joined friends to celebrate a husband's retirement and Rachel got to play with all the kids that she's come to love babysitting and see her all-time favorite babysitter and her little boy. She enjoyed herself - as did we - and we came home exhausted and happy.

Jay has started working out!!!! Okay, it's just one week so far, but I'm really proud of him and he jumped right in to doing Tae Bo Basic. He managed it 3 times this week and then an afternoon of disc golf (Frisbee golf) which he's played for more years than I've known him. He's already showing physical improvements and his blood sugars have dropped almost to normal.

I've lamely walked 3 times this past week but now feel challenged to get it together and start my 2 mile brisk walks with Walk Away the Pounds. After a couple of weeks of that, I'll move to Jane Fonda's Low Impact video, which I've done for years. When that starts to get easy, I move on to Tae Bo Basic. I can't jump right in to Tae Bo like Jay can. I'm too out of shape and too fat and my back just won't take it. I always have to start easy and work my way up. Boy, I miss Curves, though.

Jay's had several interviews and we're waiting to hear from the latest one. I've not had any responses to my applications which feels really weird to me. I've always jumped right into jobs - all but one with just a single interview - and I'm not used to not being a first pick. It sort of sucks. But I am looking for part-time only and maybe that has something to do with it. I am working A LOT on my book again, though. And, oh it is coming together. I can hardly wait to finish it.

I got another calling at church and I'm really happy with it, too. I already am a visiting teaching supervisor which doesn't require much - just calling every month to see if everyone on my list got their visits in and to make sure I get mine done with my companion. Now I'll be the building scheduler for our ward and the other ward that shares our building. I have strong organizational skills, so this will be a nice calling for me. Though I must admit, when I was set apart today, I prayed that I would be able to do the job well. I'm thinking my self esteem has taken a hit with the job hunting and our circumstances.

I've grown leaps and bounds spiritually over all of this, though. I remember again how important it is that we read our scriptures as a family every day (we're reading the Book of Mormon) and that I read mine at night, too (Doctrine and Covenants). I remember again how important family and individual prayer is and I've listened to my daughter improve in her prayers spiritually. I've had my faith and testimony built back up about tithing and trying to be the best we can, despite our struggles. Jay and I have moved closer to each other, another step toward the marriage I've always prayed for. I'm not a fool, though. I know there are still struggles ahead but having those challenges less frequently is so much nicer than when it was all the time.

We've been volunteering a lot, too, try to show our appreciation for all our church has done for us during this awful unemployment situation. We've done humanitarian canning, which I really enjoyed (though it gave my feet a run for their money). Jay has been going every Saturday to help clean the church and we'll be taking turns going out to the cannery/Bishop's storehouse with the ward missionary couple once a week to help wherever they need us. We'll keep doing this as long as we can over the next year or so to just try our best to repay the generosity we've been given. I'm so glad Jay was receptive when I told him I wanted to do this. Aside from that, I'll try to always help when someone else is in need in any way I can.

Pray for us that Jay finds a good job very soon. This has all become very overwhelming and I sometimes feel like we just can't keep going this way. At what point does the help we have been receiving have to stop because there are others in need, too? That's scary and stressful since Jay's unemployment was denied and we have no income whatsoever. I just keep praying and praying and know we will never be able to do enough to show our gratitude to our church, our friends or the Lord.