Lessons Learned

You know how sometimes you don't want to blog because you think, "there is absolutely nothing going on"? Well, for me, it has been just the opposite. I feel like our world right now is spinning and I can't get a hold of anything. I am not saying that things are going badly, in fact, I am quite blessed, and I love my life, but I don't have any control right now. And I am finding as I get older, that I am very much of a control freak. So, I am very much out of my element here.

Matt graduated in May (WAHOO!!) with his Masters in Speech and Language Pathology. We were so looking forward to it. We have done the whole 'school scene' for way too long, and have been ready to be done for a LONG time. Anyway, with Matt's profession, we knew it was going to be much harder to get a job here in Utah by our families, but we were hopeful. We applied to other states of course, but really pushed for Utah. Matt was so blessed and got a job offer before he graduated. Unfortunately this offer was not what Matt wanted, and didn't feel right, so he declined it, and pushed for another one. After being turned down the one, the first place called Matt and within 20 minutes of being turned down for the other job, Matt had received his second offer from this company. On the same day? Minutes after being so disappointed? Coincidence, I think not. So, we took it. Everything was looking great. We were looking for a place to live, and preparing to enter the 'real' work world. Matt had to get his license all lined up and taken care of, what a disaster. Since Matt got a job so fast, he didn't have his diploma yet. The licensing department of Utah was insistent on a diploma, and didn't know if a letter would suffice. After much prayer, and stress, and Matt running all over Salt Lake (from the school, to the department, to his new job, to his 2 internships) he finally got it all taken care of. We found a great place in Harrisville (North Ogden), it was cheap, and big! We moved in, and spent an entire week as a family just relaxing with each before Matt started his new job. Then the stress came again.

 After Matt's fourth day of work, we find out that he might not have a job. You see, Matt works for a rehab company that has contracts with facilities to do rehab there. They had this contract with the facility, but a new company bought the facility and wasn't going to honor the contract. So the entire rehab team was out. Matt's company has been great, they found another job right away (and I mean like, within a week, the only problem was it is in Utah county. Remember we just moved into this place. Luckily we didn't feel it was time to buy, and was just renting, the bad news, we had just signed a 12 month lease, and had only lived there for less than two weeks. But Matt's company stepped up, and they paid the buy-out for us. So, we again began the search for a new place to live- that is definitely NOT my favorite thing to do. After many, many, many failures and many night of me crying (yes I am that emotional, always) we decided that it is time to buy a house. So, since we haven't had any time (it has been a month since Matt started his job), we are now preparing to move into Matt's parents house while we look for a house.

Can I just say how much I HATE packing! It is even worse when it is done less than a month after you just unpacked, everything. I had just unpacked the last box the night before we found out. I was ticked, still am. :) As we have been looking for a place to live, and packing, Matt has already started working in Orem, so he has been staying with his parents during the week, while the kids and I are at home packing. Boy do we miss him. I am not one of those girls who need their man by them all the time, but I want him there! I miss him all week, and the kids miss him like crazy!! It has been kind of rough on us all. But only one more week. Then we start the fun of finding a house. I know that that can be so stressful as well, but I am so excited because it means we are that much closer to being 'settled.' Right now I feel like we don't have a place to call home, I feel like we are a family who doesn't live together (oh wait, we are that family), and I feel like we are just floating along. My emotions have got the better of me. I knew that the 'real' work world would come, with lay-offs, and relocations, and possibly losing your home; but I did not expect these things to come four days into the real world.

I don't mean to sound so negative. I am actually quite happy with things. I mean, we are getting to move closer to family, and Matt's new facility is exactly what he wants to do, whereas the other place, well, we will just say it wasn't what he wanted. And really we were so pleased to get a job so fast, right out of school, and and Matt was able to keep his job. A few on the rehab team were out of jobs after everything happened, and we were not anly able to keep a job, but get a better one from it. We are also blessed in the fact that we have such amazing families, who are so willing to open their arms and doors and let us in. We are so blessed. And it is through these tender mercies that I am reminded that my Father in Heaven is watching over my family, and he is does have a plan for us. I keep saying to myself, I have no control of my life, I have no plan, and no direction right now. And I have been reminded through this, that it is a great thing to lose control of your life, because that means the Lord has control of it, and you will end up where he wants you to be. I am dreading packing and moving again (that would make the third time in a year), and then moving another time when we find a house, but I can't wait to see where the Lord takes us. And I am excited for this journey, as I know my Savior is going along the journey with me.