So, the decision was made on Monday, and the reality of the move started to sink in about five minutes later. I made a 40 page to do list (OK, maybe it just seems like 40 pages), of all of the things that need to be done to get our house ready to go on the market. Granted, we have only lived here about fifteen months, but we really live in our house. Thankfully, there are no major repairs to make, just painting and lots of decluttering. I guess the point is to make it look like no one really lives in your house (that is a challenge when 5 little people live here!).
As I am cleaning, I am really trying to "reduce our inventory". I have donated four loads of miscellaneous treasures, and I am sure there is more to come. I would love to take much less stuff into our new house. I have been focusing on one room a day, and trying not to get overwhelmed. It is a temptation to dive into the cleaning out process and let the rest of the house go. It is also a temptation to take a break from homeschooling. I am trying to resist both temptations!
I spent lots of time working on the master closet. It is fairly large, so it had become a dumping ground. Some things had not been unpacked since we moved last year. I forced myself to be honest about my clothes and get rid of stuff that I do not really wear. I decided that I need to clothe the body that I have, not the one I would love to have. I read that the average person wears about 20% of what is in his or her closet, so I tried to work on weeding out the 80%. The fun part is that I have bought a few things I like to replace the things that needed to go.
I scrubbed the master bathroom, which was quite a job. I am so thankful for Mr. Clean Magic Erasers! I had forgotten how white our shower is supposed to be! The master bedroom is still a work in progress. Eli takes his naps in there, so that limits the time I have in there. I have finished the laundry room, the video closet, the coat closet and Isaac's room. The biggest job ahead is painting the living room. Mark's mom is coming for a visit this weekend, so hopefully we will get lots of work done while she holds Eli!
It looks like it will be about two weeks before the house actually goes on the market. We have two appraisers coming early next week. It usually takes about five days for them to get their reports back to the relocation agency. After that we will get the all clear to list the house. The relocation agency is sending out two real estate agents, and we will pick the one that we like best. If the house has not sold after 120 days, Mark's new company will buy the house based on the price given by the appraisers. It is such a blessing to know that we will not be stuck with the house!
It is amazing to think that it has only been six weeks since we got the news about changes happening with Mark's current job. We had no idea on New Year's Day what big changes would be happening this year. Praise God that he has provided a new job! Praise God that He is control!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
After much thought and prayer (and lots of talking), Mark accepted the job in Arkansas today. It was not an easy decision. The past week or so has been quite stressful around the Johnson household! Mark called all three places today to let them know what he has decided.
We are very thankful that the Lord provided employment. We know that having a job in this economy is something to be especially thankful for!
Now we switch into getting the house ready to sell mode. The thought is quite overwhelming! We have some painting and minor repairs to do. If it does not sell within 120 days, the company will buy it from us. The housing market in our area has been somewhat protected from the issues that many other areas are experiencing. We are hoping that it will sell quickly!
I have already started on "inventory reduction". We have not spoken to our relocation specialist yet, so we do not have our plans set. Our tentative plan is to get the house ready to sell and then leave town! The thought of trying to keep it presentable and take care of the children and home school while Mark is already at his new location, makes me twitch! We will go on a house hunting trip in the next few weeks and get the ball rolling! I am trying to focus on just doing the next thing so that I will not get overwhelmed by all that needs to be done! For tonight, we are just rejoicing in the fact that the decision making process is done. We are ready to embark on this new phase of our life!
We are very thankful that the Lord provided employment. We know that having a job in this economy is something to be especially thankful for!
Now we switch into getting the house ready to sell mode. The thought is quite overwhelming! We have some painting and minor repairs to do. If it does not sell within 120 days, the company will buy it from us. The housing market in our area has been somewhat protected from the issues that many other areas are experiencing. We are hoping that it will sell quickly!
I have already started on "inventory reduction". We have not spoken to our relocation specialist yet, so we do not have our plans set. Our tentative plan is to get the house ready to sell and then leave town! The thought of trying to keep it presentable and take care of the children and home school while Mark is already at his new location, makes me twitch! We will go on a house hunting trip in the next few weeks and get the ball rolling! I am trying to focus on just doing the next thing so that I will not get overwhelmed by all that needs to be done! For tonight, we are just rejoicing in the fact that the decision making process is done. We are ready to embark on this new phase of our life!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Our Four Month Old
Eli had his four month doctor's appointment yesterday. He weighed 23 pounds, 12 ounces and was 27 1/2 inches long. Dr. Jeff said that his ears were looking much better. We are thankful for a good report!
I got the Exersaucer down from the attic, and we tried it out. He seems to enjoy it for short periods of time. He is a bit young to do more than stare at the toys and try to grab them. It won't be long until we hear that bouncing sound!
Eli turned over for the first time yesterday morning. He is growing up!
Decision Time
It has now been five weeks and one day since Mark learned about the changes taking place at work. He has been blessed to receive three job offers this week (including his current job at a new location). This week has been full of discussions of the various aspects of the different jobs and prayers for wisdom. He is going to try to make his decision before the weekend.
I have mixed feelings about these job opportunities. First of all, I am very thankful that we have these opportunities, because I know there are many people who are out of work in our country. I am saddened that all of these jobs take us farther away from our family. I am also quite overwhelmed at the thought of all that needs to be done in the next couple of months. I have already started a long to-do list! I am also starting to think of all of the things that we will have to do again -- find a new church, new doctors, make new friends, etc. Through it all, I am thankful that the Lord is faithful to meet our needs. I will be praying that He will prepare a place for us. Praise God that He is in control.
So, within a few days we will know where the our next stop on this big adventure will be!
I have mixed feelings about these job opportunities. First of all, I am very thankful that we have these opportunities, because I know there are many people who are out of work in our country. I am saddened that all of these jobs take us farther away from our family. I am also quite overwhelmed at the thought of all that needs to be done in the next couple of months. I have already started a long to-do list! I am also starting to think of all of the things that we will have to do again -- find a new church, new doctors, make new friends, etc. Through it all, I am thankful that the Lord is faithful to meet our needs. I will be praying that He will prepare a place for us. Praise God that He is in control.
So, within a few days we will know where the our next stop on this big adventure will be!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Grocery Challenge Update
Well, I have made several trips to the grocery store since I last updated.
--I rarely go to Southern Family Market, but they had their meat on sale last week. I try not to spend more than two dollars a pound on meat, and they had boneless pork loin, hamburger and pot roast for less than two dollars a pound. I spent about $3o on meat, and I was able to make: 3 meals of taco meat, 3 meals of taco soup, 3 meals of pork chops, and 5 meals of beef stew or stroganoff. My freezer is stocked with meat!
-- I finally ran out of diapers from Eli's diaper shower. We were blessed to go almost four months without buying diapers or wipes for him. We still have enough wipes to go a few more months. I bought some Publix brand diapers for him last week. I ended up going to Walmart on our trip to buy Pampers. The generic brand did not cut it for him. Some things are worth paying a little bit more for!
-- I have also made a few trips to the store for milk, produce, and over the counter cold medicine and Tylenol.
So, I now have $284 left in my February grocery budget. I am trying to "reduce inventory" in my freezer and pantry. Since there may be a move in our near future, I would like to use up some of my stock pile so that we do not have to move it. Maybe I will end up with a few dollars left over -- that has never happened before!
--I rarely go to Southern Family Market, but they had their meat on sale last week. I try not to spend more than two dollars a pound on meat, and they had boneless pork loin, hamburger and pot roast for less than two dollars a pound. I spent about $3o on meat, and I was able to make: 3 meals of taco meat, 3 meals of taco soup, 3 meals of pork chops, and 5 meals of beef stew or stroganoff. My freezer is stocked with meat!
-- I finally ran out of diapers from Eli's diaper shower. We were blessed to go almost four months without buying diapers or wipes for him. We still have enough wipes to go a few more months. I bought some Publix brand diapers for him last week. I ended up going to Walmart on our trip to buy Pampers. The generic brand did not cut it for him. Some things are worth paying a little bit more for!
-- I have also made a few trips to the store for milk, produce, and over the counter cold medicine and Tylenol.
So, I now have $284 left in my February grocery budget. I am trying to "reduce inventory" in my freezer and pantry. Since there may be a move in our near future, I would like to use up some of my stock pile so that we do not have to move it. Maybe I will end up with a few dollars left over -- that has never happened before!
A Sick Little Man
I took Eli to the doctor this morning. He has had a cold for about a week, and then last night he started running a fever. He has been fussier than usual the last couple of days, so we decided to get him checked out. It turns out that he has his first double ear infection! So, he is started on an antibiotic today. I am hoping that this will not be the beginning of a new trend with him. I hate to see the little ones feeling bad!
Catching My Breath...
The last week has been quite a whirlwind! Mark is plugging away on this job hunt adventure. Last Wednesday, we all loaded up and headed to a small southern Alabama town (population 7,000). Now, bringing your wife and five children is probably somewhere on the list of things not to do to get hired, but they offered, so we went! We had dinner with a prospective boss and another engineer and his family on Wednesday night. I was very thankful for the children's' great behavior. Mark spent about three hours interviewing on Thursday. We had to check out of our hotel before hand, so I had three hours to entertain the children. There was not a lot to do in the town, so we went to McDonald's and then spent about an hour walking around Walmart.
We headed home Thursday evening and then "rested up" on Friday. We headed out again on Saturday and drove to a small Arkansas town. It took us about seven or eight hours to get there. The children were thrilled that our hotel had an indoor pool! We visited a church on Sunday morning and then spent the afternoon touring the area with a real estate agent. The human resource director for the prospective company (a very thoughtful lady) invited us over for dinner with her family. The next morning Mark left around 7:30 for a packed day of interviews. The human resource director (did I mention how thoughtful she was!?!)had arranged for the children and me to have lunch with a homeschooling mom and her children. We spent several hours visiting with them, which was so much better than wandering around Walmart. We headed back home around 3:00, and about 100 hours later, we arrived home (it was really only midnight, but it seemed like the trip that would NEVER end.
Both interviews went well. We are still praying that God would lead us. It is so nice to rest in him, knowing that He knows what is best for us!
We headed home Thursday evening and then "rested up" on Friday. We headed out again on Saturday and drove to a small Arkansas town. It took us about seven or eight hours to get there. The children were thrilled that our hotel had an indoor pool! We visited a church on Sunday morning and then spent the afternoon touring the area with a real estate agent. The human resource director for the prospective company (a very thoughtful lady) invited us over for dinner with her family. The next morning Mark left around 7:30 for a packed day of interviews. The human resource director (did I mention how thoughtful she was!?!)had arranged for the children and me to have lunch with a homeschooling mom and her children. We spent several hours visiting with them, which was so much better than wandering around Walmart. We headed back home around 3:00, and about 100 hours later, we arrived home (it was really only midnight, but it seemed like the trip that would NEVER end.
Both interviews went well. We are still praying that God would lead us. It is so nice to rest in him, knowing that He knows what is best for us!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Things That Make Me Smile in the Morning...
I had a wonderful nap yesterday afternoon, so I had a little extra energy last night. I decided to go ahead and unload my dishwasher before I went to bed. I thought to myself, "I am going to smile in the morning when I remember that my dishwasher is already empty!" It is amazing how much little things can make a huge difference in my mornings (especially Monday mornings)! I started to wonder what else I could do that would make me smile the next morning. Here is my little list of things that make me smile in the morning...
--An empty hamper (I have to smile quickly because I can turn my head and the hamper is overflowing again!)
-- A full crock pot -- I love starting supper first thing in the morning and knowing that most of dinner is on its way to being cooked!
-- Sharp pencils -- I bought a new pack of pencils on Saturday, so I went ahead and sharpened them. It is so nice to hear, "I need a pencil" and to be able to grab one right away!
-- Full juice cups -- Anna Grace's first words every morning are, "Can I have juice please?" It is so nice to be able to open the frig. and have the cup already ready (I told you that it does not take much to make my day!).
-- Uncluttered counters and table -- Papers, books and dishes seem to multiply on my kitchen surfaces! Turning on the lights and seeing clear counters brings joy to my heart!
-- School stuff already laid out -- Last night, I went ahead and laid out everything everyone needed for school. There was no last minute scrambling to find a missing book.
A little planning and work on my part at night makes a huge difference in my mornings. Now, if I just can find the energy to do this every night!
--An empty hamper (I have to smile quickly because I can turn my head and the hamper is overflowing again!)
-- A full crock pot -- I love starting supper first thing in the morning and knowing that most of dinner is on its way to being cooked!
-- Sharp pencils -- I bought a new pack of pencils on Saturday, so I went ahead and sharpened them. It is so nice to hear, "I need a pencil" and to be able to grab one right away!
-- Full juice cups -- Anna Grace's first words every morning are, "Can I have juice please?" It is so nice to be able to open the frig. and have the cup already ready (I told you that it does not take much to make my day!).
-- Uncluttered counters and table -- Papers, books and dishes seem to multiply on my kitchen surfaces! Turning on the lights and seeing clear counters brings joy to my heart!
-- School stuff already laid out -- Last night, I went ahead and laid out everything everyone needed for school. There was no last minute scrambling to find a missing book.
A little planning and work on my part at night makes a huge difference in my mornings. Now, if I just can find the energy to do this every night!
Meal Plan Monday
Monday: Senate Bean Soup and cornbread
Tuesday: Anna Grace's Birthday celebration -- hotdogs (her request), taco soup, chips and dip, cake and ice cream
Wednesday & Thursday -- Out of town
Friday -- Homemade Pizza
Saturday -- Turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing (from the freezer), gravy
Sunday -- Left overs or out to eat!
Tuesday: Anna Grace's Birthday celebration -- hotdogs (her request), taco soup, chips and dip, cake and ice cream
Wednesday & Thursday -- Out of town
Friday -- Homemade Pizza
Saturday -- Turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing (from the freezer), gravy
Sunday -- Left overs or out to eat!
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