Box of Chocolates

We don't have a start date but they want to hire Mark and are getting all the paper work processed, salary and moving expenses approved. I'm not packing yet!  NEVER in a million years would I have thought I would be moving to ALABAMA!  Alabama? 

Mark had an interview yesterday in Huntsville, Alabama.  We aren't sure what to think about moving to Alabama, but it seems inevitable. See, there is pesky thing called eating and apparently you have to do it in regular intervals or the outcome is deadly.  HA!  Anyway, we expect to hear from them soon.  At least that is what they told Mark.   The company is a secure facility and Mark has to have his security clearance reinstated. Hopefully this doesn't take months if they want to hire him because he can not start until this is done. They make rockets, Mark said "rockets are cool."  I think he would like the job.  The security is so strict you can't take a cell phone or thumb drive to work!   They paid for him to fly there, stay the night and paid for a rental car.  They are also sending him a check for mileage (to and from the airport) and food.  CRAZY!  So different than what we have experienced in the past five months.  Mark also learned yesterday if they do hir

I'm not sure if it is too early for Saint Patricks Day backgrounds, but I have been working on a few and trying to figure out how to post the HTML for my friends to use if they would like.  I am not having much success.  I hope Mark can help me when he gets back.   There is a way to go into the html and edit (this is what I have been doing) I can send you the html with a link to the background and directions to do this if you want one of my backgrounds.  It isn't hard just not as easy as a gadget cut and paste.  Anyway, Just wanted to post my work.  I have learned a lot in photo shop and I have now gotten the digital scrapbook itch.  Anyone have hydrocortisone for that?   I can send my background too.  Enjoy!   Preview:  

I am still in shock from how generous my parents can be with us.  I have never taken them for granted and am always surprised when they do such nice things.  I think it is because I don't take them for granted and don't expect them to do things for us.  Which in turn has blessed me more than anything. As of October Mark and I have not bought much for ourselves.  It is no secret times are tuff.  I know there are people out there much worse off then we are.  I am not complaining! Mark and I are not used to having to refrain from buying whatever it is we want (within reason and budget of course).  I can't tell you the last time I bought something for me or scrapbooking.    It has been almost five months since Mark has worked full time.  He has been doing odd jobs here and there, but nothing that would pay the bills.  We just stopped shopping for ourselves to make our saving last as long a possible.  We also only have bought things that we need, which isn't much beyond food

I have been doing blog backgrounds to fill my time and learning photoshop elements.  The only thing is I tend to redo them 20 times to get it just right.  Easier to just upload them from Cutest Blog on the Block, but not nearly as entertaining.   A plus is that my background is original.  I have had a lot of fun and I might (MIGHT) do a few more St. Patrick's Day backgrounds to post so anyone can use them.  I would be flattered.  (even if they are ugly you all should indulge a friend.)   I am reading again, ah the love of a good book.  I am feverishly reading  Twilight .  A teen romance novel.  I am almost done with the first book, but there are three more so that should keep me busy and neglecting my responsibilities for another couple of weeks.   Have you read a good book lately (not THE good book) a good book.  Let me know what it was so I can continue to neglect my responsibilities and take my mind off of my mindless life right now.   Mark is flying to Huntsville, Alabama on Tu

I am so disappointed by my expectations for yesterday.  The day in which I thought was the end of the tunnel.  HA!  It now seems like we are really just at the beginning of the tunnel and our journey has really just begun.   We heard zero about our counter offer on the house.  Which really doesn't mean anything until we hear back from the realtor.  Not good or bad just waiting.  Story of my life.  Just waiting.  Mark went to Melbourne yesterday and the "interview" was just that, an interview.  We thought via the friend the job was Mark's if he wanted it.  Yesterday the HR lady was very wishy-washy is the best way to describe it.  Asked Mark when he could start and then had the attitude that we might not hire you by then.  Mark was in his truck for over 5 hours yesterday.    So, the kids saw him when he finally got home at 3:30 in the afternoon.  He had left before the kids got up.  They are so used to him being home.  They ran out to see him and as we where walking up

Could our limbo be coming to and end?  I feel like things are starting to happen and that our new adventure will start very soon.  Mark has an "interview" in Melbourne tomorrow.  It is more of a working out all the details on salary and start date, paper work, etc.  The job offer came via a friend so we are hopeful that it will all work out.   We got another offer on the house yesterday, low!  But better than the last and we are going to counter offer.  It is lower than Mark and I had hoped to get, but it is all good.  I have faith that this is God's plan for us and if we are faithful then we will be restored and blessed for stepping out in faith.  Is that crazy talk?   I just don't see all these things happening at once as coincidence.  So, we wait for tomorrow and hopefully it will finally be clear.  Waiting in limbo, but I can see a faint light.  

Mark and I got married 11 years ago today.  Time flies when you are having fun!   The girls got up in the 5 am hour this morning.  Yes, 5 am.  They thought I was asleep and kept sneaking in my room to put stuff on the night stands.  It was so hard not to laugh because they were trying so hard to be quite.  They had a plan before they came in our room but Madison would say  things like, "okay, you go that way I'll go this way."  They would walk really slow into the room and then run out.   Mark and I just giggled every time they left.  They came in and out at least four times.  If it had been light out they would have know we were awake.  They made us cards and left candy hearts.  When they were done they went back to their room and turned off the light and pretended to be asleep.   When Nathan got up they came to our room and told us they came in the middle of the night to leave us our cards. Madison said it was midnight.  It was almost 6 am she has not concept of time.  

I understand it is a buyers market.  We got an offer on the house yesterday.  $60,000 less than what we are asking.  I was insulted. I'm not 100% sure where they were coming from but we are NOT desperate and we DON'T have to sell.   We think our house is very well done and the price is comparable to others price per sq foot.  We are willing to negotiate but let's start with something reasonable.   We did counteroffer asking price but willing to pay their closing costs.  Hopefully they see we are willing to work it out but comeback with something a little more reasonable.  

The realtor just called and someone else is looking at the house today.  Yesterday's Looky Lou's liked it and wanted to know when we could move.  No offers yet.  They are planning on making an offer today.  Mark told our realtor we could close on March 2nd.  Bidding war?  Wishful thinking.  I just keep thinking about where to even start packing and that we could be homeless in three weeks :)  Not really, we are moving to my mom's house.  We will feel like a genie in her house, Itty bitty living space.  It's a roof until we figure out what we are doing next.  She does have a pool.  I will be kinda like vacation.  Yeah, vacation.   Moving thoughts... We have a lot of stuff!   Three weeks, is that possible? Moving sale?  What in the world do you keep?  We have a lot of fluff!   Kids toys, oh my!   Do we really have that many books?   That couch is heavy!  Really heavy!   I have a lot of potted plants.   Mark wants a tomato before we move.  Bless his heart, will one just t

HA!  That is about how many "plans" we have had in the past four months.  Newest is I go back to teaching and Mark stays home. Basically there are zero jobs here for teaching too and with five schools closing and 250 reassignments for teachers already under contract means I will be hard pressed to find a classroom job here. Not sure what we are going to do.   Mark has one open job opportunity but we have to start looking into other options.  We do not have a money tree. At some point we have to do something.  It isn't due to the lack of trying. Mark has applied for every job he is qualified for and other ones he isn't, in many different cities, in four different states. Very few interviews and when he does get one they say they are going to hold on the his resume they are hiring someone else or are holding all hiring until future notice due to the ECONOMY! Our LIMBO continues.   Relocate for a teaching job?  HA, HA, HA, HA, HA. Funny, but it might be a reality.  Talk