We have been so incredibly blessed these pasted two years living with my parents. It has been a real challenge, but a great growing opportunity for all of us and I will cherish it, but at last we are able to move out and into our own apartment! First time in THREE YEARS!!!
When Landon was born Jeff had just lost his job and we moved into his grandparents place (unoccupied). The family decided 10 months later that they needed to try and sell it or rent it, and we still weren't in a position to get our own place yet. (We have really struggled in the job department!) My parents were angels and said that we could live with them until we figured something out (which we thought would be a few months). Jeff lost his job again three months later and was out of a job for another 6 months.
Last October Jeff FINALLY got a job and things were looking up. He became a Porter for an apartment management company (he cleans up the outside of the property and paints curbs and misc. things like that). He was also told that he can certify for working on Heating and A/C, so a few months into it he started learning about things like that and trying to certify. In June he had receive both of his EPA Certifications for Heating and A/C, but they said he needed more experience, so he worked with the Maintenance Technicians to learn stuff from them and started doing both Maint. Tech. AND Porter duties.
This October, his year mark he found out one of the techs was leaving. Perfect opportunity right?? No. They said they wanted him to have 2 to 3 YEARS experience before he would be considered for a Maintenance Tech position (which would pay 3 to 4 dollars more an hour and make it possible for us to move). Obviously devastation set in for a little bit with that news. Here I am pregnant, wanting to have my own place to raise my boys and hitting another brick wall. Jeff started applying to other places.
But even though Jeff was told that he would NOT get this position, he felt he needed to prove to his Supervisor that he DESERVED the position. He has been working his tail off ever since, showing that he may not have experience, but he has the knowledge and the determination to get better every day.
Unbeknownst to me, Jeff was wanting to see what it would take for us to move out. He knew that getting a different job wasn't going to happen because of his lack of degree and experience required by most companies. So he thought about us moving into the apartment complex that he works at and if that would even be plausible. Tuesday night, November 30th, Jeff tells me this plan. I was completely caught off guard! I crunched some numbers, and new that he would need a raise at least for us to move. He said he would explain things to his boss and see what he could do. That day he looked into the available apartments as well, and even though the complex doesn't have washers or dyers in the apartments he discovered there are THREE that do, and two had JUST become available. One of those was in the area of the complex that Jeff wanted to live (he knows the quiet and good areas after working there for over a year)
That afternoon, his boss told him that he wanted him to take the Maintenance Technician Test and do a "Turnover" (do maintenance on an apartment to get ready for someone to move in) all by himself so they could bring evidence to the Regional Manager that he was ready to be a Main. Tech. Everyone that he works with was supporting him and asking what they could do and how they could help! What a huge blessing! That right there was worth all that we have been through. He was never been truly appreciated for the work he does and everyone was giving their support! So he comes home telling me all of this Wed. night and studies for the test that he is going to take on Thurs morning. He calls me Thurs after work and tells me he passed the test and he did the turnover by himself and things went well.
Friday, December 3rd around 11, Jeff calls me and says he was offered the position of Maintenance Technician that still hadn't been filled and he would start the next day on the payroll as such and his duties would start Monday!!! He brought home the apartment application and told me that we could be in as early as the 10th.!!
Stressful, yes, but such a wonderful weekend!! I wasn't keen on moving before Christmas, but there are many benefits to this: My brother and his family are coming and they would have more space if we weren't there, we would get this apartment that has a washer and dryer, we could have Christmas as a Whitehead family, we can take our time moving in, since our stuff is at my parents' and his parents' houses so we don't have to move EVERYTHING in all at once. And if we do it this weekend, we won't have to do it next weekend, which is our 5th Anniversary.
The Lord has had his hand in this the entire time. Things took longer than we wanted, but it was the time we needed. The complex had some people there that made it unsafe to live in a few months ago, but they are all gone now, and is much safer. Jeff never would have thought of moving there until recently. It will be a great blessing to be in the same complex as Jeff. We are even going to be in the same ward that we were in when we first got married! Major plus since that is the ward we wanted to move back into from the beginning!
Over the past few months things have just been working toward the right direction. Jeff had been given more responsibilities at work, things were going well with his calling at church, and things have just been going right. We truly have been blessed! We are really excited! I just need to pace myself so I don't stress out too much. It will be an exciting month and we can't wait to move into our own place again! It will be like Christmas getting into our stuff over the next couple months because we've had our stuff in storage for 3 years!
Thank you to all of those who have prayed for us and thought about us during the trials we have been facing! Things will still be tight for a little while because he doesn't get the full raise right away, (he has to work in the position for 90 days before he gets the full raise, company policy) but I know things will work out because everything has just been perfect!!! Wish us luck!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
I'm Still Alive!
So I haven't posted in a long time! I'm really sorry about that. Life has been kinda crazy. I did have Easter pictures to post a while ago, but I totally spaced it. Now it's almost September! So I thought I would briefly describe (if I can) what has been going on the last few months.
Jeff is EPA Certified to handle refrigerant and coolant, and has been working on air conditioners among other things at his job. We are waiting for a position to open up for him to become a Maintenance Technician for the company he works for. (an Apartment Management Company) Once that happens he will get a nice boost in pay and we will be able to FINALLY get out on our own (we have been living with my parents for just under 2 years now)
Jeff would have had his Associates by now, but the school messed up ROYALLY in the accounting area and claimed we owed them money for classes he didn't take. They wouldn't allow him to register for classes until it was resolved. We even had a letter from a creditor asking for the money! AFTER we had already sent in an appeal!! But, after several months of frustration, we found out they figured out the problem sent us the balance they owed to US and he was eligible to sign up for classes again. Too bad the semester was OVER! I really should have gotten after them more and done something more about it, but I don't think that would have done any good, especially since they really won't talk to anyone but the student, even if I am his wife. Anyway, now he starts classes and will finish in the spring (a year late). Then he will transfer to UNLV to get his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering.
We are expecting our 2nd child on February 1, 2011. We actually find out his week what we are having!! It has been a pretty tough one compared to my last one (at the beginning that is). Morning Sickness really kicked my trash. But FINALLY after SEVERAL weeks, I started feeling better. Now I am 18 weeks and, besides being tired almost all the time, I am feeling quite well and am starting to feel the little munchkin move around!
Landon is an amazing boy. He is learning so much right now it's hard to keep up with him! He knows most of the words to "I Am a Child of God," "Grandpa's Farm," (old kid song my mom taught him) "ABCs," "Once There Was a Snowman," "Patty Cake," and "Ring Around the Rosy." He is recognizing letters everywhere now and I think he's even learning some words. I haven't been consistent with the reading program I started with him, but I am trying. We are also going to start potty training soon. Mom has to mentally prepare herself for that one, which has been difficult since my hormones are CRAZY right now! Landon's imagination is growing as well. He is so fun to watch! I can't believe he's going to be 3 in December! He loves trains, cars and Planets. He actually knows what all the planets are according to what they look like in his planet book! I keep talking to him about the baby and will be happy when I can call it a brother or sister for sure. He will be going with us to the ultrasound, so I think that will help him too!
Our latest news is that instead of renting an apartment, we are going to look into buying a house. Yes, it's true. We are still in the talking stage, we haven't been active yet in the Loan area, except to ask one bank what we would be pre-approved for. So we are in hopes that a promotion and house will fall into the "very soon" category. We are looking now because we know how long it can take to close on a house. We still might need to have an apartment for a little while if the house takes longer than we want, but if things go how we think they will, we will be in a house before December.
That of course has me terribly, but cautiously, excited. It has been a very long road for the last 3 years. Being jobless and essentially homeless. We have been immensely blessed by our family members. I can't even describe how I feel. We have had trials but we have learned so much and are forever indebted to all of those who have helped us get through these last few years. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I would LOVE to be able to be in my very own place for once! So, we are earnestly praying for things to work out well in the job and home-finding area.
So, in a nutshell, that is what our life is like right now. We are incredibly blessed and continue to be so!!!
Jeff is EPA Certified to handle refrigerant and coolant, and has been working on air conditioners among other things at his job. We are waiting for a position to open up for him to become a Maintenance Technician for the company he works for. (an Apartment Management Company) Once that happens he will get a nice boost in pay and we will be able to FINALLY get out on our own (we have been living with my parents for just under 2 years now)
Jeff would have had his Associates by now, but the school messed up ROYALLY in the accounting area and claimed we owed them money for classes he didn't take. They wouldn't allow him to register for classes until it was resolved. We even had a letter from a creditor asking for the money! AFTER we had already sent in an appeal!! But, after several months of frustration, we found out they figured out the problem sent us the balance they owed to US and he was eligible to sign up for classes again. Too bad the semester was OVER! I really should have gotten after them more and done something more about it, but I don't think that would have done any good, especially since they really won't talk to anyone but the student, even if I am his wife. Anyway, now he starts classes and will finish in the spring (a year late). Then he will transfer to UNLV to get his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering.
We are expecting our 2nd child on February 1, 2011. We actually find out his week what we are having!! It has been a pretty tough one compared to my last one (at the beginning that is). Morning Sickness really kicked my trash. But FINALLY after SEVERAL weeks, I started feeling better. Now I am 18 weeks and, besides being tired almost all the time, I am feeling quite well and am starting to feel the little munchkin move around!
Landon is an amazing boy. He is learning so much right now it's hard to keep up with him! He knows most of the words to "I Am a Child of God," "Grandpa's Farm," (old kid song my mom taught him) "ABCs," "Once There Was a Snowman," "Patty Cake," and "Ring Around the Rosy." He is recognizing letters everywhere now and I think he's even learning some words. I haven't been consistent with the reading program I started with him, but I am trying. We are also going to start potty training soon. Mom has to mentally prepare herself for that one, which has been difficult since my hormones are CRAZY right now! Landon's imagination is growing as well. He is so fun to watch! I can't believe he's going to be 3 in December! He loves trains, cars and Planets. He actually knows what all the planets are according to what they look like in his planet book! I keep talking to him about the baby and will be happy when I can call it a brother or sister for sure. He will be going with us to the ultrasound, so I think that will help him too!
Our latest news is that instead of renting an apartment, we are going to look into buying a house. Yes, it's true. We are still in the talking stage, we haven't been active yet in the Loan area, except to ask one bank what we would be pre-approved for. So we are in hopes that a promotion and house will fall into the "very soon" category. We are looking now because we know how long it can take to close on a house. We still might need to have an apartment for a little while if the house takes longer than we want, but if things go how we think they will, we will be in a house before December.
That of course has me terribly, but cautiously, excited. It has been a very long road for the last 3 years. Being jobless and essentially homeless. We have been immensely blessed by our family members. I can't even describe how I feel. We have had trials but we have learned so much and are forever indebted to all of those who have helped us get through these last few years. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I would LOVE to be able to be in my very own place for once! So, we are earnestly praying for things to work out well in the job and home-finding area.
So, in a nutshell, that is what our life is like right now. We are incredibly blessed and continue to be so!!!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Latest Project
So Mom and I were asked to do a "little" project...
A sister in our ward is a school teacher. She and several other teachers in the area have received a grant to have Ipod Touches in their classrooms. She, thinking mom was a seamstress, asked if she and I could come up with a prototype for a protective covering that the children could have around their necks, and also be clear in the front so they can use their Ipods without removing them from their coverings, but they need to be removable so she can charge them. She figures that if we can come up with something, we could possibly make them for teachers around the valley....
So on to our grand adventure. She wanted 35. She also wanted me to embroider numbers on the back so she could easily assign them to her students.
She calls a few days later she called and said the principal would pay for 70 (two sets for two classes) but didn't want to pay for the embroidery, so since I had already started on the embroidery for hers she would pay that separately. So instead of working on 35 we now have an order for 70!
I will tell you that it was a lot of work, especially for mom, because she did most of the sewing! There are two coverings; one with two layers of denim on the back with vinyl on the front, and one with gray fleece on the back with vinyl on the front. We overlapped the back fabric and added Velcro to keep it secure. Then we stitched a ring in place for a lanyard to be attached.
I really like the denim ones. They turned out well.
We will see if anything more comes of it. We worked a lot of hours, but by the end I think we got a routine going. It would be nice to make some extra money doing this, so we'll just have to wait and see!!
A sister in our ward is a school teacher. She and several other teachers in the area have received a grant to have Ipod Touches in their classrooms. She, thinking mom was a seamstress, asked if she and I could come up with a prototype for a protective covering that the children could have around their necks, and also be clear in the front so they can use their Ipods without removing them from their coverings, but they need to be removable so she can charge them. She figures that if we can come up with something, we could possibly make them for teachers around the valley....
So on to our grand adventure. She wanted 35. She also wanted me to embroider numbers on the back so she could easily assign them to her students.
She calls a few days later she called and said the principal would pay for 70 (two sets for two classes) but didn't want to pay for the embroidery, so since I had already started on the embroidery for hers she would pay that separately. So instead of working on 35 we now have an order for 70!
I will tell you that it was a lot of work, especially for mom, because she did most of the sewing! There are two coverings; one with two layers of denim on the back with vinyl on the front, and one with gray fleece on the back with vinyl on the front. We overlapped the back fabric and added Velcro to keep it secure. Then we stitched a ring in place for a lanyard to be attached.
I really like the denim ones. They turned out well.
These are some examples with and without embroidery on them.
We will see if anything more comes of it. We worked a lot of hours, but by the end I think we got a routine going. It would be nice to make some extra money doing this, so we'll just have to wait and see!!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Completely Crafts Again!
So I have been HORRIBLE at blogging the past few months. On the bright side, I don't spend as much time on the computer, but on the down side, I haven't done my blogs!!
February is all about Easter. I figure, Easter is at the beginning of April this year, so I wanted to have decorations finished so people could enjoy them for longer than just a week or two, but because I discovered so many awesome crafts, we are doing Easter stuff for the next two months. The Spring turned out really cute. And the little animals are so easy and fun! Then we are also doing gold leafing. It's really exciting! I have NOT been able to find Christ-centered Easter crafts that don't include a cross, so, with mom's help, a gold leafing of Christ is what we decided! My mom has one that a sister did for her, so I figured out how to do it. It's just a transparency, gold leafing and adhesive, and cardstock!!! I will post pix when i can figure out how to show the gold leafing. It just looks like an awesome picture right now, not a gold leafing.
All of the instructions for the animals are here at familyfun.com. They are called Beady Babies, Bead Bunnies, and Bead Babies (yes they have similar names, but they are very different!)
The start of this years crafts was this cute little decoration. From it, mom and I thought of creating all of the seasons. So January was Winter.
All of the instructions for the animals are here at familyfun.com. They are called Beady Babies, Bead Bunnies, and Bead Babies (yes they have similar names, but they are very different!)
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