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!
