Delayed Gratification

It's been such a long time since I published. It's not because nothing has gone on but only because so much has taken place. This will be a post without pictures until I can get them downloaded and I'm having troubles here at the hotel.

At the beginning of October while Jason was in Vegas for a conference for work he was contacted by a person who wanted to interview him for a job with a company called Cyberonics. Jason was able to call him back when he got back to town on the 3rd of October. A week later we heard from the company that they wanted him to do an in-person interview the 23rd of October. He did that, flying back into town late that night and he and I went to Washington DC the very next morning. November was the waiting game but on the 27th they sent an official offer letter.

Cyberonics wanted Jason to start the 7th of January so we had to hold off on officially announcing the new job because Jason didn't want to give notice at IGT until the 17th of December. What a long 3 weeks! Our kids did a great job of keeping the secret but it was hard on them. In the meantime we needed to make a trip to the Houston area to look for a place to live, I had finals, the kids had December concerts, and oh yeah, Christmas was coming.

We were able to make our trip down south on the 5th of December. We returned on the 9th after finding a great home for our crew. Thanks to my sister, Celina, for coming to watch the kids in our absence. And thanks to our kids making that possible. On the 5th Rachel drove us to the airport at 2 and then went back to the airport at 7 to pick up her aunt. Then on Sunday Celina had to leave the house by 8 to get to the airport for her flight and we didn't arrive home until 5 that night. All 7 kids made it to church on time at 9 am, and did well in our absence. We are so blessed with awesome kids.

My finals were the 10th, 12th, and 13th. They all went well and I passed my classes so I'm pleased for that to be done and for the Lord's peace and assistance through those tests. Bill and Linda came for a visit and were here the 16th through the 18th. It was so nice to get to see them again (it has been a year since the last time). Rachel and Nathan had a concert the 18th and Anna had one the 20th. My friends wanted one last get-together and we did that the night of the 19th.

Jaron had friends over on the 21st and Anna had some over on the 22nd. Then it was time for Christmas! We spent Christmas eve and day together doing most of our usual Christmas traditions. Instead of a Christmas day meal we had it the day before. On Christmas morning we opened presents, had brunch and then attended a movie, Rise of the Guardians. After we returned from the movie we took the tree down (not the usual Christmas tradition) and readied the house.

Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th the packers packed up the house. On Friday the 28th the moving van was loaded and our two smaller vehicles were picked up by a transport company. The movers didn't finish at the house until 5:30. We spent the night in a hotel and were on the road the next morning by 7. We arrived here in the greater Houston area Friday, January 4th. It was a move but we're counting it as a family vacation. I will blog more about that journey later.

I want to express my feelings about this whole process while I have some time and perspective. We moved to Reno in January of 2011 unsure of how well Jason would like his new job. He loved working in-house (not for a law firm) but the company was not run well and let's face it, slot machines are not really his thing. During the summer/early fall of 2011 some things happened at work that caused me to ask Jason if he wanted to look for a new job. As we prayed about it we felt it was not the right time to do that, so we didn't.

That feeling changed in late fall/early winter and so last December we started looking for a new job with the hope that we could move over the summer. We searched for jobs, prayed for jobs, and waited. A lot. By mid-summer it was obvious that moving over the summer wasn't going to happen. As we have a fast each first Sunday of the month we often would make this a matter of fasting. But in July Jason and I finally agreed that the best thing to do would be to simply trust in the Lord to lead our path, as He has so many times before, and not make an active search for a new job at that time.

We instead looked forward to a new school year starting, a new season of marching band, my return to studies, soccer practice and the regular activities that our family keeps busy with. We felt that if a new job was something right for us that our Heavenly Father would help us to recognize it when it came along. And that was just how it worked out. This job opportunity came to us, we did nothing to search it out.

I am amazed at the way our Father in Heaven continues to teach me. I continue to learn so much about things that I thought I had a pretty good grip on. Eight months of unemployment teach you a LOT about faith and patience. But a year long job search lets you revisit those previously learned lessons. Of course this time there wasn't the same anxiety as last time and for that I am grateful.

In times past my mother has sent things to my kids that I have not given them immediately, instead choosing to wait for a time that works better. I tell my mom I'm teaching the children to not expect immediate gratification. Delayed gratification is something our society is not about anymore but Heavenly Father still wants us to learn it. Patience is a God given attribute, but He gives it to us in experiences that teach us to be more like Him.

I'm so grateful to be here in Friendswood, TX. Our house won't close until the end of January and we are living in two two-bedroom suites at a Marriott TownePlace. It's fun and challenging and a great experience for our family. Even with its minuses I can walk over to the calendar and count off the days left until this particular "trial" is over. So many trials in our lives come without expiration dates and this one is so easy that I'm glad it's mine.

I know that I can trust my Father in Heaven and even more importantly, that He can trust me. As I compare the two job searches, the increased peace and faith that I had this time around tell me that I have grown and that He can send me hard things to do and that I'm up to the task. It is hard to move our children again. We ask them to leave behind friends and wonderful memories and move even farther from family. But we feel so strongly that the Lord has led us to be here that we offer our testimony of that fact as comfort and they trust us. That is a humbling experience, bar none.

Jason has been at work all of 6 days and LOVES it and the company. Cyberonics is so much better run than IGT ever thought about and the fact that the product they make is life-improving, not life-destroying is sooooo great. I'm hoping to do a better job of blogging again and I'll get you all up to speed. Thanks to each of you for your prayers and help as we made this move and also for your willingness to learn delayed gratification as it's been 10 weeks since I last posted. =)