Working Woman

I called the Tacoma Public Schools HR office this morning to see if it was even possible for me to return to work this late in the game- school starts tomorrow!!! All I wanted was to be allowed to sub a few days a week even though I'm on leave from my contract.

The answer was no I can't sub, because when you are on leave that means you are unable to work for whatever reason. But, the woman in the office said she thought she might have a 0.5 (reading teacher/title I) job available to me at Downing Elementary.

When I got off the phone I prayed that if this was the right move for me the job would be a 3day/2day split or at least an afternoon position. When I got the call back the answers were: yes the job is available, yes I can have it, and it's an afternoon schedule. So it's official- I'm going back to work part-time.

This is not the direction Jeremie and I wanted to have to go, but it will be great in the long-run. First, the pay is way better than subbing and I get paid time off. Second, we get great state employee health insurance. Third, it helps me work on converting my certificate from a temporary (residency) state to a permanent (professional) state. Fourth, it guarantees me a contract with the Tacoma School District until at least a year after we have another baby instead of expiring this Spring. And fifth, it will significantly help with our new budget.

Please continue to pray for us. We are excited that at least one prayer has been answered. We are continuing to pray for Jeremie's career direction... I've been on the computer all morning researching firefighting positions and EMT training courses!

Changes

"My son, preserve sound judgement and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, and an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." Proverbs 3:21-26

This pretty much sums up where the Neighbors family is. Our "sudden disaster" came on Friday when we found out that we are no longer self-employed independent distributors. Jeremie is now an employee of Smith Brothers Farms. This significantly changes our budget and requires us to prayerfully consider our next move.

Right now we are at a loss of words. We do not know which direction to turn. Should Jeremie continue working on becoming a firefighter? Should he aim for a sales job? Should I be the one to go back to work and let him work on a bachelor's degree?

This time of change is stressful, confusing, exciting, sad, overwhelming... I could go on and on. We ask that you keep us in your prayers. We need discernment and sound judgement as we consider the direction of our family and our future. We need patience for answers. We need contentment in the meantime. We need thankful attitudes for the past blessings we received and thankfulness for this time of trial that will lead us in the direction that ultimately strengthens us. We also need prayers as we consider my return to teaching on a part-time basis while we sift through this transition.

I will keep you posted with new developments, as this is sure to be a LONG work-in-progress. We thank you for all the love, prayer, and support.

Meet Xavier!

On Thursday August 27th, my wonderful friend, Lisa, had her adorable baby boy. When Mollie and I went to meet him she couldn't get close enough to him! He is one precious and loved little boy!

The Fourth Time's the Charm

And Yet Again More...

More Seaside Pics

Mollie is just too darn cute to put the camera down! We took over 500 pictures in just two days!!! Here are some more from our fabulous weekend.

Seaside Trip

Jeremie, Mollie, and I took a three-day trip to Seaside, OR last weekend. I hadn't been there since I was a kid and Jeremie had never been. Seeing as we are both beach lovers, we thought it was time to make the trip together. Along with the three of us were our friends Jonna and Spencer Smith. They have two little ones- Addie who is almost five and Aven who is just a month older than Mollie.

We stayed in the Wyndham timeshare resort and LOVED it! Jeremie and I are already thinking when it may be affordable to purchase a timeshare of our own. If you ever want to stay in a timeshare, but do not own one check out www.vrbo.com (vacation rentals by owner). People are willing to sell their unused points and then you get to stay in a fabulous place!

Most of the trip consisted of eating, playing in the sand, swimming in the pool, and eating some more. Both Jeremie and I felt like we needed to go for a run and workout when got home... But we finished off the trip by eating at Azteca in Centralia on the way home! :)

It was a great time of relaxing and enjoying each other's company. We are already thinking about doing it again next year!

When You Turn Your Back for a Second...

While I was doing dishes and Jeremie was on the phone, Mollie had a QUICK second to herself. Here is the result. How she managed to both pull her stroller and stand herself on the ottoman in that short amount of time I will never know. Oh, the "toddler days" are upon us! I think we may be in for it with this one!!!

Friends!

Here is a picture of Mollie and her friend, Addison, in the wading pool at Grayland Park. Addison's mom and I met in birth class just before our girls were born. It has been so fun to share in our girls' first years together and now beyond. The girls really love each other, as you can tell from their hand-holding!

New Potty Chair = Big Girl!

Although Mollie is just 16 months old, she is showing all the signs for potty-training readiness. We got her a potty chair last night just to introduce the idea to her. And to our great surprise, we sat her down and she went! I know it may sound weird, but it was one of my proudest mommy-moments to date. And yes it's silly, but I actually almost cried! We are so proud of our baby girl who is quickly growing up into a big girl!

***Sorry, no pictures!
Some were taken, but Mollie likes to keep it private! :)***

My Daughter- The Weirdo

The other day I was going through Mollie's clothing trying to figure out what still fits and what now needs to be stored away. This explains the slippers, no shirt, and capri's. However, it does not explain the sombrero and chicken dance. So glad I caught this moment on camera. It is sure to be one of the pictures we look back on and remember who Mollie was as a 16 month old- a sweet, goofy little girl.

Joshie's 2nd Birthday!

Mollie's cousin, Joshua, had his second birthday party last weekend. The three cousins had so much fun playing with all his new loot. The one item not up for grabs was Josh's new guitar. He rocks out like nothing you've seen before. With two musical parents he is sure to be a talented musician! More highlights from the day were Mimi (Jeremie's mom) holding all three of her granddaughters at the same time and Mollie holding a baby for the first time- Cousin Maddy who is just six weeks old! Although she is very attached to me and not quite ready to share me with anyone else I have a feeling she will make a great big sister one day.

Beach Shots

I love beach pictures! Here are a few of my favorites from this summer. Jeremie, Mollie, and I are going with some friends to Seaside in a couple of weeks. One of the reasons I am so excited to go is so I can take more pictures at the beach. I'm also excited to fall asleep to the sound of the waves and to stay in a condo on the water with another couple. After the babies are all asleep we get to sit on the patio watching the waves and drinking some wine. A mini-vacation doesn't get much better!

Giving It a Whirl

I've come to realize that I love blogs. I follow quite a few, but have never felt up to the challenge of doing one myself. Truthfully, the only reason I haven't felt up to it is because I just don't think my life is interesting enough for anyone to want to read about it... But I'm going for it anyway! Enjoy!