Skype

We have used Skype for our long distance for about a month now. I'm very impressed with the quality and ease of use. I have suggested it to my friends, but of course, some lag behind. I can only do the best I can do!

For those of you not familiar, Skype uses your existing internet connection. If your friends have Skype, you can call pc to pc for free even with video. For a fee (approximately $30 A YEAR!), you have unlimited long distance. The quality is very good. All you really need is a headset or a Skype phone. I got one of those for Christmas, and I'm enjoying it immensely.

Sadly though for us, some of our family and friends do not have a pc; some of our friends won't take the few minutes to download and set it up. At least we're able to call others cheaply and with good quality.

I highly recommend it. We were blowing tons of dollars on a cell which did not work very well where we live currently. With Skype, we at least feel more connected with the outside world.

Christmas

36 plus years later, I have my first white Christmas. Living here is really difficult to explain. I feel so fortunate, so blessed. Our family is tight and close although I do miss my friends and family from back home. There is so much to be thankful for just living here.

Jake says on Christmas Eve that Santa doesn't even have to come because this has been "the best Christmas ever!" That made our Christmas right then and there. We were able to celebrate despite me working both days, and it really was special.

I'm grateful my mom was here with us. I'm extremely appreciative of my wife and kids. I'm thankful for friends that try to stay connected to me and us despite 2300 miles of separation.

So, yes, Virginia, we have snow. Probably 3 feet in spots, but it's definitely about 2 feet in general. Even having a 4WD, we struggle getting up our drive. It's a very difficult v-shape turn followed by a steady incline on a curve. Add inches of snow and ice underneath it all, we struggle. We are getting chains soon!

I can't explain it, folks. It's magical here. I hope and pray we get visitors from back home at some point. Maybe they can see and feel this magic, too.

Home sweet home

Okay, so now I am a Montanan. How freaking exciting and cool is that!? God works splendidly, amazingly, mysteriously.

Work is going well. I love where I am. Best part is my family is with me. There is more togetherness and communication. More interactions with each other. Closer than we have ever been, we are, hmm?

I miss my family and friends from back home, yes. I sure hope they visit. I hope they see why we asked God for this and why we believe God picked us up and placed us here.

Thank you, Lord, for your daily blessings.

Moving again?!

Ok, so my boss talked with me about moving into a rent free duplex on campus. So my family and I went to check it out.

Amazing! The places were so nice. Every space was utilized effectively it seems. It felt very much like home.

So now we have to find out when the place will be finished and when we can move in. We will need storage which is fine. We hope to sell a few things along the way too. It's exciting.

Pain to move again but this opportunity will allow my wife to stay with our kids. We will be able to pay off debts. We hope to get my wife in school and adopt a little girl.

We are so grateful to God. Thanks be to God.

No net but we are home for the time being

We are settled. There are questions about us living on campus at the school. If we do that, we would save a ton of money. Barring problems we could be debt free within two years. We could possibly save enough for Dez to go to school, for us to adopt...on and on.

We had a great trip up here and saw many amazing sites. I can't believe I've been working a month.

The downside to living on campus is Jake changing schools yet again and lack of "town" around us. Being able to save and be debt free would be very awesome.

God has a plan just like in the election.

Last day of work

Well, spent about 6 hours at work, which is about 2 more than I anticipated. That's a good bit of paperwork. I got it done, though, and that's the main thing.
Leaving was bittersweet. I really enjoyed working with those folks and my clients. Never could I have asked for more support than what I received from my clients and co-workers. I'm extremely grateful.

I also heard from my future co-worker today about a place. We're hoping we can get it, but I'm a bit worried about finances. Leave it to the guy to stress about that. hah I remain faithful and trusting in God. I believe things will be fine. The human being part of me (gah, weak) would like to know what's going on, though.

God, thank You for all you do. I am amazed.

Peace.

The Yard Sale

Well, amazingly (thanks be to God!), the sale went splendidly! We still have some big items to go, which will help immensely once they do go, but we sold ourselves out of a place to sit and sleep. heh Sort of. It's not that bad (yet!).

We sold our mower, our bedroom suit, our tables, our sofas and chair/ottoman, kitchen set, my old guitar amp, and tons of smaller things. We still have my old music equipment. If that stuff sells, we will be in so much better shape. It's very exciting to me how God works things out.

As a result, we will be able to give my friend some cash for the couch that she gave us!

Thank you, Lord, for you are amazing. We are nothing without you and everything because of you.

Peace

Linux and Home Improvement

Well, years after trying Mandrake, I tried Ubuntu. I mainly went with that because I had a Wow character based off the OS. :) Anyway, I took a chance and completely wiped my laptop and began using Ubuntu. I have to admit, I have had a lot of fun using this.

It reminds me in some ways of old Dos stuff. I'm completely in love with free software and quality free software at that. I have thoroughly enjoyed tweaking my system. It's been a blast.

I have not enjoyed tweaking the house. :( It's tiring and frustrating and home improvement person I am not. We have made tons of progress, that which most folks would not probably notice. We notice, though. My prayer is that the house will sell very soon so my family can join me in Idaho.

I'm very excited about going, but I hope we can all go up together even though that thought of my kids riding some 32 hours across country....is frightening.

Trip, house, etc.

Well, we are on our way. We have ventured through MS, TN, MO, IA, SD, and now WY. All have their own beauties, I think.

Moving, grooving, and snow tires...

Lots of stuff to consider before moving. It may be that I have to go up there first before my wife and kids do until we sell our house. That would stink, indeed. I know God has it worked out. Of course, me being human, is trying to make sense of everything.

I resort back to a page and a half of scriptures that were relevant to various words such as hope, faith, marriage, children, etc. Those drive me and remind me.

We have made more progress with the house. We have continued to try to sell things. I got some closeout snow tires. I'll be looking to get some for my wife soon.

Tiring process, this is. My clients are doing well, accepting things.

Cat bathing and packing

Yeah, bathing the cat is not the most fun thing to do in the world. My cousin and I accomplished the feat and rid the world of a wealth of fleas. Poor Sophie! She was struggling. With us approaching the move, we're hoping we get to keep her. My wife is leaning toward the duplex I liked so much from the beginning. The only problem I have with it is the cost. There's lot of "ifs"...if we sell the house, if we sell a few things, etc. I have faith in God that things will be okay.

My wife and I spent a good portion of the day with my oldest. He suddenly broke out in a rash and was feverish. We took him to our favorite doctor and got him seen. It's viral as it turns out and has to run its course. It's a relief, though, to me that it was nothing major. Treat the symptoms basically.

Also, Dez and I spent some time packing up. We're getting closer and closer to moving day. We still have a lot to go. We have to get rid of a few things, so I'm hoping tomorrow will bring less drama unless we're talking about GH. :)

I have faith and remain faithful. Today, was day 1 of unemployment, which wears on me as well. We consolidated some banking and that helped me some, to breathe a little easier, stress a little less.

Like I say and have said, I remain faithful.

God helps us as we do this. We love you and trust you and pray your will be done.

Amen.

On our way

Come the first of October, we should be in our new residence. Exciting and nerve-wrecking at the same time! We have tons to do, but I have faith things will work out.

House for sale

We decided to go ahead and list with a realtor despite my bad opinions about the ones with whom we have dealt with before. This gentleman seems like a nice guy and has been around, which is good in my opinion.

So, tomorrow we discuss job details. It's very exciting to me because I know it won't be long until we're able to relocate to our new home.

Word, yo!

I got a voice mail during a session. I checked the calls afterward, and there were two-one from the school and one from another place in Billings. So, it appears I got the job if I so choose!

Thanks be to God!

FSBO

Okay, I'll start by saying in my limited time on earth so far, realtors are near worthless in my opinion. (I do apologize to any offended realtors; this is, after all, my opinion.) We are yet to benefit from one despite clear, concise things we're looking for. So, at this point in life and at this set of events, I believe we'll FSBO our house. We have a lot to do to get it ready, but we're the most vested people in selling this place. The others we've encountered do not seem as interested.

So, in the meanwhile as we wait for "word" from the interview, we're readying ourselves to move away from this heat and a little closer to what we deem "God's country."

I've read and read and read about how to get ready to handle the weather changes that we'll endure. Everything from articles about snow tires, where to buy them, DOT regulations for various states, etc. I'm told by natives that it's typically not that bad with the appropriate gear. I realize we need to get some items and create our very own weather-ready kit for Winter.

Also, I have want-itis when it comes to an AWD. That is horrible. But, I'm afraid at the same time it could be very necessary. I'm looking at several, but the cheapest and one I like so far is the Suzuki SX4 Crossover. My wife has a Suzuki Reno, and we've enjoyed it. It's peppy in its own right and does decently on gas mileage. Plus, it's pretty comfortable given the size of the vehicle.

All in time, I suppose. At the very least, we're probably going to FSBO our home, perhaps even list it on Ebay. We have to do quite a bit of finishing, though. I'm dreading that, but at the same time, I trust in God that things will be fine. I believe, after all, He's got our backs.

Peace (got to rest while I sweat my guts out!)

Trip results

Wow! We had the smoothest trip of all time. :) Flew into Denver from Memphis then from Denver to Spokane. We landed, got our car, and drove to Idaho. Absolutely beautiful area. Amazing, really. Drove through and past Coeur D'Alene, past Silverwood, and into Sandpoint. Visited the realty spots there a bit after checking into the lodge. Later that evening, we drove to Heron, which was a terrific/scenic drive filled with mountains on our left and gorgeous water (Lake Pend Oreille pronounced Ponderay) and Clark Fork River. We found the school without much difficulty.

As far as the interview, wow! I spent the day with some fantastic people; the children there were amazing, really. I was able to see a great portion of the campus and interact with these incredible kids. After lunch, we had an extensive group session. At times, it was very intense. Never once did I feel shaky or nervous during the time. I even spoke up and asked some questions during to the kids. At the end of the day, I felt good. I did the best I could and was completely myself. I had one kid tell me he hoped he saw me again. I felt good from the staff interactions. So, the waiting game is on.

All I can say about this experience was I'm so glad I got to be there with my wife during this whole event. We had a great time and got to see some impressive sites, indeed (good job, God! He knows what He is doing!). I am so grateful to God for this trip and this experience. If nothing comes from it, at least we got to see some beautiful country and experience some lovely weather.

By the way, my wife and I came up with a new game called "Subaru" in which one calls out a "Subaru" each and every time one sees a "Subaru." It's very much if not identical to the "Bug" game only with "Subaru" instead. We have decided when we move we will have to have an AWD car. I'm looking at giving up my beloved Civic hatchback. :(

Also, we're hoping to sell this place and its contents even if there is a delay in me finding a job.

That's all for now, guys. I'm so thankful.

Peace

Trip

Well, we're quickly approaching the trip that could be the opportunity of a lifetime for both my wife and me. At the same time, I'm trying to prepare myself in the event that something doesn't work out. I have a couple of more places that I'm checking into, and both seem interested. I'm optimistic, which is quite surprising for me if you have known me very long. I'm believing things will work out just fine. I'm not stressed so much although apparently my body is going through a stomach virus thing (thanks, people at work!).

We're trying to get things together. Slowly, our Winter clothes have been arriving. We've had to switch out a few pieces here and there because of sizing. It's very exciting, though. We're hopeful to get a chance to look at a few places while we're there. My wife is an excellent trip organizer/packer. My mom and grandmother plan to take us to the airport as well as pick us up. That's exciting because our kids will get to see the planes and the airport. We have extremely early flights (worst of which is Wednesday). That's what sleep on the plane is for. :)

(On a side note, if any of you are now selling things door to door, be prepared. I almost grew incredibly angry at this pushy kid selling educational crap. There was a huge degree of guilt and arrogance, which does nothing more than irritate/anger me. A few more seconds of me saying the word "no" would have probably become ugly.)

Let's go fly to WA...

Okay, so my interview went well and now I'm going to WA for the first ever work trip. On a similar note, my wife is going after her interview went so well! We're on the same flight and will stay at same place and be in same car! Holy moly! On the 28th, we fly out across the states to territory unknown to me and visit what we hope to be our future career place. In my head, I'm there already.

Okay, I pinched self. This is apparently real.

Lord, your power is amazing. What You can do is beyond comprehension. Thanks, O Lord, for Your love. Guide me to serve Your will.

Thanks be to God.

"I hate you!"

Yeah, those words suck, especially hearing it from your child. I heard that for the first time ever today, a few minutes ago. It won't be the last time probably that something will be said that is hurtful.

I try not to take things personally. It's a little bit harder when it's your own kid, maybe, but I try to do the same thing with him/them as I would with my clients.

I've been saying I want to do a reward system for my children here. I would like to do something that is beneficial yet fun. That is something I'm going to work on over the next bit, I think. Hopefully, it will be more engaging and have us as parents more involved with what's going on here.

Wish me luck. :)

Son's 5th birthday party, job interviews, etc.

Okay, so Thursday netted me 2 job interviews and our camcorder. I had one interview at 12pm and one at 5pm. I had my mind made up that I did not want the job at 5pm . . . until I talked with them.

First, the interview at 12 went well. I felt comfortable. My 11 o'clock session ran over, and luckily, they were a little late on calling. I had to return a voice mail, but I think it went well. We seemed to connect on some philosophies. It's a school-based position that pays about what I'm making now but over 10 months. One has the option to have job-attached unemployment during Summer or work some sort of Summer program. I was even given a possible start date, which is nice, and was told if this position did not work out, there was the possibility of me working as a family counselor.

So, keep in mind, of all the interviews I have had, this was the best one. I felt like myself and felt comfortable, no stress. I went from that interview, that good feeling, to taking on the interview at 5pm. I got the call and my mom agreed to stay and watch the kids for me while my wife was at a doctor's appointment (thinking she has her medical stuff on the mend finally as she was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid). The number was an Idaho number, and we started the interview generically talking about the weather. At the time, it was storming here. It was interesting to me. The first things out of the box were questions about my plans, my interests, and where I saw myself in 3-5 years. I explained those things, mentioning that I would be interested in relocating to Montana, working toward licensure, and possibly adopting a little girl. Then, we talked more about this position and the kind of work I would be doing.

First, let me say I have always been interested in helping people. That is the joy I receive from doing what I do. Second, making a difference is very important to me. This place sounds amazing! I would work with children from enrollment until graduation as a mentor, counselor, support, for guidance . . . a position that makes a difference, perhaps? Wow!

The salary and the benefits were spot on. I would make more money than I have ever made for doing something I want to do. I went to the web site of the company and realized I had interviewed with the founder. Had I known that I might have been much more nervous. As it stands, I felt comfortable and believed we had a good conversation. He mentioned to me that he would like to have me visit and work with the kids there. I explained I had to talk this over with my family and examine funds. I did more research and talked with my wife. We were both in agreement to go for it.

(Interestingly enough, we received a check for some flood damage resulting from some rains we had a few weeks back. The check was much more than either of us expected. Isn't it mind boggling how God works? The interweavings of His doings are phenomenal and beyond understanding. That is probably why I love Philippians 4:7 so much.)

I sent an email directed for the founder with whom I spoke. Basically, I said I was definitely interested in coming out and was grateful for the opportunity to speak with him about this amazing place.

So, folks, we shall see.

Yesterday, we had my son's 5th birthday party. We all had a great time. It gave me a chance to play with the camcorder we got. I'm very pleased with the quality and versatility of the product, itself. If you're on a budget as we are, I have to say we are quite pleased with the Aiptek MZ DV. I'm all about best bang for the buck. :) Last night, I played around the the near-30 minutes of acquired video and made a movie using Windows Movie Maker. It turned out okay. It's fun to play with and fun to document important events. We have not really done that throughout my oldest son's life, but we're hoping we get more into doing that these days.

That's about it for now. I paniced for a moment because my baby hit the reset button. When I returned to my blog, I could not find the sucker. heh So, I'm heading out before the button is pressed again.

Peace

Old songs

Okay, so finally, I took some time to record some old music our band (Jakub's Grudge) used to play. It took me a while to sift through 3 hours of recorded music (badly recorded at that!). Out of all of that, there are maybe 12 songs or so that were recordable.

After hooking my cassette player to my computer, I was able to find a really nifty program called Audacity to record, edit, and add a few effects to the old songs. Keep in mind they were recorded live using a "jam box." So, yeah, quality stinks.

Listening to them, though, made me really appreciate the group we used to have. They were great musicians and good guys all around. I never really appreciated them as I should have. Listening to me, well, I tried to do too much sometimes vocally. I can carry a tune, but sometimes, I'd try to run marathons when 5k was the distance required.

In any event, it's great having those pieces to hold onto and treasure. I'm trying to pass them along to my friend (and bass player) so he can distribute as he can. We never got around to recording music even though we had some nifty equipment. It's regrettable, unfortunately, but it happens. I have what I have, and for that, I'm grateful.

We weren't bad. I can say that honestly. We had a few highlights as a band that I'm still proud of to this day. There were a lot of good times in the music we played. Lot of tears and mood swings, too. :)

Thanks, God, for good times, good memories, and good friends.

Five

My oldest boy turned 5 today. I can't believe it. I can remember holding him early one morning after we brought him home and crying my eyes out, hoping I would not let him down in life. It was purely a father-son moment and hugely emotional.

Now, our family is blessed with 2 wonderful, precious boys. We still hope for adopting a little girl at some point. So far, though, it has been incredible watching my son (and sons) grow. They are my greatest achievements in life. I'm grateful and thankful to God for my family, especially my boys.

Dear God, thank You for my children and family.

Amen

My, how things change...

Okay, so I've been frustrated but not hopeless nor have I been faithless. Today, in a drastic change of events, I received 4 phone calls with 3 pending interviews for this week. One interview is in a town that I'd really like to live in (Billings).

So, we'll see. I watched Joel Osteen yesterday, and he preached about expecting God's favor. I know we'll end up in Montana. I do not know when it will be or where we will live/work. It's still very exciting. My wife and I have compiled so much research about Montana; we're interested in living in a larger city in the state. I have faith God has things worked out. I know He will do what is right, and I pray for God's will. It's His time schedule.

God's drivin;' I'm ridin.' Let's check out the scenery!

Dreams, Montana, etc.

I had a dream last night in which I was living in St. Louis and working in a factory. My wife and kids were still home. The conditions were not good at all, really. So, what made me dream this dream? Let's think about that a bit, shall we?

First, my whole life has revolved around work, change, and moving in recent months. We're trying hard to relocate in Montana, which translates into lots of postage, email, some phone conversations, and an occasional interview. Lately, if I were a tracker, I'd say the hot trail of a job has now grown icy cold.

One thing that has definitely been on my mind is that most likely my family and I will have to be without each other in some form or another while we get ready to move. We've talked about various options on how to go about this. None are exactly what I'd call ideal. One problem currently with our home is that it's still not quite finished which translates into a lot of work for my dad and us. I'm not a person that is good with his hands in a building sense (computers, yes; houses, no). So, that is one snag. Another issue is that we have accumulated a lot of "stuff" (please see George Carlin's take on "stuff"). The question remains what to do with that stuff. Do we keep some of it or try to sell the majority? Another option would be to sell the house with the "stuff" and take the important (to us) goodies. Lots of random thoughts, really.

So, what did I learn from this dream? I learned I don't want to go somewhere and not be prepared, meaning I need a job before I get there. Otherwise, I'll end up barely scraping by if even and struggling. I've struggled the majority of my life, and I must say that struggling sucks.

You know what's really kind of interesting in all of this? Check this out: Montana creeps into everything we run across. Video games, books, movies, web readings (incidental not Montana research). The other part is the belief in God and the strength of our faith.

Things will work out as intended. I realize this isn't drive-thru nor is it Burger King. This is life. I want to make it count as best I can.

Remember: God's driving; we're riding.

en masse

Well, thanks to the lack of interest lately, my wife and I have started a mass campaign across most of Montana, particularly central and western sections. We're hitting as many of the community mental health centers as possible as well as trying to hit the federal positions.

Will I qualify for these? We'll see. Some of the experience I have is not communicated well in my resume. I keep trying to remind myself there is no pressure and no rush, that God is driving. We've just hit a frustrating point.

The excellent news is that my wife has an interview in the Helena school district-a dream job for her. So, we'll see what happens. God has it worked out; we just have to see how this plays out. :)

Frustration

I've managed to keep a pretty clear and cool head about this job search thing. Today, however, I would not say that. I've been uptight and very frustrated about this whole process.

I've spoken with about 3-5 places. Each time at the start, each company expresses much interest. As the process continues, either I end up not getting the job or interest wanes. Today, I'm frustrated. I can handle not getting the job. I don't understand the change in interest.

Anyway, the search has been intensified. I still know God's in control. We are trying hard. I know God's driving. It's His time and pace.