The journey to the unknown....

Back in July of 2010 when the opportunity to move back to Maryland was presented to us, we seized it and moved forward. I naively assumed that I would move up here would snatch some wonderful job fairly quickly and we would be on the way to buying a house within the first year or two. Well that has not happened as most of you know. Instead, it has taken about 7 months for me to even get one interview from many, many applications submitted. It is indeed a tough time to be looking for a job. With every application I submit, there is a swarm of people submitting for the same job. I do know that I will get a job someday, and until that day I am embracing my time with Kiersten and Kylie when she gets home.

Kiersten has always loved going to "school" as she calls it and she asks quite often when she can go back. However, I think she believes that she is going back to her old school when she does go. I keep trying to explain to her that her old school is in NC and we are in MD, but of course those names mean nothing to her, she has no concept of states and how far apart they are. I have noticed, she seems a little more shy than she used to be when approached by strangers.....I don't know if this is age or being home with Mom that has done this to her, so I guess we will see.

Kylie is doing really good in school and she likes that I am home when she gets home from school ....but she also likes to spend all of our money so she can't have it both ways.....ha ha. I will admit, I do like the afterschool time where Kylie comes home, they have a little snack and then they play while I cook dinner. Chip (like Ward) gets to come home to dinner ready just about everyday, courtesy of June (psst, that's me).

I have gone on one interview and am still waiting to hear from that interview. The bad thing is, that I am not a good waiter AND there is so many things up in the air now. Just as an example:
1. We want to put Kylie into a Tae-Kwon-Do class (that is what she wants to do) but there are so many studios with so many different times that we don't know which one will work with our schedule if I do get a job)
2. I want to get Kiersten into some type of preschool for a half day a couple of days a week if I am not going to have a job but I don't want to enroll her and pay all the money and then get a job and lose all that money and have to take her out.
3. As far as living somewhere, we definitely want to move when our lease ends in July but have no idea where we would even begin to look because where I am will depend on where we decide to move for commuting purposes.
4. The YMCA is starting to get on my nerves because it is so crowded but I don't want to switch anywhere yet because I don't know where will work well with our schedule.

Thus, the title of this blog, the journey to the unknown. I really wish a crystal ball was possible so I could plan accordingly whatever the outcome. I am, unfortunately a type A personality, I do, I don't sit and wait. ;).

Now for all those other people out there in the same boat as me.....We should all get together and make our own business! I am sure with the hundreds of us out there, we all have some great marketable quality to bring to the table!

Here is to the unknown and hoping that it is known pretty quickly! :)

Hellllloooo 2011....

Well, just like that the holidays have come and gone and a new year is upon us. This christmas was really nice as it was my first one that I have spent with my whole family in many years. Santa treated the girls very well.....he didn't go so easy on the finances but it was worth it ;). Every year though, I have these wonderful intentions and these visions of the holidays that go something like the pilsbury crescent roll commercials on TV......you know the whole family is laughing and loving together, the house is immaculate, table is beautifully set, everyone is floating on cloud 9. In reality, this never happens, so you would think I would give up on this vision by now....LOL.

As I say goodbye to 2010, I look back in astonishment at how much happened in one year....some good, some bad. In just one year, Chip got offered a great job, we uprooted the whole family and moved all the way to Maryland. The job is one of the good things of course, the move...well, let's just say I see that it will be good when we get truly settled where we belong. Another good thing is I finally finsished my Master's degree!! Okay, that is actually a great thing!! Though, I will admit, there is this pessimist living within me at times now that didn't used to be there that has been known to roll her eyes at that $15,000 piece of paper that is serving no purpose as I am getting passed up for job after job. But, as Chip says, it is something that can never be taken from me and I earned it.

2011 has started out with some ups and downs all ready. The up is that we traded in the Terrain AND the PT Cruiser for two brand new cars that worked out to be a better deal then we had before which is wonderful! The down is that we found out my dad had some blockage in his heart and had to undergo heart surgery. BUT, he is recovering well and the hope is that he will feel better, be healthier and live longer because of this, so that is an up.

My hope for 2011 is that it holds the perfect job for me whatever that may be and it allows us to move into a place that suits our whole family. Those of you that really know us also know that we have a reputation of moving a lot. I will admit, we have moved around a good amount which some of that comes from having two different families in two different states and some comes from being unsettled where we start. I was very settled on "the farm" as we like to refer to it down in North Carolina and though it was and is still hard to give that up, I know that there is a place for us up here that we can all call "home" :)

So here is to 2011 and all the opportunity that awaits!! Cheers!!