I'll just preface this entry with "If you want to make the Lord laugh, tell him your plans. He certainly does have a sense of humor!
Just a warning this is a very long post, but it's for posterity, so read on at your own risk.
Back in September, Dave was released from the bishopric in our ward. While we had mixed emotions, we knew it was the right time and that there were more things to come down the road. And then the dreaded phone call came. Not two weeks later did the stake presidency call come asking for us to come down and meet with them. Although they hinted about change and what was to come when they came to our house to release him, but also from the stand announcing it to the ward that his service wasn't finished. We just didn't expect it this quickly. Of course the ward had their own opinions of where he would be called and voiced them openly. He was called as the secretary in the Stake Young Men's presidency.
Of all the callings he could have received that night, we were excited and relieved it wasn't to serve on the high council since we hadn't even gotten an official Sunday to sit with him yet. So he quickly went to work learning the ropes of a stake calling and learning what other people considered to be "busy". But again, the stake presidency hinted that there were still more things to come. Back in December, the afternoon following stake conference, after he was just sustained (finally) we were called to come back in and meet with them again. What could it possibly be now? It had only been 2 months since he was called, could they be changing him already? And then he tried to blow it off and say maybe it was for me this time. Haha, not a chance. If they wanted me they wouldve called the house! Come to find out his work with the young men wasn't finished and he was called to be the Stake Young Men's President. He is excited and a little overwhelmed with what is now on his plate, but wouldn't want to be anywhere else. There are busy times ahead, with ward conferences, and youth conference coming up, but he he still gets to sit with us so we are excited for that.
The next matter of change started to take shape in the beginning of December and we are still in the adjustment period but is exciting just the same. Dave has been working at APCO Equipment for almost 12 years now and with the economy the way it is here in Las Vegas, we have really struggled over the past few years. At an auction about 2 months ago, a company came to him and started talking about the propect of changing. This has happened before with other companies wanting him to come work for them, or Dave looking elsewhere for employment, but nothing has worked out or felt right. The company, Iron Planet, an online auction site for heavy equipment, decided they wanted to split the Las Vegas territory to get more business out of it.
As it got closer to Christmas, the talks got a bit more serious and the day after Christmas he had a phone interview and the following week the manager flew out to discuss everything over dinner. It was just too good to pass up and it fell into place entirely too easy for it not to be right. Dave gave his notice to APCO on the 10th of this month and by the end of the day he was no longer employed. With Iron Planet being primarily online, he has his office at home which will be an adjustment for us, but at the same time has a bit more flexibility to spend more time at home which I will take full advantage of in a couple of months. With sales, if you change, or move, you are having to start over with new products, customers, etc, but with this job, there was no starting over. While he lost some customers (since he was the only salesman left at APCO), he is not having to start and build those relationships before they feel comfortable enough to call him. There were just too many pros to ignore and stay at APCO any longer. And it's what was best for our family.
The next change we are encountering is moving. Unfortunately with the way the economy is, we are losing our house and it has been so long waiting and being in limbo wondering when we wld get word that we had to move. We have known this was coming for over a year and a half, but feel we have been so blessed with the timing of everything and the way life has happened and that we are able to move on. While we are sad to leave the yard and everything we have done to it, it is just a house and have been able to find a house to rent in our ward and keep the girls at the same school, so that through this incredible time of change, they can have some normalcy they are comfortable with. Since we have already moved with a new baby once, this is by far easier to go through this with the baby still inside. And fortunately I'm not too big that I am completely useless. Rest assured, while there are things to do, I am not pushing it too hard and have accepted help when it's been offered.
This has been a long time coming and we are excited to move on with this phase of our lives. We have learned a lot, and while we wish we could go back and change some things, we have seen and felt the Lord guiding us through this trying time. We are thankful for the prayers from our family that have been offered on our behalf and for their ongoing love and support.
We will also be welcoming our fourth girl to our family in just over 2 months. We both breathed a sigh of relief when we found it because we didn't really want to start over with everything for a boy. The girls are beside themselves excited and can't wait for this new little baby to join our family, hopefully around Easter time, at the end of spring break. But while some things never change, we have no name for her yet and aren't too concerned since we didn't decide on Katelyn and Addison's names until just a few days before they were born.
Change is good and we have been blessed through all of this and look forward to what this next phase of our life may bring.
