new links

Ok- I know it's a little blog-stalker of me but I added some more links to some other blogs I like to peek at and have to navigate from other people's pages to view- so I just added them to my own:) Mostly people from high school, or friends of friends and acquaintances. Hope I don't get in too much trouble- if you really prefer not to be listed...I will happily remove links!

military family

This is the first piece of mail I sent to Caleb. I wanted him to have a picture of his ancestors serving in the military and I added some quotes that I liked to go with it.

still alive...just laying low

Well I was going to post a few pics of what i have been doing lately (which isn't a whole lot) but blogger is SOOOOO slow and I remembered that's why I haven't been blogging- it takes TOO much time. If there is an easier, faster way to post pictures- I mean facebook faster and easier- let me know or I might just abandon my blog.

But a few updates- Abe was sent home from Georgia in Sept to help with a school in Idaho Falls for just 2 weeks. Then he was supposed to go back to Georgia. But he has been here ever since. Working on busy projects in Idaho Falls waiting for the next big project to start. Then he was told he was going to go work on the Spaceport in New Mexico for 2 few weeks. So he left on the 10th and is supposedly driving home today. I was worried he might be down there for much longer but- luckily not. We are supposed to be leaving to work in Oklahoma, Canada, or Poland sometime soon. I don't know when exactly. I don't know exactly where. Seems like everything I think I know lately- changes or is out of my control and I am just tossed about a stormy sea. Well, except not so much tossed as I am just STUCK in Idaho. I haven't been working because I quit my job so that we could move to some unknown destination in July. We didn't care where as long as were were out of Idaho, onto a new adventure and together. Then Abe got the job with Dome and he left, I couldn't go for the first 90 days due to company policy. I go out to Georgia to visit for 3 weeks- and am unexpectedly sent back to Idaho within 4 days of getting there.

I have been majorly frustrated with all of the unpredictable changes this job brings him. I haven't gotten a new job because I could potentially move in a short time so who will want to hire an employee that will be quitting shortly thereafter? Plus I told everyone at my old job my reason for quitting was because I am moving. I haven't moved...yet. If they walk into some store and see me working there- I am going to have to answer all the "Jen I thought you were moving" questions and I feel like no matter what I say-I am going to look like a liar and like I have no idea what is going on with my life. Seriously- you should see some of the looks I get when I tell people, "Yes, I am living with my in-laws and no I don't know where we will be living or where or when we will be going..." But we are told that if we are just patient - we will be able to move around and live where they are doing jobs for several months at a time. That was what we really liked about this job- being able to see some new places without the stress of having to find a job or housing every time we move. Dome will do it for us :)

In the meantime, people are always asking what I do with "all my free time?" Well- I have honestly tried to take advantage of it. I have spent a lot of time with family, enjoying a few hobbies here and there like photography, guitar, piano, calligraphy, reading, writing, cooking, throwing parties, babysitting, and going out with my brother a lot before he left for the Marines. I feel like I am productive. I have enjoyed the break and finding ways to enrich my life and myself. I do need to learn to stop caring so much about what I think other people think. I am much happier when I do.

Yes- my brother left for the Marine Corp last Sunday. He is 25. Has always wanted to be in the military. He used to talk about joining the Navy Seals a lot. After his mission and some college, he wasn't really happy. He had kind of hit a plateau. He wanted to progress. He felt Marines was a good fit for him. I think he will truly succeed at this venture. He has a heritage of grandfathers and great-grandfathers and uncles who have served in the Marines and the Army. (I could post some cool pictures of that too if blogger wasn't so SLOW!) Yes we worry about if and when he will end up in Afghanistan- but we just have to trust the Lord will protect him wherever he is. He will be in boot camp until February. His graduation will be in San Diego- so (cross my fingers and hope I don't jinx it) hopefully we will be able to visit him in February and go to his graduation. Like I said - I have no idea where I will be then.

This is a strange time in our life. I have felt like to move forward we had to take a few steps backward first and the forward steps are in very slow motion. I am trying to stay positive though! I am looking forward to having a chance to miss Idaho...while I am in Poland, or Canada or somewhere for 6 months...

Happy feet

together for now

I hitched a ride to Jacksonville FL with my friend, Abe and my brother Caleb met me there and brought me to Savannah GA and I have been here for 3 days. I was going to be here 3 weeks- but Dome Tech now is sending Abe to Idaho for a few weeks. Grrr! So I am going home early. I took lots of pics so I will be posting soon when I am back in Idaho...but for now we are enjoying this short vacation in one of the oldest, most haunted cities in the United States. It is creepy.

savannah, ga

Well it's been forever since I have posted. Mostly because I have been busy and then i have also had nothing exciting to post. It was getting frustrating there for a while when every single person I came into contact with would ask, "So what are you going to do now? Where are you moving?" I will apologize now to those I may have been rude to in my responses. BUT- finally Abe got a call from Dome Technologies and within a week he was off to Savannah, GA for work. He has been gone a week and a half now.
The new questions are, "Why aren't you out there? How long will he be there?" Company policy is that you have to finish a job before they will let your family live with you. So I am not allowed to live with Abe yet. Kind of a probation thing. This job he is on now is supposed to be done in November. Once they finish this job, he gets 2 weeks off to come home and then it's on to the next job for another 3-6 month period. The next job I should be able to move around with him. This company is very family oriented and is perfect for this stage in our life. We wanted to move around and see things, we just wanted work, we want to be together. This company will tell us where to move (so we don't have to decide), pay for us to get there, pay for our housing while we are there and most of our money will go into savings! Yay!
This call from Dome Tech seemed kind of out of the blue. But I know it was an answer to a lot of prayers. The Lord has a plan laid out for us and it is just starting to unfold... Our house sold. We will be moving out of Idaho for a while. Not only did Abe get a job, but my brother got one with him so they were able to move out together and are presently the only roommates they have to deal with. And they get along great! The other strange part is that my friend is moving to Jacksonville, FL. This is only 2 hours from Abe. She offered me to drive out with her and her little girls, stay with her and visit Abe when I can. Coincidence? I don't believe so. I will be leaving with her on the 16th. I will probably stay for 2-4 weeks out there. Then get back to Idaho and find something to keep me entertained. I had quit my job the end of June anticipating that we were going to move and find jobs elsewhere. When Abe got this job I was thinking that since Abe had to go without me I should have been working still. But the fact that I quit earlier and was able to relax and see Abe for a month without the stress of PSR- it was part of the plan. It would have been harder to say goodbye if I was still working. I would not be able to do PSR without Abe to build me back up at the end of the day. So in the meantime, I have been living with family, enjoying some free time and becoming Skype-savvy. Roxy doesn't seem to care about us much now that there are 5-8 other people and 2 other dogs she can go play with. Guess that makes it easier to leave her here when we do start moving around!

sold!

Well our house sold last friday...we have a month to figure out what the heck to do with ourselves. I feel like we are opening a new chapter of life- but the pages are all blank and there is no plot line whatsoever...
I have this fantasy location in mind that is a small town near a beach where it is mild weather, nice friendly people, Abe has a steady reliable job that he loves to do, is within reasonable (one-day) driving distance to family, and is a wonderful place to raise a family. I have seen this place in movies- but does it really exist? And yes I know the economy is in crisis EVERYWHERE in the U.S.- so what difference does it make where I live if I am going to be in a crisis regardless? Eventually this will all pass and we will look back and be able to see if we handled it well or not. I am ready for a change of scenery, a change of pace. There is one constant in life and that is: change. I will embrace it.

for sale

Someone please sell our house so I can quit my job, move away and have babies and then have something worth blogging. Thank you.