I just found out today that I'm number 6 on the register. I should be thrilled, and I am, but in my head I was hoping/thinking I would be either 4 or 5 so was slightly disappointed that it was lower. (yea, I get that it's ridiculous to be disappointed in this score). We are so excited about the possibilities and hope that my score will be enough to get me an invitation to the January A-100 class. I doubt there will be a November class, and this was all but confirmed by my registrar, but stranger things have happened. We have decided though that we'll wait for January to give Thing 1 a chance to finish the first half of Kindergarten before we change schools on him. We'd also like to keep my end of year bonus from work if possible, and want one last holiday in our house before we sell it. Yep, you heard it. We're going to sell. We talked about trying to rent it out, but frankly, it's a logistical nightmare than neither of us really want to wade through if we don't have to. We'd rather have the peace of mind, and extra cash monthly, and since we doubt this is now where we'd come back to it just makes sense to not hold onto it.
So here I sit. Waiting for the call. Waiting to see, despite continuing resolutions, sequestration, and budget cuts, if hiring will continue for the Department of State, if my score will be high enough to get an invitation, if the house will sell, if the stars align... Lots of ifs. Probably one of the only things I know for certain is that my husband and I are in this together, that this is something we both want - each as much as the other. That knowledge helps me stay sane during the waiting.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
My road to (hopefully) the Foreign Service...
I haven't posted in a long time. A really LONG time. A lot has happened in the past 2 years. We moved to OK to be closer to family, to buy a house, to stretch professionally. It has been a really great two years. And yet, we still want more. When I was job hunting a few years ago I noticed an expired job notice for a specialist in the Foreign Service. I didn't realize this was a possibility. The notice was old but you could sign up for an email notification if/when it was ever reposted. So I signed up and promptly forgot about it. Fast forward through an out-of-state move, new job, purchase of a dream home, 9 months down the road. I was pushing my youngest on the swing in our backyard and received an email that the job I never really knew existed before was open for the next few weeks. I read the announcement and was shocked to discover that I was actually qualified for the job. I jumped through the hoops of the application process and crossed my fingers when I sent it in, having read and re-read everything I wrote many times before hitting the final submit button.
By then I was hooked. The job I never knew existed had, in the matter of a few short weeks, become my dream job. I spent hours upon hours reading blogs of others in the Foreign Service, both generalists and specialists. I found the yahoo groups where other FS hopefuls have joined together to talk about anything and everything State. And I waited. And waited. And waited. Many agonizing months of waiting. Until the day I received notification that I had passed through multiple behind-the-scenes steps, and was being invited to DC to take the in-person Oral Assessment. An all day interview that comprised of three different components. I scheduled my OA and tried to prepare as best I could. This was something I wanted more than I knew how to explain to anyone other than my husband. We didn't tell many people, just a family and a few very close friends. Most everyone was happy, although a few, admittedly, did not understand the draw for us.
I passed that interview. Not a high score, but I passed which was something to be proud of. Fast-forward 5 months of waiting for medical clearances, security clearances, and a final review panel and I was put on the "register"; which is a rank ordered list of other candidates who had jumped through all the same steps I did. One can only sit on the register for 18 months before they drop off. If you aren't hired you have to start all over again. I was 12/14 on the register and with only 3 hired in the fiscal year, it was a good chance I would time-off the register. I had two options: a crash course in Russian, which had the potential to give me a .4 boost to my score, or try luck with a new candidacy as a generalist.
I signed up for the FSOT, which is offered 3 times per year. It's free (unless you are a no-show) and I studied a little bit. Not a ton, but I did some practice tests and tried to refresh my memory on some areas. They say the test is a mile wide and an inch deep - too difficult to study for so I wasn't giving much time to studying for it until the last couple of weeks.
I walked out of the testing center with the feeling that I could have either passed, or totally bombed it; neither would have surprised me. Luckily I found out about 3 weeks later that I passed. Not by a lot, but that didn't really matter. I was moving on to the next step; the Personal Narrative Questions, or PNQs. 6 questions that you answer in about 200 words or less. The Board of Examiners (BEX) review your PNQs, your test score, and your FSOT application, and determine who to invite to the Oral Assessment. I wrote my PNQs, had them reviewed by my husband and a friend, and just before submitting them, I rewrote one of them. Then I waited. Again. Sensing a theme?
I received notification in May that I passed and was invited to DC to take the all-day oral assessment. This time the day consisted of a Group Exercise, Case Management, and Structured Interview. I was going back to DC! I was able to schedule an assessment pretty early in the process, I didn't want too long to wait and agonize over the process. I also immediately went to the FSOA yahoo group to meet others testing the same day, and try to set up a Skype study group. Our group of 6 was amazing and I'm pretty sure those sessions helped me pass. We met for 7 weeks, doing a different practice GE during the call, and working on a different CM each week over email. We also practiced the Hypos a few times as well as the assessment day loomed closer on the horizon.
I didn't sleep well the two weeks prior to the day and was worried it would carry over the night before. Luckily I got a great nights sleep and woke up refreshed and ready. I had a phenomenal group and felt confident about my performance during that section. I then tackled the section I was most worried about, CM, before a 2 hour lunch break. During the break I went to the American Indian museum with another candidate from my study group. She asked how I felt so far, and my honest answer was that I wasn't sure whether or not I was passing, but I was giving it everything I had and I felt good about that. We came back from lunch refreshed and ready to take on the last portion of the day; the Structured Interview. I was nervous (who wouldn't be) but the hour passed quickly and the next thing I knew I was doing a mini happy dance in the waiting room because we were done. It was now out of my hands.
About 10 minutes later the rest of the group who had already finished was brought up from their last break, and we were escorted to the computer room. One by one candidates were called out of the room. I had read previously that you want to be the last man standing. I thought highly of each of the candidates and wanted everyone to pass that day. As each person was taken out of the room we called out good luck. Two of my study buddies were called out in quick succession, and then the third shortly after. Only when I realized there were five (out of 11) left in the room did I realize that we were all in the same group exercise. The most recent person taken out of the room was the 6th person in our GE. I said something of that effect to the group but they told me not to read into it.
We tried to pass the time by talking, when we were interrupted by one of the assessors coming in. She started calling off multiple names and I just kept hoping she would say mine. Thankfully she did. All five of us were escorted to the room where we completed our GE that morning. On the walk there I could see about 4 or 5 assessors standing by the table and I started to let myself grin in anticipation. She advised we could set our things down before going into the room. Once we were all there the lead assessor congratulated us and advised that we all had passed! We cheered (loudly I'm told from two of my study buddies who were in the next room over being told they had passed as well!) and hugged each other, and exchanged handshakes with the assessors in the room. I was very teary eyed at this point. We all took seats around the table and listened as some general information was shared. It seemed like forever before we found out our scores. I was sitting directly next to the assessor, and my envelope was on the top of the pile. When we finally got to open our envelopes my stomach dropped and I'm fairly certain I let out an audible "wow". I scored a 5.8. The number I had set my sights on from day one. The number I was sure would get me an invitation. The tears started to really flow at this point as it became so much more of a reality.
Fast-forward to getting finger printed again. I will hopefully have a quick trip to the register as all my clearances are so recent. I have communicated over email with another in a similar position and she hit the register 8 calendar days after her OA. If all goes well I will likely be number 4 on the management register and will have an invitation to the next A-100 class in either November (unlikely) or January (more likely barring a federal hiring freeze).
I'm still in shock.
By then I was hooked. The job I never knew existed had, in the matter of a few short weeks, become my dream job. I spent hours upon hours reading blogs of others in the Foreign Service, both generalists and specialists. I found the yahoo groups where other FS hopefuls have joined together to talk about anything and everything State. And I waited. And waited. And waited. Many agonizing months of waiting. Until the day I received notification that I had passed through multiple behind-the-scenes steps, and was being invited to DC to take the in-person Oral Assessment. An all day interview that comprised of three different components. I scheduled my OA and tried to prepare as best I could. This was something I wanted more than I knew how to explain to anyone other than my husband. We didn't tell many people, just a family and a few very close friends. Most everyone was happy, although a few, admittedly, did not understand the draw for us.
I passed that interview. Not a high score, but I passed which was something to be proud of. Fast-forward 5 months of waiting for medical clearances, security clearances, and a final review panel and I was put on the "register"; which is a rank ordered list of other candidates who had jumped through all the same steps I did. One can only sit on the register for 18 months before they drop off. If you aren't hired you have to start all over again. I was 12/14 on the register and with only 3 hired in the fiscal year, it was a good chance I would time-off the register. I had two options: a crash course in Russian, which had the potential to give me a .4 boost to my score, or try luck with a new candidacy as a generalist.
I signed up for the FSOT, which is offered 3 times per year. It's free (unless you are a no-show) and I studied a little bit. Not a ton, but I did some practice tests and tried to refresh my memory on some areas. They say the test is a mile wide and an inch deep - too difficult to study for so I wasn't giving much time to studying for it until the last couple of weeks.
I walked out of the testing center with the feeling that I could have either passed, or totally bombed it; neither would have surprised me. Luckily I found out about 3 weeks later that I passed. Not by a lot, but that didn't really matter. I was moving on to the next step; the Personal Narrative Questions, or PNQs. 6 questions that you answer in about 200 words or less. The Board of Examiners (BEX) review your PNQs, your test score, and your FSOT application, and determine who to invite to the Oral Assessment. I wrote my PNQs, had them reviewed by my husband and a friend, and just before submitting them, I rewrote one of them. Then I waited. Again. Sensing a theme?
I received notification in May that I passed and was invited to DC to take the all-day oral assessment. This time the day consisted of a Group Exercise, Case Management, and Structured Interview. I was going back to DC! I was able to schedule an assessment pretty early in the process, I didn't want too long to wait and agonize over the process. I also immediately went to the FSOA yahoo group to meet others testing the same day, and try to set up a Skype study group. Our group of 6 was amazing and I'm pretty sure those sessions helped me pass. We met for 7 weeks, doing a different practice GE during the call, and working on a different CM each week over email. We also practiced the Hypos a few times as well as the assessment day loomed closer on the horizon.
I didn't sleep well the two weeks prior to the day and was worried it would carry over the night before. Luckily I got a great nights sleep and woke up refreshed and ready. I had a phenomenal group and felt confident about my performance during that section. I then tackled the section I was most worried about, CM, before a 2 hour lunch break. During the break I went to the American Indian museum with another candidate from my study group. She asked how I felt so far, and my honest answer was that I wasn't sure whether or not I was passing, but I was giving it everything I had and I felt good about that. We came back from lunch refreshed and ready to take on the last portion of the day; the Structured Interview. I was nervous (who wouldn't be) but the hour passed quickly and the next thing I knew I was doing a mini happy dance in the waiting room because we were done. It was now out of my hands.
About 10 minutes later the rest of the group who had already finished was brought up from their last break, and we were escorted to the computer room. One by one candidates were called out of the room. I had read previously that you want to be the last man standing. I thought highly of each of the candidates and wanted everyone to pass that day. As each person was taken out of the room we called out good luck. Two of my study buddies were called out in quick succession, and then the third shortly after. Only when I realized there were five (out of 11) left in the room did I realize that we were all in the same group exercise. The most recent person taken out of the room was the 6th person in our GE. I said something of that effect to the group but they told me not to read into it.
We tried to pass the time by talking, when we were interrupted by one of the assessors coming in. She started calling off multiple names and I just kept hoping she would say mine. Thankfully she did. All five of us were escorted to the room where we completed our GE that morning. On the walk there I could see about 4 or 5 assessors standing by the table and I started to let myself grin in anticipation. She advised we could set our things down before going into the room. Once we were all there the lead assessor congratulated us and advised that we all had passed! We cheered (loudly I'm told from two of my study buddies who were in the next room over being told they had passed as well!) and hugged each other, and exchanged handshakes with the assessors in the room. I was very teary eyed at this point. We all took seats around the table and listened as some general information was shared. It seemed like forever before we found out our scores. I was sitting directly next to the assessor, and my envelope was on the top of the pile. When we finally got to open our envelopes my stomach dropped and I'm fairly certain I let out an audible "wow". I scored a 5.8. The number I had set my sights on from day one. The number I was sure would get me an invitation. The tears started to really flow at this point as it became so much more of a reality.
Fast-forward to getting finger printed again. I will hopefully have a quick trip to the register as all my clearances are so recent. I have communicated over email with another in a similar position and she hit the register 8 calendar days after her OA. If all goes well I will likely be number 4 on the management register and will have an invitation to the next A-100 class in either November (unlikely) or January (more likely barring a federal hiring freeze).
I'm still in shock.
Monday, March 12, 2012
a dream being realized
I don't think I can pinpoint the exact moment my thinking changed; I know that much did when my first son was born, and when we opted to cloth diaper him at 7 months old. My focus was on making the world a better place for my children. Last year around this time I read Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle which changed the way I thought about the food we consumed. I couldn't do much about it at the time other than look for local (when possible) organic food. I'm pretty sure that I turned many people off by oversharing all my new knowledge about the conventional food industry (arsenic in chicken, ammonia rinsed ground meat...) and I know that although I'm no expert I probably came across as holier-than-thou which was by no means my intention.
Slowly though, a dream emerged about growing our own food and teaching my boys that with a little patience and knowledge, we could plant seeds and care for them, ultimately eating what we have produced ourselves. We've had a tiny plot of dirt that isn't quite a garden each summer since my oldest was born in our rental house; and had different successes each year. The first year the three tomato plants we put in the ground on Mother's Day exploded and produced more tomatoes than we knew what to do with so we ate them warm off the vine, made more grilled cheese and tomato sandwhiches than we could count, and gave them away to friends and neighbors. The following year the tomatoes didn't do as well, but the zucchini plant (I think there were two) gave us enough zucchini that my son, then 2, would pick them off the vine and walk around the backyard chomping on fresh zucchini. That was also our first year growing snap peas, and our little one would pluck them off the vine and eat dozens without realizing that he was eating something healthy or good for him. I'm pretty sure he ate his weight in home grown vegetables that summer. Last year was the year of lettuce. We had a perfect shady spot in the garden and while we couldn't get much else to grow, the lettuce took off and we had a few months of delicious salads, along with the peas. This time it was both my boys, running through sprinklers with handfuls of romaine lettuce and snap peas. It might sound crazy but even if I hated gardening, I would do it just for them since they get such a kick out of picking their own food and being part of the growing process.
Last year we moved out of beautiful Colorado back to my husband's home state. One of the reasons was to be able to buy a nice piece of land and expand our garden. Somewhere in the process my husband moved from a mindset of "how much is that organic heirloom tomato???" to "you can't put a price tag on our family's health". We have continued to educate ourselves on the food industry and spent far too much time researching heirloom seeds and planning our garden. The garden technically began the weekend after we moved into our house when my husband built the compost bin, and we have been slowly working toward being ready for the spring (which I highly doubt we are). This past weekend we were outside tilling the ground and preparing the garden beds. We'd like to do all raised beds, but given the size of the garden that I/we want, I think we'll start with 3 4x16 beds, along with the 3 4x6 beds we built a few months ago. This will give us 264 square feet of raised beds, and another 4 beds that will not be boxed in.
I'm looking forward to the possibility of what will come from the garden. We have planted hundreds of seeds so far, and have transformed our mudroom into a seed growing room. Many nights have been spent transplanting seeds from their original peat pots to larger containers before they will be ready to move outside. I am certain we have bitten off more than we can chew on this. I am also certain that we could have scaled down this first year because I will be disappointed if/when something doesn't work. No matter. My oldest helps me check the water levels on the seedlings everyday and they are having as much fun as we are.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Accepting less than perfect
I have an addition to Pinterest and I'm not afraid to admit it. It's a great way for me to try to organize my thoughts and ambitious desires. I have found so many delicious recipes on there, and am slowly learning so much about cooking more whole foods and cutting the processed junk out of our house. Pinterest is a time sucker, which isn't a surprise to anyone who knows what Pinterest is. I can go on there for a quick sneak peek of a recipe that I want to make, and the next thing I know I'm checking out a board I'm following on quilts and am lost in ambitious dreams of making a full bedroom set for all four of us, and the guest room! It's similar to Thanksgiving day where I end up piling delicious food on my plate without actually having adequate space for it in my stomach. I have so many ideas floating around of what I want to do; crafts, sewing, cooking, baking, reading, gardening, photography, running. I could go on and on.
In garden news we will be ordering and planting our asparagus crowns within the next week, and we have purchased the lamps for our seed set-up. I still need to organize all the seeds to determine what needs to be started when, and get a bit more organized about this whole thing! The veggies certainly won't grown themselves although I wish it was that easy :). We haven't built more than the original three garden beds but we're talking about ways to improve the existing design.
I could allow myself to feel like a failure when I don't accomplish everything I'd like to. I received a few books for Christmas that I can't wait to dig into; still haven't cracked the spine. I would love to try once a month cooking ever since I found the Whole Foods plan at Once a Month Mom but I'll revel in the fact that we get a healthy, homecooked meal on the table every night and eat as a family. My brain wants to run a 10K but my left knee doesn't. I'll be happy that I accomplished 4 miles last week and am not limping today...
Live in the moment. Recognize success. Celebrate small wins.
In garden news we will be ordering and planting our asparagus crowns within the next week, and we have purchased the lamps for our seed set-up. I still need to organize all the seeds to determine what needs to be started when, and get a bit more organized about this whole thing! The veggies certainly won't grown themselves although I wish it was that easy :). We haven't built more than the original three garden beds but we're talking about ways to improve the existing design.
I could allow myself to feel like a failure when I don't accomplish everything I'd like to. I received a few books for Christmas that I can't wait to dig into; still haven't cracked the spine. I would love to try once a month cooking ever since I found the Whole Foods plan at Once a Month Mom but I'll revel in the fact that we get a healthy, homecooked meal on the table every night and eat as a family. My brain wants to run a 10K but my left knee doesn't. I'll be happy that I accomplished 4 miles last week and am not limping today...
Live in the moment. Recognize success. Celebrate small wins.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Holidays
I started this holiday season with huge dreams of a completely handmade Christmas, one that showed my loved ones how much they mean to me, and how unimportant the commercialism truly is to celebrate the holidays. I didn't get anywhere close to finishing my list, that was broken out in Excel with a tab for each family member, links to tutorials, ideas, and pictures that inspired me. Instead, I completed one handmade gift for my mom's birthday (Christmas Eve), am 95% done with a gift for my oldest, and have a well-thought out idea for my youngest (some of the prep-work is complete as well). That's all. I'm not sure how we are now three days away from Christmas and I haven't completed anything else on the list. I still want to make ornaments for our nieces and nephews, and I think we may have eaten all the christmas cookies we made over the weekend. I also had this grand idea of completely outfitting the boys play room for Christmas to include painting over the mauve color with something fun and playful, to inspire them to want to play there, we have ideas for a fort and stuffed animal zoo, a reading nook, and a place to do crafts. Like I said - grand ideas. We haven't actually done much to start that room yet.
We have certainly been celebrating the season: my oldest (who is still only 3 1/2) can sing the entire song of We Three Kings (he's amazing!), we read from our collection of Christmas/Holiday books every naptime and before bed, the boys take turns with the advent calendar, we are visiting the Christmas Train tonight, we have been to visit Santa, made sugar cutout cookies, and decorated the house.
Perhaps that long list of things we've been doing coupled with the fact that at least one person in our family has been sick at any given time in December has caused me to be behind. I really think that's just an excuse though. I would love to have made more this year. Instead though I have given myself a break. I could be disappointed, instead I'm thrilled that I made what I did. I could say that I'll be better next year, I'll start in the summer. Truth is, I won't. I know I won't. So I'm cutting myself some slack this year - instead of doing the play room before Christmas the hubby and I can work on it during my 10 days off between Christmas and New Years. We still bought less - much less. And we are creating memories in our new house - isn't that what this holiday is really about?
What gifts did you make this year? Does your family have any holiday traditions that you treasure?
We have certainly been celebrating the season: my oldest (who is still only 3 1/2) can sing the entire song of We Three Kings (he's amazing!), we read from our collection of Christmas/Holiday books every naptime and before bed, the boys take turns with the advent calendar, we are visiting the Christmas Train tonight, we have been to visit Santa, made sugar cutout cookies, and decorated the house.
Perhaps that long list of things we've been doing coupled with the fact that at least one person in our family has been sick at any given time in December has caused me to be behind. I really think that's just an excuse though. I would love to have made more this year. Instead though I have given myself a break. I could be disappointed, instead I'm thrilled that I made what I did. I could say that I'll be better next year, I'll start in the summer. Truth is, I won't. I know I won't. So I'm cutting myself some slack this year - instead of doing the play room before Christmas the hubby and I can work on it during my 10 days off between Christmas and New Years. We still bought less - much less. And we are creating memories in our new house - isn't that what this holiday is really about?
What gifts did you make this year? Does your family have any holiday traditions that you treasure?
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Settling in
Ah yes, where were we? I think the last post was one filled with frustration and anxious, waiting-game filled drama (no? did I just imagine it?). We have since closed on our beautiful home - however the drama did continue through and I have a new best friend in an account manager of the local branch in CO where I opened my original account. He was the only one who told me "yes" when I asked for help in wiring our down payment and closing costs (at the very last minute, mind you), without my physical presence in the branch. You see, this particular bank doesn't have any branches in the entire state of OK. You'd think this would make me want to change banks. And I guarantee you that I would have, IF no one had helped. Yet I found one fantastic employee who didn't tell me "no" - he made it work. And at the closing, with less than 3 pages left (out of the approximately 5,000 pages you have to sign), the wire came through and we actually got our keys! We closed on Halloween at about 5pm, proceeded home to change the boys into their ninja costumes, go trick or treating, load some of the big items, put the boys to bed at grandma's house, then unload the truck at the new house.
On the trick-or-treating front - this was the first year that Colin REALLY enjoyed the whole process and really seemed to get it. He was dragging us along literally, or running through the yard, pointing out all the houses that had their porch lights on. Chris and I got a kick out of seeing what a big boy he has grown into. Jack on the other hand was perfectly happy clutching the lollipop he got at house #2 with a death grip and a growl to anyone who made a move to take it away.
We've been in the house for a whole 3 weeks now and are slowly starting to settle in. We lucked out with fantastic neighbors (only three houses on our cul-de-sac, ours is one of them). One neighbor has already given us an open invite to use his pool whenever, and the other neighbors have 4 kids and adore playing with the boys. I can usually come home to a handful of them playing basketball or riding bikes in the driveway of the house. It's fantastic. Colin loves his new friends, and they all seem to be pretty good kids.
We are getting ready to host approximately 30+ people at our house for Thanksgiving this year - it's my favorite holiday, and when we were contemplating a move to OK I made sure to tell Chris that anyone was welcome to come over but that I would be cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I think he heard me :). It will be a mini-family reunion on his side of the family and we are both looking forward to a full house.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The waiting game
I am am competitive person. By nature, that generally means I like games; however, the waiting game is not one of them. I am as impatient as I am competitive - and when I want something I.Want.It.Now. Not tomorrow, not in a week, not two days after it's expected to be attained. Hmph. So when I found out this morning that our house closing, which technically should have been last Friday but was pushed to sometime this week, is likely not to happen until the beginning of next week :(. Sad. Yes, I realize that I shouldn't have been mentally unpacking all my boxes of things that were packed up nice and neat (read: thrown haphazardly into a box at the end becuase the movers moved faster than we could get the stuff in boxes and is now why I am cooking with three random, odd pans without lids for the past two months...).
I am trying to learn patience. Really I am. Trying that is, and failing miserably. I will try to look at the bright side and say that this gives us the weekend to shove the few unpacked belongings back into a box (rather than having the weekend to unpack in our new dream house). I will pretend that by prolonging the chaos of moving my family for the second time in a few months we will have one last sane weekend together as a family to play before we have enough moving/unpacking/organizing etc to keep us busy until 2013.
At the end of the day I must say that we are pretty lucky. We found our dream house quickly upon moving to a new state, and up to now, all the pieces have fallen into place. Yes, the new roof could have been put on sooner, but in the grand scheme of things, I don't care that it will take a few extra days before we call the house our home.
I am trying to learn patience. Really I am. Trying that is, and failing miserably. I will try to look at the bright side and say that this gives us the weekend to shove the few unpacked belongings back into a box (rather than having the weekend to unpack in our new dream house). I will pretend that by prolonging the chaos of moving my family for the second time in a few months we will have one last sane weekend together as a family to play before we have enough moving/unpacking/organizing etc to keep us busy until 2013.
At the end of the day I must say that we are pretty lucky. We found our dream house quickly upon moving to a new state, and up to now, all the pieces have fallen into place. Yes, the new roof could have been put on sooner, but in the grand scheme of things, I don't care that it will take a few extra days before we call the house our home.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Sometimes I even amaze myself...
Have I ever mentioned that I'm not a fan of heights? Or that I generally try to avoid activities that could potentially injure me? I am not a risk taker; a fact that is getting progressively worse as I not only get older, but as I see my kids doing things that could get them hurt. As soon as I had a nasty fall snow skiing I pretty much gave it up. The continual fear of falling and breaking either my neck or my back prevented me from skiing safely. I would love to say that skydiving is my thing, but frankly, when it comes down to me in a plane with a parachute attached to my back, someone would have to physically push me out of the plane. I don't know that my feet would willingly jump. Things brings me to last Friday. We had an offsite retreat for work; you know, the teambuilding kind where we played games that highlighted the importance of getting to know and respect each other, and the value of communication.
After all that fun, the instructor led us the the high ropes course. Yep, ladies and gentlemen, it's exactly as it sounds. We were in the woods at a lodge just outside of Tulsa, with high poles all around us, getting strapped into rock climbing harnesses. I'm not sure what came over me. Maybe it was the fun and exhilaration that I felt when I climbed up the first pole, walked across the beam, climbed up higher to the platform and took the zipline through the trees. That gave me a taste of the excitement. Totally unlike me to enjoy that adrenaline rush. My legs were shaky and my heart was pounding. Rather than sit back and watch my colleagues experience it as well, I realized that I really wanted to climb the tall pole and truly challenge myself. I'm not really sure what came over me other than a sincere desire to just try it. I am a terrible judge of distance, but perhaps the pole was as big around as a dinner plate, maybe smaller, and it was about 40 feet in the air give or take. about 10 feet in front of the top of the pole was a bandana, suspended. The intent is to climb to the top, manuever your way to where you are standing on the pole, and jump - grabbing the bandana on the way down.
My legs shook for a good ten minutes after the jump, but the sense of accomplishment and sheer joy I felt will certainly last for some time. I'm pretty sure there are pictures to show for it - I'll post them eventually once I get copies. In the meantime, I'd just like to say that sometimes I even amaze myself.
After all that fun, the instructor led us the the high ropes course. Yep, ladies and gentlemen, it's exactly as it sounds. We were in the woods at a lodge just outside of Tulsa, with high poles all around us, getting strapped into rock climbing harnesses. I'm not sure what came over me. Maybe it was the fun and exhilaration that I felt when I climbed up the first pole, walked across the beam, climbed up higher to the platform and took the zipline through the trees. That gave me a taste of the excitement. Totally unlike me to enjoy that adrenaline rush. My legs were shaky and my heart was pounding. Rather than sit back and watch my colleagues experience it as well, I realized that I really wanted to climb the tall pole and truly challenge myself. I'm not really sure what came over me other than a sincere desire to just try it. I am a terrible judge of distance, but perhaps the pole was as big around as a dinner plate, maybe smaller, and it was about 40 feet in the air give or take. about 10 feet in front of the top of the pole was a bandana, suspended. The intent is to climb to the top, manuever your way to where you are standing on the pole, and jump - grabbing the bandana on the way down.
My legs shook for a good ten minutes after the jump, but the sense of accomplishment and sheer joy I felt will certainly last for some time. I'm pretty sure there are pictures to show for it - I'll post them eventually once I get copies. In the meantime, I'd just like to say that sometimes I even amaze myself.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Ugh - landlords (or why I'm happy-dancing that we are one step closer to closing on our first house!)
Landlords. Security Deposits. No tax write off on mortgage interest. I could go on and on about renting and why I'm glad that we are so close to having it behind us. I can't tell you how annoying it is to receive a refunded security deposit that notes a ridiculous amount withheld for something that is considered "normal wear and tear" and the subsequent fight to get that money back in the hands of it's rightful owner. But alas, that is the fight I find myself in this morning. Our previous landlords are trying to have us purchase something new for the house due to normal wear and tear through normal use. While I can certainly appreciate that the owner felt that replacing it was more beneficial to the home than repairing the issue - replacement due to the normal wear and tear was not necessary and therefore not my financial burden. However since we are now states away, dealing with this issue is going to be such an annoyance but I'm stubborn so I'll keep on it.
This issue just highlights how happy I am that we are **this close** to closing on our first house. We still need to get through the appraisal, and are hoping we can schedule that after the new roof is put on. Did I mention that the sellers will be replacing the roof? :) Happy dance! Without a new roof we would have walked, and since this could be the dream house we are soooo happy that we don't have to. Cross your fingers that all continues to go well!!
This issue just highlights how happy I am that we are **this close** to closing on our first house. We still need to get through the appraisal, and are hoping we can schedule that after the new roof is put on. Did I mention that the sellers will be replacing the roof? :) Happy dance! Without a new roof we would have walked, and since this could be the dream house we are soooo happy that we don't have to. Cross your fingers that all continues to go well!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Found it...
Lately I have been comparing myself to my beautiful little almost two year old baby boy. Jack may be one of the sweetest ones in the world and gives his big brother a run for his money sometimes with the cuteness factor (we are very blessed parents!). Jack is the prince of pointing out the obvious in his own innocent way. He will happily shout "found it!" whenver we are looking for something, regardless of the fact if he: a) actually found the item we were looking for, b) saw mommy or daddy with the item 10 minutes after we found it, or c) saw something that did not remotely resemble what we were looking for in the first place but he thinks it's pretty cool. It's quite hilarious and he knows it - could be why he does it in the first place, this kid loves to laugh. Getting back to my comparison to him. As we are transitioning to life in Tulsa, I have had many opportunities to count my blessings. My kids are thriving, I am really enjoying my new job, my husband and I are able to go out on a date, we have found a beautiful house that we love and are in the processing of trying to make it ours. In the meantime we are in a rental house and since we don't plan to be here very long we didn't set up cable - this has led to countless hours in the backyard playing "Simon Says", baseball with the boys, and running around as a family. I feel like we have already been able to spend a significant amount of quality time together and we've been here less than a month. Perhaps the newness factor will wear off soon. Perhaps it won't. For now, I'll just remind myself how lucky I am that we have more health, happiness, love, and togetherness than I cold have ever dreamt possible. I knew when we first started talking about moving to Tulsa that we were going to do it for the kids, for our family; to slow life down a little bit. As Jack would say, we "found it!".
Friday, September 9, 2011
Settling in
Wow - so much has happened in the past month. The only way to describe leaving my last job is to explain it to you the way my (now former) co-worker explained it to me.
It feels as if you are in a war-zone and missles and bullets are flying around you. You watch as a close friend dodges each bullet as she or he runs toward the US Embassy. As that friend pulls open the gates and escapes into freedom, you feel nothing but happiness that as they turn around and wave with a huge smile on thier face.
While I understand that some may think it's in poor taste to compare my last job to a war-zone, at times, to those of us on the inside, it was an easy comparison. It was also nice to know that those I left behind are just happy to know that I have found something better. The new job is awesome; I'm still in that new hire cocoon, but I'm enjoying everything that I'm learning and am excited about the possibilities that are in front of me.
The move to Tulsa itself has been so wonderful for my family. The boys are thriving and really enjoying being around all our extended family. They have created bonds already and we only hope things continue to progress as they are currently. We have also already put in an offer on a house we have found and love. It's absolutely the dream house and fingers crossed, we'll be in it before Thanksgiving. Walking into homes during the search this is the only one that reached out and made us realized that we could visualize raising our families here. The garden will take a bit more planning because of all the trees on the property, but since the house feels like it's in the woods, it's a task I'll take on. The garden may not be centrally located and instead be multiple areas with garden boxes strewn about the property based on where the sun shines through, but I'm still excited about the planning process and what we can grow.
It feels as if you are in a war-zone and missles and bullets are flying around you. You watch as a close friend dodges each bullet as she or he runs toward the US Embassy. As that friend pulls open the gates and escapes into freedom, you feel nothing but happiness that as they turn around and wave with a huge smile on thier face.
While I understand that some may think it's in poor taste to compare my last job to a war-zone, at times, to those of us on the inside, it was an easy comparison. It was also nice to know that those I left behind are just happy to know that I have found something better. The new job is awesome; I'm still in that new hire cocoon, but I'm enjoying everything that I'm learning and am excited about the possibilities that are in front of me.
The move to Tulsa itself has been so wonderful for my family. The boys are thriving and really enjoying being around all our extended family. They have created bonds already and we only hope things continue to progress as they are currently. We have also already put in an offer on a house we have found and love. It's absolutely the dream house and fingers crossed, we'll be in it before Thanksgiving. Walking into homes during the search this is the only one that reached out and made us realized that we could visualize raising our families here. The garden will take a bit more planning because of all the trees on the property, but since the house feels like it's in the woods, it's a task I'll take on. The garden may not be centrally located and instead be multiple areas with garden boxes strewn about the property based on where the sun shines through, but I'm still excited about the planning process and what we can grow.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Giving Back
Movers are coming a week from today. Our move to Tulsa, one that we have discussed on and off for the last three+ years, is finally becoming a reality. I feel so blessed to have things fall into place the way they have. Don't get me wrong, this process has not been without many bumps along the way, however I am so fortunate to already feel so welcomed by extended family and friends who have had their fingers crossed probably just as much as we have! Our boys are looking forward to playing with cousins and being closer to many relatives just as much as we are.
I'm also looking forward to settling down, buying a house, getting our compost and raised beds ready for the spring planting season. I am also excited about finding new opportunities to volunteer. Chris and I met through volunteerism and have had to put that on hold while we had two boys and a master's program that kept us busier than we could have imagined when we first signed up. It will be nice to get back into doing something we love and meeting new people in our new community along the way. There are many different organizations that we can get involved in and there are already a few that have jumped out at me:
http://www.upwithtrees.org/ is a local organization that works to plant an "urban forest" in and around Tulsa. My first thought was whether or not they plant fruit and/or nut trees to help supplement any of the local food banks.
http://emergencyinfantservices.org/Home_Page.php As a mom my heart breaks when I think about little ones and their families who go without the support they need - today's economy means there are more and more families out there who need a hand up.
http://www.cfbeo.org has a partnership with local farmers that allow volunteers to come pick fresh produce for the food bank.
There are also many community garden projects that have piqued my interest - can't wait to get down there and get involved!
I'm also looking forward to settling down, buying a house, getting our compost and raised beds ready for the spring planting season. I am also excited about finding new opportunities to volunteer. Chris and I met through volunteerism and have had to put that on hold while we had two boys and a master's program that kept us busier than we could have imagined when we first signed up. It will be nice to get back into doing something we love and meeting new people in our new community along the way. There are many different organizations that we can get involved in and there are already a few that have jumped out at me:
http://www.upwithtrees.org/ is a local organization that works to plant an "urban forest" in and around Tulsa. My first thought was whether or not they plant fruit and/or nut trees to help supplement any of the local food banks.
http://emergencyinfantservices.org/Home_Page.php As a mom my heart breaks when I think about little ones and their families who go without the support they need - today's economy means there are more and more families out there who need a hand up.
http://www.cfbeo.org has a partnership with local farmers that allow volunteers to come pick fresh produce for the food bank.
There are also many community garden projects that have piqued my interest - can't wait to get down there and get involved!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Transition
I have been with my current company over 4 years now. Love it or hate it (I've been in both places more times than I care to count) I have had many many experiences here. I got married, got pregnant, met one of my closest friends as she was hired to be my replacement while I was out on maternity leave, got pregnant with #2, started (and finished!) my master's degree, made many wonderful friends (and potentially enemies), and the last four years here have been spent either laughing, crying, venting, or screaming (and sometimes working!). Although I am more than ready to move on next week there are many things, or should I say people, here that I will miss.
I say all the time that I love change - I should, I've been through it enough; I've initiated change, embraced it, left the country twice looking for change, and have started over more than once in my life. There is a difference this time; although I am excited about the change I know what I am leaving behind. I have never been one who was great at keeping in touch with people; I have groups of people from different times in my life and I'm sad to say that when I move on (physically or figuratively) I'm terrible about staying in touch. I want to be different. I need to be different. I am different now. I have been so lucky in the 6 years that I have been in Colorado - I think I may have even grown up when I wasn't looking (ssshhh - don't tell).
This time will be different. I know who is important to me and I know it won't be the same as being able to go out to a spur of the moment lunch or have infrequent but wonderful dinners with close friends. I will not be here to help a good friend plan her wedding (but you can be damn sure we'll be there for the event!!), and I'll miss seeing another set of friends as they make their way through the journey of being a parent. However, I am looking forward to our upcoming move to Tulsa. Being able to raise my children near family is incredibly important to me; we will also be able to buy a house (with land!) and have a big garden and hopefully be able to do all the things that we haven't yet been able to do in Colorado. I am overwhelmed with wonder if I can actually do the job I am being hired to do, and I suppose that a bit of hesitation and nervousness is only normal. It's not a bad thing to want it all, right? Cause I do. And we'll have a guest room ready for anyone who wants to come visit.
My friend sent me this picture today. This explains it all:
Thursday, August 4, 2011
A lesson in patience
The past few months have given me a greatly needed lesson in patience. I have also been the type to WANT.IT.NOW. And when I can't get it now I often get frustrated and irritable and generally not fun to be around (my poor husband). I don't like surprises, and am generally just a control freak. There. I said it. I like to control the world around me and when I have no control over other people (like my children, potential new bosses, or the person pulling the lotto numbers) I get annoyed. While I'm not perfect (and I hope I never gave you the impression that I was cause I never will be) I am happy to say that I'm learning and I haven't driven either myself or my husband off the deep end in the process. Although I don't want to tempt fate by putting this out there - I'm highly expecting good news tomorrow. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, cross your fingers for me and send happy thoughts my way!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
a new day
We graduated. My husband and I walked last Friday, on our oldest sons third birthday. We have (un)officially obtained our Master's degrees. It was a bit anticlimactic since we have to complete our final class before we are officially done. The empty casing that should have held our degree was simply a reminder that we have more to do. The time we had was exhausting; but luckily we have both of our moms there to help with the kids. I am happy to be home. A week in Vermont with mosquitoes the size of small airplanes was a bit too much, especially for my children who seem to attract them just as much as their mommy does...
I am still waiting on that magical phone call that could transform the comfortable little life we have created here in beautiful CO. I'm wondering if it's the right decision; second guessing myself is something I'm good at (who isn't?). However, since I don't actually have an offer letter in hand I guess I'm putting the cart in front of the horse. In the meantime, i plan on enjoying my time here, doing all the things I have taken for granted simply because they were in my backyard. Lunch with a good friend, a hike perhaps, accupuncture, a date with my husband, maybe even a trip to the Maroon Bells (six years of living in CO and I still haven't been there...)
I am still waiting on that magical phone call that could transform the comfortable little life we have created here in beautiful CO. I'm wondering if it's the right decision; second guessing myself is something I'm good at (who isn't?). However, since I don't actually have an offer letter in hand I guess I'm putting the cart in front of the horse. In the meantime, i plan on enjoying my time here, doing all the things I have taken for granted simply because they were in my backyard. Lunch with a good friend, a hike perhaps, accupuncture, a date with my husband, maybe even a trip to the Maroon Bells (six years of living in CO and I still haven't been there...)
Thursday, June 9, 2011
A new perspective
it has been quite some time since I was last here...life has gotten away from me a little bit. My baby is turning 3 next week and I'm still not quite sure how that happened (I swear I just brought him home from the hospital...). My youngest is 20 months, and my husband and I are graduating with our Master's degrees next week. My how time flies... About three years ago we were exploring the option of moving to Oklahoma to be closer to my husband's family, and gave it up when certain aspects of life started to fall into place here in Colorado. We are now back in the same place but looking at it from a completely new perspective. Moving to OK is not scary, strange, or nerve-wracking; instead it's an opportunity that I am extremely excited about. We are actively seeking employment that will allow us to buy our first home together; one that has at least an acre so i can create my dream garden, hopefully have chickens and ducks, rain barrels, and a large compost bin. Our lives have significantly changed - for the better. I never thought I would be back in this place now, but can honestly say I haven't been this excited about something in about 20 months.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Labor Day
The upcoming three day weekend only reminds me that this little boy will soon be arriving and truth be told, I'm not feeling 100% ready for his arrival :)
Sure, the crib is set up, the newborn clothes are washed and we already have the main things like carseats and diapers, but...
the crib needs a mattress pad and clean sheets on it, the newborn clothes are clean but have been sitting crumpled in a laundry basket in my closet for weeks, the diapers need to be washed and hung to dry (not to mention I need to get some baskets to store them in), we need to buy another base for the infant seat and actually install them so the hospital lets us take him home... I could go on and on. Instead, I'll revel in the fact that I get to meet this little guy in about a month (maybe a little more, maybe a little less) and then we get three months home together as a family.
I am so looking forward to that. PB's mom has been in town and it's been nice to have her helping out. Too bad PB hurt his ankle while sliding into 2nd base at this weeks' softball game and therefore he hasn't gotten to do near as much as he'd have liked. My mom will be coming in soon for about 5 days to help as well and hopefully he can do the things he wanted to do this time around. Mom and I will spend some time making some freezer meals and doing some other chores around the house to make it easier when the little guy gets here.
In the meantime I've been knitting up a storm, making wool longies and shorties - the newborn size it so darn adorable! I've got another set of newborns on the needles right now, and another skein of yarn waiting to be cast on for a pair for poopster so he doesn't feel left out. I'd post pics but I think they are on the home computer...
Sure, the crib is set up, the newborn clothes are washed and we already have the main things like carseats and diapers, but...
the crib needs a mattress pad and clean sheets on it, the newborn clothes are clean but have been sitting crumpled in a laundry basket in my closet for weeks, the diapers need to be washed and hung to dry (not to mention I need to get some baskets to store them in), we need to buy another base for the infant seat and actually install them so the hospital lets us take him home... I could go on and on. Instead, I'll revel in the fact that I get to meet this little guy in about a month (maybe a little more, maybe a little less) and then we get three months home together as a family.
I am so looking forward to that. PB's mom has been in town and it's been nice to have her helping out. Too bad PB hurt his ankle while sliding into 2nd base at this weeks' softball game and therefore he hasn't gotten to do near as much as he'd have liked. My mom will be coming in soon for about 5 days to help as well and hopefully he can do the things he wanted to do this time around. Mom and I will spend some time making some freezer meals and doing some other chores around the house to make it easier when the little guy gets here.
In the meantime I've been knitting up a storm, making wool longies and shorties - the newborn size it so darn adorable! I've got another set of newborns on the needles right now, and another skein of yarn waiting to be cast on for a pair for poopster so he doesn't feel left out. I'd post pics but I think they are on the home computer...
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
I'm back...for now...
Things here are going strangely well. The little one is sleeping better and better everyday (though now that I've been open about it I'm sure it will change again). He has 7 teeth (7!) and is walking around like crazy. He loves to dance and it appears that Madonna might be his favorite :)
He's the absolute greatest thing I've ever "done" in my life, and I'm so glad to be his mama. He is in the sweetest, cuddly mood lately and will just wrap his arms tight around my neck and lay his head on my shoulder for a while when I ask him for a hug - I love it. He loves playing catch with daddy and checking out the tomato plants with me everyday after work.
We are slowly preparing for the arrival of his little brother - which we still can't believe could be as soon as 4-5 weeks away. The crib is up and the newborn clothes are clean, but that's about it! I need to pull out the carseat, wash the newborn dipes and generally do all the things that I want to do (you know, the knitting, sewing and making really cool things for him like I did when I was pregnant with Poopy). We toured the hospital this past weekend and are happy to know that we will not be splitting our family up for the first few days of this new little ones life. We can all be together in the hospital until I'm ready to go home which gives me a large amount of relief.
PB is doing well and enjoying being home still. I think we are all looking forward to my maternity leave when the four of us will get three months together - all of us at home. What a gift that many families don't get a chance to have.
Work is still crazy busy but that is life. I've been handed more and more responsibilities and can only hope that means good things for the future. Until the little ones are big enough to get overseas, this job is treating me pretty well and I'm learning a lot on a daily basis.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Life
Life has certainly been moving quickly this past year. Poopster turned one last week and I really had to stop and wonder where time went - he is sooooo big. He's taking steps, though crawling is still much faster and therefore his preferred method of travel for now. He is saying mom/mama and dada, dah (for duck and doggy) and is getting bigger and bigger every second. He does not look or act like a "baby" anymore which has been a hard thing to come to terms with. Sometimes late at night (or in the middle of the night) when I'm rocking him to sleep and he cuddles in next to me he seems like my baby again, and I know that the feeling will never entirely go away. Even when his little brother arrives in October.
Didn't you hear? We're having another little one and it's gonna be a boy. PB and I are thrilled of course and poopster loves to give his little brother zerberts through my belly which is the cutest thing in the world. It's amazing how blessed we are as a family and I'm honestly in awe of everything that we have going for us.
We're taking him camping for the first time tomorrow which should be really fun - can't wait to see how he handles it as he adores being outside. I've been very bad about updating the flickr account but hope to do so before the end of the weekend...
Didn't you hear? We're having another little one and it's gonna be a boy. PB and I are thrilled of course and poopster loves to give his little brother zerberts through my belly which is the cutest thing in the world. It's amazing how blessed we are as a family and I'm honestly in awe of everything that we have going for us.
We're taking him camping for the first time tomorrow which should be really fun - can't wait to see how he handles it as he adores being outside. I've been very bad about updating the flickr account but hope to do so before the end of the weekend...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)