On the Road Again...

For anyone who doesn't already know...we're moving back to Evansville! It's been on our minds for a while, and we're finally taking the plunge at the end of this month. We're sorry to leave Seattle behind but we decided it's best for Brenden to be close to his family.

Things we'll miss about Seattle:
1. my job - it's not easy to give up a job I enjoy with good pay and growth potential, especially in this economy
2. my "moms club"
3. the scenery
4. the culture and all of the things to do
5. reading on the bus during my commute to work

Things we're looking forward to in Evansville:
1. seeing our families
2. getting a night out alone once in a while!
3. buying a cute, quiet home (for $400/month less than this crowded, loud apartment!)
4. thunderstorms! It drizzles ALL WINTER in Seattle, but we've heard maybe 3 thunderclaps the whole time we've been here.
5. no more running to catch the bus

The move planning has been very stressful. We made the final decision to move a couple of weeks ago, so we haven't had much time. We've had trouble finding a mover. We were just about to book with Allied when the agent tried to pull one over on us. But we're almost set with Mayflower and I feel pretty comfortable with them. We still need to book an auto transporter for our car, and there are several more details to work out.

My job has also been very demanding lately. I picked up another project that requires me to be out of the office half a day each week, and it's amazing how far behind that puts me. I'm also working with the HR manager to recruit and train my replacement. It's really important to me to make it a smooth transition. Sure, it won't be my problem in two weeks, but I've worked so hard on those projects that I don't want things to fall through the cracks. My co-workers have been really nice and understanding about me leaving. I was worried they might be upset with me for leaving, but they are all excited for us and our family. Several people have offered to give me a good reference, and I'm sure I'll need it in this economy!

More than anything I'm anxious about my job search. I found jobs right away when we moved to Orlando and Seattle, but the job market was so much better then. I'm trying to stay positive. Our HR manager at work gave me some great tips for my search. Rather than just applying to postings, I'm going to research companies in the area and focus on networking. It's been really hard to find time for this while planning the move and working my current job, but I'll do what I can here and ratchet it up when we get to Evansville.

Now for the most fun subject - Brenden! He is wild! He has developed so much in the past 3 weeks. He's gone from rolling around on the floor to crawling, climbing, and getting into everything. He can now brush his teeth (amazing!) and feed himself. (Only purees though, he still gags if we try to give him finger foods) He might need to go to daycare when we move, and as hard as that will be for all of us, it might be good for us too. Brenden gets a little stir crazy in the apartment, and it would be great for him to have other kids to play with and get comfortable being away from us before he starts school. It would be good for Adam to get out too, because being an at-home parent is way harder than we expected. And good for me because it's hard carrying the full financial load, and as soon as I get home Adam is so desperate for a break that weekdays are non-stop from the second I wake up to the second I go to bed.