What is new this week in my life?

What isn't?


After a hellish week of car shopping, (sometimes with three cranky kids, and sometimes without) we bought a car. We went through the gamut of possibly getting a newer car that we would have to slowly pay off or getting a really cheap older car for my dear Mr. S_ just to drive to work. We ended up somewhere in the middle with a minivan that is exactly like our beloved brown Sienna, except this one is newer and a different color. We traveled to northeast, northwest and north of Houston, including some hardworking Hispanic gentle mans houses, seedy used car lots, overpriced Fred Haas' shiny car lot, and a sweet old gentleman's lonely, little car lot out in Cleveland. We ended up at a dealership in Conroe. We were out of time and needed to get back and pay the babysitter. I was out of patience, so I gave them my ridiculously low bottom line and stuck to it. Later, I went home and checked the KBB price for that model, year and mileage and we ended up paying a price right between average trade in and average private party sale :) I got it for $1500 below average dealer retail. So that made my day. Plus, the assurance that we were DONE car shopping.
Within a day of buying the new car, we got the Crapavan sold. It was sad to say goodbye to our trusty transportation of nine years, but it was comforting to know that it will see another life as a taxi in the Woodlands. At least that is what I was told. And it put a little bit of much needed cash into our accounts. good bye old friend.

Negotiations for the new job started on Monday, and they were never very encouraging. They really wanted Mr. S_ to work there, but their payment methods are similar to government. So they can't compete with the private sector for starting pay. However, it is a prestigious and exclusive set of men that get to work at this company. All I can tell you is that he is going to get to work on stuff that no one else gets to work on, seriously only like eleven other guys. In the long run we are going to be doing better because he will have guaranteed forty hour weeks, guaranteed overtime, perks, perks, perks, bonuses, and from what everyone tells me, job security. I am so proud of him. He was made for this. He is such a hard worker and so good at what he does, so it's wonderful to see him get a position worthy of him. Shh, he is far too modest to let me say these things about him, but the proof is in the pudding. Whatever that means.


It is starting to sink in that we will probably have to move though. It is a 90 minute drive each way for him, so.... decisions will have to be made. I know we will have to move, and I know we will have to sell the house. That's actually not the worst part. The worst part is leaving a community that I actually feel like I fit into. I have only been here two years, but in the many years we lived in Florida, I never felt like I fit in. I love our church. I love our homeschool group. I love our Cub Scouts pack. I love our pediatrician, dentist, pest control guy, and library. I'm not so keen on our vet however. I have finally made lots of friends. I am actually starting to get scared about starting over again. What if it's like Florida again and I can't find my niche? What if I can't find any kindred spirits? I am thankful that our church family and friends will still be within an hour's drive at least. It's not like we're moving to Iowa. I feel mean for uprooting Child #1 again now that he has made such good friends. What are the choices? What is God's will for our lives? Are we following it? Yeesh, too many big things happening right now. It is making my brain hurt.