Made it safely!

Me and the kids drove to Utah with two cats over the course of 3 days. I didn't have internet access until today. Something funny, I decided to drive an extra 104 miles just for kicks. I didn't turn in Heber to head down to Provo, I went 52 miles down the curvy, dark mountain, until I gave in and called Matthew about where I was supposed to turn. Going back, I saw there was construction blocking the turning lane and sign for Provo, even though I'm sure there was another one previously that I missed.

We're here, we're settled. I love the babysitter I hired for the kids 3 days a week, then Leslie, a friend for a long time, is watching them for a while 2 days a week. It will be fun for the kids to have other children to play with on week days.

I don't know what the future holds or how long this situation will be, but I feel really good about it. Our travels went smoothly, even among terrible weather, the apartment is great, the kids have adjusted so well. Life would be perfect if Matthew was with us and working at a job he loved at the same time. He's enjoying his jobs so far, has met people to socialize with already and seems to be in the flow of his schedule. He definitely feels like the odd man out when it comes to coffee drinking. Everyone in his orientation class, including the teacher, drinks 2 cups before lunch. He's already been invited to Happy Hour and others welcomed the fact he wouldn't be drinking and said he's the designated driver. Yay for life outside the bubble.

Friendship

I have been a really great friend to few people, not a good friend to most. I've only had great friends a few at a time, not even many good ones.
Just as God will only give us much when we give him all that is required of us. I can't expect people to send me an e-mail when I haven't sent them one or call me when I haven't called them. I also can't have an excuse that my life is stressful, busy and unpredictable... because almost everyone could use that as an excuse too. Being the youngest of 5 and maybe just a gift I've been blessed with, I learn a lot just from observing people...we've had a lot of communication open up with friends and family recently, which is great. I just wish it wasn't miscommunication or drama that brought us together. Thank you to all my friends and family that have kept in touch with me, and thank you to those who have been open to learning facts from me and Matthew directly. I hope and pray that we can support each other more and more as each day passes.

Moving back to Utah???

No, but Amy and the boys are going back to Utah for a few months. We don't know the exact time we'll come back to New York. After applying for over 100 jobs and finally getting the one with HSBC, they informed Matthew that one of his employers claimed they had no record of him working there AND coincindentally, our high school is being bull-dozed, so they couldn't get a hold of them to confirm he got his HS diploma there... Matthew worked for Macey's for over 2 years and they switched to a different computer program or something. We don't know how many potential employers tried calling Orem High School or Macey's... but now we see why it may have been so hard for him to get hired! Since it took so long to get a job, our savings is gone and we need to play catch up.

We don't want to get into greater debt by moving out now, so we want to save money and reduce our current debt before we move. I will be working for my brother's website again while me and the kids are in Utah. Matthew and I will be sad to be apart, but we're really looking forward to making financial progress so we can REALLY move into the next chapter of our lives.

What do we need from you? Love and support. We've really thought every aspect through and know this is our best option when all aspects are considered. I'm excited to take the road trip with the kiddies and see my family and friends again. We're heading out the 13th of September. Feel free to call me the 13th-16th to help me stay awake!