Another Month Gone By

Yesterday, Taryn "turned" 10 months old. Here's Taryn at a glance:

* Just broke her 8th tooth. Eight teeth! I guess if you love to eat, you'd better have the chompers to handle it!

* Figured out waving and LOVES to wave! She's also started saying "Buh" when she waves bye-bye

* Learned to clap (I know, a little late) a couple weeks ago and is so proud of herself being able to do it

*Is anemic so she's on iron fortified formula to help raise her iron levels. Because of this, she's also being weaned, much to our disappointment

*Leans against things more and more without her hands but still isn't brave enough to attempt standing without support at all

*Loves being outside and makes a break for it any time the door is opened

*Loves her daddy. She lights up all over whenever she sees him

*Is still allergic to all those things but doesn't know it. We're switching allergists next week so we'll see if anything changed

*Still refuses to go down the stairs so she is always going up and getting stuck at the top

*Obeys by spitting out whatever is in her mouth when we say "Blah"

*Is thankfully putting less in her mouth, besides food

*Is absolutely adored by her mommy

The Diaper that Keeps on Giving

Keara decided to take off her pants after dinner tonight. I was doing the dishes and the next thing I hear is Braden exclaim "Keara! What happened to your diaper?!" Keara came in to show me her diaper...full, sagging, and wagging between her knees, literally. Since it was just wet, I took it off as she stood there and wrapped it up. As I picked it up to take it to the trash, the diaper peed on me! {excuse my french} It was like a kid squeezing a juice box. Down my arm, on my clothes, and all over the floor. It was disgusting.

Apples! Apples! Git yer apples!

(Name the movie)

It's that time of year again! For those of you who've asked or already know and for those who haven't a clue what in the world I'm talking about, it's caramel apple time!

Last year, I sold caramel apples and fall gift baskets during October and November. I thought it was all fun and no one really thought much of it until this year when I've had a half dozen requests for them! Who knew?!

So, I've decided I'm going to start selling my caramel apples again. If you want to buy any, I'm selling them for $2 each or $20 per dozen. The caramel is homemade and is DELICIOUS! I dip them in your choice of peanuts or sprinkles (sorry I eliminated the other options from last year. But if you ordered last year and know what you like, you can request it and I'll make it for you. (hint, hint, Jill)) Or, you can order them plain. I use large, firm, fresh Gala Apples.

I am accepting orders starting today and will until October 22nd. Then, I will open for orders again on November 5th until November 18th.

No, I will not be shipping these across the country or the ocean, so before you ask, know that I don't think they'd look very good in the end. And yes, we will make some in Chicago in 2 1/2 weeks! (only if you want)

To order, you can email me, call me, leave a comment, or tell me in person. But if you comment as a joke and I don't realize it (unless you live out of town), you can expect me to knock on your door with apples!

**NOTE: This is a sales pitch. I do not accept any responsibility for various side effects due to reading the following content. These side effects include, but are not limited to, salivating, grumblings in the stomach, cravings, nausea, hunger, or a burning desire to pay me money. I also hope no one feels they have to buy these! It's just for those who wanted to and didn't know I'm doing them again!**

All I Want for Christmas...

I want a treadmill. For Christmas, for Easter, for National Treadmill Day, it doesn't matter. I want a treadmill. I guess I should say I want a more convenient, any-time-I-want-to, not out in the sun and heat, not with the kids in tow, early in the morning or late at night way to exercise. I've tried so many different ways to exercise and, though the weight has come off, the flabberty-jabberty hasn't budged...except it all sags, wags, and drags. So I want a treadmill. And so does Braden.

Trouble is, I think it is dumb to spend hundreds on exercise equipment. Especially because 9 out of 10 don't end up getting used. So, we want an inexpensive treadmill. But Braden, who has used many treadmills at the gym in his life, doesn't want to get a cheap treadmill because he wants one that is durable.

I've been searching on craigslist for months, never seriously looking, but always hoping to find that "Free Treadmill. If your name is Cheri Moore, come get it!" It's never been there. There are the 5 and 10 cent variety of treadmills that the reviews tell you to stay away from, like ProForm, which is most advertised on craigslist.

Do you have any experience? Do you have any reviews, warnings, advice? Do you know of a good place to find an inexpensive but not cheap treadmill? Oh, and when I say inexpensive, I mean REALLY inexpensive. Why spend $1000 when God gave me arms, legs, and the ability to do a lot for free? Well, because I don't want to do all that free stuff in the Arizona heat. But it's still not worth $1000. Or even $500. Or even...you get the idea.

A Year in Review: A Trilogy

This post comes to you in three parts: The Road, The Miracles, and The Journey. If you don't want to read them all, but want to know what they're all about, here's the spoiler...

BRADEN GOT A NEW JOB!!!

Now, you'll need to read the rest to find out more.

Part I-The Road

Part one of this trilogy takes us thru the last 3 months. From here, we will be going backwards, and then looking retrospectively at the last year. What a year its been.

To start, Braden has been working for USPS for the last 6 months. He got that job because he needed a job. It never was something he searched out because he wanted a career in it, but figured he could work at and, if necessary, stick with until something else came along. He was hired as a casual employee, meaning non-union, non-benefits, non-respected peon. Ooh, that was harsh. At first, he really enjoyed it. He still does, at least the work part. But the union is a pain and has created quite a few headaches for us. Also, because of the economy and other factors, in July, when a new manager came in, his hours were cut dramatically. So, since then, they have tried to keep him under 40 hours per week, even close to 30 some weeks.

So, he started applying for new jobs almost as soon as he got that one. He got an offer from a legal/technology data entry firm but we felt that it really wasn't a good fit for our family. He also basically got handed a job for a sports marketing company, but we both felt so sick about it that he told them no before his final interview. Since then, he's just been plugging away at the post office, working 6 days a week, 5 hours most days. Many times, like this morning, he gets called at 5 am to come in as soon as possible, because a coworker takes days off like they're going out of style, leaving Braden to clean up his mess.

In June, we had a new couple from our ward over for dinner. They are such great people and we really wanted to know them better. So, during a great meal, we enjoyed great getting-to-know-you conversation. Thru this, we learned that Jeff, the husband, works at the University of Phoenix as an enrollment counselor. In talking with them, it just felt like a road we should try venturing down. Braden really doesn't like sales (which is what an enrollment counselor does) but thought if he could just get in with the company, he could possibly move into a different department after the required 6 months. He was interested in either Finance or Academics, but for now, the only networking we had was with Enrollment, so he applied.

The interview turned out to be very different than he expected. Needless to say, he didn't knock them off their feet and they didn't give him the job. We were disappointed because everything about this opportunity (at least the company, not the job) seemed to be exactly what we were hoping for. The hours, the pay, the benefits, the security, the growth, the career paths. At the interview, he overheard someone mention that the University was interviewing for the financial positions. He asked about it and all he was told, besides that this interview wasn't for that, was to contact the recruiter. So he did. For 4 weeks. But the guy never returned his calls or emails.

Frustrated and wondering what to do next, he finished the paper work to be a Substitute teacher. The schools in our area are desperate for substitutes that they could guarantee him work 5 days a week. So he planned on getting his teaching certificate and quitting at the post office because he would make more money, work better hours, and save the $180 on gas each month with the commute. But first, he needed to get his fingerprint clearance card, a process that can take 3-10 weeks.

Meanwhile, miracles continued happening, at least they were miracles and tender mercies to us. But you can read about that in Part II, The Miracles. Yadda yadda yadda, another friend mentioned in conversation that she had worked as a financial counselor with the University of Phoenix (U o P). What!? And we've never talked about that?! She had a friend who was still a manager in that department, so she called her and later faxed her Braden's resume. That was on Saturday, September 13th. She sent his resume over the the correct recruiters for that position, but they were out of town for training in Las Vegas.

The recruiters returned to work on September 22nd, and we received a call that morning to set up an interview. The last interview process took a month between applying and interviewing for the first time. We expected the same here but we so pleased with the interview was scheduled for that coming Thursday, the 25th. Braden went to that interview with so much more preparation and confidence (again, see The Miracles) that he came out feeling like he did really well. Apparently he did, because that night, he got part II of the interview: situational scenarios. He finished those and emailed them back the next morning. We received another email stating he was moved to part III of the interview: the background check. Fortunately, his fingerprint clearance card came in the Friday before, so he was already in the DPS database, hopefully speeding up that process.

We were so excited that he had come this far, especially for the job he had been searching after since June. It was finally taking shape. Uh-oh. Wait a minute, it can't be that easy, can it? Nope, we were thrown a real scare that night. I picked up the mail on my way home from something and found a postcard from the Phoenix Police Department stating that Braden was being contacted by a detective who was investigating a case he was a part of. WHAT?! He racked his brain but couldn't think of what in the world this could be.

All the possibilities started flowing. Did he get a ticket that never arrived and he missed his court appearance? Did he witness a crime he didn't know he witnessed? Was our identity stolen? Had someone destroyed our credit? Was it about our store? Of all days, this was the day his new career could be starting and yet, as soon as they started their background and credit checks, he may have a serious and unknown dent on either or both records. Fortunately, he was already going to our friends' house that night who happened to be a Phoenix police officer. He called the detective and we found out the full story.

Apparently, the car we had sold last August, was then fixed, painted, and immediately sold (probably for a nice profit) to some 64-year old man. In September of last year, he went out of town and that little Mazda Protege was stolen. This September, it was found. But because they didn't know why our name was attached to the title when it wasn't us who reported it missing, they didn't know if we were involved in foul play. So, they had to be all discreet about it and force us to offer the information. In the end, she said there was nothing for us to worry about and our identity was not stolen. Phew.

So, now we waited. That was last Friday night. Now it is Friday again, so it's been one week. We got an email yesterday that said the background check was complete and they would call to formally extend the offer. Yeah! I called Braden to tell him and to warn him they might be calling. I hung up and no more than 3 minutes later, the phone rang. It was Megan from U o P, not Shannon, his recruiter, who was the only one allowed to offer employment. Who was Megan, and why was she calling?

Braden called her back and she introduced her self and asked how his interview went for the Academic Counselor position. What?! He didn't interview for that. He didn't even apply for that. Oh, great, is there really another hangup? We just wanted a job! He explained the situation to her and she said she would get in touch with Shannon and get it worked out. We hoped to hear back from Shannon yesterday, but didn't.

So, we were left with time to figure out the mix-up. What we came up with was that Shannon called Braden before his interview to make sure he knew that he qualified for the Academic Counselor position because he had a 4-year degree. Though it paid more, Braden knew he wanted to go into finance (see Part III, The Journey) so he told her he wanted to stick with his interview for the Financial Counselor. She must have reserved an interview spot for him for both and forgot to take his name off the list after he gave his decision. Problem solved.

This afternoon, Shannon finally called and formally extended the offer. So, he starts on October 20th and will work M-F (no Saturdays for the first time in 2 years...yeah!), is salaried, and gets full benefits. He also gets to take all classes for free and can get any degree he wants for free, as can his immediate family (no, I don't want another degree). That's not the reason he wanted the job, but sure is a blessing for him to be able to learn all he can about finance and accounting without us paying for it. From what we've heard from all our friends who have worked, do work, or know someone who works for the University of Phoenix, its a sweet gig. We are really excited.

Part II-The Miracles

Where to even begin? When we closed our store in January, we were very disappointed, but also knew that it wasn't a failure. It was just time to move on. And thus we found miracle #1. The economy in Arizona has been among the hardest hit in the country because our main industry here is construction. When the housing market was booming, the economy here was booming. But since, we are among the highest in job layoffs, foreclosures, businesses folding, and families losing everything. When we opened our store, the economy we teetering at the top of the mountain. About 4 months later, it started the decent and continued slowly, but surely until we closed the following January. After that, the pace quickened so much and it has only raced on. Had we stayed open, we would have lost a LOT more. We are SO grateful we closed when we did.

I guess we had another miracle before that. Last December, we were made a beautiful promise by our then-bishop. It was tender and sweet and really has sustained us this year. Shortly following that, we received the greatest blessing from an anonymous giver. Someone decided to do the 12 days of Christmas for our family. We have NEVER known anyone to be so generous in doing that. Taryn was born a few days into it and on the first day, we were given a diaper tree: 3 boxes of diapers, and a complete box of wipes from Costco. We didn't buy diapers for either of our girls for a few months.

Then another friend handed us a check, a very generous check, and begged we receive it. There have been more than a couple occasions where we would have dipped beyond the barrel if it weren't for that gift.

We've looked at our finances this year and with the little amount of hours and pay Braden is getting from the post office, there should be no way we could make all our payments each month. We should be very, very negative. Yet we aren't. We have not missed our bills and we are actually building our savings each month. How? Each time we are at the end of the rope, something has come to us that has pulled us up and out. Many miracles.

We had so many friends offer either employment or referrals for work, even people we hardly knew. They have been so kind and supportive. We are so grateful.

After Braden didn't get the job with U o P the first time, I went Visiting Teaching that night. I was so discouraged that night and it all came flooding out. The gal we were visiting offered her and her husband's expertise to help Braden improve his resume and interviewing skills. For the next month, they took his now-seemingly-pathetic resume and turned it into something he is truly proud of. And he should be. It is what gave him incredible confidence going into this last interview. They also lent him a book about interviewing which helped tremendously. Such a blessing.

Conversations have come up and connections have been made that have led us to this point, and we are so grateful. As we have talked on many many many occasions this year, we have tried to maintain faith that the Lord is guiding us and we are being compelled to be humble. After the trials come the blessings. We have been tried, and we know we have been incredibly blessed.

Part III-The Journey

When Braden and I were dating, he would counsel with me about his career. At that point, he was changing from a communications major to possibly pre-med to possibly business to finally history. He put so much weight on finding the perfect career that it was almost paralyzing for him. After some misguided guidance to NOT major in Business, he settled on history in hopes of going to business school for his masters. But by the time he graduated, he discovered that you have to have 3 years experience to apply for business school but they businesses won't hire you unless you have a business degree. Shoot.

By this time, Braden felt he really wanted to go into Retail Management and applied for various positions, but got none. So we opened our store and gained invaluable experience in so many areas, including retail management. After we closed, Braden knew he still wanted to go into management, but didn't know in what field. So he applied for Chase Bank and Enterprise but didn't get either job. He would get all the way to the final interview but then not get hired. It was so frustrating. He has so many skills, why couldn't he just get a good job so he could provide for his family?

He kept applying and picking up odd jobs, like working for our friend's landscaping company and for a farmer plowing his fields, and finally got the job at USPS. Still, he thought he wanted to be a manager. Slowly, though, people, random people at random times, started mentioning to him that they thought he should go into Finance or Accounting. Those are PERFECT jobs for Braden. He loves details, numbers, money, and organization. Slowly, he realized he doesn't like sales at all (hates it almost) and doesn't really love the rah-rah-rah managers often need to give to motivate a team. He works well on a team, but works really well doing his own thing.

When the first U o P job came around and then continued moving right out the window, he realized that he needed to focus his efforts into getting a job in the right field. A job that would be his career rather than just another money-maker. So, after some serious searching. He settled on Finance/Accounting. And not a few days later, the opportunity to apply with U o P in the Finance department came. The greatest celebration for me is that for the first time in our marriage, and really in Braden's life, he knows what he wants to be when he grows up and we are finally on the road to becoming that! Way to go, honey!

I just need to say that I am so proud of him for persevering. As moms, I think we often forget what it takes to go out there and get a job. We apply for a job, wait 9 months or so, and bam! here's our work for the next 18-100 years. Our job doesn't fire us, we can't quit, but we get incredible benefits. For our husbands, it is another story. Watching Braden develop over the last 4 years has been a blessing for me. To watch him come out of his shell, to go out of his comfort zone, to take jobs that are not glamorous and sometimes humiliating to support his family, and to work long days, long hours, and long weeks without much complaining. And then, to watch him apply for job after job after job and not get any of them, and to turn around and say, I know the Lord is guiding us and holding something better than this. I have been inspired and very grateful for his diligence, patience, faith, and hard work.

We don't know if this is the end of this journey. We know another journey is beginning, but we don't know how long it will last. Nothing, as we've learned, is guaranteed. So, we just pray we can continue faithful and grateful, recognizing the hand of the Lord in all things.