Orlando or Bust!!

So last time I wrote, David had phone interviewed with a company that seemed fairly promising. Over the last year, we've learned not to get our hopes up after such an event because we had endured so many rejections. It felt like 3 a month on average. Sometimes it was a rejection after two interviews and a design test. Sometimes they would take more than a month just to get around to sending a rejection email-- a month of high hopes only to be crushed with those painful words "We regret to inform you..." or whatever clever way they had of telling us that David wasn't the right man for the job. This was especially hard each time the interviews went so well and it was a position David really wanted.

The same day I wrote last, they called and emailed to ask David to come to Orlando for an on-site interview. This was the first time anyone wanted to meet him in person! What an exciting feeling!! They had to set the interview ten days out because of Thanksgiving. That was the LONGEST ten days ever, having to just pass the time until the much anticipated trip. I helped David pull all of his travel documents together, and even helped him pack. He was so nervous that he hardly wanted to think about the logistics of getting down there, so I did all that I could so that he could just focus on impressing them.

Thanksgiving came and went with much gratitude in our hearts for the opportunity that God had given us. All we could do was pray that they liked him and wanted him to be a part of their team! Finally the day came for him to leave, and he went to interview. I was amazed at how calm David was the day before his interview. It was so unlike him for him to feel so peaceful before such a huge event. Usually he is so totally nervous and beside himself that it makes him sick. Even the morning of the interview he was calm. It was truly amazing. He went and interviewed and they kept him from 9am to 2:30pm. He met just about everyone that was in the office that day. What a crazy day for him! He called me as soon as he left the interview and he was so nervous! He told me he wasn't sure how it went and he was nervous about the impression he had made on them. If he had told me all the things they had talked about that day, I would have told him that were going to hire him! I am still discovering more things that they talked about that he never mentioned. They talked to him insurance options, cities that are nice to live in, what time their workday begins and ends, and a lot of other details about working there that they would never share with someone that they didn't intend to hire.

They didn't even let 3 hours go by after he left the interview before letting him know that they wanted to hire him! What a blessing for David's nerves (and mine!) for them to be so speedy about letting us know! I literally squealed and jumped up and down when David told me the news! It took days for the good news to sink in. We finally got a job!!! Oh my goodness, I could hardly believe it! I kept asking myself, "Am I dreaming? Is this for real?" I can't even tell you what a huge relief it is to think about having our independence again and being able to pay our own bills and to be able to put food on our own table. And to have our own place. And to be able to start paying off our student loans and get out of debt! What an amazing thought it is!

It is overwhelming to think about all the things that have to happen in such a short time in order to get us and all of our stuff moved down to Orlando, but I am not about to complain about it! We have waited for SO LONG for this change! It really is a miracle. He is so talented, we've just been waiting for the right company to come along and recognize the amazing talent that he has been blessed with. I know that this job will be just right for him and the location and the timing will be perfect for our family. My heart is so full of gratitude!!

And an update on Jackson--


Jackson got his second tooth on his 8 month birthday! He also slept through the night for the THIRD TIME!

He has started army crawling, but only when he REALLY wants something. He'll usually book it for my cup so he can knock it over, or when he spots the cord to the lamp, or his sippy cup. He really likes paper too. It's so fun to see the things that excite him!

He is REALLY good at walking around the kitchen in his walker. He likes to follow people around in the kitchen, and it really hurts when he runs into your toes or your heel!

Generally, he is a very happy baby. I feel like I am FINALLY beginning to figure him out a little bit. I can tell when he is tired enough for a nap, and when he isn't. I have finally figured out how to help him sleep better at night. Or maybe he is just maturing more in that department. Either way, I am glad for the longer stretches of sleep!