Fall 2011

Tonight we went out to play in the leaves!

We are now moved and pretty much settled... 
so far we are really LOVING the area, and having Dan home with us SO much more now  :)

enjoy some pics... because of course we took some fun ones 
(even though, to get technical... it was a little too dark for pictures)

How is it that kids look so much older in a picture? 

Both of them are getting so big! Easton just celebrated his 5th birthday, and Nixon will be 2 years old in just a few weeks!

Where did my babies go?

Cornbelly's @ Thanksgiving Point

I recently deleted my Facebook account (gasp!)... since I had a fb account since 2007, I have this funny habit of wanting to "share" things I am thinking & doing. Which means I am actually blogging again! Once I figure out how to get the pics off of my phone, I know that I will blog even that much more :)

Tonight me & the boys (Dan was busy at his parents house & with BYU football) and my brother & his fam went to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point. 

It was seriously so awesome!

Today is the is the first day of the next chapter.

To say that Dan has been blessed in his career is quite an understatement. There was "that one time" in high school where he actually searched, and had to apply for several jobs before gaining employment. He said it was horrible. But literally, that was the extent of his job search experience. The rest of his opportunities have always been handed to him- on a silver platter.  It is such a rare blessing, especially with the economy right now, and especially for a not yet having degree. 


This story started about 3 weeks ago. He was presented (of course, he wasn't searching for it) with an opportunity for a new and different experience with his career. The opportunity presented was to basically start up a new a low-voltage/fire alarm company backed up by an already established electrical company in the Bountiful area. We both thought about it, and prayed to know if this was something to consider seriously. He has had other opportunities before, and it was always the right thing to stay with Protection One. This time was different. It felt so right for Dan to make a change and to accept. We started making plans to move, and withdraw Easton from preschool, etc. Dan planned on giving his 2 week notice to Protection One, knowing fully that they would never allow him to stay in the company for the rest of the 2 weeks... in the past, any general manager in a branch that considers a job change is asked to leave right then and is escorted out with a "thanks for nothing" attitude. He planned to give his notice on a Wednesday, we were going to go to Disneyland on Thursday, Friday & Saturday... then start at his new job on Monday. Sounded like a good plan to me. The plan kind of backfired when they were bargaining with him to keep his job and was he was asked to work his 2 weeks! 
Bummer for no Disneyland. 


Dan continued with Protection One for his last 2 weeks. Yesterday he went into work for Protection One for the last time. A HUGE day. He started working for P1 when he was 22 years old. He was just a kid- and has been a loyal employee ever since. I was about to post on this blog about "the end of an era" and such about his last day at Protection One, when I got a call from Dan saying that he was faced with the biggest dilemma of his life so far. About 2 hours before he was about to walk out of the doors of P1 forever, he had gotten a call from the CEO, #1 guy of P1, a call that Dan never in a million years thought that he would ever get. In this call he was offered a substantial raise, and the opportunity to be mentored personally by him for the next 15 months if he would continue his career with Protection One! That was something to seriously consider. This new opportunity in Bountiful that he was planning on taking is a bit of a risk. The company isn't established yet, and it is up to Dan to get that going. It was going to be a pay decrease for us, we would have to take Easton out of school and move away from family & friends (not too far)... But still... it has the potential to become a great opportunity. 


Oh, but so was the new offer from P1! 


In the end, there was still one thing. From the very beginning, it felt right for Dan to accept the job change and for our family to move. How can anyone deny an opportunity that our Heavenly Father has literally placed in Dan's life (which is my life too!). So, he respectfully told "CEO, #1 guy of P1" no. 


Today is the first day of the next chapter. In about a week & a half we will be moving up to the Bountiful area- which to us could just as well be out of state! It really is a big move for the both of us, but we can't wait for our new adventure in life!


I really am so proud of all the hard work that Dan does to support our family, and I am so proud of the HARD decision that he was faced with, and that he chose right!


And, since he wouldn't let me take a picture of his last day wearing the infamous P1 polo yesterday, and he wouldn't let me take a picture this morning for his first day of a new job... here is an old picture that I found of him wearing what I have been used to seeing every workday for the past 6 years.

...

We are pretty dang good at keeping ourselves busy during the day.

army guys & laundry.

I told Easton that all of his little army guys needed to have a little "time out" break because they were always everywhere, and it seems to be such an overwhelming task for him to clean them up.

I was thinking about it, and I think that I need a little "time out" break from doing laundry. It's always everywhere, and it is such and overwhelming task sometimes. :)

In my defense... my current "laundry room" is right in the middle of my kitchen, nice and open for everyone to behold it's lovely presence. 

I just have to keep telling myself that this is a temporary space... ACTUALLY it's very temporary, because we will be MOVING AGAIN before November. That's right people, the 3rd time this year! I promise to divulge more details soon, it's pretty exciting stuff.  

At which point I can continue to dream of laundry rooms like this one:

A new season.

I am thinking about starting the potty training process for Nixon. I NEVER... never thought that I would start so young for him, because in my one experience helping Easton learn to use the potty... I told myself that I wouldn't try before the age of 3! But Nixon is VERY interested, and he has gone pee pee a few times and just this morning after he woke up he looked at me and said "uh-oh! poo poo on the potty" then he ran to the bathroom, and I helped him take his DRY diaper from the night off and he immediately pooped! So... I am left thinking, why on earth would I postpone something like this? 

Then I think that the boy isn't even 2 yet!? 

I am feeling a new season coming in my parenting. Nixon is no longer a baby, and if he really does stop wearing diapers then that seals the deal of no longer being "baby Nixon".

And please don't get me started on Easton. I love watching him grow, but he just doesn't stop! 

Change is good... right?