Miracles!!

As I think back on the 10 + years that Colin and I have been together we have had some pretty crazy (hard) things come our way.  I feel like we have gone in stages.  Our first 4 years I classify as our "Kid Factory" years.  We had 3 kids in 3 years basically. After that we moved onto our "School Days".  We sold our house and packed everything and moved to Rexburg so Colin could finish school.  It was the hardest best thing our family has ever done.  Then we moved into our "Surviving" stage, which is where we are now.  We have loved living here in Oregon.  We have loved all the new people he have met, and Colin has really liked working for the company that he works for now. But I feel like we have just been surviving.  When we found out I was preggo with number 5, I knew that this would be the last kid for us. No doubt at all.  But something else starting to happen as well, I started to get that women's intuition (or what ever you want to call it, I tend to think that Heavenly Father knows me well enough that he gives me a heads up in a weird sort of way) that this year was gonna be more then just the end of  having babies.  In April we found out that Colin's company was gonna close down its doors and move base to the headquarters in N. Cali.  The company said that they would be taking employees who where willing to move.  Basically no one was including us. But to our benefit the company was nice and gave us all plenty of heads up and they wont be closing the doors here till dec. 31st..  They also offered a huge money incentive to keep Colin working here till then.  So once again  back to the job search.  After my couple hour breakdown (thanks To my Mom  and Laura who where there to listen)  I realized that this is a great opportunity for us.  We have time on our side, and even if we don't find a job by Christmas there will be a big chunk of money coming in that we can live off of.  And therefore we can afford to be really picky and hold out for the perfect job.  When we finally got to this stage of thinking, I really started to realize all the miracles in our lives.  You see we are the only family at Colin's company  that doesn't own a house, which turned out to be a big blessing for us.  Everyone else on top of finding a job either has a really limited search or has to have the stress of selling a house, and we all know in this economy most of the time it's near impossible. Colin and I have talked about buying a house here, but I just never felt like this was the place where we would be forever.  As Colin's interviews turned into job offers  I have been so thankful  for his company giving us plenty of time and money  to be picky.  So we haven't felt desperate and have been able to pass up jobs on the east coast,  or jobs that Colin felt they weren't willing to pay enough for the work he would be doing, or companies who weren't willing to offer insurance or other benefits.  But each time I had to trust my feeling that it was time for us to be out of our "surviving" stage.  Then an offer came in from the company who is Contracting with Colin's company to take over the work that he does.  The original offer was basically the same that he making right now.  But at the time he was in negotiation with a couple other companies and he told this company what they would have to offer him for us to even consider them as an option.  Which really is a Miracle that the ball was in our hands and we were calling shots and putting out our demands.  Somewhere in the middle of all this we drove to Seattle for a job interview.  And we both left knowing that the Seattle area ( home) is where we needed to be. After a week or so later the contract company came back with an offer that beat out all of the other offers.  Colin and I couldn't beleive it.  We hadn't even considered  them an option.  Not only had they beat the other wage offers, but they were willing to give us half the money  that Colin's company was gonna pay him to stay till the end.   Colin and I were amazed that they would do all of this.  The only down fall was that he would be working remotely ( from home)  and we are both not sure how much Colin is gonna like it.  But we decided it was worth it.  Before Colin Officially signed the papers we decided to ask 2 questions, knowing that either way we would take the job.  The first question" since he is working from home, can he work from home in Seattle?" And Since he will still be doing the same job ( this company is taking over the work he is doing now since no one wanted to move to cali) can he wait to start this job till Jan. and get the full pay out for staying?  We figured that it couldn't hurt to ask, whats the worse they could say.  No, we are only willing to give you what we offered?   With in 2 days we heard back and the biggest Miracle ever they said yes to both of our questions!!  Colin and I have been living on cloud 9 and have been loving looking at houses on line back home (Seattle).
As this all has been happening I can help to realize that that feeling I have been having for a while is happening.  No more being pregnant, no more school days, no more Surviving days, no more living far away from family.  And hopefully no more moving after we get into a house in Seattle.  I just have this big sense of  its an end of an era.   I have no doubt that more things will come our way and that our life will never be easy,   But I have learned that all of our struggles and willingness to " go where He wants us to go"  will pay off and that there are blessings around every corner!!

Another miracle That has happened some may consider  not a miracle but for Colin and I it truley has been.  Any one who has talked to me or been around us knows that Tyler is a horrible sleeper, and that getting him to sleep  has been a nightmare.  It has been weighing on my mind alot as we get closer and closer to adding a newborn.  Maybe 2 weeks ago as I was getting ready for bed and saying prayers I remember basically telling Heavenly Father that we need his help and that Colin and I wont be able to handle Tyler and a newborn.  The next day around nap time Tyler was a mess but he wouldn't let me hold him, or snuggle him, or lay by him.  which is basically how we have been getting him to sleep since he was born.  So I just went and layed him down, told him I loved him, and walked out of the room and closed the door.  I was prepared to listen to some major screaming  and just praying he wouldn't cry so hard and gag and throw up, which is why we haven't been doing the scream it out thing all along. To my surprise he didn't cry but for a second and then he went right to sleep and took the best nap ever.  I was shocked.  But I have been even more shocked as the weeks have gone by now and he is still doing it.  In fact he will instigated nap time/ bedtime and tell us he is ready for bed and not fight us at all!!  What a miracle it has been.   And once again I amazed that my simple pleas as a mother even Matter to him. And that my Heavenly Father is willing to listen to me and help me with my simple   problems!!  Its just another Miracle!!