Don't Be Discouraged.

This is a post I think I have written no less than fifteen times in my head. I've been trying to find a way to make it a little bit less raw. A little bit more poetic to cover up a little bit of the wake it left. But I've decided to just start here: On October 23rd of this year (the day after his birthday), Mike got laid off. 

To give some background, Mike and I met in training for our job. During that first year, we were able to become friends and just enjoy each other. We obviously got married and had kids, but it all started because a friendship grew in a place neither one of us really expected to be. All that to say, that morning when I had just finished dropping the boys off at school and the phone rang, my heart plummeted when Mike voiced that he had just lost his job.

I called my mom and then my grandparents before getting back to the house and I just wept. My heart was hurting for my husband, I was a little angry, and I guess if I had to really think about it, I was probably starting to grieve the life that we had been afforded. Mike and I literally spend all day, most days together. What would that new normal look like? Could it be better than what we had? I was overwhelmed but I walked in the house, hugged Mike, and then went to the living room, got on my knees, and cry-prayed all of my hopes for this time, my fears, my aggravations. 

The next few weeks were okay. Even typing that I realize how blessed we are that it was weeks (maybe two months) and not longer like most people face when put in this position. Mike was in oddly good spirits and I was doing my very best to be the encouraging, supportive wife that I imagined a husband would appreciate in this sort of situation. I just wanted him to be able to look back at this time and be like, "dang my wife held it down". I wanted to make sure he was confident that whatever comes our way, I've got him. We were both really good at protecting our marriage in the middle of the mess. We were hurt, but hopeful that God would turn it around. To put it in the words of Thunderclap, the pterosaur from The Good Dinosaur, "The storm provides". No rain, no rainbow. I prayed and I became (probably annoyingly) excited for the adventure on the other side of the storm. 

Next year that adventure is coming in the form of a cross country move to Cedar City, Utah! Mike landed the job of his dreams with a company that values it employees (and their families) unlike anything I've ever seen. It was too incredible to turn down and it's going to mean a lot for our family. We might be moving a little further from our family and friends in Georgia, but hopefully our California family will get to spend more time with us! Also, the living is sllooowww in this little cute town in Utah. We're hopeful that we'll have a lot more time to spend with our boys making memories that root them in love, faith, and hope. 

So that's where we are.. A little bit of what got us there, and our hopes for what's on the horizon.