Changes and Challenges

I love the quote that the only thing constant in life is change, because that is so true. We are going through some change right now and it is definitely challenging. Keith was laid off from work 3 weeks ago. It came pretty unexpected for us. He was not the only one. His company had to lay off about 20 guys. Work was just slowing down, and they don't have anymore big projects until the Fall.

So....(this is where I practice my deep breathing), I have been a bit stressed lately. Fortunately, we have some savings and with unemployment, we have enough to get us through to the Fall, when we hope Keith will get hired back on with Mac-Miller, but we can't count on that. We have been doing a lot of thinking and praying and figuring out what is the right thing to do. I have been considering going back to work full-time, but we can't do that forever, so I'm not quite sure. The thing with the union Keith's in is that you go on a "wait list" to be hired somewhere, so it's not like he can go out and start interviewing for jobs wherever. The really lame thing is that he only needs 3 more months of hours before he can take the exam to get his commercial license. He has enough hours now to get his residential license, so he may do that, but he would have to leave the union if he wanted to go out on his own and start a business - something scary in this economy. We feel like we have so much time, energy, and sacrifice invested in this program at this point, it is worth it to finish it out, but that will require getting hired on somewhere.

In the meantime, since we have health insurance through October, we went ahead and got Keith's knee surgery done. It's something he's needed done for awhile anyway. He went under the knife on Monday and it's been a long week. The surgery went well, but he is sore and in pain and gets a little grouchy at times! :)

I am taking it one day at a time, trying not to worry too much about the future. I have been very grateful this week for a family that loves and supports us (especially my mom and Grandma) and also a ward family that cares - bringing meals, helping out where needed, and just asking how we are doing has been great. We got a new Bishop a couple weeks ago and he has been great in calling, giving Keith a blessing before surgery, etc. Sometimes I don't know how people deal with the stresses of life if they don't have a good family or the church!

So, keep us in your prayers. It seems like we have had our fair share of trials over the last couple of years. I'm beginning to think that is just how life is for us. It's either that or we're just stupid and not learning the lessons Heavenly Father would like us to learn!

Speaking of stupid, we do have a dog that isn't so bright. Just a week after Keith lost his job, he swallowed a rock that became blocked in his intestine and which required surgery to be removed, all to the tune of $523. Just what you want to spend money on when you're unemployed. And here's the latest: just yesterday we had to take him back to the vet because we suspected he'd done it again, and sure enough, another rock in his gut. Keith and I talked and decided we would not spend another $500 to have it removed, because the dog just has this bad habit of eating rocks. (We have river rock all the way around the house and believe me the ground grows rocks around here, it's that rocky). Who's to say he won't just do it again? And we certainly can't keep spending money like that. We told the kids Ruger might die if he can't poop out the rock stuck in his intestines. Austin was very upset, crying a lot. I don't think Anne Elyse and Tyler really understood what we were saying. We told Austin all we can do is pray and ask Heavenly Father for help. I admit I was leery to even ask the kids to pray, because if Ruger did die, I didn't want them to think that Heavenly Father hadn't answered their prayer. I was secretly pleading with Heavenly Father to just let the stupid dog live. And here's the good news: he pooped it out this morning and is back to himself. Now we've got to figure out how to keep him from eating rocks. The only thing I can think is a muzzle. Personally, I would not have been too sad to see him go, but for the kids' sake, I'm glad our prayer was answered!