Infiltrated!

This is what my kitchen currently looks like:

And this:

And this:

And (finally!) this:

Why does my kitchen have full countertops and bare cabinets, you ask? 

Because we have been infiltrated by flour moths, that's why!

I had never heard of flour moths until earlier this week. I never knew such a critter existed. Apparently they're more common than you'd think. A lot of times, I'm told, you actually end up bringing them home direct from the grocery store.  They like dried goods like packaged cereals, rice, pasta, and flour. They lay their eggs in and around such food items. You'll find these little grey moths in your food cabinets and pantries.  Eventually, like I did, you'll also see their little worm-like larvae too.  (Ewwwww!)

I have cleared out those four cabinets, wiped down all of the sealed packages, tossed a lot of suspect (already opened) packages, and prayed that we've gotten them all. 

I'll take fruit flies over these moths ANY day!

First Week almost done!

 Only a couple of hours left before we can officially put the first week of school to bed.  With my new work schedule, things are a little hectic in the morning.  I'm sure once we have a few more morning to 'practice' with, we'll get into a much better groove.  This morning is already going infinitesimally better than the first two.

Here are some pictures from the first day:

Grace, our resident 8th grader

Dianna, the now-well-established Middle School 6th grader

Will and Nora, both excited for another year of elementary -- this year as a 3rd grader and Kindergartener

Both Will and Nora, hamming it up at the bus stop.

 Finally, a brand new bus for the kiddos to ride.  Thankfully, it's the same awesome driver!  

We <3 Ms. Heather!!

Details!!

Finally. I have found the time to come back and fill you in on the details of my surprise opportunity. 

A couple of weeks back, one of our neighbors called. She asked if I wanted a job. I laughed and asked her what she meant -- she knew that I'd gone back to work last December!  She went on to explain that there were a couple of job postings within our town's Superintendent's office. She wasn't sure what my qualifications were, but wondered if I'd be interested in working a lot closer to home. 

After much consideration, I decided that it was worth a shot. I pulled out my résumé and looked it over. I updated it, typed up a cover letter to go with it, then mailed them both in for consideration. 

A little more than a week later, I received a phone call from the Director of Special Ed. One of the two positions that my neighbor had told me about was the admin assistant for the Director of Special Ed. I talked with her, and agreed to an interview just a couple days later. 

Fast forward to last week. 

I had a second interview and was subsequently offered the position. I was elated! The hourly pay they offered was quite a bit more than I'd been making at my other job. The hours were far more family-friendly (9am-1pm). Best of all -- the job would be practically in my own backyard!

I went in to work last Monday fully intending to give my two weeks' notice. I was a wreck -- I felt more than a little disloyal to my boss. My anxiety was in full force. I couldn't decide if I was going to cry or vomit. 

After talking with my boss, I was even more a mess. She explained that she truly didn't want to let me go. She's got big plans for me. She'd like to train me to be an office manager. She said that she was more than willing to change my working hours. After some negotiating, we agreed on a raise in pay and a change in my work schedule.

So, I decided to stay where I am. I switched from working 10am-5:30pm to working 9am-3pm. My pay raise went into effect immediately. And I'm more than excited at the prospect of learning more things and taking on new challenges. 

More details -- coming soon!

Before I get into the message of this blog post, I want to first extend a warm hello to you. My faithful blog reader. I honestly wasn't sure if many people still read my blog, besides Mom. I know Mom wasn't ever quit me. I was pleasantly surprised when more than one other person reached out to me to tell me that they miss reading my posts. I was so touched!  And feeling more than a little guilty. But I think it was the kick in the pants that I needed to get me thinking about blog topics again. Thank you. 

Now. Time to get to the 'meat' of the message.....I just wanted to quickly let y'all know that I will be back later to finally post the details I couldn't mention in my last post. I appreciate the prayers and positive thoughts that you sent up for me. They worked!

Surprise Opportunities

Last Friday morning, I answered the house phone to hear one of the neighbor's voices.  Sandy had something to share with me.  An opportunity that she thought I might be interested in.  She was right.  I think.

At this point, I hesitate to share too much.  I don't want to put all of my eggs in one basket, so to speak.  Also, if I type it all out here, and share it with all of the the World-Wide-Webbed-ness, there's no un-sharing it.  So I'll wait until we know more details before I share with you.

In the meantime, I'd like to ask you to please pray for me and the family.  Please pray that God will reveal His plan and that His will be done.