Wow.
We are really doing this.
For a couple months it was more of an 'idea'-- "wouldn't it be neat to live in Tennessee?" and then "When we move to Tennessee"...
I was jolted into this new reality when I saw Josh's current city listed as "Franklin, Tennessee" on Facebook.
I got teary eyed when I saw the Olympic Mountains from I-90 heading into Seattle a couple of weeks ago, contrasted with the beautiful bright blue skies.
I am going to miss my Mt. Rainier, when it decides to make an appearance behind the Safeway in Maple Valley.
Our weekdays still look mostly the same without Josh here. We were used to him being home around 8 pm. Even later some nights, so it still doesn't really seem that he is so far away. It is surreal to think that he is so far away, that he couldn't just 'pop' home. There are no direct flights to Nashville from Seattle. The trip is a minimum of 7 hours. Weekends are harder. I am thankful that the Christmas Season is upon us, so we will have more things to fill up our weekends ( besides packing!)
My house no longer seems a 'home' or even ours. As I take curtains and pictures off the walls, and the boxes are starting to stack up, it becomes less and less personal. Maybe because my heart is already in Tennessee.
A PNW girl's journey to living in the South.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Interviews
The interview process was LOOOOONNNNNG.
We scoured the internet for as much information as possible to find out what to expect. Every tidbit we found was that it takes a while.
We are West-Coasties, and used to things moving quick! Dave is very circumspect in his hiring, and for good reason- he has a 4% turnover rate.
Josh went through 4 video interviews, which I was able to sit in the same room and listen in on. That was so cool. I am so proud of Josh. I know he is a "rock-star" and have always been his biggest cheer leader. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to listen in on the process, and that they were just as excited for US to work for them as we are to work for THEM!
After the video interviews for Josh, it was MY turn. I was very nervous, but it went well, and I left the video chat feeling encouraged.
Next, Lampo sent us the salary they were planning on offering us. We had to submit a family budget to prove that we could live on it. Once it was approved, they flew both of us to Nashville.
The interviews at Lampo took all day, and in the middle I met Josh for the spousal interview-- we sat down and had lunch with the CIO, the Executive Director and his wife. They would finish up the interviews, and then they would sleep on it and pray over it, and asked us to do the same, and we would hear from them the following day.
Lampo graciously allowed us to stay an extra day in Nashville, paying an extra day on our rental car, while we covered the extra night at the hotel.
We were playing tourists at Belle Meade Plantation when we got the call-- and accepted the job!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
We scoured the internet for as much information as possible to find out what to expect. Every tidbit we found was that it takes a while.
We are West-Coasties, and used to things moving quick! Dave is very circumspect in his hiring, and for good reason- he has a 4% turnover rate.
Josh went through 4 video interviews, which I was able to sit in the same room and listen in on. That was so cool. I am so proud of Josh. I know he is a "rock-star" and have always been his biggest cheer leader. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to listen in on the process, and that they were just as excited for US to work for them as we are to work for THEM!
After the video interviews for Josh, it was MY turn. I was very nervous, but it went well, and I left the video chat feeling encouraged.
Next, Lampo sent us the salary they were planning on offering us. We had to submit a family budget to prove that we could live on it. Once it was approved, they flew both of us to Nashville.
The interviews at Lampo took all day, and in the middle I met Josh for the spousal interview-- we sat down and had lunch with the CIO, the Executive Director and his wife. They would finish up the interviews, and then they would sleep on it and pray over it, and asked us to do the same, and we would hear from them the following day.
Lampo graciously allowed us to stay an extra day in Nashville, paying an extra day on our rental car, while we covered the extra night at the hotel.
We were playing tourists at Belle Meade Plantation when we got the call-- and accepted the job!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Monday, November 11, 2013
The Beginning
I sent my boy to Tennessee today.....
. Without a firm spiritual foundation and understanding of God's perfect plan for our lives, this looks crazy.
I was born and raised in WA. Our families are here.
Josh had a great job at Microsoft that he loved. We have a wonderful church family we are involved with, an amazing Homeschool Community, so why leave this all behind move to Tennessee?
Let me start from the beginning- so you can see the big picture-God's picture, with His perfect fingerprints all over it.
Back in February, Josh was happy with his job, Our Classical Conversations Community was growing by leaps and bounds, and life was good...but the Lord had something up His sleeve.
On a dark and stormy night...
Josh was driving home listening to the Dave Ramsey show on the radio. Now Dave has been a huge influence in our lives. Helping us finally overcome the slavery of debt. There is no exaggeration in saying he has changed our lives drastically.( I'd be happy to expound on this, just ask)
Dave said, "Hey, are you passionate about helping people and love technology? Come work for me!"
Josh thought to himself, "I love helping people, and I am passionate about technology, so why not?"
He called me on the way home and asked what I thought. I am always up for adventure and new things, but I had to remind him that Dave lives in Tennessee.
It is (really) hot there in the summer. It is landlocked. And in case you haven't noticed, Tennessee is not on the West Coast. These have all been non-negotiable in the past, part of the "I never's"-- which we all know to make sure that those kinds of statements should not be made, since they inevitably are almost always self fulfilling prophecies..
We decided to submit his resume to Dave's Company, The Lampo Group. but admitting that the only way it would work would be a September/October time frame so that we wouldn't miss out on our bonus and stock grants from MS.
The next night, same scenario... but this time, Dave said... " Remember when I mentioned we were hiring? Well, we are a small company, and we had 20,000 applications submitted so far this year, and we have hired 18. So, unless you are extraordinary, or you know someone, we are sorry that we most likely won't be able to get back to you."
Well, weeks and months passed, and we hadn't heard anything from The Lampo Group. The door seemed closed. Josh went on to be promoted at work, and we were gearing up for a new school year for Classical Conversations when we got an e-mail-- in late AUGUST- "Are you still interested in this job?"
. Without a firm spiritual foundation and understanding of God's perfect plan for our lives, this looks crazy.
I was born and raised in WA. Our families are here.
Josh had a great job at Microsoft that he loved. We have a wonderful church family we are involved with, an amazing Homeschool Community, so why leave this all behind move to Tennessee?
Let me start from the beginning- so you can see the big picture-God's picture, with His perfect fingerprints all over it.
Back in February, Josh was happy with his job, Our Classical Conversations Community was growing by leaps and bounds, and life was good...but the Lord had something up His sleeve.
On a dark and stormy night...
Josh was driving home listening to the Dave Ramsey show on the radio. Now Dave has been a huge influence in our lives. Helping us finally overcome the slavery of debt. There is no exaggeration in saying he has changed our lives drastically.( I'd be happy to expound on this, just ask)
Dave said, "Hey, are you passionate about helping people and love technology? Come work for me!"
Josh thought to himself, "I love helping people, and I am passionate about technology, so why not?"
He called me on the way home and asked what I thought. I am always up for adventure and new things, but I had to remind him that Dave lives in Tennessee.
It is (really) hot there in the summer. It is landlocked. And in case you haven't noticed, Tennessee is not on the West Coast. These have all been non-negotiable in the past, part of the "I never's"-- which we all know to make sure that those kinds of statements should not be made, since they inevitably are almost always self fulfilling prophecies..
We decided to submit his resume to Dave's Company, The Lampo Group. but admitting that the only way it would work would be a September/October time frame so that we wouldn't miss out on our bonus and stock grants from MS.
The next night, same scenario... but this time, Dave said... " Remember when I mentioned we were hiring? Well, we are a small company, and we had 20,000 applications submitted so far this year, and we have hired 18. So, unless you are extraordinary, or you know someone, we are sorry that we most likely won't be able to get back to you."
Well, weeks and months passed, and we hadn't heard anything from The Lampo Group. The door seemed closed. Josh went on to be promoted at work, and we were gearing up for a new school year for Classical Conversations when we got an e-mail-- in late AUGUST- "Are you still interested in this job?"
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