Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Gary was offered a job! Finally! We are so excited and can't wait to get things started! Gary doesn't officially have the job until he passes his drug test, but we all know that's going to be no problem. The position is in Yakima, or more accurately, Union Gap. We're starting to look for places to live there, so we can get this ball rolling. The company, Pexco, wants Gary to start ASAP, and we're trying to figure out how quickly we can move and get started!

We were also debating whether or not we should just go house shopping, rather than renting. But then again there is this little pesky problem of down payment. We've not been able to save hardly a dime since we have student loans and a car payment. Plus it's hard to just pay regular bills on a paltry $12/hr pay rate. But that is going to soon change! We are so stoked to finally be on a salary! What a strange feeling that is.

Perhaps even more importantly, this job is absolutely PERFECT for Gary. He'll pretty much be doing exactly what he wanted to do when he signed up for a mechanical engineering degree in the first place. He is so stoked.

I'd be remiss if I published this post without expressing the gratitude we feel to our Heavenly Father for keeping us in a home with enough food on our table and the ability to buy diapers for our little one for these past 2 years (even though there were some very tough months). I guess we were just meant to be patient a little while longer until this position opened up and the perfect job became ready for Gary. And working at Decagon in the place he's working helped immensely too, so I'm glad he ended up there. It has been a long road, but as always, we finally realize just exactly how much HF was looking out for us this whole time. It actually makes me sad and a little embarrassed at the many times I doubted and my faith was shaken, however briefly. Now to follow the counsel of the Book of Mormon and continue to harken unto the counsels of God even in our day of prosperity. We definitely need to remember to pass our new-found "wealth" (for we'll still only be middle class, and probably still pretty poor until our loans are paid off) around to others who don't have the same fortune as we do. I think HF has given us this blessing with the expectation that we will do our best (and better than we have been) to serve those around us.

And that's what's going on with us! Expect a few more very excited posts about this subject in the future :D 

Simplify my life!

That kind of sounds like some reality show doesn't it? "Hi, my name is Naomi Jackson, and I want you to Simplify My Life!!!" (said at the very end of the sob story application video). You all can see it right?

Anyways, moving on. I've been reading a blog by a cute blogger named Kelly (she has the most adorable twins). She blogs at The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking and has a lot of fun things and good points to make. I've been reading that blog, but this post isn't about that blog. It's about her second blog that she started recently The Year of Less.

Let me tell you now, it is the. most. awesome. idea. anyone has had yet. She and her family have decided not to buy into the idea that more stuff=more happiness. How cool is that? Not only has she and her family renounced this idea, they are actually doing something about it! That is really the coolest part.

 I struggle with this all the time. I think about it. I moan about it. Sometimes it makes me sick. But I still think a lot of the time that someday when I can buy this thing, or that thing, or be able to do whatever thing I want to do at that moment, I'll finally be happy. Even though I also know deep down inside me that all of that isn't a bit true. Suffice to say, I have very conflicting feelings. I go from wanting more stuff to being happy with what I have in the blink of an eye.

There is another bit about this blog that is even better. Kelly and her family are Christians, and she believes that her stuff is getting in the way of being a good Christian. She says it better in the About Us portion of her blog. As a Christian, and as a Mormon, I know that she is absolutely right.

I keep wanting more things, but what I really want--what I really need-- is to make my life more centered on Christ.

I really want to simplify my life just like Kelly is, by getting rid of things and whatnot, but what I really think I need to do is center my life first, and then perhaps the rest will fall into place.

To that end, Gary and I have committed to a "spiritual schedule" if you will. We wake up every morning and say our personal prayers. Then we go out to the living room and before anything else, we do our personal scripture study. Before Gary goes to work we kneel down and have a family prayer to send him off. When Gary comes home from work, after dinner or while dinner is cooking, we have family scripture study with Peri. When dinner is on the table, we have a blessing on the food. When Peri goes to bed, at the end of her bedtime routine, we have family prayer, and whoever is putting her to bed says her personal prayer with her. When we go to bed we remind each other to say our own personal prayers too.

Since we came up with this schedule, we've been sticking too it fairly well. Sometimes we forget to have family prayer before Gary leaves in the morning, and sometimes we forget to have family scripture study at dinner time. Everything else is going well though, and I think once we get into the swing of things, we'll remember those two things more often too.

I still want to get rid of a bunch of things though. And actually I have decluttered a little bit here and there. Right now we're working on a better solution to the crafty corner. It is a disaster right now, but it's the only place we have for that stuff.

Anyway, whoever reads this should totally go check out Kelly's blogs, because they are tres delightful! Onward to simplifying our lives!