Some Good. Some Bad... Very Bad

I'll start with the good. On Thursday, we reached 74 degrees here in Des Moines. That's a good thing. We beat the old record of 71 degrees set in 1921. I was able to take Nate out for a walk and to the park. My friend, Sara, joined us. She kept me company. We had a long walk and a long talk. Just what I needed. You'll know why below.



Nate had his first ride on a playground swing. He was a little wobbly, but with Sara's help, he really had fun! Our neighborhood is so nice. There are walking trails in every direction and there are 3 playgrounds within walking distance. We are going to have a blast this summer!

The other good - my new contract was offered to me on Wednesday morning. I met with the boss and got the paper work. It's now sitting here on our home desk waiting for me to sign it. There is no raise offered, but it's only a one year deal. I'm hoping we can get through this economic down time by next year and that is when I will seriously consider moving on and attempting to sell the house.

Now the bad - the same day I was given my new contract, Chris was laid off. Due to the Wachovia-Wells Fargo merger, Experian is moving Chris's position to Wachovia's headquarters, Charlotte, NC. They told him the job is his... but it doesn't come with a raise and it doesn't come with any help in moving. With the housing market the way it is and no way to know if I would find a job, that seems like a bad idea for us.

Luckily, he did not have to pack up and leave that day. He will be working in his current position until April 3rd and then get two weeks of severance pay. We'll have health insurance through the end of April.

The job search is on for Chris now. And there are a few irons in the fire. He's been in contact with Wells Fargo for a personal banker position and in contact with AT&T for a sales position at one of their stores. Those are not his first choices in jobs, but we'll need to have some sort of income.

There is one other opportunity that we are really praying for. There is an Account Manager position open with Experian (his current company). This position covers the Omaha area (2 hours from Des Moines). The Account Manager position is one level higher than Chris's current position with Experian. He's hoping they would be interested in hiring him for the position and he could work out of Des Moines, making day trips to Omaha when he needs to meet with clients. Chris thinks that he would be a good fit, as he would need no additional training as compared to bringing someone entirely new in. The person who originally hired him has told him that he's already talked with the HR person responsible for hiring for this Account Manager position... and a good word has been put in. We're praying that this works out, as Chris really likes his job and the company. And this would end up being a step up for him.

So keep the prayers coming!! We need them. We'll keep you posted.