Here's a little back story that most people don't know about our sudden move to Utah. We found out I was pregnant on July 30th and we were over the moon excited. We both had good jobs (mine having insanely good health benefits) we were living comfortably, and we felt ready to be parents... Kind of. Exactly one week after we took that pregnancy test I got news that the store I was working at was getting closed down. The kicker is that they were shutting the store down in two weeks. TWO WEEKS! I remember the day I got the news I sat in the back room of the store on the floor and just cried. Not because I was losing my job, I really hated my job at that store so it was a relief actually, but I was terrified about what we would do to provide for this baby.
My job had blessed our lives for the entirety of our marriage making things possible for us that most people our age didn't have. I felt accomplished and satisfied knowing that I was able to support our family while my husband finished school. I immediately started interviewing for jobs, but one of the (many) sucky things about living in that area of Idaho was the fact that no one could pay me what I made at Hollister and give me the same kind of benefits I had before. I have a bachelors degree and I couldn't justify working minimum wage. We were completely stuck. Joe and I have been through a lot of crazy things together, but this experience was so different because it wasn't just us anymore. We had this precious little baby to worry about. We prayed so hard to find answers to our problem, but things seemed pretty hopeless.
I remember one day I was getting ready for work and I called joe and asked if he would be able to finish his degree online, he asked what I was thinking and I honestly had no idea. I went into work that same day and my DM told me she wanted me to move stores out to Denver; the company would pay for everything to move us out there I just needed to give her an answer by the next day. I spoke with joe about it and we didn't feel good about it... As crazy as that sounds. We talked about moving to Utah because joe would be able to transfer with his job to Utah, but not to Colorado. I pitched the idea to my DM and she said that she would do anything to keep me with the company and would call around Utah to see if they had room for me at a store there. It took about a week to finalize everything with my job, but I was approved for a transfer, we literally had a weekend to sell our contract, pack up our stuff, and move to Utah so I could start working that following Tuesday.
At this point I was 11 weeks pregnant and so incredibly sick and exhausted all the time I didn't think it was possible to get it all done. It happened so fast we didn't have a chance to ask friends for help with anything. Joe literally packed up our entire apartment and cleaned it all on his own and we drove away Sunday night. We had no idea where we were going to live, luckily my work paid for a hotel for us until we found an apartment but that was stressful in itself.
Not only were we able to find a cute town home, but our ward here is amazing! We didn't have the best experience in our last ward in rexburg so I was nervous about going to church down here, especially since with joes job he would have to work Sundays, meaning I would have to go to church all alone! I've made some amazing friends and felt so welcomed in this new ward- it's been amazing. Even though I have to go alone, I know it won't last forever and it's made me more independent and outgoing not having joe to hide behind haha.
Since being down in Utah joe was able to find a new job with American Express! He starts next week and we couldn't be more excited! With this new job, I for sure won't have to go back to work and we will live the same way we did when I was working! Talk about a HUGE blessing and relief. I was okay with going back to work after the baby was born for a few months until Joe graduates, but Joe wouldn't let that happen. He knows how much I want to be home with the baby and he wants that too which is something I am so grateful for. He makes my dream of being a mom a reality and I am so grateful for all his hard work. I seriously don't know how he does it.
Even though these past 6 months have been the epitome of stressful and filled with uncertainty I know that we have been blessed beyond measure. I don't know why we've been blessed in the ways that we have been, but I am grateful everyday for the life that we have together. I am so excited to bring this little girl into our lives and I can't help but think of how lucky she is to have Joe as her dad. I look at him and wonder why I got so lucky, I certainly don't deserve him. Even after these two years of marriage he still puts up with my crazy high maintenance ways and still loves me through it all! Here's to another crazy adventure with my best friend!
