Monday, November 01, 2010

"I know the plans I have for you" - God

so for those of you who have not been with us since the beginning, let me recap:

when i was much younger, I had my life all planned out. It began with getting married immediately after college, and having a baby approximately 2 yrs later. i am soooooo grateful that isn't how it worked out. we all know life doesn't always go how we imagined, and patrick and i have experienced that time and time again.

fall 2005: get back from Africa, move directly to Longview, TX, get married 2 mos later. now that was a whirlwind. go through a few random jobs before I get my dream job at an amazing gym. Patrick and I live in a little apartment, life is good.

fall 2006: I'm at that job exactly 2 wks before we get pregnant with Hannah. Patrick was in school full time, he had a full year to go.

summer 2007 We switch the apt out for a little house we bought close to campus. I work full time till a month before she's born, then we struggle through the fall.

spring 2008 Patrick gets a job with Premier Aircraft Sales, immediately after graduation. we sell the house. we move to Opelika, Alabama. Buy another house, put in flower beds and a vegetable garden, paint the bedrooms, have block parties with the neighbours, all for approx. 10 mos, at which point Patrick has the opportunity for a promotion. So, we sell that house, and move to Dallas.

fall 2008 after losing so much selling our last house, we rent in Frisco, north of Dallas. During this time, Patrick works as regional sales manager. A few months after the move, he's informed his contract has been changed and there will be no salary, only comission. Due to financial constraints at Premier, he home offices for much of our time there. we get pregnant with charlie right after moving.

summer 2009 charlie's born, I'm staying busy working at church and keeping other kids at home. We're really starting to make friends, get to know the small universe of dallas/ft worth, and looking around for where we want to buy a house. Business, however, is not going great.

spring 2010 patrick finally decides he's given premier all he can, and he resigns. THAT VERY AFTERNOON he is presented with a job opportunity in pratt, Ks, just down the road from where he grew up. However, this means leaving aviation. Being a pilot wasn't just a job, it was Patrick's lifelong dream. Giving up aviation was a huge sacrifice for Patrick. However, unable to deny the coincidences, we soon accept. A few months later, we're packing up and moving to Pratt.

summer 2010 we stay in a rent house for a little while till we finalize the sale of our new house. night before the closing, a wall collapses. we step back and think about what we want to do, decide to proceed, but it takes months before we can move. During this time, and since, we pour so much into this house, financially, emotionally, and physically. We have high hopes for selling this house down the road, at a profit.

10 days ago patrick hears his company is being sold, and there will be no jobs for anyone. we cry, we are speechless with disbelief, we are very confused and possibly angry at being led into this situation only to have it turn out this way, but most of all, we decide: we ain't movin. no packing, no more unsettled, no more pizza on paper plates, no more introducing ourselves to the neighbours, at least for another few years. we dont' know what we're going to do, but whatever it is, it's happening here. or at least within a commutable distance.

7 days ago Patrick is offered a job with a local company, managing one of their divisions. completely new field, but basically sales in a managerial position. Today, he accepts this new job, and starts Wednesday. more details later.

take a moment to catch your breath, as i feel the need to do when i think of the changes that have happened in the last 5 yrs. another bend in the road; we'll see where it leads.

10 comments:

Senegal Daily said...

Wow, Jana. Just WOW. When you spell it all out like this, it really is breath-taking and amazing. I'm not sure who amazes me more here - you guys for persevering or God for being faithful! I'm sure the right answer is God, but wow - y'all have been through so much.

I'm so proud of you, Jana. You're an amazing wife and mother. And I'm excited to see where this bend leads and how God blesses you guys for your perseverance and faith.

mrs. darling said...

whoa. i mean, that made me speechless. and i'm not sure how you've made it this far without losing your mind! (i would have, for sure.) i'm so GLAD God has provided this new job for patrick and you can stay in your new home! hopefully you'll be there for a loooong time.

One of the Wassenbergs said...

Hi Mrs. Crisp,

I'm glad you remember us!

I'm sorry that your uploading blog photos still isn't working for you...I have one more idea. Here goes:

When you sign up for a free blog you automatically get a free Picasa Web Account. Every time you upload a photo to Blogger, blogger uploads those pictures onto Picasa as well.
So, you have the option of uploading your pictures to Picasa Web Albums first and then onto the blog.

#1. Sign into your Picasa Web Albums Account. It should use the same email address and password that you use to access your blog.

#2. Upload more photos. It only uploads 4 or 5 photos at a time.

#3. Once all the photos you wanted to upload are on Picasa Web Albums, sign into your blog, create a new post and click on the "upload images" button. There should be three options: Upload, "From this Blog", "From Picasa Web Albums," or "From a URL". Choose Picasa Web Albums.

#4. This will open up all albums you have on Picasa. Click the album the pictures you want to upload to the blog are in. Click all the photos you want to upload and then click "add selected". It'll add all those photos immediately to your blog and, voila, you're done! :)

If the whole blogger-picasa relationship doesn't make sense, just go to Picasa Web Albums (www.picasaweb.google.com) and enter the email address and password you use to access your own blog. This should take you to your Picasa Account and show you all the photos you've ever uploaded to blogger.

---

I hope that helps! If I can clear anything else up just let me know! :)

---

As far as Polyface Farms...yes, we have heard about it but we've never visited the farm! Joel Salatin speaks, almost every year, at the homeschool conference we go to and Daddy has talked to him. Daddy's actually thought of going out to his farm and helping with chicken processing one day...but he's never been there yet. I think we're still hoping to go one day, but as of this year, no, we haven't been. :)

I hope this helps and that your family is doing great!
Kimber Wassenberg :)

One of the Wassenbergs said...

Hi Mrs. Crisp,

I'm glad you remember us!

I'm sorry that your uploading blog photos still isn't working for you...I have one more idea. Here goes:

When you sign up for a free blog you automatically get a free Picasa Web Account. Every time you upload a photo to Blogger, blogger uploads those pictures onto Picasa as well.
So, you have the option of uploading your pictures to Picasa Web Albums first and then onto the blog.

#1. Sign into your Picasa Web Albums Account. It should use the same email address and password that you use to access your blog.

#2. Upload more photos. It only uploads 4 or 5 photos at a time.

#3. Once all the photos you wanted to upload are on Picasa Web Albums, sign into your blog, create a new post and click on the "upload images" button. There should be three options: Upload, "From this Blog", "From Picasa Web Albums," or "From a URL". Choose Picasa Web Albums.

#4. This will open up all albums you have on Picasa. Click the album the pictures you want to upload to the blog are in. Click all the photos you want to upload and then click "add selected". It'll add all those photos immediately to your blog and, voila, you're done! :)

If the whole blogger-picasa relationship doesn't make sense, just go to Picasa Web Albums (www.picasaweb.google.com) and enter the email address and password you use to access your own blog. This should take you to your Picasa Account and show you all the photos you've ever uploaded to blogger.

---

I hope that helps! If I can clear anything else up just let me know! :)

---

As far as Polyface Farms...yes, we have heard about it but we've never visited the farm! Joel Salatin speaks, almost every year, at the homeschool conference we go to and Daddy has talked to him. Daddy's actually thought of going out to his farm and helping with chicken processing one day...but he's never been there yet. I think we're still hoping to go one day, but as of this year, no, we haven't been. :)

I hope this helps and that your family is doing great!
Kimber Wassenberg :)

Reckless Driving Virginia said...

Life is indeed a never ending journey!As long as you have faith and trust in each other everything would be alright!Good luck for both of you! I'm excited to see where your journey ends!

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Inês said...

Good night!
I like your blogger.
Your familly is beautiful.
happening in my.

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