Just when you think...

What a whirlwind we have been in for the past month! I have to document it because this is my journal....about mid-December, a recruiter called Mike telling him of a CFO job in San Diego/Escondido area for a moving and storage company and asked Mike if he was interested. He thought, 'Sure, couldn't hurt to check it out'. So, first he phone interviewed, they liked him and so they flew him down there on the 7th of January. It was one of those awful inversion days in Salt Lake and in San Diego, beautiful, sunny and 68 degrees at 10am. Seriously...wouldn't be hard to leave Utah in January for that! They liked him enough to offer him a job! Mike liked them enough to accept the job! The kids and I were excited about a new adventure, but sad to leave family and friends. We were also sad that Mike would be living in Escondido for about 4 months without us as we stayed to sell the house and finish the school year.

Once the negotiations were over and he completed the background check, Mike felt like he could tell his bosses at Baileys that he was done. He did that last Friday. The bosses did not like that....at all....they basically told him they didn't want him to leave and they would do whatever they needed to so that he'd stay. Even Kevin flew in from Denver. It took 3 days of negotiations with them and some restructuring to make work life better for Mike.

Yesterday, Mike stayed home for the morning. This 'exercise' of negotiation with both companies was exhausting. So, he rested, we talked, we took the dog for a walk, we went to lunch and then he went back into work to discuss the job one more time. Finally after about 3 hours, he texted me and said that he felt good about staying at Baileys and he called the other company to tell them.

I can't put into words how emotionally exhausting this whole deal was. In our minds, we were already in San Diego/Escondido. We had researched the area, looked at houses on-line, talked with friends/family who live in the area, talked with friends who had lived in the area, talked with the kids about moving, talked with parents, etc. I don't think Mike thought the Baileys guys would put up such a fight to keep him.

We are feeling very blessed to have had two good companies to choose from, especially in this job market. There really wasn't a wrong choice. We are a bit sad at missing a new adventure (even the kids to our surprise), but we are really happy about staying here with family and friends. This time between Mike and I has been awesome. You know those times that just make your marriage stronger as you go through them together. Well worth the craziness of the past month.

Our sweet friends who support us and checked with us often about whether we were staying or going. Some even having their darling 2 year olds tell us "I don't want you to move." (That was a tearjerker, Nat!). Our parents....well, my parents....Mike's have been on a cruise since the beginning of January and don't have a clue what we just went through. They knew he was going to interview and Renae's last comments were, 'Hope you don't get the job!'....there will be a story to tell them when they get back. Anyway, my parents for their concern and support and our family.....to all of you-we appreciate you all so much! We are feeling the love!

Now, bring on spring!!!!!!!!!!