the year began like any other. we were living life comfortably and going through the everyday motions. of course there were daily stressors, but all was well and safe and happy. fast forward to august ... the business where my husband was employed lost their contract, and my husband lost his job. his really well paying job that he had been working for nearly eight years. i will never forget that phone call. i was lounging in a beach chair, talking to my mom, sand in my toes. my kids were in front of me splashing in waves and the phone rang. it's funny though because even though a lump formed in my throat and i knew what i had just heard wasn't good, the panic didn't come for many months later. even at that moment, it just didn't seem real or possible. we had been more than okay for such a long time.
we knew right away that our house had to be sold. we knew that pouring our savings into a really high mortgage was just not smart or doable. this was when things started to sink in. we had just moved into this house we love and eleanor was so happy at school. i began to worry for her. i began to worry for us. but i was still hopeful.
my husband applied for jobs everyday. and he applied for jobs all over. anything that interested him or he had experience in or that degree would cover. he worked so hard trying to find work.
our house sold quickly. like almost too quickly. in fact, the day we moved out, he still didn't have a new job and we had no place to go. we squeezed our belongings into a u haul and parked it at my brother's house. this is when the frustration and sadness and true anxiety began to settle in. we refer to those days as the "dark days." but even with our situation, we tried to remain hopeful and positive and thankful. living with my parent's was not ideal, but oh my god, were we thankful for a roof over our heads. we were thankful for our savings and for our health and for supportive people in our lives.
almost as soon as we moved into my parent's house, he got a call from a job in vermont, so we bought two plane tickets and went there. we learned the area and possible rentals if he gets the job. we loved it there and were excited about the possibility of relocating, but it would have also been so intense not being around family at such a hard transition in our lives.
anyway, while we were driving the backroads of vermont, french music in our ears, he got a call. he got a call from a radio station about thirty miles from where we lived. they offered him the job and he took it. i remember walking into my parent's house and my grandma was there and i told her the news and she held me and cried. finally a job. a job! that was everything. that was EVERYTHING... it may have been a lot less money, but it was insurance for our babies and it was a fresh start and it was sign that we are going to okay.
fresh home from vermont and the house hunt in a new town began. but we found out quickly that there are few rentals available in a small town in october. basically we fell short and then the fear began to sink in again. at the time, we were driving eleanor to her old school everyday which was about forty five minutes. and as soon as they found out she no longer lived in that area, she would have to change schools. we were hoping that we could go ahead and open enroll her in the new town, but they were full. so i was sweating. big time.
finally after exhausting ourselves trying to find a place to live, my husband walked into a realtor's office and said, "it's worth a try." he came out with a big smile on his face. there was this house that had been on the market for over a year and the owner lived in NYC and said he would rent it to us until the end of the school year. YES! we were almost at the finish line and we were elated. we got the keys and moved in the next day.
when we first walked into the house we said we could just buy this house and make this our home and stay put! the idea of not moving again and staying put was so comforting... well after moving in, we quickly learned that this house costs a lot and needs a ton of work that we cannot afford and that this house would only be temporary. but temporary or not, we will always be thankful for this mint green house that kept us safe and warm, even if just for a short time.
so in conclusion, the house hunt has begun again. we are looking in the country and close to my family because ultimately, that is where we want to plants roots and cozy up and raise our babies. and we are being really picky this time around because we are NEVER moving again. at least not for a really really long time. we want to be somewhere super affordable, so that way if for some reason we are jobless again, we could make it work. no more living beyond our means. also, close enough to our current town so that way arick has a small commute to work and eleanor doesn't have to change schools. *fingers crossed*
life is crazy, man. and sometimes super hard. but there are lessons in super hard. we are learning and growing everyday.
so that's what has been happening with us. it's been a ride, but we have our health and our hopes and we are thankful... and ready to be somewhere and call a place home.
and lastly, we have each other and there is love and that is LIFE.
