A lot can Happen in a Year

I thought it would be a good idea to gather my thoughts about 2012 before we are into a new year. I also have been so terrible about posting pictures the last few months...mainly because our camera is taking terrible pictures lately and i'm not sure how to fix it? But I have captured most of our great times on Marks phone camera. Well the begginning of thise year started off with Mark taking a new job, and then ended up getting fired because the boss heard he was looking for a different job. (and he was -because IEI Steel is the WORST company to work for; as far as i'm concerned). This was very nerve racking for Mark and I because McCall was due in March and we did not want him to be un-employed at that time especially. Mark thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to try his hand in farming, because he always wondered if that was something he would enjoy doing. So he got a job at Magic Valley Growers located in Wendell, ID and began work two days after McCall was born in March. This was hard for me because I was getting used to the new baby and my hormones were still out of wack and I was very emotional. I didn't want to move to Wendell the day after McCall was born in Idaho Falls, and I wanted some help adjusting to "mommy mode" and I knew I wouldn't get that if I moved, and Mark was working really long hours and wouldn't be home to help much. So I stayed in Idaho Falls with my Parents for about 4 weeks with Mac, and Mark just traveled back and forth on weekends to see us. (I hated those 4 weeks) The next time we have a baby I will know that I need Mark there with me more than just weekends. We lived in Gooding from April-August. It took a while for me to adjust since our house was about 13 miles from anything. We lived in the middle of no-where and I have always lived in the city so that was wierd for me. (but now having experienced both- I would rather live in the middle of no-where). I think what kept me busy was growing a garden and taking care of McCall. But I still really missed being away from my family and not seeing them very often. Magic Valley Growers had promised Mark a bunch of things that they never did follow through with and they treated their employees terrible also. I had enough of the way they were treating Mark and so Mark and I sat a talked one night about what other options we had...and we filled out TONS of applications to other companies, but didn't hear anything back from anyone. That's when we decided that we needed to quit and move back to Idaho Falls and live with my parents until we found a job for Mark. We moved back to Idaho Falls, because Mark had told me that he would rather live there than Wendell...and I agreed so we took off. We had our house packed in two days and we left. - We have never regretted that decision to this day- This gap between jobs was a very hard time for Mark mostly because of the way he had been treated by the previous two employers...they were brutal on his self-esteem. And it took a while for him to realize that it wasn't him that was the problem, it was employers who were to lazy to train him but yet expected him to know everything they wanted him to. It took Mark quite a while to find a job in Idaho Falls, but I can tell you that it was worth the wait. After my Dad called one of his buddies, Mark turned a resume into DePatco, a company out of St. Anthony and was going to lay pipe for them. He layed Pipe for about a month and then was promoted to the superintendent of Ethel Boys Elementary. He LOVES his job and hopes to be with DePatco as long as he can. It is sometimes interesting how we make it to the place that we are in our lives, and sometimes the journey there can be rough...but I do believe that we go through those journies for a reason and I know that we are being watched over and guided by our Heavenly Father. In other news, we also had a great addition to our family in March when McCall was born, and was healthy and happy. She has been growing like crazy and is SOOOO much fun to have around. She is walking already and has two teeth. She loves her baths and music. We enjoyed having her with us this Christmas and look forward to many more to come. It's hard to believe that she will be one in three months! As for me, I have just been trying to better myself as a mom and wife and have been enjoying being a mom. I got into Zumba after I had McCall and I LOVE it. It's a fun way to get active during the week and a nice break from McCall for an hour. I also have been loving every minute of being an aunt to miss Oakley. She is the funniest little girl and I can't imagine my life without her in it. Also we are counting down days until Jeff gets home...only 38 to go. Can't wait to see him! Mark and I are hoping 2013 will be a good year for us and that we can continue to enjoy our health and strength and Marks good job. Happy New Year. Here is a random Picture of McCall anxiously waiting for the cookies to bake.