So started the new job on December 16th. I literally hit the ground running, with no actual training but I am damn good at my job. I work in mental health, which is one of the damn scariest things to do if you ask me. Most especially when these people are terrified right now they will lose everything. The threat of losing their federally funded health insurance is almost more than most people can bear. Now, I did a HUGE research paper on welfare reform, and one on health care reform. That being said, I am also privy to knowing people in my personal life that are raping the system. People that wont hold a job and keep going back onto federally funded programs on their husbands coat tails so they can collect, scrimp by and not have to work. I didn't use to want to work, I wanted to be a stay at home mom and housewife, but even then I did not collect welfare. We made do, it was my job to make the most of the money. And then I discovered a gratifying job. One that although exhausting at times, brings an enormous sense of joy, satisfaction and pride. And the very generous salary, and paid time off does not hurt either.
Although I am more than able, and willing, to say that the next five months are going to bring great trials, responsibility and stress. I have one more semester to complete, 4 classes, 3 live on campus and one online. And I have to make sure I am still able to work 40 hours. The perks of the job is that I am able to almost entirely make my own schedule and my boss has done nothing but be accommodating. But.....
My husband is more than willing to pick up all my slack, along with the kids. I know that it will all be worth everything second of no sleep, of stress and dirty floors when all five of them are cheering for me May 19th as I get my degree. And my boss is hoping to score me a raise when I graduate.
And as we prepare to leave one season of life, we prepare to enter another. Brittanie is now driving! Yep, my girl completed drivers ed and is now in possession of her learners permit. And although I said I would never do it, we are buying her a car. I am doing it because Britt is looking to go to college in Presque Isle, a one year welding program, and I do not feel like driving up every weekend to get her. As well as Robert is looking at starting college in the fall. It isn't a giant stretch for him, but he can test out of of about 50% of the program. There is so much of life left, that it is time to move forward.
I turned 35 recently. I felt good about it, there was no giant party. It was simply a dinner out. We did spend New Years playing Texas Hold Em with friends.
Robert and I have been talking about goals for the upcoming year. Besides trying to hold on while I graduate. We are taking the kids on a weekend long vacation. It isn't a stretch for us, since we are not going very far. We are spending a long weekend at a resort on the ocean, and going whale watching. The kids have been asking for two years to go whale watching, this summer we are going. And Robert and I will be going to Boston again, as well as planning a weekend to celebrate our one year anniversary.
Our goals this year aren't giant ones, in the realm of life. We are looking at smaller things. Things like building a savings cushion, an emergency fund, saving monthly through the year for the holiday season and getting out of debt. Next year our focus will be retirement savings, as neither of us want to be in the position of some many people who failed to plan. Social security is not enough to live off. At all. And we are starting to have interest in diversifying ourselves, stocks and bonds wise.
And our last goal of this year is to buy a boat. Not an easy task as we have been shopping for 5 months now. We know what we want, and there is no way we are going to sell ourselves short. Although our willingness to buy an older boat means we can probably score one from a private sale for around 10,000! I figure that is a pretty good deal for a summer of family togetherness.
So there is a synopsis of our lives right now. Never been more happy in life, marriage, as a career woman or as a person. Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you :)
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