Three Years on this New Journey

It's amazing how fast time flies.

Three years ago today, we started this journey in Indianapolis.  March 9, 2020, I got to go into the office for one week, to meet all my coworkers and to start getting adjusted to this new life.

Jamie and the kids had not come up yet.  They would wait another week so Jamie could spend a little more time, see Wills Point's OneAct, and stay through her mom's birthday.  Splitting it also allowed us to drive both cars up.  I drove up first, would fly back and leave my car at the airport.  Then would drive back with Jamie the next week.  

For this first week in Indiana, I stayed at a Stay Alfred apartment just a few blocks away from the office.  Got to walk downtown Indy for a bit, past Soldiers and Sailors Monument every day, and generally get to know the city.  Everything was still open at this point.

When we brought up Jamie and the kids, everything closed down.  Work from home and Zoom training.  We still didn't have a house at this point and spent a month in an AirBNB in Old Northside.  

We've since found our home to rent and have settled in very well.  We've found our hometown here in Brownsburg.  We've met and made friends with neighbors.  We've found our church and developed deep friendships with members of our church and our small group.

We've seen family and friends come up to visit, and we've shared a lot of good food we've found, and the aspects of this life we've come to love.  The trails and the walkability of the town.  The great bakeries.  Snow and sledding.  

We've laughed a lot, we've cried some.  We've started and re-started our adoption journey.  We've explored the states around and had a lot of fun trips and journeys along the way.

I've continued to grow at Cummins and started to become more comfortable in the role.  Jamie has started subbing at the kid's elementary school.  Avalyn and Jude have greatly enjoyed their schools.  The best in the state.

It's been an amazing journey and it really is hard to believe how quickly it has happened.  It seems like just yesterday we moved up here.  And it's hard to think that Jude has been up here in Indiana now longer than he lived in Texas.

We wouldn't change a thing.  It has been one of the greatest changes we have made and we're looking forward to see what the future brings.  

edited because I can't math, apparently

Mitchuation Update - I'm Back

Six months...

I really didn't think it would be six months.  And it has been, nearly down to the day.

When I took a break back in May, I thought I would only take a week or two off from blogging and then jump back into it.  Maybe jump back in at a less frequent pace, or focus on specific days and events, but the intent was always to get back into it.

Then we got bust in the summer with camps and travel, and then we were getting back into the new rhythm with school and Jamie's new job.  And now we're back after fall break.i

Suddenly, I look and six months has gone by.  

Needless to say, I'm back.  I'll be blogging more frequently and finding a groove to continue this exercise.  I'm viewing it as exercise - it's mental exercise, helping me continue to develop this skill.  This fall has all been about creating new routines.  I've been consistently working out for over six weeks now, practicing my languages on DuoLingo for over a month, and am focusing now on a new productivity list.  I want writing to be part of that ongoing habit.

So expect more posts coming.  More updates, more history, more poetry, and more opinion.  More excuses to get ideas out of my head.  

As always, thank you for reading and caring.  

Mitchuation Update: Back Again

I thought a good way to jump back into this would be to provide another Mitchuation update. It’s hard to believe we are already at September this year. We’re rapidly approaching fall and the weather is starting to actually reflect it. 

I must admit, I hadn’t intended to take a two month hiatus from the blog, but here we are. Summer was a bit frantic and we were, quite literally, all over the place. Looking back, we only spent half the summer in Indiana. The other half, we were in Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. A benefit of this remote work environment - it can literally be done from anywhere. As our return to the office date has been pushed back once again, I must remind myself that there are benefits like this. 

Avalyn has been in school for over a month now, and Jude has also started his part time pre-school. We’re quickly finding a new normal routine again. 

But our hectic schedule only addresses part of the lack of posts.  That is actually harder to describe. 

It’s not from a lack of content. There’s been a lot that has happened to us, around us, and across our country that warrants a post. Some of it will be future blog posts, like the status of our adoption journey*. For a lot of it, the relevance and urgency has passed. 

It’s also not from being overwhelmed by content either, as I’ve written about before. 

This time it came from a specific form of burnout.  I’m tire that we are still having to address the same issues over and over again. This last year and a half has been draining for everyone, but we’re making it worse by continuing to fight the stupidest battles. We’re still fighting over masks. We’re now fighting about ivermectin, an anti-parasitic often used for animals instead of hydroxychloroquine. To the point where some people would rather overdose themselves with a horse’s dosage instead of them getting vaccinated. We’re raising up in arms about Critical Race Theory, the latest school boogeyman issue without even understanding it.

I’m tired of the keyboard experts, who somehow can jump from constitutional law, to infectious diseases, and now to foreign policy. I’m tired of the systems that prop up this ignorance and over-distrust of any form of expertise.  The over-valuing of anecdotal information. The continued anti-intellectualism on display.  

It’s exhausting. 

It’s recognizing we’re going to keep repeating these same cycles. We’re going to drag this pandemic out until the very last possible case. Until we become numb to the deaths and permanent damage that it is inflicting.

I needed a break from that fight. 

It has been refreshing but it’s time to get back into it. It’s not as if I’ve been off social media in the interim. I’ve just been a consumer, and that has to stop. It’s time to be productive again. 

So, expect more posts in the days to come.  Some catching up from the summer, with trip reports and the like.  Some with just general status updates, like a more in depth status on where we are in the adoption process.  Some hitting on the current events and trying to bring a more fair approach to them.  Many begging you to stay safe and to take every precaution including masking again to stay healthy through the colder months coming.  Maybe I’ll even get to one on why the American Evangelical church’s fetish for “persecution” had exacerbated many of the issues we are facing right now in this country. 

It’s good to be back.  And I’m glad that tomorrow’s post is a really fun and happy celebration.

Until next time…

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*The short version is we are finished with all of our paperwork and most everything in our control.  We are now in the waiting, where our profiles are out there and just waiting for a birth mother to pick us.  We’ve been prepared for it to be possibly one to three years, but at this point it could happen at any day.

The Panic Attack

This is the story I promised I would tell.  It took providing the backstory with Our Adoption Story and The Michigan Trip to provide context as to why this induced a panic attack and why we made that trip more stressful on ourselves than it should have been, even beyond the stress this incident caused.

By way of context, the Michigan trip was something we planned for early April, to be a fun weekend getaway for the four of us.  Our first trip as just a family of four and a fun venture to see another state.  Jamie and Avalyn had gotten to make a quick jaunt into Michigan for a meal on a girls' trip, but this would allow us to see state together.  It was supposed to be a trip to Fort Wayne, where we would further explore our new home state, but our reason for going to Fort Wayne was the zoo.  We of course found out it would be closed when we planned to visit.  With that not an option, we changed our plans to Saugatuck and Holland, Michigan.

It is important to note that this trip came shortly after spring break, where we had spent two weeks in Texas with family.  During that trip, we spent a little more on restaurants and eating out that we had planned to, and thought that since this would be such a short trip, we would pack meals to number one, eat healthier, and number two, use our restaurant fund for fun snacks.  Jamie had that Friday before we left pretty wide open, beyond a bible study that morning, so she was planning to prepare and pack the cooler that day, ready for us to leave when Avalyn got out of school.

At this point in our adoption process, we had completed two of the three required homestudy sessions, still had several hours of education remaining to be completed, and had recently learned there were a few key pieces of paperwork not yet filed.  

So when Jamie got a text from our adoption specialist during her morning bible study that Friday morning, asking her to call her, she thought it was related to one of these areas.

Instead, the adoption specialist let Jamie know that there was a birth mother that was going to give birth in two weeks who was questioning her decision and wanted to look at more profile books.  Our adoption specialist didn't have more completed profile books, but knew of a few families like us who were near completion of the process and wanted to ask us if we wanted to be submitted as a potential family for adoption.  Blitzing through the remaining steps for a meeting and ultimate adoption should we be chosen.

To top it off, they needed an answer as quickly as possible.  At the longest, by the next morning.

When Jamie came upstairs to tell me, that's when the panic attack set in.  I know Jamie tells me that she broke down a few times that day, but it wasn't something I saw.  She broke down in calls she made for prayer over the issue. 

I, on the other hand, starting visibly shaking and couldn't come down for nearly two hours after that point.  I've had anxiety attacks before, but those are slow builds of stress and pressure over several days or weeks that release in pain and discomfort.  This was an instant onset of that.

My mind kept racing because it felt like everything was moving so fast.  I saw the first step as Jamie and I discussing whether or not we would be allowing our name to be submitted.  Jamie, by necessity, was starting to work through setting up the things that would be needed if we proceeded.  Each mention of the next piece being set up sent me further into the attack.

It felt like we were skipping a lot of required development just to get a result.  Skipping a lot of essential education that would be of the utmost importance.  In addition, we had virtually nothing for a baby, and would had a few thousand dollars left to save to have the whole process covered.  That would all be necessary in a couple of weeks.

Needless to say, the rest of that day was filled with discussion, and questioning, and asking for prayer requests which turned into a supply drive. The bible study group Jamie was on that morning knew something was up with the adoption process, so when Jamie filled them in on what happened, they got to work collecting a lot for us already.  

The drive to Michigan was nearly completely all about Jamie and I trying to figure out whether or not we should move forward with this.  We kept getting calls from our adoption specialist, giving us more information on the birth mother and child, but that really had no bearing on our decision.  The question that kept gnawing at us was one of timing.

Was this the right time to move forward, or was there more we needed to complete for it to be right?

I think there is a fallacy in Christian circles to assume when things fall into place like this, it is automatically the work of God.  That every easy path is the answer to the prayers that have led up to this point.  While it can be, that is not always the case.

The problem that Jamie and I found is that neither of us could have any joy about this particular situation.  Just terror.  We know this kind of quick turnaround is completely possible once we go live, and we know our reaction will be completely different from what it was then.  At this particular time and in this particular situation, we felt that we still had much more growing and learning to do to be ready.

We decided we were saying no after waking up in the early, early hours Saturday morning.  We then called our adoption specialist at 9:00 am that morning and told her. 

That weight had been lifted.

This didn't mean we didn't feel the effects of this stress for a while.  I felt the physical effects for several days after that Friday, into the next week.  It felt as if I had undergone heavy physical exertion, in addition to ramping up my reflux for that week.  It took a while just to mentally come down from the stress, so we were definitely on edge for the trip.

And here's how we made it harder on ourselves.  Remember the plan to pack food for meals.  Well given the craziness of Friday, the careful planning and packing of the ice chest went out the window.  We had supplies but they were more thrown together in there.  

Instead of giving ourselves grace and a break, we forged on to continue the plan.  Looking back, we know we should have just forgone the attempt to pack the food and just let ourselves enjoy the break and the opportunity.  Bringing the food made us try to keep Avalyn and Jude to it, and of course they didn't want it, so that added to our stress.  

It's something we can look back on now and laugh a bit.  Lessons learned.  And if nothing else, we saw that God can move in a powerful way.  We know we're in the right location because of the outpouring of support we saw should we decide to go forward.

We know when it is our time, we'll be ready.

Our Adoption Story

As mentioned before, I realized this was a part of our lives for the past several months that I had not shared.  So, I wanted to take a blog to kind of catch up and describe our path to adoption and where we are in that process.

We always knew that adoption would be part of our story at some point.  Jamie and I had discussed it when we had started dating.  It was something mentioned as on Jamie's heart from an early point in her life, and something we recognized as going to be a part of our family.  

And this sounds a bit weird to say, but we knew it would be a part of our story because we could.  Though miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy were part of our family path, we weren't motivated to pursue this because of infertility.  We weren't motivated because of adoption in our family history.  Rather, we were motivated because it was something we recognized that we could do.  That we could help take care of widows and orphans as we are called to.  And that we were in a privileged place to be able to afford the adoption process and to be able to have more children in our home.

While we knew we would adopt at some point, the timing was always the question.  After the ectopic pregnancy was so scary, and after Jude was born healthy, we knew that we were done trying for more biological children.  It was too much of a risk.

Then as our lives went through the upheaval of the job loss, the move, and all that 2019 brought, we began to know that wherever we ended up for my new job, that would be where the rest of our family was.  We knew that after the move, adoption would be the next big change in our life.

Shortly after we moved, we began investigating adoption in Indiana.  At the start, we weren't sure exactly what path for adoption we would take. We knew other families in Texas that had gone through the adoption process, some that had gone through foreign adoption and some through a foster to adopt process.  As we started our investigation, we learned that most Christian adoption agencies were no longer doing foreign adoptions, and are instead focusing their efforts on local adoptions within each country.  Similarly, we learned that Indiana has different laws regarding foster care that make foster to adopt a harder and much, much longer process.

That lead us to infant adoption; which aligned with many concerns that we had.  It focuses on permanent placement, which is something we are desiring.  It would help us preserve birth order, which we have learned is important.  And it encourages openness in the process, for the benefit of the child.

With that confirmed, we started the application process last December.  And there is a lot of paperwork.  It has been a challenge to complete, and I know it has driven Jamie a bit crazy to keep up with, as it seems new documents keep popping up on our page.  Thankfully that part is done.

We're now at a point where we have gone through the complete homestudy process and are waiting for our adoption specialist to finalize her report on the homestudy.  We expect that to be completed by the end of June.  At that point, we would be going live for adoption.

This means, at the end of June, we would be available as adoptive parents.  We have put together a profile book and are working on a profile website that would be shown to expectant mothers.  The expectant birth mother would look over several profiles and identify one she would want to meet.  If we were chosen, we would meet with the birth mother, and she would get to ask us questions and get to know us, trying to decide if she wants to chose us to parent the child.

At that point, the decision is in the birth mother's hands.  And we are in the waiting.

We could get chosen for a meeting as early as the beginning of the third trimester, which would give us a few months to get to know the birth mother and to prepare.  We could be chosen by a mother at the hospital when she is about to or just completed delivering the child.  We have to be ready and to trust in God's timing.

They say the average placement is one to three years, though it could be a month after or longer.  We have heard from a few families where their placement was within six months.

It has been a very revealing process.  It has challenged us as individuals and as a couple.  We have learned things about ourselves that we had previously not known.  There has been a lot of laughter and tears through the process. And it has exposed some insecurities.    But, we've grown closer together and more united.  

I would say, I would not recommend the process to anyone if they are not ready to go through a crucible.  But as for us, we know it is completely the path and journey we are supposed to be on.

So, please keep us in your prayers.  Within a month, we'll be in a waiting period, where everything could change in an instant.

I'll be sharing more of the process as we continue to move through it.  And as promised, I'll shortly share the tale of what made our trip to Michigan such a stressful weekend.

Mitchuation Update - All Over the Place

It's been a while since I've done one of these, so I thought it might be good to pass along a little update about what's going on in our lives.  Especially as the world starts to see the light at the end of the tunnel, regarding this pandemic and how that is impacting the world around us.

I think the last one I wrote in this vein related to an update at the year mark in Indiana.  Since that time, we've traveled back to Texas for a couple of weeks for Spring Break to see family (one thing I love about Indiana schools - two week spring break, two week fall break, two weeks at Christmas/New Years).  Jamie and I have both gotten our first vaccination (I got the Moderna vaccine, Jamie got the Pfizer vaccine).  We're trying to settle back into a routine for these last few weeks of school.  And we got to take our first get away since the pandemic started that was not back to family.  We made a quick weekend trip to Michigan to see tulips and to step in Lake Michigan.  That one was our first trip since moving to Indiana, our first trip that was just the four of us, and our first since the pandemic.

So there will be a new traveler's report coming up with photos from that little getaway.  There will be a few posts this week on the news that has broken today, the celebrations of the week, and prep for the Oscars this weekend.  

In looking over the last year plus of posting, it's also made me realize I have left one part of our story off the blog and I look to correct that - our adoption journey.  We're nearing the completion of our homestudy for domestic infant adoption, so I want to share that story too.  And that will let me talk about why this weekend was so stressful.  That story will come far in the future when I've taken enough anti-anxiety medication to put it behind us.

Lot's to look forward to and lot's to share.   Hopefully can be a little more diligent about sharing it going ahead.

Mitchuation Update: Fall Break

 

I have to say that I really appreciate being able to truly experience fall.  We've just gotten through Fall Break here in Indiana.  Avalyn went back to school this week, but had the previous two weeks off from school.   Many Indiana schools take two weeks off in October for Fall Break, still get the two weeks off for Christmas and New Year, and then get two weeks off for Spring Break.  The trade off is that school starts the last couple of days of July, but from what I've seen so far, I'll definitely take this.  I love having the freedom in fall to enjoy it.  

This is a bit of why I haven't been writing as much, though there will be more on that Sunday.

The grandparents on both sides came up to visit over the break.  Jamie's parents the first week, mine the second.  I even took a couple of days off to enjoy it with them.  We got to go to the nearby apple orchard to celebrate with their fall fest.  To drive and see the foliage.  With Mom and Dad, we drove to Greentown, Indiana to see where my great grandparents' and great uncles home's were. Drove around the little town there to see what my Dad could remember from his trips up here and what had changed.  

We also got to have a lot of good food.  Awesome donuts from Hilligoss.  Cupcakes and macarons from Sweet Paiges.  Triple XXX Rootbeer and burgers (including tasting the peanut butter burger - interesting).  A few tenderloin sandwiches.  

Experiences we would not have necessarily done in October if Avalyn was still in school.  We're already looking forward to what the trips we could take in fall that would be best visited in fall, when things really open back up again of course.

The maple tree in our front yard is completing its process of turning from green to red.  Right now, the tree is nearly completely red and starting to lose its leaves.  The yard is covered in them and reminding me how much I need to rake them.

Still, I'm loving fall.

Mitchuation Update: Off the Road, Again

Thankfully.

We're back home from a flying trip to Texas for the wedding.  It was great to see family and to spend time with them.  To see friends at the wedding and take a part.  The only downside there is that everything moved too quickly.

The part that I do not miss is the drive.  I am so glad that is behind us and that we will not be making a substantial drive again for a while.  We did both legs straight: 14 hours going, 13.5 coming back.  Add in losing an hour yesterday coming back home and we're a family of just plain worn out people.

I've told Jamie I think I'm getting too old for that long in a car.  Especially, as I'm not one who gets to sprawl out in the back seat anymore.  We were near loaded to the brim both ways, so everyone stayed in their seat.  I only got to swap back and forth from driver to passenger seat, and neither really allows one to stretch out at all.

My back can't take it and I'm definitely looking forward to the chiropractor this week.

The next trip back I think we are flying.  And then Christmas, I think I've convinced her to break up the return trip at least. 

It's funny how we change.  I'm one who has made more 4-5 hour trips in the car than I can count.  Went home from Austin to Buna a lot.  Went from Baylor to Buna a lot.  Went from Wills Point to Buna and to Austin.  And while those could start wearing on you, I could generally keep up.

I loved long road trips as well.  We generally could spread out, just the three kids.  Taking turns as to who got the back row all to themselves to lay down and spread out.

I understand now why those were not as fun for Mom and Dad.  Driving or just being a passenger in the front seat does not carry near the fascination.

At any rate, we're back home for a while.  Next month, family is coming our direction, so we'll look forward to having them here and showing them around.

Posts should pick up a bit more regularly, including one this week about why it is so hard to write in 2020.

Hope you are all having a great start to the week.

As always, thank you for reading.

Mitchuation Update - Quarantine Fun

As Indiana and the Indianapolis begins to lift restrictions, I thought I would give an update on how things are going here.  We are all moved in.  Everything is in its place, pictures are on the wall, and murals are painted. 

It's really starting to feel like home.

We've been safely getting to explore a bit of Brownsburg.  There is an amazing trail system here and we've been walking it a lot.  Getting bikes and looking forward to biking the trails as well.  We've been continuing takeout Tuesday and discovering a bunch of great places to eat here.  Unique, local restaurants with great food.  We've found the best donuts we've ever had at Hilligoss Bakery.  Discovered a great ice cream shop at Mandy's.  A great local coffee shop.  Our favorite pizza.  Etc.

As indicated in the Be Ingenious post, we've discovered the Royal Theater in Danville nearby and have been getting concessions from there every other week on Fridays for movie night.  Our little part of showing our interest in keeping these places up and running.

We're really excited that the drive-in movies are reopening here.

The projects have kept us busy and have kept us from feeling trapped.  We've had so much to do, it's been great to focus here.  This past weekend was the first one where we didn't really have a home improvement project.

So, we did a thing.

We dyed our hair.  Well, we temporarily sprayed Jude's.  The rest of us went through the full color process; I've got the bleached hair photographs to prove it.  Now was the time to do it if we were ever going to do so, especially as I will not be heading back into the office physically until August, most likely.  It was a tedious, silly, and fun bonding experience on Sunday.

Other's have noted our hair helps us look like the emotions in Inside Out, so we put a little bit of that above in the photographs.

We've really just used the time to be together.  To be creative.

I did want to share the murals Jamie completed for the kids rooms.  She knocked them out of the park and the kids both love their rooms. 

Jude's took inspiration from the old Disney short A Cowboy Needs A Horse and Avalyn's took inspiration from the Audrey Hepburn canvas seen in the picture of her room.

I guess they really show us in a nutshell.  To find levity, to find optimism in this time, we turn to creative outlets.  It's our nature.  Beyond faith, it is what is keeping us centered.

So, we'll keep looking for fun, silly, creative outlets to throw ourselves into.

In the interm, we'd like to know what you are doing to keep sane in this time?  How are you finding enjoyment?  What brings you happiness in such a time as this?

Mitchuation Update - One Month In

It's now one month since we moved the whole family up to Indianapolis.  One month since we got in the car and started driving away from Texas.

Let me reiterate - moving in a global pandemic is very interesting.

It makes getting to know the place you are moving to challenging to say the least.  We really haven't seen Indianapolis, except through car windows, though we have greatly enjoyed the places where we have stayed.  The Airbnb in Old Northside was amazing and it was great to get to know our hosts.  Avalyn and Jude loved playing with their two year old, at appropriate distances of course.

We are finally completely moved in to our home in Brownsburg and have been staying here since Good Friday.  While there are still pieces that need to come together, every box has been opened, virtually 80% of everything is in its place.

We're actually a little accustomed to the day to day. Prior to getting the job with Cummins, I had been working from home for the past five months.  Jamie had already been homeschooling Avalyn and Jude for this entire school year.  We were only getting out on any regular basis for supply runs.

What we are missing, though, is field trips.  Excursions.  Date nights.  All of the things we were looking forward to experiencing in Indianapolis and surrounding areas.

We're trying to make it work as much as possible though.  We've enjoyed Take-out Tuesday, supporting local restaurants, by getting food delivered.  And we've had some really good food.  Great authentic Chinese food.  Excellent gyros.  Classic Indiana tenderloin sandwiches.

We've also made a point to watch good art.  We're working through Akira Kurosawa, having seen five of his classic films so far, with five more saved for future viewing.  We're even moving from the Kurosawa film to the other versions they inspire going from Seven Samurai to The Magnificent Seven, and now looking at Yojimbo/Sanjuro and A Fistful of Dollars.

It's a process, but it works.  We at least have a project to keep working on, in getting the house to feel like a home.  We just have to balance the desire to get everything together, without just buying everything in sight that we see because we like it and don't have much else to do.

We'll keep at it and will keep updating you.  Hope y'all are adjusting well and are making it work.  Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home as much as possible.  We'll get through this, even if it is a long haul.

Mitchuation Update - Adjusting

It's amazing how much can change in two weeks...

It has been a while since the last entry and so much has happened, in so many different ways.  What a time to change jobs and states in a global pandemic.

The first week of work went very well.  Lots of introductions, lots of information that I have tried to absorb.  New systems, new conventions, new connections.  In many ways, it was pretty normal. I got to go into the Indianapolis office and see my cube.  Got to see a few of the Columbus, IN offices.  I am replacing someone who is retiring, so I got to spend the week shadowing her and absorbing information.

I even started to feel like an official Hoosier.  Had my first breaded pork tenderloin sandwich at the Mug N Bun, evidence below.  Walked around downtown a lot, including passing Monument Circle everyday.  Stayed at a really cool Stay Alfred apartment downtown in a classic Art Deco building, with an elevated walkway connection to the Circle Center Mall.  Very exciting.  The only downside was being apart from the family.

Deliciousness at the Mug N Bun

Flying back to Texas Friday night was certainly different.  Less crowded at the airport.  A lot of worried travelers.  Regardless, I made it back to Dallas, made it back to the family in Winnsboro, and was ready to start the journey again.

Driving with the family, we made the journey a little more fun.  It's definitely more fun to sing along with a group to good music.  We made great little side trips, like to Casey, IL.  A town that has staked its claim on having a collection of the World's Largest items.  The World's Largest Rocking Chair, Mailbox, Birdcage, See-Saw, etc.

The AirBnb we are staying at is really great.  It's in a great location in Old Northside, among a collection of great Craftsman homes.    The owners/managers are right across the hall, so their family has been our one real connection so far.

In all, the start has been much what we expected - a great place to stay, cold weather, a lot of activity focused on trying to find a place to rent for a year or so.  Thankfully that activity has paid off and we have a place starting April 10.

What we could not imagine, what none of us could have imagined, was starting this new adventure under a stay in place order.  Going straight to work from home my second week on the job.  Working from home in the living room of an apartment only a little larger than our place in Wills Point.

It has been an adjustment, as it has been for everyone.  Lots of Skype and Zoom meetings, particularly so I can continue to talk with the current manager, getting as much information as I can from her over this next week and a half before she retires.  Trying to find convenient ways to allow me to work, and the kids to learn and play, in largely the exact same space.

The plus side is that we're all together.  That I'm kind of used to this with my previous remote work experience.  That everyone is adjusting to this,so there is an understanding, a bit of leniency.  The litigation group has a WhatsApp group together just so we can check in on each other and compare notes on how the adjustment is going.

In many ways, this may have been a boon for my ability to learn from my predecessor.  Global onboarding was largely removed, giving me back several days of time to ask questions and shadow.  With cases slowed to a crawl, the focus can be on the transfer of knowledge and questions, instead of responding to active matters.  Have to find the silver lining somewhere.

All in all, we are here, we are adjusting, and we are ready to be in our place, with our stuff.  Thankfully soon, fingers crossed.

Now that there is a rhythm, posts should increase.  And we plan to be updating y'all as much as possible.  And we have enjoyed seeing how everyone is adjusting on Facebook is adjusting to the new situation.

Until next time.

Mitchuation Update - The Journey Begins

Just a short entry today.  I write sitting in a Popeye’s in Forrest City, Arkansas, trying the spicy chicken sandwich for the first time for a very late lunch.  (Note for posterity - if you go around the loop in Little Rock, there are very few options to eat until West Memphis).

I’ve started the first, of what I’m sure will be many, drive to Indianapolis.  Start work on Monday.  Do not yet know where we will be living, though we do have a series of temporary options lined out through the end of the month.  

I’m alone this trip.  Jamie is watching Hudson and Harry one more week, and I will fly back down Friday evening to come meet up with her and help drive the whole family.  I get to make the pilot trip, if you will. 

It’s an exciting time right now.  After being in the waiting for what seemed so long, everything is finally kicking off.  A bit of trepidation, sure, but otherwise really excited. 

I’ll keep you posted on this week and beyond as work starts and I get to go view a property we’d like to rent.  The next few weeks should hold a lot of interesting developments.

For those so inclined, pray for safe travel.  Pray for an easing of the absence this week and the distance between me and Jamie, Avalyn, and Jude.  Pray for a good start Monday. 

Please know you are in my thoughts this week. Thank you all for keeping up with us and for the support you’ve shown over these last several months. 

Time to get back on the road now. 

3.5 hours to go today. 

Jamie's Perspective - Part 2: My Life is a Puzzle

"There are times when Jude is working on a puzzle when two pieces look like they should fit together and he tries so hard to make them work. That sums up the last 9 months of our lives.

After deciding not to renew my contract at the high school and go down to becoming a single income family we quickly found ourselves reduced to a no income family. Mitch got the news right after our Disney family vacation celebrating his parents 40th wedding anniversary. Not exactly the best news to come back to but an answered prayer nonetheless.

'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.' Now is when our faith gets tested. What do we put our trust in? The income we were depending on or the belief that God has something better? I’d been praying for him to find a new job but this wasn’t the way I would’ve planned it. Thankfully the first couple of months we were getting my salary from the school since it runs August to August. We cut down to bare the minimum and made the decision to move in with my parents. Life has a way of keeping us humble. I would’ve never thought at 35 years old I’d be living under the same roof as mom and dad. This season of my life has been one filled with unknowns, trust, and faith. It’s very challenging when you struggle significantly with self-control to realize you can’t control the outcome. We went from one temp job to the next giving just enough to make our necessary payments. There were times when we didn’t know how we were going to pay for next weeks bills when another project would creep up at just the right time to cover us and keep us afloat. 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.'

We’ve gone from one hopeful prospect to another. He’s been the top candidate more times than I can count, many of which later came back to say they just decided not to hire for that position after all. What do you do when when your heart gets crushed time after time? When it’s the one you love most in the world taking the brunt of forceful blows? Rejection plays a huge role on our psyche.

Light at the end of the tunnel began to creep through at the start of the new year. Mitch was in the final running for three different positions. One in Austin. Yay, we’d be close to Mitch’s family. The cousins would be able to see each other more often. We could hang out with our siblings. Second position, work from home. Yay, we’d move somewhere close to Dallas putting us closer to my family. I could team up with my cousin in homeschooling our kids together. Both positions are win/win. Then the third position. Indianapolis. Where we know no one. Where we’re far away from our families.

'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.' I’d love to say in this moment I did just that but I found myself negotiating with God. Have you ever done that? I knew where he was leading us to before the final interviews took place and I was mad. Why would you take us away from the people we love the most? I had to get to a place where I was willing to go wherever he may lead. Surrendering your desires to his can be one of the hardest things we do but the beauty of it is watching him mold your desires into his.

If you don’t know already, Mitch got the job in Indianapolis. He starts in two weeks. They have been nothing short of amazing. It’s interesting to see what happens when you let go. I can honestly say I am extremely excited about our upcoming adventure. I would’ve never thought a year ago we’d be Hoosiers but it looks that way. We’ve wanted to adopt and we knew wherever we were going the rest of our family is there. We’re looking forward to what lies ahead. Thankful for the time we’ve spent living in the present. Hopeful for what the future has in store. No matter what we’re still Texans at heart.

As Jude the puzzle master would say, 'This piece goes right here.'"

Mitchuation Update - Hoosiers

Now to the celebratory part.

In the previous update and request for prayers about the job search, I relayed how we were excited about three opportunities.  One in Austin as an eDiscovery Consultant Manager, one remote as an eDiscovery Project Manager, and one in Indianapolis as an in-house eDiscovery and Information Manager.

The interviews and discussions all went well, and over the last couple of weeks, our future finally started to come into shape.

If you had asked us to plot the trajectory of our lives, we were most excited about both the remote position and the one in Austin.  The remote position would allow us to pick somewhere in Dallas to live, included the potential for travel, and kept us relatively close to all family.  The Austin position had great benefits, would allow us to be closer to my family for a while, and would have been something squarely in my experience.  The position in Indianapolis was exciting, but also a little terrifying.  Beyond the distance, it is a bit outside my realm of experience.

I think you see where this is going.  Man makes plans, God laughs.

Slowly, His plan for us became clearer.  The position in Austin disappeared; the company decided to completely restructure and offered me a chance to start the process over for a position at a $30K pay cut.  Thank you, but no.

The remote position became consistently less stable.  It would be a greater leap of faith.

All the while, the position in Indianapolis kept progressing.  Through it all, the company treated me very well.  The people I met were incredible.  And the opportunity became too good to pass up.  I got an interview with the Vice President and General Counsel.  Was told that I was the top candidate.  Heard from the recruiter saying they desired to move forward.  All the while waited, somewhat impatiently to get an offer.

We got the offer last Friday.  It was better than I could have anticipated and will include some relocation assistance.  I accepted immediately.

So, starting March 9, I will be the new eDiscovery and Information Management Specialist for Cummins Inc.  Right now, we're going through the pre-employment paperwork and processing, and are getting the last bit of our stuff altogether in one place for the move.  Thankfully it's mostly all boxed already, so that's not going to be too big of an issue.

We've begun web research for houses, for churches, for locations and are really getting excited.  We're going to be Hoosiers.  The first time really that either one of us have lived out of the state of Texas for a considerable period of time.  A lot of new places to explore and visit.  An opportunity for me to connect to a bit of family heritage and see where my dad's dad was from.

It's really funny and humbling to think how we got here.  From Jamie becoming depressed and unsettled teaching the fall semester of 2018, reaching the point where she decided to take time off to homeschool Avalyn and Jude for a season.  From being fired last June.  Moving in with my in-laws.  From taking a spur of the moment side-trip to Indianapolis and Franklin, IN on our family road trip last July.  From living out of boxes for the past nine months.  From the temp job that picks up right after the road trip.  To the next temp job that starts immediately after that.  And so on and so forth.

Everything that was necessary to get us to the point where we were able and ready to just pickup, and go.  To go where He tells us to go.

We have seen His hand of provision in incredible ways through this period.  We have struggled with patience, with frustration, and with depression.  We have also been closer to family.  Enjoyed time together and a lot of flexibility to just pickup and go.

It's been an incredible journey so far and I can't wait to see what this new chapter brings.

To everyone that has prayed for us, laughed with us, cried with us through this season, thank you.  You are family and we will carry you with us no matter where we go.  We're looking to get a large place up there, so if you ever have the itch to travel north, come up and see us.  We'd love to have you.

We're going to try and cram as much as we can in these coming weeks, so we hope we get to catch up with as many of you as possible.  If we don't, please know that we love you, we'll miss you, and we look forward to seeing you again.

I will be continuing to write this blog, and hopefully on a more consistent basis as I continue to improve.  And will definitely keep updating you on the move, the new place, and on the life up there.

Stan Lee always closed his musings with the word "Excelsior!"  He claimed he saw it in old English material and liked it, so he started using it as a sign off.  He probably also saw it on some of the tunnels in New York as it is the official motto of the state of New York.  It translates to "ever upward" and I think sums up a good bit about this journey.  Let us run with endurance the race set before us, ever upward.

Excelsior!

Mitchuation Update - Sick, and Tired

Also titled, Why No Post?

It's been a while, but it's been a crazy time.  There has been a lot happening and a lot good over these past several days.   And with these next couple of blog entries, I want to tell you all about them.

First, I want to say thank you for all your thoughts and prayers for the job interviews and the ultimate new position.  They were felt, they were appreciated, they were heard.  And I promise to get into that entire story, in the next entry.

First, I want to update you on the past couple of days, explaining why I have not gotten to post that entry yet, and to ask for your prayers again.

Last week was good, but crazy.  Started with a final phone interview for one of the positions I had been vying for.  Moved to an impromptu trip to Buna to visit family for a couple of different reasons.  Headed back to Wills Point to drop Jamie off for an incredible Women's Conference she attended Friday night and Saturday.  Me getting to have fun with the kids that time.  Church on Sunday.

Busy, good.

Sunday afternoon, I got sick.  I thought it was just a stomach virus.  Jude had one the previous week.  So did our nephew, whom we also babysat.  I thought I had just caught it.

By Monday, it became apparent that this was no ordinary stomach virus.  The stomach and abdominal cramping was worse than I had ever had.  Blood came from where it should not.

I was taken to the local ER that night and was diagnosed with colitis.   Inflammation of the colon, causing the bleeding.  Given two antibiotics, a painkiller, and an anti-nausa medication, and sent home.

Despite following the medication instructions, things did not improve, but I made it through Tuesday.  By Wednesday morning, I was severely dehydrated, worried I was becoming anemic, and feeling worse than I have ever felt.

Jamie took me to the ER in Tyler yesterday morning, where I spent last night and most of the morning.  Administered fluids regularly, clear liquid diet, and poked and prodded for various tests.

Thankfully, the diagnosis was a bacteria, causing acute inflammatory colitis.  A bacteria that will thankfully run its course on its own caused it all.  I'm now back at home, tired, worn, and recovering.  Trying to drink as much as possible, but not overdo it.  Just to keep from getting dehydrated again.  Trying to add soft foods in little by little.  And then work from there.

I am feeling much better than I was.  I am on the road to recovery, but am definitely still weak.

For those that Jamie contacted and who sent thoughts and prayers, they were definitely appreciated.  I would definitely ask to continue to be in your remembrances, as the recovery continues.

It was such a strange occurrence.  We had just really gotten to start celebrating and then got to feeling so horrible.  Thankfully now we can get back to celebrating.

And with sharing the celebration with everyone, too.

Mitchuation Update - Prayer Request

A brief update this time and something I don't usually do on this platform.

I wanted to ask for your prayers for this upcoming week.  It's going to be a big week in our household.  One in which we could use traveling grace, wisdom, and discernment.

On the job front, I'm having continuing conversations with three opportunities.  One would be a generally remote position with some travel, with a company that I currently have a contract association.  One would be a consulting/review management position in Austin.  The last one is an in-house e-discovery director position in Indianapolis.

I've had a conversation with the remote position and will be having further talks with them in a couple of weeks.  On Wednesday, I have an interview in Austin.  On Thursday, I have an interview in Indianapolis.  So we're going to be making a flying trip to Austin Tuesday afternoon, have the interview in the morning on Wednesday, and then heading back to DFW airport to leave for Indianapolis.  Coming back home late Thursday.

Lots of miles, lots of prep work, lots of potential decisions.

For those of you readers that are of a religious nature, I would ask for prayers for safe travel for me and the family.  For the ability to present myself well in interviews.  For wisdom and discernment to be able to recognize if the opportunities will align with our goals for the future.

As always, I thank you for your readership, and thank you for the prayers in advance.  Will pass along another update when I have it.

Mitchuation Update - Possibilities

It's been a while since I've posted an update, so I thought I would share a snapshot of where we are currently at as a family.  I'm still working from home, though the hours on the previous project have slowed to a trickle.  It's funny, just about the time I get fully trained and ready to go, the case hits a major slowdown.  The nature of project work in a nutshell.  It's not the first project I've seen change drastically overnight and it's not the last.

I'm still under contract with that company through Christmas and still have a good working relationship with them.  I completely understand where the slow down is coming from and it's nothing in their control.

I have started another project today that will should keep me busy through December 19.  That will be a good source of a little extra income over these next couple of weeks.  A little to help offset what we've pulled from the buffer.  Plus, it should still leave us free the week of Christmas to go to Buna and spend time down there.  Win-win.

This entire process has been one of learning to trust in God's provision and seeing it manifest in very tangible ways.  Just as I'm getting discouraged, just as I'm starting to worry, something new pops up.  To have the first contract job the day after vacations complete.  To then move directly to this current position that gave some needed back-of-house experience.  To then have this week hit, with a new project still remote, allowing me to serve out the current project contract and have more income coming in.

Additionally, I've seen a flurry of interviews.  Three last week.  Four this week.  One of which is with the current contract to see how they could help, what my future plans are. One of them last week was seeing how God can connect us all.  A family friend of the Hamrick's who has been in the same industry for years, but the connection was just now revealed.  Locations all over the country.  Austin, Dallas, Chicago, Asheville, and Los Angeles.  We have our preferences, but it's interesting to see them all pickup at the same time.

It's all served as another reminder that He has this under control.   Another reminder that I need to not be so anxious.

Now it may be that none of these interviews pan out.  That may not be the point.  It may be just a reminder to help keep me trusting that He will provide.  And if that is all it is, I'm glad to have it.

It has definitely been a different Christmas season.  One with new lessons and new appreciations.  I hope to have new things ahead for the new year.  But I'll keep trusting that He's got this.   Keep waiting for what He will reveal.

Mitchuation Update - New Opportunities

It has been a while since the last update, so I thought it was time to pass along a little more information regarding where we are at.  Largely the lack of an update reflected a pretty stable status quo.  The project I was on was supposed to last for just a month.  It ended up lasting for two months and two weeks.  In that time, we created a pretty good rhythm.  I would come back to Winnsboro on the weekends and spend time with the family.  On Mondays, I would load up and head into the office, stay with friends in Wills Point through Friday, and repeat the process all over again.

It was stable and greatly appreciated, but being away during the week was beginning to wear.  On everyone.  By the end, even Jude was waking himself up early on Monday mornings when I would leave, and during the week he started to get to the "I want Dada" stage.  So while we wanted the reliability of the paycheck to continue, we were definitely ready for something else to allow us to be together throughout the week.

I do have to say that I really loved working with Lynn Pinker.  That was a great office and team to be supporting.  It was a little weird to be there during their extensive renovation, but the entire experience was excellent.  In that regard, I was sad to see it end.

As it has been through this entire process, it is amazing to see how things come together.  Last Monday when that project ended, I got an email regarding another opportunity.

Through the last few weeks, we knew the project was likely going to end soon, and we had been praying for a smooth transition with a short break in between, so we could enjoy the time together.

That's what we got.  From the initial email, I had an interview on Wednesday and would not hear affirmatively until Friday.  So nearly a week's break to enjoy time together.  To play with Avalyn.  To get Jude to take a nap.  Just to be together.

I've started the new project today.  It's a higher hourly rate.  It's work from home, so I'll be in Winnsboro with the family.  It's training me to have greater technical experience, which will definitely be a plus for future applications.  And most surprisingly, it's with two companies that I have previously applied to (including the one I got the farthest with in Washington, D.C.).

The Lord works in mysterious ways, indeed.

This project has the potential to last for a while, potentially until March.  The length is one of the few unknowns.  As with most project work, it could go away tomorrow.  But even in that eventuality, I know there is a plan.  There will be something behind it.  There will be further provision.

We are still praying and hoping for that permanent position that we know will be coming.  We are ready to find a new place to rent and start setting up our next home.  We are still open to just where that might be.  In the interim, we will simply continue to trust the Shepherd.

Whatever is next, we will keep you posted.

Mitchuation Update - Itinerant Living

Changes in the Mitchuation...

We're done with all of our traveling for now.  The road trips are done.  We've been to a birthday party and visited family.  We were ready now to rest and just be for a while.

But I now have work.  It's a temporary position.  About a month in length, in downtown Dallas.  It will be hopefully a good bridge opportunity to carryover into whatever the permanent position becomes.

It came from a former co-worker who thought of me and reached out today.  She called while we were in Waco, I emailed a resume and spoke to the primary contact while we were in West.  And then I met the primary contact in Dallas to fill out paperwork and sign this afternoon.  It came together quick.

Since it is in downtown Dallas, I will be staying with friends in Wills Point closer to the opportunity.  An hour drive beats the two hour one from Winnsboro.  Plus it will be good to spend time with friends.

On the permanent front, I have leads in Dallas and Nashville.  For the Dallas location, I have a co-worker on the inside putting in a good word.  And the Nashville opportunity is exciting and promising.  I also have interviews for Austin and Washington, D.C. this week.

Through it all, it's been very interesting to see the Lord's hand in it all.  This temp job has come up to start literally the day after all our travels have completed.  This break has gotten me through a couple of planned trips and a move.  Opportunities I might not have had otherwise.  Jehovah jireh.

That's not to say that it always works out this well.  I completely know that this is amazing how it has come together.  And there is definitely the possibility that after this bridge, we're still waiting.  Waiting for further direction, for insight, for opportunity.

But I'm thankful for the way it is coming together.  I'm thankful for have the kind of a work relationship where co-workers would recommend me for other opportunities.  I'm thankful for upcoming possibilities.

With this opportunity, we'll be around the Winnsboro/Dallas area for the work week definitely.  And will get to head Buna way next weekend hopefully.

Not the way we would have planned it necessarily, but that seems to be the general current state.

To trust that His plan is better.  And to look forward to what He has in store.

We'll keep you posted.