BIG news...

Well, things have happened so fast that I'm not sure what to think--but yes, I have been offered a new job and will be moving to a different department at BYU, with me training there part-time as early as next week! I will be the Department Secretary for the Department of Political Science. It sounds similar to my current job, but there are many new responsibilities I will learn that will make me more marketable, and I will also receive a significant pay raise. I am super excited.

Of course, I will miss all my friends in the School of Technology and in the rest of the college, with whom I have worked for the past almost five years, but I'm so grateful for this opportunity and am looking forward to getting to know new people and experiencing new challenges. And it's also great to know that my position with the university will be permanent and secure, something that I have not yet experienced as a full-time employee there (my original position was based on research funds and was therefore always in jeopardy, and my current SoT position has been uncertain for the past two years due to the hiring freeze). I really feel blessed.

Oh, and just in case anyone was wondering, yes, I took the blog off private for the time being--so if you want notifications in Google Reader that I posted, then you may need to delete this blog and re-add it. Thanks for reading! :)

Is there a new job in my future?

Awhile back, I blogged about how I got a new job due to the hiring freeze at BYU. I've been in this new job for a little over two years now. Well, the freeze ended in December, and since then my future status as a BYU employee has been uncertain. The job I had before in ACERC has been eliminated, so there's no job for me to return to there, and now the university is requiring my current position to be posted, so that the general public has the opportunity of applying and interviewing for it. The job hasn't been posted yet, but it will be soon, or so I'm told.

Of course, I have been informed I am welcome to apply for the position, but I have no guarantees that I'll keep it (though I would like to think that, being fully trained for it and everything, that would be a huge plus in my favor). After a lot of thought and prayer, I decided that, in addition to applying for my current job, I would see what else is available across campus and apply for those jobs as well. Maybe this could be an opportunity to make myself more marketable or even get a higher salary. There aren't a ton of jobs posted on BYU's job website, but a couple weeks ago there were three positions posted for which I feel well-qualified, so I went ahead and submitted my résumé for all three.

So far, I've had two interviews for one of the jobs (second interview was yesterday and I should hear back soon), and I have an interview set up for the other two as well--one tomorrow and another next Tuesday. That means I'm 3 for 3, at least when it comes to scoring an interview. Not too shabby, eh? =) Though it would definitely be easier to stay in my current job, I am excited about the possibility of a new place and new responsibilities. We'll just see if any of these interviews actually lands me an offer of employment.

Wish me luck!

Mothers - Doing the Best We Can

I found this blog post this morning and it really spoke to me. I never saw myself as a working mom--in the predominant culture where I live and the religion that I practice, stay-at-home moms are praised and portrayed as the ultimate ideal for all mothers. Working moms are few and far between, and one gets the impression that they only are working to put their husbands through school or because their husbands are out of work, never because they truly want to work. If a mother truly wants to work, it's seen as going against the counsel of our leaders, almost as evidence that you "don't love your children enough" to stay home with them.

I have gone through countless hours of guilt for working full-time since my son was born over three years ago. I cried the night before my maternity leave ended, wondering how I could ever leave this little 4-week-old baby, even though his father would be caring for him at home. And then I began to resent my job, because at the time, it wasn't fulfilling for me and I hated not being at home with my son.

Then things started to change. I got a new job, one that I find challenging and sometimes even exciting. It gives me adult interaction and a sense of purpose and fulfillment. So now I'm a working mom and will likely be for the foreseeable future--and I don't feel that guilt anymore. I'm not sure that my family will ever be able to financially survive on a single income, and that doesn't fill me with dread anymore. As long as I have a good job that doesn't bore me to tears, I think I'll be okay working during the day--maybe part-time, maybe full-time--even while I have young children.

Would I like to be a stay-at-home mom? Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it now. I feel like my son has a great time playing with his friends at daycare, and he loves the activities they do and the games they play. He still comes running up to me with a huge smile and a "Hi, Mommy!" when I pick him up. He gives me the best hugs and kisses, and we have a great time together in the evenings (when he's not playing Angry Birds on Daddy's phone, his current preferred activity) and on the weekends. This may all change when I have another baby, but for now, I'm okay with working and I actually almost prefer it. We're more financially stable and Joshua gets the friend interaction that I wouldn't be able to give him if I were at home.

So anyway. I'm not sure where I'm going with this post. Basically, I liked that post and I do believe that mothers, whether working or those staying home with their kids, are generally all trying to do the best we can. After all, the goal is to raise a righteous generation, right?

I'm 29!

My birthday was last week...the big 2-9. Kinda weird that I've only got a year left in my 20s. It was a pretty quiet day, as my birthdays usually are. We didn't have any big plans since usually those type of plans involve some sort of restaurant trip (usually Tucanos...I miss that place!) and I can't really do that anymore, at least not for awhile.

But it was a good day. I felt well-celebrated by the end of it. Joshua enthusiastically told me, "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" as he handed me his Easter basket, which contained several open plastic eggs (with no candy inside, as he'd already eaten it all) and a half-empty jar of peanut butter. Best present ever. And Cody got me a few things--the Hunger Games trilogy (I'd only read the first one and am now half-way through the second), Harry Potter 7 pt 1 on DVD, and a "coupon" to go to a spa and get whatever pampering I want. I feel like I need some pampering, especially considering all that I've been through this year, so I'll probably go get a pedicure and something else, not quite sure what yet. I have to wait for my toenails to grow out a bit first, though. I can't really have cake, but I do love carrot cake so Cody got just a slice from the store, and we all shared it (I only had a few bites). Here's a video of the birthday singing:

Oh, and I got my hair highlighted on Saturday. I wish I had time to straighten it like this every day, but at least it looked good until I had to wash it again!

Hoppy Easter!!!

This was the first year that Joshua really understood what was going on during Easter festivities, so that was quite fun. Here's a few pictures of our egg-dying yesterday:



Our silly-faced eggs:
The Easter bunny came while we were at church. He brought an awesome basket for Joshua:


We did our best to make sure we explained to Joshua the real reason we celebrate Easter, and I think he sort of got what we were saying. It was a wonderful day--I'm so grateful to my Savior for His life, His death, and His resurrection. I would not be who I am without that faith I have in Him.

I accompanied our church choir today while they sang "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," which is one of my favorite Easter songs. It expresses my feelings a lot more eloquently than I could, so here are the lyrics:

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Happy Resurrection Sunday, everyone!

It's a time tower!

This is the Alumni Center at BYU--or, according to Joshua, the "time tower" and "time castle." What goes on in that kid's head, I have no clue. I just love that he has a good, active imagination.

Welcome, Baby Maggie!

No, she's not mine! (obviously) She's my sister Kirsti's! Maggie (Margaret Anna) was born yesterday morning. She's so adorable and makes the cutest little baby grunts. I am one proud auntie. Congrats to the new parents!

Oh, and awesome new Joshua quote: Prior to visiting his new cousin last night, Mommy was trying to teach him a little bit about babies. When asked, "Where do babies come from?" he responded knowingly, "From Aunt Kirsti's tummy!" =P