So now what?

School was out on May 11--over two weeks ago. What have we been up to since then?

First, we packed up our belongings and moved out of our house. We had some friends who had seriously looked at our home when it was on the market last summer, before we bought it, and they wanted to purchase it from us. We were delighted, since with 700 folks losing their jobs at O'Sullivan, we worried that the market may be a bit sluggish. So that was a great blessing--both to sell our house without putting it on the market, and also to turn it over to good friends.

This is how we ended up moving out of our home before we had a new job or a new house! Again, we are blessed that Doug's parents were very willing to take us in for a few weeks . . . or months . . . as needed. Doug remained working in Lamar, staying with generous friends from the ward, while the kids and I headed north to make his folks' home in Topeka our home base for the summer. At least.

Now we have big news. As of yesterday, Doug has accepted a new position at a new company! He has been actively engaged in a job search for nearly six months and has considered many interesting and varied positions throughout the land. But the one that captured his heart is at . . . Payless Shoe Source! Many of our readers know that this is in Topeka, Kansas, and therefore we will be moving right back to the place from which we exited last summer: Lawrence, Kansas. Originally, when Doug first started talking to a recruiter about the opportunity and decided it sounded quite promising, he didn't know what company had posted the job nor where they were located. He was floored when it was disclosed that it was Payless! We have had so many friends who worked there through the years! Is that not wild?

Doug is very pleased with his new position. He feels it is the best opportunity of all those that he was offered during his long search. He will be starting up the IT group for an international expansion. This is a high-profile position that will give him more exposure to international work and will be great experience.

We are all relieved, and as you might imagine the kids are just thrilled to be moving back "home." We are sorry to leave our friends in Lamar. We really liked it there and had hoped to stay much longer. We are pleased, however, that it is only a short drive to visit.

Now I must reveal that with Doug's company closing and all the accompanying uncertainty, we have been through a rough time in our family. We have been cognizant of all our blessings and grateful for tons of family support, but nevertheless, the last few months have been difficult and stressful in many ways. We have leaned on friends and family and have been bolstered by prayers offered on our behalf. Thank you to everyone.

I just need to thank two people in particular for their help in Lamar. The first is Carla S. Oh. My. Goodness. While we were packing, she watched kids day and night, made sure they were fed, got us through two hospitalizations, and even showed up to deep clean my kitchen once all the goods had been socked away in storage. All the while providing a listening and sympathetic ear. You have no idea. This saintly woman got us through the last two weeks.

Also, my friend Michelle B. took mercy on me when I was stymied by the massive job of packing our belongings (for the second time in a year). She kindly provided the impetus to get me going, wrapped up most of my dishes and glassware in newsprint, and perhaps more importantly, offered many wise words of counsel. This is more amazing if you know that her family is the one moving into our house! So she was packing up my kitchen only to turn around and unpack hers into the very same cupboards a couple of weeks later. Imagine.

That kind of sounds like the academy awards, but there is nothing so touching when you are in need as to have friends set aside their own deadlines and concerns just to take on yours. It is just hard to adequately express how grateful we are.

Now we have one big decision left to make: we must find a new house. Doug is working in Lamar for a few days more, and meanwhile I have made my way to Virginia with the younger kids (Jacob is staying at Grandma's so he can attend summer basketball and soccer activities) to visit my sister. We're all a bit shell-shocked. But after a couple of weeks of R&R, we'll get on with becoming the Lawrence Von Feldts once again.