Montana

WAAAAHOOOOOO!!!!!!! We've made our decision about Montana!

This whole Montana saga has been an interesting one. We've been back and forth, excited and scared, going and not going, everytime we think we're sure.....we're not. Until now.

Here's what happened: (If you are a "read the last page of the book right when the plot is thickest just to find out what happened" kind of person....I'm warning you....skip ahead and die...OR, skip ahead and I'll never know the difference. Whatever.)

June 14: Josh and I abandoned all responsible things and went to Montana for a week. We had a blast. Felt good about being there. Loved the area and thought maybe it would solve all of our "what to do when the baby comes" questions.

June 19: While sitting in the Pizza Hut parking lot we decide that we're going to go for it.

June 21: We come to find a letter on the table from SLCC where Josh applied for the nursing program 2 or 3 years ago. He was put on the waiting list. This letter said "Welcome to the Nursing Program! Classes start August ____. Come to orientation July ____. Tuition is due __________ let us know by June 15th that you've accepted your acceptance." We'd already missed the deadline (who does that?) but were confident that we could weasel our way back in since we were out of town, and the letter was postmarked June 14th.


Jun 23: Josh officially applied for the job feeling great about it.

Meanwhile: Corporate people sat......for....weeks....I suppose I can understand, I spend more weeks sitting, but come on!

Sometime mid-July: Josh had a phone interview with a lady who made him feel stupid. She quizzed him on computer stuff and Redbox parts. She called an hour earlier than she said she would and caught him off guard. It wasn't the worst interview ever, but he didn't feel too confident about it.

The next day: Josh had a phone interview with some guy who make him feel REALLY stupid. He asked him about his leadership experience and at the end of the interview told Josh that he sounded nervous and unprepared.

Meanwhile: Josh had 4 massages in one week. He loves it. He loves everything about giving massages, he like feeling like he's helping people, he likes feeling like he's good at it (he is good at it in case you wondered) and he likes the flexibility of working out of our house anytime he wants. (Call him. He'd love to work on you.)

The next morning he talked with the Regional Manager about some things he should know for future interviews. They reviewed spreadsheets, numbers, reports, technical issues, and what would be expected of him as a manager. Josh hung up the phone (after two hours) and looked totally depressed. I pointed out to him that usually these kinds of meetings and converstaions do not get him excited about life and his options. We both sortof realized that he was applying for a position that was all about the stuff he hates in Business.

This is when we start to doubt the whole Montana thing. The position would require a lot of travel, a lot of nights away from home, and a lot of time spent doing things he doesn't like to do. It puts him on the path to becoming a Corporate Dummy which is not something he's ever been interested in. At all. Even remotely.

July 27: Josh flies to Chicago for the big interview and presentation. He gets good feedback except that one guy who tells him he looks nervous because he can't sit still. Josh somehow resists the urge to say "Nope. Not nervous. I'm always like that. You think it's annoying now....just WAIT!"

July 28: Josh comes home from Chicago feeling like the position is probably his if he wants it (unless "nervous guy" can't get over the chair bouncing). I tell him that I'm not even thinking about it until they offer it.

July 29: Josh's dad dies. The next days are a crazy whirlwind rollercoaster of feelings, meetings, and funeral plans.

August 1: Josh talks to the Regional Manager and tells him about his Dad. Regional Manager ends the conversation with "well, on a positive note I've heard nothing but good from corporate offices about you." Great. No pressure. Josh tells him that with everything that's going on he may decide to stay here to be with his family and "take care of" Meleta since she'll be on her own once Little Brother leaves. (You have to know Meleta to know how ridiculous it is for anyone to think they're taking care of her.)  Regional Manager tells Josh to take his time, and he'll keep us posted when he gets the official OK to hire him.


Meanwhile: We spent every day last week hanging out at the Egbert's and have never had so much fun there. I've always felt uncomfortable there and all of a sudden that feeling is gone. We're having a great time. I feel like we are suddenly allowed to have really great relationships with Ben & Meleta. I feel like we can enjoy their company and I want Baby Thomas to know that family. If we move to Montana I know Thomas will know his Fugal and Reilly families because I can see them coming to visit and when we come to Utah we'd stay with them. But I couldn't really see us spending a lot of time with the Egberts if we're 9 hours away. Us moving away would pretty much seal the deal and Thomas may never know how cool his Egbert relatives are. That thought sorta breaks my heart. On one hand it seems heartless to abandon Meleta, on the other, it breaks my heart to miss out on that relationship for any more years. These are all things we've been talking about all week.

Meanwhile: We spent every day last week hanging out at the Egbert's and have never had so much fun there. The relationship with Ron has always been a little....strained. I've always felt uncomfortable there and now that feeling is gone. We're having a great time. I feel like we are suddenly allowed to have really great relationships with Ben & Meleta. I feel like we can enjoy their company and I want Baby Thomas to know that family. If we move to Montana I know Thomas will know his Fugal and Reilly families because I can see them coming to visit and when we come to Utah we'd stay with them and see them a lot. But I couldn't really see us spending a lot of time with the Egberts if we're 9 hours away. Us moving away would pretty much seal the deal and Thomas may never know how cool his Egbert relatives are. That thought sorta breaks my heart. On one hand it seems heartless to abandon Meleta, on the other, it breaks my heart to miss out on that relationship for any more years. These are all things we've been talking about all week. Meleta insists that she's fine and we should do what's best for us. Because...well she's tough like that. What I think she may not know is that even though she doesn't need us, we need her.

August 4: Josh is officially offered the position in Montana.

Later August 4: Josh calls me at work and says: "I'm going to turn it down. There are too many reasons to stay here." I have a little party in my head and in my most composed and professional voice say "Fair enough. I can certainly support you in that decision." and then jump up and down and scream and squeal and do the "beauty queen eye fan" in my head because I'm at work and I think Aundrea will make fun of me if I do it outloud.

More Later: Josh calls me at work and tells me that he did it. He officially turned down the job. Regional Manager totally understood and it was a great conversation. I can't keep the celebratory party in my head anymore and I tell Aundrea and we have a tiny little party at our desks - I may or may not have beauty-queen-eye-fanned.

So, just like that, the decision is made. It took 2 months, 60 hours of driving through Montana, a trip to Chicago, lots of fasting, prayer, and time in the temple but it is finished and I'm thrilled.

There are still a million questions unanswered - what are we going to do now that we're staying here? But I'm so relieved to finally have this decision made that I don't care.

Plus the "no buying anything big for the baby because we might be moving" ban has been lifted! KSL Classifieds here I come!