What a month!

So it goes without saying that I am absolutely horrible at keeping up with this blog. In my defense though, this month has been absolutely crazy to say the least, and this is the first weekend in a LONG time I haven't felt overwhelmed with things to do. Thus, my blog is getting an update, lol.

The last time I wrote we had just finished class #8 of 10 to be licensed as foster care parents in Nevada. It's now the end of July, and we're still waiting to be officially licensed. We finished up all 10 of our classes in June as planned, but our licensing workers have been so extremely busy that it wasn't until last week that they were able to conduct our 2nd home visit, and complete the home inspection. On August 8 we will meet with our licensing workers at their office, and hopefully within 2 weeks of that we will be OFFICIAL! That means that it's very likely that we may have children in our home by the end of August. We are completely stoked!

Over the past month our lives have been crazy. Aside from waiting impatiently for our 2nd in home visit to arrive, we've managed to move to a different neighborhood, purchase everything under the sun we can think of for our soon-to-be children, and I've spent weeks studying for a HUGE test that I just aced this week (which resulted in a promotion for me). Geesh, when I put it in a sentence it doesn't sound like we had a lot going on, but it sure didn't feel that way!

First, about the move. When we moved to Vegas we did our best to find a rental home in a good neighborhood that met our standards - a decent backyard fenced in for the dogs, at least 3 bedrooms, and fairly modern. We found an adorable house that had been completely renovated not too far from where I work, and the backyard was massive. But there were a few problems: 1. The house was old, so we were spending more than what we should have been spending for air conditioning, and the A/C wasn't very efficient as it was; 2. Our next door neighbors were very nice, but they were drug dealers (thankfully they moved out before we did, but still...); 3. The neighborhood itself was a little sketchy; and 4. We were a little crammed for space, and that's without the addition of children. So, we decided to move. We were VERY lucky, and found a place even closer to my work, with a lot more space and it's absolutely perfect :). The schools in this area are better as well, and all of the neighbors we've met thus far are very nice. We're very happy to be in this house now - one of these days I'll get around to taking and posting pictures of it :).

Now about my test. When you work for Enterprise, you start out in a bottom level position known as a Management Trainee. In order to get promoted (which includes a pay raise) you have to meet certain qualifications and take 2 different tests. The first test is about 200 questions and I aced it back in April. I worked hard to meet all the other necessary qualifications, and found out at the very beginning of July that I was qualified to take the 2nd test - known as the Grill (an oral exam this time administered by various higher-ups) - on July 26. I can't remember the last time I studied so hard for anything! Two weeks and 300 flashcards later, I took the test and passed with flying colors (quite a big accomplishment, especially since many people do not pass the test the first time they take it). Passing the test automatically promoted me to Management Assistant, and with a little more time and learning I will be able to apply for Assistant Manager positions. My career is EXACTLY on track :).

And of course, now about buying a bazillion things for our upcoming children. We purchased 2 twin beds awhile ago, but since then we have bought A LOT more. I spent hours at Barnes and Noble picking out children's books (it was so much fun!), and have thoroughly enjoyed buying everything from Barbies to puzzles to playdough to dolls for the girls we will get to take care of for however long they may be with us. We also bought a crib, highchair, playpen (on sale for $50! Thank you Target!), stroller, bottles, pacifiers, and A LOT of different diaper sizes. Because we are fostering and have such a large age group (ages 0 to 13), we wanted to be prepared for anything. Can I just say that I now have a new found appreciation for baby showers?! Going to the store and purchasing all of those items was not only exhausting but often frustrating because I didn't know what I needed to get, not to mention that it was also expensive. We know it will all be worth it, but man, I'll never think of a baby shower the same way again - you people are lucky to be given so many useful things rather than having to buy them all on your own ( I could go on a tangent here about how I yet again feel jipped out of the joy of a baby shower all because the kids I will have aren't biologically mine, but I'll restrain myself...).

So yeah, I think that's about it for the moment. Honestly, I'm pretty much on Cloud 9 right now with life. Everything is falling into place just like I wanted it to - we have a great house, my job is amazing, and words cannot even begin to describe how I feel about the fact that our home will soon be blessed with the voices of children :). And hey, with how horrible I am at blogging, by the time I get around to my next post, maybe we'll have kids here! Now that's something to look forward to :).