Aljay & Sandra UPdates



So what's new for Aljay and I?



Well....I've got a new calling at church. I was released from Primary (been in Primary since we've moved out here so I surprised and happy for the change) and called into Relief Society as the secretary (Which I LOVE!) So that's been fun. Busy but a good busy.

Work is going well. HR said that because I haven't been at UVU for at least 6 months, that they cannot do an internal hire for the full time position. So I have to apply for it and everything. Waste time. But whatever gets me to full time. They have to leave the post open for 7 days. I filled out the application yesterday and my boss confirmed that he received it. So now I  just have to be patient.

Speaking of work.....I've really enjoyed working in higher education because (1) it's helping me figure out what I want to study for Grad school, (2) I love working with Non-traditional students and diverse populations, and (3) I like getting paid for it. And now it looks like I am back on a career path.

I still get my Mom guilt though. I worry about not spending enough time with the kids. I worry that things around the house won't get done. I worry about having the energy and stamina to do everything. Part-time is already busy for me. I know going full-time will only take up more time. But I work because my family needs me to. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

 I don't want Aljay to pick up a job. We both agreed that he just needs to focus on the business and spearheading the preparations for our next move....I'll elaborate more on that in a sec.

It helps that Aljay is at home with the kids. I love that he is able to watch the kids grow. They are only so small for so long. I love that he is getting a feel for what challenges a stay-at-home parent has to go through. He gets a more personal understanding of why I would fuss about a messy house and insist on planning ahead and scheduling.

The other day he said "I have the kids on a schedule." I about died. He hates that word, well a couple of words actually....'schedule', 'planning', 'calendar'.....and to hear it come out of his mouth was a miracle. So it's been a good transition and adjustment for both of us.

Aljays been trying hard to balance everything; ROOCI, taking care of the kids, and supporting me in my calling and with work. I'll do a separate post on the ROOCI updates. But I'll just say...as far as balancing all our schedules and working from home with the two littles everyday, I think he's doing a stellar job.

So about our next move....this is a literal move...like move out of our house and into another.

We are working hard to get our house ready for sale. My parents are planning on moving out here and they want to buy a house that is big enough to accommodate all my siblings for when they come for holidays and such. So we are going to sell our house, pay off all our debt, and probably stay in an apartment until the house thing is ready.

This our current situation as Aljay's been working on the bathroom. Miter saw in the kitchen, washer and dryer in the dining room. Kids walking over everything. Saw dust coating the surfaces.


Aljay has taken the lead into exploring and learning more about what housing options are out there. My parents want to stay near Provo/Orem area, but this area is more expensive for the size of house they are asking for. So we're looking into building and have gone through a few model homes and looked at a floor plans. It's exciting yet scary (ongoing theme of our lives!).

There are lots of things that worry us. Where are we going to end up? How good are the schools that our kids will be going to? What other unforeseen costs may creep up? What ward boundary are we going to be in? But mainly....can we afford to pay the mortgage and utilities on my salary? And it is something that we did communicate and will have to work out with the Parents.

Until then, we are going to keep finding options to share with Mom and Dad for when they come this week. They will be here for Uncle Eni's funeral. :(

Update---

We found out that the parentals will be here Wednesday {oh boy}. So we finished up the downstairs bathroom and have now moved to the kids room, where they will be staying. Herrrrrwikooooo team no sleep! 

 Ay but someone is loving his new toys! Miter saw, round saw, nail gun, air compressor!!! Kalofae and since he's the only one who knows how to use em...he does all the hard stuff!! Love my handiman!



So what else.....hmmmmm.......

We are still valiant in our efforts to live healthier lives. And I've done well in writing up on that. It has been tougher to eat right as we begin our home reno projects and have tools and saw dust all over our kitchen. But it makes us work harder to finish our projects so we can get back in the kitchen and cook again.

Other than our children, that seems to be the major things that are going on with our lives.  We keep pushing forward, keep trying, and keep praying....cause there are major changes coming up this year and some big time goals that we are trying to hit!

It's not always easy, but we have been extremely blessed and give all thanks and praises to God for all that He has blessed us with.

Hashtag BLESSED!








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2025 January

Image
Start the year off with two volleyball tournaments for Leila. The picture below is of her and Isa, the only 14-year-olds on their U16 team.  Fires are destroying parts of California, the Palisade area experiencing the worst of it. Texas and some of the southern states are experiencing some of the worst snow/ice conditions. TikTok is on the verge of being banned, President Trump is continuously passing executive orders that are sending people into panic.  Saleima made a list of the disasters and warned us that Jesus was on His way.  Sefa moved up to the Teachers quorum and was ordained by his Dad, Uncle Dennis, and Uncle Ben. He's growing so quickly and I love seeing his growth. They have a great group of young men. I love that they are old enough to plan activities, including attending the temple to do Baptism.  Sefa's also starting U15 7v7 pylons with coach Matt Manuma. He had made the decision to not be held back for football. It's a common practice here in Utah, a...
Read more

Being Prepared For These Times

Image
Auuuu that title sounds like I'm trying to write a General Conference talk or something hahaha. Probably still on the GC vibe from the beginning of the month lol. Anyways... So this pandemic that's going on, it's been something else! It has put the whole world on lock down. So many lives have been affected. I've written quite a bit in my journal, but I wanted to make sure to write about how the Lord has prepared our family specifically for this time. Looking back just in February and March, we can easily see how the Lord had orchestrated parts of our lives.  In February Aljay secured an art collector who commissioned several art pieces. His deposit was the cushion that brought a sense of financial security when we entered this lock-down life.  Towards the end of February, my bosses had heard about school closures in Seattle and decided that we should have a plan in place for our advisers to work remotely in case the schools had to close. We honestly didn...
Read more

2025 February

Image
Leila - Volleyball and more Volleyball  Leila had two tournaments in February. This club season has challenged her in a good way. She wants to play the outside hitter position but is playing on a 16s team (meaning older girls with more experience) and is sitting in the 3rd spot for out side hitting. To get to the 1 or 2 spot she needs more reps, more practice, and more individual coaching. We're seeing improvements each week, but are planning to set aside money for her to do more 1:1 coaching.  These tournaments are no joke. They are allllll day. 6am - 7pm sometimes. 1-day, 2-day, and sometimes 3-day tourneys. The mental stamina it takes as a parent ahahahahh is a real thing! Trying to say the right things to keep your athlete focused, motivated, and locked in is tough. There are so many things that are over stimulating or compounding: - the non stop sound of whistles and girl's cheering/screaming - the smell of swass in the building that increases as the tournament progresses...
Read more