There are two other items that Heavenly Father aligned for us to make the move to Colorado possible. The first one I want to mention is the location where Annie's parents bought their home. Kaylene shared this experience with me as additional evidence that our move was blessed.
Mark and Kaylene had been living in apartment buildings for some time ever since they moved to Colorado and were very excited to find and purchase a home again. They found one in Bennett Colorado that was a great deal, completely finished basement, and had very nice upgrades. They began the process and put an offer on the house. During the process they didn't feel quite right about it, but weren't sure why. It was such a nice house. Kaylene felt so uneasy about it they she got physically sick and was up all night one night with a horrible stomach ache. She told Mark that night to cancel the offer. The next day he did, and as soon as he did, Kaylene's physical ailments disappeared and she felt better. They both in fact felt at peace with not purchasing the Bennett house.
Later they found the house they are currently in and though it had an unfinished basement, it was still a very nice home. This home is in Brighton Colorado. It was only until later when I got my new position with Intel that the reason the Bennett house wouldn't have worked. It would have simply been too far of a commute for me to be able to live with the Neslens and work at Intel. Their home in Brighton is almost exactly between Mark's job location and mine making it a pretty reasonable commute for both of us.
The second blessing we received while in the process of moving that I want to mention is in relation to the lease that we were in in Oregon. The lease expired the end of July, but we were planning on moving in June. We were of course going to fulfill our lease agreement, but weren't extremely excited about paying the extra couple months of rent. When we told our landlord we were moving the appreciated the ample notice we gave them and told us that they would forgive the lease if they found someone else to rent in June and July. We were excited about that possibility, but were hesitant about having to show the house to potential renters. We've gone through the process of having to show a house and the inconvenience it is, especially while moving. We had boxes everywhere and weren't making much of an effort to keep the house clean.
Shortly after we were notified that a family wanted to come look at the house so we went through the process of cleaning to make it as presentable as possible. The family came, looked, and left. They seemed pleased with it but were also very polite and nice individuals.
It wasn't long after that when we heard that they did want to rent it and would move in just a week after we were planning on moving out. This was a huge blessing in two ways. One, our lease would be forgiven from the time the other family moved in. Second, we wouldn't have to show the house again, preventing a lot of stress.
I know I've said this a lot in this series of blog posts, but I am so great full to Heavenly Father for taking care of us in even the small details of our lives. For caring for and loving us so much. For opening the doors for us to move to Colorado and be closer to family. We have been so blessed to be here.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
The Colorado Decision
After trying a few times without success because of the economy and a lack of job opportunities, Annie and I started to wonder if we weren't meant to stay in Oregon. We moved to Hillsboro to be closer to work and even though we were renting to avoid establishing roots, we started to look at houses again and thinking of buying. We decided on Annie going back to school which was going to be a 3 - 5 year commitment in Oregon. We got the kids in good schools and we started making friends in Hillsboro that we would miss. And of course we wanted to stay closer to Sara and Spencer.
Even though we never made the decision to stay in Oregon we did lose the goal of moving to Colorado. We both felt kind of lost and unsure of what the future would bring and we were living somewhat complacently. We became very busy with Annie's school and everything else life was bringing to us. Our focus became just surviving the day to day, and whenever we looked up to see the direction we were headed in we really couldn't see very far.
Then one day in a regular one on one meeting with my boss at work, he told me that he was moving into a new position at Intel and he thought that I should apply for the management position he was leaving. I have never done management and wasn't sure if I would want to, but it would be a promotion and potentially a very good opportunity for my career. I knew this particular management position would be extremely stressful and even more so for me as a new manager. It was exciting to think about, but I did not feel good about it, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to bring the additional stress to my family. I decided not to apply for the position, but this opportunity forced me to think long term about my career and where I wanted it to go. At Intel there are well defined tracks for both management and technical positions, but the industry and corporate USA as a whole seem to value managers a bit more. I could probably become a good manager with enough time and experience, but I really like the technical aspect of my job and I'm not sure I would want to lose that. As I was thinking about management versus technical, Annie and I finally decided that what was more important than a position, was our family and being closer to family. So instead of targeting a specific career position, or type of position, we started to again, target Colorado.
At first we made the goal to do whatever it took to get to Colorado after Annie was done with school in a few years. We hoped by then the economy would improve, and that it would be easier to find work. Thinking about this goal, our future became somewhat clearer than the uncertain cloud we had been living with, and we were excited to have a defined goal again and have something to work towards.
In a discussion with her mom, Annie was expressing some concern about the school program she would be doing and the stress it would bring to the family, and she was asking her mom if she would be able to come help us during a term or two. In the discussion Kaylene suggested that Annie do the program in Colorado and that we try to move before the program started. Annie only had a few prerequisite classes left before applying to the program in Oregon, so that didn't give us much time, but in discussing it, we really liked the idea and it felt good. We weren't very hopeful that it would work out, but we started the process again for trying.
It was this decision to start the process again that actually got us here to Colorado. Thinking back to my bosses suggestion to me to make a pretty severe career change was just the nudge we needed to reevaluate our long term goals and get out of the complacency we had been living with. I have no doubt that Heavenly Father had a hand in helping us to make this decision and that he set up the events that caused us to make the decision that eventually brought us here to where we are today.
Even though we never made the decision to stay in Oregon we did lose the goal of moving to Colorado. We both felt kind of lost and unsure of what the future would bring and we were living somewhat complacently. We became very busy with Annie's school and everything else life was bringing to us. Our focus became just surviving the day to day, and whenever we looked up to see the direction we were headed in we really couldn't see very far.
Then one day in a regular one on one meeting with my boss at work, he told me that he was moving into a new position at Intel and he thought that I should apply for the management position he was leaving. I have never done management and wasn't sure if I would want to, but it would be a promotion and potentially a very good opportunity for my career. I knew this particular management position would be extremely stressful and even more so for me as a new manager. It was exciting to think about, but I did not feel good about it, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to bring the additional stress to my family. I decided not to apply for the position, but this opportunity forced me to think long term about my career and where I wanted it to go. At Intel there are well defined tracks for both management and technical positions, but the industry and corporate USA as a whole seem to value managers a bit more. I could probably become a good manager with enough time and experience, but I really like the technical aspect of my job and I'm not sure I would want to lose that. As I was thinking about management versus technical, Annie and I finally decided that what was more important than a position, was our family and being closer to family. So instead of targeting a specific career position, or type of position, we started to again, target Colorado.
At first we made the goal to do whatever it took to get to Colorado after Annie was done with school in a few years. We hoped by then the economy would improve, and that it would be easier to find work. Thinking about this goal, our future became somewhat clearer than the uncertain cloud we had been living with, and we were excited to have a defined goal again and have something to work towards.
In a discussion with her mom, Annie was expressing some concern about the school program she would be doing and the stress it would bring to the family, and she was asking her mom if she would be able to come help us during a term or two. In the discussion Kaylene suggested that Annie do the program in Colorado and that we try to move before the program started. Annie only had a few prerequisite classes left before applying to the program in Oregon, so that didn't give us much time, but in discussing it, we really liked the idea and it felt good. We weren't very hopeful that it would work out, but we started the process again for trying.
It was this decision to start the process again that actually got us here to Colorado. Thinking back to my bosses suggestion to me to make a pretty severe career change was just the nudge we needed to reevaluate our long term goals and get out of the complacency we had been living with. I have no doubt that Heavenly Father had a hand in helping us to make this decision and that he set up the events that caused us to make the decision that eventually brought us here to where we are today.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
A Date With Tanner
After bowling we enjoyed a couple Frosties from Wendy's. It was already a cold wet day, but Frosties just sounded soooo good.
It was a fun day.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Washing Machine Lives Again
We have recently moved into a new house and I have to say, it was probably our most difficult move ever. I can't say it was difficult for any one specific reason, but for a combination of reasons. We have a lot more stuff now than we have before. We have more kids now. Etc. But with how hard it was, I remember I was finally starting to feel accomplished as I was setting up the washer and dryer that we hadn't used in several years. The hookup was pretty easy, but I did have to change out the plug for the dryer which I had only done once before with the help of my father (who is very good at stuff like that). Well it was a pretty straight forward switch out and I can say I did it without electrocuting myself … yea!
After hooking up the two machines I setup a table/counter that came with the house and sits just above the machines to provide a nice laundry work area. It looked nice and I was excited to use our machines again. They were the first big thing we purchased after I got my first job with Intel so there is some sentimental value to using them. I was excited to put the first load in the washer (yes, I was excited to do laundry) and got it started. The timer said it would be done in about 50 minutes. I watched it for a little bit as the drum filled with water and turned the clothes. Then I went on to unpacking upstairs. About 2 hours later I came back down and saw that the washer still had 10 minutes left. I also noticed an electrical burning smell … which is never a good thing. I turned the washer off, let it sit for a few minutes, then tried just a rinse cycle. It started just fine, but then appeared like the drum got stuck trying to spin making a weird clicking/stuttering sound. Thinking it might be a pulley or a belt issue I took the panels off and saw no pulleys or belts. In fact I didn't really have any idea what I was looking at all. Great! The washer was broke!
I spent quite a bit of time looking at the washer hoping something inspiring would come to me and I would be able to fix it … nothing. I spent some time online and found some not-so-helpful tips. Annie and I discussed our options, none of which we really cared for. We decided to start with the serviceman route. Just finding someone that serviced LG appliances was more difficult than expected, but finally Annie was able to find a couple which charged between $70-$90 to just come look at the thing. Okay, well that's still cheaper than purchasing a new one and a time was set for one of them to come the next day. After some more exploration the washer started giving an error code which was reported to the serviceman. He said it was a pump and would be about $200 to replace. That plus the cost to come out to the house and we're nearing $300. And that's assuming the service man has it right the first time … so we cancelled the visit and started looking for replacement washers.
And then I found it. I don't remember the search terms I used this time, but it lead me to a specific page on the www.fixya.com website. The problem described was exactly the problem our washer was experiencing. There were about 10 different follow-up posts all providing the same solution. Indeed they were all confirming that the initial solution worked and provided additional tips to making the fix easier for the reader. The post even included a link to the replacement part on the www.mcmelectronics.com/ website. The part was $18 and to 2-day air ship it was $25. I thought it was worth the risk so I ordered the part for less than $50. Following the instructions on the www.fixya.com website (which also provided links to the actual service manual and exploded view document which were very helpful) I replaced what is called the hall sensor in about 30 minutes.
After hooking everything back up to the washer, I pressed the appropriate buttons to start a short cycle … Then the heavens opened, angels were singing, and I was doing a little happy dance because the washing machine starting working just as well as it did 3 years ago.
In the end it was a very small part; relatively cheap and simple to replace. It's crazy to me how such a small thing can have such a huge return on investment. And it was almost ignored before I had the knowledge of it even existing. Thank you internet for saving our washing machine.
After hooking up the two machines I setup a table/counter that came with the house and sits just above the machines to provide a nice laundry work area. It looked nice and I was excited to use our machines again. They were the first big thing we purchased after I got my first job with Intel so there is some sentimental value to using them. I was excited to put the first load in the washer (yes, I was excited to do laundry) and got it started. The timer said it would be done in about 50 minutes. I watched it for a little bit as the drum filled with water and turned the clothes. Then I went on to unpacking upstairs. About 2 hours later I came back down and saw that the washer still had 10 minutes left. I also noticed an electrical burning smell … which is never a good thing. I turned the washer off, let it sit for a few minutes, then tried just a rinse cycle. It started just fine, but then appeared like the drum got stuck trying to spin making a weird clicking/stuttering sound. Thinking it might be a pulley or a belt issue I took the panels off and saw no pulleys or belts. In fact I didn't really have any idea what I was looking at all. Great! The washer was broke!
I spent quite a bit of time looking at the washer hoping something inspiring would come to me and I would be able to fix it … nothing. I spent some time online and found some not-so-helpful tips. Annie and I discussed our options, none of which we really cared for. We decided to start with the serviceman route. Just finding someone that serviced LG appliances was more difficult than expected, but finally Annie was able to find a couple which charged between $70-$90 to just come look at the thing. Okay, well that's still cheaper than purchasing a new one and a time was set for one of them to come the next day. After some more exploration the washer started giving an error code which was reported to the serviceman. He said it was a pump and would be about $200 to replace. That plus the cost to come out to the house and we're nearing $300. And that's assuming the service man has it right the first time … so we cancelled the visit and started looking for replacement washers.
And then I found it. I don't remember the search terms I used this time, but it lead me to a specific page on the www.fixya.com website. The problem described was exactly the problem our washer was experiencing. There were about 10 different follow-up posts all providing the same solution. Indeed they were all confirming that the initial solution worked and provided additional tips to making the fix easier for the reader. The post even included a link to the replacement part on the www.mcmelectronics.com/ website. The part was $18 and to 2-day air ship it was $25. I thought it was worth the risk so I ordered the part for less than $50. Following the instructions on the www.fixya.com website (which also provided links to the actual service manual and exploded view document which were very helpful) I replaced what is called the hall sensor in about 30 minutes.
After hooking everything back up to the washer, I pressed the appropriate buttons to start a short cycle … Then the heavens opened, angels were singing, and I was doing a little happy dance because the washing machine starting working just as well as it did 3 years ago.
In the end it was a very small part; relatively cheap and simple to replace. It's crazy to me how such a small thing can have such a huge return on investment. And it was almost ignored before I had the knowledge of it even existing. Thank you internet for saving our washing machine.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Bridger Layne Jensen
Annie has already blogged about the addition to our family here (she might need to change the url of her blog to ratcbJensen now), but I thought I would write a little about our new son Bridger and post a couple pictures I have. We've had him home for about a week and a half now, and I think we've adjusted pretty well. Of course our nights are a little different, but as Annie pointed out, her mom is here and helping a ton with that. Bridger seems to be enjoying himself ...
Bridger is a very happy baby. The only time he gets fussy is when he's hungry (he gets that from me), or getting tired. He is a very precious addition to our family, and I am happy he is here.
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