Chris - New Job Update

Chris isn't the type of person to brag about himself, so I'm going to go ahead and do it for him. Most of you who read this blog are family and friends who love him a bunch, so I'm sure you want to know a little more than what he'll tell you about his new job. He'll tell you WHAT he does (which is actually really confusing) not HOW WELL he does it. So allow me....

Here's the background you need to know (if you don't already) about Christopher's new job. He does implementation/configuration, project management, and consulting for a software company. What you all know is that he got a job and that we moved. What you don't know (perhaps) is that Chris had been looking for jobs on and off for at least 3 years. Beginning in early 2013, he was literally working ALL the time- some of you may recall he was doing two people's jobs at work because they hadn't yet hired someone to help him out. When he wasn't working for his employer, he was spending much of his spare time in the evenings and on weekends looking for jobs in the Sacramento area. He searched for hours and applied to many jobs. He came close to getting a job that would have been PERFECT- it was right around the corner from our home- but it fell through. And he continued to get more and more burnt out working long hours at work and coming home and working more and job-searching on top of it.

And that's when God sort of pushed us in the direction of Southern California. So, Chris spent countless hours searching and applying once again, but this time the location was SoCal. Within a few months, he had a few companies that seemed interested. On a side note, my husband has an amazing ability to transform a resume from blah into Ahhhh!

He is also a really great interviewer. Some of that is his natural personality; his mom told me that he's always been very self-confident. Some of it is because he is highly motivated, hard-working, and he spends a lot of time researching and finding ways to improve his skill and knowledge. You can ask him a question about almost anything and I guarantee he knows at least a little bit about it. He loves to learn and he takes the knowledge and applies it to real life. So long story short, he was not truly "qualified" for the job, but he made himself so by working hard and showing potential employers that he is capable of picking up skills quickly and proficiently.

So now we move to the NOW. Chris has the job and he is rocking it. There is a training period that he is undergoing and it's extremely complicated. His job is be able to ultimately understand the software, present and explain it to others, and train them to use it in their own companies. He will work with clients to learn how their business is run and then customize the software for them. So if you know anything about computers (or if you've ever tried to know anything about computers) you know this is not a job for someone who doesn't want to put forth a lot of effort.

His bosses are thrilled with his progress in training. He picks up things quickly and is able to apply them correctly. At times he even comes up with solutions that his bosses didn't even know were possible in the software. Now I'm not saying he's a genius because his solutions are not always the fastest or most effective ones, but the very fact that he comes up with alternate solutions that actually solve the problem on his own is extremely impressive.

I think he is so smart because he reads to his girls every day.... :)

Anyway, as part of Chris' training, he is required to take a test. His superiors told him not to worry about doing "well" because most people get about 60% the first time they take it. At the end of the training period, employees take the test again. Chris did better on his first test than most employees do on their second. In addition, he is already somewhat working with a client because a co-worker left recently and they needed someone to pick up the slack and Chris has been doing so well that he was who they thought of. It is likely that his training period will end sooner than most and he will begin work with clients of his own soon.

I am excited to see how it all progresses for Chris in this new industry. He came in with very little background or knowledge in this field, but he is using the gifts and abilities that God has given him and working really hard to apply himself and I could not be more proud as a wife.

And the best part of it all is that his hard work is now within a normal work week and when he comes home he is FREE. It's wonderful to hear the excitement in his voice when he tells me about work and how it challenges him to learn more and more. And it's even more incredible to see how happy he is to have a job that is just that- a job. Chris is a family man through and through. There is no denying that he loves spending time with "his girls". Whether we are exploring a new place or relaxing in each other's company, Christopher is happiest when we are experiencing life together.

In other news, Chris is working on three new beer recipes which he plans to brew in the next few months, and he recently joined a Catholic Men's group nearby. Chris will not allow me to post videos, but he is a very talented musician as well and he now has a bit more time to serenade me which I love. We are gearing up to do some more intense hiking (sans kids) so we are both working to try to get in better and better shape for that, and of course as you can see from previous posts we do a lot of hiking and visit the ocean quite regularly.

the Part Time Job

It's the busy time of year for me (ok, so it's always hectic around here with the 3 little ones, but I mean SWAMPED).

Do I work in accounting and help people with their taxes? No.

Taxes do add to my work load at this time of year though, as I am the resident tax lady and it is my pleasure task to fill out our tax forms each year. To be fair, I have willingly offered to complete this task for years. It saves us money and I love the feeling of accomplishment when I've finished. Also I'm a nerd and like to compare the various years and the returns we've received each year.

But I digress (I do that a lot...)

This is the time of year when many California high school students are taking the state exit exams. One of my part-time stay-at-home jobs is to rate the essay portions of said tests. The scoring sessions run about 2-3 weeks with a 1-2 week break and then another 2-4 weeks. My other part-time work from home job is only about 4-5 hours a week, so we take advantage of the scoring sessions and I generally max them out so that I'm working about 35-45 hours a week with my combined jobs.

So for the next 2 or 3 weeks, I will be in a reading daze. This time around is a particularly boring prompt, so entertaining essays are few and far between. I did read an essay the other night which, when read aloud, sounded like the lyrics to a rap song. "Youngster get shot at. People on the streets. Get an education. Just go to tutoring. Don't wanna be a drug dealer. Selling on a street corner. Go to school. Stay in school."

Another gem discussed the dire need of donuts being offered at an after school program. While completely butchering English grammar, this student somehow also managed to write about 50% of their essay on their apparent love of donuts. They named each and every kind of donut that you have ever heard of. I am the type of person that enjoys a good donut about 3 times a year. I don't love them and I don't go out of my way to purchase them on any kind of a regular basis. Somehow this poorly written essay made my mouth water for one of my favorite old-fashioned glazed donuts though...ah, the power of words.

Another essay discussed the difficulty of science class. I happily read their suggestion that "Bill by the Science guy can give some pointers in our science class." Good ol' Bill Nye the Science Guy--helping students around the country learn that "there are billions and billions of stars in the universe". Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill! (yep I've got that little song stuck in my head now...)

And last but not least, I read an essay in which the student argued that "this generation is more mature and developed. The reason for this absurd maturity is that companies are pumping hormone filled chickens and cows straight into our stomachs". Also, we take many vitamins. The most incredible part of this essay was that the person was dead serious. I, on the other hand, was laughing my head off.

While I read mostly terrible high school essays and wonder about the state of our educational system, I look across the room and witness this


I love them.