Approaching "Crunch Time"

It's April now...

We have, roughly, 3 weeks to go before the move, assuming....



On our end, with the purchase of our new property, we are all set.  On our buyer's end...well, the bank through which they are getting their mortgage has to be slower than molasses in January.  Not exactly sure what the hold up is, but our agent says everything looks good, therefore we should have all settlement dates and times by the end of this week...Thank goodness!

If someone had told me two years ago...even just 15 months ago... that we'd be moving back to PA in the spring of 2017...that my mother-in-law would be diagnosed with Huntington's Disease (which I knew nothing about until last summer), would I STILL have made the choice to go to cosmetology school?

Would I still have had the desire to learn something new while living up here? Even begin a new career?  

Or would I have limped along until after the move?


I... don't... know.  

I've been pondering why I made the decision to do it.  Especially now that Pennsylvania is being such a pain in the bootie about granting me a license to practice there!  And, the darn fees from both states - it's totaling over $200 to transfer at this point!  

Yes, I prayed about it, as did Don. I truly wrestled with the decision, knowing it would be a significant time sacrifice for me, as well as a financial one for all of us.

Initially, I was simply thinking of our family economics. Living in New York, on one income, has been difficult at best...impossible at times.  I have worked part-time, on and off, during our time up here, and while a couple of these jobs were fairly interesting for a short time, none were going anywhere, if you know what I mean.

Don and I, however, were pretty adamant about continuing to homeschool our daughters, and we both knew our family's need for me to manage our home and our little maple syrup business... so a full-time job was completely out of the question.

Since I had always been interested in hair and skin care, hair styling, and a strong desire to converse with people and encourage people, cosmetology was the logical choice. It is a field that offers flexibility, and I could do it part-time or full-time according to my family's needs.  Back in 2015, when I began the enrollment process, it seemed like we would be staying in New York for at least 3, maybe 4, more years, during which my financial contribution would be kind of necessary to relieve some financial pressure.

Last August and right on into the fall, even before I finished my cosmetology program, everything changed.  When our extended family's needs became clear, and our desire to be actively involved was expressed in pray, God provided...in a big way.

Now, Don has new career with a solid income in a state with lower taxes, better earning potential and a slightly lower cost of living.  (Not to mention a lot more sunshine! No, really.  Look up the statistics.)  I don't really need to work outside of my home... in the traditional sense, at least.  I mean, what do we reeally "need"?

I do not regret the time, effort and money spent becoming a licensed cosmetologist. In fact, I'm really glad I went to school!

One of our family mantras is "Never Stop Learning."  It is so important to your mental, spiritual and even physical health to challenge yourself to learn new things no matter your age.  Accepting status quo...operating on auto-pilot... is the kiss of death, in my humble opinion.

Will's new home!

So, I will find new ways to bless people with my newly-mastered skills. I hope I have already blessed some folks, both my fellow stylists and my salon guests, during my 3+ months at Mastercuts!

I have no idea what my cosmetology career will look like in the years to come, but I am trusting God with it. HE never does anything halfway, so I'm sure he's not finished with this...with me...yet!

I mean, look at all He's done with my teaching skills and passion - not at all what I expected...but definitely better!


Over the weekend, Don, Grace and Rosie, along with some dear friends of ours, moved William into his cottage.

And, we brought home our sweet little Penny!

The next few weeks will likely be a bit of a whirlwind for us, as we fumble our way through this move.  Don is working on finding a storage unit for our belongings and furniture that we won't need until the house is completed, as well as finding a place to store our farm equipment.

Also, Don will be looking for a couple of camper-trailers for us to live in while we refurbish the house over the next several months.

Exciting times, indeed!  Leaving the details in God's very capable hands, as best as I can.  And, enjoying as many moments as I can along the way...