Kind of A Big Deal

When I was a little girl I only wanted 4 things in life.

1. To be a stay at home mom.

2. An endless supply of candy.

3. To live in Arizona.

4. To turn into Lor from my favorite cartoon show "The Weekenders" and Marry Tino. They are so meant for each other.

Well, my friends, one of these things is going to happen. Soon.

If you guessed 1, 2, or 4. You are wrong.

We are moving.

TO ARIZONA

This is how it all happened.

Friday, February 18 - Rick's parents were in town and we talked about the plan for the house. They are going on their mission in May and want to put the house up for rent with a rental company. We agreed that we would be out of the house by April.

Saturday, February 19 - We looked at a bunch of apartments online in the Provo/Orem area and went to see one in person. We printed off several applications and got them filled out and ready to turn in on Monday.

Sunday, February 20 - Rick got a text message from a guy who was in the same training group as him when they were hired on with Union Pacific Railroad. The guy said he was getting called back to work and asked Rick if he had been called back. Rick checked the board (A list of employees in order of seniority. This list also shows an employees status - okay to work, currently working, fired, or laid off) and his status still said he was laid off. He noticed that there were people under him in seniority who had been working. He texted some of his UP coworkers and asked if they were working. They said they were and they had been for a few months. The reason they were working was because they were putting a bid in. Putting a bid in means you have 5 different job duties inside your job title and you basically apply for those job duties. If you get them, you get called back, your seniority builds, and you get to go back to work and do one of those duties. Rick called his Union Representative and his trainer and they both suggested he bid for a job. Rick's trainer said "You bid for a job now or you wait to get called back, either way, get ready, because it will happen soon." We talked about moving to Tucson. We weren't planning on moving down there for several more years. We didn't think Rick would be working this soon. What if we moved down there and he didn't get called back? Quitting 2 jobs here to move to another state and hope that you have a job? It was a leap of faith, but it felt right. We decided then and there that we would move to Arizona. We had to be out of the house in May anyway, we knew we would end up in Arizona eventually, and even if Rick didn't get called back he could continue putting bids in until he did get called back, which makes getting called back happen a lot faster than just sitting and waiting. If we were living in utah we wouldn't be able to do that and his seniority wouldn't build as fast. Decision made, we're moving to Arizona. I was excited but scared. Right after we finally said "Okay, we've made the decision, lets pray to see if it's right." We said a prayer. We felt good. Then I logged into facebook and the first status I saw said "Don't ask the Lord to guide your footsteps unless you are willing to move your feet." That was quick. Who knew that answers to prayers would come through a facebook status? Rick and I have been praying for him to find more work and for us to be able to get out of debt. And now our prayers our answered. Onto the hard part - telling everyone.

Monday - Wednesday, February 21-23 - We had it planned out that Rick would put in his 2 week notice, and then stay here and get everything done that we need to do here (Rick's parents gave us a list of things they want us to fix up on the house before they rent it out). Once he was done with all of that he would go down to Arizona, find an apartment for us, and hope that he gets that phone call telling him to get ready to work. I would continue working here for a month or two and then in April-ish Rick would come back up to UT, we'd pack up, and head South. I went to my parents house, and we told them our plan. We told Rick's parents, we emailed all his siblings, I told my brothers, I told my friends. Most of the conversations went like this:

"Hey, we have something to tell you."

"OHMYGOSHYOUREPREGNANT!!!"

"Um...no...we're moving.....to Arizona."

My bad. 

I went to work today and I told my boss. I told her I wasn't giving my 2 weeks notice, I was giving her a heads up that sometime in the next 6-8 weeks I'd be leaving. I'd let her know more as it got closer. Rick went to work and talked to his boss. His last day is tomorrow. At 6:05 pm I got a phone call from a number I don't recognize. I answer the phone and Wall-E is on the other end saying "Hello, this is an urgent call from Union Pacific, if you are Richard Brimhall II (the robot didn't understand how to say II so it said eye eye, I thought it was cute) please press 1." This same message played over and over. I called Rick and told him that UP just called me. He said they had called him too but he was busy and couldn't answer it. He said that if they were calling me, it meant he was getting called back. 3 times they called him and he didn't answer and so they called me with the same message. Finally, at 10:30 tonight, Rick answered, and he was officially called back to work for Union Pacific. He is so excited and I am so happy for him. He's been waiting 3 years for this. He called his trainer and he said that there is a possibility Rick could start training on Monday. I am kind of hoping it doesn't happen that soon just because I want Rick to get everything done here that he needs to so that when he comes back up to UT we can just pack up and go. My last day of work will be on March 11 - just kidding about that whole 6 to 8 week nonsense. If Rick is done with training, and has found an apartment for us by then, then that's when we'll move. If not, then I'll enjoy not working (for the first time since I was 15) and I'll spend as much time with my friends and family as possible.

It hasn't hit me yet. I don't think it will hit me until I'm driving away from my beautiful Utah mountains covered in the snow that I hate so much. Right now the only thing that's hit me is how proud of Rick I am for waiting it out for so long.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some spanish to learn.