The Catch Up: Part I Career Changes

Long time no blogging....

I can honestly say I haven't blogged anything of substance in about 10 months.

When we got Bailee last year, WOW how things have changed since then

I don't even know where to start...so many things I want to document about our lives

I have have started probably 2 dozen different posts and thought about many more in between

I just never finished or posted any of them. My bad.

I think part of it is I either didn't want to post anything about the trials we have faced in the last year

Or maybe I just haven't wanted to admit and post about them to the world

Probably a little from column A and a lot from column B

Though our lives haven't been all troubles, we have had some wonderful memories I'd love to share

I know this will be a long post with little to no pictures

Feel free to read or not, I just want to document our lives for us. 

Well back in April Jeff received a transfer/promotion at IHC to the Dialysis Unit

Really an awesome opportunity that not is hard get.

Plus the jump in pay was an added benefit!

It consists of a 6 month on job training that consists of learning complex machines, reading doctor orders, and of course poking people with REALLY BIG needles. Yikes.

{Needless to say I told Jeff, no practicing on me}

Jeff shocked people at how quick he learned and how fast he moved through the program.

My rockstar husband! 

They even had him training the two newbies in June, when he was supposed to be in training himself

Proud wife here and love to boast about my amazing husband. 

Well shortly after Jeff got offered the job in Dialysis Jeff came to me with news that turned our world upside down.

He decided he no longer wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, meaning no more nursing school

What does he want to do instead? Law enforcement.

I can honestly say I was surprised shocked dumbfounded

First, Jeff has been working towards a career in the medical field since high school

Second, he has NEVER to my knowledge mentioned ANYTHING about law enforcement

Other than throwing around the idea of entering the military in high school and joking about being a cop

Third, he had just accepted a new job that would look awesome on his nursing resume

Honestly, I really didn't think he was serious and that maybe he was just overwhelmed with school and a new job

Shortly before this we found out that for him to be a nurse practitioner he'd have to get a doctorate instead of a masters.

Well I quickly found out just how serious he was

Jeff contacted his family's friend who is a sergeant with highway patrol and he told Jeff that they were hiring and to apply

Highway patrol, as any law enforcement agency, has an extensive application process.

Our world became filled with training for the physical assessment and studying for the exam

It was all a whirlwind and I barely had time to wrap my head around the whole thing.

Sadly, Jeff injured his wrist {pretty significantly} days before the physical assessment, which forced him to drop out

It has been in part a blessing, because we've since had the ability to make a game plan towards his career

He is 150% behind this new career path and I can really see a difference in his motivation

He switched all his classes and major at school and is in full criminal justice mode. 

Which is nice for me since that's what I just finished doing in school

His new plan is to quickly finish his degree in criminal justice and really focus on getting in tip-top shape

He is going to start the police academy this December.

Then hopefully he can get hired on with highway patrol in the spring

I also changed my career plans, but not as much of a surprise 

I have always planned on going to law school since elementary school

My family has told me to be a lawyer for as long as I can remember

Apparently I like to argue?

I really do love law and have enjoyed all my classes I have taken.

This past year I just haven't felt so excited about getting so close to law school.

I had talked with Jeff about potential law schools and moving out of the state. 

I found I was more excited about just moving than the potential of going to law school.

I am a perfectionist and I don't do anything half fast and if I can't do it the way I want then I won't do it.

My dream with law school was to become a criminal prosecutor. 

There really isn't any other law that interested me.

I don't want to be a public defender; I just don't have the mindset for it.

Over the years I have had many conversations with professors who lived what I considered my dream. 

They really showed me the reality: minimum 60 hour work weeks that really are more like 70-80 hours 

Yes, money is pretty awesome not going to lie

Is it worth it to be paying off  HUGE school loans and not being able to enjoy the money

To me it ultimately came down to career or family?

Do I want to have a family, but not really be around to play with my kids?

Ultimately, I came to the decision that no. The money wasn't worth it and I chose to be a mom. 

Now that I finished my degree, now what? 

I threw around the idea of working something administrative for law enforcement or even the FBI

Nothing sounded all that appealing to me. 

During my second semester of college I started tutoring and it really showed me how much I loved to teach.

I started talking some education classes and when I moved back home I helped out in a family friend's kindergarten class.

I loved it and still do.

So new plan is to finish what I had already started in college.

I am no working towards my second bachelor's degree in education.

Last spring I started substitute teaching and have loved it.

Except teaching 7th grade boys. They test my patience a little too much

It would be awesome to be a debate teacher some day and combine two things I've been passionate about

Time will tell ...

Well that's just part one of our catch up. I have lots more to share!