Well it's official

We have known this was a possibility for a couple weeks now, but now we know for sure. Phil has been laid off. He fixes computers for the school district we live in. Our district has really high quality schools and a community full of people who typically pass levies and support the schools. Earlier this month there was a school levy on the ballot that was meant to maintain the services and value of the schools currently. State funding has decreased so the district had to ask for more money just to keep things at the level they are now. Well as you all know, this economy is in bad shape. So for the first time that I can remember, the levy failed. So the administration has been making cuts and unfortunately for us decided to outsource the entire tech department. They think they can save money by giving the contract to this other company. Good luck with that! So Phil's last day is June 30. The company has offered to interview any of the techs who are interested. Phil of course gave them his resume but found out that they only pay somewhere around $12-$15 an hour. That is less than half what Phil makes now. That's not a teribly realistic option.

So now what? Well we are updating Phil's resume and searching online for any place that is hiring computer techs. I have been contacting all of my friends and acquaintances across the country to get their help also. There's gotta be a job out there for Phil that will pay enough for us to live on and that he is qualified for. We hate to think about moving, but may have to if we find a job elsewhere. Meanwhile, Phil and I are both stressed and depressed and trying to deal with this the best he can. Phil tends to scream at the kids more often while I tend to cope by playing on Facebook and trying to avoid reality temporarily.

God is telling us to be strong and courageous; that's a verse in Joshua that He's been bringing to my mind quite often these days. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." We're trying our best. The kids have taken it better than we expected. We've cut out all unnecessary spending and they don't seem to mind. We are so fortunate that this happened in the summer when there's more to do that doesn't cost anything. Parks, pool, playgrounds, etc. If this was winter, we'd be out of luck. My kids hate cold weather so the best options for getting out of the house involve fast food restaurants with play areas. Ugh!

Anyway, that's the update from around here. Sorry it's not more cheerful.