We’ve had some BIG news in the family this week! 

Uh, no.  I am not announcing surprise Baby #4.

Sorry.

Though it was about this time last year that we did make our big baby announcement.  :) 

And now look at our lil’ guy…

Aw!

Wait, wait, what was I saying again? Oh yeah, our big family news!

Drum roll, please!

Chris accepted a job offer from TIAA-CREF on Friday, and his last day at VV is today! 

His one year anniversary with Vector Vest was March 1st where he FINALLY earned his one week vacation.  It has been a challenging year with his rotating shifts, working 2 Saturdays a month, and NO TIME OFF!

Events transpired recently that led him to look into this opportunity, and we are really excited about a more family conducive working environment.

Before Christmas, VV decided to give everyone permanent shifts and asked everyone to put in their request.  In spite of requesting 7-3, 8-4, and 9-5 {in that order} Chris was one of four guys assigned to the latest available shift {11 am – 7 pm}.  Needless to say I was less than thrilled.  There may have been tears shed.

Since then promises continued to be made about when this awful shift would end, but here we are in March and those promises never materialized. It has been veeery difficult with him getting home at 7:30 each night AND working two Saturdays a month.  That doesn’t leave much time for family…

His first day at TIAA-CREF is March 7th, and he will START with FOUR WEEKS vacation… not to mention all the other many good benefits they offer.  Then of course, there’s the 8 am – 5 pm/no Saturdays shift he will be working for the first few months he’s in training.  He won’t find out his permanent shift until after training, but we are hoping for earlier rather than later.  Once he begins his permanent shift, he will only have to work every 5th Saturday.  Whoo hoo!  What an improvement from 2 Saturdays month!  :)

Soooo, after his last day at Vector Vest we are headed for a few nights of fun in Pigeon Forge!  This is technically our anniversary trip {11 years, baby!} which is later this month, but since Davis is still nursing and I’m not a pumper, that meant Davis had to come with.  We ended booking a super cool place similar to the Great Wolf Lodge {It’s called Wilderness of the Smokies} with a huuuuuge indoor water park.  We knew the kiddos would love it, so Chris just suggested we just bring the whole fam!  :)

They are soooo excited {and so are we, of course!}, but who wouldn’t be excited about a water park like this one…

We will get back home Saturday, enjoy our already prepped Shrimp Scampi, and watch the big game before Chris’s BIG first day at the new job Monday morning!

I don’t think I can accurately express my feelings on the new job and especially the NEW SHIFT!  I am so excited about that and am looking forward to being able to spend more time together in the evenings.  Ah! To be able to share in all the stress and hectic-ness of the evening routine!!! I can hardly stand it!

We are all so thankful and hopeful for good things in the future…

{cue the family picture… whoops all we have is this Christmas one… but I guess this is good enough to satisfy the emotional moment, right?}