Where, Oh Where Will the Christensens Be?

Oh hey!  I remember this!  My blog.  :)  I apparently took a month off.  But you can't really blame me.  We did take a 3 1/2 week trip across the country.  And we slept very little. And I didn't have my computer.  And it was good, and crazy, and busy, and I am very glad to be home. 

So, instead of back logging I will just jump right in.

We are moving!  Funny thing is, we are still not quite sure where.  Ask me if that stresses me out just a bit.  :)  But I am doing pretty well considering,  at least I think so.  But in a month's time we will be somewhere else. 

It is interesting to realize that before law school was even over, Blake knew that he wasn't really feeling the lawyer thing.  It wasn't quite what he wanted in a life long career or what I wanted for him.  He did the summer internship in Norfolk and it was okay...but I could feel that it wasn't our end-all.  We were happy to take the job offer because it was a job.  And a good job.  But, not our ideal.  Not our dream job.  Hence all of our other searches and plans: CIA, State Department, Teaching, and AF JAG. Even last spring he was throwing out applications to Universities for admissions positions.  We wanted to make a switch.  But right as we were making final preparations to move back to Utah and start school again for teaching, we felt the stop sign.  We felt like we really needed to stay here. We felt right about trying out APMT and he has really enjoyed being there the last eight months. He liked it enough that we started to think maybe we could stay there a couple more years if they would let him. 

But, for whatever reason, it was not to be.  APMT has been looking to move its legal operations to New Jersey.  So they could either hire Blake and pay to move us up there, or they could just hire a local law firm to do the work he has been doing.  Blake's new boss is a really good guy and he seemed to really like him.  He was very encouraging and had lots of good things to say about Blake He really went back and forth on what to do with us, but in the end decided they couldn't justify taking us all the way up there.  Can't say I was thrilled about moving there anyway.  It would have been an adventure...but it is soooooooo expensive.  We would have been pretty squished I think.  And not a whole lot of green space. So we have gone back to the drawing board and decided this is the perfect opportunity to get Blake into something he really wants to do for a career.  And I think we have determined that is Higher Education Administration.

So.... that is all in the works now.  Blake is applying to admin positions at universities all over the country.  And he is planning to start a masters program in higher education administration (kind of like doing an MBA but for education).  We have our eye on a number of different programs, so it will all kind of depend on what job sticks.  We have fallen in love with the idea of moving to Montana and doing school and work there in Bozeman at Montana State.  But, there are only a few jobs open.  It feels like a pretty long shot...but it would be our #1 choice.  Back to the mountains; a direct flight to Las Vegas; within driving distance to see family; in the west, but still outside of the Utah bubble; it would be an adventure; some good wide open space; a place people would still want to come visit; and I would get to experience a real winter.  :) I wish we could pray ourselves there. 

So, who knows?  Other places we are searching: here, all over Virginia, Utah, Colorado, Las Vegas...  Dun, dun, dun!  The suspense!  :) We have to be out of this house by July 31st, that much is certain.  My prayer as of late is, "Please help us to find a job with benefits before July 31st so we know where to move to."  :) Oh boy oh boy.  Your prayers are welcome, too!