Miracles and a Painting Company

At the beginning of November Ryan lost his job, although I have to say, it was an experience full of miracles. I really feel like the Lord’s hand has been in this. Ryan hds been with NII for about 2 years. For about the last 8 months or so, he had really not been happy there and his discontent had been increasing. He felt his job just didn’t allow him to really utilize his talents or grow. Ever since college, he’s wanted to own his own business. He did some entrepreneurial ventures back then and since he tasted that experience, he’s never been fully satisfied at another job. So back in July we sat down and created some goals. We set a goal that he could be out of NII by January, we would save a certain amount of money by that point, and we could launch some kind of business if he would create a plan for what he wanted to do. Well, as time went by, it was very apparent we were nowhere near our savings goal. Although we had saved some money, it certainly wasn’t accumulating at the rate we had anticipated. We weren't even close. In September they announced that there would be layoffs in November, but Ryan really didn't think he’d be on the chopping block at that point. As things drew closer, more information came out and we learned the cuts would be much more severe than we had anticipated, though we also learned that there would be a nice severance package for those leaving. We began to feel that that would be a great blessing for us. The week of the layoffs Ryan found out he would be getting let go, and then when the actual day came we were surprised to find out that the severance money was nearly double what we were anticipating. What this ultimately meant was that we now had a clear slate to pursue a new career option, and we had the funds in our account that we had planned on. I attribute this blessing fully to the Lord and to paying tithing and fast offerings. I know that He blessed us for our faithfulness and it is He who made it possible to achieve our goals in this area. I’m so grateful for a knowledge of the gospel because it provides a key to blessings we so greatly need in our lives. When I think of this experience, I feel the hand of the Lord so greatly in our lives.

And that is just the beginning. Also in August or September, we started looking into various franchise options. We weren't even really think of doing it right then, just "someday in the future." We just wanted to see what was out there. Well, we found some that looked like they had potential, so we decided to talk to them a little bit and see what we thought. We started with four, and by the time my parents came had it down to two, but felt pretty good about one in particular. We still didn't know at that point if Ryan was going to be let go. When he did lose his job, I just had a peaceful feeling. We were prepared for that and we had a plan we could immediately get into action on. We decided to buy a painting company called Five Star Painting. We had a ton of criteria on any business we would buy in to, and this fit everything. It was incredible. More to come on how this all goes in the future. 

Happy Birthday John Milton

So it may or may not actually be John Milton's birthday. I didn't actually look it up. But it was the birthday of the book club we created in his name. It was about one year ago that we formed our book club. And it has evolved a lot over the time. The book club is pretty significant to Ryan and I because it was kind of how we started dating. Here's the story of the birth of the John Milton book club:

Ryan's best friend, and roommate, had taken me out a couple of times. One day after we'd been out the previous night he texted me to find out if anything was going on that night. I told him I was headed out to the outlet mall with a friend of mine. He invited us to come over after since they lived close to there (and far away from everybody else in the ward). We decided to watch a movie, but before we got it going, I was perusing some of the book shelves in the house. There was a book that talked about John Milton's Paradise Lost. This book has been on my to read list for years, but it's long... and hard. Ryan said he'd had a class on it and we talked about how cool it would be to read it out loud for discussion. About a month later, the book club was born. We started as a fairly small, intimate group. Our invitation list grew, but many would come once and not ever show again. It seemed to weed out a lot of people, but we had a stable group of regulars. Every Sunday evening started with a potluck and then we'd read and discuss. Aside from being a goal of mine, and being fun to hang with friends, the spiritual insights from the book were incredible. It's all about the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Reading that book, I know that Milton was a very inspired man. He connected points of doctrine that have been revealed in our day, but were never taught by other churches. Those who stayed the course all felt the same.

Milton's birthday cake!

Since it's inception, we'd read a variety of books: The Importance of Being Ernest (Oscar Wilde), Lectures on Faith (Joseph Smith), An Ideal Husband (Oscar Wilde), The Constitution, The Weight of Glory (C.S. Lewis), and The Mansion (Henry Van Dyck). We love finding something that has depth and gives something great for discussion. Books are always read out loud and we all read together. Our book club has grown in number and we now have several members from the Langley Ward, Potomac Ward, and Shenandoah Ward. Plus, we've had one baptism! The book club has been a great way to see friends, discuss ideas, and of course, eat great food.

Mom and Dad Visit Virginia

Harper's Ferry, West Virginia

Ryan and I really enjoyed having my parents here this October. On Saturday we took them to Harper's Ferry because it is such a beautiful drive, and only about 45 minutes away from our house. It's right at the border of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia. It's a really old, really small civil war town. Ryan and I have been there before, and we took them to some of the same places we've been. The fall colors have been so gorgeous this year. They were a little past their prime on this trip, but still beautiful.

In the evening, we met Dan and went down to Old Town Alexandria. We walked around the pier, ate dinner at a fun seafood restaurant, and then took a ghost tour. The tour guide was fun and she had some great stories.

Old Town Alexandria Pier

They flew in on Friday and it was supposed to be a short trip. However, due to Hurricane Sandy, the visit ended up lasting longer. They were originally scheduled to fly back to Boise on Monday, but on Sunday morning, all the schools preemptively cancelled school for Monday and Tuesday, and all the airlines cancelled the Sunday and Monday flights. We weren't sure how long it would be until they were able to get out! Their flight got rescheduled for Wednesday morning, but then on Monday, that one got cancelled too. They weren't going to get out until Thursday at that point. They made some calls and ended up refunding half their ticket and buying a Delta ticket out Tuesday night. We loved having them for the extra days, and it was great because Ryan and I both had work cancelled so we were able to just spend the time with them!