Broke, but happy!: New Year, New Adventure!

We are only 1 month into this year and I can already see that things are going to get interesting for the Burnette household. As you all know I LOVE my vacation time and my paid time off. Come to find out I am going to have plenty of vacation time (more than any year before) but no paid time off!! It's funny how this works you know. Last month we found out that our positions at work are being moved to Burlington. We have wondered for many years when this would happen, and now we know. About half of our department decided to commute or rent a place up there, and the other half of us are going to try our hands at something new. I just cannot bring myself to drive 4 hours a day to work and I definitely can't see myself renting a motel room and leaving my family all week. Sooo with that being said I am going to polish my resume, network with some people, and take advantage of my time off. I already have a list of things that I would like to accomplish and I am excited to have a change in pace for a while. I officially have 4 more weeks left to work. I have found new insurance for me and the kids, scheduled my first mammogram, scheduled dentist and orthodontist appointments, sent out half a dozen applications, scheduled a transfer for my 401K, signed up for a class on running a farm business, and planned how to make a 13 week severance package last 26 weeks! I can not wait!!! I would have never left this job on my own, so this little "push" has set me free! I am feeling so many emotions since we were told. I am saddened to think that I will never again see these people that I have spent so much time with the past 12 years. They drive me crazy sometimes, but they will be missed. I am anxious about the job market and knowing for every application I put in there are 100s of other desperate people wanting it too. I am excited that I may get to try something totally different. I am hoping that employers will see my resume and have enough faith in me to let me prove that I can do the job. Time will tell, but until then I am planning for vacation!

Here are a few pictures of our most recent activities.