Wow! I cannot believe that I finally made it to my 100th post on the blog! (I also can't believe that I haven't posted anything on here since July!) Sorry about that...I guess that tells you how busy we have been! Hopefully, I will be able to post more now, but the way things are going, it might be January before my 101st post. :) (Hopefully not, I am going to try to make time for this blog.)
And now...for the BIG news!!! Chris was offered a job for after he graduates in May! YEA!!!! He has been hired into the Engineering Leadership Program (ELP) at National Instruments! And, we will be moving to AUSTIN, TEXAS!!!! (We will still be die-hard OU fans though!) While we are sad that we will be leaving our home, family, friends, and church here in Norman, we are super-excited about this new adventure in our lives.
All of this has come about in the past month and five days! Here is how it all happened...
Chris was preparing to attend the OU Engineering Career Fair. The morning of the fair, he received an email from the recruiters at National Instruments (NI) saying that they would like for him to stop by their booth at the fair. He didn't even know what the company was, and wasn't really interested, so he decided that he would stop by their booth first before he went to the booths he was interested in to get his jitters out and practice. Well, he talked to some of the recruiters at the booth, and then talked to the manager of the ELP program. They told him they would like for him to interview the next morning. He went to the other company's booths that he was interested in, and became really discouraged because it seemed like no one was hiring mechanical engineers. He still wasn't really interested in NI, but when I got home from work, we started researching the company, and discovered what a great place it would be to work.
The next morning, he went to his interview, and ended up being interviewed by four different people. It lasted about an hour and a half (he saw another guy get interviewed for about thirty minutes, so we thought it was a good sign). He felt really good about the interview, and they told him that he should hear back in two to four weeks whether or not he was going to get a second interview.
That night, the manager of ELP called and told Chris that the guys at NI were inviting all the candidates who had done well in their interview out to dinner, and they would like for us to come. We had prior family plans that we really needed to attend, but we agreed that we would go for a little while. So, Chris, Jayden, and I all went to La Luna and met the NI guys and the other candidates. The entire time we were there (which was only about 20 minutes due to our prior plans), the manager of ELP pretty much only talked to Chris and me. It seemed to go very well, so we were hopeful. That night, a few hours later, Chris got a text from the manager saying that he was so glad that we came to dinner, and that it was so nice to meet us. Again, we thought another good sign.
Remember I said they said we would find out in two to four weeks if Chris got a second interview? Well, he interviewed and we went to La Luna on Friday, and that very next Monday, Chris got an email saying that he was going to get a second interview, and the company was flying me and him down to Austin the next week! Me being the good wife that I am went straight to the doctor and got a prescription for Xanax since I absolutely hate flying and have major panic attacks beforehand. I knew that Chris did not need that stress! And let me tell you, those pills work! I was cool as a cucumber on those airplanes...and we didn't even get to sit next to each other on the first flight, and I was okay! Anyway, we flew to Austin on Thursday, September 30 (well, we flew to Dallas and then to Austin). The company paid for everything...it was great! We stayed in the Aloft Hotel at The Domain, and it was amazing. Chris had to be up early Friday morning, as that was the day of his interviews. He had informational sessions, five separate interviews, and had to give a 10 minute technical presentation that day. I shopped all day at The Domain (a really upscale outdoor shopping center), but unfortunately, I was getting sick, so I was pretty miserable most of our trip. (I was super nervous too...I maybe ate five bites of food the entire weekend!) When Chris got back that evening, he felt like it went really well. We went out to dinner with all the candidates and the hosts at NI that night. It was a lot of fun, and you could tell that it was an atmosphere that Chris would really thrive in.
The next morning (Saturday), we got up and walked around The Domain. I was so sick (it ended up that the doctor said I had as close to the flu as you could have without actually having the flu...I was sick for a week and a half), that it was hard not to be miserable, but I did my best. I hated it, because here we were on this exciting all-expense paid trip, and I couldn't really even enjoy it. Anyway, this was the day of the OU/Texas game. The ELP manager had invited us over to his house to watch the game (he is an OU alum). It ended up that he only invited us and the other OU candidate, so we were really excited about that! We went to his house, and met his family. I really hit it off with his wife, and they had two very cute daughters around Jayden's age. We had a great time which was made even greater by OU winning! We then went out to dinner with the rest of the candidates who were still there and the NI hosts. We had a great time, and felt totally comfortable around everyone. We flew back to OKC Sunday morning.
Chris felt really good about his interviews, and we both felt good about how things had gone at the dinners and while watching the game. They told us we would find out if he got the job in two to four weeks. Let me tell you...that is an eternity when you are waiting to find out your future. One week past, and we heard nothing. The second week came and went, and still nothing. We then started questioning if he would get the job or not (me especially, because I didn't want to be let down if he didn't get it). Then, on the 18th day after his interview (this past Tuesday), Chris received an offer in the mail! We were so excited! The manager called him that night, and congratulated him. This is a great company with amazing benefits, and great growth potential.
This is such a weight lifted off of us! Chris can now focus on just graduating and not worrying about finding a job, and I can breathe because I know that he has a job! And, one of the best things of all is that I am going to be able to be a stay at home mom! I am so excited!!! We are all so excited! Chris will be starting his job on June 6, 2011, and we will be moving to Austin right before that. He graduates mid-May, and we leave for Disney World the day after he graduates, so as soon as we get back from Disney, we will be Austin-bound! So...a month and five days ago, we had no clue what we were going to be doing when Chris graduated, and now, here we are...we have a definite plan for our future! God is so good, and so many prayers have been answered!
Chris and I before Commencement. It was SO cold!
Grana and Chris
Chris and Jayden. Jayden was so excited to be inside of the stadium!
Such a cute picture of Jayden and Riley!
Yea! We have been looking forward to this for four years!
Chris walking into the Commencement Ceremony.
The stage. (I feel like all pictures need a caption!)
Jayden holding his glow stick at the end of the ceremony. An OU tradition-graduates hold red ones, and guests hold white ones. (Oh, and he has earplugs in his ears because the fireworks were about to start!)
Fireworks at the end of the ceremony. Still gives me goosebumps just remembering it!
Jayden and Nonni. Guess the earplugs didn't work well enough for him!
Chris and Jamie (Our fav waitress) at Sooner Legends for Chris' graduation lunch on May 14, 2011.
The three of us before Chris' graduation ceremony!
Chris and his parents before graduation.
Chris and his sister, Katie, before graduation.
Jayden and Chris. He was so excited that Daddy was about to graduate...and that he was going to Disney World the next day!
He totally deserved a kiss after all of his hard work. ;)
Yea! The moment that we have been waiting for!
Chris in line to get his degree.
Chris getting his degree.
So proud of him!
My graduate...I love this man so much! :)
Appetizers at Chris' graduation party at my parent's house after the ceremony!
More appetizers...
Mmmmm.....Crimson and Cream cake from Sooner Legends! The best cake ever!
I think Jayden enjoyed the cake! (It's red velvet in case you can't tell!)
The kids loved rolling down a hill in my parent's yard!
Some of our sweet friends who came to the party. Miss them so much!
And finally...I got to hold my sister's baby!
(Notice the facial hair.) The last time that Chris was clean shaven was his high school graduation. I have never been one to much care for facial hair, but I have always liked it on Chris. Well, yesterday, Chris decided to completely shave. And, he didn't tell me about it. And, when he walked in, I screamed because it was the last thing in the world that I ever expected. He decided to make a photo documentary of his adventure.
The goatee is gone. Ugh...check out that 'stach.
