FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE

First play of first game


End of Second game


end of 2nd game


Here he is...# 45

Well it is football time in Tennessee. If you are not from here you would not know that "It's football time in Tennessee" is a big saying around here. It is that time of year, the Davis family's favorite time of year. We all love us some football. Of course our teams are Texas teams: Cowboys, Texas Longhorns, TCU (and LSU). We are also BIG fans of the Hixson Bears, Josh's team!! This is his first year playing and I was very nervous on Saturday for his first game! He comes home from practice with some big bruises, so I was worried of what his first 2 games would hold. The jamboree was held at Finley Stadium, where the UTC Mocs play. It was a cool experience for him (and for us). Josh is # 45 and plays defense. I am relieved that he is the one doing the hitting and not the one being hit. At practice last week, he recovered a fumble-he knows the game and is showing his coach that even though this is his first year he is quite the athlete. We ran into some parents we played baseball with and they all comment on what a good athlete Josh is....

NEW JOB!!

Ok, here it goes!!

I am going to the Clerk and Master's office for Hamilton County. This is a good job with good benefits and after a meeting today with my new boss, I can say I am excited and happy about this opportunity. I will be in the Probate division (which does Estates) and I will be doing accountings (I am not a numbers person so PRAY-really it is just adding and subtracting but still) but, my new boss said he thinks my background fits this division and since Jeff is the Probate Judge then I will still be working with him to a certain degree.

I will have 12 paid personal days a year, after 6 months I will have 1 week paid vacation, then after 1 year it goes to 2 weeks vacation, 5 years goes for 3 weeks, and 10 goes to 4. I will have 11 paid holidays- I can also go in at 8:30, take an hour lunch and I will get off at 4:30 (Some know I was concerned that I would have to be there at 8 and have to pay more in child care and have a hectic morning schedule with the kids) I will also have an hour for lunch. Really, this is better hours too!

Our whole family will have health insurance for a very reasonable price a month...around $50.00 a month for all 5 of us! This is very big, as Jon has gone without health insurance since he worked at AAA Glass in Fort Worth.

I will also get more going into retirement each year and they will pay my parking ($660.00 a year) --which my employer currently pays, but if I had to take it over it would have been a huge expense.

I will also be making more so with the raise and benefits it will be very close to a $15,000.00 raise a year.

One other perk...the county is one of the first things to "shut down" for inclement weather, so if the kids' school is out due to snow etc, I will have off and it doesn't count against my vacation/personal days. SO...after 6 months I will have 17 paid days off a year, plus 11 paid holidays...and after a year it will go to 22 paid days off and 11 paid holidays! I am excited about this opportunity and thank the Lord for it! Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers during the last few weeks...ALSO, in the past 24 hours All Glass and Mirror has had 3 calls-so Praise God again!

Employment Update

Many of you have inquired into my employment status. As of now, I have a job. I can go with Jeff to be his Secretary or I can go on as a temporary employee in the Clerk and Masters office. Both positions have pros and cons, which are too lengthy to discuss on a blog. I can also choose to go on unemployment. Jeff has been pushing for me to go with the Clerk and Masters position for several reasons: 1. it pays more 2. it should be a permanent position, meaning, if he doesn't get re-elected in 4 years, I still have a job 3. it has the same type benefits as the secretary's position so no real down side in that department. The only really bad thing (in my opinion) is that I would go in as a temp which means I could possibly lose my job without much warning. I have been promised that it would not be like that, but we all know now, promises can be broken. As of right now, Jon and I are really praying this situation out...I have asked a lot of questions to the Clerk and Master and am waiting to hear back-once I do, it might be more clear what will be taking place.

Crazy turn of events...

Ok, we have all known for months now that my boss, Jeff Atherton, ran for Judge. He won, and the plan was to take me with him to be his secretary. Well, apparently there is a "hitch in the giddy up". I CANNOT go with him as his secretary and to save time in a long drawn out story, you have the bottom line. The Clerk & Masters office (which, I realize doesn't mean anything to you) is trying desperately to create a "new position" for me so that I will have a job in 2.5 weeks. However, they are NOT optimistic in getting the "new position" approved by the county mayor. I found all this out yesterday about 3 and had an interview today with the C & M office. It went well, in fact I have another lunch interview tomorrow with several department heads. However, with that being said, they were all quick to tell me that in 14 years this Clerk and Master has been in that position, he has NEVER had a request granted by the Mayor. So I am NOT too hopeful it will all work out. We just don't know what will happen in the coming weeks so we just ask that you all pray about it with us. God can work it all out. I totally feel like I have been misled, and that the rug was taken out from under my feet, and I can't do anything about it. So come Sept 1st we'll see if I still have a job. Just trying to keep you posted...

1st day of 5th grade and Kindergarten 2010

Mom with Kids on 1st of Kindergarten


Dad with kids on first day of Kindergarten



Kids on Kate's first day of school

Kate (with Heston in the background, he felt left out)

Kate again

Kate (again, with Heston in the background)

Josh's first day of 5th Grade

Josh again

Josh again!

Ok, first you will notice that Heston has his backpack on too. He felt VERY left out of the "getting ready for school" process. There was no lunch for him to make, no backpack to fill with supplies. He cried quite a bit last night. SOOO we let him take his backpack with him in the car to daycare. He was happy to do that.

Jon and I took extra time this morning to take Katelyn into the school to help her through the process of the first day. She was a little anxious yesterday, but once I explained the plan, she was ready to go. She is such a big girl. She doned a new outfit, new shoes, and a new backpack.

Josh actually started yesterday, while Kate started today. Our schools here do a "phase in" for kindergartners. She went today and will go next Thursday, then on 8/23 she will start going all day, everyday.

My work hours are about to change which means some changes in our morning routine. I normally get up at 6 and get "me" ready. Then at 7 I wake up the kids and get them ready and we are out the door at 7:40 and I arrive at work at 8:30. When I make the transition to the courthouse, I will have to be there at 8:00 am sharp! SOOO we will ALL be getting up earlier. I will leave the house with the kids at 7:00 and drop them off at morning care (which is a school aged daycare at their school. It is $4.50 a day for both kids for the morning session and $9.00 a day for both kids for the afternoon session) So it is what we will be doing. Jon has to be at work at 7:30 so there is really no other option. GrandSherry has volunteered to come a few days a week to the house at 7:30 to take the kids to school so that will help on busier weeks. She has also offered to pick them up a few days a week and take them home for some extra "chill time". Having both parents work, full time, is just hard on little ones. So we are trying to come up with the best plan for everyone. We'll see how it all works out as we get into this new routine.

As I am typing, GrandSherry is in line picking up Kate from school. I hope to get a good report once they get home. To keep things less complicated, Josh is riding the bus home for the first 2 weeks, then when Kate starts full-time they will both start going to aftercare at school. Hope this let's you all see a little glimpse of what is going on here. Until next time, Cheers!

Vacation 2010

Me Heston and Jon


Me all wet



me and Jon

the kids at the aquarium

Kate

Josh

Kate and Josh

Jon and Heston all wet

Jon and Heston

Heston

Last week we met Jay, Jean and Steph for vacation in Gatlinburg, TN. We had a great time. We got there on Monday afternoon and left Friday morning. The kids loved it. We had great accommodations with a 3 bedroom 3 bath condo that had a view of a rushing creek and mountains. It had a swimming pool and hot tub, which we visited everyday but Wednesday.

On Monday Jay and Jean kept the kids while Jon, Steph and I went to eat a good dinner at a Mexican food place on the "strip". We came back and got Josh and walked down to the strip to check out what all was there and what we should do the next day. There are just tons of little shops along the way. We had fun looking around. On Tuesday, me, Jon, Steph and the kids walked the strip to Ripley's Aquarium. The kids LOVED it, and we adults had fun too. The kids did A LOT of walking and did not complain once about being hot or tired. They were real troopers. On Wednesday we went into Pigeon Forge and did some shopping and went to Dolly Partins Dixie Stampede dinner and show. The kids loved that too. In fact, Kate and Heston both woke up Thursday morning asking if we could do again. Josh loved Gatlinburg in general and told us and I quote "When I get older, I am going to bring my family to Gatlinburg.:" It was sweet to hear. On Thursday, Steph took Josh and Kate to play mini golf while Jay, Jean, Jon, me and Heston drove up the mountain to see the views and explore. While there we saw just amazing views all around us. Jon and I walked with Heston up the last 1/2 mile of the mountain to be at the "tallest point in Tennessee"-needless to say it was a hike up a big hill...once we got there we did see more amazing views and once we started back down, came the rain. Jon, Heston and I got soaked. Heston had a change of clothes in his diaper bag but Jon and I got to stay wet one the way back to the condo. We then went to eat a late lunch/early dinner. When we all met back up the kids wanted to go swimming, so Steph and I took them.

Thursday was also a BIG day for me and my boss, Jeff. As you know he was running in the election for Hamilton County Chancellor (judge) and he WON! He will take office immediately. It looks like September 1st will be the "big day". I will be going with him and will become a county employee. This is considered a "promotion" but I will miss the people I work with here at Burnette, Dobson and Pinchak. They have made it easy to come to work each day.

On an additional note, Jon has had several calls for All Glass and Mirror and completed his first job on Saturday. We are hoping the business takes off so he has some flexibility we need for our family. Above are pictures from the trip.