Haven't We Done This Before??

Yes, almost 2 years ago to be more exact. Apparently in the Nielson household the following formula always exists:

Pregnancy + Disc Herniations in Tanner's Back = New Job + Moving!

The details are different, but I am finding the similarities between 2008 and 2010 to be pretty humorous.

So, SURPRISE! Tanner has been in process of applying as a Foreign Service Officer for the State Department for over a year. He has now successfully completed the application process and just began the State Dept. A-100 FSO training course! We are all very excited to begin this new chapter in our lives and expect it to be filled with even more adventure than we have experienced thus far. He will continue in training, we will rank our preferences from a country bid list we have received, and we will find out where in the world we will move and when by the end of March. Our baby is due the end of April, and it is a very real possibility that we could end up moving overseas any time beginning as early as this summer. These are exciting and stressful times, and it is all becoming more clear to me why we went through all the craziness that we did two years ago ... we were being prepared for this! The great part is that the State Department is fairly organized when it comes to preparing families for international moves, so it will be a bonus not having to do this alone.

In the meantime, it seems we are playing the waiting game in almost every aspect of our life. Our life will change quite dramatically over the next 2 months, but I have felt a lot of excitement, peace, and comfort in how our lives up to this point have prepared us for our family's future. There was a reason why I chose to major and graduate in International Studies at BYU, although I was not aware of what my life would entail 8 years later. There was a reason Tanner took a job in the D.C. area two years ago that took us away from a good job in Florida. It is times like these when you can look at a lot of the big decisions you have made in your life and realize it was all preparing you for something bigger, although you weren't fully aware of what was coming down the pipe when making those decisions. It is times like these that I am grateful for a wonderful husband, a loving and supportive family, and a testimony that we can be led by a loving Father in Heaven as to our own individual and family purposes in this life. I am sure the coming months will be stressful and busy, but exciting nonetheless. Stay tuned!!!