Accountable Kids

The Big Move

Journal entry on 6/30/11: 

“I feel like something big is coming my way. It is like a giant ball of energy is traveling towards me. The time is almost here and I am very excited for the future. God has something great in store for us.”

 

Yes, something big did come our way. I could feel that a change was on the horizon, but I truly wasn’t prepared for what was to come. When I made the above journal entry life seemed calm and perfect. We had almost finished our home, Scott’s job was going well, and the kids were happy. Life seemed good. Almost too peaceful. But I sensed a change was coming.

 

A month after this journal entry my husband, Scott, lost his job when the company he worked for went out of business. We searched for employment for months, but every hope for a job ended with a closed door. Finally, we decided we needed to consider moving. We didn’t want to leave our home or our community where we were surrounded by family and friends, but a move seemed inevitable. When we finally accepted the fact that we would need to move, we decided that we should first select a place we wanted to live and then look for employment in that location.

 

After pondering, my first suggestion was Alaska. I remember Scott looking at me with a surprised look and saying, “Please don’t tease me if you not serious.” To show him that this offer was sincere, I opened the laptop and submitted a few online job applications while eating nachos and watching tv.

At the time I think it was more of a “wish” location. I am not sure we were really serious. It just sounded crazy and wonderful! We were both familiar with Alaska because we had been traveling up there for the past five years as vendors for the IDEA homeschool convention representing Accountable Kids. Each year we would travel throughout Alaska and dream of how wonderful it would be to live in such an amazing place.

We woke the next morning to the phone ringing. On the other end was someone asking for more information about one of the applications!!! Scott hung up the phone, and it hit us that maybe we should look at this more closely.

Scott went to work submitting serious applications for jobs in Alaska, and within two weeks we were both traveling up for two site visits for promising jobs. That phone call was the first domino that fell and started the momentum of change. After that, a string of tiles just kept falling into place. Within 30 days of that first declaration of living in Alaska Scott signed a contract for a job, and two weeks after that he was driving up to Seattle, Washington to travel the Alaska Marine Highway on a ferry to Juneau.

It is still amazing to me how quickly it all happened. It was like God was just waiting for us to come to the realization that we were to move, so he could then offer us the opportunity that was waiting for us.

During this time there were a lot of research, planning and prayers. We wondered how it would all come together. We received many great confirmations that this was right for our family. But, I have to say that there were times when I doubted. We still had a house, a business, a LIFE!!! I didn’t know how it was going to work out. The details seemed too much, and the work to get there seemed endless.

We had so much support throughout our move. Friends showed up when I was sure I could do no more. Family stepped in and helped without asking. Many lifted me up so I could continue on. There were times when, if I looked at things logically, it didn’t seem possible. There was too much to do and so much needed to bring it all together. One thing I kept hearing in my prayers was, “When you need it, I will provide.” Sometimes it happened at the last minute, but always God did provide.

It all came together like a beautiful jigsaw puzzle, and we have lived in Alaska for almost a year now. The girls have jumped right into life here, and we have had more adventures than I dreamed possible. We have hiked to incredible cabins on lakes, explored ice blue glaciers, fished for Salmon and Halibut while whales playfully danced around our boat, snowshoed into the wilderness, traversed ski slopes, and so much more. We have been fortunate to have family and friends visit us and hope to continue to explore this great state.

This move and the continuation of Accountable Kids would not have been possible without the assistance of some amazing people. We have an incredible office manager, Brigot, who works in the Arizona office and keeps everything running smoothly. She is my right hand, and she has stepped up to the challenge of many new responsibilities. Scott’s parents, Georgia and Darol Heaton, work tirelessly to engrave the Accountable Kids boards, package product, and help troubleshoot any problems with the business. We also have some incredible moms who travel to conventions and represent Accountable Kids. These women are simply amazing! They give awesome presentations, share Accountable Kids with enthusiasm, and are committed to stretching our dollars during travel. We have many others who work diligently to bring together the necessary parts of Accountable Kids and we appreciate their efforts! Living in Alaska has forced me to shift some of the hands-on work to others. This has not been easy for me, but it has come with some unexpected joys and growth.

Thank you to all who have helped and continue to assist Accountable Kids in this new journey. We look forward to sharing the next chapter in our exciting expedition.