Let's Move

After Jack's joking offer of a job when I was in Wales I couldn't stop thinking about it. There were a number of reasons why this appealed to me.

- they have very nice weather in San Diego
- San Diego (and southern California) has many more opportunities in technological fields than does Alberta
- they have very nice weather in San Diego
- Hi-Z can teach me a lot about thermoelectric's but at Global I was self taught and the only materials guy in the company
- they have very nice weather in San Diego
- while we loved raising our children in Rosemary when they were young we were a bit worried about their teenage years in Rosemary. I imagine it can be very tough for a teenager in a small rural town. We felt our children would have more opportunities in a larger city.
- they have very nice weather in San Diego
- I had always wanted to get a graduate degree some day and that wasn't going to happen in Rosemary.
- they have very nice weather in San Diego

I weighed all the pro's and con's in my mind and I really wanted to go to San Diego but my heart was so torn. I didn't know what to do. I'm a strong believer in prayer and I knew my Heavenly Father could guide me but when I prayed about it the emotions in my mind were so overwhelming that I could not hear the still small voice of the spirit. Finally, one day as I was driving to work (I was alone, I think George had moved away by this time) and I was contemplating everything I had a thought come into my mind. I realized that I was trying to decide whether or not to move to San Diego when that wasn't the choice in front of me. I hadn't even talked to Hi-Z yet let alone received a job offer. I changed the question in my prayers from "should I go to San Diego?" to "Should I call Hi-Z?" This questions was much less controversial in my mind and when I asked that question my answer came loud and strong. Yes, call Hi-Z.

When I called Norb (the President of Hi-Z) he was a little surprised but I could tell he was very pleased. We talked regularly for several months and after about six months of going back and forth I finally received an offer. Now I had to make a decision and boy was it a difficult one. Lisa (bless her heart) was very supportive and told me that she would follow me anywhere and I knew it would kill her to leave all her friends. Together we decided to go the temple and pray about the decision there. It's not that you can't pray outside the temple but while you're in the temple it is such a peaceful place and you truly feel much closer to God while you're there. We went through a session and in my mind I had a clear answer that we belonged in San Diego. I met up with Lisa afterwards and while we were in the chapel after the session I told her that I felt we should move. She told me that she felt we should have another baby. I said WHAT??? That isn't what we came here to pray about!!! Wow, we're supposed to have another baby. Truth be told I was thrilled. I had always felt that we should have six kids but after Alex I wasn't about to even suggest it. Now came the time to prepare to move. We made the decision somewhere late in the winter (early spring) of 1992. Somewhere around March.