Big Changes Happening!

Hello!
This has been a very eventful week. I have changed majors and quit part of my job. Abe has found a new job and has started training. School is out for summer (unless you are taking summer classes like I am). You may be thinking, why the heck would she change majors if she is two semesters away from graduating? Let me tell you! It is a long story though so if you really do not care, I would suggest not reading the next five paragraphs.

So I was working at a foster care agency as an Assistant Program Administrator, I was in social work so my supervisor and I thought it would be awesome if I could do my Social Work internship with them. I would be working with the foster parents and the foster children, and I would also be working at a group home that the company is in charge of, for mentally disabled women, for the experience. So I was working like 3 different jobs for one company. It was going well at first, but things started to get a bit crazy because of the end of the semester. I had homework and tests that needed to be done.

Easter Sunday, I told a foster parent that I could not take the foster children for her Monday because I had two finals that I needed to take that day. She said okay and thanks for letting her know. Then an hour later she sent me really nasty texts on how I am not making her a priority and I am not doing my job and she hates me and the company and we are unprofessional. She stated she was letting my supervisor know that I do not help her out with anything and I am not doing my job. I apologized and said I will take them and try to figure out my tests. She sent a few more rude texts and I never answered back.

Well, I was up all night crying because I did everything I possibly could for her, the kids real mom cancelled visits almost every week and rescheduled visits with them all of the time and I took them every single time to see her. I had cancelled once before with the foster mom because the company needed me at the group home, and once because of tests and homework, but that was it. The next morning (I had gotten like 4 hours of sleep that night) my boss called me and very harshly asked what I had done and said he had never had any problems with this foster parent before today. The foster mom had told him that I have cancelled on her every week and never took the kids anywhere, and she said she was filing a complaint against the company because of me. So pretty much I was feeling like it was all my fault even though I was telling the truth.. I told him what had happened and I emailed him all of my time cards, and reports I have written on the kid's visits (it was required that I write a report any time I saw the kids, thankfully I did it!). I never lied one bit, and he could see that thank goodness.

It was enough to show me that Social Work was not something I want to go into. I have never been treated so poorly in my life. I have never been accused of so many false things in my life. It caused me so much stress and worry and I just do not want to go into a career that makes me feel so stressed and worried and gross. I had been thinking about changing for a few months now and had done some previous research about what interests me, but I never really had a reason to change, but now I do and goodness I am so happy and excited to be out of social work! So I switched! I am now a Early Childhood major! This change only adds one or two more semesters to my schooling, so I figured, what the heck. I deserve to do something I want to do.

I have also resigned from Assistant Program Administrator and taking care of the foster kids. I now just work at the group home, and I really enjoy it! I am so happy about this change. I feel a thousand times better and happier. I just take things too personally. I had my supervisor tell me that you get used to it and become numb, but that seemed terrible to me so that is when I made the absolute final decision to switch. I am so excited to start my new major! So instead of having 2 semesters left, I have 3 or 4. Depends on how many classes I take a semester and if I get permission to do student teaching at a preschool with some other classes I am supposed to take before I do that. I am so happy though. My family and my amazing husband have also been very supportive of my decision. That makes it even better.

Abe has a new job at a group home helping mentally disabled men. It is the same company that I have been working for. He seems to really be enjoying it! Which is really good! He will be working 20-25 hours a week instead of 12-16 hours a week like he was at the WSU Alumni Center. So we will be make a considerable amount more. Which is great because we have been trying to save up for a baby! He is very good at his job. He is good at everything he does really! He is incredible! He is done with school until August, and he is very excited about it.

Big news! For those who live in Utah or close to Utah or anything about Utah! The Ogden Temple Open House dates have been announced! The temple will be available for the public to visit during an open house, which will run from Aug. 1 to Sept. 6, excluding Sundays. There will also be a cultural celebration on Sept. 20. You can read about it yourself and learn more about the open house on www.ksl.com It is pretty darn exciting! It will be rededicated September 21, 2014! This is great because Abe and I have a hard time getting to the Bountiful Temple even though it is like 35 minutes away. We are so excited and blessed to have temples so close to us!

Well thanks for reading! We hope you enjoy!

~Abraham and Amanda Thomas