25 October 2026

What a wild week!

It has been a really stressful few months around our house with my job uncertainty looming. As you may recall, in May we were told that the government wouldn't be exercising any additional option years on its contract with Raytheon for the program I've been working on for the past three years. It had been expected that they'd exercise two more option years so that we could finish the project, but that wasn't going to be the case, and we needed to deliver whatever we could by September 30.  This has happened a few times in my career, where the project I was working on was ending and the responsibility of finding my next internal assignment would fall to me and my supervisor. In August, things had settled down enough at work that I could really start looking in earnest for my next position. Nothing was working. My internal job searches weren't turning up anything specific to my skill set, and there was almost nothing available that was remote.  Out of curiosity, I started looking at other technology companies for open positions similar to what I had been doing for Raytheon, and I was surprised by the difference between what external companies were offering in base salary compared to what I had been making at Raytheon. I have definitely been frustrated by my lack of career movement and the difficulty I've had securing promotions over the last sixteen years.

So, in addition to looking at internal Raytheon jobs, I started applying for positions with other companies, and I had some success! I had two different job interviews in September, both of which went well, and my applications moved on to the next phase of the hiring process.  In the meantime, I was told that as of October 1, Raytheon would be laying me off if I hadn't found another position within the company. There was no budget available to keep me on while I waited for the right opportunity. By this point, I had applied to eighteen different internal positions, only one of which was a good fit for my skill set and level of experience.  Around this time, I also started asking HR some questions about the nature of my situation. Come to find out, my impending layoff was considered an "involuntary" separation, and as such, I would be eligible for one week of severance pay for each year of service, or sixteen weeks of pay. In addition to that, they would pay out my unused PTO (130.2 hours), a prorated portion of my annual bonus, and I wouldn't have to pay back the $11,000 in continuing education funds I had spent getting my Systems Engineering certificate.

At this point, it was starting to look like being laid off by Raytheon and finding another job elsewhere might actually be the better option!  I had follow-up interviews with the external companies and continued to earnestly look at internal jobs as well. Raytheon offered me an additional three weeks of employment to continue looking for an internal position, which was actually more of a frustration than a blessing, as I had been negotiating with CACI for a Scrum Master position.  We had been fasting and praying that everything would work out in whatever way was best for our family. We were actually in the car on the way to the temple when CACI called and offered me a position!  I had been studying up on salary negotiations, which is WAY outside my comfort zone. So, when they gave me the offer over the phone, I told them to send it to me in writing and I would review it over the weekend and consider it. I then got a call back about 30 minutes later, and the recruiter said, "The hiring manager wants to know what we can offer you to get you to sign the contract today."

That felt incredible!

In the end, I negotiated a salary that is literally 30% more than what I was making at Raytheon, with comparable benefits and a 401(k) match. I also didn't lose any PTO since CACI uses Flexible Time Off (FTO) for its salaried employees. I negotiated a later start date as well, since I had originally told them I'd be available October 1 but needed to stay with Raytheon until the 23rd to receive the severance package.  I waited out the additional three weeks at Raytheon, signing my severance package on October 16. I still can't believe that we came out so far ahead when it originally looked like such a depressing outcome.

I started my new position with CACI on Monday of this week. They are also a government contractor, and my experience with Raytheon was a big selling point on my résumé. One of the big differences is that CACI focuses on IT solutions—software projects for the government—whereas Raytheon works primarily on hardware programs for the government. Hopefully, that means if and when my project contract with Guidehouse ends, CACI will be able to find another position for me fairly easily.  I will be working on the GrantSolutions project as a subcontractor to Guidehouse, which is the prime contractor on the project. GrantSolutions.gov is the largest federal shared service provider for grants management in the United States and is owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). I'll be leading a development team working on the modernization of that platform.

I will say that my onboarding on Monday felt familiar and comfortable, and I was grateful for that since I haven't started a new job since I left college! It was a little wild, though. I literally had three independent laptops going on Monday in addition to my personal desktop. It was IT central in my office/craft room!

Okay, other members of my family had things going on this week, too, I guess.  Arlo participated in a fall choir festival where Cienega received a Superior rating. He went straight from a day-long choir festival to evening band practice until 9 PM. He is loving it, though, and I love seeing my kids do things that make them happy.

We had music class, soccer practice, and Mutual on Tuesday night, so our after-school hours were completely filled. Luckily, Wednesday was a little calmer, and both boys were home after school for some homework and downtime.  I did find some time in the evening to continue working on Christmas projects. I made some more T-shirts and put together these cute desk calendars for Jude's teachers. I love how they turned out!

I'm sure that Phil ran calls and helped people and did firefighting this week.  But his crew was also asked to participate in some Halloween festivities including a pumpkin carving contest.  Now pumpkin carving at our house is serious business.  So Phil took our professional carving tools, transfer paper, and some patterns to work and the crew carved some awesome pumpkins!  Phil's was my favorite, I had thought about carving "Darkness" from the movie Legend this year, but landed on something else (you'll have to tune in next week to see my 2026 pick) so I was thrilled that he took on the challenge and knocked it out of the park.  Way to go station 154!

Arlo and I went to the orthodontist bright and early Friday morning. He's SO close to being done if he would only wear his rubber bands consistently. He's killing me!  Then, before taking him back to school, we stopped at Raytheon so I could drop off my computer and other assets. I went into the security office to complete my debriefing and turn in my badge.  I have felt really good about the change. Everything fell into place, and I know it was the right decision, but I still got a little teary as I left the security office and drove off the plant site.  Raytheon was such a blessing in my life. It was an answer to prayer that helped pull my family out of a cycle of poverty. It allowed me to provide for my three kids as a single mother. It made it possible to buy the ranch. It offered me stability and security, and I am so grateful for all of that.

Our Saturday was very busy! Arlo had the AzMBA Southern Regional Championships on Saturday evening, and Cienega is once again the defending 4A Regional Champion! Arlo was very excited.  Based on their score they would have come in second in the division above theirs and they took all but one of the caption awards.  So proud of Arlo and his band.

Jude had a soccer game in the afternoon and had a lot of fun playing. He got to go to Nana's afterward so that Phil and I could attend the Green Valley Firefighters Association's annual fundraising event.

We got dressed up and enjoyed a great evening of dinner and dancing at the Firefighters' Ball!  Jude stayed the night with Nana, and on Sunday, he and his cousin went to the Marana pumpkin patch and had a great time. They didn't get home until well after dark on Sunday evening.

I enjoyed church, and my Sunday School lesson went fairly well. I'm getting used to the 25-minute format, but it is a chore to come up with a lesson every week instead of every other week!  I'm looking forward to actually getting some real work done next week now that I'm finished with onboarding activities and required training.  We're also looking forward to carving pumpkins, our ward's fall festival, and Halloween next weekend.

And then it's all downhill to the end of the year from there!

18 October 2026

What a weird week!  Arlo had to go back to school on Monday since his fall break was over, but Jude had one more week of break, so it was just him and me hanging out together. We talked to Sister Comaduran on Monday and she's enjoying training and the weather transitioning back to winter.  I updated her mission blog, you can read what she's been up to at sistercomaduran.blogspot.com

Jude had soccer practice on Tuesday, and he's really enjoying it. Arlo and Phil had a Young Men's activity where they learned about smelting metal.

I worked at work and also worked on several projects, none of which I can show you right now because they're slated as Christmas presents. Now that all the big kids have access to social media and the blog, I have to keep things under wraps. I can, however, show you the quilt I finished up this week after getting the label on and the binding done.

It was SO windy the latter part of the week at our house. Like, SO windy. I swear half of our roof shingles are in the backyard now. Phil had another preschool station tour this week, so I stole some more cute photos of him with the little kids.

Arlo came to me this week with what I would consider a strange request. He wanted help with a Halloween costume. Spike from My Little Pony.

Wait, what?!

Oh, I see. The girl you like is doing a My Little Pony costume theme with her friends, and Spike is the most masculine costume you could come up with to fit the theme. The things boys will do to get a girl's attention, I guess.  So anyway, I spent my Friday evening turning a purple hoodie into a dragon costume. Helen said, "You cooked that up!" (roughly translated: you did a great job making that costume), but seriously, what a weird choice for Arlo!

Arlo had a football game Friday night and was back at school Saturday morning for a band rehearsal, followed by a trip to Chandler for an Arizona Marching Band Association competition, where Cienega took first place in their division. I hear it was a good time!

Jude, on the other hand, had his first soccer game on Saturday morning. It was a little chilly and VERY windy, but he had a great time!

Helen is enjoying college life. This week, she and her roommate attended a bonfire on campus, and she also got to visit Bodie in Mesa.

On Sunday, we enjoyed church, and then in the afternoon, we headed to St. David to celebrate Grandma Sue's birthday with Phil's family and extended family. I took zero pictures, but Phil managed to get a couple of Jude playing with his cousins. He had a great time!

I'm looking forward to next week when everyone is back in school and some of the stressful uncertainty we've been experiencing in our household will hopefully be resolved. I'm hopeful that my next blog entry will have a happy update, and I'll finally be able to share all the details! And here's a photo of Jude and his toys because he felt that I hadn't taken a picture of him recently.

11 October 2026

Okay, second week of fall break is in the books! Arlo is headed back to school on Monday, and Jude and I have one more week together of break...his break, not mine. No one told Raytheon about fall break, I guess.  On Monday, I picked up two of my quilts from being quilted. I LOVE my Gentle Flock quilt; it's SO pretty and the quilting makes my sheep look extra "sheepy"! The second is a wedding gift. I just need to make labels for them and get the binding done, and they'll be ready!

Jude started soccer this week. A friend from school invited him to play on his youth soccer team, and Jude was VERY excited to start practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

We were happy to hear from Sister Comaduran this week. She is nervous and excited to be training a new missionary this transfer. She's doing well and enjoying the cooler weather as the Midwest heads into autumn. It's wild to think about, but this transfer is a little longer—seven weeks—and then she has just two transfers left until she comes home. It went fast!

Arlo had a well-check on Wednesday, so the boys and I took care of that and then stopped for dinner on the way home. We meet with his pediatrician every three months to check his meds, and it's been fun to see how quickly he's grown in the last six months. He measured 5'7" at this appointment. I still have an inch on him, but probably not for long!

I was lucky enough to have lunch with my friend Leona this week, and it was great to catch up. In the evening, I took Jude to soccer practice while Phil and Arlo headed out on their Coues deer hunt in the Rincon Mountains. They were planning to backpack in 3–4 miles and be ready to hunt first thing Friday morning.  Helen has been doing well at school. We had a good, long conversation with her this week, too. When I asked for pictures from her week, all I got were nature shots! I think she, like her sister, is enjoying the cooler fall weather. I must admit, the trees in Northern Arizona are beautiful this time of year.

I was surprised to hear from Phil late Friday morning. He and Arlo had successfully located several bucks, and Arlo made a 490-yard shot to harvest a 3x3 Coues deer! 

They planned to rest for the afternoon and hike back out once it got cooler, since they'd have to carry all their gear plus the newly acquired deer meat. I'm proud of Arlo! I heard he handled the hiking like a champ and had a good attitude, even though Dad made him leave his phone at home.

Our Saturday consisted of deer meat processing and some Christmas gift crafting. I try to start early so I have time for everything. The trick is to actually stop! When I start early, I just have more time to add extras to the lists as I see things I like or run across sales!  I also designed this year's Christmas card and sent off a proof for a test print.  I think it turned out well, but you'll have to wait until December to see it.

We enjoyed church together on Sunday. Attendance was a little sparse in Sunday School, so I feel like my lesson was a little less fluid than it has been lately, but we made it through. Otherwise, it was a quiet Sabbath.  Arlo has to go back to school tomorrow, and I don't know if I'm ready to go back to getting up early to drive him to Seminary. The last two weeks have been really laid-back, and I've enjoyed the slower pace!

04 October 2026

October, welcome! I feel like October kicks off the downhill slide that is the end of the year. The weather has been lovely lately. Doors open at night, my run times have improved, and while some of that is me just getting a little healthier, a little fitter, and thus a little faster, I am fully aware that running in 70-degree weather is not the same as running in 90-degree weather!  Anyway, we had our first week of fall break this week, and I'm lamentably a little light on photographs. On Monday, it was just Jude and me, as Arlo was spending the week in Tucson and Dad was at work. While at work on Monday, Phil hosted a station tour for a preschool group. His day at work is NEVER the same twice.

He was able to come home at 8 PM Monday night so he'd be available to take me to my appointment in the morning for my very first colonoscopy! In the spirit of getting all of our preventative care and screenings taken care of, I signed up to have my colon examined. I'm happy to report that it was perfectly healthy, with no signs of any problems, and I got a killer 30-minute nap. Honestly, you do the hard part at home prepping for the exam. Phil and Jude went to McDonald's to play while they waited for me to finish.

Tuesday afternoon, it poured at the ranch and we were flooded in. Sahuarita Road was impassable, so we had to miss Jude's music class, which was a bummer. We did, however, get to have Family Home Evening and play a competitive game of "Hiss." I'm just glad we didn't have anywhere else to be Tuesday night because every way out of Corona de Tucson was flooded. That being said, we appreciate the rain so much!

Phil worked at Pima teaching paramedic school on Wednesday, and I had to work. Jude has forgotten what it's like to be home while I have to work. I swear he opened my office door at least a dozen times before noon, wanting something or bothering me about something else.  Phil worked again at Pima on Thursday but was home in time to help me feed the Elders, as we were hosting the missionaries for dinner. It was a little odd with just Jude, Phil, and me with the missionaries since all the other kids were somewhere else.

Phil took Jude with him shooting early Friday morning, as he needed to sight in Arlo's rifle for next week's deer hunt. Jude had a great time with Dad and Uncle Kirby. I picked up our groceries and then went into town for an appointment at the salon. Nana picked Jude up in the afternoon and took him and his cousin out to lunch, to Spirit Halloween, and to the new indoor slide park, Slick City. I heard he had a great time. Phil met me at the end of the road, and we got to go have lunch together at Chili's. Then we went to Walmart to get some treats and goodies for Jude for General Conference weekend.

Phil had to be back at work on Saturday, but I went for a quick run in the morning, and then Jude and I enjoyed General Conference. Jude was actually very excited for two days of church at home. When he woke up on Saturday morning, he literally said, "Today's the day! It's General Conference this morning!"

To be fair, it's not that he's a spiritual giant. He knows that we're going to have cinnamon rolls and snacks and that every time one of the Twelve Apostles speaks, he's going to get to open a bag with a new treat or toy. I will say that he listened pretty intently to both sessions on Saturday. He had a coloring sheet full of hearts, and he was supposed to color a heart every time he heard the word "love." On more than one occasion, he would pick his head up from whatever he was doing and run back to his table to color in a heart when he heard the speaker say "love."

Jude and I went for a walk on Sunday morning, and then we were happy to have Dad join us for the Sunday sessions of General Conference when he got home from work. It was a lovely and uplifting weekend. And I finished this cute receiving blanket while I enjoyed Conference.  We picked up Arlo Sunday afternoon from his weeklong stay in Tucson and enjoyed dinner together before week two of fall break was upon us.  Here are some of my favorite quotes from Conference:

Back to work on Monday! I was given some additional hours to wrap up my program, and there's a light at the end of the "Heather's precarious job situation" tunnel, but we're still waiting on some loose ends to find their place. I hope that much of that will be clearer next week. If you're inclined, say a prayer that it will all work together for the best.