The journey has been rough and pretty bumpy, but things can only get better, right???!!!
Before this, we were living in a 3 bedroom house in Des Plaines, IL. I was working at NutraSweet in Mount Prospect, IL. as a Food Research/Sensory Technician and Bill was working at Residential Loan Center as a Loan Officer.
As a result of several corporate maneuvers, I was part of a major lay-off at NutraSweet in August 2000, but was given a good severance package. Due to the poor economy, Bill was also laid off in the early 2001.
Billy was born November 21, 2000 and we were both able to spend time with him as an infant. We have always wanted to move West, to a place warmer than Chicago, and Bill's grandmother and aunt lived in North Las Vegas. So we decided to try our luck in the desert. Hmmm... no pun intended... I think.
We arrived here just before Halloween 2001, and Billy went out for his first trick-or-treat. He was a little bumble bee. Unfortunately, Daddy missed it, because he was driving his way back to Las Vegas to bring our pick-up truck that was packed to the hilt with our stuff.
Billy's grandparents, Lola Lillian and Lolo Sonny were nice enough to drive our other car to Las Vegas for us, so they could spend Billy's 1st birthday with us.
Billy and I found a playgroup here, and we had a great time playing in the parks with the other kids. We spent some of our Christmas/New Year 2002 holiday back in Crystal Lake with my family.
While in Vegas, I worked at a couple of conventions, which was a lot of fun, but the jobs were very scarce for both Bill and I. Even clerical jobs were hard to come by, and at the time, I was typing 63 wpm (which is not too shabby, if I say so myself).
In any case, in March 2002, we found as we were pregnant again. Still living at Mother Dear's house with the three of us encroaching on their space and set way of life was wearing thin. So, while preparing to go back to Chicago for Uncle Horace's Pastor Anniversary at New Philadelphia Church Baptist (5452 S. State St. Chicago, IL) we decided (almost suddenly), that we would go back to Chicago to see if the jobs would be better there. www.geocities.com/jbuanthorne/ourpage.html
