Okay, so this is just going to be a huge stress unloading post. If you already have enough stress in your life, feel free to stop reading. I'm sure everyone has enough of their own stress, so nobody should be reading this except for me and maybe Ted. Wow...okay...I don't even know where to start. We have been extremely busy trying to figure out what's going to work for us in North Dakota. Because let's be honest, $50,000 a year salary is really nice in Idaho, but in ND, it just doesn't cut it. Rent takes half our monthly paycheck, and even with good budgeting, unexpected things still come up that need paying for. Job hunting. It feels like we've been in this endless cycle a million times and yet we've found ourselves here once again. To our relief, the bishop in our ward lined us up with the manager of the new oil refinery that's being built in Dickinson. Ted stopped by to meet him and they basically hired him on the spot for safety. It's a huge blessing because it pays double what his last job paid, and it will be more than enough for our bills, so we can put away money in savings and help other people out in need! Yea!!! Thank heavens for the inspiration of a bishop to help us out. We never would've expected or thought of this job as an option, but it's perfect.
Another thing that's going on is, we're in the process of purchasing a house in Dickinson. Talk about stressful, especially in an elevated market. When we bought our first home in Arizona, we paid cash for it. This time we're having to get financing. And, our home in AZ was our dream home and brand new. So, buying a home in ND for more than we spent in AZ and having it be 50 years old is a little more stressful than our last situation. Granted, the home is in very good condition and location, and if we decided to sell in a few years we could easily get more out of it than we paid for it. But, we'll see where The Lord directs us before we make any major decisions. :)
Lastly, I hate to post about this already because I feel like it is still early, but we're also expecting another baby. I'm only 10 weeks along, and I've only had one doctor visit, so things are still quite new, but that's another (probably the biggest) stress we have in our lives right now. There are just so many things happening and changes all over the place. I just can't wait until we've gotten everything settled down again. I need the less stress. I think Ted does too, but he seems to handle the stress better than I do. I admire him for that. He actually jokes about the fact that I've gotten pregnant as soon as I moved out to ND. The last 2 big moves away from Idaho have produced children. Guess we work better under stress. ;) With baby #2 on the way, I'm going through a huge nesting stage. I just want to be in our house. NOW. I know this next month will go by quickly and we will be in the house before Thanksgiving (hopefully). It'll be way nice to get our stuff out of the old wooden barn where it is stored right now too. I went to check on our things the other day and there was mice poop all over our sofas and probably everything else (I didn't take the time to look at all our stuff because it would just make me more stressed).
With all this stress, there's a thousand more things I need to write about. I'm so very thankful for ND and the people who live here. We've been blessed to meet many wonderful, humble, and hardworking people. This place has definitely made me a better person. I'm thankful for everything I have been blessed with (especially a loving husband who did everything possible to get me and Hesston up here). I have such a supportive and loving family who's supported us in our many different travels that have taught and brought us to where we are now. We have dear friends, whether new or old, who've thrown themselves into helping us on our journeys. We're more abundantly blessed than I thought could've been possible. And, we're adding another person in our family who gets to enjoy all the people who surround and bless our lives. So, a huge thank you to everyone. You've been there for us countless times and we are glad to have people like you in our lives. Just as the bishop followed an inspiration to call us and change our lives for the better, so have so many of you eternally changed our lives for good. Love you all! I'll probably give another update in a month or so when we move into our house and have another baby appointment. Loves to you all.
I took a job with Dakota Prairie Refinery http://dprefining.com/home as the safety man!! Exciting stuff. Should be able to put away some great savings.
Dakota Prairie Refining is the first new refinery to be built in the U.S. in over 30 years. The plant is currently under construction.
Dakota Prairie will process locally available crude oil and produce high-quality diesel fuel. The remaining components of the crude oil will be shipped to other refineries for further processing or to other parties for their use. Construction began in March 2013 with completion expected by late 2014.
Since the plant will sit proudly on the prairie of western North Dakota, it made perfect sense to name it in honor of the land.
About the plant
Dakota Prairie Refining will process 20,000 barrels/day of Bakken crude oil (delivered principally by pipeline), producing:
1/3 high quality diesel fuel
1/3 naphtha
1/3 atmospheric bottoms (ATBs)
Naphtha and ATBs will be shipped by rail to other facilities for use or further processing
Approximately 300 barrels/day of natural gas liquids; will be trucked to nearby natural gas processing facility partially owned by WBI Energy
Located in Stark County; 375-acre site, four miles west of Dickinson, N.D. south of I-94
Site selected for proximity to critical infrastructure such as rail, highway, natural gas, electricity, water, sewer
Cost: Approximately $300 million
400 to 500 employees during peak construction; 90 when operating
Once in operation, plant operations employees will be working 12-hour shifts
Of the 90 employees, approximately 70 will work in operations, 10 in maintenance and 10 in administration
Facility will operate 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
Ted wanted me to post about his new job. :)
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