Job update

Things are certainly getting interesting with the economy and how it's effecting us in the job area! Even though Terry is working for Toyoda (a Toyota company, Japanese based) they make parts for both Ford and GM owned companies. So since those companies are having problems, it is creating problems for TG. There has been talk since Thanksgiving that things were going to change for them over Christmas (they normally get about a week off for "shut down" over Christmas and New Years), but they weren't sure yet how much. Well, about two weeks ago, we found ot that they would be off definitely the 22nd and 23rd of this month. Okay, not bad. But then the next day, they added the 18th and 19th to that. Then the next day they said they would also not be working the first full week of January (5th-9th) and would be coming back on the 12th.

Really, that isn't so bad, but they are making people use their own vacation time in order to get paid for these days off. That's 9 days of vacation!!! And for those who didn't have the time, they had to take it without pay. I feel so sorry for those people...thankfully, we have the time for it. (I'm just not sure what I will do having Terry home for 3 weeks straight!)

But things are possibly getting worse. There is rumor that there will be more days in January that they will have to not work and another rumor (which is 99% confirmed by a member of management) that they will be going to a 4-day work week. Now, that's not 4-10's. That would be 4-8's. So they would only work 32 hours a week instead of 40. We're not sure as of yet when that's gonna happen or how the pay issue would work out since Terry is salaried. Legally, there can be some issues there.

For the time being, I'm trying to keep Terry from worrying about things...but that's hard to do with him being the head of the household and feeling so strongly about filling that role so well. He feel responsible and is worried that things are going to get so much worse in the coming months. But we're healthy, have a roof over our heads, have food on our table, and have presents under our tree. We are BLESSED and we are trying to focus on counting those blessings.

Family is coming to spend some time at our house in ONE WEEK! :) The kids are getting so excited and I have to admit, so am I! LOL