Bye Job

Early May I learned that my internship at R&W would be over at the end of May and that they weren't hiring any new employees. I was so disappointed. I took it personally, of course, even though everyone says 'it's just business' and felt completely dejected. Then 3 days later I went in to say goodbye to Toby and he asked me if I would consider working for him in the fall. He wondered if I'd consider going after the CFP (certified financial planner) certification. I would, so I did. It was a nice exit from R&W - take the summer off, get Madison into kindergarted, Kenz into 3rd grade at their new school, travel to grandma's, not have to ask time off from work, study financial topics that are actually interesting, NOT have to study for another actuarial exam (whew, relief on that one!). What I learned from my internship is that I do not want to be an actuary - I need to work with people, not just numbers. The consulting actuary works way more with the numbers than the people. I want to do both. It was hard for me to switch directions because it felt like I was quitting (I am NOT a quitter) - but I guess sometimes God has to smack you in the face sometimes to redirect you. Financial planning is in my future...

Easter Cruise

Last minute as always, we planned an April getaway that started Easter Sunday. We got Grandma Linda to come down and go with us on a 7 day cruise out of Galveston. Avoiding airfare for the Cooper family is a bonus. We sailed on the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas (April 24-30). The ship had a rock wall, Johnny Rockets diner, and a putt-putt golf area. The only thing we actually visited of those 3 was the Johnny Rockets - twice. There were too many other things to do! We visited Conzumel (girls and Dave swam with dolphins), Grand Cayman (saw turtle farm), and Ocho Rios, Jamaica (went to a local beach and played in the sand). But we did take advantage of the ice skating. Mackenzie especially liked it. It was a wonderful vacation!