News! News!

I realize I've been lax in logging our family's updates and setbacks. This is, quite simply, because there have been few of any interest. We received a good response to the 6 degrees of Dave and Lynne, and our new connections have treated us to many wonderful Chinese meals as well as referencing many new books (my Amazon.com wish list is growing faster than my pile of gift cards!)

But the news referenced above is that after an unacceptable amount of waiting (5 months and 7 days after accepting the job), Dave has received an offer letter. As one would expect after waiting 5 months and 7 days, the letter is incomplete and leaves as many questions open as answered. Still, we have some news worth sharing:

• The job is currently set to begin October 8th. We're going to try to push that back a bit, because we can't leave the country until the new fiscal year, or October 1st. Our goal is for Dave to have a few days off while we relocate to help us find housing and settle in a bit. Either way, our original timeline is out the window. We'll post a revised schedule as soon as we have one, but we believe that Christmas in America is not in the cards this year.
• Our housing allowance is, to the dollar, what we expected. Interestingly, it will be paid directly to our landlord.
• After being verbally promised business class seats for the initial trip over the pond, the offer letter specifies economy class. Arrgh.
• Uncle H-- will be sending us home every year, albeit in economy class. This is as we expected, but still nice to have confirmed.
• The letter did not specify any moving expenses, beyond what we already knew to be the case - that they'll fly us over and pay for a hotel until we have permanent housing arranged. So the shipping, storing and purchasing balance remains to be defined.

That's all that's of much interest to anyone outside of our house. And so the negotiations begin. Please keep this in your prayers!