The Bid List is Upon Us!

I can't believe it, but it's actually time for Sarah and I to start bidding on our second assignment in the Foreign Service!  We just got the list of available positions, so Sarah and I have been excitedly going over all the different places around the world that we may be moving to in 2015.  But let me back up, and explain the process a little bit. 

As you may recall from previous blog posts, the first two assignments in the Foreign Service (FS) are "directed assignments."  What that means is that we receive a list of available positions around the world, and then tell the State Department which ones we are interested in.  They then make the assignments for us, and we are basically bound to accept them.  This is different from mid-level assignments, where you personally contact the posts you are interested in, and lobby for assignments.  You are also allowed to turn them down if they don't interest you.  Not so with your first two tours. 

For first-tour officers (which I was in September of last year), they receive a list of basically all the leftover positions around the world, which is why there are quite a few positions on that list that many people would consider slightly less-desirable (Lagos (Nigeria), Dakar (Senegal), etc).  For my first-tour list, we received a list of about 90 positions and had to rank all of them high, medium, or low.  We then found out our assignment on Flag Day at the end of our six-week orientation class.

For second-tour officers (which I will be soon), the process is a bit different, because it introduces the concept of "equity."  Essentially, how difficult your first assignment was will determine the order in which you bid on your second assignment.  Ciudad Juarez is considered a high equity post, meaning we will get to bid in the first group of bidders.  Basically, assignments will be handed out in the following order: first to FSOs in Sudan and similar locales; then us; then the rest of the world. 

Also unlike the first assignment, Sarah and I now have a much larger list to choose from.  There are about 400 positions available worldwide, and Sarah and I only have to rank our top 30.  Although there are 400 available positions, however, not all of them will work for our timing.  For example, I am scheduled to leave post in April 2015.  If there is a spot in Rome that opens in May 2015, I wouldn't be allowed to bid on it because there wouldn't be enough time for the State Department to teach me Italian.  So it can be a bit of a bummer when you see amazing locations on the list, but realize the timing just won't work.

Sarah and I have just about finalized our list of 30 assignments around the globe.  I won't be posting it online because I don't want to somehow jinx ourselves.  We're hoping to find out sometime in early December.  Wish us luck! 

Visit from the Family!

My family came for a visit last week!  In the LDS church, we often have a baby blessing for newborns, which is essentially a small ceremony where we officially give the baby a name and a blessing that he can hopefully benefit from throughout his life.  We were fortunate enough to have my parents and sister Jaime cone visit us for El Senor's blessing.  

Sadly, there is not much to see or do in Juarez, so their time here was mostly limited to staying in the relatively safe zone around the Consulate and traveling to the mall for a little bit.  That being said, everyone had a good time, and was mostly just happy to spend time staring at El Senor as he smiles and coos at everyone. 

Our little guy keeps on growing and developing.  He is very smiley, and already weighs 14 pounds at 11 weeks!  At least we know he's eating well.

Updates from the Borderland!

Hey folks, sorry for the lack of recent updates to the blog.  Not surprisingly, a new baby puts quite the monopoly on your time, so I'm lucky if all three of us are wearing clean clothes and relatively well-fed.  Anyway, here's a recap of what we have been up to for the last month.

Hair Additions/Deletions
    

I decided to grow a beard for a month.  Everyone says that a beard stops being itchy eventually, but I have not found that to be the case.  Beards are literally always itchy!  So one month was about enough.  Sarah, on the other hand, decided to cut all her hair off, and looks completely adorable.

Fall Cooking is in Full Swing

It takes a while for Fall to finally show up here on the border, and we still have highs in 70s each day.  But that hasn't stopped us from going nuts on fall-related grub.  Case in point:
 

Butternut squash & parsnip soup.  Tasty. 

Chili and cornbread, a classic.

Butternut squash gnocchi (and it only took approximately 75 hours to make!) 

El Senor has Finally Started Smiling

This is a pretty exciting moment for parents, because it means that you can finally tell if your child knows who you are and/or cares about your existence.  For the first two months, babies just sit there and stare at you, occasionally crying for no reason.  So after two months of wondering if your baby is even enjoying life, smiles are pretty rewarding.  Keep it up, little guy!

I Ran in the Juarez Marathon
 

That title is incredibly deceiving for several reasons.  First, I participated in a relay with other Consulate staff, which meant I only ran about 7.2 miles.  Second, I didn't really run all that much of the race.  I cannot emphasize enough how unprepared I was for this race.  I signed up before James was born, thinking this would be the perfect way to be motivated to exercise with a newborn.  Ha!  I think I ran once around the neighborhood before the race, so I put in a pretty sad showing.  But at least I finished.

Sarah Threw Me a Surprise Party

My birthday was last month as well, so Sarah managed to throw me a surprise party with all of our friends from the Consulate.  But not just any surprise party; a surprise PIE party.

If you know me well, then you know that I love pie more than just about any other dessert in existence.  So Sarah made me a pecan pie, and an apple pie, and invited all our guest to bring pie as well.  It was awesome.  Thanks to everyone who came and brought me pie!

El Senor Went as James Bond for Halloween
 

I apologize for not having a better picture, but El Senor attended the annual Halloween event at the Consulate, as none other than 007.  He was outfitted in a tiny tuxedo, along with a miniature martini and Walther PPK (made out of cardboard).  He seemed to have a pretty good time.

We Carved a Pumpkin

Despite not having a ton of free time, we still managed to carve a pumpkin for Halloween.  I don't know why, but I'm incredibly proud of this.  Like I said, anything done around the house that goes beyond eating, sleeping, or washing clothes, seems like a major victory.