Celebrating the Big Things - Pierce's Last Day

Well friends, today marks a big day in the Riddick family... Pierce's last day of work at a company that we have loved so very, very much. 

Let me take you back just a minute to where and when this job started... Back in 2020, we started praying for a new job for Pierce. He was in the music business world and although it felt like a "dream job" for him, there were many things that we knew wouldn't make the best fit long term. He started looking, applying, and interviewing and at the beginning of 2021 went through a 12-week interview process for a job that we thought he would probably take. But come April 1st, we both just really felt a peace about this not being the right fit for our family. I wrote a little bit about that sweet Easter weekend here, but we still look back on that weekend as a pivotal weekend for our family as we said no to that job offer. 

So we decided to take a little while off the "job-search" and just pray about where the Lord might be leading us. We didn't know if a move was in store or what kind of career change or shift, but a little time off applying and interviewing was a blessing for us. 

Fast forward to July, we found out we were expecting and then a few weeks later, I started in-service for teaching and was talking with my two dearest teacher friends about life and Pierce's job-search and our little one coming, and she mentioned someone from their church that she wanted to connect Pierce to. Fast forward about two hours later and Pierce had a call and email from this friend wanting to set up an interview. We had no idea what this friend did or the company that he worked for, but we had to laugh when we found out it was commercial real estate...

Pierce's dad has worked in commercial real estate his whole life, and Pierce has always said "no" to real estate in many ways... But when this connection came, it really felt like the lord was opening up a door that was truly an answer to prayer. Something that in no way Pierce was pursuing, but the Lord always seems to know better than us, doesn't He? 

After several interviews and a lot of prayer, Pierce started his job in October 2021, and in so many ways, it really was the answer to almost every prayer we had prayed for. He worked on the finance team for a team of brokers at a smaller company with the best morale and culture. We have truly LOVED his time there SO much over the past three and a half years... He's grown, he's learned, our family has grown and learned as we've learned best how to support him. I've watched him take on a lot more responsibility with a whole lot of grace, and we've loved all that the Lord has taught us in these three and a half years. 

We really feel like the Lord providing this job for Pierce in 2021 opened up a small door in his heart two years later to start praying about working with his dad (full circle with that commercial real estate job...) We would not be saying goodbye to this sweet place if we didn't really feel like the Lord has been leading us to this next step... And since November 2023, we have prayed more prayers than I can count, had so many conversations, asked for wisdom from so many people, and really have started becoming excited for Pierce to work with his dad with the goal of opening up a Nashville office in the coming years. 

It's a big step of faith, but one that we are excited about and continue to feel the Lord's peace and guidance. I couldn't let his last day go by though without just a little look at the many blessings over the past three and a half years!! 

We have loved visiting "Daddy" so often in this little space... 

Jane always knew when we were close to his office and loved when we got to stop by! 

And was so excited to start bringing Andy as well!! 

But back even further than that...his working from home days in 2022 looked a lot like this... 

And grew to look like this with a little helper always with him... 

Learning at a young age... 

And has ALWAYS loved "working with Daddy."

She takes her "job" very seriously when she's with him hahaha

In 2024, we finally turned our little storage closet into an "office space" for Pierce for the days he worked from home... 

...which has lovingly become known as "fake work" at our house... One day we said Daddy was going to "real work" instead of working from home and the next day Jane asked if he was going to "real work or fake work," which we of course thought was hilarious hahaha 

But we've sure loved these days at "fake work." 😂 

He's gotten to earn and experience some of the neatest things with his team...

...from deep sea fishing in Florida... 

...to camping in Wyoming. 

To baseball nights... (where I wore two different shoes if you remember hahaha) 

To dinners out in Nashville... 

And beloved Christmas parties... 

We've done pickelball tournaments with some of our dearest friends... 

These littles have truly become the best of friends... 

And we've loved watching our families grow as well... 

These littles have been visiting their Daddys before they could walk haha 

But mainly I've just loved watching this guy work so hard these past several years. From bringing him a little midday drink... 

To lunches at the office... 

And chips and salsa after work catching up on the day... 

What a privilege it's been to have a front row seat and now watching him walk so faithfully into this next season as well. So much will look so similar I know, but so much will be different too, so it only felt right to take a minute and acknowledge the end of a closing chapter. One that the Lord has been so kind to us in. We are celebrating Pierce today, thanking the Lord for his provision in jobs, and remembering all the many blessings, trials, and seasons that this little space held for us. 

Here's to the start of a new "job," but the continuation of working faithfully and prayerfully submitting everything over to the Lord time and time again. Happy Last Day, Pierce!!! We are so proud of you!!!! 

I'll plan on being back here tomorrow to celebrate our little Jane turning THREE! How is it possible?! Thanks for following along in this little journey of ours, and here's to celebrating the big things, enjoying the little things, and soaking in all the moments in-between! 

Sending lots of love this Friday!
XO
Tab