[hot_pastrami]

Perhaps I can share an unpopular opinion on your situation... A move is an expensive venture under the best of circumstances, and being recently unemployed, your circumstances would probably not be categorized as "the best." Moreover, relocating, particularly for a whole family, is a trying venture. Moving now may only throw more items on an already tall pile o' worries.

Jakeline's thoughts on balance are along the right thread, I'd say. I beleieve that Karma is a very real thing-- whether you want to look at it as a cosmic energy or just a side-effect of society and human nature-- so things tend to sort themselves out given a little patience. I know that it is pretty ineffective to tell someone that "it will all work out ok," but it really will.

If there's something you've always wanted to do for a living but never pursued because it was too far out of the comfort zone, here's your chance. You've now been rudely ushered out of that comfort zone, so you'd best put yourself where you most want to be before you start to develop the replacement. I can speak from experience... I made the jump from phone support to software development after I was laid off a couple years ago, and now I make twice as much money and like my job almost as much... heheh. It took me a few months and a few books to get there, but I made it. Now I just need to make the jump from software development to my true happy place, graphics design.

Whatever you decide, best wishes to you and the family. Take care and stuff.