The email just came in:  NSF grant is FUNDED!!!!!!!!!!!  4 years of support beginning in October, and I only lost 10% of the budget I requested due to the financial mess that is the US budget.

Gods, this is *such* a load off!  I'm still going to lose my 2nd post-doc (he leaves at the end of this month), but at least I will have the funds to hire a replacement and I won't lose my tech.    ::does happy dance around desk::