Long time no blog...

It's been awhile since I've posted a blog on here. We've been just living day to day, waiting on the Lord. We've been walking in the "wilderness" for awhile now, wondering where we're supposed to be...what we're supposed to do with our life as a family...when we would see God's plan for us start to unfold...We've given it to the Lord.

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Well, I don't know where to start really. First, I do want to give the Lord Praise in being with us as He's been molding & preparing us for our future!
He's done so much for us!
Our journey is getting a jump start partly due to my dad losing his job. I won't say much but that he was done 'wrong' by some of the church folks where he was pastoring a church in Due West. It's for a reason, we know but it's caused him undue stress.
Eddie & I have been praying for guidance & direction steady for years. We were on the verge of re-opening our foster home & trying to decide if we should. I emailed the case worker we'd worked with & for one reason or another, she took a while to get back with us. In the meantime, we just waited on the Lord.
The "wilderness" I mentioned earlier is actually a sermon series our preacher is doing. You can hear his sermons online @ www.northsidebc.org. Every day we've stepped foot into church since we've been going to Northside Baptist, we've experienced the Holy Spirit moving! Jeff, the preacher, hit the nail on the head when he described our very situation as we prayed, waited, grew frustrated, wondered, tried to be patient...wondered if we were in God's Will at all; wondered what we were doing wrong, reason God was so 'quiet'...
As we've grown recently, we've recommitted our lives & prayers to be God's Will & not what "we want" or think is what's best for us. Since then, we felt led to ask my parents if they wanted to consider us moving in with them to help with their finances, vs us renting the home we're in. We really didn't think they would say yes, but they did. One door opened...the delay in moving towards re-opening our foster home before the deadline of March 2010 (in order to not have to start all over) was for a reason. We're now packing, throwing away stuff, transporting boxes to our storage building. The storage building was also another "Yes, you're headed in the right directon" smack on the head...Eddie & I stopped by a place that sells storage sheds. First, we saw they finance thru a finance company we just paid our last loan payment to the previous Friday...we wouldn't have needed a storage shed if we were staying put...we got thru to the finance company 20 minutes before they closed...everything including the setting up of the building went 'too' smoothly for it not to be 'of the Lord'. Oh & we can't forget being able to buy a kennel for our German Shepherd, Ginger, who has shown she will not stay in the chainlink fence...We got the kennel at the same place we got the building from.
Saying all that, we hope to be moved by the end of this month. We will stay as long as the Lord wants us too. We won't be setting a time frame for ourselves but will work on grooming ourselves for whatever the future might hold.
Wherever we are in God's Will, there we pray to be!

Getting better

Thank you for listening to me wail & most of all for praying! We could not have made it without prayers! Eddie & I both are doing good considering. Even though we only "knew" for sure for a week that we were expecting, it was hard for a few days but has gotten alittle easier to look ahead now. I went to the Dr & my hCG was 43 so alot lower & heading where it needs to be (weird to say that). Now it's a matter of seeing how long it takes for my body to heal & hope/pray will work right again...after all it did take almost 3 years to get this first "positive". So we're praying & striving for stable blood sugars, exercise & for my body to work like it's supposed to. Hopefully it won't take long to announce that we're expecting a "keeper"! Please keep praying!

Woe is me...warning

I don't know where to "start" so this is probably going to be a rambling, whiney mess when it's all said & done. This is more of a venting for me so if you don't want to continue reading, I won't be offended in the least...
I never dreamed "I" would be one to have a miscarriage..."Why not me??"
After all I had Matthew with no problems..."Every pregnancy is different..."
We have prayed for 3 years to have a baby. It happened & suddenly was gone. Why??...God has a Plan for our lives...
This week has been one of the hardest weeks I think I've ever been thru. Eddie will agree, I'm sure. We're trying so hard to keep our Faith strong & not waver. Some days that's easy & some days it's not.
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I feel like a failure at times. I don't think I completely blame myself for losing the "baby"/pregnancy (if there was even a baby & not a blighted ovum or something)...See, we'll never know if there was a baby or if it would've been a baby...or if I'm mourning something that wasn't there in the first place...I guess if there was a baby, we'll "see" it in Heaven...??? I do feel "comfortable" for what it's worth to say I had a miscarriage because I was pregnant, according to blood tests, the way I felt & physical changes I was starting to go thru. So my hormones call it a "baby"...here again, something we've been praying for 3 years now...
What else could I have done different to make it happen...was it all "meant to be"?? God's Plan???
Ok, we learned some "stuff" thru all this...I remember thinking (since I'd never had a miscarriage before that I know of) atleast if I could GET pregnant, then we'd know it CAN happen...with my PCOS, "diabetes", obesity, etc. It would help us confirm what we already knew about Eddie's surgery being successful. I guess I didn't realize how "bad" it would be to actually go thru the m/c just to see that it CAN happen & hope that we'll be able to get pregnant again. It's not that I wished for a m/c, don't get me wrong...I was just desperate to see if it would EVER happen...not thinking I would "lose it".
We also believe that getting my blood sugars under control was a huge factor. I had been on major doses of Glucophage with little effect. Dr put me on Amaryl, I buckled down. I went from 8.8 (where I thought he was going to put me on insulin) to 5.9 (considered non-diabetic level) in 3 months. I was so proud & he gave me an "A+" that visit even though I'd only lost 4 pounds. It wasn't long after that, we found out I was pregnant & were elated. So I went back to the Dr for confirmation.
So many "what if's" going thru my head...What if it's in my tube? What if it's a blighted ovum? What if we tell the world & have to go back & untell it??? What if we lose what we've been praying for all this time???
I stopped taking the extra "vitamins" (Chromium, vit C, B12, vit D, etc) & kept taking the prenatal vitamins. I did keep using the "hormone balancing cream" from Arbonne in hopes it would help keep progesterone high. Dr changed my BP medicine to Aldomet since I was on Lisinopril. I was facing the possibility of being put on insulin if my blood sugars didn't stay stable, but I wasn't afraid of that. This past Friday would have been the Dr visit with the OB to discuss that possibility. Instead this past Friday was spent coping with major cramping, nausea & bl++ding that picked back up to being like a period. Another question: Is this coming from the "site" of implantation or is this the lining being shed as in my period?? Who knows?? When will my body be back to normal?? I really don't want to have to wait "4-6 weeks" to "try again"...Yes, that would probably be the "best for my body" to give it time to "heal" but I feel like it's my mind that needs to "heal" the most..."Healing" my mind would mean (to me) being pregnant, having a normal, uncomplicated pregnancy & delivering a baby mid-January like we thought would happen! "Who's" plan was this anyway?? "Who's" fault is it that this happened?? We even PRAYED for an uneventful pregnancy...We PRAYED over our baby after we knew it was there for God to "knit it perfectly" in my womb...We PRAYED before we even conceived for the baby we KNOW God is going to give us.
Ok, another thing that was brought to our attention was my progesterone level was a low 6.1 the same day my pregnancy hormone (hCG) had doubled to 920...I had the bloodwork drawn on Friday, got these results on Monday. Another question, what if I'd had the blood work drawn at the hospital, gotten "faster" results...would getting progesterone supplementation saved our "baby"?? Would it have prolonged the inevitable? So now I'm involved with my OB Dr...if/when I get pregnant again, I will surely be more aggressive at getting tests, meds, etc to prevent this from happening again. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. It took this long to be "sure" I ovulated. It was almost text book. I can't wait another 3 years. I just don't have that much time.
It's not just the physical...dealing with a period I hoped I wouldn't have for awhile. It's not "just" losing a pregnancy whether there was a baby there or not. It's not just that I was looking forward to "being" pregnant & now I'm not. It's not just that I was looking forward to me, Eddie, & Matthew & extended family bonding with the baby before he or she even got here. It's not just dealing with the tears & not believing how unfair this whole thing is. It's all one big issue wrapped up into one & having to deal with it because that's what we were dealt.
It's one thing when the housework gets left undone because I've been too tired to fool with it but that was when I was pregnant. Now it's not getting done because I'm cramping & feel like I'm bleeding like I'm a stuck pig. It was "funny" when I'd "forget" something or become the absent minded pregnant woman, oh so quickly but now feel like a failure because I don't have the "excuse" anymore. The house is DIRTY, the laundry is undone, the trash needs hauled off, the grass needs cut, I've missed a weeks worth of work & our money is stretched to the max...Our stress level is maxed. Matthew doesn't understand & is affected too...I/we all need a break from all of this! I just don't know how much more I can take.
I guess since I'm not going to be pregnant right now, I really want my body to not hold me back so I can get back to normal. I'm ready for the sensitivities (physical & mental) to be GONE. I've tried to push thru, trying to catch up on laundry & housework when I found out my hCG had dropped to 600 Tuesday...knowing there was nothing there to "take it easy" for. I did ok with that til Friday...I truely believe my levels were starting to drop even more, picturing it like I was going in reverse from getting pregnant to being "un-pregnant"...
Well I'm a pleasure to be around right now as you can tell. I think I will go crawl under the bed & hope I can get back out tomorrow morning so I can go get "stuck" again at the hospital lab, so the Dr can make sure my hCG ISN'T high anymore. It's not supposed to be going this way... Then I get to go work/play with Sadie. I think I "need" her. Hopefully the bl++ding will slow down so I can enjoy my time with her. Then I have a Dr's appt to "talk" to about getting pregnant again. I'll have to retell a different Dr that we can't possibly afford a Reproductive Endocrinologist so we need all the help they can give us. Then we will start the process all over again of hoping, praying (not that we've stopped), me watching for signs that I could be "ready", peeing on a stick, holding my breath waiting for another "positive" & worrying we could go thru all this AGAIN! I think I'd almost rather be one of the ones who goes thru the whole pregnancy "Not knowing" they were pregnant. It would be alot 'easier'!

Our rough patch

Wow, it's been awhile since I've blogged. It's been a fairly busy time & blogging just hasn't been first on the list when it comes to sitting & relaxing.
We had some excitement this month. The Monday after Mother's Day I had a positive pregnancy test!!! The first one in 11 years (3 years of trying). I had several tests to make sure everything was going ok. We were getting used to the idea that we were FINALLY going to have a baby! Well, I got test results the following Monday that were good as far as the pregnancy hormone but progesterone was a low 6.1...It was strange but within the next hour, I started cramping, bleeding & crying. Thankfully Eddie was home with me & we know the Lord was holding us as we went thru that time. The pain was something I've never experienced before even with having bad periods all my life. I got in bed in hopes that it would stop...praying the whole time that it would stop...It was "over" within a short period of time but our hearts were broken. We are so thankful for the prayers of our families & friends that were prayed during that time.
We haven't lost Faith or Hope. We will try again. We know God will grant this petition for the child we have prayed for.

How Awesome is our God...

We got to witness God's beautiful creation this weekend in Bryson City, Cherokee & everything in between on our trip to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary this weekend. We are Thankful for God Blessing us with a beautiful opportunity, wonderful weather, traveling mercies, a renewing of our love for each other, fabulous fun just being together, the opportunity to see with our own eyes the Lord's handiwork of the mountains, valleys & even SNOW!!
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I hope to post pictures soon so bear with me! Matthew stayed with my parents for alittle spoiling while we were gone. We left Friday morning, stopping for food & gas & up the mountain we went! Yay! We both LOVE the mountains so much & it always amazes us to see how majestic they are.
Bryson City is a sweet little town & not far from Cherokee with wonderful winding river(s) & surrounded by mountains. We made our way to our cabin, enjoying the scenery & getting to check the tail lights of our own vehicle in the hairpin turns. =) The cabin was in the middle of two others & only a few other homes/cabins on the same road. So it was peacefully quiet. We were overlooking a small pond that had 2 ducks living there. Our front porch had 2 rocking chairs (I've GOTTA get me one!) & another outdoor table, chairs & a grill. Inside we had 2 bedrooms, one had 2 twin beds & our's was a queen, I think. Once you get used to a kingsize bed, everything else is just too small...LOL...but it was nice to have 2 bathrooms & large kitchen area connected to the living area. Oh, I can't forget the hot tub that was on the side porch!! Glorious!!! Even though it was cold out, we did indulge! WOOHOO! I 'need' one of them too!!
Saturday morning we had our coffee & headed to Cherokee. The trip even to there was the most amazing blessing to our eyes. We found a quaint little mom & pop type waffle house to have a late breakfast. It was nice & then I drug Eddie thru some of the shops for some souvenirs. Poor guy. I think he enjoyed it pretty good but atleast he was a good sport about it. After alittle shopping, we made our way to Harrah's casino. We had set aside a certain amount of money, agreeing that when that was gone we were outta there. I had never been there before & Eddie hadn't been to the one in Cherokee. It was packed but still seemed to have plenty of machines to play on! Thankfully there was a shuttle bus to ride on or we would've been worn out before we got to the building. The place was HUGE & so was the parking lot. I don't think I've ever been anywhere they had valet parking but Harrah's did. Of course we didn't use it, but I thought it was neat.
You have to be 21 to enter, have a valid I.D. to even get in the doors. There were some security staff as you walked in "carding" everybody. I was almost offended when the little (older) guy waved Eddie & I on thru...I even had my license ready! Oh well! We had so much fun playing side-by-side at the various machines, sometimes holding hands (awww!) for support/good luck...not really since we don't believe in 'luck'. There they have self serve (free) soft drinks which was cool. As Eddie says, they're making money hand over fist so they're not hurting by giving free drinks. =) We spent our allotted money, & won it back in a longer amount of time than we expected. Then we had supper at the buffet they have there. It was nice to have that time together. After that, we went back to play alittle more, making our day of fun last from about 2p-9p. We broke even & were proud of ourselves for not going over the amount we had decided to spend.
We were tired but made our way back to the cabin, slowly since it was dark. The hot tub was calling our names so we enjoyed the rest of the evening together. It wasn't as cold as we expected. Sunday morning proved to be a bitter cold one. As we were getting up for coffee, we looked out and it was SNOWING! Big beautiful flakes in a flurry!! We had some breakfast as we watched out the window enjoying the snow. We started packing, getting faster as we went since the snow was not letting up but getting heavier. I wish we could've stayed to see how much the area would get but we knew we needed to get out while the gettin' was good...The roads weren't bad yet but with all the curves & mountainous terrain we didn't want to take any chances. On our way out, we fed the ducks our left over bread & headed out. How bittersweet to know our time together was coming to an end.
Once we got down 'our' mountain, Eddie surprised me by asking where I wanted to go next. I was prepared (mentally) to make our way back to the interstate but he was willing to go back to Cherokee for alittle last minute souvenir shopping & site seeing. I teased him about going back to Harrah's "one more time" but he surprisingly said No. LOL! Instead I asked to go back to the main 'drag' where the shops were & he obliged me. We ran across a petting/bear "zoo" that we'd seen Saturday so we stopped in. There were several bears (silver tipped grizzlies,& native black bears), a couple raccoons, 2 tigers, several goats & a couple other animals I can't remember. We did alittle gift shop hopping & went into this cool shop that had all kinds of true "Indian" merchandise like the dream-catchers, drums, jewelry, baskets, etc. Since we had gotten several things for several people (kids & Eddie) it was my turn! WOOHOO! I don't jewelry shop much but when given the 'ok' to shop for myself, I do enjoy it. I spotted some handmade beaded earrings & glanced over into the jewelry case...there were the prettiest silver dream catcher earrings I'd ever seen! I saw the price tag & thought I'd continue looking at the original ones I'd been looking at. Eddie liked the silver ones too & we found out the price was for a "set" that included a choker type necklace. I'm not really built for "chokers" but the sales-lady pulled out more to chose from that weren't on display. She was telling us how we could lengthen the necklace to suit me. Eddie told her we would be getting a set because he thought they were pretty & he wanted me to have them. So I took my treasures & we headed back out. Oh I also got a dream catcher to hang on the rear view mirror, even though we won't be sleeping while driving...it's just I've always loved dream catchers. The jewelry is special to me because it serves as a reminder of our special trip but Eddie helped pick it out & wanted me to have it, which was even more special to me. Now I just need to have an outfit to go with it. Then I will be his "Indian Princess" (his words...) HeHe!
We've had special times together but this was a very memorable trip for us. We intend on trying to make it a tradition & we are looking forward to next time. I love you, Eddie! I'm so thankful for you! You mean the world to me! I'd marry you again right this second! Happy Anniversary to us!

Triple Coupons

Oooh, Ooooh, Oooooh! I've gotta try to plan a trip!
Bloom will be tripling coupons Friday Feb. 6th - Sunday Feb 8th
Harris Teeter will be tripling coupons Thursday Feb. 5th - Sunday Feb. 8th

Bilo

I already posted on this trip to Bi-lo but I wanted to post my list as practice...
I had about $19 in coupons, $3.75 would've been the doubled ones had I not missed scanning my card.
Here goes:
(2) 2 liter Pepsis
4 boxes Fruity Cheerios
3 boxes Toaster Strudels
2 Kraft dressings
1 French's Worcestshire (sp) Sauce
Big cannister Maxwell House Coffee
1 Large "Coffeemate" creamer (powder)
2 cans Chef Boyardee Spag & meatballs
1 BBQ sauce
1 24 oz Ketchup
Small Gain laundry detergent & softner sheets
6 double rolls Quilted Northern TP
18# bag Jim Dandy dog food
(2) Blistex chapstick
(2) Yoplus 4-pk yogurts
(2) Bilo brand shredded cheese
Gal. Bilo OJ
18 eggs
Froz. broccoli
Froz green beans
(2) pks gizzards
(1) pkg chicken leg quarters
(1) pkg split chicken breasts
(2) hotdogs
(2) bologna
(2) Carolina Pride cocktail smokies
(2) pkgs Deli cuts Buddig sandwich meats
(2) boxes Armor sausage links
So I think I did pretty good once I got refunded the $45 from Bonus card savings! YAY! $161.08 worth of groceries & OOP was $100!!!

Savings

I had my trip to Bilo all planned, coupons tucked away in an envelope & my coupon divider pouch (just in case). I carefully went thru (but still trying to hurry back home)...I found a couple deals but was still nervous that I would mess up while trying to use the coupons. I made it to a register where I was aquainted with the cashier. I told her to bear with me since I had alot of coupons & was still learning. She was sweet but in the meantime as we were chatting, we both forgot to scan my bonus card...After coupons, I had only saved about $19...I had done my calculating all the way thru the store, expecting to only pay between $90-$100 (allowing some leeway in case I'd forgotten to add something.) My total was $145. I was devastated but I didn't know what I'd done wrong. I didn't think I could think straight enough to figure out what had happened so I paid & left...doubting whether I'd bother with coupons ever again...I looked over my receipt in the car but still couldn't figure out what happened. Long story short & after a mild anxiety attack, I made it home where my dear "sister" Tricia (who's staying with us) said it looked like my bonus card hadn't been scanned. She graciously volunteered to call Bilo & see if the manager could help me. "Jodi" at Bilo was SO helpful! He told her I could bring my bonus card, receipt back to the store & they would refund my money! Praise the LORD! I got $160 worth of groceries for $100!! WOOHOO! Granted I didn't have my coupons doubled but it was only about $3...so getting my $45 back was worth the $3 sacrifice. I don't feel so bad now! I haven't given up on coupons yet!
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I even scanned the discount shelves, picked up a 1/2 price package of coffee & a bag of flour. I'm looking forward to seeing how much more money I can save us. I'm learning!

Coupons

This week I got brave, taking the first step getting back into using coupons. I've been worried about getting the wrong item, all the way into line expecting to pay one thing, ending up paying more, holding up the line, ect. My dear friend Jamie @ Grocery Girls has been helping teach me the in's & out's! Thanks, Jamie! Then my bestest friend, Tricia, who has been an avid couponer found some good deals searching the sales papers & going thru my newly cut coupons! Yay!
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Bear with me until Eddie can fix the "more" link in dividing the posts. He just LOVES searching thru the codes to fix my blog when I change backgrounds! Not!
Anyway, I used 2 coupons this weekend @ Bilo for Velveeta & Nature Valley Granola Bars. I'm trying to gradually get my feet wet using coupons! LOL! On the Velveeta, I ended up spending $4 after using a coupon. I did notice the Bilo brand was that price so if I'd not had a coupon, I could've gotten it for the same, just not the name brand. The granola bars were 2/$5, I had (2) $0.60 coupons that doubled to $1.20 each, totalling $2.40 off. So I spent $2.60 total= $1.30/box vs $2.50/box! I was proud of my "find". I hope to become faster & better @ finding good deals while using coupons.
Last night, Tricia went to Bilo to catch the last day of this sale @ Bilo. She'd sifted thru my newly acquired batch of coupons & managed to find a sweet deal for Dove shampoo & a conditioner, totalling $2.50 vs that PLUS some per bottle! How smart she is! I had missed that completely! I'm learning though! Plus she stocked us up on Poptarts. They were 3/$5 & she found a box with $1 off so 3/$4 was a great deal! Now our guys have some poptarts to last them a day or two! LOL! (They won't last long!)
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the new sales papers & finding more good deals!
P.S. The snow didn't last long...It was sad to see it go. Maybe we'll get more, but I doubt it. I'd love "just snow" without the ice being the initial layer...Me & ice=broken bones...

We got SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!

There's not alot on the ground but it's still pretty. The ice underneath since we got rain first is what scares me. So I was planning to stay home for alittle (atleast, if not staying home all day) while to see how the roads were when I got the call about my sweet patient passing away during the night. So I guess I'm staying home anyway. It's kind of bittersweet to get to see the beautiful snow but kind of sad to know baby Emily is gone.
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In the meantime, my dear friend Tricia & her son, Brayden, are here with us, trying to get settled in. It's good to have them here & I want them to feel at home.

In Loving Memory

Unfortunately I got news this morning that the sweet baby I've been working with passed away last night. She had many health issues in her short life. She was 4 months old & a precious baby. Her name was Emily & her family could use your prayers. They knew it could happen because of her health but she'd been making progress so it wasn't totally expected. The Lord saw fit to bring her home, so she's not sick anymore. She doesn't need the oxygen tubes or other attachments that she had to live with on this earth anymore. Rest in Peace, dear Emily.

Not a New Year's Resolution...

For some reason, I don't like New Year Resolutions...maybe because I don't pick things that I have been able to follow up with...The last several days to a week or so, my blood pressure has been up more than it should be. It started worrying me so I finally made a Dr appt...Now I'm on medicine...My dear parents are both diabetic, dad has high BP...not to mention the extended family's history. So I'm doomed...not really but there are things in my life I'm going to be working on. For one thing, I don't like to be "sick" or feel bad & most importantly, I want to have a full life with my husband & son (& rest of the family). I've just gotta get back on track.
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On another note, I've started working with a precious little baby girl who has been thru alot of challenges & has many more to deal with as she grows up. She's almost 4 months old, weighs 9 pounds. She has a sweet family, who is very involved. Even though she's fragile medically, each day with her seems to be helping me not be so anxious when I work with her. She has heart problems, a sometimes not so great skin color (blue-ish)...So when she turns purple (even though I know she has a tendency to do this), it still freaks me out some. I'm just not used to "blue" being an accepted color for a baby or anybody for that matter.
On yet another note, the company I'm working thru has been good at getting my pay to me. Also, paychecks are weekly which will help get us straightened out (I hope). May God Bless Eddie's heart for taking over the budget & dealing with the stress.
I guess that's all for now. Hopefully we'll have more "flying lesson" news to report in the near future...
Yes, I know I need to change my blog decor but hopefully will be able to get to it when Eddie has time to fix the little parts that I can't. So enjoy the Merry Christmas alittle longer. =)

Happy New Year!

I wish everyone a wonderful 2009! I think we all need to pray for our country as we are facing many changes.
There are changes we are anticipating this year but I'll post on them as they happen.
Happy New Year!

Flying

My dear husband was finally able to fulfill one of his wishes to fly a plane! With weather changes, after rescheduling several times, Sunday afternoon, it finally happened! Even though it was COLD & windy, the instructor was willing if Eddie was and he was!! We met the instructor & after a few minutes of pre-flight checks & instruction, they were off! It was so cool to watch them taxi down the runway. At the time, I didn't know Eddie was at the controls because we both thought the instructor would do the take-off & landings, letting him handle it while in the air. I was so surprised to find out Eddie took off, flew the plane AND landed it!! The instructor had her hands on the controls at times to teach but she was patient & coached Eddie who was learning fast. She even said he did "above average" for his first lesson! I'm so glad he was so elated & I'm so thankful I could give him this for Christmas. I love to see him so excited and have a wish come true!
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We plan to work towards continuing his lessons as we can. He's already started investigating the books he needs to study, etc. Looks like Ebay will come in handy. We are so excited at the possibilities ahead! He's actually considering going back to school (when/if Solutia goes under) for aviation mechanic. I'll support whatever he wants to do. He says if he's going to learn to fly, he wants to know how to work on what he's flying. We feel like this will be a plus on his resume! =)
We'll keep you posted on future flights! Also, I was so excited, I forgot my camera & will have to snap a picture of the plane & Eddie next time.

Our Christmas

I hope everybody had a Blessed Christmas! Even though Eddie had to work we had a good time. Matthew opened one gift Christmas Eve night. It was the 2nd Chronicles of Narnia "Prince Caspian" movie so we enjoyed watching that together. I got Matthew to help me some with cleaning the house (not that you can tell I did anything now...) & rearranging some furniture. We hadn't put up a Christmas tree for various reasons. With some rearranging, we made a place for a small tree & decorated with only white lights. It was good enough for us. Christmas just isn't "Christmas" without a tree...
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We got Matthew up at 6 A.M. so Eddie could see him open his gifts. Matthew got an electric guitar & was pleased. We all got a sort of an "I.O.U" card since we're waiting for paychecks to begin from our apartment cleaning job & the job with PSA. It gives us something to look forward to even after Christmas & show our love on this special day. Eddie wrote me a beautiful letter expressing his love & gratitude. In this letter he gave me an IOU for cell phone accessories & the 3 Santa Clause movies. I gave him an IOU for flying lessons at our local airport. He had mentioned he would love to learn to fly & we saw an ad for lessons. So we're excited about that! Weather permitting, he will take his first lesson Sunday afternoon. He's excited & ready to get started.
Matthew & I went to grandma's for lunch. We missed Eddie since he was at work...even though we're still thankful that his job has held out this long. My mom went over early to get the ham in the oven. My dear grandma didn't realize it was Christmas. She seemed out of sorts at times & alittle irritated with the little people leaving stuff in the floor or banging the piano. I bet she wanted to turn her hearing aids off...We had a good time with family even though we were missing a couple family members. Amy & her family had gone to West Virginia to be with her husband's family. Calvin & his family didn't venture out while I was there at G'ma's. We did get to spend time with Trista & her baby Tianna. Tianna is a ham! I had so much fun playing with her. We miss getting to see them as often as we used to. She's learned to give kisses & then say "EWWWW!!!!" LOL She just turned 2 in September & has had some developmental delays due to hydrocephaly. She's come a long way.
I was supposed to come home & unthaw meat for supper. I took the meat out of the freezer & decided to stretch out to watch some TV...well, needless to say, I fell asleep...not a sound sleep but enough to make me late getting supper started. We decided we could try to find a restaurant that was open & went into town after Eddie got off work. We thought we were going to be out of luck until we found that Hardees was open. What a wonderful "Christmas dinner", huh? Actually we had our mouths set on burgers & when we got to the pickup window, we were told the broiler thingy was broken...so we settled for chicken sandwiches instead...Guess I shouldn't have given in to the sleepies & should've started working on supper. It was good to get home & relax though.
We made the trip to pick up Eddie's youngest daughter, Karissa. Thankfully the trip was uneventful. We're glad to be back home & able to visit with her. It's rainy & cool. We'd rather have some snow but oh well. Eddie doesn't want snow since he's looking forward to his flying lesson Sunday...
Right now we're listening to Matthew practice learning his guitar while watching the instructional DVD. We hope he doesn't get too discouraged & will stick with it. I want to learn to play the piano/keyboard. Eddie says we can learn the instruments & he will fly us everywhere. LOL...
I guess that's all for our "exciting" lives...haha. Maybe we can have alittle "fun" on New Year's Eve since Eddie will be off work. We're looking forward to the New Year & what's to come. Eddie & I plan to have alittle more "mama & daddy time" this year, if at all possible.

Stuff

Well Christmas is approaching quickly, but I've managed to stay out of the stress that can sometimes be included (so far). I feel bad since I haven't gotten any decorations out...we've gotten rid of stuff which includes one entertainment center, our livingroom couch, etc...so our home isn't in order right now anyway. I guess I've just been soaking in other folks' decorations.
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On another note, since quitting my job at the rehab hospital, I'm anticipating orientation with the home health for kids job. Also, I've started the apartment cleaning job. Matthew & I cleaned our first apartment yesterday. We accepted it as a learning experience to get familiar with what we needed to do & get a sort of routine so we're thorough but quick. Today was our second apartment, after we finished some last minute things from the first apt...atleast now we're more organized & know more of what to expect. I'm so proud of Matthew for picking up so fast on what needed to be done, taking the initiative when it came time to get on the ladder to change light bulbs, etc. Right now, he's very motivated to see how much money "we"/he can make so we're working on work ethic, responsibility, etc. After we got home, it was time to work on his school work...he said, "I've been WORKING all day! I don't want to work on school work!" LOL Poor guy! I guess 2-3 hrs total seemed like "all day". Atleast it is a start to showing him what "work" is. =)
In the meantime, today we got the first phone call regarding our ad to sell the suburban. We hope & pray this is God's Will! It would help our finances & get ourselves back on even keel, we hope! So hopefully we will know more tomorrow. If anybody reads this, please pray for God's Will to be done with this situation as well.
We've enjoyed getting more involved/attending my dad's church in Due West. We went Sunday & I fixed lunch for us & dad after church. Mom took grandma to her church so she wasn't able to be there with us. We're looking forward to getting more involved & helping where we can. As church was starting, I dug around in my bag, found a toy car that I had for "JJ" (our first foster son) & gave it to a little guy sitting behind us. He's 2, I think & is a sweetie! I thought it would entertain him alittle while...he loved the car, then he found the pull string that makes the car make NOISE...Ohhhh what have I done! LOL Good thing my daddy is the preacher! I mouthed "Sorry" to his mom who was trying to convince him not to make the noise...he wasn't happy & the poor guy ended up in the nursery (with his new car)...I felt so bad!!!!!!! I plan to pack more toddler friendly/quiet church toys in the future!
Thankfully Eddie still has his job! We're thankful for all the Blessings the Lord has placed in our lives! We're still praying for guidance but trying to be more specific in the next step of our adventure & maybe even alittle more info on the big picture God has in store for us. We'll see what He says!

Evolution? Eddie's thoughts

  I thought I  would  do a little blogging today, I feel lead to talk about certain things from time to time  I  don’t know why last time I  blogged it was about prophesy to I want to get down a few thoughts about evolution.
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   Some people try to say that we all evolved to be what we are today; they to believe that every species of animal and plant all came from the same primordial ooze. They completely ignore the mathematical improbability of the spontaneous creation of life. Some even go so far as admitting to intelligent design theory; you can research all this easily for yourself so I will not go into these theories.
 
I want you to think about all the different types of animals and plants you know of; walk out to your front yard and look around, try to count the number of different trees you can see. Now you tell me, if we are creatures of evolution, why would there be so many completely different types of trees would it not be logical to evolve to the most efficient type tree for each climate? If we are the apex evolution of the mammal then where is the reptile with the ability to reason? If evolution started in the water why do we see no intelligent fish?
  I guess it can get a little silly when you start thinking about it. But if we evolved to be as adaptable as we are it would seem logical to me that our adaptability and intelligence should have evolved into some other life form also.
Scientist can even support evolution with fossil records there are way too many missing links or what they call transitional phase fossils. But scientist can give evidence that the whole world was once under water they find fish fossils at elevations above 15000 feet.
 
While to me my understanding there is nowhere near enough evidence to prove evolution, there is an abundance of verifiable facts to prove the bible. And to prove that it is history written in advance. And nothing in the bible has ever been proven wrong. Yet Darwin disowned his theory and said it was in error.
 
As for me I will stand on the truth

It's about the Cross

I don't know if this will work...YAY!! It worked! I found this on a 'friend's' blog & thought it was really special. I'd never heard of the group Go Fish but I'll be looking for more of their music.
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This is off the subject but...anybody who reads this is probably going to think I've gone insane...With Eddie's job on the line, I officially quit my primary job (where I haven't worked in a month due to downstaffing, since the patient load was down for the holiday. I also was only working "prn" & a day or more/week). I am looking forward to starting another job next week so I'm not completely unemployed. I do feel alittle crazy for doing it, especially now, but I just couldn't stand the thought of going back...I think I can put a finger on what's going on with me as far as being a nurse is considered...I think "floor nursing" is what's getting to me. Having 8-10 patients, who I feel like I barely touch on their needs besides throwing pills at them & running off to give more to someone else. This "new" job is home health for medically needy kids. It will be one-on-one & hopefully alot less stressful.
Anyway, it's official now especially after I called the charge nurse yesterday evening so they wouldn't be expecting me today (Sunday)...they were probably going to downstaff me anyway...A few minutes later, I got a call from a dear friend. Her mom is a manager for a low income apartment complex in a town close by. (Keep in mind, our finances have been tight since I wasn't able to work last month.) So right here at Christmas it's alittle tough to think positive...But her call was telling me about her mom needing someone to clean apartments for future residents. The pay sounds good. It wouldn't be consistent work but I was really excited thinking this might be the "break" I've been looking for. Maybe it's some quick cash. Eddie said, "It's pretty bad you have a 3-4 year degree & you'll be working as a maid." But he said he didn't mind if it was something I wanted to do. I've been saying for the last year or so that I was about ready to go stock shelves at Walmart...just for the break of having to "take care of anybody"...I think I'll always have the nurturing nature, I just want to make a difference when I do it! Anyway, hopefully I'll hear something soon about this new little adventure so I can see if it's for me! Also, dear Matthew is excited about helping me. He has hopes of making some extra cash for himself, so we'll see!
On another note, Eddie still has his job, Thank the Lord! We hope it will make it til atleast the first of the year, but if it can make it another week or so, he'll get his vacation pay, plus maybe a couple days off.
In the meantime, my muscles are sore from moving an entertainment center & couch yesterday that we gave to a family who needed it. So we're making some progress in our downsizing. We still have a ways to go but taking it day by day makes it alittle less overwhelming. Hopefully we can make alittle money off of some stuff but we'll give away as much as we can to those who need/want it.
We're also feeling the call to attend my dad's church more often. The drive is not bad at all. The people are so down to earth & friendly. We have enjoyed & still want to stay somewhat involved in "our" church. We feel like dad's church could use what we can give in our tithe, & help with the church/youth. We'll see where the Lord leads us!

Our day yesterday

Even though we didn't buy one, I feel it's my 'duty' to give my opinion on the Kirby vacuum demo we had yesterday! =) Eddie answered the door to a nice lady (holding a 2 liter Pepsi) asking to speak to the 'lady of the house'...By the time I got to the door, he'd already told her that we weren't going to be interested. Me & my big mouth accepted when the lady said she'd get paid just for showing it, even though she knew we wouldn't be able to buy one. I will say she & the main demonstrator were very nice, professional & eager to persuade us to buy one. I'd LOVE to have one but can't imagine paying that much money for one. The guy said there is a lifetime warranty, if the vac can't be repaired, a new vac would replace the old. So basically you'd never have to buy another vacuum cleaner again. I guess with the economy in the shape it's in, if Kirby went under, that would end your 'never have to buy a vac again'...Ohhh the dirt they pulled from my carpet...how embarrassing. He reassured me it wasn't 'my fault' but our not so beloved Dirt Devil (that has given us trouble since the day we bought it). The carpet the young man worked on in our living room is definitely cleaner. I would've loved to have the shampooer that came as an attachment but oh well...The guy said there's even a 'pet groomer' attachment. My sweet Shelby (Shih tzu) HATES the vacuum cleaner so I couldn't imagine her letting me vacuum her!! =) Anyway, that was our excitement for the day.
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On a different note, I had an interview before Thanksgiving with Pediatric Services of America (PSA) which is home health nursing for kids. I called yesterday (like the director told me to) & she said everything was good to go as far as getting me hired back in. The money's not as good as the hospital but I'm thinking it will be less stressful. I've come to the conclusion that 'floor nursing', having 8-10 patients I'm supposed to meet the needs for, running up & down the halls 'pushing pills' is what's bothering me the most...reason I haven't found my niche. After being in the nursing profession for 16 years, I don't feel like I'm completely burnt out on nursing, it's the type of nursing, I think. I want to make a difference & love what I do. I pray the Lord will put me where I can fulfill that dream.
I guess that's all for now.

Praise!

Eddie called from work this morning (Praise the Lord he still has a job!) saying his boss told him to keep doing what he was doing, that he would be ok for now. We don't know how long that is going to last but for now we're Thankful!!! In the meantime, we're going to be using our time wisely & still downsize!
Another Praise is we were able to get a refund for Matthew's "lost books" we had to pay for before we could withdraw him from public school to home school! The check was exactly what our car insurance payment is!!! Hallelujah! We knew it would come when we needed it!
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We are so thankful for my parents & family. Mom has been collecting boxes for us to help us when the time comes to move! We are so Blessed!! Not to mention the fact they are willing to put up with us AGAIN whether it be us living in our camper in their backyard or living in the house with them, if/when it comes down to our move.
Another Blessing in our life is our dear friend Ashley who I've known since she was about 5 years old. She's the greatest! She's helping us get a great deal on a Christmas gift & took some sweet pictures of us. I can't show them too much because some of the pictures are going to be for Christmas gifts! We're frugal this year for sure!!
Well, Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!