We're Here!!!

Well, we finally made it. We are now Florida residents....well, I guess we will be once we get our new drivers licenses ~ I need a new picture anyway!!

Everyone has been asking for pictures, so here you go!

This is one of my favorites so far!!!! It is now my desktop picture:)

We went down to Treasure Island~ this is at a park on the beach. We took a picnic lunch and had a great time! Taylor, of course found a ton of flowers!!

Cole is just as cute as ever!!

This is the view of the pier from our screened in porch! It's fantastic!!!

I forgot about this one that I took.....I absolutely love it!!!

I will write more very soon! We are getting ready to go out...gotta get Cole a fishing pole, going to see the Skyway Bridge and then to the beach!!! Have a great Sunday everyone!

~ When It Rains............

Yep, you know the rest. First of all, I want to say that this post is going to be in "pity post" style, but I know in my heart and my mind that without a doubt, things could be worse and I am so thankful that I know that and realize that. My real purpose in this will be to hopefully get a laugh or two. Thank goodness I have been able to laugh about...well, most of it!!!

I feel like it's pouring. Why? This is why....and, you know folks- you can't make this stuff up!!!

- ok, as you all know, I had to have a hysterectomy last January (almost a year! Wow!) because of all the "female" issues I have been blessed with. Well, apparently my endometriosis is back (I'm 99% sure)...so, back to the doctor I will be going. There is a specialist for it in Atlanta, but of course it is a "out of network" doctor, so seeing as how our house still hasn't sold, I can't afford to pay "my part". So, not sure what the next step is, I just know that I'm not looking forward to it. I am SO LUCKY & BLESSED that I had my 2 children when I did.....and, thankful that I was fertile. With all of the problems, I easily could not have been so lucky.

- next, I thought that I had finally gotten our "sicknesses" overwith for a while. In the past 2 months, we have all passed around pink eye twice, the stomach bug, sinus infection and the coughing crud. We are all feeling better (except for Taylor's allergy cough) and bam....Taylor wakes up from her nap today with a red eye. I am PRAYING that it isn't pink eye again!!!!!

- Appliances.....ok, my refrigerator door won't stay closed very well. It's one of those that stays closed just long enough for you to walk away :)...I have to check it about a million times a day to make sure it's closed. Then, my stove stopped working! Thankfully, it turned out to only be the "bake element". But, of course, it took my oh about 2 months to figure that out!!! Ordered it, it arrived today and now, I'm back in business. And, then...........this afternoon I went to the garage where our big freezer is and notice that apparently it had checked out!!!! ALL of my meat was thawing!!! And, NO I didn't have room in my other "refuse to stay closed" one. So, I cleaned out, cooked what I had to, and packed it up to refreeze. All with Cole & taylor running around my feet....yep, it was that kind of day! Oh my goodness..... almost 2 hours later, I'm done cooking it and bagging it. Needless to say, I was no longer in the mood for dinner after smelling hamburger & sausage for 2 hours.

- Career- yes, I don't feel as if I even have one at all anymore. You know....real estate is just that good. Well, in the area of becoming a teacher.......all I can say is that the Praxis II test is HARD!!!! For anyone planning to take it, just know that. I studied and studied and studied and got in there, and wondered if they gave me the wrong study guide!!!!! Yep, that bad!!! It will only be by the grace of God that I get a passing grade. Won't find out for 4 weeks- yep, that's right. So, I feel like I am lost in lingo world not knowing what my purpose is at all.....it's all up in the air. I'm just glad that God has control of it and not me, because with my track record lately, I would be sure to screw it up.

So, sorry for the rambling, but hopefully some of this will explain a little of why I have posted since December 20th....I hope things will settle some so I can do better!

Be blessed!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Well, for those of you who know me well, you know how much I LOVE Christmas time....for so many reasons!!! But, the last 4 years have been a little tough on me. Ever since I lost my Daddy, Christmas just is a little harder. My Daddy too loved Christmas~ we loved loving it together. Now, don't get me wrong, my 1st Christmas without my Daddy was my first Christmas with Cole, so in that aspect, it is more special than ever. But, I still have a hard time being the "Christmas Nazi" as Matt had referred to me for so many years. This year is no different. I feel a huge void. But, this year, I have come to realize that I always will. So, today I will stop looking for whatever it is that I thought would magically "fix it". But, I also realize just how lucky I am and how much I adore my 2 children. That in itself makes me happier than I could ever imagine. Matt & I are so proud of them. In addition to these things, there are some other "thankfuls" that are on my mind:

~My family: as dysfunctional as we may be at times (hehehehe), we love each other very much. This has been proven so much this week. My grandmother fell and broke her back a week ago. As you can imagine, she is in tremendous pain. She will be having surgery this Tuesday morning, but until then, we ALL have been taking turns helping care for her. My grandfather can't do it all. Yes, all of us~ me, Cindy (my mom), Anita, Donna, Julie have been helping with her. As well as all of their teenage children who do whatever we ask with no complaints. God has blessed us with such love~

~My children: even though I think they are giving me gray hair for Christmas, I still love them with every beat of my heart. No really- I am so proud of them. Cole will be 5 in January and is such a sweet, compassionate little boy. He was having some problems a few months ago with a little bit of sassing, but it seems that was a phase. He's got such a wonderful personality. And, Taylor- wow....what a big girl she's becoming. She will be 3 in March, but is certainly going on 18. She's so independent!! Wonder where she gets that from???!!!

~Changes in my life: some of you know and some of you don't. But, about 3 months ago, I felt as if God was pushing me in a new direction for my life career wise. So, on January 10th, I will be taking the Praxis II test. And, if it is meant to be, I will (hopefully) find a job teaching Business Ed to High Schoolers. I am VERY excited about this possibility. I have always had an "itch" to teach, but just didn't think that it would ever happen. But, I know that it is totally up to God....not me. So, the next few months will be very exciting for me.

~Wayne & Cindy: or, "Paco" & LuLu" as my kids call this. This is my mom and my step-dad. I never in a million years would have thought that I could have been so lucky. My mom found a wonderful man to marry after my Daddy passed away. Not only does he love me, but he is absolutely in love with my kids. He cares so much about us...he loves us. He would do anything for my children and I know without a doubt that he would do anything in the world for me too. I'm so thankful for that. I don't think that I could ever express in words to him just how thankful I am for that. My mom is my best friend.....she listens to me, she laughs at me and she loves me unconditionally.....WOW!!! How awesome is that???!!!!

~Thank you Jesus for blessing me and my family so dearly. Thank you for who you are and what you did to give us eternal life. And, this Christmas, I pledge to not get caught up in the material side of Christmas, but to truly be thankful Jesus, my family and my life!!!

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Christmas!!!

Love to you all!!!!

Joy

~I'm Back!!!!~

Well, a very dear friend of mine reminded me that I have a blog that could use an update. So, you can really thank her for this!!! Thank you Joy!!!

No, seriously~ I had every intention of updating after Thanksgiving, but December has been pretty rough on me. Want to know why? Of course you do!!! Here is my list (and this is all true....makes me sound like I'm from a soap opera, doesn't it???) ~

• 2 kids that I don't think will EVER stop coughing!!!! I guess Cole may, but not Taylor.
• Taylor got pink eye
• Taylor got an upper respiratory infection
• Joy got a sinus infection
• Joy got pink eye
• Joy fell down a flight of steps~ yes, I know! Go ahead and laugh.....it's ok now. But, at the time I felt like I was 80! I thought I broke my hip and my wrist. Wouldn't have surprised me if I would have....just my kinda luck! But, after I got my breath back, I realized that I was very bruised up, but all in all, ok. So, I hurt for about 5 days & then felt much better. I've really learned to respect the steps. Ok, ok.....that's enough laughing!!!
• Joy got THE STOMACH BUG~ yes, 'that one'! It was pretty horrible.
• Then, on Sunday morning, my grandmother fell down and broke her back :(

So, as you can see, things have been a little out of control. All I can say now is ~ IS IT CHRISTMAS YET??????

I have had a tough go of it and really haven't felt much in the Christmas spirit, but I know that I have so much to be thankful for and can't wait to watch both kids enjoy the fun of Christmas. They are both now at the age to where it is magical for them..... I LOVE THAT!!!!

So, to all of you who too are having a tough go of it.....let it all go & relax. Enjoy the special feeling of it all, enjoy the kids, enjoy the family and reflect on how blessed we are. The "reason for the season".....God is good!!!

Want To Save Money???!!!

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www.dealseekingmom.com

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!!!!!

Good Luck!!!!

~~~The 'R' Word~~~

Yes, I AM about the say the much dreaded 'R' word~ Recession. Well, we are all feeling it in one way or another. For me, it started last July...not this passed July, noooo- almost 1.5 years ago. I warned everyone that it was coming. (So, if you didn't listen to me, you can now hear me say "I told you so!" JK). But, really~ July of 2007 is when the real estate market tanked...badly. And, it is only worse now. So, my family has been feeling the upset of the economy for a while. I thank God each and every day that Matt still has his job, but Fidelity just finished a layoff of 1300 people and is getting ready to layoff another 1700- so, I can't say that it can't happen to us.

For others, you are just getting a taste of it. Ok, ok...to my point. I just found out this evening that my younger brother who currently works at USC on campus in the marketing department, is losing his job. He is losing his job along with many others at USC. Many families are going through this same "crisis" right now. He lives alone and has no one else to help pay his mortgage, bills, etc.....so, to say he is scared right now is really putting it lightly.

My prayer for tonight (and for as long as it takes), is that people will find good in all of this. Will it be hard? YES!!! Will it be scary? YES!!! But, God has a plan and God knows us and what we are all going through. I pray that none of us take our eyes off of HIM during this time and that we can still thank HIM each and everyday for the wonderfulness (I know it's not really a word) that He has given us and continues to give us!! Our sacrifices are still NOTHING compared to His.

May you all find peace in the Lord during this scary time and I hope that we can all lean on one another....that will get us through!!!! Remember~ the Lord will never give you more than you can handle. So, to all of my family & friends...remember that, because I may need you to remind me some days!

Love you to all!
Joy

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