Where have I been?!?

I started this blog to post about our daily goings on at our house. The intention was that I would post the good, the bad and every thing in between. Well, after my last post things at our house became sort of undone. It is fair to say we had a rough year or so. That said I will do my best to explain. You see, sometimes we get tangled into our daily life and it overwhelms us and keeps us so consumed we don't get much else done. Since I posted last we lost several family members. We lost some to illness and some to old ago. We lost 11 relatives, including aunts, uncles, Mike's great grandmother and most difficultly we lost Mike's dad to a very long, very tough battle with cancer. While all of this has been going on we have also dealt with medical issues and Mike's unemployment. But, funny thing that unemployment, I have come to see it as something of a blessing during his dad's illness. It enabled him to be able to take care of his parents, assisting with doctors appointments, finish projects, and really anything that they thought might need to be done. So, at this point we are working to pick ourselves up and get ourselves back on track. We are thinking that it is time for things to change, good things to come around. I can only hope that is what sets on our horizon. But, I would be remiss to not say, THANK YOU!! Thank you everyone for your kinds words and deeds through this hard time for us. We love you all and think of you all often.

Now, I plan to pick my blog up, dust it off, and get my self back to posting. Jen

Reasons to be thankful....

These last few weeks have been trying for me. I have struggled with children trying to overcome the sadness of the anniversary of the death of a favorite relative. I have worked at helping her to focus on the memories of good times together, like family dinners at a favorite restaurant; holidays eating everyone's best dishes; knowing that when we lived far away there was a phone call from them every holiday and sometimes just because. This has been just one of several but it is the one I want to succeed at the most. I am working at staying healthy. This isn't going as well as I would like but a trip to the Dr midweek this week should help us continue in a productive direction. There is always the struggle of unemployment. But, today I was speaking to someone on the phone who was sharing with me her frustrations and struggles in life. Then she said it, she shared with me that she is 80 and trying to raise a teenager left in her care. Thank you Heavenly Father for giving me my children to raise when I was young!!! Maybe I CAN handle the things placed before me. I am finding that when we think we are overwhelmed we seem to be shown the way to find the little extra we need to carry on. THANK YOU! So, I love my girls, they exhaust me and today I am sore and tired and feeling a little overwhelmed but I am 1/2 the age of some that are raising kids the age of mine. I think I am going to make it just fine. By the way, this time last year Catie had her hip surgery, this year she has the ok to begin running again. Something we thought may never happen. Yeah Catie!! I hope you have a great week. Jen

So Thankful...

1st and foremost, this picture has nothing to do with the post, it just makes me smile. This Thanksgiving was quite different from every other Thanksgiving we have ever had. This year was the first time that we had a child that came home for the holiday. It definitely put a different spin on things. I know those we visited over the course of the week wanted to see all of us but mostly they wanted to see Eliza. This year has been one for the books. We have lost several close family members from both mine and Mike's families. It has helped our family to remember that there is much to be thankful for during this trying time we live in. So many of my friends have blogged a list of various things to be thankful for. As I sat around our dinner table on Sunday, with my sister in law and mother in law, eating the traditional end of thanksgiving turkey and home made noodles, I came to realize that there is much to be thankful for - the roof over our heads, the warmth of a good blanket, the love of your family, the belly laugh of your child, and the simple kindness that comes from a kind word or deed each day. So, things aren't exactly easy right now, and this is not a circumstance I ever thought I would find myself in again but I'm not going through it alone and there is a Christmas movie on each night for the next month and plenty of hot chocolate to be had. Sometimes you just have to look a little closer to find your joy. It's always there you just have to look a little closer.

The Love Of All Things Fall....

I truly think fall is my favorite time of year. I love the change in the weather. The anticipation of getting your warm, comfy sweaters out of storage. The excitement of the holidays just around the corner. I love going out to the mall and seeing the Christmas decorations and all of the new and fun things the stores are carrying in anticipation of the shoppers looking for that "just right" gift. There is the excitement of planning the holiday meal or in our case this year, receiving your meal assignment. We have the opportunity to have 2 dinners this year. Our assignments consist of 1 - 7 layer salad for one house and 1 dish of yams, something that I will try to make in a way that everyone enjoys without overloading the sugar level and deviled eggs. An assignment that we receive more often now thanks to Eliza. That is a story for another time. Just heed my warning, a dozen deviled eggs and a pound of fudge make for an extremely ill child. Oh the love of fall... There is the fun of planning your shopping. For some this is painful, and I must admit for me there is the struggle of the budget so you get the thrill of the great sale! Then there is the planning of the Christmas card. To do a photo or no photo, hand made or store bought. OK if you know me you know I don't do store bought. I've picked the color scheme, found the right rubber stamps, decided on the embellishments and am working on the mailing list. And why do we send cards to every person we can think of. I mean, do these people really need a card from me. Wait I''m spinning in the wrong directions. Sorry about that. So, Fall...there is the cooking and stashing of the dozens of cookies. I guess when I really think about it my love of fall has more to do with the planning and preparation for Christmas. Well, I do love Christmas. But, then I love any holiday. Just think this time next week we will once again all be under one roof. That is the best part of this fall.

Love to all, Jen

My Poor Blog...

Every day I get up, get ready for work, find something to call breakfast and do a quick check on the 'puter. This means email, others blog postings, facebook and a quick run through of Craigslist for our most recent quests, right now that means trundle beds for the girls rooms for nearly free. Well, this means that each morning I look at my poor blog posting and realize that it has literally been months since I updated it. Why? you ask. Well,1) I don't want to remove the picture of my child who has flown the nest. 2) When I started my blog I wanted it to be happy, fun updates of our goings on. 3) I'm tired. 4) Sometimes things SUCK!! 5) more of #4.

So, this is my sort of rebound post, like the rebound girl/boyfriend it doesn't have to be pretty. It need not be the ONE. It just needs to get me through a rough patch. So, here is my sorry little blog post. Now I need to realize I can move on and things won't always be rosy but at least they will BE. So, why no posts you wonder. It is alot of the same and I struggle sometimes to see through the fog. Things are tough, money is tight, I am having some health issues I am trying to work through quietly and my job is not always something I enjoy. Honestly, I work with an office full of women that really need some therapy. But, for the most part we are in decent health, we have a roof over our heads and food on the table. Hopefully (please, please, please) my husband will be once again employed by the end of the year. I hope.

So, that is why I have not been here. My blog I promise to be better. Love you all.

ME

A new love of facebook

Today we held the funeral for my father-in-law. He had been sick for several months. It was a very long and painful experience for him and difficult for those close to him to watch. Now, what does this have to do with facebook. Well, let me tell you. Mr. Illifornian used Twitter (something I haven't conquered yet) to update his facebook to keep our extended family informed of his father's condition. We weren't sure who was really keeping an eye on it but today we found out. We learned that several of his cousins used it to keep their parents up to date and I know while I was at work I would check it from time to time those last few days to know if I needed to leave work. You see he reached a point over the last few days that his condition literally changed hourly then the last day it changed within minutes. We've used it to share with friends and family regarding funeral arrangements and express thanks to those offering kind words. So, I have found that maybe there is something good about Facebook. Now, if I could just figure out how to Twitter.

The End Is Near...

The end of my first daughters high school education is ending. She graduated from Seminary (early morning bible study) tonight. She managed to get up every school day by 5:30 and go. She has worked hard, managed to adjust to being moved 2000 miles in the midst of her Junior year and land on her feet. She has sang in choir for 4 years, Editor of the school paper, Performed in various musicals at school and still has time for her 2 younger sisters. I am very proud of her and all of her efforts but what happened to the little red head with the braids? Eliza we are very proud of you. It has it's melancholy moments but I know she will do fine. She has managed to always find the positive in every situation. Oh, the tears will flow come Wednesday! Can she really be that old?