WW and Clutter

I've been trying to catch up on here everything that has been going on since June...and I keep forgetting to come and say that I am no longer doing WW. We are trying to cut back on spending and it was an easy decision to save that $40 a month. I am hoping to keep losing, but so far I haven't been doing so good....I have finally decided to put it up to God with the rest of my prayers. Why haven't I been doing this up until now?

I am not a very good person to pray. I get nervous when doing it out loud. Worried about how others perceive me....but I am trying to get better at that as well. JC and I have started praying together...that's a great feeling. And I have been making a point to pray with the boys each night as Jeremy would say "pray at the bed". Apparently he heard that from Awana and I was so proud that he remembered it....again - Why haven't I been doing this? So I have been asking God for alot lately. Safety, health, financial problems, help with praying, help with losing weight. I feel guilty for all I ask for, but I also let Him know how blessed I feel. Recently, we have had a lot of rain. I think it is wonderful...of course there are a bunch of people who complain...but I am pretty sure they are the same people who were complaining just 2 months ago because we are in a drought.

Political "friends".....Why do people insist on sending emails with their personal opinions about who I should vote for this November? Why do I have to get 2 or 3 phone calls a day from people who want to know? It's private...nobody needs to know until I get to that poll. I don't like discussing politics with my friends. They make me feel bad for my opinions. They make me get angry and I don't want to be angry. I just want to make this decision with only God's influence and nobody elses. People are saying President Bush is bad because he sent us to war.....all I have to say about that is when he took action to stand up for our country back in September 2001, everybody was for him and behind him. I don't like thinking about men and women dying anywhere, but they are out there fighting for not only their lives, but our lives as well and I think it is a disgrace that the American people don't want to support them. Other people are saying that the Republicans are forcing the media to not show footage of the damage caused by Hurrican Ike. Are you serious? The media is running the election. The media discusses whatever the media wants to? And don't they remember the soldiers that are fighting everyday for our freedoms....if the Republicans took their right to speak away....wouldn't that defeat the purpose? Some people are saying Barack Obama is the antichrist. There is much debate about that and for a little bit I think I believed it, until I did some research and learned that the Bible doesn't truly describe what the antichrist will be (a Muslim male in his 40s). Only God and his angels know the answer to that one...Some people are saying some pretty horrible things about Sarah Palin. How she runs Alaska, what she allows and what she tries to force with her authority. That scares me...I wonder is any of this true? Do people truly know these facts or are they just trying to get me on their side? I'm not asking you to choose sides....just expressing my concerns/thoughts about this election. I think the best advice I have heard up to now was to pray to God to help me make the best decision.

Lastly, my foot.....back in July - I dropped a heavy wood 5 Ft, 3 panelled frame on my foot. I have attached a couple of pictures of that as well. I am going tonight to have a MRI because the place above my big toe has formed a Hematoma. The 2nd picture is the boot I had to wear after they tried to drain it. Who would have ever thought it would take this long to heal?

Dog training. I have been working with a dog trainer to get Blondie acting better. We have seen a big improvement...but there is still so much work to be done. I think I am holding her back because I am not forceful enough....well here is a picture of her as a SMALL puppy....gonna go out now during the 2nd half of my lunch and work with her.

OOPS....PS - Forgot to mention the clutter....clutter is everywhere...I feel stressed...gonna have a yard sale this Saturday to try to get rid of some of this stuff we don't need. I need help especially with my pictures and scrapbooking materials that have gotten way out of control.

Some thoughts and pictures

The only picture I could find of Earvin - gray shirt

Starting at the top - Kodey, James, Robbie, Randall, Billy, Alayna, Bella, and Jeremy

Robbie

Miller Family Reunion - this is the Freda Louise Miller Unger Harich family

Randall

James

Jack and Jeremy

Cousin get-together (Dani, Katie, Rick, me, Kim, and Steph)

My girl - Maddy.

Since I haven't been on here lately, I thought I would share some thoughts and pictures of the last several months. It's been long and stressful and at times I seem to falter, but I keep thinking to myself that I need to keep looking up.

My default picture is of my family reunion on my dad's side back in March. At the end of June we went to Florida to have a family reunion on my mom's side. I planned both of them so I stressed the first half of the year about those. I promised myself I wouldn't run myself ragged over the summer this year, but once again that proved false. I traveled about 6000 miles in 2 miles. We went to VA for my job, a week later we went to FL, a week after returning we went to VA and Eastern NC to visit family, and a few weeks later made the trip again. I had all of my nephews and niece down except for Earvin (he promises to come next summer). I love that time with them. Although I seem to always be so stressed out while they are here. I can't afford big dollar gifts for them, so I hope when they think back to their childhood, they think of the time with me and not the gifts from others. My sister is due to have another boy at the end of November/beginning of December. That will make 8 between the 3 of us. All boys, except for Maddy....she isn't mine...but she looks more like me than her own momma...so I guess I can take that. I really honestly always wanted a girl, but I believe that God knows what He had planned for us and He has given us all we can handle.

The last couple of months has left us struggling with our finances. We are OK...but have so much debt it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are taking a great class - Financial Peace University and it has some wonderful ideas of how to turn our life around. I hope it works for us. JC (my husband) has put his car up for sale to help alleviate some of our debt. It will at least get us started. I have gone through our house and pulled out a bunch of stuff to sell at a yard sale that I am going to have this weekend. Anything made from that will go towards our Emergency Fund that we are trying to build. Enough with the depressing stuff.

My last thought for the day is that I go to the most awesome church ever. The people are so loving, caring, and thoughtful. I want to fill my life up with everything they have to offer. The older boys go to Collision on Sundays and Jeremy has joined the children's choir. They all three also go to Awana on Wednesday nights while we are in our Financial Peace class. On Saturday I went to a Laughter and Latte gathering with other women in the church and had a really good time. I want to be more involved with these ladies and hope to make it to the women's retreat in May. We missed the Baptism this weekend, but we hope to all get baptised as a family at the next one......JC has some questions to ask first and once he deals with some of his fears, we hope to move forward to publicly display our love for Jesus. I can't wait for that day!

Here are some pictures of the past couple of months. I have so many, but I will have to narrow it down. :-) Well the pictures are on the top...not very good at posting pictures obviously...anybody have any suggestions. Bye for now....I am getting ready to leave to go to the foot doctor....long story and would need a whole other post.

I'm back on Blogger

Back in June I said I would be be posting more but here it is almost October and I haven't posted in awhile. I have been watching a family blog about their adventure of adopting a young girl from China. I have never met this family but feel as if I know them so much, and of course I do believe we are sisters and brothers in Christ. They are a great family. Recently I have been following several other families, all who are now or have adopted from China in the past. Their stories have really touched me and sometimes I sit here and just cry, from their joy and their pain and their ability to make me laugh and cry and praise God with them. I also noticed that when I was wanting to have my friends/family pray with me for this little girl Susannah, I wrote about it on my Myspace page, but was reluctant to put their web page link on Myspace because I don't think the people who are my friends on there would truly understand. I started thinking how very sad it was and decided I wanted to get back to blogging here. I have used Blogger/Blogspot since 2005, but I feel a bond with these families that I don't feel with my friends and families that I honestly know. So here I am. I don't have any readers or friends....but if anybody is reading this and you see that I have been reading your pages...I just want you to know how very blessed you make me feel and I pray that God continues to bless you all!

Bobbie