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.