Some Pictures over the last month or two

Tomorrow starts the Project 365...lets hope I stick with it longer than I did last year. I will definitely take 1 picture a day, but I can't promise to post one everyday...is that fair?? LOL as if I can answer myself!!

Anyway...here are a few pictures from Thanksgiving to now!

Christmas Eve and all through the house.........

Well, it is Christmas Eve. Hard to believe how fast it came around. I have been so focused on getting my quilts done, I still have 3 hats to make but I just can't seem to find the energy to WANT to do them. I feel like I am getting depressed and I am trying to stop that from happening. I know that there are soooooo many people out there in far worse situations than us and so for that reason, I try to just forget my problems. I am trying but I seem to be failing.

We have paid the mortgages on time for the past 3 months....but it has virtually left us with not but a few dollars in our pockets (which scares me because if one of us gets sick).....but on to something else. Looks like January's payment on the first mortgage is going to be late. I don't see any other way. I thought once the New Year started, we would be in a better position...that was until I found out that the Federal Government says Sallie Mae can't give me the full amount of money for the FINAL quarter of school. So I am stuck...paying $250 out of pocket for my text books, and making 3 payments of $150 to cover my classes, oh and the $120 fee to get my diploma....it all seems so unfair...but like I said I know other people have it worse.

I am blessed to have a job, a house, clothes (even though most have holes in them), shoes, food, a husband, 3 healthy kids, and even a dog and 2 cats. I want to get out of this funk I am in. I want to do something to make this world a better place. I think about that song alot...not sure what the title is, but it says, "How can I further your Kingdom, when I'm so wrapped up in mine?" WOW...that is exactly how I feel. I want to forget my problems exist and do something, but I don't know how. I keep thinking our best option would be to let the house go. It is dragging us down and I am starting to wonder why we continue to fight so hard to keep something that is only hurting us.

Oh....I don't know if it is good or bad news. JC feels like I am going places (without him). I don't know if he means physically or literally, but I feel bad for him for feeling that way. He has had a hard life and he can't get past it....anyway I digress...I just found out this past Monday, I will be expected to travel back and forth to Kentucky all of February and 1/2 of March to train....basically it means that I will be taking a TEAM LEAD position (I wonder if it will come with a raise??)since my team lead now is taking a manager position. I will be in charge of training....this thought is hard for me in a couple of ways. First I have only flew once...ONCE...and that was back before I decided on my own never to drink again...so I had a Strawberry Dauquiri before I got on the plane...so now I am going to be flying TWICE a week for 6 weeks...that is a little bit of a shock to this girl who never leaves home. Second, I am not an outgoing sort of person...so to be in charge of training (even though it is only 2 people) is scary to me. Third, I will be away from the boys and JC and I am not sure how that is going to go for me or for them. Fourth, IF JC finds a job between now and then, what will I do with the kids?? And if he doesn't find a job between now and then, we might as well start packing, because we have already agreed if he doesn't find a job by March, we have no choice but to let it go..........so maybe all of these thoughts are what is making me so melancholy. I don't know....but it's Christmas Eve and I say enough is enough.

Last night I read, played Battleship, and started a puzzle with Jeremy. It was fun. I also found this book at the Library called 365 Afterschool Activities for TV-Free Fun for Kids Ages 7-12 (thanks to the idea of MOM2MY9 who does a blog about TV-Free Fun for Toddlers). While I was finishing up my work yesterday so I can be off the rest of the year, Jeremy was lonely since his brothers were at a sleepover...so I got out the book and let him do Newspaper dancing. When I read it, I thought, heck no, that will make a mess...but quickly I said, who cares. I read him the instructions, helped him set up his square newspaper floor, and let him have it. He jumped, hopped, did the worm, wadded the paper up, threw the paper, shredded the paper and made confetti (BIG CONFETTI NOT THE SMALL KIND)and threw it over his head. WOW...he made me laugh, he laughed himself, and it kept him busy for about 10 minutes...when the fun was over, he even cleaned up himself with only 2 reminders from Mom. So yesterday, was okay....upsetting about school but made so much better by this little boy who just finds the absolute joy in everything he does.

So now where does that leave me...well I have the next 11 days off of work and no traveling to do. WOW..that never happens!! So, if it isn't too terribly cold, we are going to check out the SC zoo. We have never been, it is free since we have a yearly pass to all zoos, we will pack a lunch so it won't cost us anything but gas. We are going to implement a game night in 2010. My husband and I have resolved to stop using our gas cards as a way to get snacks and sodas..which I hope will help us lose weight AND save money. I am going to spend as much time as I can with my kids this week since they aren't in school and I'm not working and then on January 4th...I will start planning on how to tackle our debt...oh yeah it is time to get out there and start our 3-mile walk today. I have been doing good with the 3-mile walks on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I usually get one WEEKEND day in but it seems I have never gotten both days in...humm got to work on that...oh and if I end up in Kentucky..>I will need to change my schedule around, because if I am only going to see the boys for 2 days a week, I am NOT going to be spending a couple hours out walking without them.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to us all! Remember - Jesus is the Reason for the Season!!

It's in the Valleys I Grow

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It's then I have to remember
That it's in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love
And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it's in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.


My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan's loss.

Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.

Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it's in the valleys I grow!



(This poem was written by Jane Eggleston who currently lives in Virginia. Her son Jeff states, "She is a wonderful person, loves Jesus and has been the best mother anyone could ever ask for." What a fitting tribute to any mother.)

Why do I care, why do I let it bother me?

Well first of all, it's been a few days or more....what's new - right?? It has been several days of very cold weather. We were at Lazy 5 Ranch yesterday with Jeremy's class and it was freezing but really fun! I will try to post a few pictures when I get a chance. One little girl that I just love (and was in his class last year too), fell off the back of the wagon and I just felt so bad for her. She was probably petrified, considering she was in the middle of a field with tons of animals. The wagon driver didn't hear and kept going, it took several shouts for him to finally stop. Mrs. Womack held her while she cried....I guess days like that make me think about my old desire to be a teacher....to be able to help kids learn and make them feel better. But then reality sits in, and I realize that although I love kids, I couldn't do it ALL DAY, EVERY DAY!

I have done good getting back on the wagon with walking this week (no pun intended, lol). So Far I have done 11 miles and am scheduled to do 6 more tomorrow. I just finished 5 this evening and my feet were SORRRRRE when I got back home. I can't wait until I can afford another pair of shoes. I will probably need 2 pairs between now and May.

I took the boys to the orthodontist yesterday. The guy is new here in NC, but has had a practice up in Boston for the past 11. Everybody was wonderful, the place is amazing and even has a game room and PSPs at each dental chair (the boys were THRILLED). I wasn't too thrilled with the price, but he is about the cheapest I have found, and is willing to TRY to work out some payment arrangements. I was hoping to pay off our Lowes bill with my first tuition reimbursement check, but it looks like I will be giving him a down payment so we can get started. The boys teeth are a bit more jacked up then I thought. SIGH.

Wondering about my Title of this blog yet??? LOL....it was the first thing that came to my mind, but before I expanded I wanted to give myself an account for the last couple days of my life. I have to do stuff when I think about it, or its gone from memory. My mom calls it SOMETIMERS....sounds about right!

I have a pretty BAD knack of letting EARTHLY things get to me. I know I need to lay it all at the feet of the cross and stop worrying about it, but it seems my mind doesn't udnerstand that too well. I experience greed, jealously, anger, and I say to myself DON'T and I can't stop. I feel like I am missing out on THINGS, and wonder WHY? Why don't they invite me? Why am I not part of their "thing". And then I wonder WHY? Why do I care? We are only here for a small moment and eternity will be everything I WANT and NEED down here and don't get. So why do those feelings of inadequacy and envy keep coming? Why do I care? Why do I let it bother me?

Finally, I just want to say how heart-broken I am for Hannah Grace's family. I have been following her mom's blogs for a month or more and was checking several times a day for updates. It amazes me how her mom seems to be offering us her heart and soul and even in her darkest days seems to be trying to comfort us, when we should be comforting her. I want my walk with Christ to be that strong. I want to know that even in my darkest hour I will still call out Jesus' name and fall on my knees and know that everything will be okay. Thank you for showing us God's grace during the most difficult time and thank you for showing us your faith..I can't wait to meet Hannah face to face one day when my life ends and my eternity begins!

Okay...I have to go and get my quilts done and my paper done that is due tomorrow...uggh!!

MckMama Giveaway

WOW - I don't normally try to win free stuff because, well, because I don't usually win...but I don't want to pass this one up just in case.....lets say I do win....WOWZER. I would love to have this computer that MckMama is advertising, and I am pretty sure you might want it to....so go ahead, give it a try. Go to http://mckgiveaways.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-giveaway.html and enter yourself. And if you win from seeing on my blog (which I doubt is possible, since it is just me), maybe you can let me play with it once or twice!! LOL

The Walk, Being Sick, and just Catching Up

Well, I agreed to do the walk with Michaela and think it will do great to help me get some of these excess pounds off. The first week I did great and walked all 4 required days for a total of 13 miles. The second week was Thanksgiving and it started off OK. I walked the 3 on Tuesday and the 4 on Thursday (which was Thanksgiving and I was very proud of myself) but shortly after that I started feeling pretty bad. By saturday when I was supposed to walk again, I could barely breathe or walk...so I sat out that day...and the next...and I haven't started back yet. In my defense when I got to the Urgent Care, I did have an ear infection in both ears (with pus in my ear) on top of the coughing, sneezing, sore throat, achy, chills, just to name a few. I am starting to feel better but am still having a hard time breathing and coughing...so I decided to take this week off and start over next week. I go back to the doctor tomorrow, so hopefully all will be well.

Thanksgiving turned out really nice and I am glad we went, I just hope I didn't get anybody else sick. Christmas is right around the corner and I am hoping to get my energy back sooner than later so I can finish up the hats and quilts I am making for Christmas. I am hoping everybody will be coming here and we won't need to travel this year...we'll see.

I am working on getting my end of the year appraisal done that is due tomorrow. And I am behind on my bible reading and Homework...so I am going to drop off now and will try to come back in a day or two.