Missing Daddy

Last week, Cory went to Missouri to train for his new job. Cory has never had a job that required him to do out of town training or business trips. So, this was all new for our family. He was gone from Monday until Friday.

So, on Sunday night, Cory was tucking all the kids in bed and telling them goodbye (he had to leave the house at 5:30 a.m. the next morning). Things went fine with the 3 younger ones, then he went to Morgan's room. She started crying and telling him that she didn't want him to go. He stayed with her for a little while and then came up to our room. He said that she broke his heart. As he was talking, we heard our little Sydney girl make her way up the stairs sniffling and crying. By the time she got to the top, she was all out hyper-ventilating. She also did not want her dad to leave. He gave her a big hug, took her back to bed and scratched her back for a while.

As he was scratching Sydney's back, Morgan came out of her room again all red-faced and upset. I asked her what was wrong. She answered the best she could through her tears that she didn't want daddy to go. I told her that he was only going to be gone for a couple of days. She said, "I know and I am acting like a BABY!!" Poor thing. I reassured her that she was NOT acting like a baby and that she was just showing how much she loves her daddy. So, after Cory was finished scratching Sydney's back, he made his way back to Morgan's room to do the same for her.

For some reason, the other 2 kids didn't really struggle emotionally. But, the 2 that did, really did. I thought it was just the sweetest thing and it really assured me of their relationship with their dad. I love to see these girls grow closer and closer to their dad. It is exactly what they should be doing and it makes me smile.

Oh, one more thing... One of the nights that Cory was gone, Morgan was saying her prayers. Somewhere in the middle she said, "God, help the days not to feel so long when daddy is gone." I thought it was the sweetest thing. I told Cory that the days just feel longer when he is gone.

The Searching and Waiting is Over

HE GOT A JOB!!!!

I have a feeling that this is going to be a long blog post. So, don't feel obligated to read the whole thing. I just need to be able to record how awesome God's timing is and how he brought this all together.

It has been 14 months of waiting... Waiting for a job... Waiting for God's provision... Waiting. The long waiting ended so abruptly, I haven't really had time to process it all. All I know is that Cory went in for an interview on Tuesday, was called back today and starts on Monday. Amazing!!

He will be working as the Operations Manager for Ripley's Believe It or Not on I-Drive. His hours will be 8-5, M-F. He will get Health benefits. He will leave his work at work. He will NOT be waking at 3 am to go to a part time job earning minimum wage! Praise You, Lord!!

The last couple of months had really started to discourage me and God had to remind me of his faithfulness and he gave me the faith to trust in him no matter how I felt. I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I could feel His arms holding me close. I could hear His voice calling me to trust in Him.

As I look back on this waiting time, I am so thankful for everything God has taught us. I know I will continue to see more and more of His plan in it. But for now, this is what I see:
-He brought 2 lukewarm believers to their knees.
-He strengthened our marriage.
-He strengthened our family.
-He gave me a renewed longing to cherish the time I have with my husband and children.
-He humbled me to be the person receiving charity from others.
-He called me into fellowship with Him daily. I didn't always answer, but I sure heard Him loud and clear!
-He showed me the support system that I have and how blessed I am.
-He changed my identity .
-He gave me a new perspective on life.

When my husband called me today to tell me the news, I laughed and cried at the same time. I never knew I could display such emotion over a job. I am awe-struck and relieved. I feel as though I can breathe again.

It has been such perfect timing as well that I have been going through the Beth Moore study "Stepping Up". Every week and day has been like a walk through my life. It is a pilgrimage up the Psalms of Ascent. Here are some verses that have spoken to my heart on this journey.

Psalm 120:1 - "In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me."
Psalm 121:2 - "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Psalm 123:3 - "We're watching and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting your word of mercy. "
Psalm 124:1 - "If God hadn't been for us..."
Psalm 126:4 - "And now, God, do it again— bring rains to our drought-stricken lives."

And He did!! He brought the rain! Today had to be one of the most rainy days in Central Florida this season. He brought the rain figuratively and literally. My dry, drought-stricken life has been rained on today. My soul feels refreshed and I see the buds blooming. Thanks you LORD!! Thank You!!

Camporee 2010

Our girl scout troop attended a service unit wide camping trip called Camporee this year. The girls had a blast and we learned a lot as troop leaders (both good and what not to do).

It was cold and drizzly, but we made S'Mores and sang campfire songs... you know all the good ones like the one about the shark that eats your leg and you do CPR but it doesn't work so you go to heaven. Yup, that is actually one of the songs.

We also took part in a flag retirement ceremony.

At the end of the 2nd day, all the girls exchanged their S.W.A.P.S.
(Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned SomeWhere).

Sydney is 8

Sydney,

You have made our home more fun and crazy. You bring laughter to the hardest situations and you are not afraid to embarrass yourself if it will make someone cackle. You have strong opinions that seem to change every day :) You ask questions about EVERYTHING. You want to know every detail about everything that is going on or might possible go on or have already happened. I think you might just be a reporter or investigator one day. You have a compassionate spirit and you are willing to give up a prized possession to someone you love. You do everything with fervor. You love bigger and stronger than most people I know. You already have developed a passion for people who do not love Jesus and you are not afraid to tell others about him. You are a complete and total odd ball and proud of it!! I love you and I am so glad God chose to add you to our family in His perfect timing. Love you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Mommy

Breathing Room

Our home that has been filled with 10 people for the last 7 months is back down to 6. Our friends found a house around the corner for sale and closed this last Tuesday.

It has been great to be able to co-habitate and help eachother financially, but both families were ready for a little more breathing room. But, not too much... They needed to stay within walking distance :)

So, now the great debate with my girls is who is going to have their own room.

I also am teaching Morgan how to make a few dinners from beginning to end so that she can do the cooking the days that I leave before Cory gets home. She is excited and had her first chance to show her stuff tonight. She made dinner, fed all the kids and was in the process of cleaning by the time her daddy arrived. I just need to remember this the next time she gives me that pre-teen attitude.

Job Update

I just wanted to update everyone on Cory's job status. He started working this week with Home Depot from 4-8 a.m., 5 days a week. He is still working with the temporary job that he thought was only going to last through the end of last year. So, he goes straight from Home Depot to the other job and works until about 4 p.m.

We are not exactly sure how long the temp job is going to last, but we are thankful for it lasting longer than what we expected.

I am still working about 25-30 hours at my job as well.

We are thankful for God's provision and continue to ask him to answer our heart's cry.

2009

I used to write a letter at the end of every year to sum things up and let family/friends know what life is like in our household. However, the last 3 years have seemed to pass me by without me even thinking about that letter (well, at least not until March/April the next year).

So, here is my attempt for the year 2009. It has not been an easy one for us and most of it seems like a blur, but it is worthy of being remembered.

In January, Cory was officially laid off from his job. He was in construction management, and the company didn’t have enough work to keep him on. He has been feverishly looking for just about anything, but has yet to find a permanent position. He has been fortunate enough to find occasional side jobs, but his search continues. He interviewed with 2 different places this month and is hoping that one of those will come through. It has been difficult for Cory to be unemployed this long and he is learning more every day what it means to truly trust the Lord with our provision. He also has started to play a major role in teaching the kids this year.

In August, I was hired part/full-time at a local Second Hand store for kids. I don't mind the work and I am able to leave the kids with their father. However, this was a tremendous adjustment for me. I went from a stay-at-home (10 years), homeschooling (5 years) mom to a working (30 hours/week) mom overnight. I had a little bit of an emotional breakdown, but we are starting to get into a groove with this new rhythm of life. It has been a year of releasing control for me. I had to let God teach me that it is ok for me to not be in charge of every detail of my kid's lives. Hmmm... I wonder if I'm gonna have to learn that lesson again in the future.

Also in August, we had another family move in with us. The purpose was 2-fold: 1. They pay us rent to help us pay the mortgage and 2. They save on other bills to help save up enough money for a down payment on their own house. Having 2 families (a total of 10 people) under 1 roof has been an adjustment for everyone. We have had people live with us before, so we were not completely taken off guard, but with our extreme change of schedule at the same time, it made the adjustment a little more difficult. We worked through some hard things and determined in the beginning to NOT allow this situation to destroy our friendship. And, thank the Lord, it hasn't! They are now looking at closing on a house by the end of January or soon there after.

Morgan turned 10 this year!! I can hardly believe it's true, but it is. She now loves being able to refer to herself as a "pre-teen". And boy does she live up to the title. She loves being the oldest when it comes to the privileges and independence. She doesn't like it so much when it comes to the responsibility. For her 10th birthday, she and I went away to a local hotel for the weekend and had a girl's weekend together. We did all things girly and also had "the talk". Hopefully, she wasn't scarred too badly :) She loves to read (especially mysteries) and is a great student. She is in 5th grade and loves the 1 day a week we go to school. She is my "never wants to be home, always on the go" kind of kid. She wakes up asking what the plans are for the day and is very disappointed when there are none.

Avery is now 9 and already planning her 10th birthday party. She is Morgan's shadow most of the time. And when she's not, she is off in her own world, doing her own thing. She LOVES gymnastics and has gotten very good. This seems to be an area where she is confident and enjoys actually being better than her sister at something. She is much more of a home-body than Morgan. Sometimes she even chooses to stay home when she is offered to stay the night at her grandparents. (It's nice to be wanted.) She is very concerned about what is "fair". Even if fair means she is the one that would be missing out, she wants things to be fair. She is in 4th grade this year and very bright. She struggles with mild dyslexia, but she doesn't let it get her down.

Sydney... there is so much I could say about Sydney. I don't even know where to begin. Well, she turned 7 in February and is just as spirited as ever. She is a non-stop, go, go, go girl. She can talk a mile a minute and manages to think of questions about everything and anything. She doesn't just want to know why... she wants to know why, what, who, when, where and how. She is in 2nd grade and is very good at Math (even though she says she hates it). She thrives on one-on-one attention and can make you laugh out loud daily. She has a hard time knowing the line of what is appropriate, but I know many adults just like her. She is very dramatic and can go from excited to crying in 2 seconds flat. It's very hard for her to be serious because she wants to make everything a joke. She also is very abrupt and candid. So, she will say exactly what she is thinking and has yet to learn the art of subtlety.

Jordan turned 5 in June. He is still my baby and I take any chance I get to give him hugs and kisses. There are not many people he will give those to (in fact, I can only think of 3). His dimple will melt your heart, and he knows how to use it get his way. Most of the time, he goes with the flow and doesn't look for a fight. He also is 100% the baby of the family. He still doesn't know how to tie his shoes (I guess a lot of Floridians have that problem) or much less find them. Most of the time he stands in one spot, announces what he cannot find or do, and waits for the first person to come running and help him (usually one of his sisters). Once he makes up his mind about something, you really can't change it... especially when it comes to food. He is by far, our pickiest kid. He doesn't even like the foods most normal kids like. He won't eat mac 'n cheese, pb&j, or pie. He also despises Holiday food. He doesn't like the turkey, dressing, veggies, casseroles. But, if you put all of that on a piece of bread and make him a sandwich, he will eat it up. I know…it's weird. He also started Kindergarten this year and has learned most of what he needs to know from his older sisters. I love it!

Also, the beginning of this year, my dad was diagnosed with lymphoma and had a large mass removed from his abdomen. Only a few weeks later, the mass was back just as big. So, he started chemo and went through several treatments of that and then radiation over the Summer. Thankfully, the chemo and radiation did their job and last week he was given a clear bill of health. Praise the Lord for watching over him!! During all his treatments, his dad passed away. It was such a bittersweet time for our family. We know exactly where my grandpa is right now and we celebrate him escaping the pain of this life. He was an amazing man and God used him in such tremendous ways. He impacted my life and left a legacy that is incredible.

So, as we bring 2009 to a close, we look forward to seeing God’s continued creative vision for our family. We can rest in the fact that even though it may not feel like it in the middle of our situation, He is in control. He sees the entire scope of our lives at the same time and nothing we are experiencing now takes him by surprise.