WOW! Time sure has gotten away from me!

I last updated this in November. So much has happened since then, I don't even know where to begin. The divorce is final. I have been single for almost 4 months and seperated for almost 9 months. I honestly can't believe how time has flown and I am amazed by how God has brought us through it. It is very overwhelming to think about all that God has done for me and Leesha during this time. It is also very overwhelming to look back at the person I was and then look at the present and see the person I am today all because of God's amazing grace. He has provided in so many ways that I can't even begin to list them all.

Leesha is doing well. She is very active in her school and Girl Scouts. She just received a straight A report card. I am so proud of her. She worked very hard to bring up the two B's she received last grading period. She is still very active and hardly ever stops. Yes, even in her sleep she is moving.

I am doing great! My job is going well and I recently received a promotion. I thank God every day for this job that allows me to provide for my daughter. Yes, it is tiring to work full time and then come home and do everything that I have to do but God provided this job for me and I am incredibly thankful for that, especially in this economy! I am doing a Beth Moore Bible Study right now called "Stepping Up". It is about the Psalms of Ascent. Psalms 120 - 134. I am only in the first week and I have been so blessed already. I love the Psalms anyway. It speaks about every day life and all the emotions and frustrations of it. The Psalmists don't hold anything back. They talk about anger, forgiveness, vengance, sadness, love, frustration and so many more things. It also reminds me that God is a God of details and wants to know our every care, joy, and sorrow. He wants that every day relationship with us not just one of convenience. You know the one where life is falling down around you and that is when you decide to run to God. I have done that so many times. I want that every day relationship with Christ. That deep, fulfulling relationship with the One who created me and gave His life for me.

Today has been a productive day. My house is clean. I worked 6 hours of overtime. My new washer is here! Thanks Dad and Mom for the early birthday present. Yes, very early birthday present. Let's see, 3 months early to be exact. I have done 3 loads of laundry. Well, they are washed and 2 are dried. I still have to fold and switch the other load around. But that will come.

If you don't mind me asking, I would like you all to pray with me about something. I am considering going back to college. I need to decide on a college and get grants and things figured out. Pray that I will know the Lord's will for me in this decision. I appreciate the prayers so much.

I also just want to take a moment to thank those of you who have prayed for me these past 8/9 months. I wouldn't have made it through all of this without all of you. I can't even begin to express how much the prayers, the phone calls, the hugs, the encouragement, the love and even the tears shed with me have meant to me. When I think about it, I tear up and can't even speak. Imagine that, me and tears and speechlessness! I have amazing friends and family and I am SO Thankful for each and every one of you. You all know who are you. So here is my small token of gratitude. Thank you. I love you all!

Well, I haven't been very good at keeping this updated.

It has been a crazy three weeks. I am halfway through my training at my job. I take a test every Friday. Those are quite nerve wracking but it will be okay. Life has been incredible busy lately. I am trying to keep my house under control and find time to clean out things and simplify. But I just haven't had the extra time lately. I really just need to focus on getting through this training first. I will also be putting in my two week notice at Old Navy. I am worried that I won't be able to make it but God knows my needs. He will provide. I need that time to get my house under control and spend time with Leesha. I am also looking for a new place to live. I apologize for not keeping this updated. Unfortunately, my life has other focuses and I am doing my best to just get through the day and do the best for Leesha. The divorce has been filed as of Monday and the next step is to wait for 60 days and then it should be final. I have to find 4 hours in the next 25 days to attend a parenting class. I frankly am not looking forward to that. I really don't think I need the government to tell me how to parent my child. I have been doing it just fine for the last 8 years without their help. Yes, I know she has some difficulties now but you know, our God will get us through it not the government. Well, I am off to fold another load of laundry. I have gotten my living room picked up, trash out, 2 loads of laundry folded, supper made and put away, but I still have lots to do. I still need to fold one more load, clean up my kitchen and study for my test. Yep, it looks like it is going to be a late night. I am off to watch the Vice Presidential debate and fold laundry. Please keep us in your prayers. We need them.

Also please keep my brother (serving in Afghanistan) and his family in your prayers. We have 5 months more to go and it is a stressful time for his family.

Whew, Busy Busy week.

So much to update everyone on. I have my new car. It is used but new to us. It has a/c, power windows, power doors, and my absolute favorite thing, A CD PLAYER!! I am thrilled. I will post a picture of it soon. Man, I am behind on pictures. Anyway, also took Leesha to the eye doctor and she is getting glasses and she looks so cute in them so I will have to post another picture (ACK!) when she gets those in. Other than that, I am hanging in there. I had to have a tough conversation with Brian yesterday but God gave me the strength to get through it. I now know what I need to do to get moving on with my life and over this part of it. I had to put up some boundaries as well. Anyway, Leesha's week of school went very well. Well, I am off here to get her working on cleaning up some of her messes and get her ready for bed.

I will have to start updating every day so I don't forget things.

Our week this week.

It has been a very busy but good week. Leesha started school this week. She got the teacher she wanted and was so beyond excited that she could barely contain herself. She had a very good week at school. We met her teacher on Friday and her teacher said that she is a joy to have in school. I did email her teacher about the divorce just so she would have a heads up. Her teacher said that Leesha has been great and she would have never have known there was upheaval at home if I hadn't of told her. She also stated that that was a compliment to me because obviously she was very secure in my love for her. So I was very thankful to hear that there were no problems. She still has good and bad days at home but we are more normal now. You know, the usual kid stuff. I think getting back to a normal routine has helped her so much.

There was no easing in on the homework. It started right away but it isn't too bad. It takes only about 20 minutes to do. I am still working at Old Navy. So please keep my getting a full time job in your prayers. Hopefully, I will hear something from one of the jobs this week.

I am doing good. God is proving himself faithful and life has leveled out. I did get a tip today on a cheaper apartment which I need to check into. I don't think I can afford this apartment on my own salary once I do get a full time job. So I am going to go check into that apartment complex on Tuesday. They have a waiting list from what I hear so I want to get on it as soon as possible.

Well, so there is our update. I still can't get my pictures downloaded off my camera and I just haven't had time to figure out where my cord is at this moment. But I will try to post updated pictures very soon. She has grown about another two inches in the past month again.

God is sooooo good and faithful!

I can't even tell you how real God has been in my life these past weeks. My church family has been absolutely incredible. Hugs have never felt so wonderful. And just hearing the words, "You have been in my prayers" means so much that I don't even have the words to express my thanks. All I can say is Thank you and I feel those prayers daily. I don't know how I have made it through these past three weeks but God has sustained me. Today in church I was handed money. It was not a small amount. I am still in shock. It was from an anonymous donor and I was told to not ask questions. So I didn't but I am ohhhh so humbled and grateful. Lord, please bless this person and let them know how truly grateful and thankful I am.

We are doing okay. God is supplying our needs. This week will be difficult since Wednesday was supposed to be the 14th anniversary but I am preparing to keep myself busy and asking God to give me the strength to make it through this week. Our shower is not working. The button that you pull up on to make the shower work will not move. So it is baths for us right now. Hopefully, that will get fixed tomorrow.

Leesha's first day of 2nd grade is tomorrow. She is soooo beyond excited. She wants me to take her to school tomorrow so I am going to do that. I am excited for her. She needs that stability and routine in her life right now.

Well, I will update tomorrow with pictures of her first day. I can't believe that my little girl is in 2nd grade. Where does the time go?

Whew, where to start!

Well, my life has certainly changed in the last few months but mostly in the last week. Brian has decided that the marriage just isn't going to work and moved out last week. Please keep him in your prayers. He is really dealing with some major heart issues right now. So I am in survival mode. I am looking for a full time job. There really is just so much going on that I haven't really had the chance to process everything. The major thing we need right now is prayers. Leesha was devastated but she is doing much better now. She still has her moments. We are trying to keep her life as normal as possible.

Leesha has been at Brian's parents since yesterday. Her cousins are down from PA and she is having a ball playing with them. She will be home sometime tonight. I miss her. But it was a much needed break, I was able to get lots of apps filled out and resumes submitted. Errands run without having to drag her with. And I even cleaned out my desk and got it organized. Also did a load of dishes and two loads of laundry yesterday. So yeah, it was a very productive day.

Today was more apps and errands. And I have still have lots more to do. It is hard to believe that I survived this past week. I couldn't have done it without my family, my friends who have supported me doing this time, and my God. I have seen Him do amazing things this week alone.

Update on us!

Life is so busy but that is okay. Let's see....

Family-We are doing well. We have finally paid off all of our state and federal tax debt which is amazing. WOOHOOO!! Praise the Lord. Well, it will be all done once they receive the refund back. They accidently sent us our whole refund instead of keeping it. So we had to send it back and yes, we had to pay the postage. LOL! So now we are moving on to paying off medical bills and my college loans. WE are getting family pictures done on Thursday. Our church is doing a directory so we will have our first family picture done.

Brian- He is doing well. At this particular moment, he is the only one truly healthy in the house. Work is slow. They have actually laid off two guys and have asked some of the guys to take vacation days or just days off. So please keep that in your prayers. He is trying to decide whether he should start looking for another job. He is running sound at our church. He enjoys it. We had to laugh on Sunday though because one of the elderly men in the church told Brian that he was the first one to ever mess up the Easter cantata. There was some external feedback during one of the speaking parts that got bad. Brian was frantically trying to fix it but it wasn't something he could fix. He thinks it may have been a cell phone interferring or something but doesn't know for sure. Anyway, Brian just told him that it was external feedback and unfortunately not something he could have helped. He was actually much nicer than I would have been on that one. I was standing there when it was said but I wasn't paying much attention to what was being said. I thought it was nice because the guy was smiling the whole time he said that to Brian. uhh...okay, rudeness. I don't truly believe that Brian is the first one to mess up an Easter cantata at the church. So anyway, after I got over my initial anger; I just had to laugh. Some people just have to have something to complain about. We were glad to have made his day.

Leesha - She is doing well. She just had another report card and received all A's. We are so proud of her. She has worked hard on her writing and reading. She was thrilled when I told her that she was able to pick out a video for her hard work. She picked Enchanted and it is a really good, corny Disney movie. She is growing up fast. She loves Girl Scouts and Awanas. She has 3 more sections to go before she is finished with her book. She loves spending time with her best friend, Emily and is looking forward to her trip with Granny and Grandpa to South Carolina over Spring Break. She is also counting down the days until Spring Break. 3 days to go. Leesha is being watched for asthma. She has had a cough for several weeks now. It just keeps geting worse and not better. She is now on an inhaler and she is finally getting better. We will just have to watch her. I notice that when she is running around and really active she tends to have more trouble with the coughing so we will just have to wait and see.


Rachel - That would be me. I am seriously considering going back to school and getting my business degree. We know that we will be homeschooling again someday and I have this feeling that at least one of us is going to have to have some kind of degree. I am researching a couple of different options right now. I want something that will allow me to only do it one night and allow me to do it on a fast track so we will see. I am still in the investigating stages. Work is going well. Housework is suffering. I am still trying to figure out a new schedule and when I am able to get everything done. I got my haircut today. It is a little bit shorter than what I wanted but it is okay. Just need to get used to styling it a different way now. I am still suffering from a cough and sinus infection. I do seem to be getting better but it is taking a while.

So anyway, that is the update. I will try to be more active on here.