I just wanted to give everyone an update on our family and life. Things have been very busy and hectic as always with 7 kids. I have been running so much, some days I don't know if I'm coming or going. The holidays were tough trying to get the kids a little something under the tree, but they did learn a valuable lesson, that it's not about gifts or what they get. They did each get a gift valued at $50, then we took and handed out to complete strangers $100 total to 5 people. I saw posted on our local Craigslist, a couple of families who were needing help for different reasons, granted $20 wasn't alot, but it was something, and on Christmas eve, I wanted to go where we used to know alot of homeless people lived or hung out and give some more money (I only had $30 in my pocket), and saw only one, he was in the middle of the road in a wheel chair holding a can of beer and dressed in rags. Now we don't normally like to give to people who drink but this was Christmas and if that was what made him happy then so what and who was I to judge him, we drove up beside him and I rolled my window down and handed him $10, he was so happy, it made me happy. We drove around a little more and found nobody, so my husband asked how much do you have and I told him, we went back to where the man in the wheel chair was and gave him the other $20, and if you could've seen his face and how he jumped in his chair, it totally made my Christmas eve. As we were driving home, my husband had wished that he had thought of a lady who worked at his plant on a temp basis who was laid off and struggling, I looked down in my purse and there was $20 I didn't know we had, so we stopped by her house and gave it to her. We were fortunate enough to have gotten a pay check before Christmas and was able to get for our kids, dinner and wanted to make someone's day even if it was small, as pay back for my loan company working with me earlier in the month. Our foster daughter spent a week in the hospital due to an unknown illness, she still may need surgery, we're not sure. The three kids who are in our custody, mom hasn't been around since September of last year suddenly showed up and wanted to have the kids leave with her and spend time with them. Now she wants to get them back, but they don't want to go, they want us to adopt them, but that isn't possible right now and children services is trying to force them to visit each week with her. She told them that if she doesn't regain custody then she will kill herself, and is trying to get them to steal from us, a real mess. My husbands job like many are either cutting back or laying off, he is now down from 42 hour work week to 36 and is having to use his vacation time to make full week pays. We were hoping to get some taxes back this year but that didn't happen, because we're needing to do some home improvements. The other day I thought my house was on fire, I was sitting on the computer when I heard a loud bang and metal fall to the floor in the basement and then suddenly smelled a real strong smoke odor and called the fire department, but by the time they got here there was nothing and my house was safe, but now I worry about leaving my house and coming home to nothing, and my pets burning. (I also rescue stray cats and an occassional dog. We take them in, feed them, try to find their owner, if no luck then rehome them or if they need vet care, I work with the lady who comes in the neighborhood and feeds strays to get them taken care of.) We are now at risk of foreclosure on our home, and pray daily that Heavenly Father will help pull through this like he did the van. It just seems like when we get paid something comes up and it takes every dime. I can't even afford to fix my van (which I was hoping nothing would need done other than oil with it being an 07, but think they sold me a lemon, it needs so much work, I do what I need to have it run.) I try not to let it bother me or get me down as there really isn't much I can do about it, I can only do with what ever I have, and pray to get thru the day. Most days it works, and listening to my local christian radio station helps too, and then of course the good ol books, the Bible and Book of Mormon. I hope you enjoyed reading.
