On the up-side...

Yesterday (& even today) was so frustrating that it was hard to find an up-side. But I have to find something positive to focus on.

One good thing that happened yesterday was that I had a bit of good news, I hope. I had been interested in an ad for a mobile home to rent a few weeks ago. I had called the man and he seemed very pleasant. He said that they were moving the home from Hutchinson and were putting it in the trailer park just down the street from me, actually a little closer to the girls' school. I had called that trailer park because they rent homes as well as lots and his rent is $50 less than theirs. Plus, the rent includes cable and internet! He had emailed me pictures and the place was really pretty--even has a small den! But, he had also said he had had some other inquiries. Enough time had gone by that I was sure that it had already been moved and rented. But, I emailed him anyways and he said that the weather had delayed the set-up, so it wasn't even ready yet and it was still available and he would let me know. I don't yet have the money for the deposit or the rent, but I am praying that if this is the place that God wants me, that it will all fall into place at the right time.

Another good thing was that I weighed myself and I have actually lost 8 pounds since the last time I weighed! That's always a plus!

Oh, and I think I found addresses for two of my friends that I haven't been able to get a hold of in a few years.

Last night I had a little unexpected encouragement. It's always interesting as I am keying the mail (in case you didn't know, I do data entry at the post office) to see the little notes people write on the outsides of their envelopes. This one had a verse from the song "Trust & Obey": "Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey." And then there was a line that said something like, "If you can't see past earth's shadow, look to Jesus and his light!"

I was struggling over some issues today and was praying and crying, asking God how I could accept a certain situation. I felt one word in my heart. I almost didn't catch it because I was so focused on myself. It was, "trust."

Thank you if you prayed for my cousin--he has been released from the hospital. Not even a broken bone. He had a concussion, a bruised ankle and liver, and lost a lot of blood from various cuts (had to be stapled back together), but he is very, very lucky. I pray that he takes advantage of this second chance.

When it Rains, It Pours

Some of you know what is going on in our lives right now and I don't feel the need to broadcast it here. At least not now. Maybe when I feel stronger, my story might help someone else, but for now, I'd rather just survive it. Anyways, it seems like I can't catch a break. When I got up this morning, the dogs had made a mess in the garage. They had escaped their kennels and had pooped all over the garage, chewed two shoes that were left by the back door, and had torn up the blinds on the back door. I have had it with these dogs. They have not endeared themselves to me like previous pets. They have been strictly outdoor animals and have constantly been destructive. They ate half of the shed and we had to rebuild it. Knowing that we will be moving in the next couple of months and will likely end up in an apartment or a trailer park, I know the dogs will have to find a new home eventually. This upsets the kids. They don't have the same indifference towards the dogs that I do. And I hate having to take pets away from the kids. My dad did that when I was a kid and I hated him for it. I don't want to be the bad guy here. Okay, so if that wasn't enough pressure, I went to check the mail and had a letter from our property management company saying they will be doing property checks on Friday. We never paid a pet deposit, so they don't know that we have the dogs. So, I either have to give them away or find a way to hide them before Friday or I will have to come up with the $400 pet deposit. And obviously I have to make sure the house is in order in a day and a half, which it is not. I have been packing. And of course, my expensive vacuum cleaner chose this time to quit on me. So, my floors are a mess and I have to try to sweep them with a broom, which is a pain. And Billy got creative with some markers (on the wall, the banister, & the carpet), so I have to get that cleaned up before they come. As if that didn't have me stressed enough, my fridge quit. I had thought for a couple of days that my drinks weren't very cold. But, at first I thought it was my imagination. I have been so distracted with other things. Finally, it came to my conscious mind that it wasn't right, so I tried to adjust the temperature setting. But that didn't work, so today I checked the thermometer and it was 65 degrees in the fridge! And we have been eating things out of there! Arrena had been complaining about a stomachache--I probably gave her food poisoning! What a horrible mom! So far, the freezer is still frozen, but I don't know if that is just because we are in it less or what. I called the property management company and they said they would send someone out, but who knows how long that will take. And I will have to throw away most everything in the fridge. If my emotional level wasn't on the very edge before, I also found out last night that my cousin Jesse was in a head-on collision and is in the ICU. They say he will live, but I don't know much else. I would like to go see him, but I can't take Billy with me. And my mom today told me that my grandpa is getting more and more confused, asking grandma to take him to where they are staying (when they are at home already) and asking where the bathroom is. That worries and upsets me. Please pray for me and my grandpa and my cousin and a friend of mine whose husband was laid off right after they found out she was pregnant.

Kimmy Turns Six!

Last week was Kimmy's 6th birthday. She shares her birthday with Chris' dad who passed away almost a year before she was born. I really wish they had known each other. I think he would have gotten such a kick out of Kimmy. (By the way, this isn't a recent photo, but I love it so much! It really shows Kimmy in true form!)

I can't believe that my baby girl is 6 now! In so many ways she still seems like such a little thing. But lately, watching her with her friends, I see a maturity in her that I don't see in her peers. Her friends still act like little kids, but she tends to act older. And she is so intelligent. I have to say that she is probably the most well-behaved of my children. We went to the grocery store the other day. Arrena and Billy were horrible. They acted up the whole way through--both had to ride in the cart, both fought, both grabbed at things, both kept running off, both were loud and obnoxious. Kimmy, however, walked next to me and helped whenever she could and was very quiet.

Anyways, back to her birthday. On her birthday (Wednesday the 2nd), we went to the zoo and then to Burger King for dinner. I let her open two of her gifts and her cards from other family members. We set off a couple of daytime fireworks (snappers, bumblebees, and parachutes). We saw some thick clouds rolling in and heard some rumbles, so we hurried to set them off instead of waiting for daddy to get home. Because of the approaching storm, the wind was a little strong and a couple of our parachute guys made an invasion on one of our neighbors backyards! YIKES! I had to go to work, so we didn't do much more than that. She was disappointed at the zoo because she had wanted to feed the giraffes at a feeding station that is open twice a day, but her favorite animals weren't cooperating. One year on her birthday, the keeper let her come back behind the public area and feed one of the giraffes. Of course I didn't have my camera with me then!

On Friday (the Fourth of July), we had her slumber party/BBQ. I didn't volunteer to work for the holiday. Her heart was a little broken because with it being summer and everyone taking vacations and also with it being a holiday weekend (which can't be helped as this is when her birthday falls), most of her friends couldn't come. One we couldn't get a hold of at all (which I think was no big loss as the only things I hear about her, besides, "she's my best friend"--one of many Kimmy claims--make me believe the girl is a bully), one was going out of town, one had other plans and came by briefly but couldn't stay the night, one never responded, and another (a cousin) was supposed to be dropped off by her dad, but they never showed up. Chris countered most of this by inviting his brother and his girlfriend and their four children (plus their sister's son who was with them), and his other brother and his three kids (his daughter was already planning to stay the night). We also had both the grandmas over, the family that dropped by briefly, my friend from work and her daughter, and a few parents who lingered to chat for a few minutes before scurrying off to their night of freedom! Ha, ha. Spending the night, besides my ten-year-old niece that I previously mentioned, was Arrena's best friend (we allowed her to have one friend over) and one of Kimmy's friends from kindergarten (the gym teacher's daughter).

I think they had a good time. I painted little girls' nails (and my own) in patriotic flair--alternating red with white stripes and blue with star stickers or rhinestones. Then I think we ate. We had set up a screen tent in the backyard, which is where the men went, but the women stayed inside (it was HOT). The kids either jumped on the trampoline or played inside. Then I had all the kids put on their swimsuits and turned on the sprinkler. I had planned on putting out the wading pool, but with fourteen children, the wading pool would have been way too small. Well, the sprinkler hadn't been on a full minute, I don't think, when Billy stomped on it and broke it, so the water sprayed down instead of up. I tried to turn it over, but it didn't last long and they were back on the trampoline. The kids got dressed again and Kimmy opened her gifts. Then they ate cupcakes. I had gotten Kimmy a "cupcake cake" in the shape of a rainbow. It was beautiful, but the icing was thick (the whipped kind) and it made for messy faces! After that, we made bracelets and necklaces with gads of beads that I had bought. When it got dark, we went outside and set off fireworks for them. I had made the most of coupons and special sales, so I had a big bag of fireworks and only paid about $45 for them. Billy was really impressed, but I think the girls are getting too old because Arrena complained it was boring (nearly got herself banished) and Kimmy wanted to know why we didn't have certain kinds.

Kimmy had her heart set on these chocolate chip oatmeal cookies that I make, so I was making those at 11:00pm! Only one of the girls didn't like them--the rest loved them. I was sure they would all pass out soon (except maybe my niece who is used to staying up late), but when I went to check on them about 1:00am, only my two girls were asleep! The rest were wide awake and talking about cute boy actors! My poor little girls just hang with the party! You can see the little sleepy bodies in the picture! I went to bed not long after that, but was awakened at 2:30am by a knock on the door. It was the gym teacher's daughter with Billy. I still am not quite sure what was going on. I think he woke up and went downstairs to see what was going on and she brought him to me. That's his story anyways, from his limited vocabulary and garbled speech. I put him in bed with us and sent her back downstairs.

I woke up around 8:00am, thinking they would all surely still be asleep, after the late night they had just put in. I was wrong! They were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I fed them, two of the girls were picked up, I drove my niece home, dropped off the kids at their grandma's, went home to clean up the mess (!), took a nap, and went to dinner with Chris. I think I wore myself out with the plans, the preparation, and the party, because I have felt like a lazy lump ever since!

So, now my little bitty Kimmy is six! She will start first grade in a few more weeks (I can't believe it, but Kimmy's birthday was the halfway point in the summer break!). And now she has her first loose tooth! I don't know what to think about that. One of the things I love the most about Kimmy is her smile with her cute little teeth. I can barely stand the thought of her losing them! She pulled out one of her sister's just the other day. She makes fun of Arrena's "transition"--says her teeth look funny: some adult, some baby, some gone! I think it has been easier to watch Arrena grow since she acts so grownup (in attitude, if not in behavior!) than to watch my Kimmy-pop. She loves that nickname. I used to sing to her, "Kimmy, Kimmy, cocoa-pop...." So now, it gets shortened to Kimmy-pop, Cocoa-pop, Cocoa, or daddy sometimes calls her "Kimmy-cocoa."

Happy Birthday Kimmy!