God Be With You Til We Meet Again....

This is hard to take your own pic with a HEAVY camera


OOPSY

Almost there




PERFECTO!

Our hearts are sunken but filled with love and gratitude! Mr. Incredible has been attending a safety class for driving and hauling dangerous chemicals. We are blessed that my parents can put Mr. Incredible to work immediately. It shocked me that it would be so quick. I hadn't even let it settle in that he was actually going to start driving again!

20 Years ago, Mr. Incredible got a CDL license so that he could drive a BIG RIG for my parents.
This wonderful little thing was able to support us and put us through college. What a tough time that was for us then but looking back on those days they were some of the strongest, life changing years we experienced. We knew that if we could make it through that we could make it through ANYTHING!

It strengthened our relationship with each other but more importantly it strengthened our relationship with the Lord and during those times we formed friendships that will last into the eternities.

And now 15 years later we are saying HELLO, sweet darlin! Hello my precious little 3 letter acronym. CDL!! You once again will be our little life line! My dad was right in his advice to keep his CDL because there would always be a job when things got rough. Well, things are rough.

Heavenly Father has not found the perfect opportunity for us yet! I know its not a problem on His end. I think perhaps the EMPLOYER to be is not praying for the right person, because I know we DEFINITELY are doing OUR part and the Lord is doing his part, so there is a third party that we are just patiently waiting for him to do HIS part! (please do your part)

Today Mr. Incredible flies out to Albany to work with my dad!

WE know you will be fine!

WE know you will be safe!

WE know you can do it!

WE have faith in you and most of all

WE LOVE YOU!

but you will be so sadly

MISSED!!
Loving you, your clan at home!

MOM & DAD thanks so much for EVERYTHING you do for our FAMILY! For loving, worrying and caring! We love you guys TONS!

Dear Beloved,

Thank you so much for loving us and being willing to do ANYTHING to keep our family going. I think it is AMAZING what you are doing! Love, C

Harder than I thought.....

I thought I could blog through this hiccup in time but it has proven to be quite burdensome. I feel like I am Job. Job went through physical, mental and emotional bankruptcy. I would be a big fat baby if I had to go through the physical. We are now experiencing true unemployment for the past 3 months. Absolutely no extra income has come in, other than what I can generate. (which isn't much). I pay for gas, car insurance, and maybe one other bill. Everything else is being pushed off until unemployment can kick in. Thankfully, the church has been putting food on our table via the Bishop's store house. We are so thankful for the bounty but I can not wait to be able to eat our own food again, and to be able to purchase yogurt and other things.

Mr. Incredible should have never sought employment. You see he went to work as a truck driver for my parents company. It paid 1/3rd of our income but it was allowing us to juggle bills. Driving was preventing him from making interviews and it was hard on him not seeing the children. I was doing quite fine. I knew my new roll and stepped up and filled the shoes. The children and I had a routine. We had the house duties covered, school and seminary and even work down. I was so surprised at how well things were going for almost two weeks. Then Mr. I shook things up when he decided he needed to be home. The plan was he would file for unemployment and take in a part time job. Well, that plan was shot out of the water. No part time job and no unemployment. In fact, nothing. No state aide and no food stamps, nada! I think I have lost have my mind.

The odd thing is I thought we would be moving to NY in October. I guess things didn't go well. Miscommunication, clearly. He thought he would drive some and be able to work in the office some.

I have increased hours by as many as I can possibly get. Scrapping for hours has me in and out of the house at odd times. Sometimes, I am up at 4:45am and not home until 11:00pm, sometimes I get home at 3pm or 9pm. My passion for photography has been sporadic because I need to focus on a job that will actually pay. Plus I can't have running through my head, how am I going to pay this or that while taking pictures.

My oldest son's bank account is 30miles away from where he is at. It doesn't make it convenient to get money out so he opened a local checking account. As he was verifying to see if funds were transferred (5)times. The bank was hitting him for $35 a pop. He was overdrawn. If you don't resolve your account in 5 days, they charge an additional $35. He had money in his account but the month prior he had parked his truck in a no parking zone, there are no signs, just painted red curbs. He found that out the hard way, when his truck was towed and he had to pay the fine. So, that was the month prior, we went to visit him the next month and the last month he was overdrawn by $5, but because it all happened on the weekend he ended up with $175 of overdraft fees. Dear son calls home, anger out of frustration on my part as well as Mr. I, because there is NOTHING we could do to help him. Son was on the phone with the bank, they waived ONE fee! ugh.... thank you, husband and I sit for 3 hours in the bank and they tell us they can do nothing. Once a decision online has been made we have to call customer service. Mr. I, calls and he gets a few more charges waived. My sil comes to the rescue of Warrior. She wired his butt some moolah.

Thanksgiving was a perfect beautiful day and we had a perfect beautiful turkey and a meal fit for a king. We usually spend the holiday with family but boarding our mastiff would be too massive. HA! and I don't think anyone wanted to spend it at the house of Gloom. This was the first Black Friday that I did not shop. It is one of my most favorite days of the year. I couldn't even bare to open the paper, it still lays on the floor of my car. Beauty went out with her friends family. I couldn't do that to myself. But now that the Friday is over, I'm over it too. I love how I am so not attached to anything.

My children are amazing, they are are astounding and they have no idea what strengths they have. As their parents we are not people of woe. You take what comes to you and you work with it. The children have not complained. They know what it means to have their dad home and understood the consequences of it. I know it would be hard to be a teenage girl and have no clothes or shoes bought. I know they have tattered and worn clothes but they are still clean and kept. Yet not one word of complaint. They don't even fight. In fact, their ties have become stronger. We truly are a family, worthy of eternity. This is what it is all about. Our temporal life is so temporary and so finite, but what we do here is so eternal. Reading scriptures and praying each night as a family as unified us and solidified the true core of who we are as their parents and what truly matters. I pray their decisions continue to lead them down a righteous path. I know being a part of this hiccup will make them stronger, and capable of handling the trials that will come to their adulthood life. They will know to trust in God, to lean on family and to forge strong friendships.

We choose an eternal family. We choose to go through this with dignity and heads held high, A job will come. I have no doubt. I'm so grateful for my passion of photography and love for my family. On every wall and surface of my home is a picture of one of my children and our family. I can not look anywhere and there not be a photo of our family smiling back at me. Even when you go to the bathroom there are two pictures of us, staring right back at ya! LOL, if there is ever a question is it worth it, the walls scream, "HAIL YA" and my eyes fill with salty tears of gratitude.

I know the church is true, I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, I know that Joseph Smith restored the gospel. I know we are lead by a true and living prophet, today. I know we are not given more than we can handle and I know that the bitter taste of trials are necessary so that we can know the sweet when blessings are given. I'm thankful for my parents, brothers and sister, my husband's family, my children and most importantly my eternal spouse, who puts up with me and my multi personalities. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by such love and goodness. Finally, my blog is caught up.

It's raining It's pouring....

It has been sprinkling small amounts of blessings and little miracles around our home for a few weeks. Simple blessings of having people pick my Sunday mornings up at work, so I wouldn't have to go in. I have not had to work a Sunday in almost 3 months. Each time I plan to work my shift I put out one last plea and someone answers it. What a blessing.

We had a tough few weeks financially when Warrior went to college and then Mr. Incredible had to take 3 days off for an interview. Essentially, that was 2 wks without being paid. Because he was out of town for a week, it did not offer the opportunity for me to work extra hours. We took a hard hit financially. Timing was wretched. It fell during a time where we needed to purchase college essentials, gasoline out there, and school for our other 3 children would start. I was internally freaking out. I didn't know how we would do it, but I knew we were worthy of some instant blessings and I never complained, openly or silently to Mr. Incredible or our Father in Heaven.

The heavens were opened above and blessings didn't just rain but they poured. For years we have received gift cards as presents, thank you's etc. I do not do well with gift cards. We always forget to use them, they get lost or tossed out, or we just forget to bring them with us.

I cleaned out my desk and went through each gift card online to determine the balance if any. Between department gift cards, certificates and restraunts. We totalled almost $700.00. So, if you see us dining out or grabbing an ice cream or at the movies. Please don't assume. We are spending our gift cards. What a great time to use these.
It adds normalacy back to the children's lives. It helps them to forget that times are hard and good times are to come eventually.

I also decided it was time to cash 4 checks that I have been saving for a rainy day. The rainy day came. WE also found $150 in food certificates! Way cool, because things were looking sparse again and the children have still yet to accept powdered milk.

Being self sufficient and self reliant was something that I held up proudly and on a pedestal. However, we have reached our depths. We are not self reliant or self sufficient. My parents have helped us tremendously. We would have sunk months ago.

The epitomy of the depths of darkness came when I had to swallow all sense of pride and turn to the church for a food order. I felt like I was going to die and my heart ached. It literally made me physically sick that I realized I would need to place this call. I did it for the welfare of my family. Had it been only me. I would still not have made that call. AMAZINGLY, Father in heaven felt my prayer and answered by showering me with these cards. After viewing the total on the cards my heart lept! I was so thankful that we had not used those cards.

I could be self reliant and spend those cards on everything that I needed to get my children the necessities for school.

I document this more for our records. So, that we can look back and be so thankful.
$35 to Omega. I used this towards Dash's sneakers.
$100 to Target. Beauty got a birthday outfit,with shoes. This works, for her birthday, school and church! TRIPLE SCORE
$40 to Target- Purchased school supplies, and Sweetheart's school uniform shirts.
$300 to Walmart - Purchases Dash's school uniform shirts, school supplies and food.
$150 in restraunt cards. (when you want to feel normal, again)
$30 in movie theater cards. (will probably go to the girls so they can go out with their friends)
Those checks which totalled almost $300.00- We will use this for gas
$150 food certifcates to a grocery store.
Mr. Incredible found $100.00- I put it there and I needed to only use a part of it, and forgot about the other $100.00
In my camera bag I had $65.00, that was my photo session fee.

I was overwhelmed with pure joy and astonished with amazement that my deepest desires were once again answered. Father knew it was important to me to have the necessities for my children to start school but more important that I would never ask. He provided a way. I think it was sufficient enough for Him that I humbled myself to ask for help. I think he knew it would send me over the edge if I needed to ask for anything more.

WE had an amazing stake conference. Our Stake President spoke about being in the 4th watch and we needed to excercise patience and Christ would answer. I had remarked to Mr. Incredible that I felt we were in the 4th watch. It has been 7 months and I have been so positive and so faithful and hopeful that I am beginning to become impatient. More desperate. He leaned over to me and whispered, " That means we are in the third watch! It means you are just now getting to learn the concept of patience and endurance." I was shocked. I felt like I was slapped. "WHAT?" He continued, " You have to learn patience now." Dumbfounded, I stammmered, " I would have become impatient 3 months ago, had I known!!

Can my waistline take the 4th watch? Can I mentally? I don't know. But, I do know that this is not the end. The light will come and when it does I will be ready, open and receptive to doing whatever it is He would have me do. I'm so thankful for my lessons as a youth and in the YW program. Press forward and go forth in faith!

What road are you on?

Ever feel like you are on this road and you just can't get off?? I feel like I have been optimistic and hopeful and maintained the stoic resilient being. But, I gotta tell ya this is getting old! My physical self doesn't handle stress well. I am not happy with the expanding waist size.

While I watch each of my children break down at different times it crushes and pangs my heart to no end! We knew the transition after our wonderful 3 Sunday vacay would be hard. Sweetheart, broke down the first week Mr. Incredible had to leave early Sunday morning and that left an open wound upon Mr. Incredible's heart. When I found out, initially I was really angry at her. We have to send Mr. Incredible on the road believing that all will be fine. We need him in the best of spirits. She told me that she tried hard not to break down and cry when Daddy left but she just couldn't help it and then she broke down and wailed. She felt guilty and so bad that she had shown him her true emotion, and then I cried with her and hugged her and told her she was so special and so loved. She knows he must go and she knows that this is necessary, but knowing things doesn't mean you have to like it.

Week two, after vacay Dash has a break down. Mr. Incredible was kneeling at our bedside saying his prayers silently. Mr. Incredible realized that Dash was kneeling across from him saying his prayers and that he had prayed just as long as just as intently. When Dash finished his silent prayer. Mr. Incredible asked what he was praying for. His prayers were as innocent and pure as a child's should be and they were very direct. Mr. Incredible took heed from Dash's example and realized, he too needed to be as a little child and ask specifically for the desires of his heart. He realized he did not have to beat around a bush, he should be direct and ask directly.

Dash was inconsolable. With each salty warm tear that streaked his face my heart shattered into a million peices and then some. He couldn't utter a word. He could only sob and it would have been easier if you had just plunged a knife through my heart. I can handle anything but I can't handle seeing my children ache. I just can't. Each week the children ask if their dad will be able to go to church with them and each week his reply is no. I know their heart drops because mine does too. But, no tears just drive safe daddy have a good trip.

I think the hardest part for everyone is Mr. Incredible not being able to attend church with us. Our church is so late, it is 2:30pm!! TWO FREAKIN THIRTY! I have decided in order for our family to be together that when he is home we would attend another ward's services. It is what's best for our family now. It's better that we attend as a family and partake of the sacrament together and be edified than to go to our ward without Mr. Incredible.

We are still professionally unemployed. We thank Heavenly Father multiple times throughout the day for employment by my parents! HUGE HUGE blessings! Truly with out this employment life would SUCK!! BIG TIME!!! I shutter to think where we would be.

Approaching our six month anniversary of being unemployed brings a multitude of feelings. Feelings of gratitude and amazement! I can't believe we survived. I can't believe how blessed our family has been, I can't believe the out pouring love and support we have recieved from family! Seriously, we have the best family ever on both sides! My kids are so blessed to have such heritage. I can't believe it isn't more difficult. (OUCH, that is not a request for more)

Mr. Incredible has interviewed for another firm, very similar to his last employment. A better position and most likely more $$, it is also located right here. I can't even bring myself to hope because it is far better to prepare for the worse and be pleasantly surprised. August 11th is a second interview with the big wigs. So, if I hold out till August 11th for their little pow-wow, how much longer must we wait to know if we are hired?? Here is my time frame. Warior has to be in Nebraska August 14th. Dash has a big baseball tournament August 14-16th, and Beauty's birthday is on the 16th not to mention school begins the next week! HELLO!!

I NEED TO GET OFF THIS ROAD

CAUSE I AM SO OVER THIS!!!!

Don't worry I have a counter post coming next.

Final count down

Last weekend for Memorial Day my parents and my brother came into town for the races.
It was really good having them here and seeing everyone again. The races were rained out.
My parents had bought each of the children season passes to Carowinds.

My sister and her family are coming in for Warrior's graduation and they are staying a week. They have passes too.

I am so excited to go with them again!

We went the last time they came to NC.

As of May 29Th we have had 21 days of rain.

THAT is 8 days in the month of May it has not rain and we have seen the sunshine.

I think my soul feels that way too.

I am grateful for the rain. Last year we were in a severe drought so I am so thankful for the moisture!

We have had so much fun in the rain.

Dash is playing rec baseball and on the challenge team and we were just told that he made the All Star team!

We are excited.

We have less than 2 wks left of school.

Sweetheart received for the first time all A's and the her lowest A was a 96.

Her teacher went out on maternity leave.

New teacher arrives.
Sweetheart thrives again for learning.

Her first teacher about squashed her desire for learning.

Yeah, it wasn't good.

I have one graduating elementary school and one graduating High School. We are so excited and very busy.

Still unemployed in NC.
So, very grateful Mr. Incredible is working for my parents.
I had to break out the powder milk from our food storage.

Mr. Incredible can't stand the stuff but I think it is because he had to drink it when he was young.
We are livng unassisted but I fear we may need assistance soon.
If that comes that will be a huge serving of humble pie.
I know I will cry.

IF it happens, I will learn and have sympathy and empathy for others who have had to walk that path.

I know its not a path untrodden.

It has been 5 months. I had no idea I could stay so positive for so long.

I had no idea of my spiritual strength, my mental strength and physical strength.

I am SUPER WOMAN!

I have peace.

My cup may be running empty, I'm starting to feel a lull. It's just a new transition we have to go through.

The hardest cross that I have had to bear is not being a single parent. My children are older so things are so much easier. My biggest cross to bear has been material things. My focus was on new things, no regard to how much food cost. I just threw it in the buggy and whatever the cost was, it was. My heart pangs a bit when I see things on the children that I would replace or thrown out. But, instead we mend and make do.
The blessing is I know we can do without and we can do with less. What a wonderful lesson. I like the frugal person I am becoming. I have peace but I want to be a happier person.
Another cross is having to face a cold empty bed each night. The blessing is the warmth that it is filled with each time Mr. Incredible comes home. :) I'm just saying....

Warrior has helped out so much. My heart truly aches at the thought of him leaving and I know the children will feel a HUGE void as he goes off to start a new season in his life. He has truly stepped up and taken the role as the priesthood holder of our home when his dad is away. Perhaps, that is his biggest cross to bear. He has truly been there for his siblings and he has shown so much more patience and love for them. What a beautiful thing.

Mr. Incredible is indeed, INCREDIBLE!! The hardest cross that he has been asked to carry is not driving a truck, taking a big cut in pay, or the work. He can do all those things. His hardest cross to bear is missing out on all of the activities that we do. Listening to a ball game over the phone, listening to the children having fun, and having to miss family prayers. That is his hardest cross to bear. He has recognized blessings of not taking things for granted. A job that allowed him to do all those things and be such an active part in our children's lives. Blessings of true prayer and blessings of prayers being answered instantly. God, has not left us alone.

Beauty. Now, she's a tough one. She asks for nothing but I know the cross she bears. It's too personal to share. But, I feel her cross and I see the blessings that carrying that cross has brought. She is more tender and more patient. She is more helpful and more accepting.

Sweetheart, her cross to bear is she takes on all of the emotions of the family. I swear she may end up with an ulcer! She probably misses Mr. Incredible the most. She worries so much about his safety, she worries about school, she worries when I have to go to work, she worries if she will get up in time. She worries about her grades. She worries about friends. She worries! which makes me worry.

Dash, his hardest cross to bear has been responsibility. He is the baby of the family and he has been given much leniency with his birth order. His responsibility and accountability has been increased. He was comfortable just floating by and letting everyone tend to him or throwing fits and getting out of things. Fits no longer work and people no longer can cater to him. It's time to put on your big boy britches and walk the line. and GUESS WHAT???

He has stepped up to the call. He does what he is asked to do and there are no complaints or wailing or carrying on. He does it and he is quiet and ok with doing what is asked of him. Our house has been more peaceful because of his cross that he bears, silently and willfully.

Bottom line we are so blessed

Bottom line.... WE ARE SO BLESSED can I say it again,

WE ARE SO BLESSED!! Thank you Heavenly Father for blessing us with more than we deserve.

AND

I wouldn't trade our crosses with anyone! These blessings from this trial are specifically meant for us. WE are better because of them.

WE ARE FAMILY!

Sometimes, I think that we are being tested like Job. But, I will not sulk or feel sorry for ourselves for their are others with so much less and their worries are heavy and their crosses are more.

***FOLLOW UP of bumps and BRUISES***

Mr. Incredible comes home and he checks out Dash's hand. He concurrs that he thinks we should bring him in and have his hand looked at. He calls the urgent care down the road and tells them we do not have insurance and how much would an office visit and x-rays be. It was $65 for the visit and $35 for the office visit. Ok, great we will be up there in 10 minutes.

Where we live we have 2 urgent care centers 2 blocks away from each other. In fact, if you stand on the sidewalk of one you can see the other Urgent Care's sign. Mr. Incredible comes home with a bill that costs over $300.00!!!
THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS! That is the cost knowing there wasn't insurance. Apparently, he went to the WRONG urgent care. The one that quoted him around $100 was the OTHER one! WEll FREAKIN' A!! (By the way what does A stand for)

I'm so sick I think I'm going to throw up. So, now if we pay the premium from his company which is like $300 or more. OH well, THREE HUNDRED dollars is the cost that it took to have peace of mind that Dash's hand just has a bad sprain. I would have hated if we gambled and it was broken. It just sucks, you know! Yeah, I said the S word, because it does SUCK!

GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN

Mr. Incredible returned home last night after a very long day in Chicago! He entered through the doors and I was sitting in my long neglected computer chair. He had a long day three flights were cancelled due to weather and he bounded through the doors a little heavy trodden and tired. He swept in and walked towards me and I offered him my neck as I always do when I am sitting. He kissed me lightly and walked into the kitchen.

I finished typing my last sentence and quickly followed behind him drilling him with 20 questions or more. It was late. It was after 10pm. I knew all he wanted to do was sit down and not think, not say a word and just sit. But, the 6 year old in me wouldn't allow that. I kept pestering and had he sat I would have been perched on top of his lap like a cat unwilling to be ignored or denied.

The interview went well, which I had no doubt that it wouldn't. There should be a second interview which should bring him to our ultimate decision if we so desire. The company would be run out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. HOLY toledo that is pretty cold out there!
The actual place is Rockford, Michigan.

Mixed emotions here.
ELATED that we have a bite after a short period of time.
RELIEVED that my plight of working FT plus could soon be over.

CALM that we won't have to burn through our severance.

THANKFUL that incessant prayers have been heard.

EXCITED that if I have to dress in multiple layers will motivate me to lose weight!

(who wants to look fatter with all those clothes on)

WILLING that our family is willing to move where ever we need to.

Happy life is good!

the down side of this possibility.

WORRIED of the unknown, schools, church, housing, friends.

SCARED of a new city, it looks old

STUBBORN against change.

WONDERING what is real estate like, the youth program, sports program.

GRUMPY I'm not a big fan of the cold.

Happy life is good!

HOPEFUL! Mr. Incredible is going to another interview here in Charlotte and this is the job we would really LOVE to have. It would be a WIN WIN situation and be an eye popper for his resume'. Sorry no names of either company until the deal is sealed and then I may not be able to share his employer.

Mr. Incredible is so good with keeping past relations and having a good repor. I know these opportunities are a direct result of his gift to gab! and once again, I sign out of my blog because

I am ...

HAPPY LIFE IS GOOD!

TODAY!!!

Today...............

I AM NOT
1. I am not waking up before 5am.
2. I am not staying home to Facebook or Blog.
3. I am not working
4. I am not doing yard work

Today............

I AM
1. I am going visiting teaching
2. I am perusing stores
3. I am cleaning my home
4. I am researching material to teach a class on BLOGGING!(just because I blog doesn't make me an expert)

But the best news is....
Mr. Incredible flew out to Chicago for a job interview all expenses paid. The possible career move would bring us to MICHIGAN! (are you kidding me?) BRrrrrrrr.
Good luck honey, Godspeed.
I have to give a class on BLOGGING at church! DOES anyone have any ideas I can do or say or tricks of the blog! Please help a girl out!
I am doing well. Almost 3 wks of unemployment and we have had many good leads come our way. A few nibbles but things look very promising. We are really hoping that this one company comes through. It would allow us to stay in Charlotte or move wherever we wish. Benefits are perfect and salary is an increase! It would also be a resume' builder. Meaning it would be an advantage if Mr. Incredible had this on his resume.

But, I have found balance between work and family. I have found a schedule that works for me. I have great co workers and friends and who truly care and will do anything they can to help me out. I am not worried. I am mindful of things we spend our money on but we are not in a frenzy over anything.

Mr. Incredible said, "I guarantee you I will have a job by SEPTEMBER"
mouth gaping open stunned, as I quickly processed how many months that would be, shot back, "I guarantee you by APRIL we will living in the streets?"

We then both laughed and he realized he didn't mean SEVEN MONTHS!!
Something will come open for us, I know it. We might have to take a stepping stone company before the perfect company comes along. I know they are just waiting for him and we are just waiting for them. The journey and task is that we are doing our part to bring us to that path.

Today I cried...

When Mr. Incredible and I had lunch with our children the other day we had brought them each McDonalds. We sat with them and enjoyed watching them eat and talking with them and their classmates.

I sat next to Dash and Dash had another cute little boy sit on his other side. I noticed this little boy had dipping sauce and crackers. One of those pack of 6 crackers with peanut butter in between.
I unknowingly, questioned him. I asked,"Is that all you are eating for lunch?"
He replied, "Oh, my mom says that this will be the last day my lunch will be like this. I have to eat it all and then my lunch will go back to normal."
He eagerly volunteered to eat the french fries when offered and he even said he would take the honey mustard packet. He was so polite and happy.
I responded, "Oh, OK and thought nothing more of it.
Mr. Incredible had to leave before the lunch period was over because he had a job interview over the phone. We had announced that we needed to get going so that hopefully we would have a job offer.

The little boy next to Dash piped out with a complete story. He said, My mom just lost her job and my dad's job doesn't make much. She says we may lose our home and we won't have a lot of extras or go places, etc. etc!

I felt like someone just SLAPPED me in the face. I couldn't breathe and my eyes stung and I couldn't help but hold back the tears. Oh my goodness this little boy was carrying the weight of the world on his little shoulders. He was worrying about things that no little boy should have to worry about.

WE are so blessed. Mr. Incredible lost his job but we have money we have opportunities coming through our doors. I want this boy and all little children to be able to eat lunch and to eat freely.

Jan, has on her a blog CHANGE FOR CHANGE! WE are donating all of our loose change to Dash's classroom and inviting any class member to donate and bring in change as well. This way ANYONE who's parents have lost their jobs or who has just forgotten their money will be able to partake from this jar. It's not much but it helps and the children love the idea.

So, HELP someone in your area and donate your loose change. It is a time for change!

The job situation is getting worse in Charlotte. More jobs were lost. There was a job fair here and in 2 hours all jobs were filled.
Thank you for your prayers things are looking good for us.

Here's the Scoop on the Poop!

My Mr. Incredible became the victim of our economy. I received the news last Wednesday. I was basically numb. It hadn't really sunk in. We live in NC and people losing their jobs have been happening quite steadily seeing that Bank of America and Wachovia, Microsoft, etc are large companies in the Queen City. Many people we know have been laid off or let go. However, I had the "INVINCIBLE" bubble on and forgot that I am married to MR. INCREDIBLE and not Mr. Invincible! ::oops::

We have been blessed in so many ways. Although, he was let go the end of January. They put his termination date Feb. 2nd which allows us a good full month of insurance. He was also given a full 3 months severance. Which is better than many people who are just shown the door! For that I am so very thankful.

I have no MIDDLE ground! I go from high to low. So, I basically already have us living in a storage shed, sleeping in our car and showering at the local truck stop.
I tend to expect the worst so that I can be pleasantly surprised when the opportunity of licking the inside of a garbage can comes up. (laugh, it was meant to be funny).

My point is! I am a optimistic pessimist! LOL, nice huh?? LOL

I am grieving. I am grieving the loss of our income, the loss of security and the loss of stability. I am grieving the loss of my perfect little glass house. Dangit!

I have went through the stages of DENIAL and now I am quiet comfortable in the stage of self pitty and woah, woah is me!

My daily regimen is::
wake up
PRAY
cry
get dressed
cry some more
pray again
rush to work,
work myself until I drop.
Pray
cry and
WAKE UP!
Sometimes, you need a good BOOHOO session! I have mourned and I am ready to move on.

I will either be looking majorly hot in the next 3 months OR my new fashion statement will be wearing a TENT!

I had a break down on Wednesday and I feel much better. It is amazing what sleep will do. A friend told me about HALT! They use it for alcoholics and drug abusers. But, it is a good thing to live by when experiencing stress.
H- Hunger, never let yourself go hungry
A- Anger- watch for signs (A for me is ANXIETY)
L- Loneliness - don't be secluded
T- Tired, do not get over exhausted. REst is necessary.

The only reason why I can post this NOW, is because I have moved from the denial stage, and self pitty stage to PEACE!

This too shall pass. I do not know how long we must endure this trial but I am willing to go the distance. I am grateful that my storm is that of a lost income and not a physical or health issue! I look forward to the new person and the stronger family we will become as we make this journey together. Sometimes our biggest trials can be some of our biggest blessings. I believe this but more importantly I KNOW THIS!

So, I am here, I am ok, and you all can stop worrying! I have just picked up extra hours at the airport. If we are not employed by the end of Feb. I hope they will accept my request to go full time so I can at least have INSURANCE for my babies.

If Mr. Incredible can not find a job opportunity in his profession he's going to fall back on his other skillz! Like being the next American Gigolo! LOL, HA... sorry ladies HE IS ALL MINE! and it's staying that way! But, OHHH he would be so good.

He suggested he might be mine and my sil's PERSONAL trainer! LOL

Seriously, he put us through college as a mechanic and a truck driver. He still holds a valid CDL. My baby is a hard worker and we are survivors!

I keep having that song play over and over in my head, "I'M A SURVIVOR"!

HEY GUESS WHAT?? I get to Fast for myself this Sunday! and for all the others who have lost their income and for the ECONOMY!! ::woot woot: