Update

It has been awhile since I blogged. You are probably all wondering how we are doing. We have been enjoying our apartment and I have been enjoying my job. We are making it through. Yes it is still hard on us but we are making it through. One of my friends told me that we are doing more than making it through we are surviving. That particular friend has a point. James and I became members at Clovis Ev Free Church. It has been such a blessing to be members. James is trying to serve in the church and well I have started to help out in the pre-k during second service. It was so much fun. Working at Kids Kare is such a blast. Everyday I come home with at least a laugh or a smile on my face. The past few days have been so hectic for us. James was having problems starting the car since last week sometime (I believe it started last Friday). The car did always start but it always took awhile to start. Well, on Monday (maybe even Tuesday) we were talking about getting it looked at to see what was wrong with it and well yesterday we went to the car and tried to turn on the car. Well to our surprised our car was not starting... it was humming. We tried everything we could to get me to work on time. By 8:05 I knew it wasn't gonna start so I called in my work to let them know I was gonna be late. We also called every friend we could think of since we had no money to tow the car we had to come up with a plan. We finally had a call from one of our friends and well we were able to borrow a car that day. James had an interview at 9 am yesterday, but with everything that happened he had to reschedule it for today at 9:30 am. Well, he couldn't find the place that his interview was at so it was rescheduled again for today at 2 pm. Finally, on my break I got a text from James asking me to call him. When I called him he told me that the oil sending unit and the starter both went out and it was gonna cost us 600 dollars. I was in tears at this point. He then said but since we had the card that we got from the last time the car was fixed that we could put 333 dollars on the card. Then he told me two of the tires were wearing and that would be 175 to replace the tires, but we couldn't afford that so we had to hold off on those. Honestly, I was so afraid that we would not be able to go home for Christmas. I think we are both relieved the car is fixed. However, the company we got the car from is no longer in business so we can't do much at all. James and I appreciate all the prayers we got and we want to say a very special thanks to the Elrich's for saving us for the few days we needed their car. "In all things Christ Supreme!"

It's Gonna Be Alright

So James and I will be celebrating our one year anniversary on Oct. 27th and I am very excited. We have had so much happen to us in the past year and to tell you the truth I would not change it for the world. As most know I did lose my job on Oct.1st, 2010 at Clovis Unified and I did search for a job in Sacramento and had a few offers. One offer wouldn't give me the job until we moved to Sacramento and well we didn't have the funds so that job offer fell through. I also had an offer in Davis for Bright Horizons and well as we were about to get ready to move forward and move I called and there was a job freeze and that is when we went to go take our 30 day notice back, but things just went down hill. Our apartment was rented out and the renters were moving in on the 17th of March. We really had no where to go so we decided to go live with my parents for awhile. James and I then decided we were going to visit Fresno and we stayed with friends for a week and during that week we searched for jobs. We ended up getting in a car accident while job searching on April 1st. It was nothing bad at all. We were just rear- ended and I had whiplash for about a month and our honda was totaled. We were very lucky for such wonderful friends because we were able to borrow their extra car they helped us find a new car. After the car accident things turned for the best and we now have a 2006 Chevy Colbolt LS as most of you know and have seen. Once we got the new car I knew we were able to go to the Sacramento Jazz Festival and enjoy our love of jazz and that is exactly what we did. I even got a part- time job at Kids Kare at the Park and we ended up renting a room from our friends. On July 25th I started being a full-time preschool preschool teacher at Kids Kare at the Parks. I have so many memories and I have had so much fun. I have played duck duck goose and leap frog with the kids I work with and I also have started talking like my coworkers... I have started saying girl boo, deuces, and also oh snap. :) Then on September 3rd... we moved to a 2 bedroom apartment across from the Fresno Airport. We ended up staying with our friends that night (September 3) cause we couldn't get everything done and we were overwhelmed. After church on September 4th we finished moving into our new place. Then a week after we moved we went back home to Santa Maria to get our babies. We now have Zoe and Gavin back and it has been the best thing ever. Gavin loves to play with his big teddy bear from my mom and he also loves to play with his baby teddy bear from my mom. Zoe still hides. Just the other day I looked for her and I couldn't find her... finally I looked under the bed for her once again and there she was actually inside of the box spring of the bed. On September 12th James and I went out to dinner at Bobby Salazars to try and win tickets to Blazefest from Jennifer Lipp (Our favorite talk show host from 105.1 the blaze). Well anyways I actually won the tickets, so on September 17th we went to Blazefest and we had a blast. Heard many great bands. So some quotes I now live by and hope many people will live by are "Set yourself up to succeed"- Sherrilynn Colby Bottel (which I have set myself up to succeed in so many ways and just hope I can continue to succeed); "If you're gonna grow, you've got to let the sun shine on you"- Sherrilynn Colby-Bottel (I have also grown and the sun continues to shine on me... I am one changed young lady); "It is all in God's hands"- Sherrilynn Colby-Bottel (as you can tell I let it all be in God's hands and let God show me his Plan and we are now very happy living back where we want to make our living and home); and "See, good things come to those who wait"- Jeff Barnhart (so very true and I waited and got a full-time job, we got a place to call our own, and of course a year of happiness). I also learned from Pastor Wil that "Everything in life is a fill in the blank test and Christ is the answer. he is not always the best answer, but he is the only answer." I just wanted to thank everyone who was there for us and a special thanks to Brenda and Harlan for giving us shelter and of course for the food they shared with us for 6 months and thanks to my parents for letting us stay with them for awhile and for taking care of our babies! :) Also thank you for my mentor for giving me the prep talks I needed during this time of need. I now know I wouldn't turn anything around because I am extreme close to my hubby now and I am madly in love with him. Also there has been many meaningful and helpful lessons learned. It really did make it a lot easier to deal with all of these trials with my hubby.

My hubby and I at the Blazefest on Sept. 17th

My hubby and I with Jennifer Lipp on Sept.12th

Zoe hiding in the box spring of our bed

Gavin with his big teddy bear from my mom

He's Turned My Mourning Into Dancing Again

So I realized it has been awhile since I have updated everyone on how James and I are doing. Anyways, as most know I lost my job at Clovis Unified October 1st, 2010. All I was told was that I did not fulfill my duties and responsibilities at an acceptable level. After many many hours, days, and months of looking for a job I had an interview with Bright Horizons in Davis and well that went very well. We were about ready to pack up our live in Fresno and move to Sacramento, but the only thing was when I called to see if I got the job I was told the job was put on a hiring freeze. After that things went down hill. We went to take our 30 day notice back and that was when we were told our apartment was sold and we couldn't take back our 30 day notice. Then we decided well we needed somewhere to go so we moved back to Santa Maria at my parents house. We then came to Fresno for a visit for a week and was staying with friends. We went job hunting during that time and on April 1st as we were job hunting we were rear-ended. I had whiplash for about a month and the honda was totaled. We were lucky for such wonderful friends that let us use an extra car and to help us find a car. James and I then have things turn for the best. James and I got a 2006 Chevy Colbolt LS and when that happened we went to Sacramento for the jazz festival. During this time I also got a part time job at Kids Kare at the Parks as a preschool teacher. Also, during this time we were told we could rent a room at our friends' house. We went home over the weekend and got all of our stuff and we sang this song at church at the Harbor and it spoke to both James and I. I just want to say amen to this song because it is so true for us right now.

He's turned my mourning

Into Dancing again

He's lifted my sorrows
I can't stay silent
I must sing
For His joy has come

Where there once
Was only hurt
He gave His healing hand
Where there once
Was only pain
He brought comfort
Like a friend
I feel the sweetness
Of His love
Piercing my darkness
I see the bright
And morning sun
As it ushers in
His joyful gladness

You've turned my mourning
Into dancing again
You've lifted my sorrows
And I can't stay silent
I must sing
For Your joy has come

Where there once
Was only hurt
You gave Your
Healing hand
Where the once
Was only pain
You brought comfort
Like a friend
I feel the sweetness
Of Your love
Piercing my darkness
I see the bright
And morning sun
As it ushers in
Your joyful gladness

Your anger lasts
For a moment in time
But Your favor is here
And will on me for
All my life time