Full of emotion today!!!

Today started out great. We got up early and hit the road to take the kids to Grandma and Grandpas. We met them half way which was about 5 hours. The kids were so good and so excited to see their grandma and grandpa.

Troy and I were excited because he had 2 interviews for a job this week that he was very qualified for. We were really hoping he would get it. We prayed all week and felt a lot of peace. Today was the big day the decision would be announced and the winner of the job would start Monday. Yes this Monday... We had so much hope as we started our day. It would take so much worry away... No worries about how we were going to pay this bill or that bill. It was going to be perfect timing...

So we met my mom and dad and had lunch at Subway then we kissed our children goodbye and headed our seperate ways back home. At 3:19 we got the call that Troy didn't get the job. I felt like someone slugged me in the chest and I started crying... Now all the worries came back full force. I felt so much emotion and frustration and sadness and disappointment all rolled up into one. I felt like it was going to swallow me whole.... How much more can we take... How much more will we be expected to take???? When will this stupid unemployment end...

To make matters worse when I walked in the door I felt an overwhelming sadness for my children. I miss them so much already I am crying while I type this. I wish I could hold them on my lap and love on them and hear their cute little voices. I guess I will just have to make the phone call and wait 11 days to love on them in person.

I will be happy for this day to end... Tomorrow has to be better right????

Troy's 40th Birthday Present!!!

I wanted to do something special for Troy for his 40th birthday. He's had a tough year and I wanted to make it special. So our families went in on this for him.

He got a one hour helicopter lesson and a one hour air lesson.

I sent him and the instructor with the camera so they could take pictures and they didn't even get one of Troy. Oh well at least he got the helicopter so use your imagination and you'll see him standing there in the picture.

WE MOVED!!!!

I haven't posted because we have been busy moving for the last week. Let me tell you it has been a big job. We have lived in our house for 7 years. 7 years of collecting stuff...

I'll tell the whole story (when I'm not at work) and even post some pictures of our new house.

Needless to say it was sad leaving our old house, but we are so excited about our new house. It is a better fit for our family. We have a lot more space, the kids are happy we now have stairs and we have a beautiful pool complete with a waterfall. I love floating in the pool with the sound of the water trickling. That is true relaxation....

Lauren and Reagan are so easy to put to bed at night too, because it wears them out swimming.

Please come visit.

Adventures of a job interview:

Troy has a job interview today. We are so excited for him. We have been praying really hard.

But...

Last night at 3:00 a.m. Reagan got up in the night. Troy had him in his arms to bring him to bed with us to get him back to sleep when....

Troy tripped over the dog....

This all happened in slow motion as I watched him fly through the air! He almost recovered when...

The above said dog stood up...

Therefore hindering any progress in Troy's recovery and he continued to fly through the air. All he could think about was protecting his son from getting hurt in the fall.

So... he didn't break his own fall and fell face first into the side of the mattress. His nose started bleeding like a running river and then....

It started to swell...

Now let me remind you what he had first thing this morning...

A JOB INTERVIEW...

I asked him if he thought he would get hired with a big nose because man his was starting to become HUGE....

So he sat in the rocking chair in the middle of the night with a frozen bag of green beans on his nose!!!

And it looked much better this morning. Whewww...

Cookies anyone???

We made cookies today and they are so yummy! The kids looked snazzy in their aprons that Grandma gave them for Christmas.

Lauren said: It was cool to make lots and lots of cookies and we like them. I love so many things but mostly cookies.

Reagan: I like making cookies. They are so fun to make. I really like to eat them. Especially this kind. I like chocolate chip cookies.

The bugs last day of Basketball Camp. She loved it.

She was even fashion forward and wore a skirt for her last day of camp. That's our girls style. She likes to be different and do her own thing. She is definetly a free thinker in that area.

There were many years that I would fight with her to wear what I thought would look good and all it led to was frustration for both of us. One day she was late to school because she had put together this really crazy outfit that did not match... not even close.... Oh boy..... I spent a good 30 minutes trying to talk her out of it. Lots of crying....

We got to school and her Kindergarten teacher told me not to worry because this is when kids are trying to learn who they are and express themselves. So from that time on I settled down and let her pick her own creations. Some days I have just shaken my head when she went out the door but she was happy!!!

Isn't that what is important for our children.... to be happy in life..... and to feel good about themselves????

We set up the tent in the living room because the kids love to sleep in it. It's too darn hot here to sleep outside so we compromise.

We spent the afternoon making funny faces...

... playing card games like Go Fish and War and Reagan played a little Wii inside the tent while peeking out. It was a fun afternoon.

Our daddy spent the afternoon looking for jobs. Please pray he finds one soon.

This is what happens to little girls who play Pretty Princess Board Game.....

And this is what happens to Dad's who play Pretty Princess Board Games with their little girls...

And this is what Reagan decided to play sitting right next to them... Hot Wheels...

My awesome husband bought me a kitchen sprouter from Honeyville Farms for my birthday this year. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving. I have had so much fun sprouting different yummy things. I was going to wait and share this on my food storage blog but I don't have it put together enough to share it yet.

I am starting something new. Troy and I have really no food storage (well I should say we didn't). We had a couple months set aside but that was a year ago (and he has been out of work since last June) so that went pretty fast.

So I am going to track how we are getting our basic food storage while unemployed. It takes some sacrifice, but we feel our Heavenly Father is on board and he is blessing us with the ability to slowly build it up.

I'll share more soon.

Things I have sprouted and had success with:

Wheat
Peas
Alfalfa Sprouts

Things that didn't sprout so well:

Pinto Beans (they went moldy before they sprouted)

THE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED THROUGH SPROUTING: If in times of need - you are having to live without fresh veggies you can sprout wheat and peas for example and they are considered live, fresh food. So COOL...

I want to request prayers for a sweet family we met during our adoption journey in Guatemala. Their son Vincent lost his battle with Rhadbomysarcoma on Wednesday. He was only 7 years old. He fought a brave fight for over a year and has gone to be with our Heavenly Father. He is now with his sister Annabella who went to Heaven at 6 months of age.

They have set up a charity to help other families who are dealing with pediatric cancers and mitrochondrial disorders. Go here to learn more.....

http://www.vincentandannabellasgarden.org

Please pray for peace and happiness for this sweet family.

We were a little restless tonight after Family Home Evening so we went and got ice cream cones at our favorite place. Then we went for a little drive, which Reagan informed us was boring. Afterwards we came home and sat out front while the kids played and rode their bikes and scooters. Now on to bath time. Troy just walked by and said "help". So that's my que.....

Oh for all your ICarly fans out there we had "Spaghetti Tacos for dinner with meatballs. I tried to take some pictures but my cameras battery was out of juice. Next time....