Been a While

I'm taking one day at a time. I've found a new church. I'm not as active. I have trouble going some days. I miss my old church family dearly...I hear a song Stacey used to sing or I see something that reminds me of them and it tears my heart out. I know my decision is the reason I can no longer be there but I lost a huge part of myself. My ex is not paying child support so I'm having to take him to court. Who would have thought he wouldn't help take care of his children? Of course after all the things he did after the fact, it doesn't actually surprise me. I admit I made my share of mistakes but at least I owned up to them. He's lying on top of it all. I have witnesses and pictures. We'll see what happens in court. The girls are doing great. I don't think the 50/50 custody is good for them. Not enough stability. That's another thing we'll do in court this week. He has a girlfriend now so I wish he'd just move on, pay his support. He buys Faith a cell phone but she's not allowed to call her own mother. He acts like he's this faithful, good guy but it's all a charade. My true friends and family know the truth and that's all that really matters. My decision is no ones business nor is it for anyone to "understand". Unless you're in someones shoes you can't. My girls are healthy and HAPPY...probably better than they have in a long time. I'm having fun and meeting a lot of new people..my prince charming will come one day. Right now my focus is my girls and getting us out of our financial situation that he helped get us into. My only regret in this whole thing is that I didn't do this a long time ago!!!

Moving on

So my divorce is final in 6 weeks!! The ex decided to hack into my email, myspace and facebook and change my passwords and read my emails. He tore up most of what he left in the house. I had to change the locks and get a protective order. He came home drunk and was in my face one night...but he is gone! I have made my share of mistakes and will the first to admit it but this is stupid. I'm just ready to move on. I've met a few people and I am having fun again. I've met a couple of blasts from the pasts. The ex blogs about not being angry and how closer to God he's getting and then pulls this stupid s***. What a joke. My true friends know the truth and that's all that matters..

and to those who think I'm getting what I deserve. Bite me

Holiday World

Faith, Maggie, Chloe and Stasia
Faith in the splash park
The girls again

We had a long, fun filled day at Holiday World. We spent most of the time in the water park. How blessed we are to be able to do fun things like this with friends and family.

Faith's 8th Birthday Party

The beginning of the evening swimming
and on the trampoline

Hope and her friends Haley and ElissaBeth
All the girls!! Yes they all stayed the night! What a great time. Thank goodness it's only once a year. Happy Birthday Beautiful!

Fourth of July

My camera has a firework setting on it. Look how weird this picture came out of Hope!

The ABC's of ME

Took this from my friend Staci's blog.

Stole this from Perri's blog. She always has funsies to do or share. She's cool like that!! Thanks Perri!

A. Aromatherapy? Satsuma from The Body Shop, clean linen or cotton, Apple Cinnamon

B. Best Buds? Wow...Connie, Tracy, Tara, Jodi, Jessica, Susan, Sonya, Julie, Jennifer, Cathy, Trin

C. Can't eat just one? Mini Snickers

D. Roller Derby in your future? Only as a spectator

E. Essential item? Lipgloss

F. Favorite thing to do in your spare time? Read

G. Gotta love it when? Your kids hug and kiss you for no reason.

H. Home town you grew up in? Boonville

I. Favorite Indulgence? Chocolate milkshake, whip cream

J. Just what where you thinking when you said? Sure I'll teach again

K. Do you have Kids? What are their names? Yes!! Faith Renee and Hope Avery

L. Life isn't complete without? Jesus Christ

M. Marriage Date? February 14, 2000

N. Number of brothers and sisters? 1 brother, 2 sisters

O. Oranges, apples or other? Cantaloupe

P. Phobias? Sharks, gators, small enclosed spaces

Q. Quotes? God is good all the time

R. Reasons to smile? My God and my kids

S. Speed Dial Numbers? Hubby, mom and dad

T. TV shows you don't want to miss? My soaps

U. Unknown fact about me? I've been to jail......long time ago before my christian days!

V. How do you Veg out? A good book on the porch

W. Worst habit? Pulling my eyelashes

X. eXperience you don't want to do again? Death of a friend

Y. Your favorite food? Mexican

Z. 'Zactly what were you thinking when you said? I do...just kidding...Let's landscape the front yard!

Someone's pants are on fire!

Who could that be??? Oh let's see, the weather man maybe! Yesterday the weather channel told me that rain would not start until until 3 p.m. today. So 5:30 a.m. we set up for our yard sale......our 8 tables of stuff and 15 trash bags of clothes...then the thunder rolls. I speed to Wal-Mart to get tarps to cover stuff but by the time I get out it's a torrential down pour and the parking lot is flooded....and the clothes are soaked :(. We got the clothes and electronics covered but it's still raining.

Oh yeah, this is after I fell over a box this morning and skinned both my knees....what a day!

New Additions!

This is Max our baby
Our new addition Gracie
and Lilly
How sweet!

We went to a friend's Saturday and someone had dropped off 2 litters of kittens. We brought Gracie home and were talking to a neighbor and her friend fell in love. There was another one just like her at the place we got her so we gave her to the friend and went back the next to get another one like her. We could not catch her but the calico came right up to us so we brought Lilly home. Later that afternoon my neighbor came back with Gracie in hand. Her friend's dog didn't take to well to her and they couldn't take her so we now have 3 cats...but that's OK!

Girlfriends weekend

Hanging out on the patio
Jodi, Tara, Sonya and Jess
Me and Jodi...Jodi has lived away and just recently moved back to town. We hadn't been with her for 13 years...but it was like it was yesterday!

My bestest friends since 7th grade get together several times a year. This weekend we met at Jessica's in Fishers. 10 of us made it. We sat outside and ate and talked and looked through pictures and old yearbooks then we went inside and talked and stayed up until about 2 chatting. We had a blast as always! We are going to get together again in September in Cincinnati. I love you girls!

Our neighborhood on cops...

Apparently this afternoon two men broke into a home on Franklin and the homeowner came home and they took off on foot. The police found them by my house soon after. We need to move!!!! I keep praying we can move closer to church and this only solidifies my thoughts!!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all moms...Happy Mother's Day! What a blessing it is.

Stitches

It was time to take them out so I took a suture removal kit home from work. Thursday evening Jamie sat on Hope and held her down and I removed the stitches. It was awful. She screamed "Mommy help me!" over and over. It killed me. She was mad at Jamie for holding her down and wouldn't have anything to do with him the rest of the night. But they are out and it's healing and looks pretty good.

Grace House

The ladies from Grace House came to our last ladies meeting Thursday night. We had a huge meal and we presented them with stationary and puzzles all the women from the church had brought in. They gave a couple of amazing testimonies and signed 2 songs for us. It was such a blessing!! I REALLY want to volunteer there and take them on outings and especially on Friday nights. They have chapel time and then movie nights and they need women to go give testimony or speak whatever God lays on their heart or to just hang out with them. Thank you God for bringing these women into my life again. I visited there a little over a year ago and they were on my heart then but life got in the way but God brought them back again. We raised $800 to give them to start a scholarship fund. It costs them $500 a month to be there. I can't imagine that. It's totally faith based and these women are wonderful!

Stitches

Our first time for stitches...Hope fell and hit a wooden end table at the sitters and cut open right above her eye by her eyebrow. She was actually walking and just tripped over her feet but hit it pretty hard (of course I think dark forces were behind it). She had a small gash but it was pretty deep so 2 hours at the ER and 3 stitches. They had to put her little arms in a pillow case behind her back and me, Jamie and 2 nurses had to hold her down. It was terrible. But she's fine now. Praise God.

Grace House

Last night a few of the ladies from church went to the Grace House to meet the ladies and take a tour and hear what Grace House is really about. Our ladies group broke into smaller groups and were given $100 to do something in the community. Our group chose to take the money and buy some Krispy Kreme donut cards and sell them and give the money to the Grace House. The program there is awesome! The ladies there were so sweet and open with us. The program is totally faith based. The cost for the ladies to be in the program is $500 a month. They are coming to our ladies meeting in May to give some testimony and sign a song (they do sign language to songs) and we will present them with their check. They are such an awesome group. They need volunteers to help take them to appointments and to outings once they are eligible to go out to shop and eat if you want something to volunteer for. I had a great time meeting the ladies and hearing about the Grace House.

Bye Penny :(

I work with a wonderful lady named Penny. She is smart, funny, beautiful inside and out and a woman of God. She's also leaving. She's moving back home to Alabama. Tomorrow is her last day. I am so glad I got to know her. I'll miss you Penny!

VIOLET

You surround yourself with art and music and are constantly driven to express yourself. You often daydream. You prefer honesty in your relationships and believe strongly in your personal morals.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

discover your dog breed @ quiz meme

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I am a
Snapdragon

What Flower
Are You?

"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

War

I'm having a war of souls of sorts. I can't explain it lately but I feel totally "lost". I've been reading the Word and I got Beth Moore's Get Out of that Pit and it's really helping because I feel like I'm sitting on the edge of a pit just wanting to jump into it! I'm having crazy thoughts and doing things I normally don't. My health isn't doing great and my emotions are not either. I keep praying for guidance and for God to show me what the stumbling block is that is causing these feelings I'm having. I have some great friends that I can load my problems to and they listen and respect my feelings even if they aren't the ones I should be having. There's times I want to walk away from everything...except the girls. They are what keeps me going and my God. I know He still loves me unconditionally even with stupid decisions and thoughts. Thanks to all my wonderful friends who love me anyway!! :)

Friendship

Friday night I went to my dear friend Trin's. She had a sleepover for Stasia and 6 friends for her birthday. I went to help and hang out with Trin. We used to get together at least every other week and talk. She's such a great listener and I trust her with anything I tell her. I had a great time and talk...I miss that! I love you Trin. Thanks for your friendship, advice and love!

Sweetness

is when my girls are loving. When Hope hugs and kisses for no reason. When Faith gives me a love note. At dinner we've been trying to get the girls to just pray and talk to God rather than reciting a prayer. Last night Faith thanked God for our food and then she said "I'm sorry for all the people that died in the tornados but now they are in heaven and you are watching over them"....sniff.

Bad Girls

My friend Kelli let me borrow Bad Girls of the Bible and I just finished it. It is such an awesome book and I highly recommend it. I saw myself in every one of the illustrations Liz (the auther) provided. I just started Really Bad Girls of the Bible. I also bought Beth Moore's Out of the Pit. I've been wanting to read that since I saw her at Women of Faith. Can't wait to start it!!

Big Sisters

Several months ago we had the youth girls sign up to be litle sisters and had some of the ladies of the church become secret big sisters. Over the time we sent cards, gifts and prayed for our particular sister. Last night we had our meal and reveal. We had a nice dinner and revealed ourselves to the girls. We played a few games (provided by Perri) and had a blast. It was nice to get the older ladies and the youth girls together for some fellowship. My girl was Hope and I adore her. I love and appreciate all the young and elder ladies of the church so much!!

Birthdays

Happy Birthday Eric (yesterday)....Happy Birthday to Pastor Aaron and Happy Birthday to my daddy!! I love you!!!!

Wonderful girls weekend

Susan, Sonya, Tracy and I met in Edinburgh Friday night. We went to dinner and then hung out in the "hot tub" at the hotel and then shopped Saturday afternoon at the outlet malls. It was a lot of fun...would have been funner if we all had more money...but it was a great time of fellowship and sharing. I love you guys!!! I missed all of you who couldn't make it this trip.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my niece Stephanie in Colorado and nephew Caleb "Bubba" in Illinois. I love you guys!!!!!!!!!!!

Daniel

No not the Elton John song although it is stuck in my head at the present moment. The bible study by Beth Moore....it is awesome! Of course, I love Beth Moore but she takes each verse apart of Daniel and applies it to today's world and you are like yes, I see it now!! Our world is so into beauty and "sex sells" mentality. Don't get me wrong I like to make myself presentable but the focus on how we look, dress, our body image is ridiculous. I want my girls to be happy with themselves in the way they act and treat others not if theyare thin enough or if they have the name brand clothing. Can you imagine being thrown in a den full of hungry lions and God himself shutting their mouths and when the men come to get what they think will be a dead man you are sitting with the purring felines?!?! What about Mesach, Shadrach and Abednego?? A fire so hot it kills the very men who open the furnace?? Not one hair on their hair is singed. No smell of fire. God himself walking through the fire with them. How great is our GOD??!! When Nebechudnezzer builds a 90 foot statue and demands that every man bow to it but those 3 men say NO even without Daniel by their side....they knew God would either save them from the fire or take them home to Heaven...would you be able to face the fire??? I know I would. This study is so great I recommend anyone going through it. We are only in week 3 so there will be more to come. Thank you God for such a wonderful study to put life in perpesctive. Thank you for everything you give me....Bind the mouth of the enemy...for I went to the enemy's camp and I took back what he stole from me!!! Satan is under my feet. I'm going to praise HIS name, look what the LORD has done!!!!!

Answered prayers

My cousin Gary and his wife Ruth have been unable to have children and have been trying for years. They just adopted a beautiful little girl Myah Noel.....CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Thank you God for this beautiful miracle!

Brusha, brusha, brusha

Ok, it's been years since I've been to the dentist. They terrify me. I had a bad experience as a kid and I am a big baby. I have a broken tooth on the bottom I've been avoiding but a friend at work made me schedule an appointment with a dentist so I went. We have dental coverage and get a free cleaning once a year so I might as well use it right. So I go for the cleaning and of course, I need a root canal on that tooth..great! I had that done last Wednesday and it wasn't so bad. It' s not something I'd do again but it wasn't bad. Now I have to have a crown done. Yeah me!!

Ring in the new year

New Years Eve we went out to eat then went to Blockbuster and bought the 4 DVD's for $30. We let each of the girls pick out a movie. Faith picked Hairspray (because of Zac Effron) but we haven't watched it yet. I hear it's great. Hope picked Cheaper by the Dozen 2, which is a great family movie! We all 4 curled up in our bed and watched it. I don't think we made until midnight but we had great family time together.

Speaking of family, I have a little book with children's bible stories we read at night and at the enc of each chapter are questions and prayers, etc... We had read the story of Genesis and how God created everything and the question was what is your favorite thing God made? Faith says my family.....how adorable is that. She can make my heart melt sometimes! I love you baby!

Family Time

The weekend following Christmas we went to my brother Rodney's. We had a great time. My niece Caytlin cut Faith's hair to her shoulders. It looks so much healthier and she looks adorable. She also cut and colored mine. She always does such a great job! Please pray for my other niece Kelsi. She's had a few seizures in her life and now she's 16 and to her license in April but she's had a couple of seizures and she was doing great but she had one a couple of weeks ago so she can't drive for 6 months...you know that sucks when you first get your license! Hope adores Kelsi. She's the only person she'd let hold her or do anything for her the entire time we were there. She wanted to stay with her. We took Jake and he had a blast in a fenced in yard. He played his heart out with their little dog Skyler. They also have the Wii game. We played bowling, tennis, golf and boxing. I could hardly walk for 2 days I was so sore!! LOL

Alvin, Simon, Theodore

The Friday before Christmas we took the girls to see Alvin and the Chipmunks....too cute!! They loved it. We spent a family day/night together. We had a great Christmas at home.