2008: Our year in review

Well, it has been a different year for us. Excitement, disappointments, changes, happiness, sadness, and struggles.
Some notes: Our move to Charlotte. That was the highlight of the year. Lawrence has a good job, and we are living in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. We have been blessed with this great change, and God has guided us to this place so that we can grow.

Nate had to start 5th grade again, however, it was good for him. He needed that wake up call to get himself together. Now he has As and Bs, and is loving his new friends and classmates.

Renee is realizing how easy school can be now, if she just does the work. She is excited because this is her first time ever being on the Honor Roll. She has always had the potential, she just never wanted to show it. Now that she's had the 'taste' of success, she's high on it. We want to keep her that way!

Of course, everything isn't going as planned. I haven't been able to hold a job because I have been stricken with strange illnesses. I thought it was just maybe stress or depression. I started trying to get treated for depression, hoping my brain would 'stop making me sick'. Now I have more issues. This time, I'm keeping on top of things, and the doctors I'm seeing have their eyes open to what's going on, and their minds are working overtime. They know it's something - some auto-immune issue - just don't know exactly what. We're working on it.

Also, one of the main reasons for the big move was to give Bri a better chance at being a responsible teenager. There were people in Philly that we just didn't want her to be around. I was worried about her schooling, and was also worried that although I was able to send her to a good school, where would I send Renee and Nate? Her school was good, but they still had their fights, and the area it was in was dangerous. Red Lion Road and Roosevelt Blvd. is the worst intersection anywhere! It always worried me that she wanted to cross that street to hang with her friends. I tried to give her freedom, however she took it for granted.
Moving here, I thought things would be different. However she is falling. And as a parent, I feel I'm failing. I'm not sure what road God is going to lead her on, however I am trying my best to keep her on a straight path. Pray for us.

And now, with this recession looming on the world, it's getting harder and harder to make ends meet. I need a job, and we need help. Food shopping is dwindling, clothing and shoes are being put on the back burner.

2009 is going to be better. I may start working part-time. We're waiting for Lawrence's job to let me know if I will be hired. Nate and Renee are still going to do great in school, and Bri is going to realize that the choices she makes not only affect her, but everyone around her, and that if she makes the wrong choices now she can possibly ruin her future. I want her to see that before it actually happens.

So, please everyone, keep us in your prayers. ANY help you can offer would be wonderful!

Thank you all, and God Bless!
Leslie

All I want for Christmas...

There are so many times when we all get caught up in the hustle and bustle, and commercialism of the holiday season that we forget what's important. We as a family know that the true reason for the season is Christ, and the gift we were given when he came to redeem us.

That being said, it is our tradition to have the children write out a list of what material things that they wanted for Christmas. Each child gave us a list of 4 or 5 things they wanted, nothing too ostentatious. We have been struggling financially because right now we only have one income. So Les went to the kids individually, and explained That we may not be able to get them everything on their lists, starting with the youngest. Nate looked Les in the eyes and said "That's ok. Just get me one gift.". Their responses were all the same.

We were both so moved because all we really wanted was for them to have a good Christmas. And, since Les really knows how to stretch a dollar, not only did they have way more than they expected, we also had a Christmas feast that we still have some leftovers from.

Bottom line, we got to spend a joyous, loving, sharing holiday at home enjoying family. By the way, this was Leslie's first attempt at baking a ham, and she knocked it out of the park! That's the only thing that isn't left over. We'll post some pictures later.

Good Morning!

Good morning, everyone!
Philly is having a good time here, she's loving the rubs and all the love she's getting. She's having a ball going outside with the kids, and she's warmed up to Charlie quite well. Can't say the same for Charlie, though. He's scared of the big bark!

Today we're going to take Bri driving again. We drove around the development on Saturday, to help her with her turns. Today we're gonna try some parking techniques. I can't park well myself, so Lawrence is gonna show her that.

The kids and I decided what we're going to make for Christmas dinner. Something small, but special for Lawrence, because he has to work all this week.

If you have little kids, KB Toys is going out of business, and they still have some good stuff. At least the one around here does. I did find something for the family, but all the stuff they had was for little kids. Lots of dolls, and I don't have any that play with dolls anymore. Man, I remember the days when they did.... memories.

Well, I'm going to go. I'll blog later!
Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

A house full of canines

For some reason, we have 4 dogs in our house right now. One of the dogs is just visiting with his master, the other is Nicole's dog that we're watching until Saturday, and Charlie. Then there's this other dog, a yorkie that we found. He followed Nicole's dog, and he is very friendly.

We put up "found" signs in the neighborhood, and we're just waiting for the phone to ring. He's well groomed, and he gets along with the other dogs. We'll see who claims him.

We had a good time yesterday. The kids made us breakfast and dinner. We had pancakes and eggs in the morning, and steak, mashed potatoes, veggies, and rolls for dinner. Very good food. They gave us dinner by candlelight, and turned om jazz while we ate. So cute!

Anyway, I'm gonna look on craigslist and see if anyone listed their dog.

Thanks, and God Bless!

Leslie

Do you know what today is?

It's our anniversary!

Today we celebrate our 11 years of wedded bliss. (Pausing for the laughter of all married couples worldwide) Like anything worth doing, marriage is alot of work. The notion that "all we need is love" goes out the window when true adversity arises. It takes no small share of trust and communication to make a marriage succeed. And don't forget, if you leave out the author of marriage, the tale can't possibly be written properly.

I love Les in a way that I have loved no other. The chords of love that bind us are strong. But without working on all the other aspects, our marriage would wither away. So like a tender vine, we must care for it daily in order for it to thrive. This unfortunately was not always my attitude. Along the way we've encountered many setbacks and stumbling blocks. Our marriage has been tested on every front. Some battles were lost, but we've kept fighting none the less, and our marriage is stronger for it.

We thank all of those who have loved, supported and prayed for us through the years. We couldn't have made it without you. So, DON'T QUIT NOW! And hopefully 11 years from now, we'll still be thanking you.

10 years and 364 days ago...

Lawrence and I were married.

We're not doing anything special, we don't have any money!! But we're happy, and that's all that really matters.

Anything else going on? Well we wrapped presents today. We're going to have Nicole's dog for the week while they go to Philly. The dog's name is Philly. Yes, I know. She's a cutie, and she loves me.

Lawrence is cooking tonight. He's making catfish. The kids are being crazy in the living room - Nicole's youngest son is here, and he and Deven are VERY talkative. I think they just like the sound of their own voices. Charlie stole one of his Christmas presents. It's a fuzzy squeek toy, with a tug rope going through it. He loves it, so the $2.99 toy was a great buy!

Anyway, I'm done for the night. Going to go eat soon, and then go to sleep!

Thanks, and God Bless!!

Leslie

Just more pictures from Friday and Saturday...

Oh, Christmas Tree...

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!!

We have our tree, and it's finally decorated! We did it last night. The pictures don't really do it justice. It's really nice. We do still have to add our truffles; we put them on the tree instead of candy canes. Here are some pictures:

Renee and Lawrence decided to decorate themselves:

Today, we decorated the front of the house. We didn't go crazy, just some ribbon, a couple of bows, and some lights:

So, what else - we took pictures for our Christmas card, and we'll send those our this week. I hope I have your address - if not, email it to me!

I had went to a couple of interviews and two open houses, but I was rejected on 2 of the jobs, and IKEA didn't call me. I'm still waiting on a couple more. I haven't given up yet.

The kids got their progress reports, and as expected, they did drop their grades a little, but not like they did in Philly. I'm still satisfied.

The girls wanted to put an end to the bunk beds, so we took them down today. They're now decorating "their side" of the room. Nicole suggested that we get different bed frames, instead of having the bulky wooden ones in the room, so they can have more space. We'll get some after Christmas. Probably after I get a job...

Anyway, I don't think there's much more to post, so I'll talk later!

Thanks, and God Bless!!

Leslie

I've applied to everything under the sun...

... and no one has called me yet. I'm tired of looking for a job, and I'm tired of waiting for the phone to ring. But enough about my depression, let's talk about the kids:

Nate has basketball practice today, and he's really excited about it. Lawrence takes him at 7pm, and he practices for 1hr. I think Lawrence is more excited than Nate sometimes! Nate's doing a good job. Last week he went for the first time. They ran different basketball drills and played a couple of games. We have to get him sports goggles, but without his glasses, he played pretty good.

Renee is so into "Twilight". She just got finished reading the second book. We also took the kids to the movies to see it. Bri, Renee, Nate, and one of Renee's friends went, and they loved it. Well, not Bri - she thought it was a pretty stupid movie. While they were in the theater, Lawrence and I walked around the mall. I was not wasting $5.00 to see that movie! She wants the third book now. I was able to get the second one on a great sale ($8.00!), but I think I can find the third at a good price.

Bri is having boy trouble. I'll leave it at that, don't want to embarrass her. I don't miss these teenage years!

We're probably going to get our Christmas tree tonight. There are a couple of markets that have trees for $30, so we're going to check there. We pulled out the decorations and started planning what we're going to do. I'll try to post pictures later.

Well, that's about it. Please pray that I find a job soon.

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

So today's my birthday...

... and as much as I like to celebrate everyone's birthday, I don't like to celebrate mine. I try to get in the spirit, like we're going to breakfast today. Normally though, it's hard. Because it's right after Thanksgiving and at the start of Christmas shopping, I never have a good time. I had 2 parties when I was a kid, and only one birthday that was actually fun (28th birthday bash). My husband tries his hardest every year, but it seems to come up short. Like the time when he tried to have a surprise party at my favorite resturaunt. It was a bad idea, because it was black Friday, so everyone is spending money on Christmas. Also, everyone is still into their leftovers, so who wants to spend money on food? 5 people showed, and he had reserved space for 20. It was a little embarrasing, they had to allow others to sit at the table after waiting for about an hour.

So anyway, I tend to dread the day. I don't like getting older. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that God has given me another day to celebrate. I guess that's how I need to leave it.

Well, we had a good time at dinner this Thanksgiving. We went to Nicole's friend's house. She has lots of space, and everyone was able to enjoy something. The teen girls (3 of them) were in their room or with the adult women. The men and younger boys were playing video games in different rooms, so they were happy. I'm going to post pics later.

I think we're ready to go eat now. The kid who sleeps all day is now dressed, so we're going to head out.

Thanks and God Bless!
Leslie

The holidays

This seems like it's going to be a nice holiday season. Yes, we don't have much money, and I don't have a job, but God has given us peace, good friends and a very helpful family. He is taking care of us, and that's more than enough to be thankful for.
My kids, who were never into big Christmas lists, gave me a list of what they want. Without us even saying anything, they all decided to only choose 3 or 4 things.
Bri's list:
A pair of cute heels
A new digital camera
One of the new Guitar Hero games

Renee's list:
Ice skates (unlikely!!)
Some type of MP3 player
Demi Lavato's 'Don't Forget' cd (or Jonas Bros., Twilight soundtrack etc.)
Sim City Creator (a game)

Nate's list (it keeps changing):
Spore Creatures (a game)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (a game)
Alvin and the Chipmunks Undeniable (unlikely!!)

I'm praying that I can get a job before the holiday so I can at least get a couple of these things.

My interview for IKEA is tomorrow. There was alot of people interviewing today, and they're going to be interviewing for the next few days. I hope I get the job - I really like IKEA. About 75% of my bedroom is IKEA stuff.

Bri is in Philly for Thanksgiving, and her dad is going to take her to visit other family. I hope she has a good time.

Well, pray for me tomorrow.

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

Why Type

Hi I have'nt blogged until now because I don't really like typing. Everyone else obviously likes to type but, don't blame me typing is just too boring for me. I don't understand why people type so much. Is it even a hobby? Someone needs to tell me because I'm clueless. Anyway you'll at least hear a little more from me from now on.

Well, I finally did it.

After over 7 years, I finally got a relaxer. I needed to do something to my hair. I'm doing alot of job hunting, and I want to be able to just run out the door if I get a good lead. With my locs, I had to make sure I touched them up, meaning washing and twisting them. After my locs, I had to straighten my hair with the comb, then use the flat iron, and it was still poufy. Nothing worked. So, here it is:

Nicole is a great hairdresser. She does Bri's hair as well, and it comes out very nice. It feels very different. I wonder how I'm going to get to sleep...

Anyhow, have you guys looked at facebook yet? It's a great spot to 'reconnect' with people. Lawrence and I have been on there alot in the past couple of weeks.

On to the kids: Nothing much is going on, Bri is definitely going to Philly, thanks to her father. He paid for her flight, and she's leaving Friday. She's excited. Renee's upset, but if she goes, I don't think she'll come back! She likes it down here, but she misses her Philly friends.

Well, I hope I have another interview before Sunday. I feel like I'm applying for EVERYTHING, but not getting called for much. I'm still praying and looking.

Renee wants to make a different dessert, when she does, I'll post it with pictures.

That's all for today. Thanks, and God Bless!

Leslie.

Job hunting sucks!

Especially in this economy. I had an interview today (I was given the appt. yesterday), but I was rejected. I wasn't there long, and they did the "we'll call you" routine. I'll find something.

Anyway, just wanted to vent a little. Will blog later.

Thanks, and God Bless,
Leslie

So I'm healthy and looking

I need a job badly. As I know many of you know, money is tight. Well for us, money is like a size zero jeans that I'm trying to jump around the room and pull up over my fat thighs. Nate poured himself some cereal, then realized we didn't have any milk. He wasn't happy.
Anyway, I do have an interview, but it's not until 11/23. Yes, a Sunday. It's a retail job. In the meantime, I'm looking hard and praying harder. Please pray too.

I've been getting health questions. Sorry I haven't updated anything. I had several tests come back, and all but one are normal. The only one that's not normal was one that says I have inflammation. Well, of course I have inflammation, that's what was wrong with my eye in the first place! So we're back to square one. Crazy. I'll go to the psychologist soon, I have a number.

So, I started a facebook profile after hearing 'Sign up on my facebook' about a BILLION times. It's kinda fun, so I think I'll keep it up for a while.

Nate and Bri started blogging more. Did you read it? Renee said she doesn't like typing, so unless I move her hands or type for her, you won't see anything from her.

I'm done. Don't have much else to talk about. Please pray for our physical and financial health.

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

AMAZING! That's all I can say!

I'll blog more tomorrow.

comunity service

Community service good and bad. Community service can be good when you have friends to talk to or friends to make. Also, it can be good when you actually have things to do . It starts getting bad when you and your new friend talked about everything you could possibly think about and then you don't have anything to do and on top of that everyone is tired because they've been up since 4:00 in the morning. Also, when you are supposed to be getting food and it comes two hours late and its cold when it gets to you.

Today for ROTC I helped out at a Kids Voting station. That's when the kids get their voices heard in the election. The votes don't count towards the actual votes it's just to see what the future of America thinks. So many children came in today. Students from k-12 came to vote. The kindergartners were so cute. This one little boy came in and wrote his school code numbers backward so it look like E4p(349). Then we asked another kindergartner what grade he was in and he said Obama it was so cute.

This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, I am going to volunteer at a Renaissance fair. I have to direct cars of where to park. I did this one time and it was fun until people didn't want to listen or even just look at where the flag is being pointed.Sometimes people can be mean, but the important thing is to just pray for them and keep going on about your business and don't let them spoil your day.
Well I have to do dishes and get ready for school goodbye, i'll blog later.

I VOTED!

I hope you did! If you didn't, don't complain when the person you want to win doesn't. I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, but I did vote, and hopefully my vote was for change.

Renee and Nate had report card conferences today. Nate got 4 B's and 3 A's. His teacher's only complaint is that he missed 2 or 3 homework assignments. Otherwise, everything is great. He's quieter, and he likes being part of the newscast. Renee got 3 B's and one C. Her teachers had the same complaint - she needs to get her notebook organized, and she missed a couple of homework assignments as well. We're going to work on both of those. The great news, and what almost had me crying in the classroom, is all of Renee's teachers beamed about her! They all said how she is a delight, she does exactly what she's told, she participates, works with groups, and one teacher even said she's the most trustworthy person in the class!! If you know the challenges I've had with Renee since she was born, you know that I am extremely proud of her now! I told her as much when we were in the classroom, to which she asked, "So can we move back to Philadelphia now?"

Bri wants to go to the DMV soon, but I want her to study the book more before she takes her permit test. Maybe next week, we'll see.

Well, I'm going to be glued to the tv tonight - like everyone else, I guess.

Thanks, and God Bless AMERICA!
Leslie

Movin' on now

Ya know the hard thing about living a new life in a different place? What you can do to take advantage of the new chance you earn. I still have yet to find out what I may do with it, but I will soon. Life just gets so wild living in a new land, like the pilgrims, do you think they knew what to do when they came to America? I had no idea what to do, what to say, or where to go. I just thought "I'm a new kid in town, and I don't want to say anything stupid to ruin my chance to be accepted into the community." Although I have friends anyway, I miss my friends back in Philadelphia; Josh ( who has been my best friend from fourth grade),Travis ( who has been my best friend from kindergarten), Emmitt & Leo (twins who have been my best friends from first grade),and Trixi & Qudsiyyah (who have been my best friends from second grade). Those were my school, I also have church but that's a subject I'll get to later. I'll still be going strong throughout years.

School

Hi its Bri I haven't blogged in about two months. School is fine. I have a lot of friends now and I am doing good in all of my class. I have all "B's". Midterms were last week and I got my grade back for 2/4 of my classes. English I got a 85 which is a ''b', and in Spanish, my worst class, I got a 90 which is a high b, not an 'a'. I still have to get my grade for Civics and Economics and my grade for ROTC.

I just got done behind the wheel in drivers education. My teacher was nice. My partner was better than me, but I could parallel park better than him and control my speed better than him. When I go back to school My mom or dad has to get a paper from my guidance counselor and then I can go t the DMV to get my permit, yay.

My friends Amber, Brianna, Kyre, start their behind the wheel next week. I am happy for them. a lot of my friends are in ROTC also, but a lot of us don't have the same class.

I chose health

I was fired last Thursday. The day after posting about the struggle of work and my eye issue, I went to work. By 12:30, I couldn't read anymore. I had to leave. There was nothing else I could do. So I let them know, and they kindly advised me that they were going to end my assignment. I went to the opthamologist, and he gave me a prescription for drops to put in my eye every hour, as well as use my other drops 3 times a day, instead of 2. He asked me to get tested for lupus. I'm doing that today.
Yesterday, I went back to him and he is weaning me off of the every hour drops (they're steroid drops), and told me I don't have to take the other drops anymore. Yay! Keep praying for us.

Bri had her first 2 driving lessons, and she's doing pretty good! Lawrence and I were at the school to pick her up on Monday when we saw her drive in, make a turn, and park at the corner. It was very good for her first time ever making a real car move! Yesterday she said she went on the main road and did very well. Monday, she wasn't making the best left turns, but yesterday she said she did great. I tried to take a picture, but it's hard when you can't see. She has today and tomorrow to do more, then she can take her permit test. Then, she's going to want to get in our car to practice. Please pray for us!

I may be travelling to Philly next month. My mother is having ankle surgery, so I want to be there to help a little. Don't know if I'll have the funds, because I'm not working now. We'll see.

Nate was asked to participate in this 'Math Superstars' program, so he'll be getting more math homework every week. Not sure how he'll like it, but I signed him up. He needs the extra work.

School pictures: Renee has school pictures back, Bri took some, but they're not back yet, Nate forgot, so he didn't get any pics. I'll let you guys know.

Well, I'm off. Lawrence has an appt. today.

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

Work vs. health

Ok, so last week I said I had pink eye, but it wasn't crusty or draining pus (I was about to use a different way to describe pus, but I was going to spell it wrong, and I would have offended lots of people!), so I was concerned that it wasn't pink eye. On top of that, my eye was hurting badly, and it hurt even worse when I looked into any type of bright light. So I went to WebMd, and I found my exact symptoms! I went to the emergency room, and I was correct - I have iritis. Another inflammatory issue. The reason my eye was red and painful is because my iris was inflamed, and every time light hit either eye, it caused my pupil to contract. So now I have to take drops to keep my eye dilated, and I have to go to the opthomologist. That's where the problem comes in.
At work, we are in the last part of our training, and we can't take any time off. If we do, we'll get fired. They let 3 people go for that last week. The opthomologists that I call to make an appointment with only have appointments until 5pm, and will only take new patients no later than 4pm. I don't know when I can get to an appointment, and I don't know the damage that's causing to my eye. I have to wear sunglasses everywhere - even in the house - and everything's fuzzy. I can see, but it's annoying. I can't drive in the dark at all. And I need my job. Please pray with me for my health.

Anyway, so you don't feel so bad about me - I'm doing better at work. Next Monday we'll be out of training, and taking live calls. I can't wait - tired of training. Also, Bri starts her behind-the-wheel training next week. That's going to be interesting. She's excited. I am too, just a different type of excited.

Well, I have to go. Just wanted to update you guys. I'm trying to get Lawrence to blog, but that's like pulling teeth!

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

Here it is!

Well, we've all been praying, and God has provided! It's our car!


Lawrence and the two younger one's decided to wash it yesterday. We went and got gas and air in the tires, and picked up Bri from school; she was doing JROTC service last night.

It's definitely not anything fancy, but it runs, and that's what we needed. We're now able to have one parent home earlier, and we don't have to wake up so early in the morning. I can get more stuff done, and with Lawrence going further away to work next week (with no public transportation in the area), it was what we needed, when we needed it. God always does that!

So what else happened - job has been getting much better. I've gotten into training that I don't know, so I'm not so bored. They moved this lady that was irritating, so that was good, too. Today I was also asked to work on a special project, so I know they see my potential. I'm happy. Happier, anyway.

Also, now that we have a second car, I think I'll go to help Bri get community service points, and also Renee and Nate will get to go to the fair. As soon as I find out how much it costs.

Renee wants me to braid her hair again - she's out of her curly bush phase. It was cute, and easy for her to manage, but the other day she asked me to braid it. So, I'm off. Want to get that done before I get too tired.

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

Who is this person...

...going through the trash? Oh, it's BRI!

Bri's school is having homecoming this week, and they have several themed days, and Nicole's daughter came over and helped Bri put this little outfit together for Tacky Day. Retro day is tomorrow, but she just told me today. We don't have the stuff ready for that, so she won't be participating.


In other news, Nate made his pie, and it was very good. Here's some of the pictures:



I'll have more pictures and more news tomorrow. Make sure you tune in!

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

This past week:

I've had pink eye! I don't remember ever having pink eye before - not as a kid, not ever! Now I don't have the best memory, but I really don't remember having pink eye. So I stayed home Thursday and Friday. Renee hurt her back; we're suspecting her backpack. She was out of school Thursday and Friday as well.
Nate's school called to say he was missing a Polio vaccine. Don't understand how this happened, because this is a vaccine he was supposed to have by 6 years old. Why didn't anyone catch it before? I think there was just an error in the recording. He had all of his other shots, and I remember he received his last immunizations on his 6th birthday, so what happened. Anyway, Nate, who is terrified of needles, was a champ when he went on Friday. Unfortunately the doctor we saw was near the dreaded speedway, and there was a race this weekend! There was so much traffic, and I hate traffic!! Other than that, things were pretty good.

We don't have a car yet, but it's getting closer and closer! There should be an update sometime this week.

Today we're probably going to just clean. I have to clean my room - it's starting to get junky. I've been doing good with clothes washing, cooking, and other cleaning, I've just been neglecting my room.

Also, on Tuesday, we'll have a new couch. If you've seen recent pictures, you did see a sofa and love seat. We were renting that. It was supposed to be for 2 months, but when our car started having problems, and then Lawrence went into the hospital, it drained us. When I got this job, I said I would get a couch with my first check. We'll get the love seat later. We sent the rental back on Friday, and we now have empty space again. The kids love it, because we received a shipment of exercise balls, courtesy of Lawrence's sister. THANKS, AUNT SHIRLEY! Lawrence and the kids were exercising Friday while I walked the dog, then the kids and I were bouncing from room to room with them. My legs hurt now!! The kids also found out they make great weapons. Renee and Nate hit each other with them, and Renee kicked one from under me. We'll see how long the fun lasts.

Well, my laundry stopped, I have to fold and iron. I'll post pics later.

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

Pie Pictures

So, this was supposed to be posted two days ago, but I asked Lawrence if he wanted to do it, and you see how fast it got done!
Anyway, These pictures are from my phone, so they're not the best. The pie, however, was great! We all enjoyed it, as you can see in the pictures:




So in other news, we may have a car! We're still praying that this is the right one. We went to see it today. Keep praying for us.

My job is stressful. I can't wait to start actual work. I know I said this before, but I have to repeat things at work, so I'm used to it. Lawrence however, likes his job. If it wasn't for the fact that we would both end up working second shift, I would probably work there. I am actively looking for something else, because the job I have is temporary, and if they offered full time, I may not accept. I think I want to stay at the temp agency, but not at the company they have me at now.

The debate is on. I don't like this town hall stuff, and Tom Brokaw is very biased. It's sad when you can see it. I think the last two moderators were pretty fair, although you can see that Gwen Ifill was pretty chummy with Joe Biden. They were fair however with the questions and answers, even when Sarah Palin didn't answer, and said she wasn't going to answer.

I'm mad at Lawrence. I turned from the debate, and he said turn back. Now I'm watching it, and he's interrupting with his snoring! I'm going to join him now, we can have a duet.

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

SNL Debate Skit

If you couldn't watch it Saturday night, you missed a GREAT ONE! It was too funny not to post here!

Just a couple of updates:

If you haven't noticed, I've not been able to keep up with the updates like I want to. I've taken away the 'Dinner of the Week' portion, because really, although I cook, it's hard to write down exactly what I use, and I don't want to just take items out of a book if I'm not cooking them myself. So if there's something I find and make it - and like it - I'll add it here.
I will probably blog a little less during the week, but I'll definitely add something at least twice a week.
Also, I'll try to get the kids to post more, and I've asked Lawrence not to post more than once a day when he does. I know it's difficult to read if there's a lot of updates in one day.
Renee is making a pie, and that recipe is on the 'Desert of the Week' post. Can't wait to taste it. The crust just came out of the oven, and smells really good! I'll post a picture when it's done.

That's all for now, I'll talk to you guys later!

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

I feel like I'm neglecting my project

I've been working, and it's been a little bit of a trial this week, trying to get the family schedule together. I forgot to cook twice this week, and it seemed like there was no time to do anything else. It's getting better, I was able to do laundry, I've delegated more responsibilities to the children (right now, they only do one thing each), and Lawrence has been chipping in.

Let's get to progress reports - the kids are doing great!! Nate has all A's, nothing under a 97, and his highest grade is 102.6! Renee has A's, B's, and one C, and that's because she didn't organize her notebook right. If she would have done that, she would have gotten an A+ in that course. Bri got all A's and B's. They're all doing wonderful.

Bri is going to assist with parking at a Renaissance festival tomorrow. It's with her JROTC group. It's going to go on every weekend for I think a month, so I may help one Saturday. Renee wants to go as well, but I have to see how much it costs.

Work has been challenging. I can't wait to get out of training and do actual work. Training is very boring!! So sick of waiting for everybody else to get done. I want to go at my own pace, and not worry about anyone else.

We're still praying for that second car. Right now, I get up at 5:30am to take Lawrence to catch the 5:59am bus. Then I see Bri and Nate off, make sure Renee wakes up, and start getting ready so I can get to work at 8:00am. Lawrence gets off at 3:00pm, but since I don't get off until 4:30, he catches a later bus. He gets to the stop at 4:30pm, and I pick him up at 4:40. We need a second car. Tomorrow, I have to take Lawrence to work, then take Bri to school so she can get to the festival. Lots of driving. Keep praying.

Bri is waiting for me to finish so she can upload a Chris Brown cd to her PSP. Anyway, I'm off so I can get ready for tomorrow.

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

When we moved here,

this "tree" had more branches, but no leaves. It was kinda sad then, and it's even worse in this picture.









Then Friday morning, it was rainy and windy, and the top of the tree's branches broke off, no longer even looked like the Charlie Brown tree!



Today, the Landscaper came out and planted another tree. It's kinda cute, but it's gonna need us to water it about as much as we walk the dog. We'll see how it grows. Here it is:













This is me today. I started my first day of training. I thought I was kinda cute (man, I have a five head!), so I had Lawrence take a picture of me. The brace is because I had some pain in my hand, maybe from being a blog hog! Anyway, I had an okay day at work. I know the stuff we're training on, so it's going slow already. Some of the people that I'm training with never worked in a call center, and it shows. They're asking several of the same questions, and if they would have either listened to the trainer or the first person who asked her to repeat it, the class would run smoother. I hope I can move at my own pace, if not, I might just pull my hair out! I guess waiting for others will give me more break time, so that's good.

We're watching Heroes, although I wanted to watch the game. Lawrence turned to it, then started snoring. This season is a little weird. Too many stories, and I missed some of last season, so it makes it harder to follow.

I'm upset that the Eagles lost, and I'm not sure about this season. Looks like we're going to have a rough road this year.

OH! I almost forgot! Nate is going to be anchor for his school's news program! He's very excited. I'll see if I can get a picture.

Well, I'm going to bed. Gotta get up early to start a LONG day!

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

The Little Things

So often, we get caught up in all the big things going on in our lives. We sweat all the hassles, and worry needlessly about so many things. But how often do we forget to be thankful for the little blessings that get us through each and every day? We worry about bills, health, our jobs, our homes, etc... Well, today was a day to appreciate the little things.

I'm sure by now you've heard about the crazy gas shortage here. Well, it hasn't really affected us because our car has been sipping gas. For the last 4 days, while others have been driving miles out of there way, just to wait in line for literally 4-5 hours to get a rationed 10 gallons for about $4.30 per gallon, we have been riding around and the gas gauge was hardly moving. I mean people were running out of gas waiting in mile long lines to get gas. Fights were breaking out, because people were cutting in line. We actually had to have police officers directing traffic at gas stations.

Today I noticed that we were getting pretty close to being on 1/4 tank. I thought about getting gas yesterday at the BP where I usually go, but like so many others, they were out of gas, and their pumps were shut down. But, while I was at work, they sent a message around letting us know that there was a BP gas station that was holding a reserve of gas for police employees to fill service, and personal vehicles. Wouldn't you know, it was the one I usually go to. I still figured since every police employee got the message, there was still, probably going to be a line and they may even run out of gas like the ones that had done this in previous days. I still had hours left to my shift.

When I got off, I was walking out happy to be going home because it had been a busy day for me, calling back all of the hang-ups we got, and putting out APB's, as well as my normal duties. I began to chat with the officer who was manning the front desk. I remarked that it was great that we were finally getting out of there, but he said he was going to work off duty doing what else....directing traffic at a gas station. I then mentioned the gas station where we could all get gas. That's where he was headed.

We drove there pretty much in tandem. I was expecting a line or a crowd, but there was none. We went inside and the mgr told us they were waiting for us to get there before they turned on the pumps. I was able to fill up my tank (no 10 gallon rationing) before anyone else was even allowed into the gas station, and was home only about 5 minutes later than usual. As I left, the line had already stretched a full block, and was growing. Can you say PROVISION? I was so tickled I couldn't wait to tell somebody. So, before I even set foot in the door I told Leslie, my mom, my freind, and his mom.

When I got home I was greeted by Nate, filled with his normal exuberance. I used to wonder why he always got so excited about seeing me. I mean, I could walk into a different room, and when I came back, he'd be waiting for me with a hug. But, one day, his godmother and I were talking. She said she has never seen a son love his father as much as Nate loves me. And it made me truly appreciate how special our bond really is. So, I relish every one of those hugs, and I hug him back like it's the last one I'll ever get. I hugged all the kids and told them I loved them.

Tonight was a "whatever night" for dinner, and afterwards Bri, Leslie, and I played Sequence, Renee played Mario Party, and Nate played his DS. I'm blogging mostly because Leslie is having some hand issues. We went to get her a support brace earlier, and she said it feels much better.

We're all a little excited because Leslie starts her new job on Monday. It will be a welcome boost in income, but I'll miss her being home. She was doing such a great job taking care of the house and all of us. But we'll all try our best to keep the ship sailing smoothly. Well, Leslie's snoring and I've been up since 4:30 and at least want to lay down if not go to sleep. So, hopefully you'll hear from me later. If not it's because of the blog hog. Just kidding. Love you guys.

I need a cheesteak...(yes, it's spelled right)

...and some ribs from a place called Ribs 'R' Us, and a soft pretzel. When I was in Philly, I didn't eat these things every day, but when you don't have them available, you want it more.

I don't understand why people in other cities want to call their steaks 'Philly Cheese steaks', but they obviously have never been to Philly, or have had someone from Philly train them on how to make a steak. If you are reading this, and you've never had a genuine Philly cheese steak, listen: THERE ARE NO GREEN PEPPERS IN A CHEESE STEAK!! I'm pretty sure there's been a Philadelphian who has told you this already. Why won't you listen?? It's just wrong. And it's not a cheese steak, it's a chee steak, cheesteak. There's no reason for the other letters. Philly natives, I know you're trying to see how you say it right now. It's just like saying 'water'. We don't say it like anyone else.

Well, tomorrow there is going to be a large concert at the venue up the street. If you're from Philly, think of it as the Dell, or the Mann. It has the lawn seats and all that. Unfortunately tomorrow, there's going to be a big storm. I probably won't be outside during that time anyway, but just in case I have to go out, I KNOW not to go in that direction. I got stuck in concert traffic one time since I've been here, and one time is more than enough for me.

I'm pretty upset that I don't have TiVo, because both of my favorite shows were on tonight. Grey's Anatomy had to mess things up by being on for 2 hours, so I couldn't watch all of ER. I've been flipping back and forth, but now I have to watch both on the internet, because I missed too much of it.

The gas problem is crazy here! We are blessed to have more than 1/2 tank left. It's mayhem here - schools are closing, people are in line for hours to end up with no gas. Of course, that causes other problems, fights because people are jumping in line, accidents because people are blocking lanes trying to wait to get into a station. AAA said they aren't going to bring anyone gas if they run out on the road, they are just going to tow you. They are announcing on tv where you can get gas, but I think that contributes to the problem. People are going to try to drive for miles to get to those stations, they're going to cause more traffic nightmares, and I hope the stations don't run out of gas. That's been happening more and more. Reminds me of people who stand in line on black Friday, just for everything to run out when they get inside the store. Just evil.

I don't think we're getting our tree tomorrow. The weather is going to be bad, and the landscaper had already pushed the date back because of the rains a couple of weeks ago. As soon as we get the tree, I will post the pictures.

I'm going to bed now, it's late. Good night, and keep praying!

Leslie

Feels like

I've been missing. I've been busy - and not really with allot of stuff, just family life. I think when I start work next week, I'm going to cut down the amount of posts I do anyway.

So, we did go to that church on Sunday. It was okay. We went to the 4th and final service of the day - 11:30am. Praise and Worship was nice - they have screens so we can read the words to the songs and sing along. The welcome is you have to hug the people around you and tell them you love them, which I thought was cute. We didn't get to hear the pastor, because it was his anniversary, and they had a guest speaker. He gave pieces of messages; I think it's because they only get 20 minutes to preach.
I don't know how often I'll go back, because it's a chore to get in and out of the parking lot. They have an officer directing traffic on the street, and members direct traffic in the lot. If you leave when everyone else leaves, you're sure to be in a traffic jam. We left a little early. Next week is the continuation of the pastor's anniversary, so we're going to go to the first church we visited when we moved.
We didn't go to the park, gas and money are big issues down here. There's a gas shortage because of the hurricane, and we have no money to buy the gas that is available. We watched football all day, happy the Eagles won. We missed the Emmys, and if you did too, you have to watch Josh Groban on YouTube! I'm not a big Josh Groban fan, but I thought his medley was great!
Monday morning, Lawrence and I went to the DMV and finally got our driver's licenses. Lawrence really needed to get his, because his PA one expired Friday. I was tired of chauffeuring him. I almost failed my test! We needed 20 out of 25, and I had to get the last 3 questions right, or I would have failed. Some of the things you do in PA, you don't do here. When you take the driving test in PA, you have to use your mirrors to back up. If you take your hands off of the steering wheel, you fail the test. Here, they want you to look behind you and steer with your left hand. That's one of the questions Lawrence got wrong. He got 23 out of 25. Even though I was mad at the test, I have to say, my picture is kinda cute. No, I'm not going to post it!
When we got home, I was drained. I don't know why - but I was so very tired, and I couldn't get to sleep. Also, our phone went on the fritz. If you've called us lately, you may have been hung up on - not by us, though. It's very difficult to dial out, and sometimes we can't answer it. So we need to get a new phone. If you need to contact us, send smoke signals!
We then watched Heroes. It's kinda creepy this season, but very interesting.
Yesterday was my super-cleaning day. I did nothing but clean. I almost killed myself with bleach fumes from one of the cleaning sprays we have. It smells like they just took a bottle of concentrated bleach and added a spray nozzle. I washed almost all of the clothes in the house.
Today, I'm finishing my cleaning. The last of the clothes, and the refrigerator is getting clean today. I need to get this all done before I start work next week.

Oh, we found out we need a car by the end of October. Keep praying.

The kids are doing great, they're still happy with school. Renee, who does horribly in math, came home with a 92 on her last test, Nate still only has one 'B', and Bri has been doing great in school.

We're getting a new tree in the front of our house. The tree we have now is worse than Charlie Brown's Christmas tree! The landlord is having a new tree put in either Thursday or Friday. I'll post before and after pictures here when it's done.

Well, my dryer has stopped, and it's time to put another load in.

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

When you ask...

... God will answer. Yesterday I asked for prayer for a job, and I just came from completing my employment paperwork today. I start at a call center on 9/29, just a little over a week away. It's a temporary position, but it could become permanent after 4 - 6 months. I don't care, it's a job. I'm excited!



So, this is Philly, Nicole's dog. Philly has a skin allergy, and every time Nicole tried to put ointment on her, she would lick it off. Nicole had to go to the extreme of shaving her hair off of her backside, add ointment, and put shorts on her until the rash clears.
Lawrence and I had to go and help her. We had to hold her while Nicole shaved her. Nicole tried several ways of muzzling her, but Philly kept taking them off. So, that's why the shorts. After Nicole got the shorts on her, she wouldn't walk! It was funny, because she ALWAYS jumps on me, but she wouldn't move. She finally did walk, but she wasn't happy.

I posted those recipes like I said, but I still haven't put those party ideas together. I don't want to just post anything, so I'm not going to until I get it in order.

Today after I had my interview (I figured something out with my hair), we did much of nothing. There's nothing on tv, and everyone was just lazy. When Lawrence got home from work, he took a nap. Hopefully tomorrow, we'll have a better day. I want to go to church, but we still haven't found a church we want to call home. There's one down here that's large, but it's supposed to have a family feel. Think I wanna check it out. After 13 years of Christ Baptist, it's hard to change. I want to hear Larry sing "I am a friend of God" again - or see Mike imitate it!!

Well, we're gonna either watch some tv, or play Phase 10. Talk to you guys tomorrow!!

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

Well, that was special

We had a nice night last night.
I was going to allow the kids to make Lawrence's cake, but Renee and Bri got home so late, I decided to make it myself. It was a white cake with strawberry filling and buttercream frosting. Then I started dinner, and I made Lawrence go straight to the bedroom when he came home and locked him in so he wouldn't see his dinner being made. I had Nate on "daddy duty", anytime he called, Nate had to get him whatever he wanted. Lawrence loved the attention!
After I picked up Bri, I finished dinner, and the kids filled the cake with candles. I had Lawrence cover his eyes and walked him out to the dining room, but by the time we started singing, the cake was about to be covered in wax! Lawrence blew out the candles, and the whole room got smokey! It was funny! I wanted to take pictures to post, but I forgot.

So yesterday I was sooo busy getting that together that I wasn't able to get my party ideas together to post. I'll do it tomorrow because Saturdays are usually quiet. That's when I'll change the recipes as well.

We've been looking at finances, and although it's great for the whole family that I'm home, we realized that I have to find a job. So I'm looking. I have to get my hair done, because since I took my locs out, I've either wore straightback cornrows or a bushy ponytail. Not good for interviews. I look like a gang member! I'm unwilling to get a perm, because I really believe I'm going to start locs again. If I get a perm, I'll have to cut off more hair than I want when I restart the locs. I want to get microbraids, but I don't have the money. I'll figure something out.

What are we doing for the weekend? Well, since Lawrence is working on Saturdays right now, the kids and I are probably going to clean, and Sunday we're going to church. Nicole said she wanted both families to go to the park, so we may do that as well.

Well, I'm off to finish my morning cleaning routine.

Pray for us. Specifically, a job for me, and a second car.

Thanks, and God Bless!
Leslie

Tomorrow's Lawrence's Birthday...

...and we're trying to do something special. I'm making a special dinner just for him, and the kids are going to do something special. I'll update you on that tomorrow, don't want him to read it and ruin the surprise.

What else? Well, tomorrow's also Bri's last day of driver's ed. classroom training. She has to do her behind the wheel training, but that's not until the end of October. You can all breathe now, the streets and sidewalks are safe for another month, at least.

Living in this area is nice, but being from the inner city, we're not used to the constant sound of crickets. This morning, it sounded like there was a cricket behind the sofa. I pulled out the couch and actually vacuumed to make sure. Noise kept going. It was outside, right under the window, but it was just very loud. One morning, Nate woke up to a cricket, on his face!! That was the only bug (other than the occasional spider) we've had in the house. That's one thing I definitely don't miss. No house next to me, no woods behind me, no rodents living with me!

We're trying to figure out if it's possible to come up there for Thanksgiving. We know we're not driving. I don't want to be in a car that's going up or down I-95 for a while. We have enough highway here. Unfortunately, we may have to leave Lawrence behind. Don't think he's going to get a holiday off for a while.

I'm tired, so I'm going to turn in now. Have a long day ahead tomorrow.
So did anyone try either of the recipes listed? I'm changing the dinner recipe tomorrow.

While you're here, I would like to add something to your prayer list:
We NEED another car! Like NOW! Don't have the money, but we definitely need one. Pray for us. Was told if you don't ask, God won't answer.

You all have a good night, and God Bless.
Leslie

I'm so sad...

Yesterday I couldn't post anything because I was watching Monday Night Football.

WHY, WHY, WHY!!

It was a good game. There are many Eagles - Cowboys match-ups that were exciting and memorable, but last night was crazy! I wanted to go to bed, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of the tv. It was so funny when "Bonehead" Jackson threw away his touchdown. Lawrence says if anyone sees him on the street to slap him because he made him lose his fantasy football game. He would have received 12 points for the play, and he lost by 3. I actually wasn't upset about the Eagles losing because it was a good game. I would have been upset if we lost miserably. I was a little upset that the main highlight they showed was the T.O. pass. There were other good Dallas plays, but for some reason they only showed that one.

Anyway, today was an interesting day. It rained, and we have no umbrellas. All of the children got wet either while going to school or while at school. Each school has trailers for extra classrooms, and Nate and Bri have to walk to different trailers throughout the day. Renee was getting wet waiting for the bus this morning. I did go down to her stop in the car and let her sit until the bus came. I'm not that heartless!

We then did our usual dance of pickup the people, but with a little twist. I had extra people, Nicole, her daughter and youngest son, Bri, and Nicole's daughter's friend. She was a surprise. We didn't know she stayed behind with Nicole's daughter, so I had to do extra driving. Wasn't too happy about that.

We're now watching Wipeout. It's a pretty funny show, but this is the season finale, and it's very lame. It's a clip show of the 25 favorite moments, and they're not even that funny. They're also throwing some lame commentary and interviews with past contestants. It's really corny, and a waste of tv. Unfortunately, there's nothing else on.

Bri's telling me about how she's afraid of the frogs outside. They're small frogs, and very harmless. Don't understand what she's scared of. Maybe I'll try to have her kiss one.

We're all being lazy right now. No one wants to do their chores, and we're all ready to fall asleep. I want to take a shower, but I think I'll fall asleep in the water. Maybe I'll just wait until the morning.

Nate and Charlie are playing with Charlie's toy. It's pretty funny, because whomever has the toy gets chased around the couch - person or dog.

That's pretty much all that's going on today. The kids are doing great in school, getting special awards, and so far all A's.

Thursday will be our topic day, so I'll post those party planning ideas then.

Thanks so much for reading, God Bless!
Leslie

Day 6: Family Day

Hi all,

Well, today was family day. We didn't leave the house, because we didn't want to use gas. With prices fluctuating the way they are, we can't afford to waste any.
Lawrence made breakfast, and we had a great game of Phase 10. Nate joined in with the usual three, and he actually came in second. Lawrence won. We think he cheats.
We then watched football. There were a couple of great games on, and although I live here, I realized I am not a Panthers' fan. I found myself rooting for them to lose! The Bears let me down, though. The offense just crumbled in the second half. Then we just knew the Jets were going to win, but the Patriots showed they aren't all Tom Brady. I share Lawrence's sentiment - I can't wait until Monday night!

To all who are "following", thank you! It feels good to know we're not writing for ourselves. To everyone who's reading, but not registered as a follower, register! It's easy and free.

This week I'm going to post some inexpensive party planning ideas, as well as another dinner and dessert recipe. I'll also post school and family updates, of course.

Again, if there's anything you want to know, anything you want me to blog about, let me know. Email me, text me, or leave a comment on this page.

Thanks, and God Bless,
Leslie

Too Short

Have you ever noticed how time really does fly when you're having fun? Why do your days off seem so much shorter than your work days? Have you ever come back from vacation feeling like you need a vacation? Almost makes you miss unemployment, doesn't it? But then there's that whole pesky not having anything to eat thing. And that nowhere to lay your head thing. Maybe working isn't so bad after all. ;-)

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!!

How 'bout those Birds?!!! I'm sitting around here just jonesin' to see us kick some Dallas Cowpies butt!!! I love Monday Night Football, but for certain games, I just can't wait. And how about big "D", healthy and hurlin'. It's a thing of beauty. It brings a tear to my eye. Unfortunately, I don't want us to stomp them too badly. I have T.O., Adam Jones, and Felix Jones on my fantasy football team. Ironic, huh?

Day 5: WHAT??!!

First: Bri and Nate posted today - look below

I don’t watch Good Morning America, but on one of those comedy recap shows (on VH1), GMA interviewed Sarah Palin’s exercise buddies, dubbed the ‘Elite 6’. They all said something nice about her, and something weird about her being scared of cats. How do you HUNT, but you’re scared of a house cat?
Anyway, the reporter asked if they knew who they were voting for, and NONE of them had their minds made up. One of them said she would ‘support Sarah as a friend’, but she wasn’t sure who she was going to vote for in the election. What is Sarah Palin doing in Alaska??
I’m happy they all didn’t just endorse her because she’s their friend, but for ALL of them to say they were undecided is a little freaky. I don’t know what your political views are, but you should look closely at this entire situation. If McCain is elected, this woman could be the next President sooner than we want.

That's out of my system now - back to family stuff.

Today was a lazy day for the kids and I. Renee and Nate were the only ones who were dressed - Renee to walk the dog, and Nate because he stayed overnight at Nicole's. Lawrence had to work today. I did my usual cleaning and cooking, then I just watched tv. Still didn't watch The Producers, but it's not due back until Monday. It'll get watched.

Lawrence, Bri and I played Phase 10 a little after he came home. That's always a good game, although Bri thinks we know some kind of trick, because she hasn't won a game since we started playing. Nate and Renee were being their usual all day.

There wasn't much more going on today, but I did take a few more candid shots. I'll add them here for your enjoyment.

I also added a dessert recipe that we love. Renee even made this one by herself. It's very easy.

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like me to add.

God Bless,

Leslie

A new life

Hi, I'm Nate .
Living down here lets life throw out new experiences, more challenges, and new friends. Though it was not hard, on maybe the fourth day I made my first few friends. Marco, Julian, Jaylin, Devon, and Havier. Though they're not like my friends from home, they're silly and wacky so it was an interesting start. As school started things got better as I gained two new friends Amhad and Arrys. So as you can tell I'm going strong in this life just waiting for what's ahead.

living in new places

hi everybody, it's Bri:


Living in North Carolina is a different experience. I am not close to family an old friends and I miss everybody so much. Although I am missing every body so much I have made new friends.

The second day of school i met Digonay (I don't know if that's the correct spelling) she sat with me at the lunch table because she had just got her schedule and i was sitting at the table all lonely. After that i didn't see her i think she has a different lunch. On the fourth day of school i met three other people and now i sit with them at lunch every day. Pooh (that's her nickname) she is nice and smart an funny. Amber is the tallest of all of us but she is funny an reminds me of someone but i cant get their name out right now. And then there's Janine (I don't know if that's the right spelling either) Shes the smartest of she's in 9th grade an is taking geometry and Spanish 2. They are all in 9th grade. In my Civics & Economics class I have 2 friends Shaquil and Niya. They are nice people and fun to be around. My English class, which is up 70 steps outside, I have a friend named Jared he's a nice boy he's also funny. My Spanish class i talk to Janine, Precious, and Claudia. After Spanish I have lunch. I have the last lunch and I always get pizza. They have Domino's pizza. Almost all of my friends have the same lunch as me. the only person that doesn't have the same lunch as me is my friend Victor. I keep calling him Jarvis by accident because that's his last and he's in my ROTC class so he always answer to Jarvis.

Toothy Trials

Hiho all,

Well, I'm sure you've all heard about my recent stint in the hospital. I want to thank you all for your concern, and most of all your prayers. I want to solicit your continued prayers. As my father has so aptly put it, we are in a strange land and are coming under attack from the enemy. But we know our trials only come to make us strong.
God has been so good to us, and has proved himself over and over, even in the short time we've been down here. He has truly opened doors, and created avenues of perpetual blessing. He's blessed me in my job, my finances, and my health. He's blessed Leslie to find a comfortable niche at home, and at Renee's school. The munchkins are all excelling in their studies. Bri keeps plugging along in her usual stellar fashion. Nate is giving his all, and continues to bring home no less than 100's on all of his work. But what has made me really proud, is the way that Renee has begun to work to her potential, and her teachers are taking notice.
I love and miss you guys alot, but I wouldn't trade this experience for the world. Just stepping out on faith, and trusting that God will be true to his word. Then as the darkness of the glass clears to let you see what He's had waiting for you...There can't possibly be anything more exciting!!!
Well, since this isn't a preaching blog, let me leave you with a very practical piece of advice before I got to bed. If you have a toothache, don't wait, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! a toothache can KILL you. I had emergency surgery, and was in ICU on a ventilator, because I didn't take care of a toothache from an impacted molar and it stopped hurting, so, I forgot about it. Also, big moves are scary, but when it's in God's time somehow the Red Sea becomes dry land and your enemies drown in your wake as you cross over in God's providence.

Good night,
Rev Run...lol

Three things...

...before I go on about my day.
1. We changed the title. After speaking to the family, we all decided that since they aren't "mommateers", then it's not fair to name the blog mommateer if they're going to contribute. There.

2. Do hurricanes eat gas? Why is the gas so high, and why are the people in North and South Carolina going nuts?? This is crazy. Yesterday, gas was $3.69 at the high priced stations. Today, people were lining up for hours at gas stations that were running empty. These are the ones that weren't changing their prices. They were $3.60 - $3.65. I went to a station and topped off at $4.29. I was able to get in and out of the station without issue, while others waited and waited, running out of gas, and still didn't get cheap gas because they were in line at a station that ran out. I feel bad for them. That just means they had to pay more and get more gas.

Anyway, about my day. I had to get Lawrence to the bus stop by 5:59am. I think I need to explain this:
We live in the city, however, we live very close to a rural area. Can't even call them suburbs. The developments we live in used to be farm land. There's still farm land around, there's cows and horses up the road! So anyway, the closest bus route is 3 miles away. With limited streetlights. And very limited sidewalks. Don't think Lawrence wants to walk to the bus in the dark morning. He'll either get hit, mauled, or shot because someone will think he's a burglar! He catches the bus on the days I need the car, and today was one of those days.
I then wait for Bri to leave at 6:10, make sure Nate eats and leaves at 6:30, then make sure Renee gets up to get ready for school. She doesn't have to leave until 7:30am, which is good, because she doesn't like to get up in the morning.
I cleaned (close your mouths), started my chili (see the recipe on the left), walked the dog, then went to pick up Nicole from work. This is when we first saw the gas prices. Went to the market, and then we had to go in that DREADED DIRECTION...
Near the racetrack! The race wasn't to start until about 7:00pm, however, there were people clamoring to get into the stadium. I don't get the excitement about watching cars for hours go around and around and around...
It wasn't a horrible drive, but it was annoying. I had to take the interstate just to get home. I HATE the interstate. But today it wasn't so bad. I came home and walked the dog again, just in time to start my outside running again. Pick up Lawrence and Bri; Bri went on a trip, so she missed the school bus to get home. I wanted her to take pictures so she could share them, but she said they actually had to do work on the trip.

The chili was good, and Nate baked his first cake. Maybe I'll have Bri share a cake recipe (not the chocolate one - that's a secret!!), and we watched Horton Hears a Who. Funny. I still didn't watch The Producers. I'll see it tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, one or all of the children will add to the blog. You have to read!

Let me know what you think about the new name.

God Bless,
Leslie