Catching up

It has been too long since I have posted anything. It has been a very long month in our house. Almost a month ago I received a phone call from my husband that ranks right up there with the phone call I received on Aug. 6, 2010. The August call was a shock and so was this one. My husband calmly told me that he was being completely serious in what he was going to say next. He went on to say that his job had been elimanated. Just like that we joined the ranks of the unemployed. He had just received a raise and next years assignments. Corporate(not the plant that he worked in) made the decision that since the division was projected to have a loss in sales they needed to get rid of a few people even though my husbands plant was not the cause of the loss of sales. Those first couple of days were difficult. We didn't sleep that first night. But, we have a faith in God that he is using this to bring our family to an even better place. Let me just say it is not easy. The weight of it gets very heavy, especially for my husband. He has some very good leads, but unfortunately businesses are not as motivated as my husband is. With the end of the year coming it may be until the beginning of the year before he finds something.

Just some random pictures. The first one is an outfit that was given to us. We live near South Bend which is Norte Dame territory. Needless to say people in our community are very happy this year!

Here is Renee with a play station remote that is not connected to the power. She is so happy thinking that she is playing the game right along with her big brother.

She loves to go to our neighbors house and play dress up with Olivia. They play so well together even though Olivia is 4 years older.

Finally here she is putting clips in her "Baba's" hair. Renee has really made a turning point this month. I have not been comfortable leaving her in our church nursery. I just didn't feel like she was ready. I felt it brought back too many memories for her the few times we had tried. I have left my boys crying in the nursery before, but her cries were different. Her cries were different than what she does at home. I went many weeks sitting through nursery with her and explaining at the end when parents would come to pick up their children that ma ma always come back for their child. She still didn't seem ready. She had adjusted so well in most everything, I just didn't feel like I needed to push this issue yet. Then one Sunday morning I had an idea. I had been given this necklace of an Asian girl. I hadn't wore it much, but put it on one Sunday morning about 3 weeks ago. She started playing with it as we walked up the stairs to the kids area. Then I realized what I was going to do. I got her settled in her class and then I took the necklace off and put it on her. I told her that she could wear mama's necklace. She could hold it when she thought of me and remember that mama would come back for her and the necklace. She could remember that mama loved her very much!! I gave her a kiss and a hug and walked out. She looked alittle nervous when I left, but they said that she did great. When I came back to pick her up she came running to me holding onto the necklace ready to give it back to me. She wears it every week and hasn't cried at all. When we were leaving church that first week, on the car ride home, she even seemed more happy like she even realized that she accomplished something great. She is showing so much trust and a sense of security. It truly amazes me that I can talk with her and she has the abiltiy to understand exactly what I say. How amazing just having something tangiable to hang onto would bring her such peace!