32

Well yesterday was my birthday, I am officially 32! And you know what it was one of the best birthdays ever. Even though I had to work all day it was great. My sweet man sent me a dozen roses and the sweetest card. Dad and Mom took me to lunch and gave me a gift card to Kohl's (love that store). The guys at work bought me a cake and sang to me. After work I went and used my gift card ( you always get the best buys the day after christmas). I picked up some dinner and got Frank from work and we went home. The older kids had stayed home yesterday and they cleaned the house for me as their gift to me. I was so suprised. The whole night went well and I was getting ready to got get my shower and Franks daughter, Kelsey, looks at me and says " Julie." I answer " yes, sweety" . " I love you". My heart melted. For the last year this little girl has seen me as public enemy #1. In her eyes I was the reason that her family fell apart, even though it was apart long before me and her dad met. She has cussed me and called me every foul name you can imagin and several you (and I ) never knew exsisted. She was down here a week over the summer and wouldn't even try. This time she is happy and taking a part in everything the family does and she loves me. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift. She even gave me a hug. I know we still have a long way to go but to know she finally excepts me means so much to me.

I know, I know

OK I get it once every six months is not how you are suppose to blog. Life just seems to be flying by. It just seems like yesterday it was Christmas last year. So much has happened this year. Two more weeks and Frank and I will have been together a year. I never thought I find some one I would love this much. Yea things have been hard and at times I felt like the entire world has been against us and that everyone hated me for making the decision for being with him. Then I learned that it didn't matter as long as we loved each other. And two people who have a past and baggage are going to have some difficulties. I have never been in a real relationship and I have been on my own for 10 years and I have had a hard time letting him in and releasing control of my life and he has always been in a disfunctional relationship and has had a hard time excepting being loved for him. So there has been alot of butting heads and add to the mix five kids ( 3 that live with us) and 2 ex-spouses that are always in our business and you can guess at times our lives have felt like a disaster. But we have made it.

My kids are wonderful Jacob is loving school. Ashley loves middle school, she is playing the violin ( sitting 5th chair ) most of the year, i'm so proud of her. It is like she finally found her thing in life. Justin has made huge leaps forward. We still have a long way to go but, he is in school, perfect attendance this year, he has passed every six weeks ( by the skin of his teeth), he is playing basketball. I am so thankful for my family. Franks daughter Kelsey has decided to give me another chance she is coming to spend christmas break with us. I am hopeing that this will be a chance for us to get to know each other and she won't look at me as the enemy anymore.
We are all excited about our first Christmas together as a family. This will acually be the first real Christmas they have ever had. It is so hard for me to grasp the concept that Frank and the kids are from a disfunctional family. I don't think any of us can imagine a life like that. We were at my Moms Christmas party last night and she asked us to share our favorite Christmas memory and I could tell by the look on Franks face he was uncomfortable so we made our excuses and left. Laying in bed last night he told me he had no favorite memory. A good christmas for him growing up was when his mother wasn't drunk all day beating on him and his sisters. And in his adult life it wasn't any better. a bad marriage and stress of trying to hide it from their kids made the holidays miserable for him. I love him so much I want him to exspirance what it can be like.

I wish all of you a very happy holiday season. With all the joy and love of the season.

Well I survived having the mumps. I would like to say it wasn't that bad, but it was. I have never been that tired and had my body ache that bad and the headaches......
I am all better now and going like crazy as usual. I am getting ready to decorate for the reception at a wedding on July 14Th. nothing like waiting till the last min. to get some kind of game plan on what we are going to do. But I have found I work really well under pressure.

Other than that things are pretty much the same. Ashley is gone to her great grandparents for the month. Jacob is....well he is a typical 5 year old. Me and Frank are getting ready to make the jump into marriage ( I am so Happy). We haven't set a date yet. There are a few things we want to get worked out before we get married. And we are hoping to do some pre-marriage counseling. Unfortunately we both know how to be in a non-functioning marriage. We know we love each other and we want to be together we just need to learn how to make it work and how to communicate with each other. But I know it will all work out. Just keep us in yyour prayers. We are both learning there are a lot of obsticals the second time around.

Whats the chance

What is the chances? Me at 31 years old catching the mumps. Yea you got it the mumps. I go to the Dr. today feeling tired and my ear hurting and they want to run blood test. OK I know my thought too why run a blood test for a ear infection. I always get ear infections. Give me a shot, so ear drops and send me home. 45 min later and after I go looking for the doctor he sticks his head back in says " your ears are fine but we are sending your lab work off for more testing because the test we ran show you have mumps." So now all the questions arise how does a 31 year old get the mumps? who did I get it from? when did I get it? So I go to the trusty web MD and look it up. Did you know the first symptom doesn't show up for 12 to 16 days and in some cases up to 25 days. Yea I can hardly remember what I did yesterday how am i suppose to remember who sneezed around me two weeks ago. Good thing is it only last about ten days after the onset of symptoms so about 7 more days to go.
Who would have ever thought?

Good News

Today was a day of many blessings. Every where I looked I could see the wonder of God. I started my day here reading every woman's account of the weekend and to read all the wonderful things that every one experienced at the Bfw touched my heart and allowed me to feel like I was a part of it. This afternoon my beautiful daughter had a graduation ceremony, from elementary school. And to top it all off the doctor finally called with Ashley's test results and they all came back good. It leaves us with more questions about why she is hurting and sick to her stomach but we now know there is nothing wrong with her organs.
I took my family out to dinner after work and finished the evening with the KLF skate night. And I realized after 2o something years I don't remember how to roller skate. It was still a great time with wonderful people. And a lot of laughs. Hope no one is to sore. love yall

Bfw

Today is the day all the beautiful woman are heading off for BFW. I must say a part of me is a little jealous that they are there and I am not because I know this weekend will change lives. But I know in my heart that I was not meant to go this time. But next year I will be there. I just want to pray blessings over all the women that will be attending and working the Bfw. May God move might in your lives. I love you all .

1st post

OK so I am going to give in to the latest trend and start a blog page ( again). I'm not going to make any promises on how often I will get to actually get to write but it is fun to get on here and read other peoples post. It is about the only way I have to keep up with every one.
My life has seemed to have turned up side down and inside out over the last few months and I feel like I am passing my self coming and going. For those of you who don't know me well I will give you a little back ground. I have been a single mother, of the two most wonderful children, for 10 years now. And I had a great life, many things to be thankful for. Besides my great kids, I have a good job, wonderful family, a beautiful church family, and last year God blessed me with one of my hearts desires, A house. It may not have looked like much to everyone else but its mine. I thought things could not get any better then at Christmas last year I met Frank. Now only five months later we are engaged to be married.
I have been blessed with the several opportunities over the last several months to help plan and decorate several weddings and parties ( which is a dream of mine). God has been so good to me and my family and has fulfilled so many of my hearts desired I am just amazed at his goodness.