Birthday's bite

YES, I had a b-day a week ago or so… YES, I’m too old to mention how old I am... YES, I truly hate getting older! I did, however, get to celebrate my dreadful day w/ some good girlfriends!

He's back........ (well, almost)

After nearly 20 months of T living in Florida, he is FINALLY COMING HOME!!!!!!!!!!

At the beginning of his post-AF journey, we were initially psyched about the idea of moving to FL to join him. We never anticipated the bottom dropping out of the housing market and for the ATL area to be hit so hard! The second half of these past 20 months was spent job-searching for T to get back here. Much heart break, frustration, and questioning was happening!

Finally our prayers were answered and T got a great job with another gov’t contracting company. He’ll be working at the FDIC in downtown ATL. No weird hours AND no deployments!!! He’ll be taking public transportation (bus) down there, so as to avoid the heinous traffic! We’re hoping he is back by Halloween! So, we've taken down the worthless 'for sale' sign and are going to thoroughly enjoy being a reunited family again!

ATLANTA FLOODING

It started on a Sunday night. Literally, a deluge! I’ve never experienced anything like it before! Give me snow/blizzards/white-outs/ice/wind, etc. any day over never-ceasing rain!

Water started seeping into our basement late Sunday night. I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. I debated about started to wet-vac it out then, but decided it would most likely be worse the next morn,……..? SO, on Monday morn (of course no school for the kiddos) I hesitantly walked downstairs. I was met by a room that was totally saturated in water! Not just any water – brown & red water!!!…. Thankfully the carpet & padding soaked up the majority of it. I was blown away, however and did NOT know what to do first. Thankfully a friend showed up w/ her neighbors and we started ripping out the carpeting and padding. It was a nasty job! After that was done we noticed what was most likely the cause of the flooding in the basement… a year ago we were treated for termites (yet another southern pleasantry). The exterminating company drilled down into the foundation to apply the chemical to kill these pesky critters BUT DIDN’T SEAL THE HOLES BACK UP!!!!!!! There were 1” round holes every foot around the perimeter of the basement. Water was still coming up thru the holes… that was where the brown/red dirt was coming from!

Needless to say, I got that exterminating company out here right away and they (believe it or not) admitted to their negligence, filled the holes and we came to a settlement for them to repay me. Meanwhile, we’re still living in total chaos down there. All of the household stuff is in the garage. Hoping for reconstruction to begin (and finish) this week.

We were blessed to have Samaritan’s Purse help us with some of the demolition & clean up. What an amazing organization! FEMA – another story! What a joke! I think the federal gov’t should just continue to bail out the people who really need it – crooked bankers & car companies instead of people living with black mold infesting their homes…. UGH.

Overall, we’re just blessed that the damage wasn’t worse!

As of today, we're done!!! :) The new carpet is down, the walls are fixed - YEAH! Now, if only I had all brand new furniture to load back into the room.... :)

MAX out the cuteometer!!!!

Pre-school fun...

The older two weren't the only ones to start school recently... our 'baby' started pre-K.
She loves her teacher and is the first one up in the morning, so excited and ready to go to school!

I have a new 6-yr-old

We were so blessed to have T’s parents and sister here with us to help celebrate LB’s 6^th birthday!

Granted, I went a little over-board. It was a bit too much work and the budget was a bust, but fun was had by all and, well, how many times do we get to celebrate one turning 6???

Oh, how I love this child with all my heart and soul. Every year when my girls celebrate b-days, I cannot help but think of their birth mothers who loved them SO much that they a) chose life for them and b) knew their situations and their hearts enough to place them up for adoption! I’m so thankful for these women and hope they know, in their hearts, they made the right decisions and how loved these children are.

Happy Birthday my darling... we LOVE you!!!

While I'm Waiting

Nothing much to say except THIS is where I am now... as well as where I've/we've been for the past 18 months....
(working on the 'peaceful' part)... :)