As I sit here with my cup of coffee, I am pondering how Chad and I went from no work at all to so much work between us that we are constantly juggling our time. God apparently had a lesson to teach us! I have been working non stop for the last couple of weeks, as hard as the work is, I am really grateful for it. I clean fryers and other restaurant equipment, most hasn't been touched in a few years, so it's really gross and grimy.
A little secret though, I am actually enjoying it! It's a great outlet for my obsessive nature. It's time that I can think and contemplate while I am accomplishing something. I go to bed and wake up early now, as I have people counting on me to get the work done. And the money is nice too. I actually see a light at the end of the tunnel of our finances.
The main drawback is the aches and pains. I have been dealing with some sort of nerve issue in my arm for the last couple of months. My arm falls asleep ALL THE TIME! No rhyme or reason I could just be walking along and I get that uncomfortable pins and needles feeling. There are very few positions my arm can be in without falling asleep. Been to the doctor a few times but it didn't help so now I am just waiting for Chad's new benefits so that I can head to the chiropractor's office and see if he can straighten me out. Until then I'll just grit my teeth and bear it.
Yesterday proved to be a long day, The man I am working for decided to take my hubby out golfing. of course he also decided to give me a whole bunch of work to finish too. So I was a bit grumpy as my hubby loaded those blasted golf clubs into the car as I was slaving away. I told him the the cleaner the equipment was when he got home, the more he was going to have to make it up to me! He came home with prime rib! My husband knows me well!
So today I have tons to do, the equipment I worked on yesterday all got moved out to put in restaurants so I need to get a head start to stock up for next week and I am sitting here procrastinating!
Love and hugs,
Mary
Friday, March 12, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
I swear I didn't forget my blog!
Things have been absolutely nuts around here! I guess I will start where I left off.
As it turned out, being an over the road truck driver was not for us! Chad had sort of a falling out with his boss. Long story short, he's been jobless since about two weeks before Christmas. His boss added insult to injury by cutting the pay he already owed him making us a few hundred short for Christmas. It was very upsetting but once again, GOD provided and the kids still had a decent holiday.
Since then he has been diligently seeking employment. He's been really working hard to get on at one company. They are a big company with great benefits and a lot of room for growth. They took forever! But after two months of jumping through hoops and praying like crazy, we got the call yesterday that the job was his. I can''t even tell you what a relief this is!
While he has been pounding the pavement, I have been working on finding some work that I can do from home. As it turns out a friend of ours is really overloaded at work and offered me the excess work. I can do it from my garage and I can squeeze it in as I am available. So for the last few weeks I have been schooling in the morning, working in the afternoons and even fiting in some time in the evenings to crochet or work on jigsaw puzzles with the kids.
It really feels like things are finally starting to fall into place. After two very rough years, it 's great to see a light at the end of the tunnel. hopefully, by this time next year we will have firmer ground under our feet.
The kids are all doing great. They are all working very hard with their schoolwork and making progress. We've had a lot of rain lately so there has been a lot of study time. They all can wait until the weather dries out a bit so they can be outdoors more.
That is all for now, I will try to update more often, now that I am getting a bit of a routine together.
Love and hugs,
Mary
As it turned out, being an over the road truck driver was not for us! Chad had sort of a falling out with his boss. Long story short, he's been jobless since about two weeks before Christmas. His boss added insult to injury by cutting the pay he already owed him making us a few hundred short for Christmas. It was very upsetting but once again, GOD provided and the kids still had a decent holiday.
Since then he has been diligently seeking employment. He's been really working hard to get on at one company. They are a big company with great benefits and a lot of room for growth. They took forever! But after two months of jumping through hoops and praying like crazy, we got the call yesterday that the job was his. I can''t even tell you what a relief this is!
While he has been pounding the pavement, I have been working on finding some work that I can do from home. As it turns out a friend of ours is really overloaded at work and offered me the excess work. I can do it from my garage and I can squeeze it in as I am available. So for the last few weeks I have been schooling in the morning, working in the afternoons and even fiting in some time in the evenings to crochet or work on jigsaw puzzles with the kids.
It really feels like things are finally starting to fall into place. After two very rough years, it 's great to see a light at the end of the tunnel. hopefully, by this time next year we will have firmer ground under our feet.
The kids are all doing great. They are all working very hard with their schoolwork and making progress. We've had a lot of rain lately so there has been a lot of study time. They all can wait until the weather dries out a bit so they can be outdoors more.
That is all for now, I will try to update more often, now that I am getting a bit of a routine together.
Love and hugs,
Mary
Sunday, November 15, 2009
More from the Domestic Goddess Extraordinaire
Ok I think the may be my new title! Maybe I can have a t shirt made in case anyone forgets:)
A couple of truths to being a truck drivers wife:
1. Reunions are BEAUTIFUL! Whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder absolutely knew what they were talking about!
2. The last day off (no matter how wonderful) will inevitably have a shadow cast over it in some point.
3. Small accomplishments feel like HUGE accomplishments!
4. You can be in a room with a thousand people and still feel completely alone :(
That's all for now
Love and hugs,
Mary
A couple of truths to being a truck drivers wife:
1. Reunions are BEAUTIFUL! Whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder absolutely knew what they were talking about!
2. The last day off (no matter how wonderful) will inevitably have a shadow cast over it in some point.
3. Small accomplishments feel like HUGE accomplishments!
4. You can be in a room with a thousand people and still feel completely alone :(
That's all for now
Love and hugs,
Mary
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A New Phase
Well our tough decision is behind us. I am now officially a trucker's wife, Chad took the job three weeks ago. Aside from a couple of rough patches we are all managing pretty well.
I have been meaning to post here to fill everyone in but things have been insane here! I had all these misconceptions of what life would be like if Chad Started OTR driving. ("over the road" for all you non trucker's wives ;)) I thought I would be looking for things to fill my time. Chad worried about me not having any adults to talk to, and the kids thought we wouldn't be able to do all of the fun, "homeschooly" things we did before because I wasn't thrilled about managing all seven of them on my own.
I am happy to say, I have survived shopping, trick or treating, a field trip to the fair, a library day, and loads of other errands all by my lonesome! Yes, when the kids go to bed it feels really still and quiet and I REALLY miss Chad, but I have to say I am pretty proud of myself for how well I am managing!
I have become a firm believer in to do lists. I have several all over the house, I get this wonderful sense of accomplishment every time I am able to check something off. I feel so organized!
As for the adults to talk to, I talk to both my family and Chad's family quite a bit. The homeschool group have all been really supportive, and I am sure, once the sickies are completely finished rolling through (yes the icky bug reared it's ugly head AGAIN!) I will be back at church regularly.
So things are ok here, they may not be entirely ideal, but GOD is still watching out for us. I will try to update often so that you all can join me on this crazy journey!
Love and Hugs,
Mary
I have been meaning to post here to fill everyone in but things have been insane here! I had all these misconceptions of what life would be like if Chad Started OTR driving. ("over the road" for all you non trucker's wives ;)) I thought I would be looking for things to fill my time. Chad worried about me not having any adults to talk to, and the kids thought we wouldn't be able to do all of the fun, "homeschooly" things we did before because I wasn't thrilled about managing all seven of them on my own.
I am happy to say, I have survived shopping, trick or treating, a field trip to the fair, a library day, and loads of other errands all by my lonesome! Yes, when the kids go to bed it feels really still and quiet and I REALLY miss Chad, but I have to say I am pretty proud of myself for how well I am managing!
I have become a firm believer in to do lists. I have several all over the house, I get this wonderful sense of accomplishment every time I am able to check something off. I feel so organized!
As for the adults to talk to, I talk to both my family and Chad's family quite a bit. The homeschool group have all been really supportive, and I am sure, once the sickies are completely finished rolling through (yes the icky bug reared it's ugly head AGAIN!) I will be back at church regularly.
So things are ok here, they may not be entirely ideal, but GOD is still watching out for us. I will try to update often so that you all can join me on this crazy journey!
Love and Hugs,
Mary
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Decisions, Decisions
We are faced with decisions. Chad is still looking for work and the job market is virtually non existent out here. Our choices are to either take a few low paying jobs, or for Chad to take a job that would take him away for weeks at a time. The problem with the lower paying jobs is this, there's no guarantee that we can find the "combination" of jobs that will have flexible enough schedules so that they do not conflict so someone is always here with the kids, and that they will even pay enough for our financial needs to be met.
The weeks at a time job is a last resort for obvious reasons. It would most likely get us caught up on everything but we would not have Chad around here for three weeks at a time and none of us are happy with the idea of that.
So we are left weighing our options and praying hard! I know that God is going to put us where he wants us, but we are uncertain of where that is right now. Continued prayer is appreciated!
To add to the fun I have some sick kids around here, most of the boys have been running fevers and have shown other symptoms. I fear that the flu is not done with us this year:(
Love and Hugs,
Mary
The weeks at a time job is a last resort for obvious reasons. It would most likely get us caught up on everything but we would not have Chad around here for three weeks at a time and none of us are happy with the idea of that.
So we are left weighing our options and praying hard! I know that God is going to put us where he wants us, but we are uncertain of where that is right now. Continued prayer is appreciated!
To add to the fun I have some sick kids around here, most of the boys have been running fevers and have shown other symptoms. I fear that the flu is not done with us this year:(
Love and Hugs,
Mary
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sleep deprivation
I have another confession. I love to read! If I have a few hours of quiet time I WILL end up with my nose in a book! Sometimes it's inconvenient loving to read as much as I do. I tend to want to finish the story right away. If I begin reading before bed, it is likely I will not put the book down until the story is over, whether it's a 200 page book or an 800 page book!
Chad thinks I am insane for this. He will wake up around 3 am and focus on me long enough to roll his eyes, then he just rolls over and leaves me to my book. He knows it's inevitable. Books are both blessings and curses to me!
Why is this on my mind today? Because I stayed up until after three reading, last night. Then I woke up at seven to frantic screaming that Nathan's stomach hurt. I am sure you can all guess what happened next!
I guess as far as addictions go this one is pretty low down on the radar. I don't have many horrible habits (although if you asked the family they might rate my anal retentiveness and nagging as horrible habits!) and as far as I can tell my lack of will power for books seems to only hurt me in the long run.
;)
Love and hugs,
Mary
Chad thinks I am insane for this. He will wake up around 3 am and focus on me long enough to roll his eyes, then he just rolls over and leaves me to my book. He knows it's inevitable. Books are both blessings and curses to me!
Why is this on my mind today? Because I stayed up until after three reading, last night. Then I woke up at seven to frantic screaming that Nathan's stomach hurt. I am sure you can all guess what happened next!
I guess as far as addictions go this one is pretty low down on the radar. I don't have many horrible habits (although if you asked the family they might rate my anal retentiveness and nagging as horrible habits!) and as far as I can tell my lack of will power for books seems to only hurt me in the long run.
;)
Love and hugs,
Mary
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Hello All!
It's been a long time! A lot has happened around here since my last post and in all honesty I was sort of afraid of posting and it turning into a bit of a rant. I don't want to come off like I am unhappy (because in spite of everything I feel incredibly blessed) so I just refrained until I could explain it all.
First of all, we are all fine. Kids and parents are all alive and kicking and doing well on the health front. We have gone full force into our homeschooling this year and I am seeing progress. I am working continuously on our curriculum this year, adding things that are helpful, yet fun for the kids. The girls are doing our version of Princess Academy. Learning various housekeeping skills on top of crocheting, needlepoint, ettiquette, etc. So far it's been a fun experience :)
The boys are working on some guy things too, this year. proper use of tools, vehicle maintenance, etc. it gives them a chance to break away from the girls for a bit and spend some more bonding time with Chad.
We've also been working more on bible studies and speech with the boys. I am utilizing the things I learned last year from our speech therapist and they boys seem to enjoy it. Our pediatrician told me that he understands their speech more clearly this year than last year so I am just going to keep at it.
Now for the not so great news. If you have read my blog this year then you know that it has been a rough year around here with the car accident in May, and lack of hours at work. Chad was laid off in the middle of August to add to the fun. Sadly, the company he was working for closed it's doors two weeks after they let him go. He's still looking for work and we are praying that he finds something that won't take him away for us for weeks at a time. I'd appreciate any prayers you could send up on our behalf.
Amazingly, we are both pretty peacefull about the situation. As dire as it seems to not have a job in this recession. GOD has done an awesome job of seeing us through so far. I have faith that he will continue to do so. My prayer is that not only will he open a door for Chad, but that he will open THE door that brings him peace and happiness. He has been miserable at work for the last year, and it would be wonderful for him to find something that he really enjoys doing.
On the bright side, we are learning to make the most of our time with the kids. Finding low cost (or free) activities with the kids. The weather's changing so we are both venturing into the kitchen a bit more and enjoying more sit down dinners with the kids. This was hard when he was working crazy hours, the kids were sometimes heading to bed when he walked through the dor or he was heading to bed really early because he had to work a graveyard shift.
So that's the update, times are hard, money's tight, but were remain faithful that this is GOD's plan for us and we are patiently waiting to see what HE is going to do through us!
Love and Hugs,
Mary
First of all, we are all fine. Kids and parents are all alive and kicking and doing well on the health front. We have gone full force into our homeschooling this year and I am seeing progress. I am working continuously on our curriculum this year, adding things that are helpful, yet fun for the kids. The girls are doing our version of Princess Academy. Learning various housekeeping skills on top of crocheting, needlepoint, ettiquette, etc. So far it's been a fun experience :)
The boys are working on some guy things too, this year. proper use of tools, vehicle maintenance, etc. it gives them a chance to break away from the girls for a bit and spend some more bonding time with Chad.
We've also been working more on bible studies and speech with the boys. I am utilizing the things I learned last year from our speech therapist and they boys seem to enjoy it. Our pediatrician told me that he understands their speech more clearly this year than last year so I am just going to keep at it.
Now for the not so great news. If you have read my blog this year then you know that it has been a rough year around here with the car accident in May, and lack of hours at work. Chad was laid off in the middle of August to add to the fun. Sadly, the company he was working for closed it's doors two weeks after they let him go. He's still looking for work and we are praying that he finds something that won't take him away for us for weeks at a time. I'd appreciate any prayers you could send up on our behalf.
Amazingly, we are both pretty peacefull about the situation. As dire as it seems to not have a job in this recession. GOD has done an awesome job of seeing us through so far. I have faith that he will continue to do so. My prayer is that not only will he open a door for Chad, but that he will open THE door that brings him peace and happiness. He has been miserable at work for the last year, and it would be wonderful for him to find something that he really enjoys doing.
On the bright side, we are learning to make the most of our time with the kids. Finding low cost (or free) activities with the kids. The weather's changing so we are both venturing into the kitchen a bit more and enjoying more sit down dinners with the kids. This was hard when he was working crazy hours, the kids were sometimes heading to bed when he walked through the dor or he was heading to bed really early because he had to work a graveyard shift.
So that's the update, times are hard, money's tight, but were remain faithful that this is GOD's plan for us and we are patiently waiting to see what HE is going to do through us!
Love and Hugs,
Mary
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