Life is Always Happening!......

Well, It has now been over a year (I think) since I have posted. I decided that it is about time to write on what is going on in my life right now. Here we go!

First of all, after over a year of searching Craig found a job as a security officer with the company that does the security for the apartments that I work for. It is definitely taking some getting used to. I went to seeing him all the time to seeing him every now and then. I never have liked being by myself, and now most of the time I am by myself at the house......yuck, but thank goodness he is making money for us.

Second, my little sis and her husband moved to Texas. Seems like some part of our family is destined to live there! I miss her so much!!! No matter how much I miss her, though, I am so happy for her. God has blessed their move out there, and they have met so many wonderful friends and even found a church that they love being a part of. It is such a blessing as an older sister to watch her become a true adult. I know she is stressed about finding a teaching job, but the transformation that I have witnessed in her since the move is great. For several years she hasn't seemed herself and for the first time in a while I hear happiness in her voice--something she used to always be full of!! I can't wait to see her again!

The big news is that we are expecting. I should have blogged about my whole pregnancy experience, however, I just never got around to it. We are now at the end of the journey with a little over 3 weeks to the expected due date of August 9th! Talk about scared and excited. I just don't know if I am going to be a good mom or not! Can't believe that I am old enough to do this.

On a funny note for the day, my sweet husband has started being very over protective of me--I know much to the despisement of my poor brother-in-law. First of all, apparently being pregnant means that I can't do anything in Craig's eyes. He got called in to work today, and we needed to get groceries. We didn't need anything heavy, but Craig insisted that he call Blake to go with me to Walmart because he said that I didn't need to go by myself. If only it were have stopped there, however, it gets better. I decided after Blake left that I would take a nap. Sounded like a great plan. There were no distractions. Coal was in a calm mood. I left my cell phone in the kitchen to keep the distractions away. That was my mistake. Craig called over and over trying to get in touch with me and panicked. Poor Blake and Erica then had to come over to the house and check on me to make sure I was ok. I felt so bad for them!

Though an inconvenience to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, at least I know that my husband is concerned and cares about me!

Disgusted with America and Its Politics

I sit here at home, sick, only to watch with disparity the elementary attitudes of "our" representatives as they neglected to pass some thing that could have helped the very people that blindly voted these greedy, whinny pompous morons in to office in the first place.

I watch as my husband's and my bank account dwindle as he can't find work. I assume that since apparently the political representatives do not think that our economy is in crisis and can fix itself with just a few painful years to us "lowly" workers on the bottom of the economic totom pole that if I spoke with the representative from my state that he would blame my husband and his "unwillingness" to search for a job as his reason for not finding one. To this I would literally spit in his face. I watched today as my husband applied to 30 jobs, yes I said 30. That number is just one day, I am not counting the past 4 months of searching. I am sure if I stopped people on the street that our circumstances would be the same as not only countless others in my community, but also millions of others in America, as well.

Where is the true America and what has it become? I suppose that we are seeing a result of our own greed. I suppose we are seeing the result of years and years of only caring for ourselves and not our community and our nation. Do our votes really count? I am beginning to wonder. I sit aside and watch as the real lives of people get pushed aside for political agenda. I sit aside and see a crisis that affects the fundamental needs required for us "everyday" Americans to function and live. Yet I see on tv another issue for these disgusting politicians to mangle into something that can win them another vote. Another vote for what I say? As we saw today, another vote for the representatives to waste. We as Americans watch debate after debate, news reports after news reports, pleading for American's to put aside our own personal views and vote for the "good of the American people, " yet the very people that ask us to do this can't put aside what party they are apart of to vote for the good of the people that got them their pocket padding jobs in the first place.

To say I am disgusted is probably an understatement. I sit and watch these men and women and their suits and wonder if they could make it in the life of a single mother with three kids who has to work three jobs just to be able to send her kids to the public school system that she pays for not only in her taxed wages at her minimum wage jobs, but also with her donation of time and money to the classrooms that each of her kids are in because that money taken from her wages isn't enough money to provide the teacher in each of those classrooms with the materials that are needed to give her kids a high quality education. Could these men and women make it in the life of the family whose father just got laid off because the economy? Could these men and women make it if they suddenly were disabled and forced to live off Social Security Disability? May be the question to ask isn't "could they," but "would they?"

And my final thought is if they wouldn't, then why are they asking us to?.........

HUH???

Do you ever just have that feeling in your head that if you sat for a long period of time and tried to think about anything at all, the only thing your brain would come up with is "huh???" For some reason that is me today--if this even makes sense. I had a relatively wonderful day today. Nothing bad happened. Everyone got along really well, so hence that constitutes a good day.

Craig did some more job searching. Still no luck. He did hear from Target that he has too much experience--go figure when every where else says that he doesn't have enough. It is the vicious cycle of job searching. Believe me, I know because I have been there before. That would be the reason why I am not working in a job that is related to what I went to school for. Those doors never opened for me. They will though, but I have a feeling that it eventually means more school.

I definitely love to cook, but cooked fried potatoes for the first time tonight. They turned out fairly well. Growing up my mother fixed more things like pasta; she wasn't a "southern" cooking mom. I also found out when I got home tonight that Coal literally had the poop scared out of him his morning. The maintenance person of our apartment community stopped by today to attempt to fix our fridge handle that has broken off. Craig was upstairs in the shower and didn't hear the maintenance guy come in. He got out of the shower to find a pile of poop waiting for him at the top of the stairs and Coal running up and down the stairs barking. So much for a guard dog! He was too afraid to go near the kitchen where the guy was at! LOL, for some reason it was too funny when I heard about it!

Everything to say.

Well, here it is mid September. Nothing much going on here. No updates on Craig's job search, but believe me, as soon as I know something it will be posted here. Had a few mix ups with a job on Friday. Craig was led to believe that he had one, but today found out that it is probably a no go. Patience is a virtue, or so I should learn to take joy in, I suppose.

I am trying to get started back in to my artistic side. My mom, who I have mentioned many times, has been blessed with a wonderful artistic ability. I managed to get probably about 1/16th of her talent. For her birthday that just passed, I painted her a picture of a blue bird--it was my first painting. I have always equated those birds with Mom. I guess because she loves birds and her favorite color is blue. According to her blog, she is posting pics of the painting soon.

Coal has managed to end my day on a happy note. While Craig was watching Monday night football, I went to the grocery store and decided that I would treat Craig and I to some apples and some caramel. Our supper ended up being so filling that I couldn't finish my apply. Since Coal was looking extra cute, my treat was to give him the remaining 4th of my apple. Coal then proceeded to dance around the living room with it in his mouth, tossing it in the air, then chasing it after it fell. Then he would stare at us with it in his mouth like he was trying to hide it. It reminded me of the time that he snuck the apple from the fruit bowl. That is where the Coal and apple pic here on the blog came from!! How funny it was tonight too!

Well, since my sister and mom always check my blog and are always disappointed that I haven't changed anything, I thought it was about time to post something up here. So Mom and Holly, enjoy...

This photo is from Coal and my photo shoot that we had in the all famous study at my apartment, lol. Although I was well aware that I was taking pictures, Coal on the other hand thought I was in the floor to play and give him lovin'. Our "photo shoot" was of course my attempt at procrastinating the cleaning of the bath rooms--yes, eventually they were cleaned.

Life is slowly starting to slow down and ease in to normality for me. My sweet little husband still hasn't found a job, but we are making it, so that is all that matters. He has had so many interviews. I think the count is up to 7 now, but no luck. I have a feeling he will find something for sure in the next couple of weeks; he has definitely put forth the effort to have already found a triple figure paying job, lol. He is now currently on a kick to get a 47" hd tv. I am not sure how this is going to work, but I am looking at him currently as I sit here writing this blog and I can tell him mind is realing with all the possibilities, lol.

Hard to believe, but our two year anniversary is coming up. I really hope we are able to do something special for it. Last year my sister and her husband went to the Melting Pot, which sounds like so much fun to me. I have been practicing my power of planting the idea in Craig's head, but unfortunately I think I might not have the power after all.

I do have to be honest with you, I have a lot on my mind. I contemplated writing about this for fear that some of my family reading this would think it was about them (but is not), but decided to write it any way because this is, after all, my blog. I get the feeling that a lot of my family and probably friends would like to tell Craig and me "I told you so" about us moving back to Alabama after a year in Texas. I have a couple of things to say to this statement. If you get pleasure out of saying those four words and it makes your life more bearable, then say it. I do not and will not ever regret moving to Texas. In fact, I miss it a lot. I don't know if you ever have those times where you sit and reflect like I do, but I can't get over how much that move allowed me to grow. Craig and I grew closer and became true husband and wife. I learned who I am and what I want to work on. I learned to be myself, something I was struggling with before. I met friends that hold special places in my heart to this day. I also say that I am proud of Craig and of me. We did something that so many people would not have even tried for fear of failure. Finally, Mom, I understand not worrying what other people think, because as you always say, "Opinions are like buttholes--everyone's got one.

Thanks Texas :)!

Don't Know What to Feel.

You know what because I don't, and I am starting to think I will never get life calmed down here at the Nolen house. Not that anything in particular is going wrong, it is just that things are not what we want.

To fill everyone in, Craig and I have made it back to Alabama and have everything in the apartment. I would like to say that after over a month here we have everything unpacked, however, we haven't been as good with the unpacking this go around as the last move. What is unpacked is all credited to my wonderful sister, Holly. I honestly don't know what I would do without her to cope with all this change. She is such a good little worker and presses on even when she is tired. My tendency is to give up when things get hard because I get too overwhelmed.

My hubby still hasn't been able to find a job. He has had several interviews, but no leads yet. Our savings is slowly dwindling away. I keep my head up with the faith that God is guiding us, while the blind folds of life's hardships cover tightly over our eyes. I asked that each of you that reads this post prays for our family. Pray that Craig finds a job that he loves with all his heart, and that he loves to go to most days. A job that will provide for our family, but at the same time provide for his sense of accomplishment in himself.

Ugh... I feel that this post will be forever long. It might be a two part session for those of you pressed for time. There is a lot going on in my mind tonight. Craig's family visited today, and it was so good to see them. We always have a good time when they come over, so that was definitely a highlight to the day. Seeing them reminds me of my family. Goodness. That is all I have to say. Not for my Mom and Dad, but for my extended family. Tough life situations are facing several of them right now and it breaks my heart to be on the outside looking in. I pray for them; however, my prayers often consist of me crying to God to intercede in a way that only He knows how because my human brain can't see a solution (which I know is when God works best.)Seems like here lately I have been faced with those tough questions that you don't know the answer to. I suppose this is where faith steps in and takes over where doubt, if left in controll, could surely lead astray.

Craig and I so long for stability. I want a church family--a church that we feel at home with. I long for us to be at a point in life where we are some where for more than a year. Will we ever find that place?........

Stressed, Excited, Don't Know How I feel.....

I know it has been over a month since my last post. I feel there is a good reason for that; I have been so busy trying to figure out how Craig and I are going to be able to get back to Alabama. Last weekend I had a surprise interview and landed the job in one day! I am excited to get started; however, the sad news is that I will be away from Craig for two weeks. I know only God could have allowed everything to come together the way that it has so far. We have been blessed to have a place to live lined up and so nothing will have to go in storage. God truly answered our prayers. Now we are faithfully and patiently waiting on a job for hubby.

I am so exhuasted from packing already and there is still so much more to pack. Craig and dad think that we are going to be able to fit everything in a 12 foot trailer; I think we are going to have to get two of them (what do I know though, lol).

All I have time for right now, gotta get started with my day, so much to do!!!!