My new toy!

Well, here's my new toy! YAY! I now have a faster, better laptop. My old laptop didn't have much wrong with it, it was just time for an upgrade. So, now my sister will be the proud owner of my old laptop, which was a huge answer to prayer for her, so I'm happy that I can help her! Anyway, I'm still figuring it all out and working on transferring everything over to the new laptop, but in the next few days it will be complete - yay!!

One Year Later. . .. . .

Well, my one year anniversary since my Lap Band surgery has just passed, and since that, I've lost 60 pounds and almost 5 sizes. I feel amazing, and more so, am so thankful for everything God has done for me!!!!!

In Everything, Give Thanks

Lamenations 3

1 I am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of his wrath.
2 He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;
3 indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
4 He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
and has broken my bones.
5 He has besieged me and surrounded me
with bitterness and hardship.
6 He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.
7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
he has weighed me down with chains.
8 Even when I call out or cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer.
9 He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
he has made my paths crooked.
10 Like a bear lying in wait,
like a lion in hiding,
11 he dragged me from the path and mangled me
and left me without help.
12 He drew his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.
13 He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.
14 I became the laughingstock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.
15 He has filled me with bitter herbs
and sated me with gall.
16 He has broken my teeth with gravel;
he has trampled me in the dust.
17 I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 So I say, "My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the LORD."
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

This weekend has been a trying weekend for us, with not a whole lot of good news coming our way. This passage from the Bible has really been sticking in my brain for some reason, and I know that it's from God. There has been so much pain and hurt, and it's hard to see that God can use that for good. But when we keep our trust in Him and see that each day is a new day for Him, one can rest a little easier in Him knowing this.

There is an old hymn that we used to sing a lot at my mom's church growing up. Some of the words are a little old and such, but it definitely correlates to what has been going on in our lives lately.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

There is always HOPE that God is doing the right thing for us and allows for things to happen in our life. God's way is perfect and exactly the right plan for us. I just need to redirect my focus and keep God in the center of everything, and after that, things will fall into place.

There are probably some of you out there reading this that aren't very "spiritual" or religious" but are struggling with things in your life. Just know that you can turn those struggles over to someone much bigger than you. I'm so thankful that I can do that! My hands are too small to carry everything I have on my plate. I'm glad that God is there to carry it for me. At least I know its' being carried in good hands!!

Pray Pray Pray

Please pray for Vince and his family. They received some devastating news this week. I can't go into details, but it's pretty awful. There is a lot of hurt and pain associated with this, as well as shock, disgust, and shame. Please pray for his family and for Vince. It's a long road ahead, and we could really use the prayers. In all things, God will ultimately be glorified.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's. . . . . . . . . .

That's right - me - SUPERWOMAN! Why you ask?! Well, this weekend, I single handedly rearranged our bedroom. I moved all the furniture, yes, ALL the furniture to different locations and cleaned while I was at it. Our furniture is not just any frail and week furniture. This stuff is solid wood and very, VERY Heavy! But, my superwoman strength and willpower made it happen. AND, surprisingly, I hooked the television and satellite back up and the TV worked! Go figure!

So, the bedroom is all rearranged, and it looks so much bigger. It looks really nice. And Vince was so surprised, pleasantly I believe! Then, today, I rearranged both of our closets. I took over Vince's closet in the bedroom, and moved all of his items into the hallway closet. The bedroom closet is bigger (so I think!), so I'm happy having the extra room and storage. I just have to go through my drawers tomorrow and organize those and move stuff to the larger closet - yay!

So, this has definitely been a "Labor Day Weekend" but for other reasons. I am sore to boot and I am seeing the beginnings of some good bruises! Tomorrow will be even more labor. I had a 3-page list of things I wanted to get done this weekend. I don't foresee it all happening, but I'm pretty sure a lot of it is going to happen, hopefully!

Vince has his final for his first class in seminary tomorrow night. This past week has not been really conducive to studying with his co-worker's death and subsequent memorial service on Friday morning. Vince spoke at this and did a great job. He has a knack for public speaking (good thing since he's in Seminary!!!). Anyway, we're praying for him to do well on his final. I'm sure he will, but it's been a rough week for us to say the least.

Anyway, I guess that's all for now. I hope everyone has a happy and safe Labor Day! Love to all!!

Unanswered Prayers

I heard a country song yesterday (insert laugh here - you happy now Vince?!) and it seemed to sum up a lot of things going on in our lives. I'm not a huge fan of country (even if I did live in Nashville for 6 months!), but this song is pretty good - here is the chorus of the song (the part that really is what I'm talking about):

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he may not answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

Some of God's greatest gifts are all too often unanswered...
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

I normally don't refer to God as "the man upstairs", but you know what I'm talking about. I just think that sometimes I get so caught up in the outcome of my prayers, and that when God doesn't answer exactly how I think it should be, that it's just not right. And that's now what God teaches us. No matter what the outcome of our prayers, whether they are answered the way we think they should be answered, or another way, God is in control and the answers He gives is HIS will. I need to be more God focused in my prayers as opposed to Abby focused.

We've dealt a lot with infertility and miscarried twins last year. And although I want a baby right now, and I want to be pregnant right now, it's not what God wants for us. I can see HIS will in every part of this. As hard as it was to lose our babies, I can see God working in that. For one, I wouldn't have been paid for the time I'd be off from work for maternity leave. I know God provides. I don't doubt that. But being off for 8-12 weeks with no pay would be difficult.

I now have a new job which is better in many aspects. It's a non-stressful job, which will definitely help with getting pregnant when we do start trying. I also have been able to lose close to 65 pounds, which again will help with the fertility. I am able to be off from work during maternity leave and get paid 80% of my pay. That's a huge answer to prayer.

So, in many aspects, God has answered my prayers, even the ones I don't think about at the moment. And as hard as it is to lose our babies, and to desire so much to be pregnant right now, I know that it's not God's will for us right now, and I need to just trust Him for His timing in our lives!

This is another song that really means so much to me, especially in dealing with our miscarriage.

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Ok - there's my sermon for the day!  I've gone on long enough I suppose!  God bless and have a wonderful weekend!!

iPod Update - What to add?!

OK - so here's the deal. I need some new stuff on my iPod. I love everything I have on it right now, but I could use some NEW music.


So, here's the deal. What are your suggestions? I wanna know your favorite:

3 artists/albums
3 songs

Let's see if we can't agree on something and have some new tunes on Abby's iPod!!!!

You guys are the best!!

This is truly awful

This weekend, one of Vince's co-workers was murdered. He was found stabbed in his apartment on Friday night. They are saying it's from an apparent burglary since his car was stolen and used in an early morning robbery as well. This leads many to believe that the person that did this knew him since it was his car that was stolen.

We are just beside ourself. We weren't really close to him since he worked a different shift from Vince, but we talked to him a lot and had interactions with him. He didn't have the best friends and didn't keep the best company, but no one deserves anything this brutal. Deep down, he had a good heart, and good intentions.

Please pray for his family at this time. They are all located in Chicago (6 hours north of us). We are unsure of his salvation. He grew up Catholic and all his family is Catholic. He's had some interactions with Vince and talks of heaven, so please pray that he was able to accept Christ before this happened.

Also please pray for the investigation: for the detectives working this case, for the people involved that they be caught, and for the aftermath of all of this. Please pray for Vince and his co-workers as they deal with this tragedy.

It really hits home that we have no idea how long our time on earth is. It can be taken from us just like that. Make the most of your time here on earth, and work on expanding the Kingdom. Don't let a moment pass that you have regret. Don't let an opportunity pass you to share the Gospel, tell someone that you love them, that you appreciate them, that you are glad they are in your life. It reminds me of that verse in James - "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." (James 4:14,15)

I love you all and appreciate your encouragement and friendship.

Are you serious?!

Ok - here's another weight loss update! I can't believe that I fit into these jeans last year prior to surgery!



Are you serious? Yup - totally! I've lost a little over 60 pounds and 5 sizes. God's goodness has been totally evident throughout this whole journey. I'm 2/3 of the way there. Almost there!!!! Praise the Lord!

Praise The Lord!!

Well, today was my last day at my job. I am so thankful that I have a new job to go to on Monday and that the Lord was so amazing in giving me this new job. I am happier than one can imagine at this point I think! This week has been a rough week. I've had to train the person that basically forced me out of my job, and the ladt at the front desk commented to me that I've been so patient with her and that I've been amazing in training her and getting everything set up for the office. I told her that it was NOTHING of me that got me through the week. It was all God. I've said the serenity prayer often this week, and I've been praying non-stop it seems for God to get me through the week and keep my testimony. He's been gracious in helping me get through this trying time.

I start my new job on Monday morning, and I'm looking forward to the changes that are coming. I am just so relieved and I can't even fully describe how happy I am about the way things have turned around for us! In other news too, I've finally hit the 60 pound weight loss mark! Only another 30 pounds to go. Praise the Lord for so many answered prayers!

What A Nice Surprise!

Well, tonight was a nice surprise for me. Vince and I had plans to go out to dinner at a nice restaurant near my office. So, I finished my day at work, and went over and met him at the restaurant. We were looking at the menu, and much to my surprise, the nurse, receptionist, and one of the doctors I work with came and surprised me. Little did I know, but Vince and the nurse have been planning this for over a week. It was like a nice little going away dinner. I even got presents and everything! It was such a great night and it was so nice to spend time with the people I enjoy working with currently. Although I won't miss my job, I will definitely miss these great people! Thanks Vince for a wonderful evening!

Well, my vacation away at my sister's house was great. Besides the fact that the flight there kepts getting more and more delayed and we ended up not getting home to my sister's house until way after midnight. It was a lot of fun though. Time with the kids was wonderful as usual. It was so hard to have to leave them. When I left the house on Sunday, my one niece stayed home with my sister (my brother-in-law and the 2 oldest kids brought me to the airport since it was 2 hours away). When I said goodbye to Emma, Amy had to tell her that Aunt Abby had to go home now, and she said, "But I don't want my Abby to go home." (She calls me My Abby instead of Aunt Abby - it's SO cute) She was pouting and wouldn't stop holding me. It made me cry! And then I had to say goodbye to my sister, and that made me bawl - always does! It's so hard being away from her and the family. We've grown so close over the past couple of years. Then when I was at the airport, my niece Mackenzie started crying when she had to say goodbye - she's the very sensitive one. It was awful! I started crying again, and then had to say goodbye to my nephew too and he kept holding me too. Gosh - this is awful! I was crying in the airport listening to my iPod and hearing songs that reminded me of the kids. And then cried again when we were taking off in the plane. This happens everytime I visit them! You'd think I'd learn by now :-) Such is life!

We had a great time! We went to Hershey Park on Friday and went on the Chocolate Ride - saw how they did the chocolate and it was free, and you get CHOCOLATE at the end of the ride! How can you NOT love that! Then I stocked up on some good ol' chocolate. If you have never been to Hershey, it's so cool. Once you approach the town, roll down your windows, and you will be engulfed with the smell of chocolate. It's amazing. The street lights look like Hershey Kisses! It's so fun!

Then on Saturday we went to the outlet stores and went crazy shopping. I was pretty good - didn't spend too much money and got some great deals. Gotta love the deals! Got some cute sneakers at the Reebok outlet. They were only $20 and it helps that I can wear kids sizes still!! I've been trying to find a picture online of them, but can't seem to find one in the color I got, so I'll have to post one later - they are cute - take my word for it!!!

Anyway, here's some pictures of the kids - it was such a great time!!!!









Other than that, I only have 2 days left at my job, and I cannot wait to start my new job!! YAY!! I've been having to train the person that basically has made my job horrible, and basically forced me out of my job. God has given me grace to get through this trying time. I know it's all HIM and nothing of me!!!

I suppose that's all for now - I'm going to finish watching my tivo and then get myself to bed!! Love to all!

OK - New Job Alert!

Well, I suppose I should give details about my new job! I'm already excited about it, and I haven't even started it yet! Anyway, my title is Assistant to the Director of Patient Accounts - and this is for the Health Alliance in Cincinnati. It's the job that I wanted, and it was exactly what I needed for a change. It seems to be a better work environment, it's at a better location (only 10 minutes from home), and just all around better. It's a BIG business, so none of this shady stuff that goes on in private practices. It has better values and core beliefs, and I'm just so excited about it.

This all happened so quickly too! I just started sending out resumes last week, Wednesday night and Thursday night. I got a call from them on Friday wanting to talk with me. Well, HR and I played phone tag for a few days, and I finally talked with them on Tuesday. We set up the interview for this afternoon, and I went there and filled out all the paperwork and such. I interviewed with HR for about an hour, and then I went and met with the director (my new boss) and we talked for about 15-20 minutes. I have been praying all along that God would just show me which job was the right one and give me peace about it. Well, here are some good signs :-)

During the interview with the diretor, he asked why I was leaving my current job. I told him that I was leaving due to some unethical issues going on that went against my beliefs and I didn't feel comfortable staying there. He got this grin on his face, and said he left a job once for the same reason.

Thank you God!

Then, before I met with the director, he asked the HR guy if he needed to see me afterwards, and he said no, so we carried on with the interview. After the interview was over, he said, let's go see Ted (HR guy). Clued me in to something possibly good happening. We walked in and he said (and I quote), "Ted, I want Abby. Get the paperwork together, offer her the job, and call the others and tell them the job is filled." WOW! I'm still amazed!

Then came the touchy subject of money! That's always a kicker :-) Well, I have to say that I make pretty decent money at the job I'm currently at. I am thankful for that because we haven't had to go without. So, that being said, we've centered our bill paying around our income, and taking too large of a cut would really be not so good, so that I might have to take a 2nd job a few nights or something. I was really praying that it wouldn't come to that. Well, they talked and such and came back in, and Ted started the conversation with, "keep in mind that you will have a raise in 5 months, and there is a quarterly bonus that can be anywhere from 2-5f your salary. So, that's 4 times a year that you can get that. And they've been averaging 4.5he past 2 quarters." So, of course I'm thinking, this salary is going to be a huge cut, and he's trying to lessen the blow. Then he told me the figure, and my insides jumped in excitement! It is only 20 cents less an hour than I am making now. It is only $500 less a year! And the quarterly bonuses can be up to $1850!!! WOW! And with the amount of overtime I'm always putting in and not getting paid for (SALARY STINKS!), it ends up being more than what I am making now in the long run. God is SO good!

God has answered each one of my prayers in regards to finding a new job:
1. Make the process go fast - 1 week, I think that's pretty fast!
2. Give me peace about the decision I've made to stand up for what I believe in - my new boss did the same thing I did!
3. Provide for our family with a similar income - same if not more when it call comes down to it!
4. Stability in hours - 8-5, Monday-Friday - no crazy hours!

God is so good!

I start my new job on August 7! I will give my notice on Monday, which I admit, I'm a little timid about right now the way things have been lately, but God will get me through. Plus, I have almost 3 weeks of earned time that will have to be paid to me as well, and she WILL pay that to me. It will be nice to have the extra money to pay some things off while I'm transitioning between jobs.

Still, every day, I'm thankful for God's grace in getting me through this difficult time in my life. It's been a rough year, yes a year. But God knows our struggles, He knows our wants and needs. He's there to get us through each day, and He has delivered me in so many ways. I think Psalm 37:4 says it best - "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." I'm thankful that God has seen fit to give me the desires of my heart.

**UPDATE** (I started this blog the other day!!)

I gave my notice yesterday at my current job and I thought that it went well, but today proved that thought wrong. My current boss is being really awful towards me and making the last 2 weeks extremely difficult to get through. Vince keeps telling me (and I'm trying to tell myself) that this is just for technically 5 1/2 more days, and then I'm out of there for GOOD! This is now my theme throughout the next 2 weeks:


God grant me the SERENITY to
accept the things I cannot change;
COURAGE to change the things I can;
and WISDOM to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it:

Trusting that He will make all things
right if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen

Did you know the Serenity Prayer was actually that long?! Anyway, it really fits this situation! So does this:

Proverbs 3:5,6
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge HIM, and HE shall direct thy paths."

Thanks for all the prayers! I can feel God working through everyone!!

God is SO Good!

Things have been very very bad at my job lately. Well, when saying lately, I mean in the past year or so. Things have come full circle, and it's to the point where I no longer feel comfortable in my job. There are things that are going on that are unethical, and morally wrong. I'm not standing for it any longer, and I am in full-job-search mode. It's really frustrating starting the whole job scenario thing over again, but God knows.

Well, GOD IS SOOO GOOD! I've already heard back from 2 places that I've applied at, and one of them could start as soon as I want. So, I'm just waiting for more details, and we'll see. It seems like God knew this was going to happen before it did - well, I KNOW God knew it was going to happen. But I'm still amazed at how wonderful He is and how his leading is so perfect.

So, I'm hoping that something pans out soon, and I can give a notice at the job I'm currently at. Please please pray!! I already see God moving, and to me, that is excitement enough!!!

My Little Boy Is Growing Up!

Well, not really, but Vince starts classes tonight. I can't believe that it's here already and his journey down the road of bing a pastor has started. He's nervous, and he's a little worried about it all, but I know he's going to do so well. He's going to be an AMAZING Pastor - he's so caring, and compassionate, and funny, and just really down to earth. Heck, I'd go to his church ;-) But I'm really proud of him and excited to see how God is going to work in his life!

On other notes, I have a big answer to prayer too. I saw the chriopractor again, and we've worked out a payment plan so to speak, and it works out beautifully. I was going to have to pay A LOT out of pocket by seeing him or any chiropractor for that matter, and he was saying that if only those that could "afford" to see a chiropractor did see a chiropractor, there wouldn't bee too many patients seeing them. So that made me feel good. I have A LOT of adjustments to get done in the next couple of months, and I have mild scoliosis and some degeneration starting in my lower back and affecting my hips and pelvic area, so, the sooner I can get this taken care of, the better. So, I'm thankful that I only have to pay $40 a week for my chiropractic care!! That's 3 visits a week, includes everything that I get done! That would also cover Vince if he ever decided to see the Dr. too! PTL!!! I would be paying $75 a week just in co-pays if I didn't have this worked out, so God knows!

Ok - I'm off to eat some yummy pot roast that Vince made today. It's 7:00 exactly - Vince is in class. Please God calm his nerves and help him to see this is YOUR plan for him! AMEN

Vacation Memories

Ok - so I haven't updated in a while. Thigns have been crazy, we were on vacation, and I'm still getting caught up since being on vacation. So much has been going on and so much has happened in the past 2 weeks. Let's try to highlight a few of the things :-)

Well, vacation was wonderful. Vince and I got horribly sunburned (Vince worse than I), and that happened the 2nd day we were on vacation. We were at the beach and Vince didn't use any sunblock, and I did use it, but we both got burned. Go figure. The ocean water up in Maine was FREEZING cold, but that's New England for ya! It was still a fun time. It was originally going to just be Vince and I and a little getaway for our anniversary (AND the only night we were going to be alone that week!). It ended up that my mom came along, my grandmother, my aunt and uncle and cousin, my sister and her husband and their 3 kids! Needless to say it was a crowd, but we had a lot of fun. We stayed that night (Vince and I) at The Union Bluff Hotel, this really old Beach front hotel. We had a BEAUTIFUL room - corner ocean view room with bay windows overlooking the ocean and a patio deck overlooking the ocean. Too bad we were both so sunburned to enjoy it. We layed in bed miserable and passed the aloe vera back and forth to each other. Such is life I suppose! Here's where we stayed!






The View From Our Room





This is a wonderful view of Vince's horribly sunburned feet, and part of my sunburn





And my niece Emma at the beach



Let's see, what else went on during our vacation? Well, my cousin got married (the main reason for going up to New Hampshire) and it was great to have my mom's whole family there. We haven't been all together in I think it was 13 years or something, so that was great to see everyone. This is a picture of all the cousins (minus 1 who was still on the road!)



My mom, my sister Amy, and me



And the bride and groom



My niece and nephew were in the wedding and they were just ADORABLE! They came over to see us before they headed to the church. My youngest niece Emma wasn't in the wedding, but she had to get dressed up when Mackenzie and Ben did, of course :-)



We had a lot of fun and I'm glad that I got to see everyone while I was home. We went to my mom's church while we were there (one of the longest days in my life!) and saw a lot of people I haven't seen in forever. At the wedding, a lot of the people from the church were there and they had to do double takes to realize it was me - LOVED THAT! One lady came up to me, and I've known her since I was really young, and she was like, "Abby, it's like you're and extreme makeover all in one!" Ha! So cute!

Here's Vince and I after church at my mom's new apartment



We hung out at my uncle's house the day before we were all leaving and that was a lot of fun. Got to do more swimming and seeing the kids. Here's some pics from there - my nieces and nephews are so cute!!

Ben & Emma being silly



Nanna (my mom), Mackenzie, and Emma



That's about the gist of my vacation. Got to spend some time with my best friend while I was up there - not nearly enough time, but we'll make up for it sometime soon (hopefully!)

Work hasn't been too bad since I've been back. I'm just about caught up and one of the doctor's and the nurse are both on vacation next week, so hopefully it will be a pretty quiet week next week.

Got my mid-year review and bonus, and surprise, a 2% raise (not much, but everything helps!). My bonus was $1500!!! This couldn't have come at a better time. We were pretty low in the bank account after getting back from vacation, so this helps out and we can pay some things off and get the new bedding I want for our bedroom! Side note on that - check out www.companyc.com. They have beautiful bedding and my cousin works there, so chi-ching! Discount! I'm so excited - I've never had really nice bedding! I mean, sheets that are normally $145 for a queen set, and I'll be getting them for about $36! COME ON!!! So, I'm excited about that!

Other than that, nothing much going on (yeah, nothing much! Ha!) Guess I should be getting back to work. I only have 2 1/2 more hours left today and I'm done, but I'm by myself today, so you never know what's going to happen! Hope everyone is having a great week!!!

Love to all!

PRAISE THE LORD!

PTL for a mid-year bonus at work in the amount of $1500!! God is so good. We came back from vacation this week with not much money left in the bank and with the mortgage coming up and Vince's school payments, it had gotten crucial to get some money in the bank. Vince got paid today which is good as well (of course!). AND, he was originally only going to get paid time off for one of the days he was off during vacation, but he got paid for both days he was off, so PTL again!

Great is HIS faithfulness - his graciousness never ceases to amaze me!

Showers Of Blessing!

Today is our 3 year anniversary. It was going to be a bust of a day since it's Vince's weekend to work. So, he got up at 5:30, got ready for work, said good-bye, I love you, etc, and was on his way to work. Well, 8:30 rolls around and I hear the bedroom door opening - somewhat startled (ok, a lot startled) and sit up to see Vince standing at the bedroom door with 2 dozen roses! He got called off of work today since the count was low. What a blessing! We get to spend our anniversary together! God is so good! Vince was praying that he'd get called off today, and he did! I am so happy to get to spend the day with my love and be together on our anniversary!









Happy Anniversary Baby! I'm so thankful that God brought us together! To many many more years together! I love you!

Before & After

Ok - I'm on a blogging roll tonight I guess!

For those of you that haven't seen my current pictures, I'm going to post my before surgery & current pictures. Warning - the before picture is quite scary! I'm doing well since my surgery in September. I've lost 53 pounds and am over half-way to my goal! God is good!

BEFORE



CURRENT


I've even lost another 5 pounds since this picture. I'll update more after we go up to New Hampshire and have pictures of us all dressed up from the wedding!

Vince and Me

I thought I'd post a picture of me and Vince, just in case anyone was wondering who I married! We're celebrating 3 years of wedded bliss (most days-HA!) next weekend. It's hard to believe that God gave me such a wonderful husband & best friend. God is so good and I'm so thankful for my husband and the encouragement he's been to me over the past 3 years with everything that we've been through. There have been rough times, and great times, and Vince has been such a rock in my life. I can't say how amazing God is to me!

It's been a while

Ok - so I never use this blogging system. I pretty much have it so I can check on friends from the past. Everyone is doing so well, and I'm so happy for everyone. I've enjoyed getting back in touch with so many people! Stop by my page on myspace.com. I've been a blogging fool lately. Updates on my life, on my weight loss, on the tree in my yard, everything!

Stop by and visit. I'd love to hear from everyone! Miss you all and hope to reconnect with even more people over time!!!!!

Myspace Blog