Christmas 2010

We have so much to be thankful for this season, most especially our beautiful girls. Audri is 6 months now and just delightful! Mara is nearly 3 and always inquisitive and telling stories. We have had many angels watching out for us! Thanks to all! Happy holidays! 

 

A change in the winds

For months I've been putting off writing this, hoping there would be something different to report. Something to say that would make the situation less grim, or somehow cheery.  On June 1st, Mark called to say he'd been laid off from his job. I thought he was joking. We couldn't really be without income with a baby so near? Our baby was due on the June 23rd, and came on  June 12th. When he lost his job, we were beside ourselves, eerily looking at what had happened wondering "What?!" and "I thought I could retire with that company". It all seemed unreal, and at the same time incredibly unfathomable. Now, 5 months later, after many applications, training, networking, interviews, and follow-ups we are only marginally closer to having income for our family.
  On top of no income, we were forced to try and sale our house or foreclose.  For months, every couple of days we would get "the call" of someone wanting to see the house tomorrow, today, or in an hour. It was agonizing and mostly torturous every time. We would spiffy, shine and polish until we were utterly worn out, then dash out the door so they could come into our home and curl their lips, raise their brows, and no doubt make uninterested comments about it. We in the mean time would hope, wish and pray they would like it enough to buy it, thus ending the agony of not knowing, of waiting, of no answers. Finally, we got an offer on the house! "YES" we thought, this is it.. this will save us from this miserable game. The offer was too low, and the looming foreclosure date ever closer. More house showings were scheduled, and more inconvenient exits. We thought for months that we were just a number to the bank, and Tuesday this week proved that a million times over. The last we had heard was they were reviewing the offer, and the foreclosure/sheriff's sale had been postponed. Wrong! They had foreclosed the day before without telling us.
   That's it, it is final. Whatever dream of staying in this house until we were ready, or moving when it was right for our family... well, whatever. The air in our house reeks of disappointment and discouragement. What could we have done differently? We felt right about moving here, so why all this? What's it about? The new realtor from the bank has been assigned, came to take pictures and verify someone is living in the house. Yes! Living means there are people, who eat, breath and feel! Oh man, do we feel. They asked us to move out on November 24th. (Yes, we are people! Yes we feel! Yes we celebrate holidays too.) We told them that wasn't possible, and arranged instead for us to move on December 1st.   It is final, depressing and so indescribable.
    Mara and Audri sense it too. I see it in their eyes and feel it in their cuddles. We searched for boxes today. We wonder when things will "Calm down" or be "back to normal". (sigh)

  On the other hand,  in the last months we have seen miracles daily.  Family and friends that have prayed for us have called up an army of angels that have helped us along, and carried some of the burdens.  Audri coos and smiles at us and laughs, and the tears in our hearts disappear for a moment. Mara gives luvs, asks us to read her a story, or says " I lus you so much!" in a way that only a 2 year old can and brings joy in to our hearts. We've had listening ears, warm hugs, and kind smiles.  There have been supplies provided when we wondered how we would buy them, and my favorite, doors open where there shouldn't have been.

  We do know that God hears prayers. That He is almighty, yet He knows our needs and our names. We don't begin to understand the purpose to these last few months or the ones that may come. We lament the loss of so much, and hope just a little that something good will be gained from these experiences.

Baby bee

Little wonders

Isn't it so amazing to see God's creations in full color and action!? I am so amazed and blessed by my sweet little girls and wonderful husband who helps me so much with them! Despite the chaos of the last few months, we have been so blessed and we are immensely grateful for it.

Pictures are a bit out of order, but I'll try and tell our story. :)

Sunday, August 15--> afternoon smiles

Packing and preparing the house has been exhausting, especially with Mara undoing all that we just did. I caught Mark taking a cat nap in the office... poor guy!

Family night out. We spent a few hours at the splash pad in the Tempe Market place/mall and then checked out all the best reads in the book store. Mara enjoyed it very much and wanted to read every book she could reach. Mark makes a great story teller too!

Daddy and little chuba baby settling down. Audri was 12 lbs and 13 0z at her doctor's appointment this week (August 10th). She was so brave to get 3 shots, but took it hard later that night. She puked all over when they tried to give her an oral vaccination for rota virus.
Sister secrets
The girls are so sweet together in the mornings. Audri smiles and has begun to "coo"
which totally makes my mornings. Mara is good with her sister, but definitely likes her own time and tells me at least once a day "Mommy, put Audri down." or "Daddy hold Audri?" which is really nice way or putting "get rid of that baby!" Audri has an adorable "oh my heck!" expression where she throws her arms out and scrunches her brow in surprise... it totally cracks me up, but is hard to get on camera. This is my other favorite expression. When I gently blow in her face she does frog/bug eyes. Totally love it! I wonder if the boys will appreciate it when she gets older. Ha ha ha
We went camping the last weekend in July at Ponderosa camp ground with 2 families from our ward. They were so awesome. Mara loved all the new friends that helped her find worms, swing with her, and play in the woods.
They totally helped take care of my girls, and they are amazing families! (Audri on lap, and Mara in the swing)
Except for the down pour of rain that lasted a few hours Friday afternoon, the weather was perfect. We even got used to the GI-normous beetles (june bugs and others) that plagued the camp at nights searching for light. Anybody need a bug collection?

Making brownies for the ward swim party.
See what I drive this man to? He's lying on a bed of nails at the Arizona Science Museum, one of our "let's get out of the house before Stacy cracks" tactics. I've felt awfully confined because of the heat and not being able to take Audri out in it much.

I've told Mark it's time he started pulling his weight around here,... ha ha ha instead he just tried it out at the science museum. "Wahoo!" Mara says
The air vents on the table made the balls "float" in the air, but Mara thought they were better thrown across the room.
Often I get to enjoy both of my girls on my lap, room or not.
Mara found one of Audri's outfits and put it on, it was too short, but I was surprised it even fit her at all... little skinny girl. I was trying to have Audri wake Mara, but Mara just cuddled up next to her and went back to sleep.
Sassy girl

yee haw?
I found Mara asleep the other day in her dresser drawer with all her clothes strewn across the floor. It must have been so uncomfortable, but there she was.

Audri's bug eyes!