Ava's 4th bday - April 2011
Myrtle Beach April 2011
Joseph, his mom and dad, brother and sister. NC 2011
Ava, Grace, JuJu and Ricky - April 2011
Grace and Ryleigh - Myrtle Beach 2011
Joseph, Ava and Grace - Myrtle Beach 2011
Jarret, Tiffany & Ryleigh - Myrtle Beach 2011
Our Send-off when we left NC 2011 - aunts, cousins and grandparents :)
Upon our return from our NC trip, Joseph and Alex's DNA Test results were waiting for us. No matter how prepared I tried to make myself, I didn't handle the reality as well as I had hoped. So many hard things I have fairly gracefully hurdled, but this would not be one. I felt internally torn in half. On the one hand I knew what was right in my heart, but on the other I was so devastated that my life had taken yet another turn that I NEVER planned on.
June welcomed time home with my girls. I loved seeing them play in our little splash pool in the yard. Joseph and Tiffany took all of the kids to the lake several times and the girls and I got to stay a week at Mom's so they could go to Vacation Bible School at our old church. We really miss everyone there. I loved seeing my girls playing with old friends. Grace picked up right where she left off with some of them. We also were able to attend VBS with my Aunt and Cousins - it's so nice to get to see family. I wish I had more family to see!
VBS at our Aunt's/Cousin's church - And their Noah's Ark.. Petting Zoo!!
Will and Grace and Ava at our old church's VBS!
Ava and DERICK.. her PreK Crush.. she has good taste.
Sprinkler time..
My internal conflict and Joseph's and my battles continued. During the summer I had my first visit to see Alex and meet her mom. I thought it went as well as it could. The night before the visit I had the most AMAZING thing happen - God took away ALL of my anxiety. It felt like a weight was literally lifted and a bit of that "JOY" I use to have was restored. Just before school started we told Grace and Ava about their sister. They have happily accepted her and the situation and thankfully ask very few questions right now.
School has been great for the girls. Grace and Ava both love their teachers, though Grace seems to have formed a bond with hers. I love that at their school God is not left out. This Fall season led to more financial hardships as Joseph's plant hired more workers, leaving him with less hours. I began my Jewelry/Accessory business as a way to be able to work from home. Not because I can't get a "job" but because we are down to 1 car. Between taking Joseph to & from work and kids to and from school, there is little time to find a job in between - especially since Joseph's hours are so varied. A job from home seemed like a good idea. I pray it is blessed! If I could just make the car payment from my profits, we would be doing better.
1st day of school....
October brought our first Soccer Season, a 29 year old Joseph and a 7 year old Grace! Thanksgiving was ummm... Interesting :) Rodney (Mom's hubby) fell and broke too many things to list! :| He wasn't able to be with us at Thanksgiving because he was still recovering. We survived Thanksgiving and I really began to push my business. Things have slowly but steadily grown, and hopefully will really begin to make a profit. So far, practically every penny has been reinvested. I do NOT want to be wasting my time doing this.
SOCCER
Grace & Ava Modeling..
Daddy's 29th Bday
Our VERY Comic Book Halloween.. Ava was Bat Girl and Grace was Catwoman!
Fall also brought a renewed sense of empowerment as I decided to begin ZUMBA at home. I did pretty good for about 3 weeks and as usual - I quit! I felt GREAT when I was doing it tho and could actually SEE and FEEL some changes.
December brought Christmas and then New Year - neither of which were very eventful. You may have noticed the last several paragraphs I didn't mention a lot of hostility between Joseph and I... it seems a lot of it has dissipated! Things are no where as bad as they were a year ago - PRAISE GOD! But we do still have so much work to be done, to even be able to call ourselves "happy". I can say, I am content. I want things to get better, I love my husband and my family and would love to be HAPPY! That being said, I see the good and try to ignore the bad and hope for better. Many prayers have quietly been answered this year and a couple answers have slapped me in the face.. I'm thankful for them all.
Christmas Eve
Angel, Grace, Ava and Alex.. Christmas Eve
Helping Mimi clean up on Christmas..
Reward for helping Mimi clean up. THIS is Grace's #1 LOVE LANGUAGE. She calls is "goosebumps" because it gives her goosebumps and she LOVES that feeling apparently.
My goal for 2012 is family happiness, and for Joseph and I to fall in love again. For me to begin Zumba, stick with it and become a success story. And lastly for my business to prosper. I want to be a better wife and a much better mother - give my kids more Mommy time and be less worried about messes. I also pray that Joseph will see some of the things that have improved this year and that he will have at least a glimmer of hope for 2012.
Love and Prayers to everyone who reads this. I hope your 2011 was a blessed year and that 2012 is 10 times better in every way.
~Kara~
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