It's cheaper than buying a new laptop!

Well I finally have my laptop fixed after it's been down.... oh about 15 months or so. I bought laptop with one of our hefty tax returns back in 08 for school. With-in 6 months the screen went out! yes it was still covered under warranty but I was told NOT to send it in as the repair center was down from hurricane Katrina. So I waited and waited and by the time I could send it in, they told me the warranty was up! UHG! So this year (with another hefty return) I contemplating a new laptop as electronics advance so very much each year but I decided to save the $ and just ordered a new screen. I only paid $88.60 with free shipping. It was so east to install and now my laptop is as good as new! AND we have the extra cash for bills and such! WOOHOO! Thank you Lord!

Going on strike!

Can moms go on strike? After the last two weeks I think I'm ready! The last two day have particularly made me insane! Yesterday I spent all morning cleaning up the house. This is typical as most morning evenings and afternoons... well pretty much all day is cleaning but this day I did my cleaning and then had to run Sierra to an appointment with a hematologist because she has been bruising easy. That appointment took two hours not include my drive time. Then Kaylee was having trouble breathing and has had a bad cough and wheeze the last few days so I took her to the ER after dropping Sierra back at the house. Of course I spent 4 hours at the ER only for us to be sent home with nothing. I came home and had to turn right back around and go to walmart for supplies to make valentines boxes and stuff like Gatorade for the sick babies. I sent the rest of the late evening making valentines boxes with Joshua and Mariah. What makes me want to SCREAM is not all the running and helping the children..... it the cleaning!! How in the world can I spend hours everyday cleaning and still Chad and the kids find it fit to leave HUGE messes every where? I have attached a picture of what my kitchen looked like after everyone was in bed and I did have the kitchen SPOTLESS that morning! I had all dishes done, sink cleaned, stove cleaned, floor swept, counters wiped, everything had a place and was put away..... and then this -

God speaks in simple ways!

Today was one of those days you just feel like running away! Actually, this whole week has been so crazy! I'm not sure why but the kids have been misbehaving a lot more than normal and I have been trying out some new discipline with them but it's not going well. I suppose I'm just not consistent enough with it.

Every afternoon seems to be a struggle. Kaylee and Sierra wake up from their naps right before Joshua and Mariah get home from school. That's when the fighting starts. And not just the fighting but lots of whining and then comes the 20 questions. 10 seconds of this and I'm already puling out my hair. Today seem worse, more whining and fighting. Then Chad woke up and we started fighting probably due to the stress the kids children created but we let it get to us I suppose.

Mariah had tutoring so I decided to take her so I could get out of the house for an hour. Right before leave our argument got really heated which ended up with him telling me to leave and me slamming the door. I tried to cool off on the drive over to Peoria but I just couldn't stop being angry.

I was so mad! FUMING mad! How dare he say things like that to me. After all, I just spent all day cleaning out our closets and getting rid of old clothes. I even put 5 loads of laundry away all while taking care of the little girls! I don't deserve to be treated like this! I wanted to scream and cry and protest! I felt (At that moment) like I just couldn't do it. I can't be a good mother to these kids. They are driving me crazy and I can't control them!
It felt like I was wearing a 100lb weight vest. I had an overwhelming sense of despair come over me. I sat expressionless blankly staring at the road.

There was a truck in front of me that I hadn't noticed until now. I looked up and on this trucks tailgate is a large silhouette of a man kneeling at the cross. My mind was still racing, trying to figure out a solution to my desperation. Then God showed Himself in all of His glory and I finally realized just what I was staring at! I suddenly let go and a verse came to mind:
Mathew 6:34 Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own.
1 Petter 5:7 Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.
I cried out saying " Lord, I NEED you! I can't do this on my own!" And I felt so much lighter and at easy. I was not angry any more. Just like that it was gone! I felt the need to tell Chad I was sorry..... which I might add doesn't happen often with either of us. Right about then I was just arriving with Mariah so I started texting Chad and before I could finish I had an incoming text. It was Chad apologizing to ME!! I was so thrilled and over joyed at how God's love worked through both our hearts and the rest of the evening went very well! It's it amazing how God speaks to us through such simple things like a picture on the tailgate of a truck? Thank you Lord for helping me to see that I need You!

Little eyes need litle glasses

Last week Sierra had eye exam. I only took her because I've noticed her standing right in front of the T.V. like she couldn't see So I thought I'd better have that checked out. Turns out she's extremely farsighted. I honestly didn't think it would be anything but I'm glad I did take her.

Shopping for the glasses was a whole other story! First I was told to go to walmart as they were the only ones who'd accept my insurance. Well they only had 2 pairs that the insurance covered and neither of them fit her not to mention how ugly they were..... sorry but big thick clear plastic round frames... yuck. Then Walmart tells me they will take up to 4 months to get them back!! At this point I decided insurance was out the window. I had no idea finding glasses for such a small child would be such a challenge. I went to 5 different eye places and NONE of them carried anything small enough for her. Luckily on my last stop this lady helping me tells me that there's a new place just opened out at the shops at grand prairie and her sister works there. She calls her sister who tells us, yes they have frames small enough! And better yet they have a deal on kids glasses. I took Sierra out there today and we were able to get two pair of glasses both with a 1 year warranty for only 86.99! What a deal! So I'm glad we found something and they should be coming in next week some time!