Blessings Amongst Unemployment

I regularly read a blog written by a mom with 10 children. Her husband is also unemployed like mine is. She recently started titling posts, "Magic and Miracles in the Mess. Finding the Good During Unemployment." The day after I read the first miracle post, I started noticing all the little blessings that were similar to hers. I started keeping a list, some mental, some in my planner, of tender mercies from the Lord. I couldn't believe how fast they started adding up. So even though there are days I can't take it anymore, feeling His love shown through others keeps me going and warms my bitter heart. I've been meaning to write this post for several weeks, and now that I'm finally sitting down to do it, I realize it's Thanksgiving. What better time to write this?
Here are a bunch of blessings starting from a few weeks ago when my parents were here, until this week:

• My parents insisted they pay for some of the food in my cart because they were the ones going to eat it, but never did. After they left we had a lot of food paid for by them.
• We invited my parents out to eat, planning to use our gift card that was a Christmas present last year. Instead they took us to a restaurant and used one of their gift cards. Now we still have ours to use the next time Nathan and I want to eat out.
• My mom took my girls shopping and got them some new clothes. I think it's the first time they've had a shopping excursion like that at a real store and not a children's consignment shop or thrift store. They were so excited!
• When I went visiting teaching a sister gave us some bananas.
• A friend moving away gave us her dishes. We've never had enough dishes, so these were a big blessing. When I went to pick them up, she also gave us some good snacks: Goldfish, animal crackers, etc.
• A friend invited us over for dinner and wouldn't let us bring anything. 
• We harvested over 50 green tomatoes from our garden just before the first frost. They are now almost all ripened and we're still enjoying fresh tomatoes.
• Likewise, we got at least a dozen bell peppers. Fajitas is my favorite dinner!
• I opened the upstairs bathroom cupboard and noticed all these little bottles of conditioner and little soaps. I know my mom left them there on purpose. I've gone without conditioner the past few months and we're on our last bar of soap.
• We were out of wipes for a week and I was just about to go to the store to get some when a huge box of them appeared on our porch.
• I calculated our gas mileage and it was the highest it's ever been.
• Someone gave us a ham. Then someone else gave us a turkey. We'll have one for Christmas and one for Thanksgiving.
• The kids have been wonderful through this all. They are constantly adding up the cost of a meal and encouraging me to cook a cheaper meal tomorrow. It's actually been fun trying to cook cheaply. 

For the bad news, Nathan's car needed $420 worth of work to pass inspection. Ugg!! I finally decided to apply for food stamps. I was surprised to learn we get more than I usually spend on groceries. It will be nice not to worry about finding money for food. Nathan resisted the idea of government assistance for a long time but is now grateful to have more variety in our meals. It's also motivating him to apply for more jobs. I hope something comes from one of them soon!

I'm really grateful that we're all healthy and doing well. Homeschooling is going great; we're having a wonderful year. I'm so sad we haven't been able to do music lessons in 1 1/2 years, but I love the extra time we have at home to bond and play together. I have a lot of blessings to count even though things aren't what we'd like them to be this year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Week ending 11-16-14

 Makenna fell off her bike.

 I wish this weren't blurry. She's so cute!

 Samuel at his 12 month check up.

He weighs 19 lbs and is 29 inches.

 He was adorable waiting for the doctor. He crawled back and forth on the table, tried standing up, and chattered nonstop.

 Kaitlyn is a huge help with Samuel. Ever since he was born she's been my main baby holder. He has always loved to be held. When I put him down, say to get something out of the oven, he protests loudly and she snatches him up then packs him around the house.

Last week there was one day when it was 80 degrees so I took the kids to the Aquarium (homeschoolers go free and I've never once taken them), Fort Macon State Park, and the beach. We had a wonderful time!!

 Samuel about to make his escape.

 Kaitlyn

 Makenna

 Playing on one of those floor mats where you step on something like a fish and it disappears.

 Too dark of a picture but it was so cute seeing all of the kids looking at the tanks. I just love having 8 kids. It's so fun taking them places. When Samuel was first born we didn't go anywhere because we can't all fit in the van, but I decided I can't always leave someone home; we have to do fun things together. Since then we've been going on more field trips, even if it's just the library or park. I love being with all of my kids at the same time.

 Samuel

 The kids at Fort Macon

 And to the beach!

 Three kids played in the water.

 Three played in the sand.

 (Three in the water and three in the sand.)

 Two sat on the beach with me and snacked.

 I know these aren't good pictures, but for some reason I liked them anyway. Maybe because they were making similar faces. Or just looking at the pictures reminds me of the sweet memories of that day.

 One of my favorite memories of that day: watching Makenna and Kaitlyn hold hands and bravely watch the waves come in and cover their feet, suppressing the desire to run away. I loved hearing Kaitlyn gently talk to Makenna as if she were the mom, telling her how brave she was being and how everything was going to be ok.

 Just after we ran out of wipes someone sent us a whole box. That box has now become a fun train ride. The three youngest take turns riding in it and pushing the rider.

 My cute baby. I can't believe he's one. 

He still seems so small to me but I guess I feel that way because he's so cuddly, isn't walking yet, and there's not another one on the way, making me think he's big.

 Playing in the bathroom sink. He loves the leaf confetti we have around the house and has been eating it all fall.

 The hairdo Kylie tried on Alexis this week. She tries a different one almost every Sunday.

Week ending 11-3-14

 Here are the pictures we took this week. My parents were in town from California and it was soooo wonderful to have them here. You have no idea how much I've missed them and was looking forward to this visit. They are so special and I wish my children got to see them more often.

Samuel's First Birthday!

 His first gift was a card from Nathan's parents. He loved it and after that wouldn't open any presents.

The kids would hand him a present but he would just toss it aside and look at his card again. It was so funny.

 

 After we finally got him to open his presents. My parents got him some much needed winter clothes and I got him a pair of church shoes for $1.50 at Once Upon A Child as well as some O balls for $2.50.

 I made Mrs. Hyatt's brownies. He loves them!

 Wednesday and Thursday we took a trip to the Outer Banks. We've never been before and the timing seemed right: no babies being born, no baptisms, (the reasons my parents usually visit us) and perfect weather. I'm so glad we went! We had a great time.

 First we went to Ft. Raleigh. The picnic area had this awesome tree we played in for awhile.

Madalyn

 Alexis 

 Makenna

 Kaitlyn

 All of us. It's a tradition to wear navy on our school field trips.

 Walking down the beautiful trail.

At the Wright Brothers monument

 My mom holding Samuel in the outfit she got him.

 Jockey's Ridge State Park. The boardwalk way in the background is where my parents and I hung out for awhile while the kids played on the sand dunes. We couldn't see them once they disappeared over the first big dune so after waiting 30 or 40 or 50 minutes for them to come back I finally went after them. They took these pictures while they were having their adventurous hike.

 On the boardwalk after all the kids finally came back.

Swimming in the Ocean. It was cold, but so much fun!!

Seeing Bodie Island lighthouse.

 The next day was Halloween. This year the kids were birds. Kylie and Kaitlyn were peacocks, Madalyn and Makenna were penguins, Spencer and Samuel were chickens, Alexis was a cardinal, and Thomas was a turkey.

 Part of her penguin costume.

 Alexis the cardinal. She did the whole thing herself.

 Don't you think Makenna looks like my mom? Everyone says Makenna doesn't look like the rest of my kids but I guess they look like either me or Nathan while Makenna looks like my beautiful mother. I was thrilled to one day recognize the resemblance of Makenna to my mom's baby pictures and have thought she looks like her ever since.