2007 is ending...

2007 is coming to an end. I look back over the last 12 months. I try to think of accomplishments I may have done. But looking back, I've gone through some really trying times this year. Trying to make ends meet when your spouse still hasn't been able to get any type of employment. There are other things involved in this situation but I won't get into it at the moment. The struggles I've had at work, with an awful former supervisor whom I call the Dragon Lady. When she accepted another job at another university, my department and I rejoiced. The daily stress we lived with had left the building right with her.

Then moving back to my former department, and being more responsible for my current position, and acquiring a new supervisor. I've had my moments in that area, and getting a bad review, thanks to Dragon Lady bad-mouthing me. I have not had a chance to go over my review beforehand and have a chance to talk with my supervisor about the experiences I've had to deal with. And not giving me an opportunity to explain my working habits. I am not like many people who have a set routine. My job is little bit of a variety of different things I have to do. Because each day is unpredictable, I can't do it. When something does come in, I take care of it right away. Anyway, now that my supervisor and I have come to an understanding, I think everything will be just fine.

As for family...my kids are doing great. I am still amazed with my son being able to be more bold and more people-friendly. He has improved greatly in his sign language skills. Having a deaf stepfather helps a lot. And he always, always signs to me. I think it's great. Sometimes I don't have the patience and want him to just speak it. But knowing him, he'd make a great interpreter or a great leader for some type of deaf group or ministry. His love for the deaf is just so amazing.

My daughter is a tween---12 years old now. Treated her and her friends to Alvin and the Chipmunks. Great, fun, cutesy movie. Hard to lip read animation but the live people, not too bad. I pretty much am familiar with the storyline---I just have the ability to kind of know what the story is about.

Finally met my newest niece. 3 months old and she has big cheeks. She's gorgeous but I'm not too sure about the cheeks. Think of bulldog cheeks. LOL. But she was so adorable anyway. And one of the family friend saw my son and said, wow, he looks so much like your grandpa John! I just had to chuckle. I've taken up to teasing my son, Hey little Grandpa John! He'd just growl, HEY!

The family gathering at Christmas Eve was really great. The kids got what they wanted. We had a good time hanging out and for the first time in years that I can remember, we actually had a good time. I don't know what it is, but it was just right.

Coming home, my sister got pulled over...well, their second citation for the month of December. First one for having tinted windows on front windows. So that was taken down. This time, for expired plates. OOPS. Then my van started acting up. Luckily got home just in time for it to completely quit on me. Christmas Day we didn't go anywhere. I basically just made crock-pot dinner and we just took it easy.

Christmas morning, though, I have to share this: I was gently waking up my son, saying Merry Christmas. Do you know what today is? He was still asleep but waking up, and signing to me, celebrate Jesus' birth. I chuckled....why? because it's very unusual for a child to remember something like that when the majority of kids are more focused on presents under the tree. Amazing. So I just laughed. I said ok, what else? He shrugged his shoulders and turned over to go to sleep. I said, well, maybe I'll just open your gifts for you then. He woke right up and tripped his way out of bed....scrambling. It was so endearing to me to see that he really knows the real meaning of Christmas.

The next day, we had to call the mechanic and it turned out my alternator was shot. So they were able to fix it. So I'm very grateful I have the van back.

Earlier this year, I can't really recall much, but over the summer, I felt we were able to do a lot of family things together, and still had my ups and downs living on one salary, and making ends meet. Then the fall, opening with Deaf Cafe and school and other things.

2008 will be a new beginning for us. For me, I will be flying out to Arizona to see my grandma who is ailing from some lung problems. Her lungs are shot, but they're scrambling to find meds to help her---but we don't know how much time she has---2 months or 2 years? My youngest sister and I will fly out to Yuma to see her spend a week. We don't know when we'll see her again. In the same time, I will have an opportunity to visit with my brother-in-law there. He just recently moved there. I'm very excited to know that.

I also see some major improvements with our Deaf Cafe and I do pray that my husband will get the temporary position at U-M, and bringing in some income for a while. I see us having more camping trips over the summer.

I hope you have had a good 2007, and that 2008 will bring you nothing but more blessings and joy.

Five Golden Rinnnnnnngs....

Ok...five more days til Christmas. Have you guys done your christmas shopping? I've just barely begun. I've shopped for ONE family member....and that's not very good, huh? I am bad about that. I tend to be a last minute shopper and I have never failed coming through on my gifts.

So tomorrow night when my kids go to bed, I'll kiss my husband and tell him to hold down the fort...and off I go to a 24 hour Super Walmart store. I got their flyer in the mail and I see something my daughter would like to have. However, my son wants a Wii. *sigh*. Well, who knows when that'll come??? I did buy him some clothes for now. I won't list my christmas list just yet until afterwards. Would hate for my family to accidently come across my blog.

Just ONE MORE DAY then I'm officially on Christmas Break! For a week! Woo! I go back on Jan. 2nd. It'll be nice.

I'll have to do more catching up later...

Christmas shows & single moms

Wow, been watching some cute christmas stories on TV. Christmas movies---I enjoy some of those charming one where everyone believes in the spirit of Christmas. If you are a true believer of Jesus Christ, you know He is the reason for Christmas.

Back to the shows--and movies...I have noticed a lot of them were targeted towards single moms (mostly were widows or divorced...) and always fall in love with the guy and they get married and the kid(s) get their christmas wish after all, to be a real family.

My daughter and I were watching one that has a sequel. I don't remember the first movie's title but the second one is titled "Meet the Santas". We saw that last year and enjoyed it. This year just gets better. I watched Holiday Switch where this struggling housewife was wishing for a different kind of life. Woke up (I am not sure how she got into this other life...I was cooking dinner or something) and she's a rich lady. Turns out she is in the process of divorcing this guy and she was wishing to go back to her old life, back to her kids and her husband. For that one, the point of that movie was to be thankful for what you have now. Whether you're rich or poor, you should be happy with what you have.

Today I mentioned to my husband we should be very grateful for the things we have. Nothing is about me, or you. It has to be about the family. But mostly has to be about Jesus Christ. We should be so thankful for what we do have.

I had gone out and fell in love with another nativity set. It has verses written on the figures. Very beautiful. I have set it up under my tree, onto my tree skirt that says Celebrate the Gift of Jesus. I thought wow, I need to take a picture of that. Unfortunately I do not have a digital camera. When my daughter gets one for Christmas, I'll borrow it and post it.

We're under Winter Storm advisory. At 5:30 pm today, I looked outside and there was nothing going on. About 5 minutes later I looked outside my kitchen window, and wasn't sure if I was seeing dusting of snow. So went back to look out the living room windows. WHOA! SNOW! Already! I just looked out there few moments ago!! We probably got more than couple inches of snow now. Praying, PRAYING it won't be bad in the morning and we can make it to church. I have the crockpot on low, cooking chicken dumplings for our deaf fellowship luncheon. If we can't make it, well, we'll have it for ourselves then.

It's late. Good night.