So Very Blessed!!

So, I have been thinking a lot lately of writing down my thoughts of the past 17 months and my feelings about what my family and I have gone through. Every time I think about the frustrations and stresses that we've gone through, one thing keeps coming to my mind: "we have been so very blessed!" No, Brett still hasn't found a job yet, but I know he will. It probably won't be in the way that I think he should (you know, because I know best) but it will be what our Father in Heaven KNOWS is best for us.

First, before I get into any sappy-ness, here are the last pictures to bring my family up to speed:

Addison's First Day of 2nd Grade--can she really be that old!?

One thing you can notice here is that Addison LOVES to pose. You work it, girl!

Addison's 7th Birthday

The Friday after Addison started 2nd grade, she turned 7. She is getting so big! We only do friend parties on the even years, so this year was just a family party. Addison decided she wanted to go to Boondocks. Addison got in free because it was her birthday and Brett got a pass and I went and hung out with Paige and took pictures. Addison loved the water boats. She likes getting wet and getting others wet. Addison had a lot of fun driving in the go-karts and of course, playing Laser Tag. She would have made her Papa Howard proud with her putting abilities. And she finally got a KEN barbie doll....she just had to have a boy. :) It was great celebrating with her and watching her have fun. She is such a joy in our family.

Paige's 1st Birthday

Paige turned 1 the day after Addison turned 7....a crazy couple of days, but a lot of fun. We did a little family party Saturday afternoon. Terra and Josh (sister and brother-in-law) and their son Benjamin came as well as my brother Trevor and his 3 boys and of course my mom. It was a lot of fun watching her try and decide if she wanted to eat her cake. Brett decorated her little cake and Paige loved putting her hands in it and squishing it. There is a picture below that is fairly funny, because in the far side of it, you can see Paige's cousin, Benjamin, stealing some cake off her tray. :) It was a lot of fun to celebrate a day with our little Paige. We are so blessed to have her in our family.

Addison has taken to being a photographer. Here are some of the pictures she has taken as well as some misc ones. Just so cute....when they aren't throwing a fit, of course. ;)

As of today, Brett has had 37 interviews, applied for 309 jobs, traveled over 2,000 miles for interviews, received 1 "almost" job offer and has received 0 job offers that we can financially afford to accept. There have been several jobs that we both felt were a "perfect fit", but no call back. He's had a lot of people tell him that they really liked his work....just not enough to give him the job. But I know there is a job out there. A job that may not fulfill the requirements that I think it should or even enable me to be a stay at home mom, but I know whatever we are blessed with, it will be what is right for our family.

Will I ever be able to stay home and be a stay-at-home mom? I don't know. The fact that Brett has been able to be the one home with the girls developing an invaluable relationship with them is something that very few fathers have the opportunity to have and I am very grateful for that.

So, how can I keep going on after 17 months of disappointment after disappointment? I guess when I look back on these last months, I don't focus on the negative. I don't want to slight the frustrations and discouragements that we have faced, but I think if I were to focus so much on all the negative, I would be bitter, miserable and depressed. The thing that has kept me going is my knowledge that I know that my Heavenly Father knows me and my family and exactly what we need. So, with everything that comes our way, I know Heavenly Father knows what He's doing and knows what I need to grow and become stronger. I also know that He has sent people to help me get through and deal with things. He has sent me a great husband and 2 great girls that help me. All I have to do is look at their pictures on my desk at work when I'm having a horrible day and they give me strength. He's also sent me a great family, great neighbors and great friends.

Have these last 17 months been hard? Yeah, sure they have. Have they been worth it? Of course! I don’t know how I could even begin to quantify how this has affected our family—in the best of ways, of course. Here are just a few of the blessings that I have seen in our family's lives:

• Our family is healthy--yes, some colds here and there, but nothing serious
• We have great family support--my mom and sister have been down so many times to help us out and see the girls, my dad has taken Brett out golfing several times, my brother-in-law hangs out with Brett and is able get him out of the house and do things other than watch the girls and look for jobs and my other brother, Trevor and his wife, Jen, have been so great to watch Addison when Paige was born and to come up and support us
• We have great neighbor/friend/ward support--there is such a great concentration of amazing people around us here in Clearfield. We love it here!
• I have a good job
• I am able to be physically active
• We have dependable cars
• We are able to serve in the church
• We are able to give back to those who are less fortunate than we are
• We are able to use our talents to help those around us as well as help build the Kingdom of God
• Brett has been able to be home with the girls, developing a relationship and bond they will have forever
• We are able to attend the temple
• We are able to meet all of our financial obligations—thanks to a budget and savings plan—and not have to go into debt
• Brett is able to give me blessings when I need them
• My brothers have been able to give Brett blessings when he needed them
• Brett honors the priesthood and is able to bless the lives of all those in our family
• Brett was not seriously hurt in his accident
• We have strong testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
• We have a Father in Heaven who knows what we need and loves us
• We are blessed with 2 beautiful girls who are so much fun
• I have a great husband who loves me and loves our girls

There are so many more that I can't think of right now, but I know I will as soon as I post this.

Thank you to all who have prayed on our behalf, who have helped watch the girls when Brett goes on interviews, who have helped with taking Addison to and from school, who talk to us when we need to talk, who have invited us to your house to hang out and have fun, who invite Addison over for play dates and do so much more for our family. You are all loved and those little thoughtless acts that you preform on behalf of our family are much appreciated! We truly are so very blessed!