Have you Country listeners heard this song???

Alyssa Lies- Jason Micheal Carroll

Sad but I LOVE IT!!!

My Maddi Moo- My Baby Is Two!!! =(

Maddi at 2



Maddi at 1

My baby wont be a baby anymore!! =(

Happy Birthday Dec. 1st My Baby Girl!!!

Good Luck Kenzie and Techno Tigers!

Kenzie goes to Robotics Competions Sat. This years theme is Nano Technology and I hear they are doing a great job. I dont know much about it but I guess I will learn Sat as we are there from 7:15am-4:00pm!!!!!!

Go Techno Tigers!!

Ford Update!

Pray specific!
We found out today another 60 people were put on lay off as of Jan 1st. It is no longer voluntary layoff, its indefinite- meaning you are done with Ford and need to decide if your taking your buyout you signed up for or if your holding out to see if you get into floback.

Praise God! So far Matt is NOT on that layoff list BUT it can change before then. And he just missed the list, the cutoff was HIM! Only cuz he is still an apprentice according to paperwork, he passsed his journeys man test but just doesnt have the paperwork yet . So that saved us!

The sooner he goes on layoff the- well not good. He needs to stay working as long as he can till we find out about going back to Wayne or floback. Plus unemployment isnt enough pay and then once you run out thats it.

So pray:
1. We find out about Wayne next week.
2. He works at Maumee as long as he can.
3. If we have to pay Wayne back it won't be the full amount or that we don't have to!
4. This should be #1 so switch it around.
God's will for us- and for his perfect plan and timing!

Slowly, little by little we are feeling God's hand at work but like I said it's not super clear and surely not our timing!
I'm so thankful it's in his hands and I just have to reming myself to pray instead of worry!

Happy Birthday Lexi Lou!!!

Happy 9TH Birthday Lexi Lou!
We Love You!
Love,
Aunt Jessie
Uncle Matt
Kenzie
Braeden
Maddi
&
Mugzie!!

Christmas shopping question????

I guess the older and wiser I become I feel the need for less stuff.
So with the holidays approaching and everyone asking what we and the kids want for Christmas, I find it hard to answer. There is nothing we really need and I feel guilty about the abdunance of gifts we recieve when we really dont need them and someone out there needs more than we do.
I feel with all the shopping we begin to lose the meaning of Christmas and we spend hours shopping and hours wrapping gifts and hours opening gifts and than hours putting away gifts in the places you can find for them or hours returning them and for what????
My kids have way more than they need and dont even play with most of it cuz they have so much they dont know what they have. They want and want more and for what? For it to sit around, for the thrill of opening a gift? Yes, it is fun the get gifts put I find the novelty of it wears off and once you have a moment to reflect- do you really need it or is it just more stuff? I guess I have this enormous amount of guilt- knowing how we celebrate Christmas with an enourmous amount of gifts that we dont need but somene does.
I find it harder and harder to think of gifts for people that wont just be a waste of money. Some say its the thought that counts but I would rather get no gift than one I dont want. I feel bad if someone buys me something I have no use for and 6 months later its at goodwill. Im not saying Im ungrateful but there just isnt much I NEED. I dont know if Im getting my point across in the right way or not.

My question is How does your family celebrate Christmas?
What is your limit and how do you establish that?

We have tried an exchange
We have tried a price limit
We tried only buying for kids

Nothing seems to work cuz someone always breaks the rules and we are back to buying for the entire family. And Im not saying I dont want to buy gifts I just wish we had an equal limit.

I would feel so much better if we put an amount on it. I dont like buying a 20, 30 50 gift and then someone spends more on me. Or one family member buys for the five of us but they are single so we only buy for them- they are getting the raw deal.

We also tried buying for a family one year- which I LOVED shopping for someone I knew NEEDED the stuff. BUT when we delivered it they had a TV as big as our wall with a cadilac out front and barely said thank you- they acted as tho we owed them the gifts. Bad experience!!

We do the angel tree- which is very sad to me, One tag a little girl asked for underwear and a training bra- I thought how sad that she must need that so bad that she has to ask for that for Christmas and that may be all she gets. When I see those tags I want to grab them all and fill their boxes with more than what they are asking for.

I guess I feel our shopping has no purpose cuz we can all go buy whatever it is we need, we basically are giving everyone our shopping lists or trading shopping list.
Heres my list go buy what I need and Ill go buy what you need. But list are good so you dont waste your money. But it seems kind of pointless>
I guess I dont understand why we give gifts on Jesus birthday? Its not our birthday and I dont give Matt gifts on my moms birthday, etc. And Jesus isnt here to give him the gifts and its his birthday. So why do we give gifts? And how do you put alimit on how many and how do you make it equal? Do you spend the same on each person or do you buy one gift per person and dont worry about making the cost equal??
IM SO STRESSED!!!
And being that we may owe FORD MOTOR CO a large sum of money we are scared to spend money- We dont know what will happena nd when it will happen. We may owe them or we may get another moving allowance and be blessed beyond our imagination.
So people have said well dont buy us gifts- but thats not my point, its not that we dont want to. And Im not going to recieve a gift and not give one either.
Someone give me some good Godly advice cuz Im tired of dreading Christmas cuz of the shopping- its not the reason for the season!
HELP!!!!!

My Little Snow Princess!

Better late than never I guess.
Maddi was a snow princess for trunk or treat.

I met Ashley!

Finally- Its always nice to meet your fellow blogging pals! She was so kind to introduce herself Sunday at church and now I know who she is! Tho- we have to keep her updating!!

Sorry Ashley- hope you don't mind I borrowed the picture!!

FORD- Update

Not a whole lotta news yet. We signed up for a buyout Wed. and Floback- meaning IF there are openings we try to flo back into the Ford system where there are openings at plants. that would not be ideal, it would be a pay cut cuz he would have to go back to production when he is in trades, and every plant will be at least 1 hour away.
BUT_ what we are praying for is... This a long complicated story and tyhis just a bit of it...
Wed. we also found out we MAY be able to pay back the moving allowance we took when he went to Maumee and file a grievance cuz we were misinformed on signing that moving allowance- so if we pay it back he MAY be able to go back to Wayne where he spent 10 years. That would be a huge blessing to go back but not fond of paying that large sum of $ back especially at Christmas.
It's in God's hands, it will be afew weeks before we know anything, back to waiting and deadlines and unanswered questions and hoping God speaks to us soon and he hear him correctly!
So pray for God's will for us-Thanks to all praying for us!

Ohio

Ohio!
Ohio!
Ohio!~
Oh~ How we love Ohio!

Why does time have to go so fast!!!!

Saturday we celebrated Maddi's 2nd Bday along wiht Lexi's 9th Bday. I can't believe Maddi is almost 2 (Fri the 1st). It is so sad! It is so fun but so sad to think the next baby I have will have to be a grandchild! She is almost not a baby anymore.

LaLa -AKA (Aloiya) We miss you!

Hi LaLa! We miss you and hope you are feeling better soon! So sorry you had to go thru that- surgery sucks! You are in our prayers!

What a Game!!

Looking for a new hairstyle- I will be taking new clients.

By The Way....

Sorry Glenn I stole your helmet pictures- hope you don't mind!

Go Bucs- MI Sucks!

As you see blogger placed the OSU Helmet first! I really could care less about football but the kids and Matt LOVE OSU! So in honor of the kids the title "Go bucs- MI Sucks!" is their phrase. I know it doesn't sound nice and they get in trouble if I hear the word sucks but this is the exception. So GO BUCS!!!!

A TWO YEAR OLD AND A PEN!

OK- I WAS FILING OUT MADDI'S B-DAY INVITATIONS WITH A PERMANENT MARKER AND WALKED INTO THE LIVING ROOM A MOMENT TO RETURN FINDING HER SCRIBBLING ALL OVER THEM TO THE POINT YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE WHAT I WROTE. SO I DISCIPLINE HER AND THAT'S THAT.

WELL- I DECIDED TO GO GET THE MAIL- I WAS PROBABLY GONE MAYBE 30 SECONDS WHILE KENZIE SAT ON THE COMPUTER AND MATT ON THE COACH WATCHING TV. I RETURN TO MADDI SCRIBBLING ALL OVER THE BACK OF THE LOVESEAT, WHICH IS EXPOSED TO THE OPEN. ALL I SAW WAS HER ACTION WITH THE PEN, AT THAT POINT ALL I COULD THINK WAS OH NO SHE GOT THE SHARPIE MARKER AGAIN!!! PRAISE THE LORD IT WAS ONLY A PEN!

PEOPLE- I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A PICTURE! I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH SHE ACCOMPLISHED IN THAT 30 SECONDS!! NO EXAGGERATION- THE ENTIRE BACK OF THE LOVESEAT WAS COVERED, TOP TO BOTTOM AND MIDDLE!

I'M SURE IT MUST HAVE BEEN REALLY FUN! WHEN I SAW HER STANDING THERE SHE JUST LOOKED AT ME AND HURRIED UP TO GET HER LAST FEW SCRIBBLES IN , AS I STOOD THERE MOUTH WIDE OPENED AND SPEECHLESS-CUZ SHE KNEW SHE WAS IN FOR IT! SO AGAIN I DISCIPLINED HER AND CARRIED HER OFF FOR NAP TIME. SHE WAS SO UPSET SHE CONTIUED TO CRY FOR SOME TIME UNTIL SHE WAS PRACTICALLY HYPERVENTILATING!

PRAISE THE LORD AGAIN WE HAVE A WONDERFUL CLEANER THAT I KNEW WOULD GET IT OUT-BUT WITH ALOT OF WORK CUZ THE COUCH BACK IS JUST COVERED IN FABRIC ITS NOT STURDY SO YOU COULDN'T SCRUB HARD. THE CLEANER IS NOT WONDERFUL ENOUGH THAT IT WOULD HAVE REMOVED THE PERMANENT MARKER SO I AM SO THANKFUL!!!

AH--- 2 YEAR OLDS, YOU GOTTA LOVEM!

What a beautiful day today is for NOVEMBER!!!

Anyone have an update??

Anyone have an update on Ginny Burtschers health??? We are praying like crazy for her and her family !

Running out of time...

We are running out of time and do not have all our questions answered. We are trustung God and I know it's his timing but we will have to make a decision. How do you know when it's God's voice your hearing and not your own voice telling you to hear this because it's what you want to hear???? does that make sense? I know what I mean I don't know if I know how to tell you what I mean! And we are praying and praying and asking God to show us his will for us not what we want, but so far alls we end up with is more options and variables leaving us more confused!! I wish somebody would just tell us what to do so we don't have to make the decision. We find ourselves doubting all the decisions we have made up to this point but I know we can't do that. I hope we will clearing here his voice and not our own-I know we are going thru this for a reason but it truly sucks! And Im already a very indecisive person who is not good with making decisons when given lots of options!
I think we should just tell Ford Motor co. that this goes against our religious beliefs, they are basically offering us a gamble and we dont gamble- so there! Nice try I know.

BEYOND STRESSED!!!!

We found out very disturbing news on Friday, that Matt will NOT be able to return to Wayne Assemby even tho they assured him and reassured him, yes, you have your call back rights. They then tell us well we are sorry if we missinformed you but you signed off on your call back rights and you can't come back.

Which- he was told to sign off on his call back rights because they told him once you go to Maumee and graduate you won't be able to go back to Wayne so you might as well sign this and take the moving allowance- you'd be stupid not to they said.

Yes- hindsight we should have investigated more but we didn't and he trusted this person and was also told Maumee was running great and would probably never close. So we werent worried, we figured what a blessing your so much closer to home- ten years of driving to Wayne got old!!

So very long story short we have wasted a few weeks cuz we didnt think we needed to worry about a buyout cuz he has call back rights and he's going to Wayne. so why would we waste our time finding out about the different buyouts.

We are now left with 3 weeks to make a very huge decision without all our questions answered, cuz you cant get a hold of people and people dont have answers cuz this kind of thing never happened there before.

We have to decide bewtween a lump sum buyout and you walk away from Ford but that money would only last 1- 1 1/2 years

Educational buyout- go back to school for 4 years, they pay, med benefits and 50% of your pay. But you have to be enrolled full time at school and he would still have to try to work fulltime too!!

Flowback- meaning you flowback into the system IF there are openings.

It is all so complicated because this is just a teeny tiny bit of it, there are so many other factors and rules, lots of rules and lots of deadlines- way to many to explain.

Our biggest problem is we have 3 weeks so we do not have time on our side. We have God on our side- thank God!

Ford is a great job he makes better money than he will walking out of a 4 year degree but its not what he really would want to do - he doesnt love it but its security.

We are praying and I know people are praying for us but it is so much pressure to know we have to make such an important decison in that amount of time and hope it was the right one.

Like I said everything has deadlines and you cant change your mind once you sign up thats it.

Also trying to figure out some hard medical stuff going on and as I said I am so fried all I can do is cry and pray between sobs.

Well I have lots of praying to go do so bye for now.
Thank you for those praying please dont stop!

Family Pictures

We are attempting to get our family picture taken Sat.
Any outfit suggestions??
They said plain but the same tones of colors.
I don't realy want us all in the same color I don't think.
I'm not sure what colors to wear.
We all have dark hair so we probably don't want dark shirts.
I don't want to look ghostly in white.
It will most likely be a close up so only seeing our top half.
It will probably be forever before we attempt it again so I want to be able leave it up for awhile and have it not too seasonal.
So after all my prerequistes- anyone have an idea???
I'm probably asking for the impossible huh??

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

Well, I decided I was tired of the messes strung about the house, so my very wise sister suggested penning her in somewhere- (tho she told me the dogs cage was not acceptable-ha! ha!). So I blocked off with gates both openings to the dining room, which has no dining room table so therefore I guess it really isnt a dining room. And really didn't have very near plans to make it a dining room, it was being used for the dog anyway along with our unplayed piano that yes, I will play again!
So all her toys are in there that she will probably throw at me as I walk by but at least they won't be about the house. And the dog is still in there but in a different cage so she cant throw her toys into him and a lock on the cage she wont be able to open and let him out!
We will see how minutes, hours or days it takes for her to scoot something so that she can crawl out! Im hoping she will find a safe, fun place to play while mom and dad are busy. Dont mistake that I will leave her in there or leave her unattended. This is just so we can have a few minutes of sanity to get something done!! When she awakens from her nap I will let you know how she responded to her toys being moved to her very own space!

Back to- Will Matt have job???

Every other week we are back here again.

One week he is very confident, people reassure him he has call back rights to Wayne Assemby where he came from a year ago and worked at for 10 years.

Then the next guy tells him , "NO" that's not what the contract says.

Back and forth back and forth!!

We have to take buyout by Nov. 27th but he won't know yet if he can go back to Wayne.

We think he can sign up for a buyout then refuse it come Jan. but we have to find out.

But if we miss the buyout and Wayne can't take him back- WE ARE SO SCREWED!!!

Talk about trusting God!! I know he has a plan for us, but how will we know when to make a decision and if we make the right one???

The buyout money will only last us one year and he will never get another job at the pay he is at, he'd be lucky to get a job at half his pay!

We are trusting God but time is not on our side, one decision will have to be made and what if we make the wrong one and then the next door may close too.

Oh Praise the Lord, he takes his Journey's man test Nov 15, 16, 17 and Pray he passes- long story but that is a total God thing that he ended up finding a bunch of extra hours he put in he didn't know he had, which made him eligible to take his test about 5 months sooner than we thought!!! We are so thankful for that!! Like I said we just have to pray he passes it!!

He could also get laid off anyday now too, they are laying people off left and right and going down to two shifts then one and should be closing between July and Sept, much sooner than they said!!

I know all the verses I can apply here but it sure is easy to forget them and let the worry take over- I hate the unknown, but then again nothing is for sure-

Hyper, Creative, High Energy, Spunky, Normal?, Lively, Playful- whatever you may call it

How can a 2 yr old make such a mess in so little time??? HELP!!! I'm- WE are about to go out of our minds. This sweet little baby girl is unstoppable!! She is like the Tazmanian Devil, or a tornado. She is from one thing to the next leaving a trail behind her. She will not sit or stay anywhere for an extended period of time. The only thing she hasn't done yet is crawl or fall out of her crib- THANK GOD!!!! The other two crawled out at 15MONTHS!!!!!!! She is kicking her leg up as to try but we tell her NO! No! and she stops.

She does however crawl out of highchair and her car seat while strapped in tightly and while car is moving! All my kids did that.

She looks at her books then gives them to the dog to chew, she empties all the dog food onto the floor then into his water- all while Im right in the room or next room. I can't take my eye off of her for a minute. She feeds all her food to the dog, sometimes with her spoon!!!

She empties all the wipes out her container becaue her babydoll went poopy!
She throws all her toys into the dogs cage, or she opens the door and lets the dog outside!

She will not sit and watch TV( Iguess that will be good). She doesnt really play with her toys she just scatters them.

She really is a good girl and very sweet but how does such a little thing make such a mess???

Its mostly around dinner to bed time- of course the busiest time. Then she is extremely tired and ready for bed but then develops a second wind becaue she will lay in her crib and sing or chat for over an hour!!!

Oh and if you leave the pantry open she will empty all the cereal onto the floor.
How did she learn all this?
I know I make her sound so bad but she is not- she's busy and Im just saying its 9-10:00 before I sit down and I feel like I ran a marathon chasing her all day!
I guess you would call her independent-which will come in handy someday.
She is kind of like that book "If you give a mouse a cookie" or "if you give a moose a muffin". Have you read those? Or" If you give pig a pancake".

If you give him this he'll want this, if you do this he will do that, if you say this he will want that and so on and so it goes....

Its a good thing she is so cute and at the end of the day she tells me those 4 little words,

I wuv you mommy!