Changes

A lot has happened since our party! We are coming up to our 1 year anniversary in about a month. It's unbelievable that it has been a year already. Even Mike thought so! There have been constant changes, it seems like! Mike is trying to start his own business doing welding. So far it is going okay. Our only worry is not having enough work year round but we are praying about it and we will see what happens. If he doesn't get enought work then we have to move, again. Every week we are moving or we aren't moving. Who knows what we'll do! Also, Mike's brother, Billy, is living with us for a few months. He needs his brother to teach him about the value of work and the importance of school. He, like a lot 17 year olds, would like to just quit school and work. But, Mike won't let him. Instead he gets to go to school and work after school. It's good for both Mike and Billy. There has been a lot of adjusting though. Billy has been great with helping around the house and making sure his room is clean. Mike has been learning patience and I have been learning that one more mouth uses A LOT more food and drinks! Through all of this though, God has brought Mike and I closer to Him. I see him working in our lives and am so grateful for it. As for me, I am getting certified in Medical Billing on the 23rd of this month. I am studying and basically re-learning everything since it's been about a year since I was in classes. After that I am hopefully going to be getting my Bachelors. I don't know what I am going to major in for sure, probably Social Science, but we'll see. Jessie is doing good. I keep thinking she needs a friend to run around the house with but then I remember when I was up at midnight cleaning up messes. I also think of the double vet bills and double the dog food. Maybe we'll just wait a little longer!

I Try So Hard!

I have tried so hard to make these herbs grow! Jodi got me them and I have watered them everyday like the directions said. They started dying so I thought, more sun! I put them on the table on the back porch where they get sun in the mornings only. And look at them, they are dead! I don't know what I did wrong but they are beyond bringing back to life! Sorry Jodi!
You know, I made some shortbread cookies from a box mix and they were great! So, I tried to make them again from scratch... It didn't work. So I threw those out. I figured I'd have to buy a box mix. Then today I though why not take another stab at it. So, I did, and this is how they turned out. To all of those who tell me I am "Betty Crocker" or "Martha Stewart", I bet their cookies weren't as hard as rocks (literally) or didn't crumble when you touch one. Anyway, I know they aren't hard to make, I am just not successful AT ALL!

Jessie

Everyone thinks Mike and I are SO dumb with Jessie and we are. We spoil her like she was our real child. But right now, she is our child. And look at her, she's SO cute! Look how she's sleeping! She actually fell asleep all a skewed like that! I just had to take a picture of it! She loves to sit in the chair out back or on the couch like she's a person. How can we not LOVE her?!?

Wedding Dresses

Since Kerry's getting married in a year, she started looking for dresses. We went to David
s Bridal and tried on about 8 dresses. There were so many of us there thought! It was Mom, Jesse's mom, Joyce, Jodi, Katie Zalai and Emma, Grandma and me. I think it was a little overwhelming for Kerry so I said she'd try on the dresses the lady was giving us and then we'd go eat lunch. We all went to Olive Garden afterwards and talked about which dresses everyone liked or didn't like. After all of it, Kerry decided not to get any of the dresses she tried on. We had a good time though!

New Years

For New Years, Mike and Jessie went to Louisiana to visit one of Mike's friends, Brian. They were there for about a week and hunted every day. They never got a full limit but Mike said the experience of timber hunting was worth it. He said it was completely different from hunting here in Florida. He drove the 14 hours back January 1st and got home around midnight.