I almost forgot that Chelsea and Matthew moved to Tennessee in August of 2011. Its been a crazy few years for all of us. Their mom and her boyfriend were experiencing the financial struggles of Michigan. In May she decided to move the kids to Tennessee because they were having such a hard time. Jennifer's parents have lived in Tennessee since 2005 and they had wanted to kids and Jennifer to move down with them at the time. We did not let them move because we knew we would hardly ever see the kids being that far apart. This time around we did not have a foot hold to keep them in Michigan. Our one requirement was that they meet us half way since they would be moving twice as far away.
That change has been one of the hardest we have had to deal with. We miss our friends and family dearly, but we miss Chelsea and Matthew more than most. We now see them for a few weeks over the summer and about a week at Christmas time. Its hard when we once use to get the kids every weekend and eventually we are reduced to a few weeks a year. We cherish our time with them, but we sure wish we had a lot more time.
We just remember that God has plans for us all and that it will work out in the end.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Just thoughts and recaps
Where to start? I feel truly blessed. Jason and I have been through a lot over the course of our nearly 10 years together. Wow, 10 years, where has the time gone. Lets see, maybe starting at the beginning would be the best.
Jason and I started dating in March of 2002. We got engaged in July of 2002. In October 2002 Jason had the first issue with work. He was informed that his plant was closing and that he would have to transfer. At that point they started having crazy work schedules. He would work two weeks and be laid off two weeks. Than he would be laid off a week and work a week and laid off a week and work another week. There was no consistency to it at all. Needless to say, keeping our finances in order was very difficult.
We got married in June of 2003. He was still at his first plant in Chesterfield at that time. The week before our wedding my car died. Needless to say, we had to buy me a new car on our honeymoon. August of 2003 we had that strange blackout. I was still working in St. Charles at that time, which was 2 hours away from our home in Chesterfield. We did not lose power in St. Charles, but we did experience a brown out. The day after the black out I was supposed to have an interview with NTA. I obviously could not make the interview and had to wait until Monday to make the call since their phones were out with the power. September 2003 I started working at NTA, that was such a blessing to get that job because it reduced my drive to work from 2 hours to only 1 hour. We would eventually fix that drive time. November of 2003 we found out we were pregnant. What a blessing that was for us.
In March of 2004 we moved from Chesterfield to Walled Lake. Mid March Jason transferred to the Dearborn Assembly Plant. He was at the plant for 8 days and than sent back to Chesterfield on his birthday. Dearborn decided that Jason had too many work related injuries at his first plant, so they did not want his. There were quite a few other people who had the same thing happen. A law suit was filled because they were trying to prevent them from working. The times Jason had injuries were caused by supervisors not using their heads. Jason had asthma and they kept putting in the building that had the foam was being formed into seats, which means that there is fine particles of foam floating in the air. People with asthma should never be in that building. Everyone in that building should have had mask as well, but that was not a priority. Jason started to panic because he thought all the plants would treat him the same way.
In May of 2004 Jason finally was notified that he would transfer to AAI. June of 2004 he was finally at AAI. What a blessing that was since our baby was due in July. Jason is enjoying the new plant and finally calms down. July 16, 2004 Jacoba is born. Jason had been on shutdown for almost two weeks when she was finally born. She was born on Friday of his second week of shutdown. Me being a first time mom was a little concerned that he would only be home with me for one night and than I was going to be alone when he went back to work. Thankfully Ford has a form of maternity leave for men too, so he did not need to go back to work until Wednesday. I was off for 7 weeks so that we did not have to pay for daycare for one week.
Things went on as normal for the next few years. Kids growing up and life as usual.
In January of 2006 we decide to try and buy a house. Beginning of February we find a home and put an offer on it. March 9, 2006 we close on our home. We are so excited and look forward to being home owners. We start a 4 week process of painting and prepping for our move. We were shooting for Easter weekend, but we started the move a week earlier because Jason was in a car accident. The accident totaled the Grand Marquis. The accident occurred on a day when it was raining so no ambulance showed up. Needless to say I rushed to pick Jason up and took him to the emergency room. The airbag went off and he had burns on his face and hand. It was also the first and last night I ever plugged my phone in downstairs. From that point forward it has always been on my bedside. That afternoon we started our move to the new house so that we could share the truck and have less distance to travel for work for both of us. We finalized the move the next weekend. We spent the next year or so just working on the house and living life.
March of 2007 we decided to try and have another baby. Mother's day weekend I started having complications. I contacted my doctor and they said I was fine. I had multiple ultrasounds and they could not figure out what was going on. They figured out that things were going wrong so they decided to do a D&C. I had the procedure on Thursday and the following Thursday I received a call that scared me to death. They said I needed to come in for yet another ultrasound and left it at that. That Friday I went in for the ultrasound and by that afternoon it was decided that I needed emergency surgery the next day. I had the surgery, which besides scaring me, scared my husband. Had we not done the surgery, my uterus would have burst and I could have died. The scary part of it all was that I was not having any pain, so I could have started to bleed internally and would have not know. After the surgery I was told I could not have anymore children. Jason was a wonderful husband and decided to have surgery so that we would never get pregnant again.
September 2008 came and the housing market crashed. The law firm I worked for had a client that was big into the housing market and work from them reduced significantly. January 2009 I was informed that I was losing my job. The day before my birthday was my last day. Not sure what to do at that time I started taking cake decorating classes. I did a few cakes over that summer and love the skills that I have now. Jacoba started school in September 2009. Her first day of school I actually had an interview. I was supposed to be interviewing for a part time job, just happened to work out to be a full time job. In October of 2009 our house went into foreclosure. We tried to work with the mortgage company, they just didn't want to work with us. Ultimately God had a plan for us. So in October of 2009 we moved from our home in Brownstown to Southgate.
In February of 2010 Jason was notified that his plant would be eliminating a shift. He unfortunately fell within the numbers that would have to transfer or lose their job. At that time we started to pray hard and working through our options. We knew that we could possibly be moving to the Chicago area or the Louisville area. We started to look at housing options and schools. We wanted to way all of our options before we made the final decision. The next couple months we had no new information. April of 2010 we found out that Kentucky was off the list. Jason finally had the opportunity to put in for the transfer to the Chicago plant. The waiting game started all over again. Finally in July of 2010 Jason was told when he was to report. We had very little time to move. We made the move over a weekend and Jason reported that Monday.
We have now been in Indiana since July of 2010 and know that we are where God wants us. I have enjoyed the past year and half being home for my family. It was always something that I wanted to do, but we never had that opportunity for me to be home. God has blessed us so much and we look forward to seeing him work through us. We have been blessed with a wonderful church home and a new home as of June 2011.
Jason and I and our family have gone through a lot in the last 10 years, but God has had a plan for us all along and he has taken us by His hand and walked us through all of our trials and tribulations. We did not understand why we had to go through those trials, but each trial made us stronger. We struggled at times trying to figure out why we had to go through some of those trials, but looking back we understood why we had to go through some of those trials. If we had not lost our home in 2009, we would have had to try and sell our home to make the move to Indiana in 2010. God has plans for us all and there will be times that we struggle with his plan, but in the long run we have to understand that he knows best and that he will get us through all of our trials. It may not be in our time, but he will get us through it all!
Jason and I started dating in March of 2002. We got engaged in July of 2002. In October 2002 Jason had the first issue with work. He was informed that his plant was closing and that he would have to transfer. At that point they started having crazy work schedules. He would work two weeks and be laid off two weeks. Than he would be laid off a week and work a week and laid off a week and work another week. There was no consistency to it at all. Needless to say, keeping our finances in order was very difficult.
We got married in June of 2003. He was still at his first plant in Chesterfield at that time. The week before our wedding my car died. Needless to say, we had to buy me a new car on our honeymoon. August of 2003 we had that strange blackout. I was still working in St. Charles at that time, which was 2 hours away from our home in Chesterfield. We did not lose power in St. Charles, but we did experience a brown out. The day after the black out I was supposed to have an interview with NTA. I obviously could not make the interview and had to wait until Monday to make the call since their phones were out with the power. September 2003 I started working at NTA, that was such a blessing to get that job because it reduced my drive to work from 2 hours to only 1 hour. We would eventually fix that drive time. November of 2003 we found out we were pregnant. What a blessing that was for us.
In March of 2004 we moved from Chesterfield to Walled Lake. Mid March Jason transferred to the Dearborn Assembly Plant. He was at the plant for 8 days and than sent back to Chesterfield on his birthday. Dearborn decided that Jason had too many work related injuries at his first plant, so they did not want his. There were quite a few other people who had the same thing happen. A law suit was filled because they were trying to prevent them from working. The times Jason had injuries were caused by supervisors not using their heads. Jason had asthma and they kept putting in the building that had the foam was being formed into seats, which means that there is fine particles of foam floating in the air. People with asthma should never be in that building. Everyone in that building should have had mask as well, but that was not a priority. Jason started to panic because he thought all the plants would treat him the same way.
In May of 2004 Jason finally was notified that he would transfer to AAI. June of 2004 he was finally at AAI. What a blessing that was since our baby was due in July. Jason is enjoying the new plant and finally calms down. July 16, 2004 Jacoba is born. Jason had been on shutdown for almost two weeks when she was finally born. She was born on Friday of his second week of shutdown. Me being a first time mom was a little concerned that he would only be home with me for one night and than I was going to be alone when he went back to work. Thankfully Ford has a form of maternity leave for men too, so he did not need to go back to work until Wednesday. I was off for 7 weeks so that we did not have to pay for daycare for one week.
Things went on as normal for the next few years. Kids growing up and life as usual.
In January of 2006 we decide to try and buy a house. Beginning of February we find a home and put an offer on it. March 9, 2006 we close on our home. We are so excited and look forward to being home owners. We start a 4 week process of painting and prepping for our move. We were shooting for Easter weekend, but we started the move a week earlier because Jason was in a car accident. The accident totaled the Grand Marquis. The accident occurred on a day when it was raining so no ambulance showed up. Needless to say I rushed to pick Jason up and took him to the emergency room. The airbag went off and he had burns on his face and hand. It was also the first and last night I ever plugged my phone in downstairs. From that point forward it has always been on my bedside. That afternoon we started our move to the new house so that we could share the truck and have less distance to travel for work for both of us. We finalized the move the next weekend. We spent the next year or so just working on the house and living life.
March of 2007 we decided to try and have another baby. Mother's day weekend I started having complications. I contacted my doctor and they said I was fine. I had multiple ultrasounds and they could not figure out what was going on. They figured out that things were going wrong so they decided to do a D&C. I had the procedure on Thursday and the following Thursday I received a call that scared me to death. They said I needed to come in for yet another ultrasound and left it at that. That Friday I went in for the ultrasound and by that afternoon it was decided that I needed emergency surgery the next day. I had the surgery, which besides scaring me, scared my husband. Had we not done the surgery, my uterus would have burst and I could have died. The scary part of it all was that I was not having any pain, so I could have started to bleed internally and would have not know. After the surgery I was told I could not have anymore children. Jason was a wonderful husband and decided to have surgery so that we would never get pregnant again.
September 2008 came and the housing market crashed. The law firm I worked for had a client that was big into the housing market and work from them reduced significantly. January 2009 I was informed that I was losing my job. The day before my birthday was my last day. Not sure what to do at that time I started taking cake decorating classes. I did a few cakes over that summer and love the skills that I have now. Jacoba started school in September 2009. Her first day of school I actually had an interview. I was supposed to be interviewing for a part time job, just happened to work out to be a full time job. In October of 2009 our house went into foreclosure. We tried to work with the mortgage company, they just didn't want to work with us. Ultimately God had a plan for us. So in October of 2009 we moved from our home in Brownstown to Southgate.
In February of 2010 Jason was notified that his plant would be eliminating a shift. He unfortunately fell within the numbers that would have to transfer or lose their job. At that time we started to pray hard and working through our options. We knew that we could possibly be moving to the Chicago area or the Louisville area. We started to look at housing options and schools. We wanted to way all of our options before we made the final decision. The next couple months we had no new information. April of 2010 we found out that Kentucky was off the list. Jason finally had the opportunity to put in for the transfer to the Chicago plant. The waiting game started all over again. Finally in July of 2010 Jason was told when he was to report. We had very little time to move. We made the move over a weekend and Jason reported that Monday.
We have now been in Indiana since July of 2010 and know that we are where God wants us. I have enjoyed the past year and half being home for my family. It was always something that I wanted to do, but we never had that opportunity for me to be home. God has blessed us so much and we look forward to seeing him work through us. We have been blessed with a wonderful church home and a new home as of June 2011.
Jason and I and our family have gone through a lot in the last 10 years, but God has had a plan for us all along and he has taken us by His hand and walked us through all of our trials and tribulations. We did not understand why we had to go through those trials, but each trial made us stronger. We struggled at times trying to figure out why we had to go through some of those trials, but looking back we understood why we had to go through some of those trials. If we had not lost our home in 2009, we would have had to try and sell our home to make the move to Indiana in 2010. God has plans for us all and there will be times that we struggle with his plan, but in the long run we have to understand that he knows best and that he will get us through all of our trials. It may not be in our time, but he will get us through it all!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sickness
Ugh! This week did not start off well at all. Sunday I had a horrible headache. Monday I woke up nauseas and wanting to go back to bed. By mid day I had full blown stomach flu! Not my idea of fun. Slept most of Monday away. Today I woke up still not feeling well, but through the day started to feel better.
Thankful that I am starting to feel better! I just pray that no one else in my family gets sick!
Thankful that I am starting to feel better! I just pray that no one else in my family gets sick!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thankful
Over the past few months, or I guess closer to a year, Jason and I have been living by faith! In February Jason found out that his plant would be eliminating a shift as his plant in Michigan and because of his seniority he would either have to transfer to a new plant or lose his job. The initial plant options were Kentucky or Chicago. Neither seemed like a great option because we would be moving away from all of our friends and family and especially Chelsea and Matthew. We prayed about the news frequently and just hoped that some way God would provide for us to stay. Reality set in quickly for us that staying was not an option. God put Jason and I at ease about the move and we moved forward.
The next few months crawled by in a haze of unknowing. No transfer options were being posted and the deadline for the shift closure kept getting closer and closer. Finally in Mid April the first posting for transfers came along and it was the Chicago plant. At that time they informed everyone that the transfers to Kentucky would not happen as that plant was going to be temporarily closed for retooling and would not reopen until sometime in 2011. So, Jason jumped on the transfer to Chicago.
Again the waiting game. Initial rumors were that those taking the Chicago transfer would be sent to the new plant in May. Well May came and went with no news. Than it was oh for sure June, again, June came and no news. Finally Jason went out on his two week shutdown thinking that he was going to be on layoff until his transfer finally came in. That did not happen, just before he left for his shutdown he was told he was to report to work in two weeks if he did not hear from Ford about a report date. The first week was almost complete when Jason finally received a call from Ford. He was to report to his new plant on July 26th. He was to report back to AAI after shutdown. That gave little time to get moved. Jason was going to have to work up until the weekend before we needed to move. We were hoping to have his shutdown to get moved, but that was not going to happen! Needless to say we finalized packing and on July 23rd we moved us to Indiana. Jason reported to his new plant on Monday July 26th. It was a crazy weekend, but we got us down there before he started.
Since than we have been working to settle in and learn the new area. It hasn't all been easy, but we know that we are were God wants us and that is all that matters. We miss our friends and family back in Michigan and we can't wait to have Chelsea and Matthew for Christmas.
This Christmas season will be the true blessing that it is meant to be! God came to give his life for us and that is the one thing we need to remember this time of year! This past year was not what Jason and I had planned, but God has an ultimate plan for us. I thank the Lord for my salvation, my family, my friends and the life I now have here in Indiana. God will show us what he has in store for us in his time.
Thank you Lord for loving me and giving your life for me. Thank you for cleansing me of my sins and reminding me that no matter what happens here, I have an amazing life ahead of me with you in heaven!
The next few months crawled by in a haze of unknowing. No transfer options were being posted and the deadline for the shift closure kept getting closer and closer. Finally in Mid April the first posting for transfers came along and it was the Chicago plant. At that time they informed everyone that the transfers to Kentucky would not happen as that plant was going to be temporarily closed for retooling and would not reopen until sometime in 2011. So, Jason jumped on the transfer to Chicago.
Again the waiting game. Initial rumors were that those taking the Chicago transfer would be sent to the new plant in May. Well May came and went with no news. Than it was oh for sure June, again, June came and no news. Finally Jason went out on his two week shutdown thinking that he was going to be on layoff until his transfer finally came in. That did not happen, just before he left for his shutdown he was told he was to report to work in two weeks if he did not hear from Ford about a report date. The first week was almost complete when Jason finally received a call from Ford. He was to report to his new plant on July 26th. He was to report back to AAI after shutdown. That gave little time to get moved. Jason was going to have to work up until the weekend before we needed to move. We were hoping to have his shutdown to get moved, but that was not going to happen! Needless to say we finalized packing and on July 23rd we moved us to Indiana. Jason reported to his new plant on Monday July 26th. It was a crazy weekend, but we got us down there before he started.
Since than we have been working to settle in and learn the new area. It hasn't all been easy, but we know that we are were God wants us and that is all that matters. We miss our friends and family back in Michigan and we can't wait to have Chelsea and Matthew for Christmas.
This Christmas season will be the true blessing that it is meant to be! God came to give his life for us and that is the one thing we need to remember this time of year! This past year was not what Jason and I had planned, but God has an ultimate plan for us. I thank the Lord for my salvation, my family, my friends and the life I now have here in Indiana. God will show us what he has in store for us in his time.
Thank you Lord for loving me and giving your life for me. Thank you for cleansing me of my sins and reminding me that no matter what happens here, I have an amazing life ahead of me with you in heaven!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
FRUSTRATED
So as many of you already know, we will be moving sometime this year. Jason was told on Thursday of last week that anyone with 10 years of seniority or less that they need to sign up for Chicago Assembly or they won't have a job once the plant goes down to one shift. God has totally put us at peace with this change that is going to happen. We look at the coming months as an adventure that will improve all of our lives. God truly does work in mysterious ways. For years, Chelsea and Matthew's mother has not attended church with the kids. Two weekends ago Jennifer took the kids to church. Her and Frank actually liked the church and plan to attend on a regular basis now. Our concern of the kids losing church because we moved has now been eliminated. We will miss Chelsea and Matthew a lot, but they understand that it is for the best. It will make the time we have them even more sweet.
So on to the frustrated part. Ford is dragging their feet. They won't give us a timeline of when the transfers while actually occur. Last week they said that the postings would go up Mid-April, this week they have changed their minds and say that there might not be any information about Chicago until Mid-May. HELLO! We need to find housing and if they wait until Mid-May, we may only have a month to get a place to live! Unfortunately, they only have to give 2 weeks notice of where people need to report. Like I told Jason, the delay in Jacoba and I moving is not the real problem. I am currently working and I want to be able to tell them that what my last day will be. Right now I have not said anything because I don't know when my last day is and I don't want them to let me go now if we are not moving until August. I know I could collect unemployment, and I know that I am being selfish, but right now it is best if I stay working.
God sure does have a funny way of trying to get me to learn patience. I pray that someday I will.
So on to the frustrated part. Ford is dragging their feet. They won't give us a timeline of when the transfers while actually occur. Last week they said that the postings would go up Mid-April, this week they have changed their minds and say that there might not be any information about Chicago until Mid-May. HELLO! We need to find housing and if they wait until Mid-May, we may only have a month to get a place to live! Unfortunately, they only have to give 2 weeks notice of where people need to report. Like I told Jason, the delay in Jacoba and I moving is not the real problem. I am currently working and I want to be able to tell them that what my last day will be. Right now I have not said anything because I don't know when my last day is and I don't want them to let me go now if we are not moving until August. I know I could collect unemployment, and I know that I am being selfish, but right now it is best if I stay working.
God sure does have a funny way of trying to get me to learn patience. I pray that someday I will.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Fearless by Max Lucado
Fear is something that grips everyone at some point in their life, even those with the greatest of faith fall victim to fear. Fear is so present everywhere in the world right now. Diseases, the economy, job stability, you name it people are fearing it.
Max Lucado uses scripture to show us how God is present with us at all times and that with him we can overcome our fears. Lucado is a fountain of wisdom that over flows in each of his books. He guides Christians through many situations and with God’s guidance helps people get a peace that passes understanding! God has used Lucado in such a way that only God can.
I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is not just for those that are experiencing fear; it is also for those that may face fear in the future or even for those that have overcome past fears. God’s peace flows through this book to help anyone overcome the control that fear can have on their life. This book shows you the way to live each day without fear.
Monday, October 12, 2009
She Still Calls Me Daddy Book Review
Recently I read She Still Calls Me Daddy. It was a wonderful book that opened my eyes to the changes that happen to a father and daughter once the daughter gets married. That time in a woman's life is so exciting and there are so many changes that how it affects others may not be as apparent as they should be.
Having been a woman married in the last 7 years, I never thought about how my father would have felt the day that I got married. I just thought that everyone would be happy for me because I found the man that would be the half that makes me whole.
Reading this book showed me that my father, through his smile was mourning the lose of his relationship with me. Although, he would still be in my life it would be different.
I would highly recommended this book to fathers, and daughters alike. Anyone would benefit from the wisdom shown in this book.
Having been a woman married in the last 7 years, I never thought about how my father would have felt the day that I got married. I just thought that everyone would be happy for me because I found the man that would be the half that makes me whole.
Reading this book showed me that my father, through his smile was mourning the lose of his relationship with me. Although, he would still be in my life it would be different.
I would highly recommended this book to fathers, and daughters alike. Anyone would benefit from the wisdom shown in this book.
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